Outside gybing an asymmetric spinnaker is an under-utilised technique by the average sailor – either as a double handed sailing skill or in a fully crewed environment. It can be…
Extraordinary boats: Flo – Florence Arthaud’s iconic 60ft trimaran
There are many iconic raceboats, but few capture the feeling of an era as much as the 60ft trimaran in which Florence Arthaud won the 1990 Route du Rhum. She…
Best coastal sailing jackets buyer’s guide: 6 of the best options
The best coastal sailing jackets are more than able to deal with almost all conditions and races which the majority of us will ever experience. For this comparison we will…
Best offshore sailing jacket buyer’s guide: 4 of the best jackets and smocks
With the ocean trying to enter at every possible opening, combined with the moisture produced within, there is a lot of attention to detail required to keep you dry. Whatever…
Best mid-layer sailing jackets buyer’s guide: 6 of the best options
Many of you will be lucky enough to live in tropical climes where the word thermal is only associated with a way to keep your Mai Tai cold on the…
Best lightweight sailing jacket buyer’s guide: 5 of the best options
As important a fashion piece as a barrier against the sudden and changeable conditions of summer, the choices of a lightweight sailing jacket are vast. Many companies devote more effort…
The Ocean Race: 11th Hour Racing into the lead
After an extended doldrums crossing and a larger than usual St Helena high forcing the fleet way to the west of the Atlantic The Ocean Race fleet are finally back…
The ‘motherhood penalty’? Controversy as Vendée Globe skipper Clarisse Cremer loses sponsor
IMOCA skipper Clarisse Cremer, who has recently given birth to her first child, has been controversially dropped by her sponsor Banque Populaire ahead of the 2024 Vendée Globe. Cremer, who…
French America’s Cup entry to be named Orient Express Team
A long-rumoured French team was finally announced as an entry to the next America’s Cup in 2024 in early January 2023. Details at the time were thin on the ground…
World’s coolest yachts: Biscuits Cantreau 2
Biscuits Cantreau 2 was a Formula 40 trimaran designed for Jean Le Cam in 1987. “Formula 40 was a class born in France with a very simple rule for multihulls…
Pete Goss: a new mini-exploration yacht that’s a bit different
They won’t come into a marina very often, but when they do, Pete Goss and his wife, Tracey will be doing a lot of talking. They were in Mayflower Marina…
Discover the best Baltic sailing routes: from Scandinavia to hidden eastern gems
The Baltic is one of the best cruising grounds in Europe, with a myriad of options to choose from. But how can you make the most of sailing the Baltic…
All about the doldrums or Inter Tropical Convergence Zone
Doldrums’: a state of stagnation or depression, or an equatorial region of the Atlantic Ocean with calms, sudden storms, and light unpredictable winds. Or so my dictionary puts it. For…
5 expert tips for leeward mark roundings
The leeward mark is one of the biggest pinch points on the race course, with the opportunity for huge gains – or the risk of enormous losses. Dylan Fletcher says…
The Sea and The Snow: a stunning tale of adventure
In the world of small-craft seafaring and modern mountaineering, 1964/5 seems very distant. Philip Temple’s remarkable work The Sea and The Snow, recently republished, brings those days straight to our…
Best Inflatable Kayak and Canoe: Find The Model For You
I love my inflatable yacht tender, I use it a lot to get about in. But nothing quite matches the tranquillity offered by a kayak or canoe to explore shallow…
Looking for hotels near Cowes? A guide to local accommodation
Cowes is historically the centre of yacht racing on the British south coast positioned just a couple of miles off the mainland on the Isle Of Wight. Booking accommodation on…
The Ocean Race: Leg underway in very light winds
The second leg of The Ocean Race from Cabo Verde to Cape Town started on Wednesday 25 January, with the 5 fully-crewed IMOCA 60s fighting it out in very light…
The Ocean Race: All set for leg two
With the first leg of the much-delayed The Ocean Race now concluded, teams are readying themselves to set off on the second leg of of the race, which starts today,…
Making the switch: How we become liveaboards
We’re sailing by the Gulf of Venezuela as we approach the Colombian coastline, a notoriously difficult stretch of water with frequent high winds, big swell and current. This night is…