"A dream gig” is how Giles Scott describes his new position as driver of the British SailGP team, Emirates GBR, adding “It’s a super exciting prospect”. The 36-year-old double Olympic medallist and seasoned America’s Cup tactician was handed the rein

With a multitude of coral reef atolls encompassing aquamarine water, secluded anchorages and miles of low lying coconut palm trees, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d arrived in a tropical paradise when sailing in the Tuamotus in the heart of F

Think of an Italian yacht and I generally think of a stylish cruiser/racer; I’m thinking Grand Soleil, Solaris, Eleva, Italia, ICE yachts – I could go on but the point is made and, frankly I love this genre of yacht. I mean who doesn’t want to sail f

With the buzz of the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show still in the air we’ve rounded up some highlights from this jam-packed marine event. This year, the Farnborough Exhibition Centre had even more in store, housing over 170 exhibitors,with talks from

Fog’s not what it used to be. Time was when our whereabouts was down to an ‘analogue’ estimated position, and any poor masher who hadn’t kept the dead reckoning (DR) up to date was left blundering around in confusion. We know where we are today thank

You can’t always tell a boat that’s had its hull wrapped. It isn’t always about a big logo splashed across the bow or a riot of colour adorning the transom. An increasing number of boatowners are choosing to have a single colour applied and some even

Nautitech was one of the first boatbuilders to bridge the gap between pure cruising catamarans and more sophisticated performance cruisers. It did this by giving its boats better feel on the helm, with the wheels situated outboard, and designing a hu

Given the growth in the sailing holiday charter market in Croatia in recent years, you’ll find most charter companies operate from this destination, including Sailing Holidays with no less than nine charter bases spread throughout Croatia, The Globe

It was a race like no other; six Ultim Class trimarans racing solo, non stop around the world in the ultimate high speed battle across a 22,000nm racecourse starting and finishing in Brest and taking on the mighty Southern Ocean. In the end, the fini

This article is aimed at the many experienced south coast sailors, who have always wanted to go to the Channel Islands, but for one reason or another have never actually made it. It is also for those who have made the trip, perhaps many times, but wh

Poole Harbour, Dorset claims to be Europe’s largest natural harbour and is one of the most delightful, unspoilt havens in the country. As well as being home to an historic quayside, some of the most beautiful, clean beaches, and anchorages on the sou

How often do you hear about initiatives promising to skyrocket hidden talent to the glitzy world of sailing or any other sport for that matter? Generally, a lot of PR fluff that is not really aimed at the likes of grass root/club members but more lik

I often ask myself why sailing long distances is so enjoyable, usually when alone on my watch late at night. I think I ask it repeatedly because the answer is always different, like the journey itself. On stormy nights, when tired and stressed, my an

From 2004, Sweden Yachts 42, Freya is a superb example of these much-coveted performance cruising yachts. Her current owner has fitted a new Selden mast for in-mast reefing, accompanied with a brand-new mainsail by Sanders Sails. Below decks, her acc

They say that one of the keys to happiness and wellbeing is self acceptance. The ability to take a good, hard look at yourself and say, ‘well, this is who I am, take it or leave it’ is a hugely important step if you want to achieve a degree of sereni

3-11 August, Bassenthwaite SC, Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria OVERVIEW: Nine days of racing in the beautiful Lake District, with a great family environment. Camping available on site and a full social programme for all ages. Mix of fleet and handicap ra

Do you happen to know the time? It's a common enough question, often shouted from the cockpit to whoever happens to be nearest the chart table, usually because nobody up top wants to push back their sleeves and risk getting their Rolex splashed. Or i

The Arctic Circle has always exerted as fascination for me, partly because it is imaginary, and partly because it spells the start of real adventures. My most recent voyage from Shetland to Arctic Norway non-stop, was born of this fascination – coupl

Wauquiez is a marque that has been much revered in cruising circles since it first started building elegant cruisers back in the 1960s. The boatbuilder arguably reached its zenith with the Centurion 32, a quality fast cruiser that gained near legenda

French boatbuilder Dufour has always sat slightly apart from rivals Beneteau and Jeanneau. Sure, they produce a similar flavour of cruising yacht but it has generally been the case that Dufour aims to be that bit different from their French neighbour

The days of commercial fishing under sail may be long gone in most parts of the world but a band of fishermen in Sri Lanka continue to fight the good fight in search of shrimp. Turn to p66 for a full story on these men who keep ancient traditions ali

Competitive sailing is gearing up for one of its biggest years ever. From the Olympics off Marseille to the America’s Cup in Barcelona, and the Vendée Globe, it’s all going off. That means that there is a strong racing flavour to this year’s new tech

I was recently chatting with someone who participated in one of the Atlantic rallies in the 2000’s. The person in question asked the organiser, a noted old seadog sometimes prone towards being a touch querulous, ‘what are the best places to visit in

As a non-sailor, I was rather alarmed when my husband dropped the bombshell that he would love to mark his 60th birthday year by embarking on a ‘dream’ family flotilla holiday, sailing around the Ionian islands in Greece. Trying hard to suppress the