Anyone who has visited La Rochelle over the past 25 years will have seen the electric ferries with huge solar arrays that transport locals and visitors alike between the town…
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5 expert tips to help you better understand sailing heel angles
Keelboat sailors obsess about maintaining the optimum angle of heel. According to Chris ‘Twiggy’ Grube, it’s a good obsession to have, and keeping consistently to that ideal heel is a…
Sailors share their favourite European secret cruising spots
A European sailing holiday is where many of us first developed a love of discovering unfamiliar anchorages. There’s something about nosing your way into a new bay on a balmy…
Sail GP Portsmouth set for full-on Solent ‘obstacle course’
The hotly anticipated British leg of the SailGP circuit, the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth, takes place this weekend from 19-20 July. Twelve F50s will be racing…
‘This America’s Cup dispute could lead down a difficult alley’ – Matt Sheahan
Unsightly and unnecessary public spat that has little to do with sailing… or another example of the extraordinary lengths some teams will go to win the America’s Cup? Whatever your…
Admiral’s Cup bounces back – is this the pinnacle of ‘big boat’ racing once again?
The Admiral’s Cup returns, for the first time in 22 years, with a bumper fleet of 15 international teams racing in the Solent from 19-26 July, before the event concludes…
When should you upgrade your yacht and when should you sell it
A well-found GRP hull can, as environmentalists are right to highlight, have a long life. But taking the decision to refit a yacht that’s decades old can involve complex work.…
How to follow the 100th anniversary Rolex Fastnet Race 2025
The Fastnet Race in 2025 will be the a special 100th anniversary of the event and is set to be the largest offshore yacht race in the world, with over…
6 boundary-pushing and innovative superyachts revealed in 2025
The world of superyachts is continually pushing boundaries, blending unparalleled luxury with cutting-edge design and impressive performance. As we look ahead, a new fleet of ambitious projects and unveiled designs…
7 next-generation fast monohulls coming to you this year
While the allure of multihulls has grown in recent decades, the there are still plenty of sailors looking for the sailing benefits offered by monohulls. Currently we are seeing an…
‘Deafening roars of thunder coincided simultaneously with mammoth bolts of lightning hitting the sea all around us’
I’ve always found local winds fascinating. One year in France, while racing a Q Class in a classics regatta, a whole fleet of spinnakers blew up ahead of me as…
Metis 45 first look: Italian foiler for simplifying offshore foiling races
This Italian-designed and built foiling offshore racer is intended to fill the big gulf between Class 40s and IMOCA 60s. Full details have not yet been released, but we’re told…
Great Seamanship: Tales from the Golden Globe Race
Ten years or so ago I was contacted by a Finnish yachtsman, Tapio Lehtinen, who was seeking assistance with his studies of astronavigation. He was obliged to become a master…
Southern Wind 108 review: ‘The power on tap from the sail area is phenomenal’
When it’s on, it’s on. There’s no delaying showtime. Exactly 20 hours after leaving my UK home, while still hopelessly trying to rub the jetlag out of my eyes like…
‘We paired perfect sailing with colourful evenings ashore’: Exploring unexpected Greece by boat
The wind was dying with the light after a lively passage down the western Peloponnese, but a lumpy sea remained. As we sloshed around in the swell, my wife Maxi…
Peter Burling goes offshore: America’s Cup helmsman will race on foiling Ultim trimaran
When it was announced that three-times Kiwi America’s Cup helmsman Peter Burling had not re-signed with Emirates Team New Zealand, a lot of people wondered what he was going to…
Are you ready for the Fastnet? Your guide to Rolex Fastnet Race prep
Summer came early this year, with much of northern Europe basking under stable, warm conditions throughout April and May that brought predictably light winds and sunny, dry days. The balmy…
Y6 first look: Designed ‘for maximum privacy and easy handling’
Over the past decade Y Yachts’ range of 70 to 90-footers has stood out from the pack in an increasingly crowded market place. These semi-custom lightweight carbon fibre yachts offer…
World’s Coolest Yachts: Swan 55 Galiana
“Olin Stephens had designed two 6 Metres before creating his breakthrough yawl, Dorade, in 1929 – a scaled-up ocean-going 6mR. Forty years later, the Swan 55 marked the end of…
Battery power onboard hundreds of ocean-crossing skippers share their secrets
Power on board is a key equipment issue for all bluewater cruisers, whether preparing a boat for a first transatlantic passage or considering comfortable liveaboard cruising. We asked the 234…