Weather data is getting easier and cheaper to download. Sam Fortescue reviews the latest options and chooses the best weather apps for sailors
Weather
Golden Globe Race: ‘It is a mixture of luck, working out the weather, and keeping the boat moving’
Solo sailor Simon Curwen has led the 2022 Golden Globe Race from the start. A 'racer at heart', he shares how he is riding the weather systems in his Biscay…
Winter sailing: how to extend your cruising season
Autumn and winter sailing can often provide some truly memorable days afloat. Rachael Sprot shares how to extend your cruising season
Sailing in lightning: how to keep your yacht safe
How much of a concern is a lightning strike to a yacht and what can we do about it? Nigel Calder looks at what makes a full ‘belt and braces’…
Reeds Cloud Handbook: book review
Reeds Cloud Handbook is a comprehensive pocket guide, and deserves a place in your sailing library onboard, says Julia Jones
Are cumulonimbus clouds cause for concern?
What would you do if you were sailing towards a cumulonimbus cloud? James Stevens answers your questions of seamanship
‘The hurricane had us confined to the aft cabin for 24 hours’
Holly Turner shares some lessons from a turbulent hurricane season in the Caribbean with a 10-month-old baby and Scrumpy the Jack Russell
Storm sailing: ‘The boat was slammed over and water poured in’
Randall Reeves leaves the storm jib in its bag while braving the Southern Ocean to prove that speed is safety when storm sailing
‘Lightning destroyed the boat’s electronics’
Paul Tinley recounts a truly shocking lightning experience aboard his Beneteau 393 Blue Mistress and the subsequent insurance claim
How to cope with gusts and squalls
Spikes in wind strength can range from a blustery sail to survival conditions. Dag Pike explains how to predict which it will be and what to do when the wind…