Yachting is usually pretty fast to embrace useful new technology, particularly if it helps win a race or if it helps with safety. Just look at how rapidly AIS (Automatic…
Double the fun? Pip Hare shares her top tips for sailing double-handed
Sailing double-handed as a couple is becoming more popular as partners elect to enjoy the experience of cruising and ocean voyaging without the complications of extra crew. It can be…
Expert sailing advice: How to handle a lightning strike on board
Lightning is the thing that scares me the most at sea. Having never experienced a lightning strike I think this is mostly a fear of the unknown, coupled with a…
SailGP F50: On board the sailing equivalent of a Formula 1 racecar
“I think 99% of people believe that we received these boats from Bermuda, repainted them and sent them on their way again. I don’t think we’re ever going to be…
From lifeboat crew to the Round-the-Island race – why ‘helping people stay and feel alive’ is the motto of Helly Hansen [sponsored post]
Over 1,200 yachts crewed by world-class sailors, families and first-time racers, battled it out on the water in last month’s Round-the-Island race. While the largest monohull, Jethou took the line…
Kraken Cup: The most extreme sailing race you’ve never heard of
“This is probably the most extreme and uncomfortable sailing I’ve ever done,” says Simon Walker. “And I have sailed twice the wrong way around the world, 17 times across the…
Can augmented reality really give us a vision of the future of sailing?
Google’s mission statement is ‘to organise the world’s information.’ This almost impossibly ambitious declaration of intent underpins the technology giant’s ventures into everything up to and including Space. The message…
Fastnet Race winners: Wizard claims overall prize while French crews dominate
The stars’n’stripes liveried American Volvo 70 Wizard has been confirmed as the overall IRC winner of this year’ Rolex Fastnet Race. Brothers David and Peter Askew from Detroit finished in…
Rolex Fastnet Race delivers wet, fast ride for early finishers
The first finishers in the IRC fleets of the Rolex Fastnet Race arriving last night and today have all had a hard, fast race. As crews piled in tired, wet,…
Steinlager 2: On board Sir Peter Blake’s refitted Whitbread champion
In 22 May 1990, Steinlager 2 – skippered by Peter Blake and crewed by 14 fellow New Zealanders – crossed the finish line off Southampton to win the fifth Whitbread…
Sailing Greenland’s frozen frontiers on 90ft modern classic superyacht Acadia
Our thirst for adventure is as unquenchable as ever. In the marine world, that desire to escape the beaten path seems only to be increasing. There are more and more…
Eagle Class 53: The foiling cruiser inspired by the America’s Cup
Not everything that flies is destined to scorch around an America’s Cup course. The future for sailing hydrofoils is surely about more than just racing. At least, that was the…
David Witt: The controversial character who shook up the Volvo Ocean Race
“I am a dinosaur,” David Witt tells me. It’s a gift of a quote from a man who has been painted as out of touch, misogynistic, and a whole lot…
Running aground: Lessons learned from a nightmare scenario
We hit the sandspit at something over five knots and went hard aground. A moment before, the bottom had risen suddenly from 10ft to now visible sand in the wave…
Sailing through calms: Expert advice from ocean racer Pip Hare
Psychologically, I have always found sailing through calms to be far worse than battling any storm. Endlessly flogging sails and oppressive heat can fray tempers on any yacht. With no…
Fastnet record eludes Rambler 88 in race that brought back dark memories
Big seas, fast reaching, relentless sail changes and a fast run back from the Fastnet Rock: Rambler 88’s second monohull line honours win of the Rolex Fastnet Race this morning…
Sailing around Cape Horn on the world’s largest ketch Aquijo
When asked to help guide the 86m/282ft ketch Aquijo for a cruise in Tierra del Fuego and a Cape Horn rounding I was very sceptical. Accustomed to sheltering in small…
Fastnet record falls to Maxi Edmond de Rothschild as Ultimes finish 1 minute apart
Before the start of this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race it was far from clear that the race record for the 603-mile bluewater classic would be in any danger, with predominantly…
Ultimes lead the charge for 388-boat fleet in Rolex Fastnet Race start
A total entry of 388 yachts – another record turnout – started in this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race today, Saturday 3 August from Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The…
2019 Rolex Fastnet Race: Light winds and low pressure promise a super challenge
One of the most challenging and tactical Fastnet Races of recent years lies ahead for the 394 yachts and 3,000-plus crew beginning the race this Saturday, 3 August. A complex…