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Anchor design has really diversified over the last 20 years or so. More traditional designs are still alive and well, but a whole range of so-called "new generation" ground tackle has also emerged, with exciting names like Vulcan and Mantus. These newer anchors feature uniquely shaped ploughs and carefully designed shanks.

In testing, there is no doubt that the newer types of anchor offer better all-round holding than traditional anchors, such as the plough or Danforth types. They set straight away and deal much better with hard or weedy bottoms. But they also come at a much higher price; there is more R&D packed into their high-tensile construction, they use more complex grades of steel and demanding welding, plus there is the expensive marketing… So the first question is whether you really need the superior performance of a new generation anchor for the sailing you’re doing. If not, then a well-designed plough type offers most of the same benefits; or you could even consider a lightweight Danforth-type anchor for fair-weather lunchtime anchoring.

Older designs of anchor