A Mistral is blowing 30 knots out of an empty sky. Once the mainsail of Nomad IV is hoisted to the second reef point and the J2 jib snaps out,…
Still fancy a ride in the Southern Ocean? Watch this video and you might think again!
Ian Walker and his crew provide first hand accounts of what it’s like here and now in the most remote part of this race, deep in the Southern Ocean. Great…
Ocean damage – tales of chafe, jury rigs and a shark on the rudder in the ARC
Crossing the Atlantic is hard on your gear, as the reports of ocean damage during the annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers always demonstrate. The 2014 ARC was easier on crews…
Why reducing costs is a risk to the next America’s Cup
First came the news that the Cup organisers were to change the boat that the next America’s Cup would be contested in from a 62ft foiling cat to something around…
What is a Chinese gybe and how do you avoid it? Watch our expert guide and tips
Chinese gybes on windy days are a good spectator sport, but with the right prompt response they can be averted. In this article, I explain how they happen and what…
Big change for America’s Cup as event switches to even smaller boats
The 35th America’s Cup will be contested in smaller boats than the AC62s that had been previously planned for according to a release from the America’s Cup organisers. The surprise…
New wave of Brit solo sailors launch assault on French solo Figaro circuit
Over the last five years there has been a concerted push by the British to break the French stronghold of solo sailing thanks to the Artemis Offshore Academy. Here the…
VOR: Dongfeng Race Team’s Southern Ocean wipe out
As the fleet gets stuck into the Southern Ocean and conditions start to ramp up, Dongfeng Race Team is the first to report a wipe out to leeward, a Chinese…
5 tips: going aground – how to get off the bricks as quickly as possible
Jonty Sherwill asked seasoned Solent racer Paul Heys for his 5 tips on staying afloat and getting back under way when you’ve gone aground
Ben Ainslie Racing: Bermuda race course reconnaissance
Ben Ainslie Racing is the first Cup team to start active training on the water in Bermuda. On the face of it there is nothing surprising about starting a Cup…
Video action from the glorious 52m schooner Meteor at St Barths Bucket superyacht regatta
One of the most interesting facets of the St Barths Bucket superyacht regatta is the broad range of ideas about what makes the ideal yacht. From replica schooners such as Elena of Londonto the…
School children become mini experts on the Volvo Ocean Race
Last week we recieved an email from Jo Mumford, a primary school teacher in Southampton. Jo, a sailor herself who sails with Flexisail, is a keen fan of the Volvo…
Watch World War 2 aircraft ‘strafing’ St Barths airport during Barths Bucket superyacht regatta
What’s even cooler than owning a superyacht? Try a private collection of World War 2 fighter aircraft, in pristine working condition and still up for overseas strafing missions. A daily…
Video story: What it takes to win at the St Barths Bucket superyacht regatta
“We’re not trying to win the party,” Jonathan Kline says with a smile. Kline is the captain of the 38m Perini Navi sloop P2 and this is his way of…
Superyacht Wisp is a classic-looking 156-footer with an elegant profile and a feeling of space
In October Palma de Mallorca is filled to the brim with over 100 overwintering superyachts, including some of the most beautiful classics, such as the schooner Ashanti IV and the…
‘It’s like being on a rodeo horse’- the Volvo fleet head towards the Roaring Forties
Volvo Ocean Race- Leg 5- New Zealand to Brazil It’s that famous stretch of the Volvo Ocean Race, Leg 5, where the sailors head straight into the Southern Ocean. It…
Ocean Signal’s new AIS alarm for man overboard is the most compact on the market
As smartphones bizarrely continue to get larger, to the point where today’s ‘phablets’ are almost too big to fit in a trouser pocket without attracting attention, the majority of us…
First video of the stunning new Hoek designed 52m Royal Huisman ketch Elfje
There have been a couple of standout plumb bow superyacht ketches launched in recent years, namely the Dykstra designed Hetairos and Kamaxitha. This latest model from Hoek Design called Elfje,…
Baltic sailing: a leisurely cruise with the ARC Baltic to fascinating St Petersburg
It was hazy and hot. The air was still. Sticky even. The seas were calm. Certainly not the conditions we were expecting for Baltic sailing as we motored down the…
Passions in the X One Design – one of the most fiercely contested classes at Cowes
If ever there is a Midsomer Murders episode that involves sailing it ought to star the X One Design. This classic, innocent-looking 21ft day racer is the unlikely inciter of…