The Navigator's briefcase
I am often asked what I carry on board for various races and what is in my tool kit as a navigator. The navigator’s tasks on board can be varied. The role requires many specialist tools that would not normally…
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.
Australia’s Conor Nicholas continues to lead Laser Youth Worlds fleet
Day 2 of the Laser Radial Youth World Championships. 195 Sailors hit the water this morning with 6 knots of breeze. After a short postponement while the wind picked up and steadied, all fleets were off with 8-10 knots of…
IRC fleet switches mode for the Australian Championship
The IRC Australian Championship fleet switched modes today, Monday August 17, 2015, to short round-the-buoys racing off Hamilton Island. Two races in to the championship pointscore that falls under the Hamilton Island Race Week umbrella, Karl Kwok’s TP52 Team Beau…
Languishing off the Lizard in Fastnet Race
Progress overnight in the Rolex Fastnet Race has been better than expected with the majority of the fleet having been lured out into the middle of the Channel following the temptation of stronger winds. At 0800 this morning the…
Fastnet crews dieting and preparing anchors ahead of start
A forecast of profoundly light winds is forcing crews to take drastic action before setting off tomorrow on the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Rolex Fastnet Race. With high pressure mid-Atlantic and over Norway, little gradient wind is forecast for the…
Rahm Racing is back in the game after three bullets in M32 Series
In excellent conditions the M32 Series Copenhagen continued with an easterly breeze coming from the land of Sweden. Rahm Racing performed at their top level all day and after a slow start in the previous events they now had their…
Australians just miss top ten at Laser 4.7 Worlds
Sam King has left his best result to the final race of the Laser 4.7 world youth championships at Medemblik in The Netherlands, finishing second in the Gold fleet’s 11th race and 25th overall. The Tasmanian champion and Royal Yacht…
Stephen McCullum on a rollercoaster ride at 2.4mR Worlds
Stephen ‘Rowdy’ McCullum, the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania’s member contesting the International 2.4mR open world championship being sailed in Finland, is having a share of his ups-and-downs in the 109 boat fleet. He began the regatta with an OCS…
Exciting new venues and challenges for 2016 52 Super Series
Two brand new venues feature on the 2016 calendar for the 52 SUPER SERIES and the world’s leading performance monohull circuit enters a successful fifth year. In May the 52 SUPER SERIES will open in Scarlino, Tuscany, Italy and in…
Wallen Racing takes the lead in windy conditions at M32 Series
Today the wind really picked up in Tuborg Havn and Race Director Mattias Dahlstrom ordered the teams to one reef in the mainsail and emphasised the importance of keeping the helmets on at all times. The wind was consistent at…
Light winds expected for start of Fastnet Race
This morning at the RORC's new Cowes clubhouse, a select cross-section of competitors in this Sunday's Rolex Fastnet Race shared their observations about the Royal Ocean Racing Club's biennial 600 mile flagship event. By way of introduction, RORC CEO Eddie…
Kyle O'Connell and Tom Siganto take out 29er Worlds
Media information from the 29er Worlds in Wales plumbed new depths – it was impossible to find any reports. Fortunately, two sources close to Australians who were competing have posted some basic details: Congratulations to 2015 AUS Youth Champs Kyle…
The Australian Sailing Team talks Rio one year out from the Games
One year out from the largest sporting event in the world, the Australian Sailing Team is set to start racing at the second Olympic Sailing Test Event to be held on Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – the Aquece…
Competitors offered challenging final race to end Airlie Beach Race Week
Airlie Beach Race Week came to a close today in shifty 8-18 knot winds on the Pioneer Bay race track, keeping competitors on their toes again. IRC Racing 1, IRC Passage and Cruising Division 1 sailed a 24 nautical mile…
Australian Sailing Team set for Sailing Test Event in Rio de Janeiro
One year out from the largest sporting event in the world, the Australian Sailing Team is set to start racing at the second Olympic Sailing Test Event to be held on Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 15-22 August….
B&G offers free software upgrade that gives navigators valuable startline information
B&G has announced the latest in its software updates for the Zeus2 series multi-functional displays (MFD) and Glass Helm systems. The new software focuses on racing startline technology that helps the navigator put the yacht in the right place at…
Two AUS race winners at Laser 4.7 Youth Worlds
Teenage West Australian Laser 4.7 sailors Zac Littlewood and Zoe Thomson each scored an impressive race win overnight (day 5) at the Laser 4.7 world youth championships being sailed off Medemblik in The Netherlands. Going into the final race tonight…
‘Back to front’ race at Airlie Beach Race Week
Matt Allen has continued his winning run at Airlie Beach Race Week, notching up another victory with Ichi Ban in Race 5 of the Whitsunday Sailing Club’s Tropical Festival of Sailing today. Allen, who is gaining confidence in the TP52…
Record fleet of 372 boats lining up for 90th Fastnet Race
Marinas around the Solent are already bristling with activity in the build-up to this Sunday's start of the world's largest offshore yacht race, the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Rolex Fastnet Race. A record-sized fleet, at present standing at 372…
Airlie Beach Race Week: ‘Stay Tuned’ says Graham Sherring
Sports Boat fanatic Graham Sherring is the owner/skipper of a Leech 650 he named ‘Stay Tuned’, and that was the message he sent rivals at Airlie Beach Race Week yesterday, when he won Race 5 of the Whitsunday Sailing Club’s…
O'Connell and Siganto lead 29er Worlds after three finals races
Information coming out of the 29er Worlds at Pwllheli in Wales is hard to come by, but the news for Australia is good after three races in testing conditions. Kyle O'Connell and Tom Siganto have opened up a solid seven…
Cool Change capsizes at Airlie Beach Race Week
A 30 knot gust of breeze out of nowhere resulted in the 10.9 metre multihull, Cool Change, capsizing during Race 6 at Airlie Beach Race Week today, but her owner and all crew members were safe and back on land…
An excellent article looks at the strengths, weaknesses, trials and tribulations of Grant Dalton
NZ Herald. By Dylan Cleaver. It is a miserable day on the Solent, a grey strip of water that separates the southern coast of England from the Isle of Wight. The teeming rain, tidal currents and fluky winds will make…
Second win for Zoe Thomson at Laser 4.7 Youth Worlds
Australian teenage sailor Zoe Thomson has won her second race in the girls’ division of the International Laser 4.7 world youth championships being sailed off Medemblik in The Netherlands and is in eighth overall in standings. With a 11th place…
‘Mojo’ working well for Peter Wilcox at Airlie Beach Race Week
Peter Wilcox well and truly has his mojo back, leading the Multihull Racing class with his Schionninggforce1500 design, ‘Mojo’ at Whitsunday Sailing Club’s Airlie Beach Race Week, heading into the last day of racing tomorrow. Second place today means a…
Artemis adds two Swedish Olympians to their sailing squad
Stockholm, 13 August 2015 – Artemis Racing has strengthened its sailing team with two new Swedish team members, Anders Gustafsson and Kalle Torlén; both Olympians, but from very different backgrounds. The pair join up with fellow Swedish Olympian, and London 2012 Champion, Fredrik…
Ichi Ban consolidates at Airlie Beach Race Week
Matt Allen pulled off his fourth straight win at Airlie Beach Race Week today to consolidate his lead in in IRC Racing Division 1, after a long day on the water, with racing starting at 9.30am this morning in 20-25…
Hurricane season has begun in Pacific and Atlantic
A growing El Nino in equatorial Pacific tends to suppress hurricane activity in the Atlantic but enhance it in the Pacific. This is certainly the case so far for the season. Ocean Navigator discusses the likelihood of the season for…
Families concede missing sailors are “not coming back”
The Mercury. By Nokuthula Ntuli. Durban – Families whose loved ones were on the catamaran Sunsail that went missing in the Indian Ocean in January, are now considering having the three men declared dead. While they have not given up…
Chagos Islands need cruiser input into UK survey, anyone can apply
The Chagos community are seeking the help of all yachties who have been to Chagos or may go sometime in the future (or who just want to share an opinion). The residents of this remote island chain in the middle…
Inaugural Optimist Nations Cup announced at the ISAF Sailing World Cup – Melbourne
The Optimist Class is a junior sailing phenomenon worldwide. With more than 150,000 competitors in 110 countries and highly organised class associations with the networking and publicity nous to match, it’s no wonder international regatta organisers want to join hands….
WA boy scores second win at Laser 4.7 Youth Worlds
West Australian teenager Caelin Winchcombe has scored his second win of the Interntional Laser 4.7 youth world championship at Medimblik, The Netherlands, jumping from 10th to fifth overall in the massive fleet of 257 of boys from around the world….
Sam Abell and Hugo Allison win Cadet Worlds on Lake Garda
Australia has won the International Cadet World championship for the second consecutive year, with the Tasmanian crew of Sam Abel and Hugo Allison becoming 2015 champions off Riva on Italy’s Lake Garda overnight. Abel (15) and Allison (10) finished third…
Morticia leads multihulls at Airlie Beach Race Week
Multihull favourite, Shaun Carroll’s Morticia is holding onto her lead at Airlie Beach Race Week and has firmed as odds on favourite to take the title at Whitsunday Sailing Club’s annual regatta. Skippered by noted sports boat sailor and ocean…
Ichi Ban and More Noise lead in thrillers at Airlie Beach Race Week
In a thriller to the finish of two windward/leeward races at Airlie Beach Race Week today, Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban has taken the lead in IRC Racing Division 1, while Jason Close scored two more bullets with More Noise in…
Fifth consecutive Danish women's match race win in Lysekil
World #1 Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby today secured her fifth consecutive victory in Lysekil Women’s Match, the 2nd stage of the 2015 Women’s International Match Racing Series (WIM Series). In the final the Dane defeated Stephanie Roble of the USA with…
Quantum Racing crowned TP52 kings of Copa del Rey
Quantum Racing may have won the premier class at the 34th Copa del Rey MAPFRE, TP52s for the third time in a row when they won the final race but tactician Terry Hutchinson considers today’s victory in the fourth regatta…
Late entries lead to second-biggest Hamilton Island Race Week ever
A rush of late entries for Hamilton Island Race Week, which starts next Saturday, has seen the fleet number surge beyond the magical figure of 200. Early today there were 202 entries, making this year’s fleet the second largest Race…
French yacht regatta to be sailed out of RQYS in October
The weekend of Oct 24/25 sees this year’s Spirit Marine French Yacht Challenge and Queensland Beneteau Cup, hosted by the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. Now in its 9th year, the event is organised by the Qld Beneteau Owners Group and…
Close winter racing on chilly River Derwent
With snow-capped Mount Wellington as a backdrop, the fleet in the Bellerive Yacht Club/Tilford Auto Group Winter Series today enjoyed the closest racing of the winter, both in boat-for-boat racing and in handicap results. The outcome, with just one race…
