Shallow with shingle and mud, the Eastern Solent has a different character from the western part, yet there are just as many opportunities for a smart navigator to get ahead.…
6 ways of preparation to sail around the world, from the planner to the opportunist
It’s really comforting having a family of boats around us – a community.” Paul Frew was echoing the words of many participants in the World ARC, when I met them…
Record smashed in “boat breaking” Azores and Back shorthanded yacht race
The Azores and Back race record of 5d 23h 11m set in 1987 and all other records except the multihull record, have been smashed by the Class 40 Coix du…
Cruising in Sweden for long summer days, easy sailing and as much solitude as you might wish
Tom Cunliffe details his exploration of Swedish cruising, and dispells the myth of it's being cold and expensive
Competition is fierce at top yacht design university as students put their designs into action
While the Volvo Ocean Race boats were crashing through the Bay of Biscay, 30 up and coming yacht and power craft designers at Southampton Solent University were putting their skills…
Team SCA wins Volvo Ocean Race Leg 8, but the finish saw three winners
Sam Davies’ Team SCA crossed the finish line in Lorient this morning to take their first leg win of the event. In an impressive performance the all women team crossed…
ISAF Sailing World Cup, the best bits of the opening day in Weymouth
One way of levelling the playing field at any regatta is to send the wind from an unusual direction. For the visitors at least, reducing the impact of local knowledge…
5 tips: the bear away, where bigs gains can be made and mistakes are costly
Mark roundings are often where big gains can be made and where mistakes can be costly. Nowhere is this more apparent than at the first weather mark where the fleet…
The Duke of Edinburgh joins the Royal Yacht Squadron for club’s bicentenary
HRH the Duke of Edinburgh conducted a ‘fleet review’ of the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) in Cowes. To commemorate the bicentenary of the exclusive yacht club, in excess of 180…
Australian sailing legend and businessman Alan Bond dies age 77
Alan Bond, arguably Australia’s best-known personality, has died at the age of 77 following complications during open-heart surgery. He came to fame by heading the Australian challenge that won the…
Grand Soleil LC46: a boat that abounds with clever touches
Grand Soleil has come up with something really different in its new Grand Soleil LC46. After the company was bought last year by the Italian Sly Yachts group, it has…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 11: Spinnaker drop
One manoeuvre that really makes my heart race when sailing single-handed is a spinnaker drop. It can seem like a recipe for disaster as I will often be dropping because…
Cruising the River Plate between Uruguay and Argentina is a lesson in weird weather
‘South-easterly, Force 8,’ read the forecast. That wind was going to transform the adjacent coast and the entrance to the River Plate into a lee shore. But we decided that,…
Penalties issued to three Volvo Ocean Race teams following exclusion zone protests
They may have fought hard in the 2,800nm needle match across the Atlantic on Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race to gain just a single point on their arch…
The French JPK 1080 ticks all the boxes for a successful racing keelboat, says Matthew Sheahan
Today, success in the racing keelboat market relies on far more than delivering an exciting-looking boat that goes like a runaway train off the breeze. To win the wallets of…
The best route for an Atlantic crossing? It depends when you go
Weather is a large part of any Atlantic crossing: deciding when to go, which route to follow and the sails to carry. The main consideration is to avoid the hurricane…
Drones – how new flying robots can benefit sailors, from unique photography to MOB and rescue aids
Drones. Love them, hate them or fear them, these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are becoming mainstream. Outside the military, a drone’s primary benefit – aerial photography – has meant their…
Guest blog: Ready for our long voyage to Thailand on Whitbread classic Swan 65 King’s Legend
This is my home for the next eight to nine months. It is still hard to believe, even though I have arrived so many times before and I have left…
Prince Philip leads European Royals to Cowes for historic fleet review of yachts at Royal Yacht Squadron
The Royal Family along with seven other European royals is to review over 180 yachts owned by members of the exclusive Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) in Cowes on the 5…
Louis Vuitton returns to the America’s Cup. This is a big deal that really matters, says Matthew Sheahan
While the proclamation of a new event sponsor is very important to those closely involved, it is rarely headline news. But the confirmation this evening that Louis Vuitton is to…