Sailing with Pip Hare last week reminded me of my father’s sailing mantra: ‘It’s all about drag.’ I have many memories of fine-sanding the bottom of my dinghies and the…
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Saffier SE33 Life review: Achingly pretty luxury daysailer
Nine! Nine point five! Ten! Eleven! Eleven point five!’ Watching the boat speed climb into double figures in the gusts was addictive; we were broad reaching back up the Needles…
Tragic sinking of superyacht Bayesian; Italian prosecutors investigate
Italian prosecutors are investigating the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the 56m Perini Navi sloop in the early morning of 19 August when a violent storm struck the yacht off…
Get ready for Southampton Boat Show 2024
The Southampton International Boat Show marina is undergoing a significant redesign for 2024 to display the boats by type, making it easier for visitors to move around the pontoons and…
How to deal with an unwell member of your crew
Gerry is regretting taking three novice crew across the North Sea. They are on board Bellatrix, a 12m standard production yacht. They started from Stavanger in Norway and are on…
How to tension your yacht’s rig with wire or rod rigging
If you want to trim your rig correctly you should have some idea of the tension in the shrouds and stays, either by rules of thumb or a more exact…
How to pass your Yachtmaster Practical Exam
The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore has long been the qualification that cruising yacht sailors, both amateur and professional, have aspired to. Quite aside from the fact that it is the gateway…
How to improve power management on a yacht
I confess, I’m not a marine electrician, and my understanding of boat electronics is at best rudimentary, but I’ve now been managing my boat’s power generation and consumption for three…
Scandinavia’s largest regatta: ‘More like a cruising rally than a race’
Cruising yachts in Scandinavia make a beeline for the Danish town of Skagen over every Ascension Day holiday in May. Nearly all of the entrants are production cruisers. This, along…
How to prepare for your Yachtmaster Offshore exam
Many very competent and highly experienced yachtsmen and women don’t have any qualifications at all and are content to keep it that way, but for some reason, not being a…