It’s hardly surprising. At speeds that are regularly in the high 20s with sustained bursts in excess of 30 knots, there is much to gain from getting it right and…
Matthew Sheahan
Flax 27: Cork decks and electric propulsion make this the most eco-friendly yacht
In the face of it there was nothing unusual about the Flax 27. Set in a corner of one of the 17 halls at Boot Düsseldorf at the beginning of…
Figaro Series: The hardest sailing race on the planet where money means nothing
“This is the hardest race – not to win, just to do. Winning is something else,” says Michel Desjoyeaux. “For me, the Figaro is harder than the Vendée Globe.” It…
Italia 11.98 review: This Alfa Romeo of the seas strikes a fine balance
I’m a soft touch for a well-balanced boat with a light feel and the ability to change gear easily. Be it it a cruiser or racer, performance and handling are,…
Dehler 30 yacht test: This one-design racer has a real double appeal
Talk to those who have switched to short-handed offshore racing and you’ll be hard pressed to find many who want to go back to a weather rail stacked with crew.…
Beneteau First 53 review: This French cruiser backs up its bold first impressions
There is big talk and bold talk, but often it is no talk that speaks loudest when it comes to a new launch. As I walked down the quay towards…
Amel 60 review: This modern cruiser is a true benchmark for quality
I’m guessing that rival manufacturers of bluewater cruisers know when their prospective clients have been to Amel. They realise when their prospects come to them to discuss the detail, and…
ClubSwan 36 review: This one-design foiler from Nautor really shakes things up
It’s easy to be seduced by modern high performance, especially downwind. As the wake flattens out astern and the foils start to sing, the helm takes on a more direct…
Ernesto Bertarelli: The Team Alinghi mastermind who shook up the America’s Cup
When Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi (SUI64) crossed the finish line for the final time in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2003, the Swiss 5-0 victory was more than just a decisive new…
ETF26: The trailer foiler bringing the foiling experience to the masses
Seven knots of true wind and a few quick pumps on the mainsheet was all it took to have the 8m cat rise up onto her foils and slip downwind…
Monofoil: The pocket rocket that can foil in just 8 knots of breeze
The spectacle of a flying catamaran, be it an Olympic Nacra 17, a GC32, the recent America’s Cup 50-footers, or anything in between, has become almost normal in today’s racing…
Eagle Class 53: The foiling cruiser inspired by the America’s Cup
Not everything that flies is destined to scorch around an America’s Cup course. The future for sailing hydrofoils is surely about more than just racing. At least, that was the…
What’s the optimum Fastnet route? Navigator Ian Moore crunches the weather data to find out
With tricky tides, imposing headlands and the vagaries of the British summer weather to contend with, the Rolex Fastnet Race is as much about tactics as it is about boat…
Fastnet Race 1979: Life and death decision – Matthew Sheahan’s story
At 0830 Tuesday 14 August 1979, aged 17, five minutes changed my life. Five minutes that, despite the stress of the previous six hours, would encapsulate the most extreme emotional…
Could the wonderfully weird Inflated Wing Sail make sailing easier?
As the mist rose off the water’s surface in the picturesque harbour of Morges on the north bank of Lake Geneva, only the gentle buzz of a small air compressor…
36th America’s Cup New Zealand: the Challenges that face the new host nation this time around
As the saying goes, when you win the Cup you make the rules. The champagne was still running down the outside of the Auld Mug and the sailors still drenched…
Could holograms become virtual crew members in the futuristic world of sailing?
From instructions on how to set the timer on your central heating to replacing a light bulb on your car, there was a time when keeping the manuals for everything…
Cleaning up the Pacific Garbage Patch: Dutch foundation tests new system off coast of Holland
During the build-up to this summer’s Olympic regatta in Rio, water quality and in particular the fear of debris and pollution affecting racing outcomes and racers’ health, hit the headlines.…
Waszp – the new one-design foiling Moth that could make learning to fly a little less painful
If there is one class of boat that has turned more heads around the world in the last decade than any other, it must surely be the foiling Moth. Having…
5 tips: faster foils – make sure your keel and rudder are in tip top condition
If you want to go faster, which would you choose: a new headsail or a fully faired and professionally finished set of foils? If you currently have a silky smooth…