There was nothing in the forecast at the start of the 1979 Fastnet Race to indicate a storm, but a storm came with devastating effect. How and why did it…
Fastnet 2019: The entries that prove this is more than just a yacht race
Among the 300-plus boats in next month’s record-sized Rolex Fastnet Race fleet, many of the 3,000 crew members are competing to fulfil a personal challenge or to tick the world’s…
Charal: On board the radical IMOCA 60 that takes foiling to the next level
In St Malo for the start of the Route du Rhum in early November, every inch of the IMOCA 60 pontoons was packed with fans trying to get a close…
What does it take to win the Rolex Fastnet Race? We find out from four former winners
As the world’s largest and most notorious offshore, the Rolex Fastnet Race, has gained in popularity, so the competitiveness of the 300+ boat fleet has increased. Some crews may be ticking another…
How to win at double-handed racing – 5 top tips from a Fastnet champion
The popularity of double-handed sailing is on the rise. The Rolex Fastnet Race is the perfect case in point – this year there are due to be 63 doublehanded entries,…
Destination inspiration: Epic summer adventures right on your doorstep
You don’t have to sail to the most distant parts of the world to have a cruising adventure. If you have only a week or two of summer holidays to…
What’s the optimum Fastnet route? Navigator Ian Moore crunches the weather data to find out
With tricky tides, imposing headlands and the vagaries of the British summer weather to contend with, the Rolex Fastnet Race is as much about tactics as it is about boat…
5 tips: How to manage fatigue when sailing offshore
It’s all very well refining every detail of your boat – re-cutting sails, longboarding your hull – but what is the point of any of that attention to detail if…
Top female skippers to watch in the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race
The entry list for the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race is shaping up to be just over 10% women sailors. While this is a long way from the level of equality…
Fastnet Race 1979: Life and death decision – Matthew Sheahan’s story
At 0830 Tuesday 14 August 1979, aged 17, five minutes changed my life. Five minutes that, despite the stress of the previous six hours, would encapsulate the most extreme emotional…
Andrew Bishop profile: Meeting the man behind the ARC rallies
Do you know this man? Some will barely recognise Andrew Bishop, though his name may ring a bell. Yet others know not only who he is, but clamour to stop…
Navigation briefing: How to anchor your yacht mid-race
There are two factors to consider when it comes to racing and anchors. One is whether you might find yourself kedging to avoid getting swept back against a foul tide,…
5 Tips: How to bullet-proof your yacht for offshore racing
You don’t need to tell Mike Golding about the importance of making your boat bulletproof. After all, this is the man whose keel dropped off his IMOCA 60 when 50…
Beautiful but deadly: Why the Fastnet Rock has always been feared by mariners
It is so notorious among sailors that you could say the Fastnet Rock is the northern hemisphere’s Cape Horn. Legends have formed around this famous landmark: of storms, and shipwrecks…
CNB 66 yacht test: Intoxicating cruiser is a cut above the mainstream
Congratulations. You’ve finally received that hefty bonus. Or perhaps you cashed in your pension, married wisely, or are a successful gambler or racketeer. However you came across the funds, you…
Fastnet 2019: Why the course record could be smashed this year
With at least two Ultimes set to take on the Fastnet course this year, Loick Peyron’s 2011 course record could be consigned to the history books. At the time of…
Shearwater: Frers 57 custom cruiser-racer harnesses hybrid power
Wheeling effortlessly from crest to trough, wingtips kissing the wavetops, the shearwater is Australia’s most prolific seabird and a constant companion of offshore sailors on the country’s eastern and southern…
Mastering the big beasts: what it’s like behind the wheel at the Superyacht Cup
From the towering masts of the 52m schooner Meteor to the carbon bladed racing Baltic 108 WinWin to the fabulous J Class, the 13 yachts taking part this week in the Superyacht Cup…
Saffier SE37 Lounge test: A veritable supercar of the seas
Looking for a pair of trainers for fashion, road and cross-country running? They don’t exist. Or a bilge keeler that will take to the ground, sleep eight and go to…
Boat hitching across the Atlantic: 10 tips for choosing the right boat
Suzanne Van Der Veeken is the author of Ocean Nomad: The Complete Atlantic Sailing Crew Guide, which she launched at the start of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers in 2017.…