The latest news from the world of yachting and sailing including yacht & dinghy reviews, cruising and destination information plus the latest boating gear as well as inshore and offshore racing updates and regatta schedules. All things Sailing, Sail Racing, Sailboats and more.
Tahiti Pearl Regatta Even minus wind, sailing in Tahiti provides a tropical feast for the senses. Photo essay by Andrea Francolini. A REGATTA without wind? Yes, this year. But that proves to be a minor detail when you are in paradise….
Two new Dufour models will make their Victorian debut at the 2009 Melbourne International Boat & Lifestyle Show later this month – the Grand Large 425 and 525. According to Antill Marine (the exclusive importer and distributor of Dufour) director…
On a fine Friday in Sydney Harbour, 16 Bavaria Yachts jockeyed for position at the start of the annual Bavaria Yachts Sydney Harbour Regatta. The day dawned sunny and with light, cool easterly breezes, a relief following the three preceding…
In October, 2007, Australian sailor Stephen Ainsworth and his crew of fifteen were air-lifted via helicopter off the blustery coast of Sicily after Ainsworth's 60-foot yacht, Loki, lost its rudder during a gale-wracked edition of the 630-mile Middle Sea Race….
Lightwave catamaran owners have been out and about proving that these yachts not only look good, but are serious bluewater cruisers. A Lightwave 45 is currently participating in an around-the-world rally and another recently returning from completing the Louisiades Rally….
Arrivals Eflare emergency beaconThe latest Eflare floating emergency beacon is a multi-purpose marine light that uses LED technology. It operates as a regulatory white light, torch and flashing safety beacon; all easily controlled by a three way switch on the…
ARRIVALS Memory Map is offering a competitively priced PC charting package tailored for leisure marine users. Starting from $249.95, Memory Map is software and charts combined with no further software required. Just load on to your laptop and plug in…
Double success for Lightwave Catamaran builder, Lightwave Yachts, is celebrating a double – with the launching of its new Lightwave 45 Grande at the 2009 Sanctuary Cove (May 21-24, 2009) International Boat Show and success on the race track. The…
At a gala dinner at Sydney’s Star City Casino with 630 exporters and supporters including guests of honour Nathan Rees MP, NSW Premier, and the Hon Tony Stewart MP, Minister for Small Business, Seawind Catamarans were awarded the title of…
Lowrance has announced an all-new line of marine VHF radios, the fixed-mount LVR-880 and LVR-250 and the handheld LHR-20. The LVR-880 is the first powerful, fixed-mount, DSC-equipped 25/1 watt radio to offer dual VHF and FM radio capabilities. It also…
Sunsail Yacht Charters, based at Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays has added six new yachts to its Australian fleet: two Sunsail 36is, two 39is, one 49i and a 464 catamaran. The Sunsail 36i has two berths and two showers while…
Melbourne sailor Chris McSorley’s footwear company has developed Active Casuals, extremely light and comfortable shoes for wear at the beach, the barbecue or on the boat. They are available in men’s and women’s sizes and various two-tone colours to complement…
The Dragonfly 35, a 10.68m trimaran from Quorning Yachts of Denmark took the European yacht of the year award in the multihulls category at the most recent Dusseldorf Boat Show. The jury of 11 from leading European boating magazines gave…
Henri Lloyd has used its own pioneering technical fabric, TP2 Alpha, to produce its new Phantom wet weather gear. The fabric has been created to deliver a high level of protection to the wearer, while eliminating the debilitating effects of…
Lewmar’s rigging division Navtec applied the first of its fully continuous PBO fibre rigging to the 23m carbon spar for the American Andrews 50 It’s OK. In comparison to discontinuous rigging, where each span is linked by tip cups,…
My boat. Ralph Chant and his wife Cheryle bought their CAL21 as a stop-gap, but have found that she fulfills their requirements admirably. Splash is my wife Cheryl's and my third trailer-sailer. In 2001 we went looking for a TS to…
ARRIVALS The AirDock is a new inflatable dock that is designed to be rigid and stable for many water activities. Its compact and portable design makes it ideal for boaters, campers and cabin owners. The company's AirWeb proprietary design is…
My boat. Ross Barnett believes his Arends 33 is the ideal vessel for a couple to cruise the east coast of Australia in. In the late 1980s after 14 years sailing a Boomerang 20 trailer-sailer Sue and I went looking…
After being involved in several world championship campaigns, Nick Hutton proffers a handy check list SO you're off to the worlds! Well done. All the hard work has paid off and you have been selected in a team to represent…
The Danish-built X-41 One-Design has taken out the award for ‘Best Crossover’ yacht in the US magazine Sailing World’s annual Boat of the Year awards announced last October. More than 60 X-41s have now been sold worldwide, and the first…
Since its inception in France in 2005, the Class40 has become one of the fastest growing offshore yacht racing classes in Europe. Its prime objective is to promote affordable and manageable offshore yachts that can be sailed short-handed or fully…
New from Wichard is Lyf’Safe ready-to-use jacklines, designed to make movement around the decks and operations on board more secure, as crew members attach their safety harness tethers to the jacklines. Lyf’Safe can be tailored to the length of the…
The Eveready Dolphin Lantern has been remodelled in response to consumer demand for a modest return to its original styling. The tough, waterproof and floating attributes have remained constant through five redesigns since the Dolphin’s creation in 1967. The Mark…
New arrivals in Seabreeze Industries’ range of marine air-conditioning, refrigeration and sanitation products include the Stowaway Turbo marine air conditioner from Cruisair. An innovation award winner at the international IBEX Marine Tradeshow, The Stowaway Turbo is an optimised design with…
Navico Australia is expanding its distribution network to supply Simrad and Northstar products directly to all Australian dealers and boat-builders from its Sydney logistics centre. Navico Asia Pacific’s chief operations officer John Scott said several factors, including the strengthening Australian…
The Shipmate Pocket Directory, now in its fourth print edition and available free all around Victoria, is also published online at www.shipmate.com.au. Both versions include A-Z listings of marine trades and services by category, plus listings of yacht clubs, marinas,…
The new Sydney City Marine maintenance facility is scheduled to open later this year at Rozelle Bay. Facilities will include a 600 tonne shiplift, a 100t shiplift and a 47t submersible trailer ensuring efficient movement of craft out of the…
The latest Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) from RFD features 406MHz satellite technology combined with GPS to deliver a complete safety beacon package. The RFD ResQFix fits into pockets or safety grab bags and can easily be attached to clothing for…
Like the original 10-inch version, the 8-inch Lewmar OneTouch winch handle has the same patented OneTouch mechanism to allow sailors to squeeze the release lever (which runs the entire length of the handle) and pull to unlock in one easy…
Simrad has introduced two new autopilots, the AP24 and AP28. Easy to use features include programmable, integrated turn patterns, such as S-turns or zig-zags; contour or water depth steering; no-drift and advanced wind steering to keep you on course regardless…
The Pro Deck Shoe is the latest addition to the Burke Marine range. The high performance boat shoe is made from quick dry materials and mesh for drainage and ventilation, offering excellent comfort and support. The “no tongue” design allows…
Gill has added the new Crosswind suit to its thermal line up for sailing in cold conditions and/or overnight races. Using the latest laminate fabric technology, these salopettes provide a soft, low-bulk mid-layer combined with thermal insulation provided by a…
Built to meet the demands of active women on or around the water, Edgewater Sport Zip Water Shoes have lateral support with side mesh vents and neoprene for breathability and easy stretch for a perfect fit. Low water-absorption materials and…
Jeanneau’s deck saloon cruising models are becoming increasingly popular in Australia with the 42DS rapidly becoming the biggest selling model in the range. The DS models offer ease of handling, quality finish and the best owners’ cabin of any aft-cockpit…
The home town of the US Naval Academy is the namesake for Timberland’s latest boat shoe series. An update of their classic boat shoe from 1973, the premium leather Annapolis offers performance on the water and comfort on land. Features…
Jensen Marine’s MSR7007 is an AM/FM/CD stereo unit with waterproof protection suitable for heavy sea conditions. The sealed chassis prevents moisture ingress completely, with heat extracted via a heat sink. The unit is MP3/WMA and iPod compatible, and once an…
Tactick Maxis offer complete re-display of all on-board info using its Auto-Leg racing function, which changes information automatically depending on which leg of a race you are sailing on. The system also includes Start Line Approach calculations and Start Line…
Standard Horizon’s all-in-one package CPV350 incorporates a GPS chartplotter with 7in colour LCD display (12in CPV-550 also available), a commercial grade VHF marine transceiver with ITU Class D DSC, a 30 watt loud hailer and an optional fish finder. It…
Hull Maintenance Special How to select and use the best anti-fouling paint system for your boat, by Bob Ross. ANTI-FOULING a boat is expensive. It's hard and dirty if you do it yourself with the labour of heavy-duty wet- sanding…
DESIGN BRIEF: SWAN 90 Luxury Finnish builder Nautor's Swan will launch a new 90-footer later this year. Nautor's Swan began work on the Swan 90 in October 2005 at its new yard in Pietarsaari, Finland. The model is due for…
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