When you consider how you got into sailing and how the next generation might do so, it prompts some searching questions. Is sailing dying as a sport and a pastime?…
Boat tests
Dragonfly 36 review: Probably the most fun boat ever!
Tuesday 12 May 2025 in Skaerbaek, Denmark, was a special day, a defining moment in my sailing career. I’m normally deliberately objective when testing, but I admit to really falling…
Double catamaran review: Fountaine Pajot 41 and Fountaine Pajot 44 tested
Continued development and refinement are key drivers behind the ever-increasing popularity of cruising catamarans. The scale of the rate of change in these boats was brought home to me when…
Saare 47 review: A proper, take you anywhere cruiser
The afternoon sunlight had that sharp clarity of spring in the Baltic; warm and golden, but with cold shadows in which the world felt suspended, undecided at winter’s retreat. Silently,…
Pogo RC Review: Planing performance for shorthanded sailors
Having raced tens of thousands of miles on 33-36ft yachts optimised for IRC racing, I’ve long been frustrated by the perception that only relatively heavy designs can be competitive offshore.…
Wallyrocket 51 review: Is this the world’s fastest new raceboat (on handicap)?
You have to admire the ambition. A goal to create the fastest race boat in the world (on corrected time) is no small feat, and a particularly punchy thing to…
Magic Carpet-e review: Sailing the first fully electric racing Maxi to be launched
Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones didn’t want a new boat, yet today not only has he a shiny new state of the art 100-footer, but a machine described by some as the…
Saffier SL46 review: A true turn-key performance yacht
Conjure an image of a contemporary performance monohull, and it’ll likely be a Swan, Grand Soleil, X-Yacht or something similar (the original Solaris 50 from 2015 springs to my mind).…
Lagoon 43 review: Will this voluminous new cat be the world’s most popular multihull?
Replacing a very successful model is a huge challenge for any boatbuilder. Is it best to take a conservative approach, opting for a similar design to the original with only…
Moody DS48 review: Ambitious cruising plans? Look no further
Many new launches these days aim to be lighter, faster and more open. Not so the Moody DS48. From the moment you scale the boarding ladder (via steps which fold…
Wallywind 110 review: ‘I’ve never ticked off stretches of coastline so effortlessly’
There are very few times I feel the need to video the scene from a day on the water simply to brag to my friends. But standing in the master…
Contest 63CS review: Superyacht-level finish
We’re sailing the Contest 63CS upwind on a glorious late autumn day in the Balearics, in supreme comfort and with minimal heel, yet maintaining 6.5-7.1 knots of boat speed in…
Best Luxury Yacht 2025: The Ultimate Luxury Cruisers
The definition of the best luxury yacht will differ according to personal opinion and from boat to boat. This year’s nominees in the luxury yacht category of the European Yacht…
Ice 66RS Review: Slippery, Premium, Performance Cruiser
Finding the right mix of geographical influences can sometimes create formidable results. I’ve sailed most new Ice yachts over the last few years and all have been Italian-designed-and-built lookers. But…
Nautitech 48 Open review: No-compromise performance cruiser
Yacht design continues to advance quickly, as evidenced by the leap in performance made by the current generation of IMOCA 60s compared to just four years previously. The same is…
J/40 review: Pinnacle of evolution
Stand-out designs are often the result of a succession of well-informed evolutions rather than a revolution that turns existing thinking on its head. The J/40 is born out of a…
Heyman 42PPH: Handsome new decksaloon cruiser packed with ideas and space
Think about it relative to houses, and it makes more sense. After all, who would choose to put their kitchens and living rooms in the cellar or basement? Especially if…
Garcia Exploration 60 review: We crossed the Atlantic to test this adventure cruiser
The frenetic activity of the Caribbean season had already slowed by the end of April in Anse du Marin, where Albius IV waited on the pontoon. The commanding new Garcia…
YYachts Y8 Calabash review: Sailing this semi-custom, designer cruiser
This new generation YYachts Y8 is the Griefswald yard’s third version of this 80ft size. The original, which helped launch the brand in 2015, was a Lorenzo Argento and David…
CNB 78 One Review: ‘It was beautiful sailing… an engaging experience’
Sailing the CNB 78 One contrasts a little over 10 years ago when we had a memorable sail trial on the original CNB 76, a two-day return voyage from Palma.…