Many of us dream of one day swapping the discomforts of a performance boat for the more sedate experience of racing an exquisite and well-sorted classic boat. This was just…
Yachting World
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 6: anchoring in coral
Anchoring in coral is illegal in many places and should certainly be avoided if at all possible. A nice patch of sand is better for holding, better for your ground…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 7: man overboard under spinnaker
Man overboard at sea is thankfully a very rare occurrence. But with any risk assessment, you have to consider the likelihood with the consequence and an MOB on an ocean…
5 tips: sailing deep under asymmetric sails – how to strike the balance
“Are we in on this gybe?” is often a tricky question to answer when you are far from the leeward mark with a fluctuating breeze and dirty air from behind.…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 8: man overboard recovery
A man overboard on an ocean passage is probably one of the most terrifying emergencies for the skipper. This is because of the speed with which you can lose control…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 9: night watches and routines offshore
Expert skipper Dan Bower explains how should you plan it, what should you take into account, and what are the best ways of preparing for and running night watches
Gallery: Stunning images from the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo
Scroll down for video Take a look at these superb pictures from Carlo Borlenghi, taken at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Sardinia last week. The Costa Smeralda provides a…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 10: the care and use of the ship’s dinghy
A major part of your cruising life will be spent using your tender. In many areas in the tropics marinas are few and far between, so you will be reliant…
Henri Lloyd Elite Therm mid layer jacket and trousers
I used these midlayers during the 2015 Fastnet Race, and although it was not a particularly cold event, these were the best piece of kit/clothing I brought with me. I…
Thought you’d left the paperwork behind when going off cruising? How to cut the paper trail
For those who choose to escape the confines of conventional life and spend a few months, years or even the rest of our lives at sea there are many challenges…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 11: snorkelling and diving on reefs
When cruising in the tropics – or indeed sailing round the world – the time spent actually sailing is surprisingly insignificant and, apart from the ongoing task of yacht maintenance,…
Isn’t this what family cruising is all about? Kicking back on a gentle ocean passage to Hawaii
For ten years my wife, Tiffany, and I had been sailing west round the world on our 34ft gaff-cutter, Vixen. There had been a few detours, for instance up into…
5 tips: sailing with an asymmetric – how to get yourself out of impossible-seeming situations
You’re blasting downhill on port with the big asymmetric set, searching for a fast route over the next set of waves. As you glance back over your right shoulder to…
Quantum Racing TP52 – Doug de Vos’s new boat is the last word in ‘tweaky’
Celebrating its tenth anniversary in Europe this year, racing’s premier keelboat class, the TP52, is in surprisingly good health. Through careful management it has avoided the dramatic cost escalation that…
Meow, a supercharged Contessa 26 with 3Di sails and seriously tweaked rig and gear
A long-standing tenet of big fleet handicap racing is that either a very fast boat, or a very slow one, is likely to have an advantage compared with those in…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 12: Fishing from your boat
Dan Bower's advice on catching a fish for your supper is the last in our series of Bluewater Sailing Techniques
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…