With a full moon and following wind, night sailing can be one of the great pleasures to be had when passagemaking; but on a dark night in a gale it…
Yachting World
Antigua Superyacht Challenge – where giant yachts and their crews compete for barrels of rum
For the British Navy, English Harbour, Antigua was exceptional both strategically and navigationally. Not only is it almost unrecognisable as a harbour from seaward, which meant that from the early…
For or against? Emirates Team New Zealand divides opinion in America’s Cup build-up
It used to be considered the height of treason for a challenger to train with the defender during the preliminaries of the America’s Cup. Yet in the build-up to Bermuda…
Transatlantic in a catamaran – from Reykjavik to Newfoundland via Prince Christian Sound Greenland
Safely aboard in Reykjavik, about to depart for Greenland some 600 cold, grey miles away, I looked at the GRIB files with the skipper and thought: ‘Wow. You call that…
How to round a busy mark – Gold-medal racing tips from Hannah Mills
The Barcolana Race, which features a mass of different yachts all racing on the same course, looks amazing, but there seems to be a certain amount of carnage round this…
How the North Atlantic Oscillation affects European and Atlantic weather
Although we often hear about the expected changes to the weather from the El Niño/La Niña Southern Oscillation (ENSO) it does not have a large effect on the weather in…
Rammed by a trawler off the coast of Brittany: “There was no-one at the wheel”
The 90-ton ketch Johanne was launched in 1929 as a Baltic trader, writes Tom Cunliffe. Bought out of Denmark in the late 1960s, she sailed to Lymington on the west…
Solo sailor Paul Heiney describes battling gale force winds off the Azores
I was 150 miles south-west of the Azores, heading for home, and it was blowing up rough from ahead. I lit the gas, and thought things through. The kettle was…
Expert tips on understanding shipping forecasts and weather broadcasts
When ashore we get our forecasts from a variety of sources, nowadays largely through the internet. However, unless we have the long-range communications of a bluewater cruiser, once our link…
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston refits his famous yacht Suhaili
In 1968, on 14 June at 1420, a 32ft ketch called Suhaili, with Robin Knox-Johnston at the tiller, crossed a start line off Falmouth. Few saw them off, and fewer…
Elliot Brown Bloxworth watch
Tough and rugged but finely crafted and cleverly designed, the Elliot Brown Bloxworth watch was put through its paces by Rob Owen.
Musto midlayer Gore-tex blouson
We asked the Adventure sailing skippers at Rubicon3 to try the Musto midlayer Gore-tex blouson jacket on both land and sea.
Helly Hansen Crew midlayer jacket
We asked the Adventure sailing skippers at Rubicon3 to try the Helly Hansen Crew mid-layer jacket on both land and sea.
Slam flying jacket
This jacket is a good all-rounder, being both functional on the water and smart enough to wear on shore. It has a warm fleece lining with an elasticated waistband for…
Henri Lloyd Elite Therm mid-layer jacket
There’s no attempt at compromise here, this jacket is a proper mid-layer jacket. Designed to be worn under foulies, the Primaloft filling is superbly warm in cold conditions and the…
Gill Extreme winter sailing gloves
Adventure charter skippers Bruce Jacobs and Rachael Sprot of Rubicon3 tested the Gill Extreme gloves, which feature 1.5mm neoprene with good grip and insulation, for a season in a variety…
Musto Performance Winter sailing gloves
Tough palms; cold finger tips
Gill Helmsman winter sailing gloves
Adventure charter skippers Bruce Jacobs and Rachael Sprot of Rubicon3 tested these waterproof, windproof and breathable glove with webbing and drawcord wrist adjustment for a season in a variety of…
Telemedicine for cruisers beyond the reach of an airlift – how a phone call saved one sailor’s life
Anchored in a remote lagoon in the Solomon Islands last year, Tom Partridge and his partner Susie Plume were into the third year of a circumnavigation on their Hylas 46…
The America’s Cup defender has given away much of its historic advantage, but can anyone beat Oracle?
One of the unwritten rules of the America’s Cup is that every decision the defender makes must be in the interests of self-interest. What sets the Cup apart from every…