“Baby, you’re coming home.” You could see the eyes of Grant Dalton, the tough, straight-talking CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, filling with tears as he lifted the America’s Cup…
All-time record Fastnet fleet set off hard on the wind for long beat towards the Rock
A perfect summer Solent sea breeze gave the 368-strong fleet in the Rolex Fastnet Race a picture perfect start today. In winds of 15-20 knots the fleet began the beat…
Prosecution seeks retrial for Cheeki Rafiki manslaughter
After a complex six-week trial, Stormforce Coaching boss Douglas Innes was found guilty of failing to ensure the safety of the yacht Cheeki Rafiki, which capsized mid-Atlantic in 2014, with…
Record fleet of 368 yachts ready for challenging and tactical 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race
A record entry for the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race is getting ready for the start tomorrow in what could be one of the most interesting tactical races in recent years.…
Balmain Bug: the classic skiff that’s too much sail and not enough boat
The Balmain Bug is a 1.83m (6ft) Australian skiff class dinghy, of which just two remain in existence. First raced in 1899 at Balmain in Sydney, the fleet expanded throughout…
Beach rescue – Skip Novak aids lone yachtsman recovering yacht from remote shore
It is rare to leave the Antarctic Peninsula earlier than need be. No matter how much time you allow for a cruise in that splendid and awe-inspiring environment it is…
Wind chill explained – how exactly does the wind make you feel colder?
Meteorologically spring is an interesting time of year as the weather can be quite volatile, particularly the sunshine and showers we associate with April and the squalls they bring (although…
Revolutionary Gitana 17 trimaran to foil solo across oceans at 50 knots
A revolutionary 100ft fully foiling oceangoing trimaran capable of covering more than 900 miles in a day and sailing at speeds of 50 knots was launched in Lorient this week.…
Cheeki Rafiki verdict: operator found guilty of failing to ensure yacht’s safety
Douglas Innes has been found guilty of failing to ensure the safety of the yacht Cheeki Rafiki, which capsized mid-Atlantic in 2014, with the deaths of four men. Innes, the…
Francis Joyon breaks his own North Atlantic solo record aboard IDEC Sport
Francis Joyon has beaten his own North Atlantic solo record by 49 minutes aboard IDEC Sport, the VPLP designed maxi trimaran that last winter smashed the Jules Verne Trophy crewed…
Cheeki Rafiki jury retires to consider its verdict in manslaughter trial
The jury in the trial of Douglas Innes and Stormforce Coaching, operators of the yacht Cheeki Rafiki that capsized mid-Atlantic in 2014 leading to the loss of four crew members,…
Swan 54 new yacht test video – a return to Nautor’s bluewater roots
The Swan 54 is designed as a pure bluewater cruiser that is ideally suited for a couple. It uses the hull mould of the Swan 53 (a 2005 Frers design),…
Best sailing boots tested: Can waterproof boots be flexible, comfortable, breathable and dry?
Your feet can be warm, your feet can be dry, or your feet can smell (vaguely) acceptable when you pull your boots off after a hard watch on deck battling…
Happy crew, happy boat – how to avoid crew problems and a bad atmosphere on board
Boat crews fall apart – it happens from time to time – but in Rodney Bay, St Lucia, at the end of the annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), the…
Summer sailing in high latitudes is no guarantee of good weather – sometimes winter is better
Although we are in the business of providing uncertainty as one of the mainstays of the Pelagic experience, there are times when you do feel your head banging against a…
Outremer 4X on test – a high-performance liveaboard cruiser that is built to last
It’s a mix of everything you need for cruising and what you want to feel for performance,” Loïck Peyron said of the 4X during our initial trials. Outremer employs the…
Final evidence heard in Cheeki Rafiki manslaughter by gross negligence trial
The final witnesses appeared yesterday at Winchester Crown Court in the trial relating to the loss of four sailors from the yacht Cheeki Rafiki in May 2014. James Male, Andrew…
RM970 on test – award-winning plywood family cruiser from Marc Lombard
When I visited the RM yard in La Rochelle in 2012, I was really impressed by the quality of the company’s plywood epoxy construction process. Not only is plywood more…
How to climb a mast safely at sea – masterclass with ocean racer Pip Hare
Of all the things I have encountered over my sailing career, climbing a mast at sea is one of the top five to get my heart racing. Any motion felt…
Blitzen – the 1938 Olin Stephens design that was the grand prix boat of the day
Olin Stephens was just 30 years old when Blitzen was launched in 1938, following in the wake of the prodigiously talented designer’s yachts such as Dorade (1929) and Stormy Weather…