It’s easy to assume that all rugged metal yachts are very heavy. While that was the case at one time for steel designs, it’s a different matter for aluminium which,…
Sail greener: options for more eco-friendly sails
Sails are predominantly made from new plastics, chemicals and virgin fibres, but some latest developments may help address that and make eco-friendly sails a real option when you buy your…
Around Cape Horn in a proa
American sailor Ryan Finn has become the first yachtsman ever to sail around Cape Horn in a proa. Finn completed his New York to San Francisco solo record attempt on…
Second hand yachts: Buying a high latitudes yacht
Merf Owen, of Owen Clarke Yacht Design, has designed many a high latitudes yacht for cruising, while his wife Ashley Perrin is a professional ice pilot, formerly working for the…
First look: Owen Clarke 15m expedition yacht
The Owen Clarke 15m is an aluminium lifting keel expedition yacht, which builds on the success of the Owen Clarke-designed 20m (66ft) Qilak, one of the most notable vessels of…
First look: Viator Explorer 54 DS and 42 DS
Instead of a pilot house, these rugged semi-custom lift keel aluminium yachts have a full deck saloon, along with a number of interesting features including hybrid propulsion. The prototype Viator…
Countdown to London Luxury Afloat
The first ever London Luxury Afloat boatshow showcase will begin this week with visitors to the event on St. Katherine Docks, London between 21-24 Aprils will be able to see…
Sunsail Yacht Ownership: a better way to go boating
Founded in 1974 in Greece’s Saronic Gulf, Sunsail has grown to become the world’s leading provider of sailing holidays. With a fleet of 538 mono and twin-hulled sailing yachts, it…
5 Expert Tips: Offshore Preparation
What’s your goal for the season? Shirley Robertson apologises if her offshore preparation sounds ‘a bit Olympic sailorish’ but says defining your goal is key. “Whether you’re doing round-the-cans racing…
Into the deep: Diving with sharks in French Polynesia
We sailed to the atoll of Fakarava for one reason: diving! This distant enclave is a sleepy little island that has Polynesian traditions as deep as the sea. Whether you’re…
First look: SW 105 Taniwha
Following her delivery voyage to Europe, Southern Wind’s fourth 105, SW 105 Taniwha has been revealed in all her glory. Yachting World has covered details of her lightweight build before.…
Bluewater cruising insurance – what you need to know
There’s no getting around the fact it has become a lot harder to get boat insurance, particularly bluewater cruising insurance. However, there are still ways to secure good coverage –…
Tunisian Olympic sailor dies during training accident
Tunisian Olympic 49er FX sailor Eya Guezguez has died in an accident whilst training, sailing in the waters off the Tunisian capital Tunis in strong winds. Eya Guezguez, who was…
First look: JFA Adventure 68
The aluminium Bill Dixon designed JFA Adventure 68 adds a new dimension to this renowned Breton yard’s range of semi-custom performance cruising yachts. It’s a vessel that’s designed to go…
First look: Southern Wind Hybrid 108
Cape Town’s Southern Wind shipyard has unveiled more details of its new 108ft hybrid sloop the Southern Wind Hybrid 108, which is already well into the moulding phase. Penned by…
World’s coolest yachts: Westward
Westward was designed by the great Nathanael Herreshoff and launched in 1910 and at 96ft LWL (135ft LOA) the steel schooner was the largest yacht Herreshoff had built so far.…
Boat galley accessories: essential cooking tools for cruising sailboats
A well founded boat galley with just the right accessories for your food prepping style can make life on board an absolute joy. Nica writes “We recently rebuilt the galley…
Syroco: Radical design aiming to set a new speed record
If having a top-flight speed sailor as a part of your team taking on the challenge of creating the world’s fastest sailboat is a mark of potential, then Syroco certainly…
SP80: Swiss team hoping to build the fastest sailboat
SP80 was conceived by three graduates of Swiss engineering school, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne; Benoît Gaudiot, Xavier Lepercq and Mayeul van den Broek. In terms of the teams currently…
Fastest sailboats: The teams aiming to break 80 knots
On 24 November 2012, Paul Larsen and his Sailrocket team rewrote our understanding of the physics of sailboats, stamping their names indelibly in the record books as they set a…