How rare it is, to be left to your own devices on a wild island.…
Comment and opinion
Skip Novak sails 4,000 miles to refit his charter fleet in the South Atlantic winter
Pelagic Australis, the flagship of my two-boat fleet, which includes the original Pelagic (my ‘Pelagians’…
Could holograms become virtual crew members in the futuristic world of sailing?
From instructions on how to set the timer on your central heating to replacing a…
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.…
Skip Novak: Big city venues reduce the America’s Cup World Series to a crapshoot
When I read about Ben Ainslie’s frustration in sailing underneath New York City (literally) in…
Skip Novak finds superyacht regattas are not for the faint-hearted
Superyacht regattas are not really my cup of tea. The last time I did one…
Pollution in Rio spoiling the sailing Olympics? Skip Novak says: ‘This is Brazil; just enjoy the carnival’
I know Rio well enough. We stopped there in the Whitbread Round the World Race…
Skip Novak on harnesses, ocean racing risks and the most vulnerable time of all
Of course the loss of crewmember Sarah Young from the Clipper Round the World Race…
Skip Novak: something should be done about the number of rescues in major ocean races
Describing grand-prix offshore sailors as ‘idiots’ continually in need of rescue (as someone did in…
Skip Novak: want a larger yacht? Sometimes smaller is better for exploratory cruising
Some years ago I piloted a 170ft superyacht down the coast of Chile. It was…
Skip Novak: think about a jury rudder before you have to set one in anger
What a pleasure to read in the December issue about the couple who sailed themselves…
How to be a good skipper: ooze calm and confidence but don’t shout!
We become skippers by a number of different routes; many dinghy sailors will eventually become…
Skip Novak: why a catamaran wins out if destination is more important than sailing
Even if you don’t believe your own eyes, there is no doubt – if the…
What will foiling do for you? Why foils will change sailing forever
“There’s nothing new in what we’re trying to do with foiling America’s Cup boats,” says…
Why aren’t women at the helm? Is sailing still stuck in the 1950s?
In 1950s movies, when a man and woman were going somewhere together, it was invariably…
Skip Novak: where have all the America’s Cup tycoons gone? We miss them
I recently became aware of the new rules in the America’s Cup whereby the challengers…
Skip Novak: remembering the capsize of the maxi Drum – will they ever complete the Fastnet?
Thirty years ago last August the maxi Drum capsized in the Fastnet Race with 24…
Guns on board yachts – are you for or against?
Should you carry a gun on board your boat, or are they more trouble than…
Video: a little reminder of why we love sailing so much
Aren’t sailing and boats magic? The variety of the experience, from beautiful classic yachts and…
Why are breaking waves so dangerous to yachts? Watch this video and see
Dramatic video illustration of how a relatively small breaking wave can capsize a yacht