Some years ago I piloted a 170ft superyacht down the coast of Chile. It was the owner’s 12th sailing boat, each one progressively larger than his original 40-footer. I assume…
Yachting World
World ARC crews talk to us in Colombia, first stop on their circumnavigation
Thirty-three yachts are in the early stages of a 26,000-mile circumnavigation with the sixth World ARC. It’s a 15-month cruise in company from Saint Lucia and the first stop was…
A brief affair with Graham Greene – a double-ender lists the author as an owner
Graham Greene is not noted for being a great sailor. The author of Brighton Rock, The End of the Affair and other popular novels from the 1930s onwards is better…
5 tips: the port and starboard cross – the simplest rule?
With the wind slowly clocking right your original decision that the pin end was the best place to start may be in doubt, so if a half decent result is…
Green flash: fact or fantasy? Weather man Chris Tibbs explains the science
Caribbean cruising is not complete without sundowners on a beach watching the sun slowly dip below the horizon. Invariably the conversation will turn to the ‘green flash’ and the group…
Ronstan Shock Sheaveless Block
These neat and compact aluminium, low-friction, sheaveless blocks have a multitude of uses. The smallest, weighing just 2g, will take lines of up to 5mm and has a breaking load…
Obituary: Ed Dubois 1952-2016
Few yacht designers were as influential as Ed Dubois, who died in March at the age of 63. He trailblazed a path from racing boats to superyachts and was one…
Get out of that! – Ken Read deals with a wayward spinnaker
This is a highly precarious position, and one that you should never find yourself in because it can be avoided. My first impression/guess would lead me to suggest the crew…
Extraordinary boats: Rambler 88 has won races all over the world. What’s her secret?
“Will I bring Rambler 88 back next year? It’s too soon to be sure, but it’s certainly a possibilty.” The words of owner George David moments after crossing the finish…
Skip Novak: think about a jury rudder before you have to set one in anger
What a pleasure to read in the December issue about the couple who sailed themselves halfway across an ocean after a complete rudder failure. No rescue was called out, this…
How to be a good skipper: ooze calm and confidence but don’t shout!
We become skippers by a number of different routes; many dinghy sailors will eventually become yacht owners after years of crewing on different yachts. Sea schools are well attended and…
Sail repairs on the fly – how to make essential fixes while at sea
During last year’s ARC I was to be found at one point on the pulpit restitching the foot tape of our headsail. I was clipped on a short tether with…
Skip Novak: why a catamaran wins out if destination is more important than sailing
Even if you don’t believe your own eyes, there is no doubt – if the statistics are to be trusted – that catamarans are taking the sailing world by storm…
5 tips: calibration. It’s crucial to keep your readouts giving the true picture
We are quick to believe the readouts from our instruments, but how can we be sure they are telling us the truth? Calibrating your system is crucial. Professional navigator and…
Cruising guru Jimmy Cornell transits the North West Passage in Aventura IV
The North West Passage has been described as the Everest of sailing. Since Roald Amundsen’s successful transit in 1903-1906, a total of only 94 sailing boats have been able to…
Chris Tibbs weather briefing: what’s the difference between gusts and squalls?
Rarely do we have a day when the wind is steady in both direction and strength; we are even seeing warnings on forecasts that gusts may be 40 per cent,…
Eight Cube, or the Flying Frog, this eccentric new Mini Transat boat has foils
French yacht designer and Mini sailor David Raison has a lot to answer for. His 21ft Magnum scow, designed to the Mini class rule, was one of the most significant…
Skip Novak: where have all the America’s Cup tycoons gone? We miss them
I recently became aware of the new rules in the America’s Cup whereby the challengers are subject to fines if they publicly criticise the Cup organisation. It is US$25,000 for…
Hands-on advice for cruising in ice – expedition to Greenland
“Turn left after the berg with the Marge Simpson hair-do and continue past the one that looks like the Sydney Opera House,” Susie, the first mate, called from the top…
5 tips: how to survive a squall when racing
Things get complicated when dark clouds build to windward and the horizon looks more like night than day. There’s breeze under squall clouds, but could it herald a major change…