I’ve just returned home from skippering 59º North’s Farr 65 Falken from Annapolis, Maryland, to Isafjordur in north-west Iceland. We covered over 3,000 miles, sailing via the stupendous Prince Christian…
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First look: MCP 68 – luxury yacht meets trawler-style motorsailer
A luxury yacht meets a rugged trawler-style motorsailer, all wrapped in a purposeful explorer look in this MCP 68 from Brazil. Hull numbers two and three are being delivered this…
Best Christmas gifts for sailors: 39 top picks in 2023
Are you wondering what to get the sailor in your life for their birthday, for Christmas or for any other celebratory occasion? Here is our pick of the best Christmas…
First look: 15m Explorer Yacht Lynx
This 15m Explorer Yacht Lynx is very much a descendant of Qilak, and is even dubbed ‘little Qilak’, thanks to its similar looks, its hydraulic lifting keel, twin rudders and…
Transat Jacques Vabre 2023: IMOCA 60s are final fleet to start
The Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 officially started on Sunday 29 October, but with a particularly strong depression scheduled to cross the fleet on Wednesday 1 November, the decision was made…
Coolest yachts: the dhow
“I always have been impressed by the dhow, the traditional racing boats sailed in the United Arab Emirates,” says Bruno Dubois. “The 60ft yachts are particularly impressive.” The original dhow…
Expert tips: how to sail downwind in windy weather
Pushing a boat close to the edge downwind is exhilarating and sometimes exhausting. Sailing hard downwind in waves requires 100% focus from the helmsman and trimmers, not to mention the…
Transat Jacques Vabre: Sunday start a possibility for IMOCAs
The start of the Transat Jacques Vabre in Sunday 29 October 2023, only three of the scheduled four fleets got underway, due to a severe forecast in the Atlantic. Now,…
Spirit 72DH review: latest modern classic stunner
Clear the headland three miles south of Guernsey’s St Peter Port and the depth and conditions can change abruptly, as you transition from sailing around tidal banks into the English…
First look: Swan 108 launched
Nautor’s latest model – billed as being the first in the yard’s new Maxi Swan era – was launched in June this year and underwent sea trials in Finland’s Gulf…
How to weather forecast on passage
While it’s essential to monitor the conditions when choosing the best weather window for departure, equally important is being well-versed in obtaining and interpreting weather data while offshore – keeping…
‘Boat breaking’ depression disrupts Transat Jacques Vabre start
Yesterday’s scheduled start for the Transat Jacques Vabre – the double-handed race across the Atlantic from Le Havre to Martinique – partially got away on Sunday 29 October, but the…
Pursuing the pacific dream to French Polynesia
Beside the quiet, sun-bleached Mexican town of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle lies a busy anchorage on the north side of Bahía de Banderas. Humpback whales cruise nonchalantly through the bay,…
10 destinations that you should put on your cruising bucket list
Jimmy Cornell can safely be described as the father of modern ocean cruising. He founded the ARC rally in 1986, ran the first circumnavigation rally and has himself sailed over…
Rolex Middle Sea Race goes down to the wire in David v Goliath battle
The 44th Rolex Middle Sea Race turned into a David and Goliath battle between one of the biggest and smallest entrants in a typically mixed set of conditions for the…
How to follow the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023
The Transat Jacques Vabre is one of the ultimate tests of short-handed racing, a double-handed dash from France that sees many of the world’s top racing machines take on the…
5 new sailing scows aimed at the cruising market
Those who followed the early stages of this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race will surely have been intrigued by how well the front runners in the Class 40 fleet appeared to…
First look: Baltic 110 Zemi – all carbon luxury cruiser
This Malcolm McKeon all-carbon luxurious performance yacht is optimised to take the owner’s family and friends on a breath-taking itinerary of cruising and racing. After sea trials this summer she…
The Race to Alaska: answering the call of the wild
“Nikki, give up the tiller for a second. You gotta see this.” Ev Goussev, co-owner of the yacht Gray Wolf, shoved the binoculars in my hand. “Just there. That beach.…
YYachts Y9 review: new sweet spot of superyachting
Time. You may not be able to buy it, but some may be fortunate enough to buy the things that let you use it most efficiently. It was mid afternoon…