Rupert Holmes

A measure of how much yacht design has moved on over the past few years is that Beneteau’s replacement for the successful Oceanis Yacht 62 (2016), the new Beneteau Oceanis…

Electric propulsion has allowed innovative companies – usually small start ups – to experiment with novel form factors, many of which have clear advantages over that of a conventional internal…

Cowes-based businessman Peter Morton, widely known as Morty, is a serial winner who’s enjoyed a long career on the podium at everything from the Admiral’s Cup and Half Ton Cup,…

I’ve long thought that ruggedised Android tablets represent a threat to traditional marine MFD and instrument displays. They can be used very flexibly, either running a wide variety of apps,…

The Arsouin 40 hybrid is a lifting keel monohull, which is the first in a range of yachts that has also been conceived from the outset for electric propulsion. A…

Light displacement greatly reduces the amount of power needed to drive a vessel – an important factor in an electric yacht. This is one of the reasons Mike Eaton, who…

Electric propulsion makes a great deal of sense for explorer yachts that have to be self-sufficient for long periods. Energy reserves can be replenished through regeneration when there’s enough wind…

In recent years there’s been a dearth of new performance cruisers of this size, so this Grand Soleil 40 Performance is a welcome addition to the market. It’s intended to…

Another model to launch from the Italian yard this year, the Grand Soleil 72 LC (LC standing for Long Cruise) is a new variant of the already launched Grand Soleil…

This Swedish yard’s new flagship, the Arcona 50, represents more than just a step up in size – it’s also the outcome of a different philosophy. This is especially apparent…

The rapidly growing double-handed and shorthanded racing scene has attracted a flurry of recently launched models specifically optimised for this type of competition. But a cost-effective way of competing can…

Shaun Carkeek’s recent raceboats – including Niklas Zennström’s Fast 40 Ran, Richard Matthews’ CF520 Oystercatcher XXXV and the fully foiling Carkeek Persico F70 – are some of the stand-out designs…

It’s easy to assume that all rugged metal yachts are very heavy. While that was the case at one time for steel designs, it’s a different matter for aluminium which,…