Sailing Today

I MUST ADMIT TO HAVING mixed emotions when I saw that Ben Ainslie and Team Britannia had managed to turn things around so magnificently in the Prada Cup. On the one hand, I was obviously excited about the very real prospect that, after a 160 year los

Entry for the 90th anniversary Round the Island Race is open. The popular event, which often sees a fleet of more than 1,500 yachts, takes place on 3 July this year and race director David Atkinson said: “The focus for 2021 is on organising a great r

Before designers got to creating technically complex and expensive foiling arms to make boats go faster, sailors employed simple means. This cover of Yachts & Yachting dates from 1978 and shows one idea trialled at the time. The premise was simple: w

Vendée Globe sailor Pip Hare has spoken about the extraordinary reception she has received since finishing the round the world race. Hare, from Poole, sailed her boat Medallia to 19th place, finishing shortly after midnight on 12 February. The perfor

Thousands of sailors from across the world tuned in for the 2021 virtual RYA Dinghy Show, presented by Suzuki, which was held over 27-28 February. More than 8,000 people registered and made more than 12,000 individual visits over the weekend. RYA Dir

The World Sailing Trust has launched a global Participation Study to assess the status of sailing in terms of equity, diversity and inclusion. Almost two years after the launch of the trust’s global survey on women in the sport, the Participation Stu

Why is Gallagher supporting the RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year competition? As the RYA’s endorsed club and recognised training centre insurance broker for over 40 years, we are delighted to play a part in the competition and help support

Club of the Year 2021 announced The RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year was announced at the virtual RYA Dinghy Show in February, with the sought-after title this year going to Port Dinorwic Sailing Club/ Club Hwylio Y Felinheli. The compet

Vendors of used boats could face additional costs of between £500 and £5,000, in order to comply with post-Brexit rules, British Marine and the RYA warn. The two organisations have been working to understand different aspects of the UK-EU Trade and C

Isn’t it strange how those life-changing moments occupy a disproportionate space in our memory. It could be just a few seconds, but it was a few seconds that changed your view of the world, or yourself, a widening of your eyes to take in new possibil

The America’s Cup versus the Vendée Globe. Which gives more value? It’s a moot point but as the Cup ramped up and the Vendée finished you’d hear this discussed around the race dock in Les Sables d’Olonne. But in terms of the overall sponsorship spend

Twenty-one years after their first successful defence, Emirates Team New Zealand did it again to keep the America’s Cup in Auckland, with a 7-3 win against a strong challenge from Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. The result confirmed New Zealand as the domi

A government decision to allow sailors in Great Britain to continue using red diesel has been celebrated by industry bodies and boat owners alike. British Marine called the budget announcement by chancellor Rishi Sunak on 3 March a ‘red letter day fo

All photos by Studio Borlenghi; Harry KH/INEOSTeam UK; C Gregory/INEOS Team UK ■

After three unsuccessful entries in 1987, 1988 and 1992, Sir Peter Blake changed the team’s name to Team New Zealand and introduced the silver fern logo. The boats were black and Blake’s lucky socks were red. Skipper Russell Coutts, in Black Magic, l

Since being beaten in the Prada Cup finals in Auckland, Sir Ben Ainslie has quietly stated that his long-term aim remains – to bring the Auld Mug ‘home’, to lead the first British team to win the America’s Cup since the famous race around the Isle of

Most of the ‘there I was…’ stories in sailing magazines tend to continue with, ‘and the waves were forty feet high,’ or some such eye-catching statement. This one doesn’t, but don’t despair. Read on and all will be revealed. Instead of a maritime cal

My wife Susie and I had become Day Skippers with ‘Sail Ionian’ a family company based in Vlihko on the Island of Lefkada in Greece, then having completed my Coastal Skipper practical course with ‘First Sailing’ earlier this year we now felt confident

It was some years ago that yacht designers spotted that racing yachts of the IMOCA generation possessed hulls that could be easily adapted to cruising yachts. At the most basic level, you just need to take a look at Ellen Macarthur’s Kingfisher circa

This is a highly individual boat that is the preferred choice of a set of sailors who know exactly what they are after. Yet despite its reputation as a somewhat extreme brand, the 44 was mild mannered, voluminous and comfortable. In this respect it s

Designed by Marc Lombard, the RM 1370 is probably the closest rival to the 44. This epoxy/ply design is arguably more luxurious and less performance orientated. It features the option of a lift keel and similarly startling lines. rm-yachts.com Anothe

Can a 24ft Cornish Crabber with a lifting keel circumnavigate the island that is the south of England? This rather fanciful idea came into my head and refused to go away. Like many owners of small boats I thought I might sail round Britain one day bu

What with the Olympics and the America’s Cup, much of the recent development in sailing clothing has been focused on racing gear. While the Olympics have been postponed, and we probably don’t want to think too hard about the AC36 following Ben Ainsli

This is the 9th edition of Mark Fishwick’s evergreen publication and it’s testament to what a useful guide it is. Fishwick is a local lad who first put this guide together in 1988 and it has retained its popularity due to its excellent mix of in dept

When approaching from any direction, the first landmark you’ll pick up on the horizon will be Portland Bill Lighthouse. Opened in 1903, the red and white striped tower is distinctive in its design and marks out the southernmost point of the Isle of P

Given that we’re spending a bit more time at home than is normal at the moment, we felt like this might be a time to look at some of the most popular You Tube channels out there for sailors. I’m going to front up here and say that, personally, I can’

As with all marinas on the south coast of England, there is a plethora of cruising opportunities. You could head for the buzzing east coast, with Lymington, Brighton and Cowes just some of the many options for daysails or longer trips away from your

Just weeks after the end of the America’s Cup, many of the same skippers will be resuming their on-water rivalries as the SailGP series kicks off in Bermuda. Big names from the America’s Cup, who each played key roles on one the AC75s, are Jimmy Spit

This was my second time in Gijon. As I arrived in the early hours of the morning, there was a welcome sense of familiarity emanating from this old working city located in the centre of the Biscay-toughened Northern coast of Spain. I had set off saili

Watching the videos of AC75s hurtling toward the boundary zone, listening to the tactical conversations and weighing up the options has been fascinating for those of us dreaming about getting back onto our waters. Though the racing rules for the AC s

Farr Horizon is a fantastic full bluewater specification Farr 50 Pilot House built by BSI Marine in Sweden and has had just three owners since new. This is the three cabin, three heads layout with twin staterooms. Push button furling cutter rig with

We’re good at being well-prepared for storms. We watch the forecasts and stay out of cyclone belts and play the game of the cruising season properly. But a squall is a far more elusive creature than a storm. A squall can appear out of nowhere and ala

I f there are any children reading this, you may not remember the days when ‘going foreign’ involved face to face time with a customs officer. You couldn’t do customs online back then because the only thing than ran on lines were trams; you had to ‘c

“I can’t possibly get back on that boat!” I was sat on a beach that adjoins the small town of Komiza on the Island of Vis trying to comfort a sobbing charter guest who seemed to have muddled up having a severe hangover with seasickness. “In fact,” sh