I bought the original GoPro HERO with a waterproof housing, yet never really found it user-friendly. As a comparative HD action cam, however, this Garmin Virb XE is so much…
Toby Hodges
Atlantic gear survey: long-range communications at sea
Few could honestly claim they are not reliant on the internet today. The advent of stronger and faster 3G and 4G networks and wi-fi boosters have allowed us to maintain…
Comanche, Jim Clark’s 100ft super maxi, smashes the transatlantic record
In making the crossing in just 5 days, 14 hours, and 21 minutes Comanche has knocked over 24 hours off the prized record held by Mari-Cha IV for the last…
A new Humphreys 39 for Richard Matthews of Oyster Yachts fame
Richard Matthews, the man who built up Oyster Yachts over 40 years, has consistently kept ahead of the game with the designs he has commissioned. For his latest new build,…
Extraordinary boats: a new take on a Dutch Lemsteraak
Name any traditional racing class and there will always be one owner who tries to move the game on. In the world of Lemsteraak racing on the Netherlands’ inland waterways…
Contest 42CS video – our overnight cruise and test aboard this Dutch-built premium cruiser
As this Contest 42CS video shows, our cruise was the ideal way to appreciate how this model is blessed with the pedigree of over half a century of builds. Contest…
Virtual reality for sailors with new specially targeted apps
Virtual reality (VR), a term once reserved for science fiction movies, is now a commonplace reality for techies, film buffs and video gamers. VR uses computers to create a simulated…
Bluewater cruisers give us their top pick of galley equipment
Pressure cookers were the most popular galley appliance for their convenience and time- and energy-efficient means of preparing food. An airtight lid allows the ingredients inside to cook speedily as…
Kraken Yachts, a new brand of competitively priced bluewater cruisers
Kraken is a new brand designed in New Zealand and built in China, founded by two experienced British businessmen and sailors in Hong Kong. They are marketing a particularly competitively…
Jeanneau 54 boat test – a sturdy cruiser with hidden depths
Powerful gusts dispersed plumes of spray from the bow, making the whitewater explosions appear even more dramatic as the Jeanneau 54 positively ripped through the seas off Cannes in March.…
Video: we test the decidedly luxurious new Jeanneau 54 in a gale off Cannes
One look at the deck configuration would lead most people to presume the Jeanneau 54 is a hedonists’ yacht, one for the sun worshippers anchored in warm climes. Indeed my…
The visionary custom yacht designs that have shaped Vismara Marine over 30 years
Vismara Marine has always been an exciting, fresh and different company. Its yachts are fast, light and inspirational designs. To look at the history of this Italian custom yacht specialist…
Video: Oceanis Yachts 62 – first of a new luxury range from Beneteau
Note the title ‘Oceanis Yachts’ 62. I missed it at first, assuming this was a new flagship for Beneteau’s traditional Oceanis range. But no, this 62-footer represents the first of…
Adventure Yachts 55
Buying a new yacht? Generally, you have the choice of a production boat or going the more adventurous custom route. For a superyacht you might employ a project manager to…
Bluewater cruisers list their choice of essential kit that cost under €500
Peter Forbes Amel 54 Carango Currently undertaking a circumnavigation with World ARC. After a career in aviation, engineering and manufacturing, Forbes examined and tested a series of bluewater yachts from…
Raymarine Quantum – a revolutionary new radar using Chirp technology
Raymarine claims its new Quantum Chirp radome is the lightest and most efficient radar in its class. Chirp technology is used increasingly by marine manufacturers in echo sounders to increase…
A marine vacuum cleaner to suck up plastic? Meet the Seabin Project
Dame Ellen MacArthur made headlines recently by quoting memorable statistics that included: “One refuse truck’s worth of plastic is dumped into the sea every minute”, which will result in there…
Meet the radical new BlackCat, a 50m/165ft luxury multihull that can do 30 knots!
Every now and again you see a radical new concept that makes you grin in the knowledge that yacht design has just taken one brave step forward. This new BlackCat…
X-Yachts X4 – a new X to mark the spot between cruising and performance
Two years ago X-Yachts announced a new flagship, the appealing X6. Although later than anticipated, the first of these 63-footers is due to launch this April and three have now…
HUBi Solar Hub 10k
In the face of it this is a great back-up system – a 10ah lithium battery pack/connection hub with ‘intelligent charge electronics’, plus a 20W solar panel and two bright…