Predicting changes in apparent wind will make you a safer, faster sailor, says Martin Watts
Sailing skills
‘We were within seconds of striking rocks in the Swinge’
Octogenarian adventurer Peter Baylis gets a scare in the Channel Islands when sailing to Alderney via the Swinge
Expert advice: boating food
When it comes to boating food what you are likely to eat, or plan on eating, will depend entirely on the sort of sailing or boating you are planning on…
Why twin headsails are best downwind
Crossing the Atlantic from Cape Verde to Barbados took us just 13 days in our 1998 Lagoon 410, Cushla Na Mara. In preparation for this trip, I spent time experimenting…
Sailing the English Channel for the first time
Sailing the English Channel for the first time can be a daunting prospect, especially if your sailing experience so far has been in local waters, mostly remaining within a few…
Expert advice: improvements below decks
For all that owning a cruising yacht brings up ideas of cruising under blue skies over azure waters on deck in full sunshine, in truth, a significant amount of time…
Expert advice: mooring a boat
Mooring a boat can be difficult for even the most experienced yacht owner, and for those who are just starting out on their boating journey it can be a, frankly,…
Surviving a storm in harbour: lessons learned
After surviving a storm in harbour while moored in Sicily, Trevor McIlwaine asks himself - do I really like to be beside the seaside?
Yacht Radar: How to find your way in any weather
To the uninitiated, radar can seem like a dark art. The splurge of blobs would look more at home in the Tate Modern than the nav station. Recent advances in…
Saving fuel when under engine for greater efficiency
Slower isn’t necessarily more efficient when motoring. Christopher Smith explains why