We were adrift, 2,800 miles into our 4,100-mile Pacific crossing, with only enough fuel to take us another 450 miles. After that, it was anyone’s guess. A month previously we’d…
Racing around the world via the great capes: ‘The feel-good factor you get from mastering complex skills is a big driver’
Four days from the Cape of Good Hope it’s still proving impossible to identify a safe route past the cape and the infamous west-going Agulhas current. At this point we’re…
Inside the Transatlantic sailing experiments stripping celebs (and filmmakers) of control
Should you be invited to be one of a group of 12 strangers sailing across the Atlantic ocean on a small yacht – and you’d all be filmed during the…
We lived our own Odyssey in the Greek Islands
In the lee of the island of Oxia and the low-lying mainland, we altered course and sheeted in, the wind pulsing across the deck of our Voyager 38, Namika. We’d…
How modern mega-ships are ditching fossil fuels in favour of sail power
Some of the largest, boldest yachts of all time are currently in production, and what makes these massive yet radically different projects even feasible is the practical sailing ability provided…
The tropical weather signals every offshore sailor must know
Sailing in the tropics, as you get to within about 30° of the equator the barometer will start to exhibit a twice daily rise and fall, on top of the…
Why 50 knots has been beaten but not defeated
The trouble with round numbers is they always feel a bit artificial, especially when we’re talking about limits. Sailing’s so-called ‘sound barrier’ at 50 knots is a perfect example. Surely…
The wallyrocket phenomenon: a stellar debut for the new pocket fleet
The emergence of the new wallyrocket fleet has sparked ‘wallyrocket Mania’ – a phenomenon driven not by marketing hype, but by performance on the racecourse. In a remarkably short period…
Expert tips for leeward gate roundings
The leeward gate, or leeward mark, is the biggest pinch-point on the race course. There’s a huge opportunity to climb up a big ladder if you execute a solid strategy…
World’s coolest yachts: Grainger 075
“Boat ‘cool’ has gone up a notch recently with foilers doing some serious speeds. The 49er has a special place in my sailing history, while the Moth and Switch are…
Has technology reduced sailing’s spirit of adventure? – Nikki Henderson
Now that we’ve entered a new chapter in sailing with the proliferation of affordable, high speed internet at sea, is sailing still actually an adventure? Or has the age of…
Sailing around the world the ‘wrong’ way round: ‘The direct route is 22,000 miles. I’ve done 37,000!’
Sailing around the world solo, through the Southern Oceans, remains one of the sport’s purest challenges. Doing so the ‘wrong way’ round – westabout, against the prevailing weather systems –…
How does owning a charter yacht actually work? Dream Yacht demystifies the process:
Owning a yacht is the dream for any sailor, but the upfront costs, – not to mention maintenance and logistics – can make traditional ownership feel out of reach. Yacht…
How to find the right berth for your yacht: what to look for in a marina
Finding the right berth can be one of the more challenging parts of boat ownership. Availability, location, support and cost rarely line up neatly to deliver as perfect a solution…
Demystifying the tropics: An expert guide to the wind, the weather, and why it really rains
What actually constitutes ‘the tropics’? Navigationally it’s easy to define: the tropics lie between the Tropic of Cancer at 23° 26’N and the Tropic of Capricorn at 23° 26’S, which…
Weaving through the crowded skerries of Norway and Sweden by boat
After many years of cruising in Scandinavia it never ceases to amaze us how many beautiful places beg to be explored along the island-strewn coastlines. It would take a lifetime…
Four of the latest scow cruisers that are rewriting the rules
The blunt-bowed scow revolution is no longer confined to the frantic starting lines of the Mini Transat or Class 40s. This year, a new wave of innovative yacht designers and…
Rallies provide safety, but they don’t replace independent thinking – Nikki Henderson
Fifteen days ago, as I write this from the paradisical shores of French Polynesia, we weighed anchor in the Galapagos aboard Awen, an Outremer 52 and set sail on a…
Sailing from Fiji to New Zealand without an autopilot: ‘The Bay of Islands is a sailing paradise’
In the past five years I’ve done 13 ocean passages. Each has been wildly different, and yet I’m struck with a sense of déja vu as we dock Jacqeau, our…
How to find the real Greece on a sailing charter holiday
A faint purling of waves against the hull had eased us all into sleep, until I realised that another sound was nudging into my dreams. Swelling choral music echoed through…