When Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) launched their AC50 in Bermuda in mid-April, just six weeks before the America’s Cup Round Robin, they were the last to arrive and no…
Surviving the OSTAR’s perfect storm – the full story of the racers rescued in Force 11 summer gale
Solo sailor Mervyn Wheatley set out from Plymouth for Newport, Rhode Island on 29 May this year with stirring tunes belting out from his beloved Tamarind, the Formosa 42 that…
Ocean cruising experts share their sailing knowledge
The World Cruising Club is hosting a series of forums this autumn, where ocean cruising experts will be trying to inspire sailors to extend their boundaries
Ocean racing icons and tales from the deep: first Fastnet finishers
The beer tent remained (nearly) empty in the Rolex Fastnet Race village for most of today, because the biggest contingent of finishers, the seven Volvo Ocean 65 crews, all arrived…
Dongfeng gets first Volvo win in the Fastnet Race – but by just 56 seconds
As dawn broke this morning, a skirmish for first blood in the 2017/8 Volvo Ocean Race was still underway in the Rolex Fastnet Race. Spanish team MAPFRE and Dongfeng Racing…
Trimaran Concise 10 blasts home to take Fastnet Race line honours after upwind slog to the Rock
Line honours in one of the lightest wind Rolex Fastnet Races in recent years were claimed at dawn this morning by Ned Collier-Wakefield and the crew of MOD70 Concise 10.…
How thinking outside the box won the Cup for Emirates Team New Zealand
“Baby, you’re coming home.” You could see the eyes of Grant Dalton, the tough, straight-talking CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, filling with tears as he lifted the America’s Cup…
All-time record Fastnet fleet set off hard on the wind for long beat towards the Rock
A perfect summer Solent sea breeze gave the 368-strong fleet in the Rolex Fastnet Race a picture perfect start today. In winds of 15-20 knots the fleet began the beat…
Prosecution seeks retrial for Cheeki Rafiki manslaughter
After a complex six-week trial, Stormforce Coaching boss Douglas Innes was found guilty of failing to ensure the safety of the yacht Cheeki Rafiki, which capsized mid-Atlantic in 2014, with…
Record fleet of 368 yachts ready for challenging and tactical 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race
A record entry for the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race is getting ready for the start tomorrow in what could be one of the most interesting tactical races in recent years.…
Balmain Bug: the classic skiff that’s too much sail and not enough boat
The Balmain Bug is a 1.83m (6ft) Australian skiff class dinghy, of which just two remain in existence. First raced in 1899 at Balmain in Sydney, the fleet expanded throughout…
Beach rescue – Skip Novak aids lone yachtsman recovering yacht from remote shore
It is rare to leave the Antarctic Peninsula earlier than need be. No matter how much time you allow for a cruise in that splendid and awe-inspiring environment it is…
Wind chill explained – how exactly does the wind make you feel colder?
Meteorologically spring is an interesting time of year as the weather can be quite volatile, particularly the sunshine and showers we associate with April and the squalls they bring (although…
Revolutionary Gitana 17 trimaran to foil solo across oceans at 50 knots
A revolutionary 100ft fully foiling oceangoing trimaran capable of covering more than 900 miles in a day and sailing at speeds of 50 knots was launched in Lorient this week.…
Cheeki Rafiki verdict: operator found guilty of failing to ensure yacht’s safety
Douglas Innes has been found guilty of failing to ensure the safety of the yacht Cheeki Rafiki, which capsized mid-Atlantic in 2014, with the deaths of four men. Innes, the…
Francis Joyon breaks his own North Atlantic solo record aboard IDEC Sport
Francis Joyon has beaten his own North Atlantic solo record by 49 minutes aboard IDEC Sport, the VPLP designed maxi trimaran that last winter smashed the Jules Verne Trophy crewed…
Cheeki Rafiki jury retires to consider its verdict in manslaughter trial
The jury in the trial of Douglas Innes and Stormforce Coaching, operators of the yacht Cheeki Rafiki that capsized mid-Atlantic in 2014 leading to the loss of four crew members,…
Swan 54 new yacht test video – a return to Nautor’s bluewater roots
The Swan 54 is designed as a pure bluewater cruiser that is ideally suited for a couple. It uses the hull mould of the Swan 53 (a 2005 Frers design),…
Best sailing boots tested: Can waterproof boots be flexible, comfortable, breathable and dry?
Your feet can be warm, your feet can be dry, or your feet can smell (vaguely) acceptable when you pull your boots off after a hard watch on deck battling…
Happy crew, happy boat – how to avoid crew problems and a bad atmosphere on board
Boat crews fall apart – it happens from time to time – but in Rodney Bay, St Lucia, at the end of the annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), the…