Earlier this year I was lucky enough to join the French crew of the IMOCA…
Sail Faster Sail Safer
The Ocean Race: What’s it like on a fully crewed IMOCA 60?
How much faster could an IMOCA 60 go if it were really pressed? Not in…
Vessel transfer: A how to guide from Pip Hare
Whether it’s a medical emergency that requires a single crewmember to be evacuated, or a…
How to deal with problems at sea
Liz Wardley, by her own admission, hated school. “I was a very bad student, but…
Squalls and gusts: How to predict and cope with them
Squalls are the school bullies of the ocean. But, like all bullies, your best bet…
How to be a winning skipper – the surprisingly simple secrets to forming and leading a great crew
What is the secret to a happy crew that bond at sea as a team…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 1: Avoiding a Chinese gybe
Chinese gybes on windy days are a good spectator sport, but with the right prompt…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 2: Broaching
Most of us will be familiar with that final pull on the helm that cannot…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 3: Gybing
The first time I gybed single-handed it was on a 40-footer with a symmetrical spinnaker.…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 4: Upwind trim
Sailing to windward on a badly trimmed boat seems like punishment. We have all felt…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 5: Helming skills
When you’re sailing upwind in a monohull, the key is to minimise helm movement to…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 6: Reaching
Reaching is the glory point of sail for many boats; it’s the time we record…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 7: Light airs sailing
We all know the frustration of trying to sail in light airs – it can…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 8: Downwind sailing
Downwind sailing doesn’t have to be about screaming off waves under full spinnaker, and those…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 9: Spinnaker trim
There’s nothing quite like surfing off a wave in the open ocean, spinnaker straining and…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 10: Hoisting a spinnaker
The basic principles of hoisting a spinnaker are easy to grasp. More importantly, they are…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 11: Spinnaker drop
One manoeuvre that really makes my heart race when sailing single-handed is a spinnaker drop.…
SAIL FASTER SAIL SAFER advanced techniques series Part 12: Spinnaker problems
I have encountered more than my fair share of problems with the spinnaker when single-handed…