In conversation with Ella Johnson
We put four questions to Ella on sail at the top of the market: race week on a performance sloop, what she would specify differently with seven years’ operational experience, a passage that stands for the case for sail, and what life onboard takes from a family new to it. Answers are given on the record, lightly edited for length and clarity.
You raced a 35 metre Nautor Swan on the Maxi circuit earlier in your career. Walk us through a race week on that boat: what changed in the programme, who was on the rail, and what did the owner take from those seven days?
My current owner does not race the boat — he is hesitant about the potential for someone getting hurt — but in my earlier career I raced against her on a 35 metre Nautor Swan. On that boat, we used to change the entire boat for racing.
We would change the back stays to running back stays and the mainsail to a square top, and all the halyards and sheets to lighter weight race ropes. We would empty lockers and change all the floorboards inside the boat. We used to bring in a race boss who organised the crew and assigned positions.
The owner loved the racing, and for me it was the highlight of sailing superyachts. I miss it greatly.
Your current boat — a 34 metre Baltic Yachts performance sloop — launched in 2019. What was specified at build that you would still recommend today, and what would you change with the benefit of seven years’ operational experience?
She is a beautiful boat — well built, fast, and she looks the same seven years on. That is a testament to both the yard’s design and build and the crew over the years who have looked after her.
Change-wise, it very much depends on how the owners use her. For me, the aft winches and sail trim buttons are the worst part of the boat — only because they’re behind the pedestals, so you can’t always see what you’re trimming.
Take a passage you remember. Where were you, what were the conditions, and what is the moment from it that you would describe to a first-time owner weighing sail against motor?
We were sailing from Antigua to the Mediterranean. The first three days out of Antigua are warm, the stars are beautiful at night, and we’re sailing at 15 knots. As we near the Azores it gets colder, windier, and we have 3 metre waves. That doesn’t sound like much, but it feels big out in the ocean.
We have the mainsail reefed and the J4 out. We’re surfing waves doing 20 knots, dolphins jumping out around us. There’s a thrill in that which you would never get on a motorboat.
A family new to sailing. Which parts of life on board take hold immediately, and which arrive only with time?
If you’ve never sailed before, the sea legs take a couple of days to get used to, and as an owner, the lack of closet space could be cause for concern to some.
The rest comes naturally — and you’ll love every minute of it.