I used to do a lot of skydiving,” Simon Mitchell told me. “While you’re still…
Extraordinary boats
Extraordinary boats: Flo – Florence Arthaud’s iconic 60ft trimaran
There are many iconic raceboats, but few capture the feeling of an era as much…
Extraordinary boats: Scow-bowed Ace 30
Scow bow designs are still very rare in the UK and mostly elsewhere in northern…
Extraordinary boats: Tapio Lehtinen’s Gaia 36 Asteria
Note: Since this piece was written Tapio Lehtinen had to be rescued in the Golden…
Paul Larsen’s record-breaking SailRocket 2 to sail again: 10 years on
Paul Larsen, who has held the outright speed sailing record for 10 years, has dusted…
Extraordinary boats: the new radical PRB IMOCA 60
As if the new PRB IMOCA 60 were not eye-catching enough, the story behind it…
Extraordinary boats: Stormvogel, the original Maxi yacht
Last year’s Rolex Fastnet Race got off to a dramatic start, with over 30 knots…
Extraordinary boats: Cape 31
Thirty-foot keelboats come and go all the time. Most arrive with a short-lived fanfare, only…
FlyingNikka 60ft custom foiler takes flight on first sail
FlyingNikka, a custom-designed 60ft racing yacht designed to be the first fully foiling Mini Maxi,…
Recluta – Germán Frers’ new, old yacht
The Frers dynasty is responsible for more than 1,300 yacht designs. Germán Frers, having last…
World’s coolest yachts: Kuka Light
“Kuka Light is the most extreme keelboat I have ever sailed,” explains Mitch Booth. “At…
Clarionet: famous yacht meticulously restored
At just 36ft 9in, the Sparkman & Stephens sloop Clarionet is an unassuming yacht, often…
World’s coolest yachts: MOD70 Phaedo
I’d choose the MOD70 without too much doubt because the boat is so beautifully thought…
World’s coolest yacht: J Class Topaz
“I’ve climbed a lot of mountains so choosing the coolest is a tough one, but…
World’s coolest yachts: Open 50
“I’d been intrigued by solo or short-handed sailing since the early days of the BOC…
Extraordinary Boats: the new 11th Hour Racing IMOCA 60
For decades the whole point of designing an IMOCA 60 has been to win the…
The ultimate foiling machine? Onboard SVR-Lazartigue
Launched in July after 150,000 hours of work, SVR-Lazartigue is the latest addition to the…
Extraordinary boats: Bluebottle – late Duke of Edinburgh’s boat
After an 18-month restoration to an impressively high standard, Bluebottle, the Duke of Edinburgh’s boat,…
Extraordinary boats: Pen Duick VI
Few yachts are more iconic, or have done more to inspire others, than the late…
Is this the boat Batman would sail?
Imagine a boat that combines the aggressive loom of a Lamborghini with the controls of…