There’s spray everywhere and your eyes are stinging. You are planing downwind in 20 knots…
Expert sailing techniques
Pip Hare’s top tips for preventing chafe on lines, sails and hardware
Chafe on sails and ropes is something we should expect as part of the general…
Tidal streams: How to predict them and use them to your advantage
Whether racing or cruising, our first thoughts are always: ‘What is the tide doing?’ When…
Boom preventers: How to use one and why they’re worth the hassle to rig
Rigging a boom preventer will allow you to sail a true downwind course without a…
Smartphone navigation: Pip Hare’s top tips for sailing by iPhone
No matter how good navigation apps have become, using your smartphone as a main method…
Spinnaker wraps: Pip Hare’s tips on dealing with a tangled kite
I can still feel the pain of my first really bad single-handed spinnaker wrap. I…
Beam seas: Pip Hare’s top tips on dealing with the most challenging conditions
Big beam seas can be the most challenging, unpleasant and dangerous of all conditions to…
Tidal streams: How to read the waves to gain a sailing advantage
Navigators need to have a close knowledge of tidal streams and currents. The latest studies…
Man overboard: How to react and safely recover your crewmate
Turning a yacht around after a person goes overboard (MOB) and heading back in the…
How to fix running rigging at sea: Top tips from pro sailor Pip Hare
When racing across oceans I am constantly torn between loading my spares and repairs kit…
How to reduce sail in a hurry: Top tips from pro racer Pip Hare
Spinnakers The first and most important action is to reduce apparent wind as much as…
How to change sails at night: Pip Hare shares her top tips
Before dark As routine, discuss what sail changes may be required overnight then set up…
Race countdown: How to time the starting sequence perfectly
Starting a yacht at the right end of the line at target speed is very…
How to avoid grounding: Top tips from pro sailor Pip Hare
The 2017 investigation into the grounding of a Clipper Round the World yacht in South…
How to win at double-handed racing – 5 top tips from a Fastnet champion
The popularity of double-handed sailing is on the rise. The Rolex Fastnet Race is the…
Navigation briefing: How to anchor your yacht mid-race
There are two factors to consider when it comes to racing and anchors. One is…
Pro navigator’s tips on how to use the ocean’s currents for an offshore advantage
There are a number of yacht races around the world in which strategic decisions on…
Summer sailing in high latitudes is no guarantee of good weather – sometimes winter is better
Although we are in the business of providing uncertainty as one of the mainstays of…
Conrad Colman’s Vendee Globe story in his own words – “I gave this race my all”
Carbon fibre race yachts are noisy beasts. Sharp creaks from the sheets in the cockpit,…
Night sailing – the essential guide for offshore cruisers
With a full moon and following wind, night sailing can be one of the great…