French former Vendée Globe skipper Alexia Barrier announced her plans for the ‘Famous Project’ last year. Since then the project has gathered huge momentum, and Barrier and her team now…
multihulls
Outremer 52 review: Exclusive 200-mile test
They seem preternatural, our navlight giving the dolphins an oily reflection as they launch like dark green torpedoes in unison with our surfs. The fizzing noise when they clear the…
Lagoon 51 review: surprisingly fun to sail
It’s a light wind early autumn day in the Mediterranean and we’ve been sailing the Lagoon 51 alternately under Code 0 and genoa at boat speeds occasionally touching 8 knots…
First look: Gunboat’s GB80 and GB70
In the seven years since Grand Large Yachting purchased cult catamaran brand Gunboat and brought it to a new headquarters in the south of France, it has steadily increased its…
The coolest catamarans and multihulls of all time
As with beauty, coolness is in the eye of the beholder. While for some, speed is secondary to function or comfort, inherently any list of coolest catamarans and multihulls is…
Catamaran sailing: can you fast track multihull skills?
Can one week change your life? That’s a whole lot of pressure to put on a holiday. But for a surprising number of graduates of the Nautilus Sailing catamaran sailing…
Excess 14 review: competitively priced performance catamaran
We’re sailing the Excess 14 upwind in 12-14 knots of true wind, with boat speed hovering between 7.4 and 8.0 knots. The helm feels positive and responsive, the boat tacks…
Sailing to Greenland: an unforgettable catamaran journey through iceberg-studded fjords
It’s hard to imagine what life is like beyond the borders of our imagination. Sometimes, when you’re lucky enough, life presents itself with opportunities that take you into the realm…
Extraordinary boats: Flo – Florence Arthaud’s iconic 60ft trimaran
There are many iconic raceboats, but few capture the feeling of an era as much as the 60ft trimaran in which Florence Arthaud won the 1990 Route du Rhum. She…
World’s coolest yachts: Biscuits Cantreau 2
Biscuits Cantreau 2 was a Formula 40 trimaran designed for Jean Le Cam in 1987. “Formula 40 was a class born in France with a very simple rule for multihulls…
Making the switch: How we become liveaboards
We’re sailing by the Gulf of Venezuela as we approach the Colombian coastline, a notoriously difficult stretch of water with frequent high winds, big swell and current. This night is…
Best yacht 2023: European yacht of the year winners
The European Yacht of the Year programme is a highlight of my year as it gives us jury members the opportunity to assemble our shortlist of the best nominees, seatrial…
Fastest woman around the world: Dona Bertarelli’s quest for the Jules Verne Trophy
Ocean racing is an unsentimental world. It’s deeply unglamorous, stripping its participants of every iota of vanity. Failures in preparedness will be hurriedly found out, but even the most careful…
SailGP: Third win of the season for Burling’s Kiwi crew
In a gutsy and impressive performance New Zealand defied the odds to win the Singapore SailGP. The win cements Peter Burling’s position as the main threat to Tom Slingsby’s charge…
World’s coolest yachts: Gitana 17
“The Ultimes to me are the most technologically advanced and fastest boats that you can still go offshore with, at incredible speeds and at the same time a robustness and…
First look: Outremer 52
Grand Large Yachting has pooled serious knowledge, design and build experience to create what it deems to be an ideal family-sized fast catamaran for world voyaging. The Outremer 52 combines…
Aura 51 review: space in abundance
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…
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…
UPDATE: Route du Rhum 2022 start postponed. Is this the greatest ever offshore race?
The Route du Rhum 2022 single-handed transatlantic race start has been postponed until Wednesday 9 November. The decision was announced at this morning’s skippers’ weather briefing. While the forecast for…
How to follow the Route du Rhum 2022
NOTE: Since this article was published the start date for the Route Du Rhum 2022 has been pushed back to Wednesday 9th November at 1415hrs local time. A major storm…