Virgin yachtie
Having a novice friend along for a cruise? Caroline Hynes tells what the experience is like from the crew's point of view and gives tips for others following in her footsteps. I had just started my summer holidays from school….
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.
Yacht owners take the driving challenge at Hamilton Island
It's D-Day here at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week; a mixture of nerves, reticence and resolve written on the faces of the chosen representatives of each yacht as they pit themselves against each other for their biggest test yet –…
NSW sailor takes out radio-controlled Laser title
The inaugural RC (Radio Controlled) Laser Australian National Championship was held on the waters of Iron Cove, Sydney Harbour over the weekend of 15th/16th August. Host club, Dobroyd RC Lasers, could not have hoped for better weather for this landmark…
First ever hat trick for Emirates Team New Zealand at Audi MedCup
Emirates Team New Zealand became the first team ever to win three consecutive MedCup Circuit regattas when they clinched the Portugal Trophy for the TP52 Series today off Portimao, winning by just 1.5 points from Torbjorn Tornqvist's Artemis. With wins…
Another windless day in paradise at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week
Race director Denis Thompson's decision to defer the long island race for the Grand Prix boats today has been vindicated by a total lack of wind first thing this morning. Last night, Denis took the decision to defer the race…
Mariner Boating Holidays launches new concept for yacht club members and local boat owners
The team at Mariner Boating Holidays has come up with a new concept for a get together of yacht club members and local boat owners in this inter-club event on the long weekend in October (02 to 05). Called the…
Courses shifted as Audi Hamilton Island Race Week suffers from lack of wind
All divisions apart from the IRC grand prix fleets had a mixed bag today, enjoying plenty of warm winter sunshine, cloudless skies and conditions “just like the postcards” commented Balance skipper Paul Clitheroe, but with one important ingredient noticeably absent…
From Melbourne to the Whitsundays – a cruising plan
From the land of fine dining to tourquise waters and white sand, William Merritt details his warm weather escape plan. Speaking as a Melbourne-based yachtie, I’m aware that our northern neighbours rarely consider sailing south. To be honest, I can’t say…
Alloy Yachts built Mondango, on show in Monaco
The sensational 51.7metre ketch, Mondango will be showing herself off at the Monaco Yacht Show this year. Featuring a bright, eclectic and sumptuous interior designed by Reymond Langton Design and the sleek and recognisable silhouette of a Dubois yacht –…
Wild Oats takes line honours in race four at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week
The pendulum has swung – again. The two RP66s, Wild Oats X and Black Jack, now have two line honours wins each after Bob Oatley's Wild Oats swept to victory by over five minutes on the shortened island race course…
Competition hots up to win the Audi Australian IRC Championship
The stage is set for high drama as the Audi IRC Championship comes to a close at the end of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week on Saturday afternoon when the winner of the Championship Trophy and a valued Audi vehicle…
Black Jack streets the field in first race at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week
In light airs that had the big boat skippers sending people up the mast to look for wind, Peter Harburg's RP66 Black Jack scored a convincing win. The race started under spinnaker in about 10 knots of wind, with Black…
Aussies still in contention at Laser Worlds
Defending World Champion Tom Slingsby is in 12th position after three days of racing at the 2009 Laser World Championship in Halifax, Canada. The Australian Sailing Team athlete has had mixed results after the opening five races, with a seventh,…
Topsy turvy battle at Audi Hamilton Island as Black Jack bounces back in race 3
The battle for bragging rights in the Grand Prix division at Audi Hamilton Island took another twist this afternoon as Peter Harburg's RP66 Black Jack bounced back from last place this morning to take line honours by 76 seconds from…
Wild Oats wins second race at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week
Bob Oatley's Reichel Pugh 66 Wild Oats X has turned the tables on her rivals, taking line honours in the second race at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week by nearly four minutes. The big silver boat crossed the line at 11.56.38, in front…
Artemis leads Audi MedCup
A polished performance from Paul Cayard and the crew of Artemis won them their second consecutive coastal race and promotes them to the top of the overall leaderboard of the TP52 Series at the Portugal Trophy off Portimao. Cayard attributes…
Emirates Team New Zealand back on top at MedCup
Challenging and, at times, humbling. That was the assessment of Emirates Team New Zealand's navigator Kevin Hall after the Kiwi team posted a third and a first today to lead the Portugal Trophy after five races have been sailed. The…
Rolex Middle Sea Race preparations underway
Two months out from the start of an event the stature and complexity of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, most yacht clubs would be happy to be entering the home straight of processing competitor registrations. Not the Royal Malta Yacht…
Living Doll wins at Airlie Beach race week
The owner and crew of the Melbourne Farr 55 Living Doll were ecstatic last night as they celebrated the Doll's win at Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week. Michael Hiatt couldn't stop grinning as he and his crew lined up…
Carl Crafoord joins Quantum Sails
Carl Crafoord has joined forces with Quantum Sail Design Group to manage their sales and marketing in Australia and Asia. This is an exciting time for Quantum. With the refinement of the Fusion M membrane product, the integration of iQ…
Slingsby gets a win at Laser Worlds
The Australian Sailing Team's Tom Slingsby has finished day one of the 2009 Laser World Championship in seventh position after two races in Halifax, Canada. The two-time Laser World Champion got his campaign for a remarkable third straight title off…
Australians improving – best finish yet at Optimist Worlds
Because each country can send only five sailors to compete at this prestigious event , the Australian team comprised the top five sailors at the 2009 Australian National Championship: Doug Campbell (WA), Mark Spearman (WA), Lloyd Collings (Vic) Paris Stowell…
Frantic activity at Hamilton Island as the fleet gets ready for Audi Race Week
The Hamilton Island marina is a hive of activity as crews prepare nearly 200 boats for tomorrow's start of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. As I type this news item, I can glance out my apartment window and see Wild…
Australian crews prepare for for 470 Worlds
The continued development of a new pairing and returning Gold medalists highlight the Australian Sailing Team's 470 World Championship campaign with racing set to begin in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 23 August. Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page have still only spent…
New sponsor for Geelong race week
It is the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere – it is older than the Melbourne Cup, attracts more competitors than the 2006 Commonwealth Games, has more attendees than the AFL Grand Final – and has a brand…
Quantum Racing on form at Audi MedCup in Portugal
After three good races off Portimao today Quantum Racing leads the TP52 Series fleet at the Portugal Trophy regatta. Back on the waters where they won the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit title a little less than a year ago, Terry…
More close battles as wind gets up at Airlie Beach
In winds gusting into the mid 20's, and strong enough to delay the start of the sports boats, the Grand Prix fleet sailed a 43 mile race to White Rock, around Denman, up past the Molles to Double Cone Island, then across…
ISAF releases dates for 2010 World Championships
The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) today published the provisional dates and venues for the World Championships of the events selected for the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition. The World Championships for the Olympic events are one of the annual highlights of…
Audi MedCup under way again
Slightly modified expectations, a more relaxed attitude and sheer hard work may have combined to form a catalyst for Audi MedCup champions Quantum Racing to bounce back after their disappointing seventh place finish last month in Cagliari, Sardinia. The 2009…
Latest from Airlie Beach race week
Another Perfect Day in Paradise for Day 4 of Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week. The trade winds returned just a little today, with south easterly winds starting at eight knots and building across the day. The Grand Prix IRC…
Malcolm Page to compete at 470 Worlds
Denmark is set once again to be inundated with Olympic medallists and World champions, as next week racing starts at the 470 World Championship, off Rungsted Harbour. The start gun for the opening races, to be held off the harbour,…
Winning isn't everything, but it's a good start
If you’re tired of finishing back in the placings, then one place you might look to gain some ground is at the start. In this article, Ralph Skelton, looks at strategies and tactics many of the pros use to win…
194 boats will race at Hamilton Island, beginning on Saturday
An impressive fleet of 194 yachts comprising everything from small cruising boats to the upper echelon of Grand Prix racers will line up for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, starting this Saturday, August 22. The fleet size, which has exceeded…
Slingsby aiming for third title
The Australian Sailing Team's Tom Slingsby will be aiming for his third consecutive Laser World Championship victory when racing gets underway in Halifax, Canada, on Thursday. Slingsby, who represented Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, will spearhead a strong…
Windcraft awarded Hanse 'World Dealer of the Year' for 2009
On their recent trip to the annual Hanse Dealer Meeting in Greifswald in July, Peter Hrones and his travelling partners Allan Bridge and Bob Vinks from Windcraft, found themselves in the lime light as it was announced that Windcraft was…
Results from Airlie Beach race week
After three days of light weather racing followed by a rest day, the 100 boat Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week fleet will be bracing for breeze later today. This is the 20th annual Race Week regatta, which is considered…
NOR for Rolex Sydney Hobart available
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the organising authority for the 65th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, and Rolex SA of Geneva, the race's naming rights sponsor, have announced the release of the Notice of Race and…
Norths Sails Repair Service at Hamilton Island Race Week
For the second year, North Sails will be operating the popular special regatta sail repair service from the Phoenix Room on Hamilton Island at Catseye Beach, located next to Toucan Tango restaurant between the evenings of Saturday 22nd August and…
Archambault steady as a rock in Fastnet Race
Archambault A35 and A40rc gained podium finishes in the prestigious Rolex Fastnet Race 2009. The A35 Prime Time won IRC Div 2 from 76 other starters, with owners Marc Alperovitch and Jerome Huillard having their first taste of offshore racing….
Sunday's racing from Airlie Beach
Another summer day in the Australian tropical north for the 20th annual Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week. Light winds again on the Whitsunday coast and two windward leeward races for the Grand Prix IRC fleet. In this morning's three…
