“Slip into the water, don’t jump. Try not to splash, and follow me,” our guide Torea hurriedly told us as the panga-style boat slowed to a stop, only 100m away…
Yachting World
How to provision a yacht for a long passage
Provisioning a yacht for a long period away from conventional shops, with limited cold store space, dry goods stowage and galley facilities, can be daunting. In a beautifully illustrated new…
How to trim an asymmetric sail in light airs
Francesca Clapcich has enjoyed a hugely diverse and successful racing career. Her years racing the Laser Radial at Olympic level honed her wave-riding skills where sailors steer huge arcs –…
What you need to know to sail across the Pacific
Coffee in hand, I gaze out from our cockpit across the flat lagoon of the palm-fringed coral atoll in Fakarava. We are in the Tuamotus, French Polynesia. Yesterday we swam…
Starlink at sea: all change for cruisers
Starlink, Elon Musk’s low orbit satellite network which delivers low cost high speed internet via a portable dish, has shaken up its offering for cruising sailors and other broadband users…
World’s coolest yachts: The Waszp
“I’d like to be able to say the AC40 [Women’s and Youth America’s Cup foiler] because hopefully – fingers crossed! – I will be in it and it’s definitely the…
Cruising Costa Rica: discovering an unspoilt paradise by boat
The sea curls with distant groundswells as the fragmented skyline of Panama City dips into the horizon. A neat queue of cargo vessels waits at anchor for their turn to…
Adrift in the Pacific: One sailor’s incredible story of survival
Staring down from the cockpit into the cabin of my vintage sloop I tried to imagine watching her fill with water. What would float freely first? How long would it…
How to run a yacht’s watch system
Bouwe Bekking has been around long enough to remember the ‘bad old days’ of non-stop hiking on the rail on a Mumm 36 while competing in the Admiral’s Cup. Life…
Round the World racing to start from Southampton once again
Round the world ocean racing will once again start from Southampton, UK, with the announcement that the Ocean Globe Race (OGR) – the ‘retro’ celebration of the Whitbread Round the World…
World’s coolest yachts: Cookson 50
“I think the Cookson 50 is one of the coolest yachts on earth for several reasons. First, it’s designed by one of the most renowned yacht design firms on earth:…
5 top tips: Conrad Humphreys on how to keep up crew morale
Leading a crew of amateur sailors around the world in an event like the BT Global Challenge, or its modern equivalent, the Clipper Race, can be challenging in the extreme.…
Coolest yachts: MOD 70
“In terms of complexity for speed, there isn’t anything else which has such a good ratio as a MOD 70. We’ve been over 40 knots [boatspeed] on them, and with…
The story of Cass: a yacht that was 20 years in the making
I used to do a lot of skydiving,” Simon Mitchell told me. “While you’re still in the aircraft you have options but, once you leave the door, gravity takes over…
World’s coolest yacht: America True
America True was a ground-breaking campaign for the 2000 America’s Cup. Created by Dawn Riley, it was the first America’s Cup syndicate to be headed up by a woman, and…
Taking bluewater cruising to a new level
Buying a boat is a big decision. You’ve got a dream in mind – perhaps exploring the far corners of the Mediterranean, or reaching the Pacific. But how do you…
Caribbean sailing: BVIs are back and as beautiful as ever
As the 30-seater inter-Caribbean turboprop aircraft banked to starboard, through my small window I caught a first glimpse of Tortola and the Sir Francis Drake Channel. I felt my pulse…
‘Demolition Derby’ begins in Leg 3 of The Ocean Race
Leg 3 of The Ocean Race was always expected to be an punishing test for the five IMOCAs and their crews, but it’s been a particularly tough start for the teams…
Everything you need to know about Southern Ocean storms
Any colour you want as long as it’s grey! That’s my overriding memory of life in the Southern Ocean – we tend to forget the sun reflecting off icebergs and…
Holcim – PRB win nail biting leg 2 in The Ocean Race
Skipper Kevin Escoffier and his Team Holcim – PRB have won Leg 2 of The Ocean Race from Cabo Verde to Cape Town after a tense battle through the final…