There was little doubt that the Ian Howlett-designed 70-footer Fly, built by the Elephant Boatyard on the River Hamble, was an innovative and impressive bluewater cruiser when launched in 1991.…
Matthew Sheahan
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Olympic sailing shakeup: Breaking down the new Olympic sailing format
Most of us are off the water and counting down the weeks to the start of the new season as the northern hemisphere delivers this season’s offering of short days,…
Bezos vs. Musk: Is Amazon’s Kuiper the real Starlink killer? – Matt Sheahan
Space is back in fashion, and with media interest at a level not seen since the days of the Apollo lunar missions it can be difficult to keep up. Whether…
Is the Olympic Sailing medal becoming just a participation trophy? – Matt Sheahan
What should an Olympic medal represent? Is it still sport’s ultimate accolade? Is it a demonstration that you’re the best in the world and have dedicated your entire life to…
Why is the America’s Cup Partnership such a big deal? (Or is it the beginning of the end….)
Despite looking like another bland piece of America’s Cup politics and procedure, it is difficult to overstate the significance of the newly formed America’s Cup Partnership (ACP). First revealed a…
‘Teams don’t see The Ocean Race Europe as a walk in the park’ – Matt Sheahan
Given what the IMOCA 60 class was designed for – and the way in which blasting around the world non-stop, alone, on foils in just under 65 days grabbed everyone’s…
Can battery powered boats really be called sailing boats? – Matt Sheahan
If you ride an e-bike you’ll be used to being called a cheat. You’ll also be familiar with the way opinion has polarised in the cycling world on their benefits…
Where will the next America’s Cup be held? Not Auckland
Kiwis are hacked off. Even enthusiasts of the America’s Cup have strong opinions on whether the country should be spending large sums of money on hosting a sport for some…
‘Why it was all-change at Düsseldorf Boat Show 2025’ – Matt Sheahan
Close to the Spinlock stand at Boot Düsseldorf earlier this year were three white plastic dogs, canine mannequins sporting three sizes of the Spinlock ‘Fido’, the company’s dog flotation vest.…
Why the Vendée Globe fleet is right to reject a full foiling rule
That tens of thousands of Vendée Globe fans were prepared to get up in the early hours of the morning and camp out on a sea wall in the middle…
How the 37th America’s Cup technology revealed superhuman skill levels from the sailors
What the eye couldn’t see was a big topic of conversation in Barcelona during the America’s Cup. With crews huddled down below the sheerline inside their individual cockpits, the only…
Why we’ll probably see the AC75 in the next America’s Cup (and why that’s a good thing)
Given that this was the second America’s Cup cycle for the AC75 design rule it seemed fair to assume ahead of the event that the racing would be closer than…
‘I don’t want to watch sailing with a calculator’ – Matthew Sheahan on Olympic Sailing for Spectators
How was your summer season? If you went to a major event like Olympic sailing, did you wonder where everyone else was? Cowes Week seemed to stir up plenty of…
‘The America’s Cup has always been pushing boundaries’ – Matt Sheahan
For a great pub quiz question, when was the first America’s Cup race? The answer to sailing fans is obvious: 1851 in the famous race around the Isle of Wight.…
America’s Cup latest: ‘No consensus yet on quickest team’
The America’s Cup is as much a confidence game as it is one of design, technology and boat handling. Whether you’re a Challenger or Defender, asserting your authority wherever you…
‘When they saw Ben Ainslie walk into the room it was like they’d been electrocuted’
Never underestimate the influence of sailing heroes. “When they saw Ben Ainslie walk into the room it was like they’d been electrocuted,” said Greig City Academy director of sixth form…
‘Where next for the America’s Cup: Auckland, Barcelona, Middle East?’ – Matt Sheahan
The messages have been confusing. The America’s Cup had barely left town on its long-haul flight back to New Zealand before news broke that Barcelona would not be hosting the…
‘What I learned from the America’s Cup event in Jeddah’ – Matt Sheahan
Another AC40 streaked past the sea wall at 40 knots and I felt rather foolish. I’ve been following the development of these one design flying machines and reporting on their…
The Ocean Race: is racing under autopilot ‘cheating’?
That’s not racing. It’s cheating. If you’re going to use the autopilot to sail around the world you might as well simply control the boat by remote control from home.”…
The Ocean Race 2023 preview: What’s in store for the new race
It’s been a long wait for the next fully crewed lap of the planet since the last one finished in 2018, but finally The Ocean Race will start from Alicante…