Not that we advocate risky activities...

1. The ‘Keel walk’

Alex Thomson made one of sailing’s most iconic images when he was photographed walking the keel of his yacht Hugo Boss.

Getting the conditions right for the keel walk wasn’t simple. It took 18 knots of wind, a slight sea state, a precise sailing speed and a cool-headed skipper to perfome the stunt on the 8-tonne yacht.

“We’d wake up one day and the conditions would look just right,” he said, “so we’d sound the alarm and get the boat prepped, bring in the jet ski guy, the RIB driver, the photographer, the camera guys… I’m in the suit, ready to go…and the wind drops. It was hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait.”

2. The ‘rope-swing’

This video that went viral on Yachting World’s Facebook page with over a million views. For the full story from the boat’s self-appointed ‘chief of halyard swinging’ Joe, head to www.yachtingworld.com/videos

3. Freerunning on a Volvo 65

Parkour athletes Jason Paul and Pasha Petkuns try their first ever freeruning session at sea- onboard the Volvo 65 Team Brunel.

This picture was taken last year in Newport, Rhode Island, during a Volvo Ocean Race stopover. The duo swung from a halyard off the 30m high rig: “It’s a trick you see people do with smaller sailboats – but this takes it to a whole new level,” Paul said.

© Ainhoa Sánchez / Volvo Ocean Race.

4. The superyacht mast jump

Austrian skydiver Marco Waltenspiel performs a B.A.S.E. jump from the 40m high mast of the Dykstra designed 110-foot classic sloop Annagine, off St Tropez.  At 42m, it’s not the longest BASE jump ever but unquestionably one of the most daring, and the footage of the yacht below is stunning….

6. The race boat mast jump

Last summer, Danish kitesurfing sensation Nick Jacobsen teamed up with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing to perform an incredible leap from Azzam’s 30m mast.

Whilst in Gothenburg, Sweden at the end of the round-the-world race, the champions Azzam welcomed Jacobsen on-board try his stunt.

Watch how Jacobsen got on below …

7. Extreme wakeboarding

First came the keel walk in 2012, then came the mast walk in 2014, and now, after much preview hype, Alex Thomson’s Skywalk video is here. And it was definitely worth the wait. These action packed videos have the aura, excitement of a new Bond film release.

The SkyWalk video shows Thomson arriving by convertible Mercedes to Alvor, southern Portugal, a kite surfing mecca. He kitesurfs offshore in pursuit of his IMOCA 60 HUGO BOSS. Once he is able to grab the 120m floating towline and attach it to the back of his harness, the boat powers upwind at 12 knots, as he pulls the line tight to start the jump.

Read the full story and the see fantastic pictures at: https://www.yachtingworld.com/video/video-alex-thomson-kitesurfs-over-the-top-of-his-imoca-60-race-boat-70779