Step aboard the wide transom steps of the Aura 51 and I’d challenge even the most stubborn traditionalist or monohull enthusiast not to be in awe of the space and…
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First look: RM 1380 – largest new yacht from the French marque
I like RM 1380 and I’m clearly not alone in appreciating these (typically) brightly coloured plywood epoxy fast cruisers – with over 500 hulls launched during the La Rochelle yard’s…
Beneteau First 44 review
There’s a glassy calm, without a ripple on the water, yet we’re slipping along on the new Beneteau First 44 under Code 0 at four knots of boat speed. Of…
Extraordinary boats: Scow-bowed Ace 30
Scow bow designs are still very rare in the UK and mostly elsewhere in northern Europe. The exception is France, especially on the Atlantic coast, where their distinctive spatula-shaped forward…
Wave forecasting: software to help your routing
Many years ago on a dark March in the Atlantic we were hit by a large wave on the beam – all went quiet as the yacht was rolled; luckily,…
Southern Ocean sailing: Lessons from Cape Horners
“The closest I’ve ever been to mortality was the capsize at Cape Horn. That was just a horrific experience,” says American sailor Rich Wilson of his Southern Ocean sailing experiences.…
How to follow the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race
Sydney sailors are counting down the days – not until December 25, but the 26, for the much-anticipated Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. The blue riband offshore classic was cancelled for…
Dream of the West Indies: four schoolboys on a transatlantic adventure
In the summer of 1983, a group of very young Norwegians set out on a round trip to the Caribbean in Jeanette VI, a 35ft Vindø yacht they chartered from…
How Jasmine Harrison became the first woman to swim the length of the UK
Last month Jasmine Harrison, 23, became the first woman to swim the length of the UK from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Harrison lived aboard her Bavaria 38 support yacht…
Second hand boats: Buying a family yacht
Buying a family yacht with room to accommodate young and old means looking for some very specific characteristics. Having enough space for living, studying and – increasingly commonly – office…
First look: RP56 Vasara
Were you in the position to order a one-off cruiser racer to the highest spec, it would make sense to involve one of the most successful design and build combination…
Emirates Team New Zealand set land speed record pace
Emirates Team New Zealand and Land speed pilot Glenn Ashby have sailed their land yacht Horonuku, faster than any previous records, clocking in at 222.4kph on Monday 12 December and…
How to prepare for an Atlantic crossing
In the spring of 2021, Laura Blom-Sipkens and her husband were chatting in their car when a thought suddenly struck her: we should take a break from work and take…
Double handed sailing skills: Spinnaker hoists
Double handed sailing skills are increasingly important to master as the recent boom in double handed racing, both inshore and offshore, continues and boats designed for couples to cruise two-up…
First look: NEO 570c
If you design and build a boat to look this wickedly fast, you better hope it performs. And it seems Shaun Carkeek and Neo Yachts have done everything they can…
5 tips on strategic starting for sailors
Getting a good start is not just about being fast off the line in clear air. Sometimes the better start can be to wait in the second row near the…
New electric furler for code 0 use
Furling systems for reaching sails have transformed the ease with which these sails can be handled, with the result that many more cruising yachts now have Code 0s and furling…
Offshore sailing clothes review
After winning the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race aboard JPK 1010 Jangada Rupert Homes provides this full offshore sailing clothes review. Rupert Holmes has some 85,000 miles of offshore…
World’s coolest yachts: Olympus Photo
“The late Mike Birch’s Olympus Photo, designed and built by Walter Greene, sits at the root of all modern multis,” says Verdier. “Mike and his boat began the legend of…
America’s Cup 2024 dates confirmed
Despite confirmation that the 37th America’s Cup would be raced in Barcelona back in March 2022, the specific dates in which the event would take place have only been revealed…