If cooking was an olympic sport, induction hobs would be considered cheating!

To decide which type of cooking hob to use on the HopYacht 30, we conducted a time trial comparing a standard gas cooker with an induction hob. The test was straightforward: we used identical pots filled with the same amount of water at room temperature, plus a stopwatch.

None of us at HopYacht had ever used an induction cooker before and the result was astonishing. Just over two minutes to reach boiling point on the gas hob and a blistering 70 seconds on the induction hob. Apparently if we had also tested a radiant electric cooktop, it would have come in last ... at well over two minutes.

So Induction wins gold,

Gas would win silver

and radiant electric

... a very sad bronze!

photo credit: Paris 2024 Organising Committee

As sailors we are all acutely aware of the dangers of a gas leak on board a yacht, however gas does have the advantage of being readily available and you can easily carry a couple of spare bottles. Electric cookers on the other hand are notoriously power hungry and without shore power you could drain the house batteries very quickly. Induction hobs are now the game changer!

With 1 600W of solar input and a 28.8 kWh of lithium ferro phosphate battery power, despite being a compact catamaran, you have enough energy onboard to cook breakfast, lunch and supper for an entire olympic team!

Induction hobs are also very efficient. Designed to heat just the pan and not the cooktop surface or surrounding area, very little heat escapes into the room. If you have used a gas cooker in the galley of a traditonal yacht on a hot day, you will know just how much heat a gas cooker generates!

And when you're feeling like you're ready to win the 100 metres, but need a coffee first, there is one other electrical appliance you could have onboard that will beat an induction hob to the finish line. We have power point ready and waiting for a Nespresso machine to be plugged in right next to the hob!

Here comes the rain again.

(apologies if the song sticks in your head!)

The two things we are never short of throughout the summer months in Cape Town, South Africa are sunshine and wind. However, between 2015 and 2018, Cape Town experienced a one-in-400-year drought which took our city to the brink of “day zero,” a point where over 4 million people in Cape Town would literally run out of water.

But not this winter!!! For the past 5 weeks, we have had what has felt like a never-ending series of cold fronts rolling in from the Atlantic, causing widespread flooding. And this has been the nudge we needed to rethink the design of our helm station enclosure.

Collaborating with the team at North Sails, the new enclosure is a combination of Weathermax cloth and 800 micron Crystal Kleer panels, we are now able to offer a weatherproof enclosure for the helm station, without compromising visibility.

On the inboard side, a zip-open window creates access to the winch and genoa sheets. On the outboard side a full length zip-up and roll-up door provides quick access to the side deck.

HopYacht 005 has been equipped with the new helm enclosure and will be on show at the La Rochelle Boat Show in France 1-6 October 2024.

From 0 to 29.5 sqm - 15 seconds to unfurl

When we developed the HopYacht 30 concept, a key part of the design brief was to ensure that the boat was exceptionally easy to handle. Ideally, a single sail with all control lines led to the cockpit to make single-handed sailing very straightforward. 

Geoff Meek, North Sails, Cape Town.

Geoff Meek, from the North Sails loft in Cape Town, South Africa, took on the challenge of creating the sail plan. He had experience working on a comparable rig for a 60’ catamaran and was enthusiastic about making sure that the HopYacht 30 had excellent all-around sailing capabilities with a single sail.

The result is a low profile Genoa, swept much further aft than a traditional boat, with the mast also positioned further aft. 

This ‘dhow’ shaped sail is an impressive 29.5 sqm (317.5 sq ft) and creates the drive of both a genoa and a mainsail. On a broad reach the Hopyacht 30 will sail comfortably at 6.5 knots in 20 knots of wind. 

HopYacht 30 reefing points

Geoff comments, 'We’re fortunate in Cape Town to have a constant supply of strong winds, so we have been able to test the HopYacht in challenging conditions. To live up to the promise of easy to sail, the HopYacht 30 is also very easy to reef. We added three reefing points, clearly marked with bands stitched on to the foot of the genoa.'

The recommended "do not exceed wind strengths" for each reefing point ensure that the boat remains exceptionally stable and easy to manage. Despite each reef creating a significant reduction in sail area, as the wind strengthens, there is surprisingly very little loss of speed by reefing early.

HopYacht 30 furling line

The reefing process is simple, especially when sailing alone, as the furling line is conveniently placed at the outboard edge of the helm station. From there, you have a clear view of the genoa, making it easy to determine how much sail to furl or unfurl.

Geoff recalls watching Dhows on the east coast of Africa as they return from a day of fishing and how they sail swiftly up to a mooring buoy, simply drop the sail, and secure the boat in a matter of seconds!

With a single sail on the HopYacht you can do the same! It takes less than 15 seconds to furl the Genoa away.

Apart from tidying up a few lines and securing the cockpit enclosure, you’re ready to head home, stopping momentarily to wave to your neighbours in their traditional boats, still stowing the mainsail!