When it comes to serious numbers in one design yachts, the X-99 rates as one of the most successful designs of modern times, with 600 built since 1985. But after…
Matthew Sheahan
Beneteau First 47.7 review: from the archive
The Beneteau First 47.7 looks set to follow in the footstep of the latest yachts that have come before. Cost has clearly been a big factor but there are other…
Bowman Starlight 46 review: from the archive
The Bowman Starlight name made a big impact on the performance cruising scene in the Eighties, particularly with the Bowman Starlight 35, of which 102 have been built to date.…
Beneteau Oceanis 473 review: from the archive
Is the Beneteau Oceanis 473 just another average white boat? On the face of it, yes. But as I eased the throttle forward and her engine revs climbed there was…
America’s Cup: Matthew Sheahan’s final day report from Auckland
In the six America’s Cup regattas that I’ve now be present at and covered it’s never been daylight when I’ve written the final race piece. Today is no different. As…
America’s Cup: Matthew Sheahan’s view on a crazy day in Auckland
I’m off to buy a gum shield tomorrow. It’s bad enough grinding my teeth at night, but doing it for an entire afternoon while watching America’s Cup racing is starting…
America’s Cup: Why day 2 made things exciting and confusing
I am going to need therapy after this America’s Cup. In 30 years of covering events as a journalist/commentator I can’t think of one that has so consistently delivered the…
America’s Cup: Why it’s good to be wrong
There are some days when you’re pleased to be wrong…today – the first day of the America’s Cup – was one of them. After three months of speculation and deliberation…
Sense of inevitability about Italian America’s Cup qualification
From the evidence of the Prada Cup Round Robin, there was every reason to expect that the Prada Cup Final between INEOS Team UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli would…
America’s Cup Challengers: The view from Auckland
Reversing the odds over the space of four weeks where the worst performing America’s Cup team became the best and vice versa, was on nobody’s radar down here in Auckland…
How the America’s Cup contenders compare going into the Prada Cup
As each of the new AC75s were wheeled out into the open for the first time, amid the celebration and champagne spraying, each team will have been keenly aware that…
Taking control: How modern autopilot systems can be your best helmsman
It’s hardly surprising. At speeds that are regularly in the high 20s with sustained bursts in excess of 30 knots, there is much to gain from getting it right and…
Flax 27: Cork decks and electric propulsion make this the most eco-friendly yacht
In the face of it there was nothing unusual about the Flax 27. Set in a corner of one of the 17 halls at Boot Düsseldorf at the beginning of…
Figaro Series: The hardest sailing race on the planet where money means nothing
“This is the hardest race – not to win, just to do. Winning is something else,” says Michel Desjoyeaux. “For me, the Figaro is harder than the Vendée Globe.” It…
Italia 11.98 review: This Alfa Romeo of the seas strikes a fine balance
I’m a soft touch for a well-balanced boat with a light feel and the ability to change gear easily. Be it it a cruiser or racer, performance and handling are,…
Dehler 30 yacht test: This one-design racer has a real double appeal
Talk to those who have switched to short-handed offshore racing and you’ll be hard pressed to find many who want to go back to a weather rail stacked with crew.…
Beneteau First 53 review: This French cruiser backs up its bold first impressions
There is big talk and bold talk, but often it is no talk that speaks loudest when it comes to a new launch. As I walked down the quay towards…
Amel 60 review: This modern cruiser is a true benchmark for quality
I’m guessing that rival manufacturers of bluewater cruisers know when their prospective clients have been to Amel. They realise when their prospects come to them to discuss the detail, and…
ClubSwan 36 review: This one-design foiler from Nautor really shakes things up
It’s easy to be seduced by modern high performance, especially downwind. As the wake flattens out astern and the foils start to sing, the helm takes on a more direct…
Ernesto Bertarelli: The Team Alinghi mastermind who shook up the America’s Cup
When Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi (SUI64) crossed the finish line for the final time in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2003, the Swiss 5-0 victory was more than just a decisive new…