The decision to reef is as much about boat handling as it is about wind…
Expert sailing techniques
How author Martin O’Scannall removed the engine from his yacht and learned to listen to the sea
For the Love of Sauntress – A Forty-year Affair published as recently as 2014 by…
The slingshot – mastering this high-speed racing manoeuvre is not just for the professionals
This particular part of the course, coming into Mark 1 on a reach on an…
How to reduce the risk of a nose-dive without dropping the spinnaker
The quarter tonner class has a reputation for some incredible broaches, but it is possible…
30 expert tips for crossing the Atlantic – from checking the sails to choosing crew
1. Keep the downwind sailplan simple What’s the best sail configuration for a downwind crossing?…
How to get past a cut-off low pressure system – a true weather router’s dilemma
How many times do skippers – racers and cruisers – report that some of the…
What to eat when sailing short-handed – a nutritional guide for offshore sailors
Your diet offshore should be as good as, or even better, than it is at…
How to be a winning skipper – the surprisingly simple secrets to forming and leading a great crew
What is the secret to a happy crew that bond at sea as a team…
Solo skipper Sam Davies on why panic is the worst response to a man overboard emergency
It looks as though either a trimmer or the bowman has gone to leeward to…
Short-handed sailing: Pip Hare on gybing a symmetric spinnaker
Gybing a symmetric kite double-handed is a tough manoeuvre and there is no question that…
Weather expert Chris Tibbs on how to predict and cope with fog at sea
Radar and AIS help to make navigating in fog safer, but it is still an…
Dee Caffari finds out the hard way why Three Peaks Race is one of the world’s greatest endurance races
We were heading into the shore and just past Bear Grylls’s island, Saint Tudwal’s Island…
How to execute the perfect spinnaker drop when sailing short-handed
Dropping the kite double-handed may seem a daunting challenge, but provided you take adequate steps…
Off-piste sailing: serene rock-hopping footage from Kragero, Norway
Close encounters of the rocky kind are normally the stuff of sailors’ nightmares, but the…
Get out of that! What to do when your spinnaker snags a racing mark
It looks a rather pleasant day on the Solent with 15 knots and sun, and…
Hoisting the spinnaker short-handed – offshore sailor Pip Hare offers her tips
Contrary to what you might think, you don’t need to grow another set of arms…
How do you escape a traffic jam? Top tips from Olympic Gold-medallist Giles Scott
Anyone who has ever had the delight of taking part in the Round the Island…
Pip Hare: How to stay safe on board when you’re sailing short-handed
A man overboard is every double-handed crew’s nightmare; with only one pair of hands left…
Get out of that – heaving to in strong winds. Advice from Dee Caffari
This image should be entitled ‘Get into That’. Bernard Stamm had 120 miles to go…
Sailing upwind when short-handed requires different techniques
Excessive heel is your enemy when sailing upwind, and with no hiking crew this is…