CATEGORIES

Orford Sailing Club celebrates 100 years

Situated in arguably one of Suffolk’s prettiest villages and under the watchful eye of its medieval castle and church, Orford SailingClub celebrates its centenary in 2024.

Translated 9 retires from OGR with hull damage

Translated 9, one of the leading yachts in the Ocean Globe Race (OGR), has been forced to retire from the round-the-world race with hull damage and has diverted to Madeira.

Tributes paid to boatbuilder lain Oughtred

Tributes have flowed in for renowned boatbuilder and designer Iain Oughtred who died on the Isle of Skye in February, aged 84.

Affordable routes into sailing

Sailing doesn’t have to break the bank. Crewing on other people’s boats offers many low-cost sailing opportunities, says Robin Ashcroft

FIRST TEST LINJETT 39

This long-established, yet little known, Swedish yard believes it has the perfect formula for a contemporary yacht with timeless appeal. Rupert Holmes put her through her paces

10 BEST HIDDEN SCOTTISH ANCHORAGES

The sheer beauty of the Western Isles draws many yachtsmen, but cruising on the west coast of Scotland has always been for the brave.

A sea change in lifejacket design

Mustang Survival introduces ils new ISO approved Atlas 190

Are you brave enough to have a go?

The flexing of spring’s muscles calls for a dusting down of my jobs list.

FIRST TEST HANSE 410

Following the phenomenal success of the 460 - first of a new range of Hanse models - the 410 follows a similar theme on a smaller scale

Freak waves are lurking closer than you think

Salvage tug captain Nick Sloane can claim a library of feats of derring-do.

It's time for Deliveroo by canoe

Can we agree that it’s an old myth that sailors survive entirely on Fray Bentos pies and ‘pot mess’? Certainly on Skylax mealtimes are something to look forward to as both Rod and I love cooking.

HEBRIDEAN HIDEAWAYS

There are some incredible hidden harbours along the west coast of Scotland, many offering 360° shelter, although some may be rather challenging to enter

BOOT DÜSSELDORF 2024

Mid-winter on the banks of the Rhine might seem like an incongruous time and place for a boat show, but boot Düsseldorf, held for 10 days every January, remains the world's largest, housed snugly in 17 vast halls.

OGR IRC leader returns with severe damage

Translated 9, the leading IRC yacht in the Ocean Globe Race was forced to divert to the Falkland Islands after discovering two cracks on the hull, one of which was big enough to sink the boat in heavy weather.

HOW IT WORKS OPTIMISING SAIL TRIM

It is difficult to describe ‘correct’ sail shape, but the three most important things to consider are: sail draft (the fullness of the sail), draft position, and twist (controlled by the kicker /vang and leech tension).

TECHNICAL 'OUR BOAT WAS FULL OF WATER'

After an afternoon away, Roger Hughes had to act quickly when he found his schooner-rigged yacht sinking at its Florida marina mooring

BUYING A NEW BOAT & EQUIPPING FOR THE MED

After selling their business and retiring in March 2021, Mike and Debbie Morgan set about choosing, buying and upgrading a boat with all the bells and whistles to cruise around the Mediterranean in maximum comfort

Celebrating 200 years of the RNLI

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) officially celebrates its 200th birthday on 4 March.

CLOSE TO THE EDGE

Kirstin Jones sails to the Shiant Isles to witness the wonder of the seabird breeding season on Scotland's West Coast and examines the distressing effects of climate change

£33m government funding to develop green technologies for ports and ships

Maritime Minister Lord Davies has announced the winners of £33 million of government funding to develop green technologies for ports and ships as part of the decarbonisation of the sector.

Eight bells for C&N yacht designer Raymond Wall

Yacht designer Raymond Wall passed away in November at the age of 91 after a long and illustrious career.

Mark lines to save miscommunication

This year, I spent my holidays working in the French Figaro class. My role was to be a préparateur – the French name for someone whose job it is to prepare and fix boats before and after races.

BEST YACHTS OF 2024

21 YACHTS WERE TESTED FOR THE 21ST RUNNING OF EUROPEAN YACHT OF THE YEAR. TOBY HODGES, THE BRITISH MEMBER OF THE 12-STRONG JURY, FOUND LOTS TO LIKE

EXTRAORDINARY BOATS: NIGEL SHARP ON THE YACHTING WORLD DIAMOND

The Yachting World Diamond is a Jack Holt design which continues to attract devotees who sail them on some extraordinary adventures - in Australia, 60 years after its conception

5 EXPERT TIPS: CHRIS BROOKS ON SAILING OFFSHORE IN BIG CONDITIONS

Sailing in the middle of the world's oceans gave Chris Brooks plenty of experience handling big weather conditions. He shares his knowledge here with Andy Rice.

Ocean Globe Race skipper quits after false declaration

The third leg of the Ocean Globe Race, the Whitbread-era-style around the world race, is underway from Auckland, New Zealand to Punta del Este, Uruguay on a classic Southern Ocean leg. However, the skipper of race leaders Translated 9, the Swan 65 which won both Legs 1 and 2, has stepped down after breaching the race rules regarding sail repairs and making a false declaration.

Soldini swaps his Maserati for a Ferrari

The 11-year partnership between charismatic Italian racing skipper Giovanni Soldini and luxury car brand Maserati has come to an end, with Soldini confirming that he was taking on a new project partnered by Ferrari.

Ainslie steps down as SailGP driver

Sir Ben Ainslie, who is both CEO, skipper and co-helmsman of the British America's Cup team INEOS Britannia, and CEO and skipper of the SailGP entry.

The Roaring Forties under jury rig

Finnish solo sailor Ari Känsäkoski safely made landfall in Durban, South Africa, on 16 January, 25 days and 1,600 miles after dismasting in the remote Indian Ocean.

Cruisers awarded

Kirsten Neuschäfer, the winner of the Golden Globe Race and the first woman ever to win a solo nonstop around the world ocean race, is among the skippers honoured in the Cruising Club of America's 2023 awards.