Golden Globe skipper Tapio Lehtinen has been rescued by fellow solo competitor Kirsten Neuschäfer after Lehtinen’s boat sank and he spent over 24 hours adrift in the southern Indian Ocean. Lehtinen…
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Can the America’s Cup make great TV?
A long-rumoured America’s Cup TV series now looks set to be going ahead with a top-level studio and producers onboard. But will a docu-series drive eyes onto an event that…
Starlink for yachts: true remote connection for your boat
Imagine you’re peacefully anchored in a tight cove on the lee of some remote uninhabited island with zero mobile phone reception. But you unexpectedly need to speak with family or…
Caudrelier wins the 2022 Route du Rhum with new course record
Charles Caudrelier sailing his Ultime trimaran Maxi Edmond de Rothschild was first to cross the finish line of the 2022 Route du Rhum race this morning in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe in a…
First look: CR Yachts 490DS
The latest model from this Sweden Yachts Group brand, the CR Yachts 490DS, is a decksaloon performance bluewater cruiser, with saloon and navstation raised to provide a 270º view. The…
“A torrent of flames came out of my cabin” – dramatic mid-ocean rescues in the Route du Rhum
It has been another intense 24 hours in the Route du Rhum 2022, with two dramatic mid-ocean rescues, as well as multiple other abandonments as the 138-boat fleet continues to…
How to put together a yacht’s medical kit
Putting together a ship’s medical kit is a lot like preparing a boat for a long voyage. It is about envisaging all the scenarios that could affect the health of…
Dismastings, a capsize and damage toll rises in Route du Rhum
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…
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…