Weather forecast accuracy will always be a hot topic of debate. As a forecaster I’ve seen the accuracy of models improve greatly over the last couple of decades, but so…
Yachting World
5 expert tips for going fast while reaching
Years of short-course racing in small keelboats in fleet race and match race competitions had made Annie Lush very good at downwind VMG sailing. But when she started offshore racing,…
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway: everything you need to know
Perhaps you’ve cruised the Caribbean and fancy heading up the east coast of the United States to sample the fine cruising grounds of the Chesapeake Bay or New England. Or…
From ocean racing to catamaran cruising: an adventure for all the family
Nobody could ever accuse my wife Sophie and me of taking the easy route in life. For one of our first proper ‘dates’ we cycled from Land’s End to John…
Extraordinary boats: Cape 31
Thirty-foot keelboats come and go all the time. Most arrive with a short-lived fanfare, only to fade gradually out of sight and memory. Not so the Cape 31, which looks…
How to: navigating in tide
Wherever we have current (tidal or other) this will always influence the sailing wind and the boat’s course over the ground. At anchor we can accurately measure the wind speed…
Skiing Arctic ice by yacht
A single walrus raised its frosted head, eyeing Firebird as we dropped anchor at Tynarebukta on the Isfjorden. Rugged mountains were enveloped by a glacier that spilled out onto the…
Skip Novak’s Mission to Save the Albatross
I let go the lines at the pontoon in Cape Town and watched Pelagic Australis motor out of the basin, breathing a monumental sigh of relief. She was bound for…
Sunsail Yacht Ownership: a better way to go boating
Founded in 1974 in Greece’s Saronic Gulf, Sunsail has grown to become the world’s leading provider of sailing holidays. With a fleet of 538 mono and twin-hulled sailing yachts, it…
5 Expert Tips: Offshore Preparation
What’s your goal for the season? Shirley Robertson apologises if her offshore preparation sounds ‘a bit Olympic sailorish’ but says defining your goal is key. “Whether you’re doing round-the-cans racing…
Bluewater cruising insurance – what you need to know
There’s no getting around the fact it has become a lot harder to get boat insurance, particularly bluewater cruising insurance. However, there are still ways to secure good coverage –…
World’s coolest yachts: Westward
Westward was designed by the great Nathanael Herreshoff and launched in 1910 and at 96ft LWL (135ft LOA) the steel schooner was the largest yacht Herreshoff had built so far.…
Fastest sailboats: The teams aiming to break 80 knots
On 24 November 2012, Paul Larsen and his Sailrocket team rewrote our understanding of the physics of sailboats, stamping their names indelibly in the record books as they set a…
Treat yourself to luxury escapism courtesy of diYachting
Take cocktails with breakfast or opt for yoga and a market-fresh fruit platter. That’s the joy of luxury yacht charter – you make your own rules, set your own pace…
Sailing the new foiling Birdyfish dinghy
Based on an engineering school graduation project, three young Frenchmen have created the BirdyFish, a dinghy that aims to make foiling accessible to everyone. BirdyFish is the story of a…
Upwind headsail trimming: Top tips from a pro
The challenge of headsail trimming, according to Stir Fry, is understanding at any given moment what the team is aiming to achieve. On a busy race course, those aims are…
Russian sailors suspended from international sailing competition
Following worldwide condemnation of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, and ensuing economic and sporting sanctions, sailing’s organising body, World Sailing, today issued the following statement: “Today World Sailing joined the International…
Catamaran sailing in Australia
If it could float, it was out on the water in Sydney Harbour that day. Ferries, dinghies, powerboats, catamarans, superyachts, naval ships, and everything in between streamed across the famous…
First look: Jeanneau 64 – flagship gets an update
The Jeanneau 64, which we fondly remember sailing in a Mistral off Marseille eight years ago, proved the demand for production yachts of this supersize. It also showed that Jeanneau…
5 expert sailing tips: Night helming
Chris Nicholson’s prowess in 18ft Skiffs and three World Championship titles in the early days of the 49er Olympic dinghy drew the attention of Grant Dalton when he recruited the…