To keep a boat going on a gusty reach with kite and rudder on the edge and every gram of crew weight on the windward rail can be a nail-biting…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 4: Upwind trim
Sailing to windward on a badly trimmed boat seems like punishment. We have all felt that jarring crash when the boat falls off a wave, or wondered whether we might…
Google Earth navigation: how to sail off the chart with confidence using satellite imagery
Cruising in remote tropical regions can be challenging, especially where there are no charts suitable for pilotage. Often the charts that do exist are old and inaccurate. To make matters…
Guns on board yachts – are you for or against?
Should you carry a gun on board your boat, or are they more trouble than they're worth? Let us know what you think
On too long a lead: how your lifejacket harness could kill you
How the lifejacket/harness combination we rely on at sea could prove fatal
Take a tour of supermaxi Comanche, a yacht so beamy she’s called ‘the aircraft carrier’
“The design office were told specifically by me that if this boat wasn’t the worst rated boat in history they have failed,” Dr Jim Clark said about his new raceboat.…
Wild Oats XI retires with sail damage as brutal squalls hammer Rolex Sydney Hobart Race
Gale force southerly headwinds and rough seas have been pummelling the favourites for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2015 fleet and caused havoc among the leading super maxis. Eight times line…
Video: a little reminder of why we love sailing so much
Aren’t sailing and boats magic? The variety of the experience, from beautiful classic yachts and serene days of light winds to full-on heavy weather it encompasses every emotion. This video…
Video: amazing footage of desperate puppy rescued by yacht crew
Watch one very lucky labrador puppy lost overboard in the Gulf of Naples nearly a mile from shore being picked up by a yacht crew, dried off and cuddled. She was…
Video: how huge foils are revolutionising Vendée Globe round the world race yachts
Here’s a spectacular video of the new IMOCA 60 Safran, which French skipper Morgan Lagravière will be sailing alone round the world next November in the Vendee Globe 2016. It clearly shows…
Rudder failure – 1,500 miles to sail across the Atlantic without a rudder
Like most dinghy sailors, I used to have fun sailing my boat without a rudder. I learned a lot about the optimum set of the sails, heel and fore and…
ARC 2015 wraps up after one of the fastest Atlantic crossings in 30 years
ARC 2015 has wrapped up in Saint Lucia following one of the fastest and largest event in the 30-year history of the transatlantic rally from Las Palmas. Over 260 yachts…
Amazing drone video of maxi catamaran Spindrift 2 as crew rounds Cape Horn on record bid
Yann Guichard and crew on the 130ft maxi catamaran Spindrift 2 passed close to Cape Horn yesterday after only 30 days at sea since leaving the start line off Brittany. They…
Watch how Wild Oats XI was cut in half and rebuilt for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2015
This video by Crosbie Lorimer shows Bob Oatley’s now legendary Australian supermaxi Wild Oats XI in action earlier this month after her modifications at McConaghy Boats. They were done in preparation…
21 best upgrades for ocean cruising – make life on board more comfortable
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…