It was just before midnight in the eastern fringes of the Atlantic Ocean, about 130 miles south-west of Cape Finisterre. To my right I could see an ominous wall of…
Sailing round Britain with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust: The magic of Moonspray
Despite a significant drop in the breeze, our arrival at Canning Dock in Liverpool coincided with a four-knot cross-tide to make things particularly interesting. Our yacht Moonspray ferry-glided confidently towards…
Spirit Yachts 52D: This stripped-back racer is a wolf in sheep’s clothing
It may have been high season on the Solent, but among the eclectic mix of race boats both big and small, one yacht was turning more heads than any other.…
Selling your boat in the Pacific: How to get full price after an ocean adventure
Buying a boat, sailing across the Atlantic and then exploring the Pacific, before selling it for the purchase price in New Zealand or Australia sounds like a dream come true.…
Smartphone navigation: Pip Hare’s top tips for sailing by iPhone
No matter how good navigation apps have become, using your smartphone as a main method of navigation is just not a good idea. The screen is tiny and you’ll struggle…
Sailing the Falkland Islands: A life-changing voyage on board Pelagic
In spring 2016 my partner, Magnus, and I delivered Pelagic, one of two yachts owned and run as a high-latitudes adventure charter boat by former Whitbread Round the World Race…
Anna: The modern classic yacht that conceals some serious technology
When approaching Anna moored at the dock, it’s hard to immediately tell whether she is a restored classic or a recently built replica. In fact, neither is true; Anna is…
And the winners of the European Yacht of the Year 2020 are…
Yachting World has been a jury member for the European Yacht of the Year awards since its inception in 2004. This involves shortlisting the best annual prospects into categories before…
Rival to the Fastnet Race is launched by Plymouth yacht club to ‘bring race home’
A new race to the Fastnet Rock and back has been launched by the Royal Western Yacht Club of England in Plymouth to bring a classic format offshore race back…
Road to the America’s Cup podcast episode 5: Designing the AC75’s hull
Four AC75s have now been launched, and each of these brand new America’s Cup class boats reveals the thinking of its team’s designers and sailors. There are more differences than…
Spinnaker wraps: Pip Hare’s tips on dealing with a tangled kite
I can still feel the pain of my first really bad single-handed spinnaker wrap. I was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, took my eye off the sail for…
How shared ownership can get you more boating with less stress
Traditional boat ownership is broken and outdated. At least, that’s the bold message coming from a shrewd and hardy collection of entrepreneurs who say there is no longer any reason…
Pip Hare’s 10 top tips on how to look after your yacht on passage
Stay clean and dry Keeping immaculate bilges and lockers will not only make your living environment more pleasant but will help identify leaks early. Start with a dry, salt-free bilge…
The great escape: Why there’s no bad time to drop everything and sail away
How do we untie the lines that bind us? Family, jobs, homes, schools, pets, friends… our lives are built on the myriad of small connections and huge decisions that we…
2020 Olympics: Extreme heat and humidity will pose a huge sailing challenge
This year’s pre-Olympics in Enoshima, Japan, starkly illustrated for me the reality of being on the water in extreme hot and humid conditions. One day we saw a temperature of…
Sailing Maine: Exploring a magical corner of America’s northeast coast
Bursting through the Cape Cod Canal is like a voyage through Narnia’s wardrobe. Huge lunar forces whisk us along as the rugged granite world of Buzzards Bay fades in our…
How to stay afloat: Top tips for rescuing a sinking yacht
Twenty miles south of Salcombe, in deteriorating weather, Timothy Meo realised that the new 36-footer he was helping to deliver to the Solent was sinking. “The engine compartment was flooded…
How to pick your ideal bluewater yacht: ARC director explains all
I often chat with prospective bluewater cruisers at boat shows and seminars and am frequently asked: “What is the ideal bluewater yacht?” This is an impossible question to answer, since…
Marine diesel engines: Understanding your yacht’s power plant
When Rudolf Diesel unveiled his engine to the world in 1892, it was nothing short of a revelation. Today we reserve our excitement for batteries and electric power, the miracle…
Bow team communication: 5 tips on how to prevent a crew mutiny
Sailing on big boats is the ultimate team sport, and part of the key to success is putting aside your ego and doing what’s best for the team. It’s easy…