There is a fierce and surprisingly passionate debate unfolding on the deck of Freeranger, our 50ft Beneteau. The question at hand is which weight to use: the big one or…
Yachting World
4 options for sailing around the world (from easy to adventurer)
One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is time. Time to do the things you love, time to set off on a world voyage on your own yacht.…
World’s Coolest Yachts: Wallygator II
“This was the boat that represented the style of Wally and was the first large yacht really able to sail fast,” recalls Vascotto. “I remember having an iconic picture in…
Why ‘Women’s Day’ still matters – we get onboard at Cowes Week
There are moments in life when an opportunity comes your way and you have approximately two minutes to make a decision that will change the course of your day. Yesterday…
Pegasus 67 first look: A roomier Pegasus 50 for sailing couples
The Pegasus 50 is one of the standout yachts we have trialled in recent years. It’s a brilliant design for both its performance ability in lighter breezes, and its deck…
How to learn traditional sailing skills: Why learning historic boat handling skills make you a better yacht sailor
I came to traditional sailing by accident, but now I’m here, I’m a convert. And that’s because sailing traditional boats will make you a better all-round sailor. Don’t believe me?…
Inside a Foiling Giant: An Onboard Tour of Ultime Banque Populaire XI
Banque Populaire XI isn’t just any boat; it’s a floating testament to the bleeding edge of sailing technology, designed for record-breaking speeds and gruelling ocean races. Sam Goodchild, fresh from…
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…
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…
‘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…
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…
High Power, Low Voltage: Molabo’s Game-Changing Electric Marine Drives
Molabo, a little-known German company with firm roots in academic research, offers a radically different alternative for marine electric and hybrid propulsion systems. Conventional electric motors powerful enough to propel…
‘It quickly becomes clear that things are not good. What follows is a blur of suppressed panic and a mad fumbled search of the boat…’
Friday evening, 21 February, 2025, and we are anchored inside a reef lagoon in a remote part of Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. The entrance to the lagoon is narrow,…
5 new aluminium cruising yachts set to impress in 2025
For many serious cruisers, the appeal of an aluminium yacht is fundamental. These cruisers are inherently robust, offering the ruggedness needed for extended voyaging and exploring remote destinations. Their durability…
Exploring the Tyrrhenian Sea and the hidden islands of Italy
A shirtless sailor in a roughed up inflatable dinghy approached as we sat in the cockpit at anchor. Along with two friends, my wife Roxy and I had just arrived…
World’s Coolest Boats: The 29er dinghy
“When I moved out of Oppies, I wasn’t sure I wanted to sail,” Diamond recalls. “I tried the 420 for a little bit, but for whatever reason, it just didn’t…