One of offshore racing’s greatest heroes, Canadian Mike Birch, has died at the age of 90. Legendary Canadian skipper Mike Birch won the first edition of the Route du Rhum…
Offshore racing
Epic Round Britain and Ireland Race decided by minutes
A flurry of competitors in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race crossed the finish line in Cowes today after an intense race which saw many boats take a full…
Crew rescued from upturned hull of new Farr X2 after keel loss
In a remarkable rescue two sailors have been rescued off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, after the keel detached causing a capsize on the new Farr X2 they were sailing.…
Collision as new double-handed Globe40 race starts from Morocco
The inaugural Globe40 Race got underway on Sunday, June 26, with seven Class 40 teams starting from the Moroccan city of Tangier on a 30,000-mile circumnavigation. The new double-handed Globe40…
5 expert tips for going fast while reaching
Years of short-course racing in small keelboats in fleet race and match race competitions had made Annie Lush very good at downwind VMG sailing. But when she started offshore racing,…
RORC Transatlantic multihull match race win goes to Maserati
First home in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race was the Multi 70 Maserati, skippered by Giovanni Soldini. Maserati finished this morning, Saturday 15 January, at 05:51:41 UTC, to take Multihull…
Comanche and Powerplay lead stellar fleet in RORC Transatlantic Race
The eighth running of the RORC Transatlantic Race has attracted its strongest ever fleet, with a varied line up ranging from the 100ft canting keel Maxi Comanche to a double-handed…
Shirley Robertson and Dee Caffari team up for double-handed offshore campaign
Two of Britain’s most successful female sailors, Shirley Robertson and Dee Caffari, have teamed up for a 2022 double-handed offshore campaign, building up to this year’s 1,800-mile Sevenstar Round Britain…
Brutal first night conditions sees a quarter of Rolex Sydney-Hobart fleet retire
The Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race got off to a spectacular start on Boxing Day, 26 December, 2021, but tough conditions have seen the fleet greatly reduced after a day of racing.…
Sydney-Hobart Race set for tricky Boxing Day start: how to follow
Sydney sailors are counting down the days – not until December 25, but the 26, for the much-anticipated return of the famous Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race. The blue riband offshore classic…
How to put together a winning crew
Despite only having come to offshore racing six years ago, Tom Kneen has proven a fast learner. He’s also done things his way, steadfastly holding to his preference to sail…
5 reasons to follow the Transat Jacques Vabre
The Transat Jacques Vabre is one of the ultimate tests of short-handed racing, a double-handed dash from France that sees many of the world’s top racing machines take on the…
How to get offshore race ready: Dee Caffari offers her advice
Dee Caffari believes that getting ready for a big offshore race is a constant process. “It’s all about the preparation and I split my five top tips into three areas;…
Fastnet Race navigation: tactics for the new finish
The new Rolex Fastnet Race course, finishing in Cherbourg instead of Plymouth for the first time this August, offers more options on the way back from the Fastnet Rock with…
Pen Duick VI to race in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race
Pen Duick VI, the yacht which legendary French sailor Éric Tabarly skippered in the very first Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973 will be competing in the 2023 Ocean…
Eddie Warden Owen interview: The offshore boss who changed the RORC’s fortunes
Whether at the windswept finish of the Rolex Fastnet Race, or in the wood-panelled rooms of the Royal Ocean Racing Club in London, Eddie Warden Owen is one of the…
Expert sailing tips: Mike Broughton on racing fast and wet boats
There’s spray everywhere and your eyes are stinging. You are planing downwind in 20 knots of wind averaging 18 knots of boat speed and just as you are piling into…
5 tips: How to manage fatigue when sailing offshore
It’s all very well refining every detail of your boat – re-cutting sails, longboarding your hull – but what is the point of any of that attention to detail if…