It’s only really developments in sail handling technology that have allowed the size of boats to increase so much: we’ve been building yachts of 60ft for decades, but they often…
6 of the best swim gloves for outdoor swimmers
If you’re getting into open water swimming for short fitness sessions, or in warm weather conditions, you don’t need to invest in much kit. But if you want to swim…
Best paddle board pump: Manual and electric options
Inflatable paddle boards now make up the vast majority of recreational SUPs around the world. And of course inflatables need blowing up, hence the sound of pumping punctuates many a…
Best women’s boating shoes: 9 of the best options for female sailors
Over the last decade or so, there has been an increasing emphasis on sailing kit designed specifically for women, including women’s boating shoes. This is great news as, while some…
Best women’s sailing jackets: 8 options to keep you warm and dry
When it comes to selecting the best women’s sailing jacket for you, the first thing you will want to consider is the sort of sailing you are likely to be…
World’s largest sailing yacht, Sailing Yacht A, seized
Italian authorities have seized the largest sail-assisted superyacht ever built, the 143m (470ft) Sailing Yacht A, Italian news outlets are reporting. According to the Reuters news agency in Rome, the Italian…
Second hand boats: buying an ex-charter yacht
Yacht charter companies increasingly own new yachts for only a few years, selling off sooner to ensure they can offer the latest models to customers. Meanwhile an older, heavily used…
Upwind headsail trimming: Top tips from a pro
The challenge of headsail trimming, according to Stir Fry, is understanding at any given moment what the team is aiming to achieve. On a busy race course, those aims are…
Shackleton’s Endurance shipwreck discovered
The Endurance was shipwrecked in 1915 on an expedition to the Antarctic after it was crushed by pack ice as Shackleton and his crew tried to make their way to…
World’s coolest yachts: Kuka Light
“Kuka Light is the most extreme keelboat I have ever sailed,” explains Mitch Booth. “At 42ft and built in an autoclave she is VERY light and stiff. But when you…
World’s coolest yachts: The Snipe dinghy
“I would take a complete crazy thing: a Snipe. I think it’s an excellent boat for kids to start sailing in, and even for grown-ups. I have a Snipe dinghy…
Great seamanship: Taken by the wind
Mike Jacker is a retired orthopaedic surgeon living in Illinois. Among many other activities he still sails his boat, now mainly on Lake Michigan, but he has a long memory.…
Coolest Yachts: Volvo Open 70 Camper
“I’ve been fortunate to race on board and race against a great many boats I could nominate for my Coolest Yacht, but for me it would have to be the…
Atlantic divide in the 2021 ARC
When the 2021 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) set off from Gran Canaria on November 21, there was one early sign this would be an unusual crossing: the 143 yachts…
Russian sailors suspended from international sailing competition
Following worldwide condemnation of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, and ensuing economic and sporting sanctions, sailing’s organising body, World Sailing, today issued the following statement: “Today World Sailing joined the International…
First look: Oceanis Yacht 60 – new bluewater flagship
Beneteau’s new flagship, the Oceanis Yacht 60, is the yard’s third model to come out of the collaboration with Lorenzo Argento and Roberto Biscontini that started with the First Yacht…
Your choice of antifoul matters to the environment, as well as your wallet
These solvents pose a fundamental problem – they’re major contributors to climate change. Thankfully industry regulators have picked up on this and are moving towards stringent reduction of VOC content,…
Navigation apps: all about user-generated guides
Pilot books used to be how we explored new destinations. Cruisers and charter sailors alike will have spent many hours poring over sketch maps and grainy photos in a hardback…
Burling to skipper New Zealand America’s Cup defence
Pete Burling, who has twice helmed Emirates Team New Zealand to victory in the past two America’s Cup’s is confirmed as skipper of theb Kiwi defence of the Cup in…
Catamaran sailing in Australia
If it could float, it was out on the water in Sydney Harbour that day. Ferries, dinghies, powerboats, catamarans, superyachts, naval ships, and everything in between streamed across the famous…