ARC fleet ready to leave on Sunday
The majority of the ARC fleet is now gathered in Las Palmas for what promises to be a spectacular start on Sunday November 22nd. The marina is packed to the gills and bustling with activity and colour as over 200…
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.
Cruising Helmsman December 2009
In the December issue of Cruising Helmsman, Jon Neeves, Andrew Bray and the team at CH take some of the mystery out of radar and AIS, with an overview, buyers' guide and in-depth look at the new Navico broadband radar…
Sturrocks undergoes strategic rebranding
High profile lifestyle apparel retailer Sturrocks has undergone a major rebrand set to revolutionise the way it does business. The initiative, launched today, sees the multi-brand store reposition itself with a new name, a redeveloped retail site, an expanded product…
Sail Sydney entries close today
Entries for Sail Sydney 2009, the former Sydney International Regatta, close today, Friday 20th November 2009, so get your entry in now! This ISAF Grade 1 Olympic and Youth classes event, organised by Yachting NSW, is the second leg in…
Grouparama to re-start Jules Verne attempt in January
After intending to sail directly for the technical base in Lorient, Franck Cammas and his crew have finally decided to make for South Africa to carry out repairs under good conditions. Cape Town is around five days away and Groupama 3 could…
ISAF President's report
Quite a few things have happened in the world of sport that will have a profound influence since we last met in Warsaw [at the 2009 ISAF Mid-Year Meeting in May]. First I would like to congratulate our Brazilian friends…
Manson Anchors introduce the world's first aluminium racing anchor
Manson Anchors introduce the world's first aluminium racing anchor to the Australian anchor market: the Manson Racer. Manson Anchors detected a gap in the Racing Yacht industry for an inexpensive anchor specifically tailored for Racing Yachts. The Manson Racer allows…
Garmin® Unveils Next Generation Network MFD Chartplotters
Garmin have announced its next generation in large-format multi-function displays – the GPSMAP® 6000 and GPSMAP 7000 series with Garmin G Motion technology. Delivering map panning and zooming with virtually seamless graphical updating in all dimensions, these new chartplotters also…
Sail Brisbane ready for top competitors
With just over a week to go until the start of the 2009 Sail Brisbane regatta preparations are in full swing for competitors and organisers alike with a strong field set to compete in the first round of the 2009…
Barker chooses to race the red hot Russians in the semi-final at Louis Vuitton Nice
Emirates Team New Zealand has selected Synergy Russia Sailing Team to race in the semi final round of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d'Azur. Team New Zealand and skipper Dean Barker were the best team in the rounds robin,…
Deckeye View: Lexus Adelaide to Port Lincolm Race
A heady cocktail of heavy weather, competitive boats and tight regatta racing made this year's event one to remember, at least for those who survived it, reports Kevin Green. The onshore wind rapped the halyards hard and spray lashed the…
Deckeye View: Ocean Crossing
Trade-wind sailing at its best, the ARC rally to the Caribbean, was an adventure that sailor Andrea Treleaven nearly missed out on. Casting offAfter taking delivery of a new Beneteau Oceanis 50 in France in July 2007, we sailed down…
By the book…and then some
Regatta Management Cherylle Stone says efficient race management calls for a dedicated team – and some risk management proceedures. PORT STEPHENS, 1100 hours 04 January 2008. The last race of the Nacra and Maricat national championships is underway. Only half…
Speed & Smarts: Upwind troubleshooting guide
WHEN you are racing to windward, do you have trouble pointing as high as other boats? Or is your main problem that you can't go as fast as your competitors? Perhaps it is a bit of both. When it comes…
Your first port of call: Just Cruising by Keith Fleming
Yachts cruising overseas require a little more paperwork than the average airline traveller. Doing the preparation early pays off and avoids nasty fines, as witnessed recently for cruising sailors to Australia. While we all hate the paper work, there are…
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45DS – Cruise in comfort
Launches: Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45DS Launching at Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in May this year, the SO45DS is based on a lengthened and modified version of the popular Sun Odyssey 45 hull, outfitted with an all-new interior design. The…
Rammed at midnight
Even the bleakest situation can have some positive aspects, Don and Agnes Reed discover after being rammed at midnight by a charter boat. On a moonlight night in Turkey our anchored yacht, Honey Moon, was rammed amidships by a Turkish…
Storm winds, storm lessons
By Lin and Larry Purdy: “Was it as rough as you imagined it would be?” people ask about our east to west rounding of Cape Horn. Yes, it was rough. But on reflection, though Taleisin, our 9m (29ft7″) cutter encountered…
Race navigation in the internet age
How to make optimal use of weather data, while keeping a close eye on the opposition, by offshore racing navigator Will Oxley. IN this age of GPS, sophisticated navigation software and the internet, the role of the racing navigator has…
New Sun Odyssey 30i for Australia
The SO30i is a product of collaboration between marine architect Marc Lombard and the Jeanneau design team. The new Sun Odyssey has a performance hull, an injection deck, elegant lines and contemporary interior design in teak. Several versions are available….
Key decisions “deferred” at ISAF meeting
The Council of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) concluded their meeting in Busan, Korea today, with the final decisions made at this year's ISAF Annual Conference. The final day of the ISAF Council meeting at this year's ISAF Annual Conference…
Grinners are winners
FAMILY RACING You don't have to get the gun to be a winner when racing as a parent/child crew, says Mark Rasmussen. HAS THE THOUGHT ever crossed your mind that you might like to return to those long forgotten glory…
Going to the cats
Focus on multihulls Why are catamarans becoming so popular? Is it just a simple case of more bang for your buck? Jon Neeves donned his super-sleuth hat to investigate. It was three years ago, on my wife Jo's and my…
The Alchemists
SUPERYACHT PEOPLE Thinking big and fulfilling dreams in the glamorous world of superyachts takes special people as Lynn Fitzpatrick finds out by talking to those with that Midas touch. If anything, Andrew Farkas knows how to build it big. Farkas…
Latitudes of largesse
SUPERYACHTS The gap between superyachts and everything else out on the harbour is as wide as you could imagine, reports Fiona Harper. It could be said that a club racer on Sydney Harbour and superyacht of 100ft plus have commonality…
101 (make that 7) uses for a cruising cat
Focus on multihulls Geoff and Cherylle Stone discover that there are still plenty of fun things to do with their Grainger catamaran, Subzero, in the off-season. 1. FerryAmong our Port Stephens friends there are some female partners who point-blank refuse…
Buying the right boat for you
Focus on the multihull When it comes to buying a multihull some unique factors have to be considered, reports Jo Djubal. Anybody who has purchased a boat of any size or design can attest to the research needed to ensure…
Through the power maze
Practical: Electrics Bruce and Sandy Meldrum lead the way through the maze of upgrading your power system to meet the demands of cruising in the energy-hungry 21st century. Over the years it is our impression that one of the most…
The sharp end
RACE TRAINING Race training not only sharpens your sailing skills but produces an addictive buzz, as Caroline Strainig finds out when she enrols with Eastsail. There were yachts within a few metres of us on both sides and about another…
The First All New Zealand Class 40
BTBoats is a newly established NZ company, aimed to market and distribute a new all NZClass 40 yacht. BTBoats has announced that it has recently commissioned FarrYacht Design Ltd. to design a new Class 40 yacht. The name of this…
Grouparama sustains damage and abandons Jules Verne attempt
It was at 1216 UT on Monday 16th November, that the skipper of Groupama 3, Franck Cammas, called the Jules Verne Trophy team to inform them that an aft beam bulkhead had broken, leading to serious damage to the float….
Bligh's open boat voyage to be recreated
Talisker, the famous single malt whisky distilled on the Isle of Skye today announced its sponsorship of an epic sailing adventure which will be the first to recreate the exact journey of Captain William Bligh's epic 4,000-mile open boat ‘Mutiny…
Kiwis on top, Russians into the semi-final of Louis Vuitton Trophy in Nice
There's one match outstanding to complete the round robin at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d'Azur, but the four semi finalists are confirmed. Emirates Team New Zealand will win the round robin and have the opportunity to select its…
Denis Thompson appointed PRO for Coffs Paradise race
Australia's best-known professional yacht regatta manager, Denis Thompson, has been appointed Race Director for the inaugural Coffs to Paradise and Sail Paradise events, which will be staged by the Gold Coast's Southport Yacht Club in January. Thompson is well recognised…
May 2008: Arrivals
ARRIVALS Conceived by a yacht builder and experienced ocean racer this rectangular frying pan gives maximum cooking area for minimum stove area. It measures 25 cm x 20 cm with deep 4.5 cm vertical sides creating a pan with a…
Ronstan release new swivel head orbit blocks ™
Award winning blocks now available with stainless attachment points Ronstan has expanded their award winning line of Orbit BlocksTM by introducing several new Swivel Head blocks. These blocks are exactly the same as the original Orbit BlocksTM, except the soft…
Grouparama under way again after frustrating winds slowed progress
The calm conditions colouring the past 48 hours are definitively over: with the arrival of a Brazilian depression system the acceleration has been instant and is set to last for several days. Evidence of this comes with the 70 miles…
Russians on cusp of making the finals at Louis Vuitton Trophy in Nice
Synergy skipper Karol Jablonski and tactician Rod Dawson were wearing huge smiles dockside and expressing their pleasure over a job well done when Philippe Mourniac from All4One approached. “Great job, guys. It was awesome to watch on TV,” said Mourniac,…
Technical Committee announces improvements to ORC rating systems
The Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) has accepted and approved all changes made by the International Technical Committee (ITC) to next year's VPP to be used in ORC International and ORC Club rating systems. This is the first year the ITC…
Thurlow Fisher-City wins second consecutive heat of 18 footers
Michael Coxon, Aaron Links and Trent Barnabas produced another brilliant performance in Thurlow Fisher-City to score their second consecutive victory in Race 2 of the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour today. The trio had to produce their very…
