Everyone loves an immaculate teak deck. They look great at boat shows and at chic Mediterranean quays, as well as providing excellent non-slip properties in the most demanding of conditions.…
Mini Globe Race: 19ft boats to take on Don MacIntyre’s new round-the-world challenge
The Mini Globe Race is a multi-stage solo around the world race scheduled for 2024. The fleet is planned to leave Europe via the Canary Islands on a transatlantic leg…
Buster De Guingand on racing classic yacht Thalassa: An extract from The Yachtsman magazine
The name of E P De Guingand will be well known to crews on the RORC circuit. The race for the trophy known as the De Guingand Bowl is run…
Transatlantic sailing clothes: Pip Hare explains how to pack light
In November last year I completed my 18th transatlantic so my kit bag is now fairly trimmed down. Here’s a rundown of the sailing clothes I pack when crossing the…
Why sargassum weed is posing increasing problems for Transatlantic sailors
Sargassum’s yellowish-brown straggles in the water have traditionally been considered a sign that boats are nearing the tropics, but record blooms of the weed in recent years have created a…
Family sailing to Hawaii in a 34ft classic boat: Vixen’s great Pacific voyage
In September 2004, Bruce Halabisky and Tiffany Loney sailed from Victoria BC bound for Hilo, Hawaii, in their 1952 Atkin-designed 34ft gaff cutter Vixen. Eleven years later they have two…
Hidden talents: Inside the traditional boatbuilding yards of British Columbia
At first glance, Gabriola Island does not seem to be much a haven for sailors. Sails appear on the water for just a few months of the year, as the…
Ken Read interview: The rise and rise of an all-American sailing hero
There are many successful sailors and many more successful businessmen, but it’s rare to find someone who has achieved great things in both spheres. Ken Read is one of them.…
5 expert racing tips: How to run the pit like a Volvo Ocean Race sailor
While running the pit is all about establishing repeatable systems and processes that run like clockwork, Justin Slattery prides himself on being open to all possibilities. “The more organised I…
4 eco-friendly improvements to upgrade your yacht
1. Ditch the teak Teak is no longer universally popular. The price has gone up dramatically, supply is dwindling, and the ethics of the supply chain are difficult to trace.…
Royal Huisman reveals 116ft ‘floating resort’ catamaran superyacht concept
“This is not a change in direction; it is an expansion of possibilities,” says Jan Timmerman, CEO of the 136-year-old Dutch yard. “There are very few multihulls in the superyacht…
Sonar and sounders: 4 new models that are good for more than just fishing
Sonar and forward-looking depth sounders are often seen as the preserve of those whose primary interest is fishing. However, a huge amount of effort has been invested in these products…
BLT: The inside story of the Quarter Ton Cup winner’s 10,000-hour refit
Owner Sam Laidlaw has enjoyed considerable success in the very competitive Quarter Tonner class. He gathered an impressive collection of trophies in the eight years he raced his Aguila, including…
1998 Sydney Hobart: Extract from The Proving Ground by G Bruce Knecht
Along with the 1979 Fastnet Race, the 1998 Sydney Hobart has become a byword for disaster at sea. Unless a writer was actually on board one of the boats and…
How to prepare your yacht for anything: Preempting chafe, rig and crew problems
This is Part 2 of Vicky Ellis’ guide to preparing your yacht for any eventuality. You can read Part 1 here. In this series we examine some of the more…
A bit aground: Extract from Nick Imber’s Travels With My Nan
A satisfying feature of looking after this column for the last 16 years has been the latitude granted me by editors for selecting material. This has delivered enough slack to…
Dufour 530 yacht tour: This new model boasts volume and versatility in spades
The first Dufour since the company’s merger with Fountaine-Pajot was launched alongside re-branding to focus the range at a younger and more active audience. This also repositions the Dufour range…
Road to the America’s Cup podcast: How crews avoid data overload
One of the most significant developments that foiling has brought to the America’s Cup is speed. The new AC75 is quicker than the old IACC monohulls by a factor of…
Zero-carbon cruiser: Jimmy Cornell explains his electric multihull project
In 2010 I sold my [Ovni 43] Aventura III and, as I was 70, I felt the time had come to call it quits. That didn’t last long though and,…
Yachting World anniversary: Celebrating 125 years of amazing sailing
On 20 April 1894 the debut issue of Yachting World was published. It was a year of firsts, among them: The first sports movie was shown, entitled Boxing in America…