February 2026  Tralala

By Alastair Duncan

Twenty years ago my wife and I sailed into Bozburun in Turkey on our 52 ft Grand Soleil , an event that changed our lives.

Living in this wonderful bay on this magical coastline without a boat is just not possible. I had long admired the Romilly and Roxanne yachts from the board of Nigel Irens so I contacted him and we started to develop a new design . I wanted a boat which was easy to sail, shallow draft and about 9 m. The climate here in the summer is hot and dry, and the shelter you need is not from ‘weather’ it is from sun.

Nigel’s intention was that this should be a Bermudan Yawl, but as soon as we started talking about the winches and the hardware for self tacking jibs together with hull strengthening for rigging wires and purpose made aluminium masts, the costs escalated and my enthusiasm started to wane.

I now need to go back 30 odd years ago. I recalled arriving in the Azores with relief together with my wife. It had been a wet and windy crossing from Antigua. Shortly afterwards Badger sailed in, they must have experienced much the same weather. Annie Hill’s comment that she had not even put on her wet gear the entire crossing resonated with me through the years. So, on impulse I joined the JRA, found Alan Boswell, presented him with the Iren’s drawings and asked for his ideas. Within a short time we had a modern Junk solution. The single sail enabled the creation of the vital sun protection and the unusual facing forward comfortable seating below it.

Having sorted out the rig and now armed with these drawings I went to see Beyhan Kaygusuz. He did not hesitate. It was nothing like anything they had built before, but it would be no problem. The construction was of laminated mahogany ribs with mahogany planking over which there was double diameter 2 mm ply eventually covered in layers of GRP cloth and epoxy. This was then filled and painted, and has created an immensely strong hull with the finish of a newly polished GRP hull.

Beyhan’s brother Gulhan, a gifted self-taught engineer, fitted the 16 HP diesel engine and this included provision for hot water, as swimming and showers was a key requirement for enjoyment. There are large fresh water tanks below the cockpit floor. This is essentially an open day boat with a large reserve buoyancy. In the unlikely event of a swamping there are large watertight storage areas in the stern, under the seating bench/ berths on each side and in the bow forward of the anchor locker. Tralala has a lifting dagger board quite far forward, a very large rudder with small wings to maximise the bite in the water. There is also a trim tab available for wind vane steering or use with a basic tiller pilot. She has an encapsulate lead keel.

As part of the design there is built in a quickly erected tent arrangement, fridge, toilet and galley, and the benches make two comfortable berths. Tralala is very adaptable boat which can take day swimming parties of 7 people or two people for longer cruising. The mast is an 11m tapered aluminium tube street light  but specially made for me, this one in the much stronger 6082 alloy. It has a base of 200mm diameter tapering to 100mm at the top with 6mm walls. 

The flat cut sail was made by UK sails here in Marmaris to Alan Boswell’s detailed plans. The battens are of 6082 aluminium alloy each with two hinges, achieved by inserting Delrin nylon cones at the joints.

The angles of the cones varied giving the sail maximum draft low down becoming less higher up so that a well reefed sail is flat. the halliard and the lazyjacks are controlled from the bottom of the mast easily accessed at the front of the deep safe and well protected cockpit.

The Junk rig has exceeded my expectations with the ease of tacking and undramatic gybing. There is virtually no expensive gear that can fail or not be fixed with an additional line. The performance that the hinged battens have given the rig considerable drive which means that she points as well as any Bermudan yacht and I find that many times I am comfortably and peacefully sailing while most traditional yachts are under power.

So why Tralala ? The internet abbreviation for Turkey is TR, for most of my life I have been called Al and our Grandchildren have always called my wife La La !

[A further article on Tralala and her new wing sail will appear in a future JRA Magazine. Ed.]

Our "Boat of the Month" Archive is here, and the forum discussion for comments and candidate suggestions is here