ON THE WIND

NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE WORLD OF YACHTING

MATT SHEAHAN

CAN A NEW 30FT ONE-DESIGN REPEAT THE INCREDIBLE SUCCESS OF THE CLASS 40 FLEET?

CARPE DIEM

OYSTER’S LATEST LAUNCH IS ITS FASTEST SELLING MODEL OF ALL TIME AS OWNERS FLOCK TO ‘SEIZE THE DAY’. AN OVERNIGHT TEST PROVES THE IDEAL CHANCE TO FIND OUT WHY

A LIFE AT SEA

HELEN FRETTER TALKS TO THE DOYEN OF BLUEWATER CRUISING TO FIND OUT WHY, AFTER 46 YEARS OF SAILING, HE’S NO LONGER GOING TO SEA

A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

FACED WITH A FORCE 11 FORECAST OFF CAPE HORN, ANDREW HALCROW CONSIDERS AN IMPOSSIBLE DECISION

EXTRAORDINARY BOATS

RUPERT HOLMES ON PEN DUICK VI

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

HOW TO SAIL AWAY WITHOUT QUITTING YOUR LIFE: ADVICE FROM A COUPLE WHO’VE DONE IT. PATRICK AND SHEILA DIXON EXPLAIN HOW TO MAKE ‘HYBRID CRUISING’ WORK

FASTNET RELOADED

THE ROLEX FASTNET RACE HAS LONG DEMANDED REAL RESPECT, BUT A CHANGE, OF COURSE, MADE THE 2021 EDITION A WHOLE NEW CHALLENGE, HELEN FRETTER REPORTS

FINDING FLOW

A 350-MILE OFFSHORE ISN’T EVERYONE’S IDEA OF RELAXATION, BUT SWEDEN’S GOTLAND RUNT PROVED THE PERFECT TONIC FOR NIKKI HENDERSON

INTO THE WILDS

JESSICA ZEVALKINK AND LUKE YEATES SET FREE IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ WITH THEIR NEWLY RESTORED YACHT AND NEW BABY

THE SECRET WEAPON

WITH ITS LIFT KEEL OPTION, JEANNEAU’S SO410 HAS A POTENT TRUMP CARD: IT HAS THE DRAUGHT OF A CLASS 40, YET CAN ALSO NOSE INTO THE SHALLOWS. TOBY HODGES WAS INTRIGUED

HANGING ON

UPSIDE DOWN IN A SMALL CATAMARAN IN A NORTH SEA STORM, JOHN PASSMORE DISTRACTED HIMSELF BY FOCUSSING ON THE STORY

REDEFINING COMFORT

34 YEARS ON FROM ITS ORIGINAL 55, LAGOON SHOWS HOW MUCH CATAMARAN DESIGN HAS EVOLVED TOWARDS LOFT LIVING WITH A SEA VIEW FROM THE TERRACE. FRANÇOIS TREGOUET REPORTS

MASTERCLASS

Pip Hare on best practice crew communication

5 EXPERT TIPS

HOW TO RUN THE PIT

5 EXPERT TIPS

HOW TO RACE IN LIGHT WINDS WITH TIDE

50 OF THE BEST BLUE WATER MULTIHULLS

TOBY HODGES AND FRANÇOIS TREGOUET CONSIDER THE TOP CATAMARAN AND TRIMARAN OPTIONS FOR SAILING THE OCEANS IN SPACIOUS COMFORT

QUEEN OF THE SEAS

FROM CHILDHOOD MEMORIES TO A BRAND NEW KETCH DESIGNED TO HANDLE THE 21ST CENTURY, SAECWEN’S OWNER HAS CREATED A TRUE MODERN CLASSIC, AS NIC COMPTON FINDS OUT

MASTER CLASS

PIP HARE ON HOW TO MAKE A 21ST CENTURY PILOTAGE PLAN

ALL ABOARD FOR THE RIDE

IMOCA 60S ARE DESIGNED FOR SOLO RACING, SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PUT A FULL CREW ON BOARD TO RACE 2,000 MILES? MATTHEW SHEAHAN REPORTS

EXTRAORDINARY BOATS: SAM FORTESCUE ON THE HANSTAIGER X1

Imagine a boat that combines the aggressive loom of a Lamborghini with the controls of a fighter jet. Pop a rig on top, open the transom like the cargo door of a Chinook – oh, and bung a grand piano in one corner of the saloon.

TAKING THE HELM

A DRAMATIC BROACH IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN FOREWARNS OF SERIOUS PROBLEMS FOR DAWN RILEY’S ALL-FEMALE WHITBREAD CREW

BEST FOR LAST

SAILING THE ATLANTIC FROM CAPE TOWN TO AZORES MARKED THE END OF AN EIGHT-YEAR CIRCUMNAVIGATION FOR DUTCH COUPLE WIETZE VAN DER LAAN AND JANNEKE KUYSTERS

SPECIAL REPORT: HELEN FRETTER ON ORCA ‘ATTACKS' ON YACHTS

The first signs that something odd was taking place came in July 2020. After the strangest start to a summer any of us can remember, just as Europe began to open up to sailing once again, there were reports from Gibraltar and the Spanish Atlantic coast of orcas apparently attacking yachts.

THE MAGIC NUMBER

CAN’T DECIDE BETWEEN A MONOHULL AND A CATAMARAN? THE SURPRISING TRUTH IS THAT A FAST CRUISING TRIMARAN COULD BE THE IDEAL SOLUTION

SIZEABLE GAINS

BY REPURPOSING AN EXISTING HULL DESIGN, HAS BENETEAU JUST REINVENTED THE 55-FOOTER?

DOUBLE THE FUN

DOUBLE-HANDED RACING HAS BEEN THE STAND-OUT SUCCESS STORY OF RECENT YEARS. JAMES BOYD FINDS OUT WHY IT’S SO POPULAR

WORKING THE BARGES

JIM LAWRENCE’S TALES OF LIFE ABOARD THAMES BARGES EVOKE A FORGOTTEN WORLD RICH IN SEAMANSHIP SKILLS AND CAMARADERIE

NEW YACHT

PERFORMANCE AND EXPLORATION YACHTS PIQUE RUPERT HOLMES’ INTEREST

SPECIAL REPORT

PHIL JOHNSON ON WORKING FROM YOUR YACHT