While for many of us October sees our thoughts turn to bringing boats ashore or preparing them to overwinter, in Saint-Tropez some 2,500 sailors are enjoying a 10-day international regatta…
Extraordinary boats: Baruna – stunning seven-year restoration
Designed by Olin Stephens in 1938, at 72ft LOA Baruna was at the top of the size limit permitted by the Cruising Club of America (CCA) to race offshore. The…
5 expert tips: How to hold a lane upwind
When you’re competing in a big fleet, it’s not the winning races that marks out the great from the good. It’s the ability to bounce back from bad positions and…
Best yacht 2024: European Yacht of the Year winners
In what is dubbed as ‘Yachting’s Oscars’, The European Yacht of the Year 2024 winners were announced this evening, Saturday 20 January 2024. The awards this year comprise winners of…
Ever dreamed of setting off on a solo sailing voyage?
I awoke to the violent motion that comes with an angry squall in the night. Jumping out of my passage berth I rushed into the darkness and pulled on my…
1,200 miles by jury rig in the Roaring Forties
Finnish solo sailor Ari Känsäkoski has safely reached Durban, South Africa, 25 days after dismasting in the remote Indian Ocean and sailing 1,200 miles under jury rig. Känsäkoski, who is…
Some of the world’s biggest, coolest catamarans go racing
The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda is one of the most prestigious yacht clubs in the world, its marble atrium and exclusive pool deck usually welcoming owners and crews of superyachts,…
World’s coolest yachts: Rambler 88
Rambler 88 was designed as a giant slayer. After the loss of his Rambler 100, owner George David asked designer Juan Kouyoumdjian to create a boat that was capable of…
North Atlantic in six days solo: Arkea Ultim Challenge leaders cross the Equator
Less than a week after setting out from the start in Brest, the leading Ultim trimarans in the Arkea Ultim Challenge have crossed the Equator. First to enter the Southern…
Best emergency bilge pumps – high capacity pumps for salvage
As someone who has prepared my own boat for Category 1, finding the best emergency bilge pumps that comply but are also easy to use has resulted in scouring shops…
Sailing the northwest passage in a traditional cutter
Integrity set sail from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, on 1 June bound for Alaska via Greenland and Arctic Canada. It was a Thursday. With naval superstitions rife among the crew and…
Great Seamanship: Heavy Weather Sailing
Back in 1986, Martin Thomas and Alan Taylor entered the Transatlantic Two-Star Race in the Sadler 32 Jenny Wren. To say they didn’t have an easy trip would be a…
How to prepare for an Atlantic crossing with the ARC
Every autumn the pontoons of Las Palmas are a hive of activity, as hundreds of yachts prepare for an Atlantic crossing with the ARC and ARC+ rallies. Over its 38-year…
World’s coolest yachts: RC44
“For sure one of the coolest yachts is none other than the RC44 class created by Russell Coutts,” nominates Cameron Appleton. A strict one-design, the RC44 was co-designed by five-time…
Best manual bilge pump – 9 top choices
Every boat I’ve ever sailed on or cruised in has one or more of these pumps onboard. I’ve had hands on experience of all but one of these pumps. Choose…
Ben Ainslie to step down as SailGP team skipper
Sir Ben Ainslie has announced he is stepping down as Driver of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team. Ainslie will continue his role as CEO of Emirates GBR but will…
Six solo skippers ready to race 100ft foiling multihulls around the world
There are very few ‘firsts’ left in the world of sailing, but one such remaining barrier could be smashed when the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest sets off from north-west France…
Best base layer: thermal clothing for year-round sailing
Finding the best base layer or sailing thermal is the foundation of any layering system. It adds warmth and comfort for minimal bulk. While some elite athlete sailors may grind…
How to deal with a tight windward mark rounding
While there may be many factors that feed into a successful windward mark rounding, Charlie Cumbley boils it down to one overriding aim: “Ultimately you’re trying to get to the…
Rolex Sydney Hobart Race winner decided by 51 seconds
Law Connect has won the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race line honours, after the closest finish in over 40 years, which ended in a gybe-for-gybe battle up the Derwent River…