The life of a live-aboard 5: equipped for comfort
Living onboard a boat can be as simple or as complicated as you want. All you basically need is a way to make the boat go, a way to stop her and a way to tell where you are. But,…
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.
Green with a blue horizon: first time crossing
When I first saw that glimpse of land at 12:05pm on the 11th May after 31 days at sea, tears welled up in my eyes as a sense of relief. That lingering question that had been in my mind for…
Vale CYCA life member John Messenger
It was with great sadness the Board of the CYCA recently announced the passing of John “Messo” Messenger, an active member for over 30 years, a life member and former commodore who gave his heart and soul to the club….
More America's Cup changes leaked to the Italian media
The tail is certainly wagging the dog in the America's Cup right now. It seems Team New Zealand is unable to control their Italian partners, with more information leaked by the Challenger of Record, as this report from Stuff.co.nz shows:…
Sanya Serenity Coast on course for Leg 1 Clipper Race victory
Sanya Serenity Coast is on course to take line honours for the Atlantic Trade Winds Leg 1 as it is expected to be the first boat in to Punta del Este later today. Although it has a wind hole to…
No racing on final day gives Burton silver and Wearn bronze at Laser Worlds
(Split, Croatia) – The second electrical storm of the week at the Laser Standard Men’s World Championships passed by Split today while the fleet were held on shore. Although it was not directly overhead, it was strong enough to destroy…
Azzurra wins only race on opeing day of Menorca TP52 Super Series
(Tuesday 19th September, Menorca) – A complicated, challenging weather situation resulted in just one race being sailed on the opening day of the 52 SUPER SERIES’ season decider – the Menorca 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week – but a confident…
Coast Guard leaders to collaborate on piracy and marine pollution
The Maritime Executive. By Noel Tarrazona Coast Guard officers from over 30 countries agreed to establish inter-regional collaborations to address the rising threats of piracy and marine pollution during the Coast Guard Global Summit held in Tokyo last week. The…
Mixed results from Stealth Mode tactics in Clipper Race
As several teams have re-emerged from Stealth Mode, the leader board is looking a little clearer and Sanya Serenity Coast remains in the lead. More than half the teams in the fleet have now employed their ‘invisibility cloaks’ during Race…
Sydney-bound reed raft nearing completion in Chile
Arica, Chile: on a lonely stretch of desert beach in the extreme north of Chile, a reed-raft is taking shape. It has no rudder, uses eucalyptus and bamboo for the masts and cabins, rope made from native agave plants, and…
Burton and Wearn in medal position at Laser Worlds
(Split, Croatia) – Fears of wind coming from all directions on the second day of ‘Finals’ at the Laser Standard Men’s World Championships were unfounded when a westerly breeze developed just after noon. All three fleets were sent afloat to…
Race winner Martin Strömberg joins Turn the Tide on Plastic
Sweden’s Martin Strömberg, a three-time race veteran and winner from the 2011-12 edition, is joining skipper Dee Caffari’s Turn the Tide on Plastic team for the Volvo Ocean Race. Strömberg, who will be a watch captain, helmsman and trimmer, adds…
Tassie sailors brave wind, wet and winter-like chill
Tasmanian sailors took to southern coastal river waters over the weekend, braving westerly winds gusting to 30 knots, chilling rain squalls and overnight night temperature down into single figures to the traditional Pipe Opener Series. The Pipe Opener, the traditional…
Hit the road Jack – sailing royalty farewells its King
The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, farewelled one of Pittwater and Sydney’s all-time great sailors and much loved club Life Member, Jack Gale, on Thursday 14th September 2017. With close to 400 people in attendance, including America’s Cup Skipper, James…
Wearn and Burton into top three at Laser Worlds
(Split, Croatia) – The weather changed again for the first day of Final Series racing in the Laser Standard Men's World Championship in Split, Croatia. The start of racing was delayed to wait for an impressive electric storm with golf…
First Fareast 28 Australian Championship announced
Fareast Yachts Australia is organising its first 28R championship. Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club is hosting the event on 4-5 November. Like to give the 28R a try? there will be crew opportunities and Fareast has a brand new 28R…
Rikki's new Aussie adventure in Pittwater to Paradise
New Zealand yacht Rikki is confirmed for the Pittwater to Paradise Race and the bright red Reichel-Pugh 42 is due to arrive in Pittwater mid-December, well in time for the single line start on January 2, 2018. Owner Ray Haslar…
Australia finishes second at New York Yacht Club Invitational
Newport, Rhode Island: The morning dawned with dense fog and little breeze on Narragansett Bay, but by mid-afternoon the sky had cleared and the same could be said of any ambiguity regarding which was the best team at the 2017…
Australia moves into contention at Laser Worlds
The final day of qualifiers in Split, Croatia delivered the promised 20-knot south-easterly wind, gusting up to 27 knots, lending itself to great surfing conditions downwind with a tough workout upwind. If there were any doubts that Laser sailing is…
Koa takes treble in Flinders Islet Race
Outstanding conditions delivered a record-breaking run to win the treble for Andy Kearnan/Peter Wrigley’s Koa in the Flinders Islet Race 2 of the CYCA’s Blue Water Pointscore this weekend. Taking 18 minutes off the 63ft Loki’s record from 2010, Koa,…
Laidlaw’s Aguila wins Coutts Quarter Ton Cup
Winds ranging from 5 knots to 27 knots provided a thorough test for competitors at this year's Coutts Quarter Ton Cup, with few teams able to maintain a consistent performance across such a wide range of conditions, so for most,…
Olympic medallist Kontides in control at Laser Worlds
Split, Croatia: Following a delayed start, a single race was held on the second day of the 2017 Laser Standard Men’s World Championship – and it was worth waiting for. The race committee expected light wind today, so last night…
Battle on between USA and Australia for New York Yacht Club Invitational
Newport, Rhode Island: Day 4 of the 2017 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup was the sort of day when things can and did go wrong, but the top two from the USA and Australia held strong. The racing…
Slow start for Burton and Stepanovic at Laser Worlds
(Split, Croatia) – At the opening press conference, in Split, Croatia, the 2016 Olympic Gold and Silver medal winners predicted a tough championship with any one of 30 sailors capable of scoring a top five place in the 147 strong…
Youth sailors get on board with the Swan River Etchells
Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Western Australia hosted a great day out for the Etchells Class. Thirty young sailors from the RFBYC Sailing Institute were invited to participate in a regatta with the Swan River Etchells Fleet last weekend….
Clipper fleet match racing after 4000nm
After thousands of nautical miles sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, Visit Seattle, Sanya Serenity Coast, and Unicef again hold first, second, and third position on the leader board. For some, the finish is almost in sight, and for others, the…
Spectacular conditions on day 2 of Coutts Quarter Ton Cup 2017
14 September 2017 – Cowes, UK – The second day of the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup delivered spectacular, though challenging, racing on a glorious day that saw three different race winners and six boats scoring at least one podium result….
Man missing at sea after yacht goes aground near Certraro, Italy
The Maritime Herald, posted by Svilen Petrov The “Great Passion” with two Germans, aged 63 and 67, grounded on rocks off Certraro in the evening of Sep 11, 2017, at 10.30 p.m. They had departed from the Marina di Camerota (Salerno)…
François Gabart on standby for solo around the world attempt
During a press conference this Wednesday at the Paris headquarters of the Macif Group, François Gabart and his sponsor talked about his next competitive target: to try to beat the single-handed round the world record on a multihull (currently held…
Melges IC37 – a new class for Corinthian sailors
ZENDA, Wis. (Sept. 13, 2017) — Melges Performance Sailboats has announced the addition of a new class to the Melges line: The IC37, a 37-foot modern race boat. Exclusively for Group 1 sailors, the strict one-design class will be simple…
Battery explodes on aboard tall ship Windeward Bound in Hobart
By Patrick Billings of The Mercury. A BATTERY has exploded inside the iconic Hobart tall ship the Windeward Bound. Emergency services were called to the scene early this afternoon to render assistance to the 33m vessel. A Tasmania Fire Service…
Doyle launches Delta, a sail for club racers and performance coastal cruisers under 15 metres
Doyle Sails has introduced the latest addition to their performance cruising and racing range, DELTA. Doyle says Delta's high-quality fibre options and layouts offer a modern alternative to the traditional panelled sail construction. Utilizing the same plant and technology as their premier product Stratis,…
CYCA’s Blue Water Pointscore back for Race 2 with Flinders Islet
SYDNEY. Saturday morning will see a fleet of 23 yachts line up on Sydney Harbour for the start of Race 2 of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Blue Water Pointscore (BWPS), the Flinders Islet Race. The 92-nautical mile offshore…
Perth Boat Show opens at new venue on September 22
It’s all hands on deck in Perth as preparations are put in place for the 2017 Club Marine Perth International Boat Show, which is on next weekend. The Show is being built in Elizabeth Quay, with works underway now to…
A high tech Mini Transat for Simon Koster
La Rochelle (FRA), 12 September 2017 – Simon Koster will take the start of the Mini Transat – La Boulangère on 1 October 2017, his third participation. The 29-year-old Swiss sailor has worked relentlessly for two years: in 2015, he came…
Female skippers lead Clipper fleet into Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint
The two female skippers continue to dominate the leader board with the teams led by Nikki Henderson and Wendy Tuck in the top two positions as they begin the first Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint of the Clipper 2017-18 Race. Visit…
Volunteers wanted for Volvo Ocean Race village in Melbourne
The Volvo Ocean Race is coming to Melbourne over the Christmas/New Year’s period this year and big crowds are expected at Docklands during this time. Race organisers will create a race village and dockside experience complete with bars, restaurants, entertainment,…
With friends like this… man sinks mate's Land Rover while launching his boat
By Anthony Joseph in The Daily Mail. A boat owner, who borrowed a friend's Land Rover to launch his vessel, ended up sinking the car in the harbour. The man was using the £10,000 Land Rover Discovery to reverse a…
Irma sinks cruising couple's dreams
By Angela Daniels of The Herald Live. Left with nothing but a borrowed pair of shorts, a T-shirt and a phone, a Port Elizabeth woman and her husband are now trapped on a Caribbean island after narrowly escaping Hurricane Irma…
Life on a lean as King Neptune visits the Clipper fleet
Today marks a third day at the top of the leader board for Visit Seattle, which is followed closely by Sanya Serenity Coast and Unicef in second and third place respectively as teams re-acclimatise to the angled upwind tropics sailing…
