In another twist in this year’s eventful Route du Rhum – Guadaloupe, the giant trimaran Maxi Banque Populaire XI capsized this morning around 5:30 a.m. while sailing 550 nautical miles…
After 50 years (and 1,300 monohulls) Oyster Yachts is finally building a catamaran
Having built 1,300 monohulls over five decades, Oyster is a bluewater yacht leader. While these yachts will still form the cornerstone of its business, the new Berret Racoupeau-designed Oyster C60…
“I handed my notice in… got my sailing kit out, and drove my campervan from Switzerland to Hamble” – Ollie Heer
It takes a certain type of person to become a solo ocean racing skipper. The pontoons of Lorient and Les Sables d’Olonne are filled with French racers who have grown…
UPDATE: Route du Rhum Veteran skipper Francis Joyon rescued after capsize
Joyon has now been rescued with a statement from the organisers pushed to their social media channels late Monday 2nd November. The statement reads: ‘Francis Joyon (Océans) has been rescued…
Collision after Route du Rhum start – both skippers unhurt
Two hours after today’s start of the Route du Rhum- Guadeloupe transatlantic race, Violette Dorange’s IMOCA Initiatives Coeur came together with Romain Pilliard’s 75ft trimaran Use It Again. Both skippers…
Joined up thinking: a Smarter Way to Own a Yacht with Dream Yacht
For many sailing enthusiasts, owning a yacht represents the ultimate freedom: the ability to explore favourite cruising grounds, discover new destinations and spend more time on the water with family…
The Indian Ocean volcanic island that’s a hidden paradise for sailors – La Réunion
Réunion is a stand-out destination, even if it appears only as a tiny speck on maps of the Indian Ocean. Situated at 21° South it’s a place of huge contrasts.…
Route du Rhum 2026: Who will win the transatlantic classic?
One of the world’s greatest ocean races starts this Sunday. The singlehanded 3,500-mile transatlantic Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe will set sail from Saint-Malo at 13:00 CET (12:00 UTC)…
How this 1898 catboat clone was reverse-engineered from a found relic
Whirlwind II is the result of an intensive reverse engineering project, sprinkled with a healthy dose of creative license. She’s a near replica of a design by legendary US boatbuilder…
5 expert tips to improve your boat handling in all conditions
All of us sailors have a favourite set of conditions. Early in her career, coming up through the British youth ranks, Daisy Collingridge always leaned towards the windier stuff. “Given…
How Andre Hoek rewrote yachting history
Andre Hoek, and his eponymous design company, has long been one of yachting’s disrupters. They pioneered the concept – at first fiercely criticised, then widely copied – of combining a…
How can you truly assess a sailor’s experience? – Nikki Henderson
I’m fresh back from Chicago, having spent a week coaching an offshore race team from deeply landlocked Denver. So before I take off my teaching hat, I have a quiz…
Choosing a used double-handed yacht – Our top tips
Everyone is shorter on time than ever. For sailors with families, jobs and competing demands, the case for a smaller, simpler boat has never been stronger: less maintenance, fewer systems…
‘The blur of sea and sky is separated every so often by turtles breaking the surface’ – An Indian Ocean passage
Katabatic winds tumble down Phuket’s hillside, sending marbled streaks across the boat-scattered bay. Our anchor comes up with a thud – like a full stop after 18 months in south-east…
How Gitana 18 makes 40 knot solo sailing feel ‘normal’
I’ve learned to pinch myself regularly when I’m talking to Gitana 18 skipper Charles Caudrelier, especially when we’re discussing the Ultim trimaran. Without the occasional jolt to the senses it’s…
‘The El Niño phase typically lasts nine to 18 months’ – How it affects sailors
In June, scientists at the UK Met Office announced that the world had officially entered an ‘El Niño’ – a naturally occurring phenomenon that brings warmer global temperatures, shifting wind…
Jimmy Cornell, the ARC mastermind on routing: ‘Sailing your own boat is still the most rewarding way to explore our planet’
When I started planning my first voyage in the early 1970s there was only one book dealing specifically with ocean routing: the British Admiralty Ocean Passages for the World, first…
What causes tropical revolving storms and how to avoid them
Tropical revolving storms (TRS) are called different things depending on where you are in the world: hurricanes in the North Atlantic and East Pacific, cyclones in the East Pacific and…
World’s coolest boats: The Finn dinghy
“The Finn is the boat that taught me the most,” says Musto. After sailing the Cadet, Musto moved into the Finn dinghy in the early 1960s. “Initially, I was 10½…
How offshore racers are shaping this next generation of fast yachts
The influence of modern offshore racing on cruising design has never been clearer. Today’s short-handed ocean racers (such as Class 40s and IMOCAs) have proven that powerful hull forms, wide…