Cruising sailors who also call their boat their home usually give plenty of consideration to making life on board as comfortable as possible. The level of comfort cruisers and liveaboards…
Yachting World
Qilak: The super-rugged yacht built for fast, high-latitudes cruising
If there were an award for brutalism in naval architecture Qilak would surely be on the podium. Her stark, purposeful, bare aluminium features look ideally suited to her owner’s plan…
How extreme barnacle growth hobbled the 2018-19 Golden Globe Race fleet
Eighty-knot gales, 10m-high waves, pitchpoling, loneliness and ever-depleting food reserves… of all the challenges facing a single-handed non-stop circumnavigator you wouldn’t expect the humble barnacle to make the top 20,…
Could the wonderfully weird Inflated Wing Sail make sailing easier?
As the mist rose off the water’s surface in the picturesque harbour of Morges on the north bank of Lake Geneva, only the gentle buzz of a small air compressor…
How to train your crew for an emergency: Everything you need to know
I tried a more proactive approach to making sure both skipper and crew are equipped to deal with worst-case scenarios on board. While waiting to start a new emergency training…
European Yacht of the Year 2019: Special yachts
This category assembles a varying mix of interesting craft, many of which we might otherwise not have had the chance to sail, and this year’s nominees shared a collective ability…
America’s Cup challenger Malta Altus withdraws as $1m fees deadline draws in
An America’s Cup challenger from Malta has officially pulled out of the 2021 America’s Cup in New Zealand. Malta Altus had been accepted earlier this year as a late entry…
Arcona 435 review: Swedish star offers something for everyone
After the Arcona 435 sailed off with the Performance Cruiser category win at this year’s European Yacht of the Year we thought we should look at her in more detail.…
My Song loss: Shipping firm Peters & May releases statement
The sailing community was shocked to hear of the loss of the Baltic 130 sailing yacht My Song, which fell from a cargo ship during a storm in the early…
Unfinished business: Sailing back across the Atlantic in a 22ft sloop
This is part two of Max Campbell’s account of sailing solo across the Atlantic – make sure to read part one first… There has not been a time when I…
Life-changing voyage: Sailing solo across the Atlantic in a 22ft sloop
On a cloudy midsummer afternoon, my best friend, Harry Scott, and I waved goodbye to our worried mothers and sailed out of Falmouth’s Carrick Roads – two naïve 20-year-olds, wide-eyed…
Sailing bucket list: 4 unforgettable adventures to experience before you die
These days many high-achievers push themselves just as hard in their leisure time as they do in business – from taking part in punishing Alpine cycle events to triathlons and…
European Yacht of the Year 2019: Best multihulls
A real mix of multihulls made this a diverse, tricky category to judge. It can often be the case that we are drawn to the one that gives the optimum…
Sailing to high latitudes: Everything you need to know before you set sail
Specialist high latitude yachts invariably have metal hulls and are very solidly built with large fuel tanks and internal steering positions. But that doesn’t mean that a well-insulated, properly prepared,…
How hybrid sailing yachts finally became a feasible option
Every sailor is familiar with the wet cough of the diesel engine, and the acrid smell of its exhaust. For some it’s the sign that an adventure is starting, for…
Grand Soleil 52LC test: Italian beauty offers stimulating sailing
The Grand Soleil 52 Long Cruise Sport (52LC) is wedged, stern-to, in between a grubby ketch and a motorboat. Its long decks are finished in graphite gelcoat, which absorbs the…
European Yacht of the Year 2019: Best luxury cruisers
Before the sea trials began, I would have put money on a Hallberg-Rassy or the Wauquiez winning an award. The fact that neither did is no criticism of those models,…
Dufour 56 Exclusive review: Smooth cruiser offers both style and substance
In some respects, Dufour yachts used to be a bit like the early Citroën cars: different, slightly quirky and created by people with firm beliefs and a clear passion for…
Maiden refit: How Tracy Edwards’ sailing legend was brought back to life
Few yachts, and fewer skippers, become truly famous – famous in the sense that the everyman on the street would recognise them by a single name. Maiden did though, as…
Borrow any boat: The yacht renting platforms shaking up the way we sail
Picture this: you’re on holiday and find yourself in a new area where, like most sailors, you are drawn to the water. Wouldn’t it be nice to get afloat for…