The Route du Rhum’s reputation as one of the toughest offshore races in the solo sailing calendar is proving to be true once again. Last night the IMOCA 60s went…
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World’s coolest yachts: Dilemma
Legendary American yacht designer Nathaneal G Herreshoff is famed for his spectacular America’s Cup designs, drawing every Cup winner for nearly 40 years from 1893-1934. However, among ‘Capt Nat’s’ prolific…
Long Lost Log: Pincher’s tale of storms and rows
Michael Chapman Pincher, son of the great investigative journalist, left school at 17 to become a stagehand in London’s West End. At 23 in 1974 he quit and went to…
First look: Spirit 72DH a contemporary classic
Spirit Yachts’ latest launch, the Spirit 72DH, embodies the key features that make these boats so desirable, while also marking a break with tradition for the company. All the hallmarks…
UPDATE: Route du Rhum 2022 start postponed. Is this the greatest ever offshore race?
The Route du Rhum 2022 single-handed transatlantic race start has been postponed until Wednesday 9 November. The decision was announced at this morning’s skippers’ weather briefing. While the forecast for…
Beneteau and Contest look ahead with new electric yachts
It’s more than five years since electric drives became the default propulsion option for new daysailer designs but they’re now also entering the mainstream for larger yachts. Beneteau’s first electric…
How to follow the Route du Rhum 2022
NOTE: Since this article was published the start date for the Route Du Rhum 2022 has been pushed back to Wednesday 9th November at 1415hrs local time. A major storm…
Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup: A feast for the eyes
Walk the hallowed docks of Sardinia’s Yacht Club Costa Smeralda during the Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup and it was impossible to get anywhere fast. The collection of maxi yachts this…
Sailing Svalbard: a photographic expedition in the Artctic circle
It’s 0600 and I hear movement down below, our guide Marcel going for his shower. I’d woken a couple of hours earlier when I knocked a pillow covering the window…
Flight of the Dragons: a pilgrimage aboard a stunning classic Fife yacht
There came a moment when it felt right to speak to the water, here in the middle of the Bristol Channel. I could hear the tiredness in my voice, “Let…
INEOS Britannia reveal new T6 America’s Cup test boat
INEOS Britannia has launched its first America’s Cup test boat. Code-named T6, the test boat is known as an ‘LEQ12’ , a scaled down foiling monohull which may be used…
First look: WING 100 – one of the world’s largest megayachts
A dream team of superyacht heavyweights have collaborated to produce this ambitious future-proofed megayacht sailing concept, one which, if built, would rank in the top five largest sailing yachts in…
Mike Birch, 1931-2022
One of offshore racing’s greatest heroes, Canadian Mike Birch, has died at the age of 90. Legendary Canadian skipper Mike Birch won the first edition of the Route du Rhum…
Rolex Middle Sea Race: line honours winners, but half the fleet retires
Patience has been required for competitors on the 118 yachts which set off for this year’s 606-mile Rolex Middle Sea Race, with competitors struggling for double-figure (or indeed single-figure) boat…
How wingsail technology could revolutionise the shipping industry
On a summer weekend there’s always a bustle of activity on the foreshore at Hamble-le-Rice, on England’s south coast. The whirr of electric air compressors has been the soundtrack to…
Light wind sailing skills with Pip Hare
Keeping a boat moving in light airs can be more challenging than dealing with big winds and seas. It requires a huge level of attention to detail and a lot…
Best waterproof bag: 8 drybags tested
Once a novelty, then a go-to item for dinghy sailors, a drybag is now a must have for all sailors and watersports enthusiasts. After all, why would you not keep…
Golden Globe Race favourite Damien Guillou faces mid-ocean rudder repairs
French skipper Damien Guillou, one of the pre-race favourites in this year’s solo Golden Globe Race, is facing his second major windvane breakage, which will require significant mid-ocean repairs if he…
Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 60 review
A measure of how much yacht design has moved on over the past few years is that Beneteau’s replacement for the successful Oceanis Yacht 62 (2016), the new Beneteau Oceanis…
How to follow the Rolex Middle Sea Race
The Rolex Middle Sea Race is one of the classic 600-mile offshores, but the only one that takes place in the Mediterranean. Despite its scenic backdrop, the Middle Sea Race…