Boat test – Garcia 60
Blame Moitessier, blame Tabarly but there is a strain of French sailor that is very particular to that country. The sort of soulful sailor who is out there constantly searching the eternal horizon – who hears the call of the albatross – who whispers to whales and is at one with the elements.
A sailor, to quote Van Morrison, willing and able to sail Into the Mystic. This romantic vision of no frills, mystical sailing gave birth to a whole range of tough, aluminium ‘go anywhere’ yachts spearheaded by Alubat, Allures Boreal and Garcia Yachts. In the past these builders all turned out fleets of tough, shallow draft, swing keeled boats that still adorn any self respecting bluewater anchorage. Nuku Hiva, Whangarei, Shelter Bay. Odds are there is a distinctive aluminium sloop swinging to her anchor even as I write this epistle. In the past these boats not only shared a hull construction but also encapsulated a whole ethos – the Zen sailor – the sort of mystic who enjoyed the spartan, somewhat rustic interiors. Soft furnishings, headlinings were, definitively NOT Zen.
Well, times have changed, I’m here to tell you that the Zen sailor has evolved somewhat. The moment I stepped aboard the new Garcia Explorer 60, it was clear. Nowadays the bluewater mystic still needs a boat that can transport him to the far flung corners of the globe but he’s going to want to take a dishwasher with him – and a tumble dryer for that matter.
I guess all the signposts were there to be fair. The very name – Garcia Explorer 60 – is a bit of a giveaway. Pureblooded spartan mystical purists does not need a 60ft boat. In fact, let's be realistic, we all like adventure but most of us also enjoy feeling safe and protected – perhaps even cosseted from time to time – as we indulge in our quest to Get Away From It All. And the Garcia Exploration might well end up being a boon.
