Dan Bower's advice on catching a fish for your supper is the last in our series of Bluewater Sailing Techniques
Yachting World
5 tips: OCS (on course side) or over the line at the start – what should you do?
Pundits at any local sailing club say you’re not trying hard enough if you don’t stray over the line once in a while. So, never mind honing your starting skills…
5 tips: light airs racing – how to keep going when all around are drifting in circles
The forecast was spot on, the breeze has slackened as pressure rises, but now with the remains of an open sea swell and the tide soon to turn against you,…
Why sailing with friends is more fun, gives you more sleep, lower insurance and a chance to share costs
If you could reduce marina and car rental costs by 50 per cent, give yourself three or four hours more sleep per night on long passages, improve safety and pay…
Top places to grab a bite to eat if you are off to watch the America’s Cup World Series in Portsmouth
We’ve teamed up with blogger Penny Hopkins, author of the popular blog Hop’s Hikes & Bites, to bring you a guide to the top places to grab a bite to eat…
Wind, water and solar power: how alternative energy has been transformed
Imagine a future in which there is never any need to fill up with diesel, buy gas, or top up water tanks and the only constraints are those of needing…
5 tips: the leeward mark – learn to read situations as they develop
You’ve been catching the boat ahead since the top mark and their tactician is now screaming ‘no overlap’ as you thunder towards the three-boat zone on port gybe. There’s no…
Snorkelling and diving – what to consider when going underwater
It's one of the great pleasures of cruising to explore the element below you. Dan Bower considers the practicalities of going underwater
Nominate your favourite yachtswoman to win the Ladies Day Trophy at Cowes
Nominations are now open for the coveted Ladies Day Trophy, to be presented on the 11th August at the Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week. The Ladies Day Trophy recognises the…
Offshore weather planning: the options for receiving weather data at sea
When I skippered a yacht in the first Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) 30 years ago the weather planning information we had after we left Las Palmas was just about…
Cousin Trestec Constrictor 10 review
Working on the same principle as the Chinese finger trap, the Cousin Trestec Constrictor 10 is a simple yet effective means of securing relatively highly loaded lines. This principle of…
Cruising the Aland islands: small Finnish islands with a big history
Our yacht, Arcturus, was moored snugly in a picturesque cove off a friend’s cottage when my wife, Mia, and I met Claes. Like many Åland islanders, Claes was a retired…
Spice up your Caribbean season with our insider’s guide to where to go
Saint Lucia Most transatlantic rally sailors end their voyage at the excellent new Rodney Bay Marina before heading somewhere quieter for Christmas. The temptation is to move on from Saint…
Improving performance through tuning standing rigging
To tune or not to tune? Would you drive your car with wheels misaligned? Run a marathon with your shoelaces loose? Sharpen up at Berthon now. 1) Can Berthon tune…
6 ways of preparation to sail around the world, from the planner to the opportunist
It’s really comforting having a family of boats around us – a community.” Paul Frew was echoing the words of many participants in the World ARC, when I met them…
Cruising in Sweden for long summer days, easy sailing and as much solitude as you might wish
Tom Cunliffe details his exploration of Swedish cruising, and dispells the myth of it's being cold and expensive
Cruising the River Plate between Uruguay and Argentina is a lesson in weird weather
‘South-easterly, Force 8,’ read the forecast. That wind was going to transform the adjacent coast and the entrance to the River Plate into a lee shore. But we decided that,…
5 tips: how to trim your headsail for power and pace on the racecourse
The ultimate test of headsail trimming is the white heat of one-design racing and nowhere more so than at the start line. A perfect approach to the line on time…
Should I repaint my boat this summer?
Like putting a reef in the main, the time to repaint your boat is the first time you think about doing it. A topsides repaint can be completed within two…
Yachting World goes to Cape Horn to research our Storm Sailing Techniques series
As we drove into Ushuaia from the new airport, Skip Novak pointed out a small cruise liner moored in the commercial port. She’d recently had her bridge windows smashed in…