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VIDEO Onboard Sojana: racing a 115ft ketch with an all-star crew in Antigua

• Helen Fretter
• May 2, 2017

Sojana is a 115ft Farr-designed ketch belonging to businessman and philanthropist Sir Peter Harrison. Captain Loz Marriott explains how the crew manage her complex sail plan through racing manoeuvres

Sojana racing in the Peters & May Round Antigua Race ©Paul Wyeth PW Pictures

Sojana , the 115ft Farr-designed ketch belonging to businessman and philanthropist Sir Peter Harrison, is the largest yacht competing at Antigua Sailing Week 2017.

The event, which celebrates its 50 th anniversary this year, has once again attracted an eclectic mix of visiting and local boats with everything from the Swan Stay Calm , a Gunboat and HH66 fast cruising catamaran, the original maxi Kialoa III , right down to a mix of production racer-cruisers, unusual one-offs such as the highly modified 6-metre Biwi Magic , and a host of bareboats under charter.

Dotted around the island there are plenty more for boat spotters to tick off their list, with Sojana moored two spots down from the latest generation J-Class Topaz , and the pontoons outside the yacht club hosting everything from the Perini Navi Rosehearty to Maltese Falcon. Immediately after this year’s Antigua Sailing Week is a new Antigua to Bermuda offshore, which some 22 boats have signed up to take part in, while many of the superyachts are biding their time on the island before heading up to Bermuda for the America’s Cup and Superyacht Regatta next month.

Solana leading Class CSA1 at Antigua Sailing Week 2017 ©Paul Wyeth PW Pictures

The biggest class of the event is CSA1 Ocean, which sees the Finot-Conq 100 Nomad IV lining up against Sojana, Stay Calm and some Volvo and Open 60s living out middle age in the sun. Sojana are here to win – Sir Peter Harrison’s team last took the event win in 2011, and he would like to repeat it. They started the week attempting to crack the Round Antigua island record win on Saturday, on the owner’s 80 th birthday no less, which eluded them by just one second. However, the team had taken three straight wins over the first two days of racing – I joined them onboard for the second day.

Breadth of experience

The crew is an all-star cast, with the race team run by former Vendée Globe skipper Jonny Malbon alongside the boat’s captain Loz Marriott. Several of Harrison’s GBR Challenge crew remain, including helmsman Richard Sydenham and pitman Mo Gray. They are bolstered by talent around the boat including Paul Larsen, world speed sailing record holder, and Helena Darvelid, together with other MOD70 crew such as Tom Dawson trimming. Volvo Ocean Race sailor Laurent Pages works with Malbon on tactics and nav.

The most striking thing onboard is that, despite the extraordinary depth and breadth of talent onboard, Sojana takes everything this crew have to get her around the course. Besides the mainsail and forward spinnakers and genoas, there is also the mizzen main which requires constant trimming, two mizzen foresails which go by the names of ‘Black Betty’ and ‘Big Jonny’ (apparently you’re not allowed to ask why), and additional reachers on the forward inner forestay.

Trimming the mizzen is Paul Larsen, working with Helena Darvelid and foiling kite racer Gina Hewson in the complex mizzen mast area. The multitude of combinations require near constant releading of sheets, an armoury of powerful snatch blocks and jammers, and enormous potential for error. Spinnaker trimmer Colin Murray asks if I’m happy to get involved in the drops because frankly, he says, he can use every single hand that he gets.

Boat captain Loz Marriott explains that the two teams onboard have to run almost independently, linked by slick timing through the manoeuvres.

“People would thinking gybing with five sails up would be the trickiest thing, but it’s the dropping of those five sails at a leeward mark, coming round to a Kiwi drop where you’re dropping the spinnaker, you’re unfurling the jib, you’ve just got rid of your spinnaker staysail, you’re gybing the mainsail, you’re dropping what we call the ‘Big Johnny’, the big spinnaker at the mizzen, and gybing that mizzen… and also you’ve got all the hydraulic power and all the noise that’s going on, those manoeuvres are really, really tricky.

“Generally the mizzen team go first on the drop, because we need the helmsman to be able to see clearly, so we get rid of a sail and keep the power up forward. The timing for drops has been developed over the regattas, you start off with five minutes to drop a spinnaker and end up with two minutes. To hoist a mizzen staysail and unfurl it we know it’s 20 seconds, but we started with two minutes. You’ve just got to do that until every team understands exactly how long it takes to do each manoeuvre.”

Watch Loz Marriott explain how the challenge of running a race team of nearly 30 people through manoeuvres here:

Sense of occasion

Race one is slick, with Sojana finishing first by 15 seconds on corrected. The crew refresh with fresh coconuts onboard, which even they admit is a pretty superyachty thing to do.

But race two gets off to a trickier start. A vintage round the world 60-footer is above us on the line, we need to tack soon after. When the Sojana team ask the skipper if they can cross, their answer is “Your call”. It doesn’t inspire confidence, and we give them a relatively wide berth.

Big seas on Day 1 of Antigua Sailing Week 2017 for the 115ft ketch Sojana ©Paul Wyeth PW Pictures

At the first critical hoist a riding turn halts progress, and boat captain Loz Marriott over-rides the race commands, calling for all hands clear of the enormous electric winches until the problem is resolved. Shreds of Spectra on deck after the tangle has been cleared provide a little aide memoire as to why. But just above us, Nomad IV had an issue on board too. There is some shouting, and their gennaker doesn’t launch either. The game is far from over, as Sojana’s waterline sees her pull away. As it transpires, their corrected lead is even wider at the end of the second race of the day.

Owner Sir Peter Harrison makes sure to take the wheel as we sail back in. Harrison, a history buff as much as he is a keen sailor, has invested heavily in the restoration of some of Antigua’s key historic buildings through his charitable foundation. Antigua is clearly just the place to spend your 80th birthday, and this is an event he would very much like to win.

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Sojana, Farr 115 - the first Superyacht to be built in Cowes

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2003   Bruce Farr    115ft  /  35m

SOJANA Yacht Charter

SOJANA is actively available for charter.

The luxury sailing yacht SOJANA was built by Bruce Farr and delivered to her owner in 2003, she later underwent a refit in 2016.

The exterior of SOJANA is designed by Farr Yacht Design.

The 115ft / 35m SOJANA has been constructed with a grp hull and is powered by 375 HP with a cruising speed of 11 knots.

Charter guest accommodation

SOJANA has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 6 charter guests in 3 suites.

The guest cabins comprise a primary suite with a double bed and en-suite bathroom facilities and 2 cabins with a double bed and en-suite bathroom facilities.

Your luxury charter crew

Your luxury charter on board sailing yacht SOJANA will be managed by the crew of 5 including the captain.

The crew will ensure you have a relaxed and enjoyable charter experience with all of your needs catered for while on board.

The 5 crew have their own separate crew quarters allowing guests to enjoy increased levels of privacy.

Amenities & Entertainment

Amenities on board for the charter guests include Light fishing gear.

An extensive list of further amenities and water toys can be seen under the features and amenities section.

Yacht charter destinations

SOJANA is Currently cruising in the Caribbean.

Sample itineraries for the cruising destinations can be supplied by your professional charter broker allowing you to plan your luxury yacht charter vacation in detail.

• Windward Islands
• Leeward Islands
• Light fishing gear
• Sailing dinghy
• Tube - towable
• Windsurfer - Adult
• Snorkeling Gear

Destinations

Frequently Asked Questions

How much to charter sojana.

SOJANA has a weekly charter price starting at $56,000 and an estimated daily charter price of $9,330.

How many guests on board SOJANA?

SOJANA can accommodate 6 sleeping guests on board in 3 cabins.

Legal Disclaimer

Sailing Yacht SOJANA is displayed on this page for informational purposes and may not necessarily be available for charter. The yacht details are displayed in good faith and whilst believed to be correct are not guaranteed, please check with your charter broker. Charter Index does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information or images displayed as they may not be current. All yacht details and charter pricing are subject to change without prior notice and are without warranty.

U.S. Customs & Border Protection

The yachting industry has no global listing service to which all charter yachts must subscribe to, making it impossible to ascertain a truly up-to-date view of the market. Charter Index is a news and information service and not always informed when yachts leave the charter market, or when they are recently sold and renamed, it is not always clear if they are still for charter. Whilst we endeavour to maintain accurate information, the existence of a listing on Charter Index should in no way supersede official documentation supplied by the representatives of a yacht.

Specification

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Sojana actively for sale

• Tech Briefs

IN COLLABORATION WITH CARRSWOOD YACHTS

Twenty years after starting the design process with Farr Yacht Design, Sir Peter Harrison, the man that masterminded the British entry into the 2003 America’s Cup, has taken the decision to sell Sojana – his pride and joy.

Sojana is actively for sale and offers a fantastic combination of comfortable fast cruising and race-winning performance.

Her cruising credentials are impeccable and from the outset no stone was left unturned in ensuring the design brief was met. The cockpit was designed to be both efficient for cruising and for crewed racing with a seating area aft for dining and non-participating crew to be protected.

There is also a spacious deckhouse for comfortable on deck seating but giving complete protection from the weather. In conjunction with Green Marine and Bremner Associates, full size mock-ups of the cuddy and cockpit were built prior to final design to refine all elements.

Design Unlimited was commissioned to create her Nomex interior. Mahogany panelling and detailing combined with lightweight fixtures, fittings and materials enabled a new level of lightweight interior to be developed, while still providing a luxurious and traditional superyacht feel. Classically inspired, with beautiful furnishings throughout created an elegant, yet comfortable and relaxed style.

The wish to ensure lightweight construction led the team to have the composite elements of the yacht engineered by SP (now Gurit) and built at Green Marine who at the time were undoubtedly the leader in advanced composite construction, particularly in the world of superyachts. Using carbon and Nomex, Sojana tipped the scales at a distinctly svelte 209,000 lb (95,000kg) which at 115ft is impressive even today.

Additional stability for cruising was achieved by specifically designing the tankage systems to be transferred to windward, reducing heel and further adding performance when sailing short-handed. When Sojana was commissioned, Sir Peter had a simple and intelligent brief, driven by three key elements:

• The longest and fastest yacht capable of being handled by the owner, friends and with the minimum of professional crew
• A robust, sea-kindly hull and rig capable of long-range ocean cruising, but also capable of winning its fair share of trophies
• A sleek and elegant yacht, well appointed but also responsive and fun to sail.

A ketch rig was chosen as it could offer a sail plan that would be quite flexible in its ability to balance the boat in various conditions and sailing modes, and for its power in reaching and running conditions.

The pure efficiency of the ketch rig, with smaller sails and two masts would allow for five-sail reaching with horsepower to burn and options for all conditions. It was also key to recognise that the yacht would have as many as six sailing modes, from delivery to full inshore racing, to cruising with the owner, to charter to offshore/trans-oceanic racing and everything in between.

Sojana’s performance has been repeatedly improved over the years, and with support and guidance from Farr Yacht Design, she has the perfect blend of an exceptionally well-appointed cruising boat together with the performance potential to be at the top of the superyacht racing scene.

Farr Yacht Design’s vice president Jim Schmicker has raced aboard the boat in many of her regattas and has provided a constant support in the evolution of the yacht’s performance.

Sir Peter has enabled his enthusiastic team to regularly update the boat, and has enjoyed being part of the development process.

The very early adoption of full Future Fibres PBO rigging, and then EC6 solid carbon rigging, as well as being involved in the very early days of North Sails 3di, has kept the boat at the forefront of the superyacht racing circuit.

Sojana’s carbon Hall Spars have been constantly refined, most recently with a complete set of Carbo-Link carbon standing rigging fitted in in December 2020, which will undoubtedly further improve her performance.

Sojana’s racing highlights include:

2020 1st in Class, Antigua Superyacht Challenge

2019 1st in Class, 1st Overall, Nelson’s Trophy Winners Antigua Sailing Week 1st overall St. Barths Bucket 2nd in Class, Les Voiles des St.Barths

2018 1st in class & 1st overall Nelson’s Trophy Winners Antigua Sailing Week 1st overall St. Barths Bucket 3rd Palma Superyacht Cup

2017 1st in class Antigua Sailing Week 3rd St Barths Bucket 3rd AC Superyacht Cup Bermuda 5th Les Voiles St. Barts

2016 3rd Palma Superyacht Cup 7th Maxi Worlds

Other major modifications to the boat over the years include the addition of a retractable bowsprit, a Deckchute spinnaker drop system and hydraulic winch package upgrades. These choices, taken by Sir Peter, have given Sojana the necessary boosts at the right time to remain competitive.

With such a committed owner and a crew who have remained together for the life of the boat, it is a testament to the pedigree of the original design that Sojana can genuinely be said to be “better than new”.

With the latest technology from both North Sails and Doyle Sails making up the racing and cruising sail inventories , she is performing at a level far above her original, proving the value of constant evolution and development under the guidance of a highly qualified and credible team.

In 2015 Sojana underwent a comprehensive refit at Southampton Yacht Services in the UK. Upgrades included new teak decks, new hull paint, a new engine, new air conditioning and hydraulic systems, total rewiring and, to finish it off, new soft furnishings throughout, a gloriously revarnished interior and new canvas work.

Sojana has proven time and time again that the alchemic sweet spot of a yacht that remains visually very easy on the eye, and yet performs to an ever more impressive level as she evolves can be achieved. She continues to prove that the holy grail of outstanding performance on the racetrack and cruising comfort is not a pipe dream and she stands head and shoulders above her peers.

Click here for more information on Sojana

35M  |  115FT

#47bccaInnovative Design 34m custom ketch Sojana was designed in 2003 by leading race boat designers at Farr Yacht Design, their brief from the outset were these key features: The longest and fastest yacht capable of being handled by the owner, friends and with the minimum of professional crew. A robust, timeless hull shape and rig capable of long-range ocean cruising but also capable of winning its fair share of trophies. A sleek, elegant yacht. Well appointed, responsive, fun to sail, and able to race equally well in inshore as well as offshore races.

Main characteristics

• Type: Ketch
• Builder: Green Marine
• Beam: 5.91 m
• Draught: 3.80 m
• Construction: Carbon
• Main engines: Yanmar 4LH-STE 230 hp @ 3.300 rpm
• Range: 1500 NM at 10 knots
• Fuel capacity: 800 liters
• Max. Speed: 12 knots
• Cruising speed: 10 knots
• Built/Refit: 2004/2015
• Design: Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design / Nauta Design
• Flag: Maltese
• Cabins: 4 + crew quarters
• Classification: Malta charter coded
• Location: Genova (Italy)

David Pagrotsky Senior Broker

+46 709 227878 [email protected]

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SOJANA Specifications

NOT FOR CHARTER Sailing Yacht Sonjana is a Fast Cruising yacht which is quick on the English Cowes race course as well as luxuriously comfortable cruising. Designed by Bruce Farr (who has designed many famous racing yachts) and built in 2003 Sonjana is ideal for sailing in offshore events, such as the Atlantic Rally, as well as in-inshore events such as Antigua Race Week, Les Voiles de St Tropez and the Sardinia Rolex Cup. She underwent an extensive refit in 2016, which included a full re-paint, all new ropes and sails, new interior furnishings and much more.

Luxury sailing yacht Sonjana also provides comfort of the highest level. Her interior reflects an age of traditional yachting opulence and sumptuous quality. Sonja’s dark mahogany wood paneling and gold plated fittings mix beautifully with luxurious fabrics.

Yacht Accommodation

Sojana comfortably accommodates up to 8 guests in 4 cabins. She offers an en-suited master stateroom, a VIP cabin with ensuite, a twin cabin with ensuite and a cabin with 2 bunk beds. Opposite the bunk cabin there is a day head however there is no shower so the ensuite of another cabin must be shared. This bunk cabin is ideal for children.

Amenities and Extras

Tenders & Toys: Guest tender: 8m Scorpion with Evenrude 250hp outboard Crew: Zodiac FC420 with 30hp outboard 2 x SUPs Snorkelling gear Fishing gear Audio Visual Equipment and Deck Facilities: 2 x 43" Sony flatscreen TVs in Owner's Cabin and Saloon Movie library run through PLEX Sonos throughout Communications: Fleet Broadband FB250 system 4G/Wifi

SOJANA Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht SOJANA displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

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Bruce Farr Yacht Design is one of the most successful sailing racing yacht design teams in the world and it enjoys one of the most impressive sailing records over the years.

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California yacht owner threatens to kill dock worker in vicious showdown, cali yacht owner threatens to kill dock worker drops pants for rude salute, 95 3/13/2024 8:09 am pt.

A California yacht owner's vicious beef with a dock worker has reached death-threat levels -- and their exchange was caught on camera and included a nude, and very rude, gesture!

Check out the clip ... it all unfolds when San Diego entrepreneur Ajay Thakore swings by the swanky Marriott Marquis Marina in his rare $4.5M Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 yacht to pick up one of his employees -- but things boil over when dock worker Joseph Holt tells him he can't be there.

Thakore, the CEO of medical advertising firm Doctor Multimedia, flips out on Holt big time ... and starts spewing threats like, "I will kill you, you know I will kill you, I will kill."

And it doesn't stop there -- as Thakore's pulling out of the harbor, he drops trou to make a full frontal salute in Holt's direction. Stay classy, San Diego!

Holt's only retaliation was flipping the bird, and he later told CBS8 that was all he could do to keep his cool and avoid escalating the situation.

Holt says parts of the altercation were not captured on camera, and he adds ... Thakore not only threatened to kill him, but also claimed to have connections who could totally mess up his life.

Holt also says Thakore pulled out $100 bills and tossed them at him, even chucking some in the water.

BTW, Thakore's done some backpedaling since the ugly exchange -- he now says, "The interaction that occurred yesterday was regrettable. What started as a minor misunderstanding escalated into an argument, and I apologize for my actions and to those who witnessed the unfortunate exchange."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

FWIW ... One of Thakore’s employees claims the whole thing began because other dock workers blocked him from boarding the yacht.

Oh, and if that fancy Lambo yacht looks familiar -- it's the same one Chuck Liddell recently tumbled off just last month. Now it's famous AND infamous!

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35m  /  114'10   green marine   2003 / 2022.

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10 of the coolest superyacht spinnakers

For many owners, superyacht sails are a blank canvas for creating truly spectacular designs that catch the eye wherever you cruise. With the Mediterranean regatta season in full swing, we look at some of the most memorable spinnakers on the water...

Mari-Cha III

Super Maxi Mari-Cha III is a speed demon that has claimed many a racing title since her launch in 1997. The Philippe Briand -designed sailing yacht is perhaps best known for smashing multiple records in her first few years on the water, including the fastest transatlantic crossing in 1998 and a new Sydney Hobart record the following year. Downwind she flies 1,680 square metres of sail, including a spinnaker with a cartoon dragon, and canters along at 17 knots in just 14 knots of wind.

The Code 1 sail on 66-metre Vitters Anatta (previously known as Aglaia) was designed by Norwegian artist Magne Furuholmen, the former keyboardist for 1980s band A-ha. The original owners had a series of Furuholmen pieces on board and after the christening chose to make this art a more integral part of the boat's DNA. The 3,600-square-metre artwork (both sides of the 1,787m2 Cuben Fiber sail) is one of the largest fabric paintings in the world and is attached to an 83-metre carbon mast, one of the largest ever produced by Southern Spars. The mainsail can be hoisted in less than two minutes and tacking the boat takes a mere 30 seconds.

Perini Navi 's 58.6-metre Perseus3 is home to the world's largest sail. Her North Sails A2 spinnaker offers 2,604 square metres of pure power downwind and is about equivalent in size to 10 tennis courts. In fact, this one sail alone is bigger than all of Maltese Falcon ’s 15 sails combined. It took five days to cut the 850 sailcloth panels and a further 10 days to construct the sail and apply her namesake constellation detail. The fabric is specifically engineered so that there is a little bit of elasticity built into it. That way, big shock loads don’t run back through the rigging and the boat itself – the kite absorbs some of it. It weighs 550 kilos and takes 10-15 people to heave it across the deck. In total, her sail inventory comprises over 10,000 square metres.

Christopher

Christopher is the largest ketch to be built at British shipyard Pendennis and made her racing debut at the St Barth’s Bucket Regatta shortly after her delivery in 2011. The 46-metre may not have won her class, but she certainly wins the award for the coolest spinnaker with its bright red hot chilli pepper.

The 30.5-metre Supermaxi Comanche  has picked up a trove of silverware since her launch in 2014, having won the Sydney Hobart in 2015, 2017 and 2019 under skipper Ken Read and setting a record that remains to this day. Comanche also holds the Monohull Transatlantic sailing record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic and set a new Transpac record in 2017, covering 484 nautical miles in 24 hours, and averaging 20 knots. Comanche has an air draught of 48 metres that allows her to fly a whopping 1,100-square-metre spinnaker with the face of a Native American Comanche warrior.

The 46-metre Vitters sailing yacht Ganesha was the owner’s second sailing superyacht to bear the name of the Indian deity, but the first that he commissioned as a new build. Ganesha 's lines were inspired by the beam-to-length ratio and the low freeboard of the J Class yachts and she has joined them on the racecourse on numerous occasions including the Superyacht Cup in 2022, which she won. Her scarlet spinnaker has a massive depiction of the Hindu god, and the spirit of Ganesha continues throughout the interior with water-cut open bronze latticework inspired by historical Indian architecture.

Whimsea (formerly Chrisco ) is one of the largest sailing yachts built by French shipyard CNB, but is cut from a different cloth than her siblings. Minimalism is at the heart of her design with winches hidden below the decking and an awesome carbon and axial-glazed coachroof comprised of 78 individual panels of laminated glass. But her downwind sails are elaborate works of art with a loud 900-square-metre multi-coloured North Sails A2.5 (pictured) – the largest in her wardrobe.

Vivid is a 27-metre semi-custom model built by Jongert for an adventurous owner looking to travel the world. She completed two circumnavigations and racked up well-over 130,000-plus miles in 12 years with stop-offs in Svalbard, Raja Ampat, Mexico, Antarctica, New York and Papua New Guinea. Her 400 square metres of sail can be handled by a small crew with the help of hydraulic winches and furling systems, and no matter where her travels take her, her vivid yellow kite helps her stand out. 

The brief for Sojana was to build the longest and fastest yacht capable of being handled by the owner and friends with minimal crew. Her main mast stands 41.8 metres tall, with a smaller 33.9-metre mizzen mast aft, and she flies over 1,000 square metres of sail downwind. In racing mode, she can reach in excess of 15-20 knots in 10-15 knots of breeze. Besides the mainsail and forward spinnakers and genoas, there is also a mizzen mainsail and two mizzen foresails which go by the names of Black Betty and Big Jonny, and additional reachers on the forward inner forestay. When racing in a five-sail mode, her kite leads the way with its double-headed eagle motif. 

Svea is the newest and longest member of the J Class fleet , launched by Vitters in February 2017 and measuring 43.6 metres. Her design is based on the original 1937 drawings of Thore Holm, and the team at Hoek Design Naval Architects brought the 75-year-old drawings up to date with an aluminium hull, carbon fibre mast and furling head sails. Unlike most of her fellow Js, sporting traditional white headsails, Svea has a bright red 950-square-metre kite with a symbol depicting an ancient Nordic compass rose. 

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