One would never be able to guess that he was days away from unveiling his brand new creation, Origin, at this year’s annual gala at the star-studded Monaco Yacht Show.…
Yachting World
Sailing South Georgia: The inside story of Skip Novak’s 2018 expedition
We were eight days out from the south coast of South Georgia and once again we had skied smack into a full-blown white-out. There was nothing for it but to…
Road to the America’s Cup podcast episode 1: Imagining the AC75
There is no doubt that the AC75 is a remarkable boat; a monohull designed to fly, engineered to reach speeds that were inconceivable to sailors less than half a generation…
October 2019
In the October issue of Yachting World, we bring you the inside story of the 2019 Fastnet Race, ask if the 1979 Fastnet disaster could ever happen again, and test…
Fastnet Race 1979: Restored survivor Assent heads back to the Rock
It’s a gloomy, grey afternoon on the Solent and I’m in a camera boat taking pictures of a yacht sailing off Lymington. There’s a light breeze blowing and a moody,…
Electric winch, 4-speed winches or electric winch handle? [promotional post]
In the last few years, new solutions have been found: 4-speed winches and electric winch handles. Here is an overview of their comparative advantages: Electric winches: powerful but not always…
Marilee: The inside story of the 1926 Herreshoff NY40’s remarkable restoration
When the New York Yacht Club commissioned the new NY40 one-design class in 1916 Nathanael Herreshoff’s objective was to design a competitive racer that was seaworthy enough for ocean racing,…
Retrieving a spinnaker: 5 tips on how to haul in your dropped kite
There are few things quite so humiliating as being stopped dead in the water, moments away from causing thousands of pounds worth of damage as your competitors glide gracefully past.…
5 tips: How to create a winning atmosphere with a new crew
According to Nikki Henderson, good leadership is not about barking orders, it’s about fostering an atmosphere of shared responsibility and finding out what really motivates the individuals on your team.…
Cruising around Newfoundland: An unspoiled wilderness full of surprises
Two beluga whales flanked Frances B, our Mason 44, as we threaded out of Ingonish, on northern Cape Breton Island. Belugas don’t live in this area so this unexpected show…
Forward-facing sonar: Everything you need to know
Yachting is usually pretty fast to embrace useful new technology, particularly if it helps win a race or if it helps with safety. Just look at how rapidly AIS (Automatic…
SailGP F50: On board the sailing equivalent of a Formula 1 racecar
“I think 99% of people believe that we received these boats from Bermuda, repainted them and sent them on their way again. I don’t think we’re ever going to be…
From lifeboat crew to the Round-the-Island race – why ‘helping people stay and feel alive’ is the motto of Helly Hansen [sponsored post]
Over 1,200 yachts crewed by world-class sailors, families and first-time racers, battled it out on the water in last month’s Round-the-Island race. While the largest monohull, Jethou took the line…
Can augmented reality really give us a vision of the future of sailing?
Google’s mission statement is ‘to organise the world’s information.’ This almost impossibly ambitious declaration of intent underpins the technology giant’s ventures into everything up to and including Space. The message…
Steinlager 2: On board Sir Peter Blake’s refitted Whitbread champion
In 22 May 1990, Steinlager 2 – skippered by Peter Blake and crewed by 14 fellow New Zealanders – crossed the finish line off Southampton to win the fifth Whitbread…
September 2019
In the September issue of Yachting World, we share the best advice for your first Atlantic crossing from some ocean cruising veterans, plus Toby Hodges tests the Grand Soleil 48P
Running aground: Lessons learned from a nightmare scenario
We hit the sandspit at something over five knots and went hard aground. A moment before, the bottom had risen suddenly from 10ft to now visible sand in the wave…
Sailing around Cape Horn on the world’s largest ketch Aquijo
When asked to help guide the 86m/282ft ketch Aquijo for a cruise in Tierra del Fuego and a Cape Horn rounding I was very sceptical. Accustomed to sheltering in small…
Fastnet record falls to Maxi Edmond de Rothschild as Ultimes finish 1 minute apart
Before the start of this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race it was far from clear that the race record for the 603-mile bluewater classic would be in any danger, with predominantly…
5 tips: How to prepare your boat for offshore racing
Every serious offshore sailor has more than one story to tell about when it all went spectacularly wrong. Sam Goodchild has experienced multiple breakages in the past year, firstly with…