If you’re considering sailing to warmer waters, whether the Mediterranean, Caribbean or further afield, but are worried that life on board will be more akin to camping than the comfort…
What it really looks like onboard the world’s largest racing trimaran Spindrift 2
Spindrift 2, the world’s largest racing trimaran is currently attemptng to beat the non-stop round the world record to win the Jules Verne Trophy. Competing against IDEC Sport, led by…
Video: the Brenta 80DC, Hanse founder Michael Schmidt’s ultra fresh carbon cruiser
From the eye-catching paintjob to the novel deck design, to the sensational interior and the full carbon build, the Brenta 80DC is a yacht with enough fresh thinking to strike…
Top ways to use your tablet or iPad on board your boat
As iPads and other tablets become a part of the arsenal of electronics on board, their versatility, from slave displays and back-up navigation to streaming movies and storing photos, makes…
Solo skipper airlifted near Azores with fractured hip, keel problems plague others
French solo sailor Paul Meilhat has been stretchered off his IMOCA 60 yacht SMA and airlifted to hospital on the island of Terceira in the Azores after suffering a fractured…
Why are breaking waves so dangerous to yachts? Watch this video and see
Dramatic video illustration of how a relatively small breaking wave can capsize a yacht
Adventurers and solo racers sign up for 50th anniversary Golden Globe Race 2018
While many races have struggled to raise fleet numbers in the last few years, one very old-fashioned and potentially slow race has already garnered 30 entries for its start in…
Corsair Pulse 600 – a light, fun, easy to rig, sporty multihull
For those seeking some sporty multihull action at an affordable price, this contemporary 20-footer, the Corsair Pulse 600, is designed to be light and fun, easy to rig and speedy to…
Catamaran Sailing Techniques Part 5: sailing a cat downwind – with Nigel Irens
Generally speaking, the risk of getting into trouble in a catamaran when sailing downwind is greater than when sailing upwind. This is fundamentally owing to the fact that when heading…
Land Rover BAR capsize during training in Solent
The 45ft foiling cat named ‘T2’ is the team’s latest boat to be launched and is a more powerful and sophisticated version of the AC45f cats that are used in…
Look no hands! – Assisted Sail Trim from Jeanneau and Harken for driverless sailing?
Is the new Assisted Sail Trim (AST) program from Jeanneau and Harken sailing’s equivalent to Google’s driverless car? In essence, the system means all sail handling can be controlled from…
IDEC chases Jules Verne record pace and sets new record in the process
To date Francis Joyon’s crew aboard IDEC Sport has trailed Yann Guichard & Donna Bertarelli’s team aboard Spindrift 2, (formerly Banque Populaire), but by staying south and keeping a straighter…
Skip Novak: why I consider someone calling my yacht ‘well-used’ a compliment
When superyachts began coming to Tierra del Fuego and the Antarctic Peninsula in the mid-1990s, I gave some professional advice and provided a pilot to a well-known German owner of…
ARC weather man Chris Tibbs prepares his boat for ocean cruising
When we bought our Wauquiez Centurion 40s, Taistealai, for ocean cruising, starting with the ARC this year, we had a number of criteria in mind, but first and foremost we…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 5: Helming skills
When you’re sailing upwind in a monohull, the key is to minimise helm movement to tiny corrections and keep a steady heel angle. If the telltales are flying and the…
Silver Rudder race – the solo challenge for Danish Ironmen
‘If you want to feel real bliss, you have to experience real pain as well,’ so the saying goes. The thought seemed empty and stupid as I tried one more…
ARC crew is rescued by a cargo ship within hours of their yacht sinking
Four crew taking part in the ARC transatlantic rally were rescued a matter of hours before their yacht sank last week. Skipper Steve Arnold and his crew were doing the…
Round the world record crews face dangers of ice in the Southern Ocean
Just two weeks after starting off Brest, the crew of maxi trimaran Spindrift is in the Southern Ocean and dodging ice on their attempt to break the non-stop round the…
Ocean Cruising Club mourns Mary Barton, one of ocean sailing’s leading figures
Mary Barton, Admiral of the Ocean Cruising Club, died on 1 December, a few days before her 95th birthday. Mary was an intrinsic part of the club since its earliest days.…
Skip Novak: Should I be contributing to a cruising guide to Antarctica?
There is a plan afoot for a cruising guide to Antarctica. I know this as I was asked to contribute to it. At risk of alienating a large part of…