Poli Poli departs from the marina at Sovereign Harbour ( Premier ), Eastbourne on Sunday, 27th May 2018. She will sail westwards clockwise round Britain, a four and a half month journey and will cover nearly 3,000 nautical miles. Poli Poli will return to Eastbourne, East Sussex mid October 2018.
On board will be Toby Hufford ( Owner and Skipper ), Margaret Hufford ( when it is not too rough!! ), Mike and Christine ( for the entire voyage ) and four other crew who will join and leave at various points en route.
Poli Poli in her home port…Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK.
The name “Poli Poli” comes from the East African Swahili language… meaning “slowly slowly” which is how we sail… no racing! Certainly not “pesi pesi” which is the opposite.
Poli Poli was built at Itchenor on Chichester Harbour in 2009 and launched in January, 2010. Northshore Yachts built all Southerly yachts here in West Sussex up to 2012. The Southerly brand are now being built by Discovery Yachts in Southampton.
Poli Poli is a bit different to most other sailing yachts. She has a lifting keel which allows her to sail in very shallow waters. At the touch of a button, a big hydraulic pump can raise or lower the one ton solid cast iron keel… so we can vary her draught from 0.82 metres to 2.60 metres. This means with the keel up… Poli Poli can sail up shallow rivers, leave harbours on very low tides as well as sailing in deep water with the keel fully down and under full sail. When the keel is fully up… it sits inside a 2 ton cast iron grounding plate… meaning she can sit on the bottom… on a beach or mud, balancing on the twin rudders and “skeg” under the propeller. All Southerly yachts have this unique feature.
Poli Poli under full sail, 6.9 knots SOG, off Beachy Head en route to Brighton, Autumn 2017.
Poli Poli on her berth, north Harbour, Sovereign, Premier Marinas, Eastbourne, autumn 2017.
Toby's sailing boat Poli Poli 