I am buzzing with excitement having just taken formal delivery of ‘OLAL’, a brand new Pegasus 50, in Izola, Slovenia. This marks the beginning of the third and most significant phase of my sailing ‘career’ to date. The first started back in the Norwegian fjords in my early teens, in dinghies and small crushing yachts. The second took off on the discovery of Cowes on the Isle of Wight and the incredible regatta scene in the Solent.
Past sailing experiences and boat ownership
20 years, four J Boats, two Grand Soleil’s, and a couple of ocean crossings later, the search for the perfect long-distance, bluewater cruising yacht commenced. Being age-ready to bring a non-sailor wife onboard, the dream requirements were coming together. The ideal boat would be super luxurious yet fast-moving with serious ‘dock appeal’.
After a two-week family cruise around the British Virgin Islands on a 47-foot catamaran, it seemed like the vessel to bring it all together would have to be a cat. The challenge was finding something that could meet the ‘fast-moving’ and ‘dock appeal’ criteria. Several boat show visits later, the list was short; either the Outremer 55 or possibly the new Marc Lombard-designed Nautitech 48. However, the more my mind mulled over life onboard those yachts, the more I worried about the lack of fast upwind sailing, fingertip-light helms, and, of course, the aesthetically unappealing nature of even the sleekest of catamarans.
Discovering Pegasus 50
Then divinity struck with the discovery of the Pegasus 50. What a revelation, if not pure perfection. From the moment I laid eyes on her, the sheer beauty of the lines and incredible exterior design had me hooked. And as all aspects from material use to rigging, sail plan, layout, interior bespoke options, quality of craftsmanship and not least, sailing performance were uncovered, there was no way back... for me at least. The only slight remaining challenge was ‘onboarding’ the non-sailor wife! How could the one-level, 360 visibility cat living be matched on a carbon-infused, fast-moving monohull called Pegasus 50?
I needn’t have worried. From the moment she entered the wide, protected, safe and exquisite cockpit and discovered the near one-level entry into the incredible open plan saloon and galley area, she was if not hooked, certainly sufficiently impressed to give the project her blessing.
