Taking a spinnaker down without the aid of the snuffer or furler is when double handed sailing is a challenging manoeuvre. This will be your biggest sail; it is slippery…
The Best Cold Water Swimming Wetsuit For Women
Looking for the best cold water swimming wetsuit for women and need a little pointer in the right direction, then I’m here to help you. Whether you’re an experienced outdoor…
Vendée Globe: Meet the British skippers due to compete in 2024
As the 2024 Vendée Globe draws ever closer it looks like British fans will have plenty to shout about in the next edition as a bumper number of British skippers…
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…
Catamaran sailing: can you fast track multihull skills?
Can one week change your life? That’s a whole lot of pressure to put on a holiday. But for a surprising number of graduates of the Nautilus Sailing catamaran sailing…
Jessica Watson: the true story of True Spirit star’s voyage
In the late Noughties and early 2010s, sailing garnered astonishing levels of attention due to a series of teenagers bidding to become the youngest sailor to sail around the world.…
‘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…
Best heated jackets for sailors: The top self-heating electric jackets to wear in cold weather
A decent sailing jacket is a must-have wardrobe item for any sailor. But for those sailing in extreme weather, sometimes an extra layer of warmth is needed. In that case,…
Why have Orcas been attacking yachts? A puzzling mystery
Late in November last year, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s Farr 65 pilothouse cutter, Sanjula, was being sailed 10 miles west of Cape Finisterre in Spain when it was surrounded by orca…
The hen that sailed around the world: a farewell to Monique
Monique, a Rhode Island Red hen who joined solo sailor Guirec Soudée on multiple sailing adventures, even including 130 days icebound in Greenland, has died at the age of 9.…
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…
Sydney Hobart Race Hotels and accommodation
We have selected some fabulous Sydney Hobart Race Hotels and take in the race atmosphere and a bit of the city life too. Sydney is a wonderful place to head…
Emergency VHF antenna – buyers’ guide
Carrying an emergency VHF antenna is a sensible thing to do. We may get a loss of signal to our mast head unit for any number of reasons, from chafe…
Case study: Coppercoat proven to withstand the world’s oceans
One of the toughest tests for both crew and the Clipper 70 racing yachts, each Clipper Race sees yachts cover 40,000 nautical miles and some of the most hostile conditions…
Sailing a junk rigged schooner in Greenland
Dave Leet’s Nomad is a junk-rigged schooner which he sails mostly single-handed. He certainly puts the miles in, because although this article is about his experiences in West Greenland, when…
Best satellite phone: 9 devices for adventurous sailors
The best satellite phone for you is the one that does the job you need it to do. If you are looking to make calls, send and receive texts, drop…
Wild start to leg 3 of The Ocean Race
It was an extraordinary ‘stop-go’ type of start to Leg 3 of The Ocean Race in Table Bay as the five-boat IMOCA 60 fleet set out on their 12,750 nautical…
How to follow The Ocean Race Leg 3 (and why you should)
This weekend five crewed IMOCA 60s will take to the startline for the third leg of The Ocean Race, on a month-long epic which is likely to be the toughest…
Pyewacket 70 and Zoulou take line honours in Caribbean 600
Roy P. Disney’s Pyewacket 70 (USA) has taken Monohull Line Honours in the 2023 RORC Caribbean 600 in an elapsed time of 42 hours 45 mins 06 secs. Two generations…
From the ocean to the plate: The art of foraging and fishing in the South Pacific Islands
Can you imagine not going to a supermarket or farmer’s market for a month or more? Could you make nourishing, appetising meals out of only what you have in stores?…