Volvo Ocean Race organisers promised the most radical shake-up of the race since its inception in 1973, and the raft of changes announced today for the 2019 edition will bring…
Could a floating shipping container sink your yacht? How real is the danger?
It is the stuff of every sailor’s nightmare – the unseen object, lurking beneath a wave, which punctures your hull or smashes your rudder mid-ocean. Never have our oceans seemed…
Things you never knew about the historic ‘Auld Mug’ America’s Cup trophy
The America’s Cup, affectionately known as the ‘Auld Mug’ is an impressive piece of silverware that stands 1.1m high and weighs over 14kg. It was made in 1948 by London-based…
America’s Cup racing – all you need to know about how the points system works
Current team rankings Confused about how the points will be allocated during the fight for the 35th America’s Cup? Here is our guide to how the competition will…
New Wally 145 unveiled – a lightweight hybrid global super cruiser designed by Frers
Wally has started to build its third largest yacht yet, a Wally 145 / 44m carbon fibre fast cruiser that will have a hybrid propulsion system. Designed for an experienced…
Endurance athletes – the making of the modern America’s Cup sailor
The shape of the six men competing on each challenger has changed – literally. Two factors have altered the make-up of America’s Cup teams beyond all recognition: the move to…
Rumours abound as the teams run out of time to make significant changes to their boats
Emirates Team New Zealand is making the most of its status as the dark horse of this America’s Cup. As I write, the Kiwi AC50 has not long emerged out…
Spirit Yachts starts construction on Spirit 111 – one of the largest single-masted wooden yachts ever
Ipswich-based modern classic builders Spirit Yachts has started construction on its largest project to date, a 34m sloop, Spirit 111. The project will be one of the largest single-masted wooden…
Hallberg-Rassy 44 video – traditional cruising values in a new hull shape
The bitterly cold wind is cutting through my four layers of technical clothing as though they are made of mesh – the instruments tell me the water temperature is 4ºC,…
A good head torch for sailors may cost more than you expect. We put three on test
In the dead of night and as the wind gets up, there’s always work to be done on deck. Far out to sea the darkness can be like a blanket…
Podcast: Who’s standing out as favourites for the America’s Cup – and why?
Less than three weeks are left until the start of the Louis Vuitton qualifiers and playoffs and for the six teams in the America’s Cup the prospect of real battle is nerve-wrackingly…
What we can expect from the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda – and why there could be surprises
If Jimmy Spithill had been invited to step into a time machine ten years ago to catch a glimpse of what his future looked like, even his famously cool head…
VIDEO: How to win in the bareboat fleet at Antigua Sailing Week
Anyone who thinks that the bareboat fleet at a Caribbean regatta is an easy option is in for a rude surprise. Turn up for a bareboat race charter and chances…
VIDEO Onboard Sojana: racing a 115ft ketch with an all-star crew in Antigua
Sojana, the 115ft Farr-designed ketch belonging to businessman and philanthropist Sir Peter Harrison, is the largest yacht competing at Antigua Sailing Week 2017. The event, which celebrates its 50th anniversary…
On board My Song: Inside the Baltic 130 Custom superyacht
The first thing you see on descending into the saloon from the deck of the 40m sloop My Song is a series of eight half models arranged vertically on the…
26 interesting facts about Ben Ainslie (like he drives a Range Rover Sport and loves beef wellington)
He drives an Aston Martin, his favourite meal is beef wellington, he supports Chelsea FC and other facts
Podcast: The secrets behind the race for the fastest America’s Cup foils
At first glance, the America’s Cup teams’ AC50s may look similar, but out of sight within the hulls and under the water lie significant differences in foil designs and control…
Tracy Edwards’ Whitbread maxi Maiden returns home for ambitious new project
A moment of history was revisited on the banks of the River Hamble in April when the Whitbread maxi Maiden returned home. It was from here she set off on…
Beneteau Oceanis Yachts 62 offers luxurious design at a price rarely seen in this category
This is the first of an innovative new line from Beneteau, one that successfully takes influences from the motorboat sector, both in terms of styling and build technique. Key features…
Pitchpoled in the Pacific in an open boat – survival depends on crossing a deadly Pacific Island reef
Webb Chiles is a one-off, writes Tom Cunliffe. The first American to sail single-handed around Cape Horn, he has circumnavigated five times, mostly in small craft, some of them open.…