In the early hours of 15 December 2024, midway between Australia and Antarctica, my second Vendée Globe race came to a devastating end when my IMOCA Medallia dismasted. It still…
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Finding a great yacht deal in 2025: Expert advice on understanding the market
Three years ago the idea of finding a yacht deal in the used market had ceased to exist, with demand soaring as the world escaped an unprecedented pandemic. Today many…
Great seamanship: The Log of the Molly B
The Log of the Molly B stands out from the crowd of today’s cruising accounts. It opens around 1980 with Dubliner Pete Hogan quitting the straight life in Montreal, which…
5 expert tips: How to hold a lane upwind
Learning to live in a thin lane is one of the key skills that separate the great from the good. As Henry Wetherell explains, having boats tight to windward and…
New approach to reduce the chance of whale strikes in yachts
“When a 45-tonnes Sperm Whale is on starboard tack, it has right of way. It also has right of way when it’s on port tack!” the legendary French ocean sailor…
Sailing to Greenland: A scientific voyage of discovery
The streets of Brest are bustling early on this market morning. On the terrace of a bistro some late diners are still finishing off their night, while a nearby poissonnier…
Saint Lucia: not just a transatlantic stopover
At the end of a long transatlantic crossing, the island of Saint Lucia is a dreamlike landfall. Its hills and Atlantic-facing cliffs emerge slowly over the horizon, taking shape in…
Moody DS48 review: Ambitious cruising plans? Look no further
Many new launches these days aim to be lighter, faster and more open. Not so the Moody DS48. From the moment you scale the boarding ladder (via steps which fold…
Extraordinary Boats: JV43 Red 2 – a full-throated racer with an adventurous cruising side
Compared with the multihulls and centre cockpit cruising yachts dwarfing them in Las Palmas, Mathias and Katharina Müller von Blumencron’s yacht Red 2 really is extraordinary. The JV43 is compact…
“We’re in a holding pattern” – why uncertainty in the America’s Cup is hurting women’s sailing
The Puig Women’s America’s Cup in Barcelona last autumn was a game changer: there had never before been a dedicated women’s competition, or even a dedicated female athlete role, in…
INEOS Britannia pulls out of America’s Cup – but what next for the Cup – and British hopes?
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Britannia will not compete in the next America’s Cup. The release issued last night stated: “INEOS Britannia announces that it has withdrawn its intention to challenge…
How this boatbuilder and Youtuber restored the 1910 £1 wreck ‘Tally Ho’
On a Saturday morning in mid-August, there is a light breeze blowing in the Solent. A fleet of yachts is slowly working against the tide, waiting for their start gun.…
Southern Wind 100X first look: Performance and comfort combined
Boiling down the experience of building almost 40 yachts around 100ft, Southern Wind has revealed a project to build the ultimate in the genre. Due for delivery late this year,…
Wauquiez 55 first look: A new stunner in the long distance cruiser market
The Wauquiez 55 is a serious, long distance cruiser breaks new ground in a number of respects. The exaggerated reverse sheer may be unconventional, but it’s an inherently stiff shape…
Mishi 88 & Mishi 102 first look: Carbon-fibre yachts for comfortable cruising
Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of Mishi Yachts. The Turkish brand only emerged recently as a project of the Yonca shipyard, which has decades of experience in advanced composite…
X-Yachts XR 41 first look: A return to racing yachts
Fourteen of X-Yachts’ first all-new racer for more than a decade, the XR 41, have been sold off-plan, all but one to established and successful teams. Five boats are entered…
Coolest Yachts: The Nordic Folkboat
“The humble Nordic Folkboat is, in my opinion, the ‘world’s coolest yacht’, because it is so simple, so beautiful, and so versatile,” says Goolden. “It can be taken for a…
Wallywind 110 review: ‘I’ve never ticked off stretches of coastline so effortlessly’
There are very few times I feel the need to video the scene from a day on the water simply to brag to my friends. But standing in the master…
Online sailing communities and apps: Speaking to Sailing La Vagabonde stars
Fleeting acquaintance has always been part of sailing, particularly for bluewater cruisers. A friendship struck up over a rum cocktail or a kids’ playdate in one anchorage might be rekindled…
Best family yacht: The best yachts for sailing with the family
There are many categories in the European Yacht of the Year awards, from the best luxury yachts to performance yachts. But some of the most hotly-anticipated options come when it is time to…