When the New York Yacht Club commissioned the new NY40 one-design class in 1916 Nathanael Herreshoff’s objective was to design a competitive racer that was seaworthy enough for ocean racing,…
Retrieving a spinnaker: 5 tips on how to haul in your dropped kite
There are few things quite so humiliating as being stopped dead in the water, moments away from causing thousands of pounds worth of damage as your competitors glide gracefully past.…
5 tips: How to create a winning atmosphere with a new crew
According to Nikki Henderson, good leadership is not about barking orders, it’s about fostering an atmosphere of shared responsibility and finding out what really motivates the individuals on your team.…
Cruising around Newfoundland: An unspoiled wilderness full of surprises
Two beluga whales flanked Frances B, our Mason 44, as we threaded out of Ingonish, on northern Cape Breton Island. Belugas don’t live in this area so this unexpected show…
Fujin: The inside story of this carbon catamaran’s Caribbean refit
After Fujin capsized during the 2018 RORC Caribbean 600 race it would have been understandable if owner Greg Slyngstad had thrown in the towel and walked away. But Slyngstad resolved…
Forward-facing sonar: Everything you need to know
Yachting is usually pretty fast to embrace useful new technology, particularly if it helps win a race or if it helps with safety. Just look at how rapidly AIS (Automatic…
Double the fun? Pip Hare shares her top tips for sailing double-handed
Sailing double-handed as a couple is becoming more popular as partners elect to enjoy the experience of cruising and ocean voyaging without the complications of extra crew. It can be…
Expert sailing advice: How to handle a lightning strike on board
Lightning is the thing that scares me the most at sea. Having never experienced a lightning strike I think this is mostly a fear of the unknown, coupled with a…
SailGP F50: On board the sailing equivalent of a Formula 1 racecar
“I think 99% of people believe that we received these boats from Bermuda, repainted them and sent them on their way again. I don’t think we’re ever going to be…
From lifeboat crew to the Round-the-Island race – why ‘helping people stay and feel alive’ is the motto of Helly Hansen [sponsored post]
Over 1,200 yachts crewed by world-class sailors, families and first-time racers, battled it out on the water in last month’s Round-the-Island race. While the largest monohull, Jethou took the line…
Kraken Cup: The most extreme sailing race you’ve never heard of
“This is probably the most extreme and uncomfortable sailing I’ve ever done,” says Simon Walker. “And I have sailed twice the wrong way around the world, 17 times across the…
Can augmented reality really give us a vision of the future of sailing?
Google’s mission statement is ‘to organise the world’s information.’ This almost impossibly ambitious declaration of intent underpins the technology giant’s ventures into everything up to and including Space. The message…
Fastnet Race winners: Wizard claims overall prize while French crews dominate
The stars’n’stripes liveried American Volvo 70 Wizard has been confirmed as the overall IRC winner of this year’ Rolex Fastnet Race. Brothers David and Peter Askew from Detroit finished in…
Rolex Fastnet Race delivers wet, fast ride for early finishers
The first finishers in the IRC fleets of the Rolex Fastnet Race arriving last night and today have all had a hard, fast race. As crews piled in tired, wet,…
Steinlager 2: On board Sir Peter Blake’s refitted Whitbread champion
In 22 May 1990, Steinlager 2 – skippered by Peter Blake and crewed by 14 fellow New Zealanders – crossed the finish line off Southampton to win the fifth Whitbread…
Sailing Greenland’s frozen frontiers on 90ft modern classic superyacht Acadia
Our thirst for adventure is as unquenchable as ever. In the marine world, that desire to escape the beaten path seems only to be increasing. There are more and more…
Eagle Class 53: The foiling cruiser inspired by the America’s Cup
Not everything that flies is destined to scorch around an America’s Cup course. The future for sailing hydrofoils is surely about more than just racing. At least, that was the…
David Witt: The controversial character who shook up the Volvo Ocean Race
“I am a dinosaur,” David Witt tells me. It’s a gift of a quote from a man who has been painted as out of touch, misogynistic, and a whole lot…
Running aground: Lessons learned from a nightmare scenario
We hit the sandspit at something over five knots and went hard aground. A moment before, the bottom had risen suddenly from 10ft to now visible sand in the wave…
Sailing through calms: Expert advice from ocean racer Pip Hare
Psychologically, I have always found sailing through calms to be far worse than battling any storm. Endlessly flogging sails and oppressive heat can fray tempers on any yacht. With no…