Yachts & Yachting magazine

MANY YEARS AGO, a yachting journalist, I secured a job at the RYA in their marketing department. Perhaps the most disturbing part of my job was monitoring yachting forums to 'gauge the mood of the average sailor'. Quite frankly, it was a terrifying e

Tom Slingsby’s Australia SailGP Team won the $1m prize in the season’s grand final amid great drama on San Francisco Bay. It was the second overall victory for Slingsby and his team, who were the innaugural SailGP winners in the series’ first season.

An enthusiastic owner new to racing under sail and a crew of experienced sailors at their first J-Class regatta together proved a winning combination as Ranger clinched the Saint Barth’s Bucket J-Class title in March. Under America’s Cup-winning skip

When the inevitable capsize happens, it’s important to signal to opposing crews what your intention is. Here, the sailor still upright is taking a moment to indicate clearly to the fleet fast disappearing towards the next mark: “We’re okay, we’re goi

SailGP commentator Freddie Carr voiced the thoughts of millions of viewers during the San Francisco grand prix in March when the Spanish boat appeared to ride up onto the side of the USA boat, with helm Jimmy Spithill and crew just inches from the Sp

The founder of easyJet has launched easyBoat.com, a new price comparison website for yacht charter. Sir Stelios Hatjiioannou said: “As a keen yachtsman and fair-weather sailor myself I have no hesitation in recommending a holiday at sea with the priv

Pointer Yachts is a Dutch company that has a range of compact weekenders that look stylish and have a pleasing turn of speed. The new 30 is the largest in the range. The hull is relatively slender by modern standards and features a generous sail area

Avid readers of the magazine may recall that in a Previous article published in November 2020 I singlehanded my boat, Shadowfax, to Madeira as part of a trip back to the UK. My partner Emmie and I had decided, that due to Covid, Brexit and trying to

The announcement that the 37th America’s Cup is to be held in Barcelona, Spain in 2024, was met with mixed reaction by the global sailing community, as the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand dramatically declared the choice of venue a day ahead of sc

As Principal of INEOS Britannia, Sir Ben Ainslie has his sights on being the first British team to win in the 171-year history of the Cup. Representing the Royal Yacht Squadron, his team is the Challenger of Record for AC37. It’s a role that gives a

‘Stand by to broach, lads!’ So said Ed, the best helmsman on board, as we raced across the Channel en route for Deauville. A spring ebb was ripping west and the strong northwest wind was doing its best to make the big seas even more difficult. The bo

The decision as to where two of the three Preliminary Regattas will be held remains wide open. We do know that two of those events will be sailed in the new AC40 class - the first of which should be shipped to ETNZ in mid-July, and a second just five

It’s time to get the summer sorted. Now, where shall we go? France is always a favourite, isn’t it? A quick dash across the Channel, for a mouth full of crusty baguette that leaves your mouth feeling sandpapered. Then ashore for an evening’s indulgen

Although it’s already eight months since the Tokyo 2020 Games, the start of the new Olympic cycle really only got going in early April at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca. The Bay of Palma hosted all 10 event Olympic events, four of which are brand

There is a time and place for being showy; and designing a 30 foot or so cruising boat probably isn’t the right time. Life itself can be much the same; Kim Kardashian is an example of a showy person and, while this serves her very well on Instagram,

The Beneteau Oceanis 34.1 is a likeable and clever little yacht. It’s not spectacular or showy but it is well thought out, was easy to handle and sailed impressively in what were extremely trying conditions. The interior was comfortable and there wer

LOA: 10.77m (35ft 4in) Beam: 3.57m (11ft 9 in) Draught: Deep: 2.0m (6ft 6in), Shoal 1.5m (4ft 11in), Lift 1.25-2.55m (4ft 1in-8ft 4in) Sail Area: 49m2 (527sq ft) Disp: 5,470kg (12,059lb) Price: £150,000 ex VAT Contact: ancasta.com ■

The 348 has been around for a few years now but this Judel/Vrolijk design was a trend setter in terms of providing easy handling and high volume at a very competitive price. hanseyachts.co.uk Launched in 2020 by Beneteau’s sister company the Jeannea

In September 1977, at the age of 79, the famous explorer and mountaineer, Bill Tilman set sail from Southampton on the boat of his young protégée, Simon Richardson, to sail to Smith Island in the South Shetland Islands, some 65NM off the coast of Ant

Cowes Week is famous the world over. Seven days of round the cans competition on the prime sailing spot that is the Solent attracts everyone from the grand prix racers of IRC0 and IRC1 to the diminutive yet ever-popular XOD. There’s hot competition t

It has been two years since RYA Zone and National Junior Squads were phased out in a move by the RYA to strengthen the UK sailing scene from grassroots level up. Now there is a vibrant regionally-based race training programme in place that is encoura

• Do not be overoptimistic about your average speed. We had to tack the whole way down the East coast of South America with the Humbolt current pushing against us at 1.5 knots. With a boat that tacked through 110 degrees this made nonsense of my fore

Sailing is a gadget-heavy sport these days, with marine electronics opening up all sorts of exciting and useful possibilities aboard. Data is the name of the game – and how you can use it. Modern instruments from Garmin, Raymarine, B&G and others can

Although it is early days, entries for Cowes Week are running 30 per cent ahead of any year in the last decade, which bodes well for one of the world’s most celebrated sailing regattas. Competitors of a certain age will remember the days when there w

Sometimes there’s no need to upgrade the instruments you have on board because there are tools that allow you to use the existing information more effectively. Honed and widely used on the racing circuit, Adrena software also exists in a cruising ver

When it comes to writing boat reviews, there are times when it is hard not to repeat yourself. When you are testing a 70’ Italian fast cruiser/ racer it’s nearly impossible. So, hell, lets go for it; because, gosh, boats just keep getting bigger don’

each clubs are among the most popular choice for families, couples and solo travellers looking for the ultimate land-based sailing holiday in the sun. Beach clubs offer the ideal option for sailing junkies who enjoy being out on the water in idyllic

Situated on a bend of the River Orwell, Suffolk Yacht Harbour enjoys almost total protection at the spiritual heart of east coast sailing. This is Arthur Ransome country, just a mile downstream of the famous Pin Mill which features in Secret Water an

Understanding how to get the best sail shape for your boat, for all conditions and situations can feel exhausting – and most people brave enough to dive into the neverending spiral that is long articles on aerodynamic science quickly run out of enthu

Crossing the English Channel, or any busy seaway, we must avoid contention with other vessels by following the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, or 'colregs'. On a yacht if you have AIS ensure it is set to transmit that you

“It’s always difficult to know when you start sailing together if it is going to be right, so give it time; people are quite different. I sailed with a couple of others, but Rhos is the right physical size for me as I am quite a small helm, and he ha

When chartering, consider not only the manufacturer and length of the boat, but also how it’s equipped. Check the boat specification carefully. Some companies have a one-size-fits-all approach so their yachts can be a bit generic. But knowing what sp

It’s lucky this is a step-by-step book because it’s likely that you might want its wisdom when all your electrics – including the GPS, of course – are on the blink. Obviously, you’d be wise to do quite a bit of practice before that moment, but there

A fleet of 25 yachts, all from the same manufacturer makes quite a sight, and it’s also one of the few opportunities to see the full range of Oysters together, from the smallest and one of the oldest in the fleet, 2002 Oyster 56 Liberty, through to s

With the spread of Covid-19 creating a worldwide pandemic, countries closing their borders, international flights grounded and travel guidelines changing on a near-daily basis, who would have imagined that Oyster World Rally 2022-23 would not only se

This Judel/Vrolijk designed Baltic 43 has enjoyed just two owners from new and is well equipped with many updates over the years and ready to go. An iconic design and capable of everything from crossing oceans to sailing around the cans. Under her fi

In land life, when you meet someone new, it’s normal to ask “what do you do for a living?”. It’s the go-to, standard intro question and a way of sizing up a stranger. In the cruising life there are equivalent questions but what you do, or perhaps did

It looks good, matches the Gill Spray top and Buoyancy Aid and most importantly it’s easy to set up and use, writes Mark Harrington. As we all know starts are important, even at club level, and I used this watch a couple of weeks ago at my local club

Catalyst makes protective, waterproof cases for iPhones, AirPods, Apple Watches and other devices that “completely protect them from water, snow, dust, dirt, sand as well as the rugged lifestyles of the outdoors…they are designed for life on the wate