Discovering that the Rolex Fastnet Race will finish in Cherbourg for 2021 and 2023, I was initially very open minded about the change, although it always seems a risky move…
Racing
Battle of the giants: The inside story of the Brest Atlantiques Race
On Tuesday 5 November four giant trimarans – Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Macif, Sodebo and Actual Leader, and their double-handed crews – left a grey and sodden Brest on Brittany’s…
How to follow the Round the Island Race 2019 – a spectator’s guide
Race start time: 0730 (UTC) On the Isle of Wight? Watch from ashore… As the excitement builds you will want a fantastic vantage point to watch the action. The table…
The Round the Island Race – the history of Britain’s favourite race
When Major Cyril Windeler suggested to the Island Sailing Club that it should run a race round the Isle of Wight, it was to him an obvious opportunity for the…
How to round a busy mark – Gold-medal racing tips from Hannah Mills
The Barcolana Race, which features a mass of different yachts all racing on the same course, looks amazing, but there seems to be a certain amount of carnage round this…
5 tips: how to deal with snagging weed and hooking pots on an offshore race
The sails look great and you’ve just spent money on having the keel faired and the bottom sprayed, but today the boat is off the pace, so what’s the issue?…
Frighteningly fast – a view from the GC32 Tour, the largest ever racing fleet of big foiling catamarans
Success can be a scary thing. That was my thought on board one of ten GC32s as they blasted off at 30-plus knots on a reaching start. This sight, at…
First Volvo Ocean Race entry announced as Team AkzoNobel
The first team has announced their participation in the Volvo Ocean Race, which sets off in the autumn of 2017. Team AkzoNobel is the first to chalk – or rather,…
Dubois half tonner Alchemist sinks during Round the Island – video
The Mudeford RNLI inshore lifeboat crew shot dramatic footage of the sinking of Alchemist during last Saturday’s JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. Alchemist, a 1977 Dubois-designed Half…
Paul Larsen, world speed record holder, advises on how to avoid a pitchpole
I can see the boat has a reef in and the daggerboards slightly raised, so it is obviously windy. Judging by the lazy sheet, the gennaker is still furled so…
5 tips on developing your polar diagrams to improve your boat speed
Sails are fresh, the bottom is clean, there’s a good crew, but you’ve been losing out to similar boats on the downwind legs. The helmsman is sailing as close as…
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: prior to the dismasting the boat was on starboard and probably footing or reaching under…
Loïck Peyron: is the legendary French yachtsman the world’s greatest sailor?
Loïck Peyron's extraordinary career shows him as the ultimate all-rounder
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 because it can be avoided. My first impression/guess would lead me to suggest the crew…
The story of Yes! How a racer and innovative designer breathed new life into this classic 36ft racer
Adam Gosling and designer John Corby breathed new life into the classic 36ft racer Mustang Sally to turn her into the 12th Yes!
Cheating at yacht racing – how honest a sailor are you?
In football a dive in the penalty area in search of an easy goal is a regular occurrence – though the risk of a red card may act as a…
5 tips: when, why and how to take a penalty in a yacht race – advice from top match racer Ian Williams
“It’s close, but we are easily clearing them,” is the call from the tactician as you beat to windward on port tack. But the breeze is veering and the other…
5 tips: going aground – how to get off the bricks as quickly as possible
Jonty Sherwill asked seasoned Solent racer Paul Heys for his 5 tips on staying afloat and getting back under way when you’ve gone aground
5 tips: how to get the best IRC rating
It’s the same type of boat going the same speed, but how come their IRC rating is so much lower than yours? Although getting your rating as low possible is…
Can energy drinks and sporting supplements can help you race better?
From water bottles stuffed into cockpit rope bags to Mars bars tucked away in sailing jackets, food and drink on the move for many racing sailors hasn’t altered much over…