I can see the boat has a reef in and the daggerboards slightly raised, so…
Expert sailing techniques
Short-handed navigation – and how to create your ‘road book’
Navigating when sailing short-handed can be an often-overlooked challenge. It can throw up stressful situations,…
Get out of that! Dismasting – Mike Golding explains what to do as soon as it happens
Although it is difficult to understand exactly what went wrong, we can deduce the following:…
How to use the outside gybe for short-handed sailing. Pip Hare explains
Outside gybing is not purely reserved for boats with extra-short poles or top notch race…
Get out of that! – Ken Read deals with a wayward spinnaker
This is a highly precarious position, and one that you should never find yourself in…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 1: Avoiding a Chinese gybe
Chinese gybes on windy days are a good spectator sport, but with the right prompt…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 2: Broaching
Most of us will be familiar with that final pull on the helm that cannot…
Get out of that! – Ian Walker on avoiding the crash gybe
On the edge and living dangerously, the crew in this photo are, to their credit,…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 3: Gybing
The first time I gybed single-handed it was on a 40-footer with a symmetrical spinnaker.…
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…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 5: Helming skills
When you’re sailing upwind in a monohull, the key is to minimise helm movement to…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 6: Reaching
Reaching is the glory point of sail for many boats; it’s the time we record…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 7: Light airs sailing
We all know the frustration of trying to sail in light airs – it can…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 1: introducing our 12-part series with a cruise in the Pacific
We begin our new 12-part multimedia series on Bluewater Sailing Techniques in stunning Fiji
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 2: Navigating in coral
Discover how to nagivate coral reefs in the second installment of our Bluewater Sailing Techniques…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 3: Coping with squalls
Discover the best way to cope with squalls and weather them safely in the latest…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 4: sailing downwind with a poled out headsail
Discover how to sail with a poled out headsail in our latest Bluewater Sailing Techniques…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 5: How to set up a spinnaker safely for long downwind passages
In the fifth instalment of our bluewater sailing videos, we explain how to set up…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 6: anchoring in coral
Anchoring in coral is illegal in many places and should certainly be avoided if at…
Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 7: man overboard under spinnaker
Man overboard at sea is thankfully a very rare occurrence. But with any risk assessment,…