As 2004 drew to a close, a 15-year-old Sam Goodchild was leafing through his dad’s copy of Yachting World – the magazine no doubt slightly dog-eared and delayed, by the…
Why I flew 1400 miles to pick up my favourite PLB!
The FastFind return link Personal Locator Beacon It might seem a bit excessive to fly so far for a personal locator beacon. And you’d be right, except, this was just…
Sunglasses for smaller faces? My 15 year love affair with one brand comes to an end… maybe
For over 15 years now I’ve carried a pair of Gill sunglasses in my kit bag wherever I happen to be sailing in the world. They’re not all the same…
‘As the bow touched down the noise was different… In two seconds my race was over’ – Pip Hare’s Vendée disaster
In the early hours of 15 December 2024, midway between Australia and Antarctica, my second Vendée Globe race came to a devastating end when my IMOCA Medallia dismasted. It still…
The sailing gloves I’ve bought over and over again
A sailing necessity Sailing gloves are a sacrificial second skin, especially when handling spinnaker lines and anything where you need a little more grip or there’s a risk of rope…
Finding a great yacht deal in 2025: Expert advice on understanding the market
Three years ago the idea of finding a yacht deal in the used market had ceased to exist, with demand soaring as the world escaped an unprecedented pandemic. Today many…
Great seamanship: The Log of the Molly B
The Log of the Molly B stands out from the crowd of today’s cruising accounts. It opens around 1980 with Dubliner Pete Hogan quitting the straight life in Montreal, which…
My favourite Spinlock Safety Tether is now available in Walmart!
A favourite safety tether? Yes you read that right! I do have a favourite tether line, just like I have a favourite ring on the cooker and a favourite butter…
5 expert tips: How to hold a lane upwind
Learning to live in a thin lane is one of the key skills that separate the great from the good. As Henry Wetherell explains, having boats tight to windward and…
New approach to reduce the chance of whale strikes in yachts
“When a 45-tonnes Sperm Whale is on starboard tack, it has right of way. It also has right of way when it’s on port tack!” the legendary French ocean sailor…
Sailing to Greenland: A scientific voyage of discovery
The streets of Brest are bustling early on this market morning. On the terrace of a bistro some late diners are still finishing off their night, while a nearby poissonnier…
Saint Lucia: not just a transatlantic stopover
At the end of a long transatlantic crossing, the island of Saint Lucia is a dreamlike landfall. Its hills and Atlantic-facing cliffs emerge slowly over the horizon, taking shape in…
Extraordinary Boats: JV43 Red 2 – a full-throated racer with an adventurous cruising side
Compared with the multihulls and centre cockpit cruising yachts dwarfing them in Las Palmas, Mathias and Katharina Müller von Blumencron’s yacht Red 2 really is extraordinary. The JV43 is compact…
5 of the best neoprene gloves for cold water swimming : Tried and tested
Numb fingers can detract from your cold water swimming enjoyment. Step in neoprene swimming gloves. Designed to keep your hands (and sometimes wrists) warmer in cold water, they can be…
“We’re in a holding pattern” – why uncertainty in the America’s Cup is hurting women’s sailing
The Puig Women’s America’s Cup in Barcelona last autumn was a game changer: there had never before been a dedicated women’s competition, or even a dedicated female athlete role, in…
INEOS Britannia pulls out of America’s Cup – but what next for the Cup – and British hopes?
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Britannia will not compete in the next America’s Cup. The release issued last night stated: “INEOS Britannia announces that it has withdrawn its intention to challenge…
9 of the best year-round women’s swimming wetsuits
From a bit of extra warmth to help with your technique, swimming wetsuits have a few different functions. Choosing one that’s the right thickness and has the features you need…
How this boatbuilder and Youtuber restored the 1910 £1 wreck ‘Tally Ho’
On a Saturday morning in mid-August, there is a light breeze blowing in the Solent. A fleet of yachts is slowly working against the tide, waiting for their start gun.…
Southern Wind 100X first look: Performance and comfort combined
Boiling down the experience of building almost 40 yachts around 100ft, Southern Wind has revealed a project to build the ultimate in the genre. Due for delivery late this year,…
Wauquiez 55 first look: A new stunner in the long distance cruiser market
The Wauquiez 55 is a serious, long distance cruiser breaks new ground in a number of respects. The exaggerated reverse sheer may be unconventional, but it’s an inherently stiff shape…