I’m always delighted to find a book about high adventure undertaken with no sponsorship and nothing out of the ordinary in way of funds. The Sea Takes No Prisoners, recently…
Allures 40.9 vs Ovni 400: French aluminium centreboarders go head-to-head
Back in the mid-2000s the niche market for aluminium centreboarders was disrupted by the arrival of a new upstart, Allures Yachting. Until then, the undisputed market leader was French company…
Vendée Globe racer Pip Hare on maintaining your focus on long sea passages
For me, managing a 60ft IMOCA alone demands my full attention so there is little time for distraction. However, even then it can be difficult to maintain really long-term focus.…
Philippe Briand profile: The man whose designs launched more than 12,000 yachts
There have been over 12,000 boats built to Philippe Briand designs in the last four decades in a remarkable career that began with a 25ft wooden boat to the International…
Sailing El Salvador: Captivating landscapes make this a must-see cruising destination
We dropped anchor in the middle of the night and waited until daybreak for our rendezvous. We were at the agreed point to meet our pilot who would safely see…
Learning the ropes: An extract from Shakedown Cruise by Nigel Calder
Nigel Calder’s works on the technicalities of boat systems are accepted worldwide as Bibles, but he doesn’t generally trumpet his vast cruising experience. He is a modest man, so when…
These extreme sailing superyacht concepts prove that the sky’s the limit
For decades the superyacht world has undeniably been dominated by vast, fuel-guzzling motor boats. And, despite the elaborate marketing spiel of their designers and builders, many of them look remarkably…
Vijonara: Inside one of the world’s most successful sailing superyacht designs
Many will look at this yacht and admire its graceful lines, its presence and elegance on the water. Vijonara is the latest proof that Hoek’s Truly Classic range is the…
Lithium boat batteries: Why now is the right time to upgrade your electrics
Larger new cruising yachts, especially those at the quality end of the market, have been routinely fitted with lithium boat batteries for the past few years. Arcona, for instance, says…
Expert sailing tips: How to make emergency offshore repairs to your yacht
Jason Carrington was always in demand in professional offshore racing crews for his repair skills. Keeping the wheels on the wagon for skippers like Lawrie Smith, Neal McDonald and Ellen…
Sailing Cape Horn on Pelagic: An extract from Rounding the Horn by Dallas Murphy
‘Rounding the Horn – Being a story of Williwaws and Windjammers, Drake, Darwin, Murdered Missionaries and Naked Natives – a deck’s eye view of Cape Horn’. So reads the front…
Fountaine Pajot 59 first look: This new cruising cat is a social animal
The Fountaine Pajot 59 integrates many of the new design features of the 2019-launched Elba 45, which boasted a longer, wider hull that nevertheless showed 10% less drag. Chief among…
Sailing from South Africa to Europe: Chris Tibbs’ top tips for a smooth passage
There are a number of advantages to doing this, as well as saving around 3,000 miles of sailing, but the passage from the doldrums is predominantly upwind against the trade…
How to sea trial a boat: Professional boat testers share their top tips
Yacht brokers don’t really sell boats, they sell dreams. To buy any sailing yacht requires a leap of faith: a conviction that the winds will blow in our favour, and…
Outremer 55 first look: Efficient catamaran promises more sailing and less motoring
Plugging the gap between Outremer’s longstanding 5X and 51 models, the Outremer 55 will exhibit the brand’s typical balance of performance and comfort. When the design was unveiled at the…
Why these extreme multihull concepts could be the future of catamaran design
As boats become ever more like homes on water, something else is changing: designers and builders have been turning their attention to the market for floating buildings. New concepts to…
How to sail across the Indian Ocean: Everything you need to know
“It’s still a long way to get home,” Carina Hammarlund muses. My partner Weitze van der Laan and I nod. Between us and our home ports in northern Europe it…
Pelagic 77: Construction update on Skip Novak’s new expedition yacht
Yet another consequence of the lockdown which, as I write, is very much still in force in South Africa, is that I cannot follow the construction of the new Pelagic…
Pogo 44 first look: This Finot-Conq designed cruiser should punch above its weight
This Breton yard has long punched well above its weight with both its raceboats, including a foiling Mini 650, and cruising models. Over time, the company has increased its focus…
Solo Caribbean sailing: Trevor Robertson on 38ft Diva’s memorable maiden voyage
“In 2017-18, sailed from New Zealand to the Antarctic Peninsula by way of Cape Horn (60 days). Spent three weeks pottering around old haunts in the Peninsula then north to…