It was once virtually a given that the bigger and more elaborate the superyacht, the more detached and cut off those on board were from the outdoors they had invested…
Joyon launches Jules Verne assault, while Coville hunts singlehanded record
Francis Joyon, twice the fastest man to sail around the world singlehandedly, has set off on an attempt at the Jules Verne trophy, the fully crewed non-stop round the world…
ARC 2016 sets off across the Atlantic with one of the most diverse fleets yet
A massed fleet of 212 yachts from 31 different nations set off on the ARC 2016 transatlantic rally today in ideal north-easterly winds of 10-12 knots. The fleet this year…
Collision and foil damage puts Alex Thomson’s Vendée Globe lead in jeopardy
A collision with an underwater object has damaged the starboard foil of Alex Thomson’s Hugo Boss, putting his attempt to win the Vendee Globe solo round the world in jeopardy.…
Candy Store Cup marks return of superyacht racing to Newport Rhode Island
Around Newport, Rhode Island, the area is steeped in sailing history. In the 18th Century whaling fleets sailed out of Nantucket, 60 miles to the east, navigating treacherous sandbanks and…
How a square top mainsail helped superyacht Sarissa take off
Upgrading horsepower always gets the boys excited. So, when the decision came to upgrade Sarissa’s pinhead mainsail to an aggressive square-top, the project was approached with considerable enthusiasm. Sarissa, a…
Electric propulsion experts Torqeedo wins top award for innovative electric drive
The electric propulsion pioneer Torqeedo won the largest marine equipment prize of the year today (15 November) – for the second time in four years. The DAME (Design Awards METS)…
How Comanche took more than a day off the transatlantic record
No sailing record has a more storied history, or is harder to beat, than the transatlantic record. At a time when sailing records are being divided into smaller currencies and…
MOD70 Maserati: Giovanni Soldini on the benefits of the ‘Manta’ foil on his ocean-racing trimaran
Italian ocean racing legend Giovanni Soldini – the man who rescued Isabelle Autissier from her capsized yacht in the Around Alone in 1999, and still went on to win the…
10 practical tips for perfect downwind sailing in the Tropics
Between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn lie the tradewind belts, separated by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) known to many sailors as the Doldrums. The extent of the tropics…
Skip Novak: Volvo Ocean Race CEO Mark Turner is off to a very strong start
I was very pleased to see the new course for the next Volvo Ocean Race. Looking at the map graphic, the course line is once again more or less a…
Solo skipper Sam Davies on why panic is the worst response to a man overboard emergency
It looks as though either a trimmer or the bowman has gone to leeward to check the trim or sheet leads for the headsail and potentially the impending spinnaker hoist.…
Cheeki Rafiki deaths: gross negligence manslaughter charges brought
The director of the Southampton-based charter and training company, Stormforce Coaching, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter over the deaths of four men aboard the yacht Cheeki Rafiki in…
Alex Thomson out to win Vendée Globe with the solo race’s most revolutionary speed weapon
Over its history, the Vendee Globe solo round the world race has seen many significant technical innovations – canting keels and wingmasts to name but two. But the introduction of…
Short-handed sailing: Pip Hare on gybing a symmetric spinnaker
Gybing a symmetric kite double-handed is a tough manoeuvre and there is no question that practice makes perfect. Setting up your boat so things are within reach is essential, as…
Oyster 675 video – footage from our trials aboard Oyster’s brand new first 675
When it comes to series-building large cruising yachts, Oyster Yachts is the undisputed world leader. In the 60ft size range alone it has, over its 40-year heritage, produced a 61,…
Cleaning up the Pacific Garbage Patch: Dutch foundation tests new system off coast of Holland
During the build-up to this summer’s Olympic regatta in Rio, water quality and in particular the fear of debris and pollution affecting racing outcomes and racers’ health, hit the headlines.…
A classic Swan 43 in Scandinavia: Pip Hare discovers a place to keep the world at bay
Five hours out of Kokkola, the Baltic was baring its teeth. It was the middle of the night in the middle of June. The air temperature was below 5°C and…
How do you provision for a crew for three weeks or more at sea?
Food can be almost an obsession on board a yacht at sea. The days revolve around mealtimes as much as watches and are usually the times when everyone wakes up…
Foilers on test as Rolex Middle Sea Race gets underway
The Rolex Middle Sea Race got underway this morning, with 107 yachts setting out from Valetta’s impressive harbour in a light easterly on their first reaching leg towards Capo Passero…