Route du Rhum – all systems go
The big day is approaching and with just 12 days to go until they set sail across the Atlantic, the 123 entries in the 11th Route du Rhum are making for Saint Malo and its famous ramparts en masse. The…
All News
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.
Isle of Wight ferry hits yachts at Cowes harbour
BBC News A ferry has hit several yachts and run aground off the Isle of Wight. The Red Falcon “came into contact” with a number of boats while trying to berth at Cowes Harbour, operator Red Funnel said. None of…
Newport-Coffs – holiday mecca to turn on home-town hospitality
Nothing builds a hard-earned thirst like a tight and tactical offshore race up NSW’s coastline, but fortunately there’s a certain summer holiday town awaiting with that first ale and some home-style hospitality. Coffs Harbour is the perfect finishing port for…
The Whitsundays vote Abell Point Marina the region's Major Tourist Attraction
At a black-tie event hosted in the Whitsundays this weekend, Abell Point Marina were once again named Major Tourist Attraction for the region. The 2018 Whitsunday Tourism Awards was supported by over 370 tourism operators, employees and industry stakeholders gathering…
Lepage to be evacuated from sinking yacht this morning
French solo yachtsman Loïc Lepage is expected to be evacuated from his dismasted yacht Laaland shortly after first light on Tuesday (23:30 UTC Monday). By then both the bulk carrier Shiosai and the sailing yacht Alizes II will have reached…
Rob Dickinson (Orillo Films), winner of the second edition of the Mirabaud Sailing Video Award
October 22, 2018 – English producer Rob Dickinson (Orillo Films) is the overall winner of the Mirabaud Sailing Video Award 2018. Dickinson submitted a film recounting team AkzoNobel's journey in the Volvo Ocean Race 17-18. A very dynamic and entertaining…
Asko Appliances wins Race 2 of 18 Footer League Spring Championship
The Asko Appliances 18ft Skiff team of James Dorron, Harry Bethwaite and Paul Montague brilliantly won the start in today's Race 2 of the Spring Championship then dominated the race with a faultless exhibition to win by 1m15s on Sydney…
Twice as nice: Kuznetsov crowned Melges 32 World Champion
CAGLIARI, Italy (October 20, 2018) – On a very intense, final day of racing in Cagliari at the 2018 Melges 32 World Championship hosted by Yacht Club Cagliari, defending 2017 Champion Pavel Kuznetsov at the helm of TAVATUY with tactician…
Light winds hinder penultimate day of Extreme Sailing Series San Diego
It was a long day for the Extreme Sailing Series fleet as light winds teased the teams on the penultimate day of racing in San Diego. Despite the challenging forecasts for the afternoon, Race Director John Craig remained optimistic as…
Golden Globe Race: Loic Lepage situation under control for now
Dateline 21.10. 2018 – Hobart, Tasmania. SITUATION UPDATE At 15:00 UTC on October 21. At 18:27 UTC on Saturday 20th Oct. the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre at Canberra (JRCC Aus.) picked up a distress beacon alert from French solo skipper Loïc…
Vale Robin Crawford, yachtsman and philanthropist
Well-known yachtsman and philanthropist, Robin Crawford, died peacefully at home on Thursday evening, October 18, after an extended battle with cancer and dementia – he was 70. Daughter Clare explained, “It was the dementia that really diminished him. I know…
Double points decider sees Team Oman Air take the Extreme Sailing Series San Diego Act trophy
Tight, tense racing thrilled the Californian crowds that gathered on Harbor Island, as Team Oman Air topped the US Act podium on day four of Extreme Sailing Series San Diego – thwarting Alinghi in the final races of the day….
Gold for Cumberland Charter Yachts at Tourism Awards
More than 370 people from across the Whitsundays’ tourism sector came together on Saturday in Airlie Beach for the industry’s ‘night-of-nights’ at the 2018 Whitsunday Tourism Awards, recognising businesses that have a solid business plan and continually innovate their products….
Mary to Straddie: A father son moment
Many Brisbane-based cruisers will be interested in traversing the waters of the sunshine coast to and including the Great Sandy strait (GSS). My son and I recently made a delivery voyage over this stretch of the Coral Sea, commencing in…
Northwest Passage #3: Nome to Cambridge Bay
Abel Tasman is a 23 metre Bermuda schooner derived from the elegant lines of America 1, which was designed by George Steer. With her clipper bow and tumblehome sides she was built in 1981 in Westerbroek, Netherlands and is now…
The tragedy and the mercy: the sad story of Donald Crowhurst
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity.” – T.E. Lawrence The story of Donald Crowhurst and the saga…
The impossible dream? Avocet's first voyage.
In 1953, on the banks of the Tamar River, a freshly-built cutter sat in the pine shavings and sawdust waiting to be launched. She measured 12.8 metres and built of King Billy pine with celery top decks. She had a…
CH tests the Seawind 1260
It has been over 30 years now Australian multihull builder, Seawind Catamarans, has been supplying the world with its range of personal and charter designs. You would think they have the process nailed pretty well by now. If anyone still…
Buying a boat in SE Asia: hints and tips
Thinking of finally buying your dream boat and setting off into a cruising lifestyle? Daunted by the actual details of looking for a suitable boat, or the costs of purchasing and setting the boat up for long-term cruising? Keen to…
Mem-orable day for Paul and Michelle Boutchard
Paul and Michelle Boutchard today returned to yacht racing on the River Derwent on their J35, Mem, after a break of more than a year, and scored four Division 1 wins. Today was the first day of the Combined Clubs…
Golden Globe Race: MAYDAY alert from Loic Lepage
At 18:30 UTC, French solo yachtsman set off the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) on his yacht Laaland after being dismasted earlier in the day some 600 miles SW of Perth Western Australia. The incident began 5 hours earlier when…
Eighth Coastal Classic win for Frank Racing
The Waitemata put on a dazzling display of sailing for spectators of the 36th PIC Coastal Classic yacht race this morning, with 165 boats starting the epic journey from Auckland to Russell in the Bay of Islands. Every year since…
Wendy Tuck takes major awards at 2018 Australian Sailing Awards
Wendy Tuck, who this year became the first female skipper to ever win a round the world yacht race, has scooped the pool at the 2018 Australian Sailing Awards in held in Sydney tonight. Tuck took out the top honour…
Huge combined effort produces IRC certificates in Tasmania
A total of more than 50 Tasmanian yachts now have IRC certificates, near 30 for the first time, thanks to the combined efforts of Tasmanian IRC measurer Fred Barrett, Australian Sailing and the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in the…
Golden Globe Race: Mark Slats due to arrive at Hobart film gate
At 08:00 UTC Friday, (18:00 local time Hobart) Dutch sailor Mark Slats was 230 miles from the BoatShed.com Hobart film drop, making 7.4 knots in what he describes as excellent conditions. “Flying along. Just made contact with Tasman Maritime,” the…
Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe: Prepare for Ultime class
Get ready for the most spectacular show on water as six of the world’s fastest multihulls prepare to rampage across the Atlantic in the 40th anniversary staging of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. Setting sail from Saint Malo in Brittany…
2018 Melges 32 Worlds – all set for final showdown in Cagliari
Cagliari, Italy: After only one race at the Melges 32 World Championship in Cagliari today, the final day of competition on Saturday local time is guaranteed to be intense and pressure driven. As Matteo Balestrero at the helm of Giogi…
Coastal Classic 2018: It was a good one – for being on the wind
Considering that the fleet was on the wind for the entire race from Auckland to Russell, the PIC Coastal Classic was deemed “a good one”, by competitors who were enjoying the Bay of Islands’ sunshine after the race. As the…
Harbor Island buzzes at Extreme Sailing Series San Diego opener
San Diego Bay and its banks were buzzing with activity today as the Extreme Sailing Series came to town for the penultimate stop on its 2018 global tour. The Californian crowds swarmed to Harbor Island as the world-class international fleet…
Team Oman Air hunts down Alinghi on Day 2 of Extreme Sailing Series
The hunters became the hunted as Team Oman Air closed the gap on Extreme Sailing Series frontrunners, Alinghi, on the second day of racing in San Diego. Having seen some strong results on the opening day of the Act, Oman…
Upper Harbour Championship goes to Sydney Sailmakers
Nick Press and Andrew ‘Noddy’ Hay (Sydney Sailmakers) have taken out the first major 12ft skiff regatta for 2018-2019, the Upper Harbour Championship, hosted by Lane Cove 12 Foot Sailing Skiff Club (LC 12ft SSC) this afternoon. It means the…
Iain Percy launches Belfast facility to develop vessel that will require no fossil fuels
Artemis Technologies, a spin-off from America’s Cup team Artemis Racing, is to establish a new facility in Belfast Harbour, initially creating 35 jobs, in a bid to return commercial shipbuilding to the city. The company led by double Olympic gold…
Swedish match racing event introduces new mixed team concept and new venue
In June 2019, a new international match racing event will take place on the Swedish west coast. Midsummer Match Cup in Skärhamn on the island of Tjörn will not only introduce a new fantastic venue for professional match racing, the…
Team Magic from South Africa wins second Fareast 28 World Championship
The second FAREAST 28R World Championship came to an end after four days of racing at the beautiful venue of Fuxian Lake, Yunnan, China. Located at 1750m above sea level, this fresh water lake provided some challenging conditions during the 11 races….
Charitable trust announces plans to build a replica of the 1893 racing yacht Britannia
A charitable trust has announced plans to build a replica of the 19th century racing yacht Britannia. The K1 Britannia Trust says that construction is due to begin next year and the finished yacht will be unveiled at the 2021…
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: One week to close of entries
Prospective entrants for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s (CYCA) 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race have just one week before entries close, when they can join the 80 already submitted, inclusive of a record five super maxis and 12…
Sturrock, Sanders and Fischer among inductees into Sailing Hall of Fame
Sailing in Australia is celebrating the rich history of the sport with the announcement of the 2018 Australian Sailing Hall of Fame inductees. The latest group of inductees will join the likes of the America’s Cup Team of Australia II…
International Fleet set for RORC Transatlantic Race
Crew from all over the world will be competing in the 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race which sets off from Marina Lanzarote, Arrecife on Saturday November 24th. The 3,000 nautical mile-long race to Grenada is the final challenge in the Royal…
To boldly go – the voyages of the Starship Enterprise … so far
It was a forlorn Anthony “Captain” Kirke who arrived at Geographe Bay Race Week in February 2017. The plan had been for his Farr 40 “Enterprise” to sail in IRC Racing Division. The entry was paid up, the crew was…
The final voyage of the Patanela, the Aussie boat that vanished without a trace
Pedestrian TV. By Josephine Rozenberg-Clarke. Exactly 30 years ago today, on October 16 1988, a 19-metre schooner called the Patanela set off on a month-long voyage from Fremantle, WA‘s busy port city, with an end destination of Airlie Beach, part…
