If ever there is a Midsomer Murders episode that involves sailing it ought to star the X One Design. This classic, innocent-looking 21ft day racer is the unlikely inciter of…
5 tips: how to get the best IRC rating
It’s the same type of boat going the same speed, but how come their IRC rating is so much lower than yours? Although getting your rating as low possible is…
Contemporary-looking Solaris 50 designed for short-handed global cruising
This new 50-footer follows the fiendishly cool Solaris 58, which launched in early 2014 – including the pièce-de-resistance dreadnought bow and subtle aft chines. But, at nearly half the price…
Watch this incredible video of killer whales chasing after a motorboat
This incredible video of a pod of killer whales in the wake of a speedboat is an incredible display of their speed – and more than a bit scary. They…
The quickest way to save a man overboard while under spinnaker
In the seventh instalment of our Bluewater Sailing Techniques series we show you the quickest way to stop your boat under spinnaker when crew go overboard
Florence Arthaud: the extraordinary career of one of sailing’s most courageous solo racing stars
It feels unreal that Florence Arthaud is gone. She always seemed the most indestructible of sailors, less vulnerable than many of the male solo sailors I’ve met: truly strong and…
VIDEO: We test out the Moody 54DS in bitterly cold conditions
If there is a yacht you would want to host a party aboard, it’s the Moody 54DS. Step aboard and you’ll see why. The hull is high enough to create…
Can energy drinks and sporting supplements can help you race better?
From water bottles stuffed into cockpit rope bags to Mars bars tucked away in sailing jackets, food and drink on the move for many racing sailors hasn’t altered much over…
Downwind sailing tips: sail more comfortably and faster with this simple main and headsails combination
As exciting as it sounds to fly coloured sails at sea, when it comes to passage making downwind in open seas with a less than idyllic weather forecast, the last…
UK-based Spirit Yachts announce new Spirit 110 superyacht, a performance modern classic design
Ipswich-based builders Spirit Yachts are to unveil a new superyacht design in April. The Spirit 110 will be their biggest design and build to date. It will take the builders…
Video: How do you repair a Volvo 65 with no side or back end?
Recovering a wrecked Volvo 65 from a remote reef in the Indian Ocean and shipping her over 5,000 miles to a yard tucked up against the foothills of the Italian…
Polish crew sets a new record for sailing furthest south in the Antarctic
A Polish crew has set a new record for sailing the furthest south. Selma, a 67ft steel ketch skippered by Piotr Kuźniar and a crew of ten, reached the edge…
Comment: How the Team Vestas Wind crash really happened, and the crucial things we can learn from it
“We’re on a reef, we’re not getting off. We’re f****ed.” After broadcasting a Mayday on VHF radio, those were the first words of skipper Chris Nicholson to his shore manager…
Vestas grounding report – More than just an expensive and embarrassing mistake
Once on the reef there was no way off. Miraculously no one was hurt. Running into a reef that is marked on both paper and electronic charts and for which…
Rudder failure in the Med: how Ross Applebey made it to safety and fashioned a replacement
Losing a rudder is a big issue, but in bad weather it can quickly become the trigger for a chain of even more serious and potentially catastrophic events. When Ross…
Volvo Ocean Race: Team Vestas Wind grounding report published
Commissioned by the race organisers the investigation was conducted by Rear Admiral (Rtd) Chris Oxenbould (chair), Stan Honey and Chuck Hawley. The report sets out the background to the incident…
Brand new April 2015 issue out now!
NEWS Gunboat 55 dismasted and abandoned on her maiden voyage Polish yacht reaches furthest south The coolest paint job of 2015? NEW GEAR AND YACHTS New yachts: A first look…
Solent Sunbeam: a pretty dayboat that has been a stalwart of Cowes Week for nearly 90 years
Given the ‘local boat’ flavour enjoyed by many of the one-design yachts and dayboats found around our coasts, it is not surprising that many are attributed to little-known ‘local’ designers.…
Video: Stories from the front line pt 3 – ‘We start every watch with 1 hour grinding’ – words and pictures
More words from the crews to match some of the best pictures from leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race from China to New Zealand. In the third of our…
Pip Hare’s choice of EPIRBs, PLBs and other man overboard aids that could just save your life
EPIRBs When activated, an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) transmits its details on 406MHZ and, if GPS-enabled, the vessel’s position to within 100m. This signal is relayed by satellite…