Is the new Assisted Sail Trim (AST) program from Jeanneau and Harken sailing’s equivalent to Google’s driverless car? In essence, the system means all sail handling can be controlled from…
Toby Hodges
Grand Soleil 46LC boat test – a cruiser with class
Winner of the Luxury Cruiser category of the European Yacht of the Year Awards 2015. Read more here Cantieri del Pardo, based in Forli in Italy, has built nearly 4,000…
Truly a classic – the 127ft Atalante from André Hoek is a head-turner
It was a certain kind of look. It happened as we sailed back towards Antibes over azure waters, carried along under a cutter rig in idyllic afternoon conditions. We pointed…
Nine Js and counting: J Class Svea J-S1 is sold and under construction at Vitters
Vitters Shipyard has announced that it is fitting out its first J Class yacht. The brand new 43.60m aluminum hull of the J Class Svea is the longest of the…
Wallycento number four, a minimalist Mark Mills designed rocket ship, is sold and under construction
Wow! Judging by these first three renderings, this latest wallycento will be the ultimate and most current dual-purpose superyacht afloat when she launches in 2017. wallycento #4 combines Mark Mills’…
Swan 54 – an exciting new bluewater cruiser from Nautor
Nautor’s Swan has announced an exciting new model for 2016, its smallest cruising Swan in nearly ten years – since the Swan 46 and 53 in 2005, in fact. And…
Why Spinlock’s Lume-On, a device that illuminates lifejackets, won 2015’s biggest marine design award
The concept behind the Lume-On is such a simple one in fact that I’m sure other manufacturers will have sighed a collective ‘Doh’ when it was announced at METS in…
What makes a good bluewater yacht? Discovery thinks it has the answer in its Discovery 58
Lying in the lower berth of the Pullman cabin as we beat to windward across the Channel during a cold spring night, I could appreciate the creature comforts offered by…
Video: we test the Grand Soleil 46LC, Cantiere del Pardo’s formidable first cruising yacht
A cruising yacht means different things to different sailors. LC stands for Long Cruise and there are many clues that this Italian brand is targeting warm weather cruising with the…
Top sailors top gear – pro sailors reveal their favourite most recently bought kit
Dee Caffari – Volvo and solo sailor Exposure Marine MOB Search Light I have spent many days sailing offshore, often solo in the inhospitable envi ronment of the Southern Ocean,…
Video of Sailing Yacht A, the world’s largest sail-assisted vessel, during early sea trials
This video footage of Sailing Yacht A shows her with her towering free-standing masts and illustrates the jaw-dropping scale of the world’s largest sail-assisted yacht. It is when a tug passes that you…
First sailing pictures of Galateia, the latest racer-cruiser to join a growing wallycento class
It seems there is still an appetite for maxi-style racing, albeit in slightly more comfort than traditional maxi yachts. These first sailing pictures of the latest wallycento, Galateia, will help…
SunGod Classics2 sunglasses review
I like sunglasses and have accrued a growing collection of assorted pairs. Rarely do I part with much money for them however, as I see little point when I know…
Quant 23: Why this radical Dukes of Hazzard throwback is one of the most fun, exciting designs in years
All this foiling malarkey turns a lot of people off. The pumped-up, Red Bull-fuelled adrenaline junkies flying around on ludicrously expensive exotic mulitihulls – before falling of the skinny foils…
First look: Carbon Arcona 465 for fast, safe passagemaking in style
Arcona Yachts produces elegant performance cruisers using tried-and-tested build methods and styling. These are sailors’ yachts, richly rewarding to helm, with a quality fit-out. The yard has a niche recipe…
Nautor’s Swan announces an exhilarating new ClubSwan 50 one-design by Juan K for its 50th birthday
This is very positive news from a yard that one may have presumed was concentrating on its larger yacht range, after recently launching its first of four new 115ft superyachts.…
Cool as Ice – the new Italian brand Ice Yachts is on a roll
Since it announced its first two new models in 2013 – 44ft and 62ft Felci designs – the Italian brand Ice Yachts has been on a roll. It created a…
Journalist killed during boat demonstration at Cannes Yachting Festival
A journalist was killed after being run over by a RIB during press trials off Cannes on 12 September, the penultimate day of the Cannes Yachting Festival. It is thought…
Hot new boats to be seen at boat shows this year
Jeanneau 54 We tested the new Jeanneau 64 a year ago from Marseille during a Mistral. It proved a revelation. Her looks, build and finish quality gave a bona fide…
Xc45 Next Generation boat test – a sailors’ boat
Are rebranded ‘Mk II’ models just an elaborate marketing exercise? Occasionally, yes. But a number of well-respected boatbuilders adopt the practice, including Hallberg-Rassy, Oyster and Discovery – in fact, HR…