For Pat Lawless, the 2026 Golden Globe Race has been a long time coming. Lawless grew up sailing on Limerick’s River Shannon. As a young man, he followed the OSTAR…
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Cruising to the starting line: How to get started yacht racing
As a committed cruiser of 30 years, I often wondered what the point of yacht racing was. There seemed to be a lot of expensive looking boats, some shouting, confusing…
Essential Guide to Marine Rope Materials and Construction: How Ropes are Made
To master the practical aspects of knotting and ropework, it is important to learn a little about the materials, tools and terminology used, as well as allowing you to converse…
Sailing the shipping forecast: Unlocking the secrets of the Thames
The Thames sea area extends from the northeast corner of Norfolk to the Kent coast at Deal and across to the continental coast between Petten in North Holland and Oostende…
‘Like a speck of dust on the vast ocean’: How Daniel Alfredsson is preparing his boat Pale Blue Dot for the 2026 Golden Globe Race
Swedish/Norwegian sailor Daniel Alfredsson is getting ready to sail around the world again. He and the other 2026 Golden Globe Race skippers have a ways to go before they set…
‘One electronic fault shouldn’t be enough to cripple your entire boat’ – Lu Heikell
Electrical fumes and smoke billowed out of my computer the other day, and soon after my busy screen turned BIOS black. A full-on fire was only prevented when I switched…
Maxi 1300 used boat review: Easily handled fast cruiser
When we think of yachts built in Sweden, most of the names that spring to mind are from the west coast: Najad, Malo, Hallberg-Rassy and Regina af Vindö, for example.…
Exploring the Tobago Cays by yacht: ‘The allure is underwater, on the reef and in the seagrass meadow’
Well, we seem to have arrived in paradise,’ Tom exclaims as we sail smoothly through the shallow channel and drift into the anchorage. Green turtles pop up to breathe, one…
Pete Goss on conquering the Southern Ocean
Gazing out of the window at 36,000ft, with a glass of bubbly in hand, is the perfect time for reflection. Were we really in the Southern Ocean glorying in the…
Beginner’s guide to drying anchorages
With life pulled in too many directions we’ve come to the conclusion that any window of opportunity must be buttered up with optimism and grabbed with both hands. It was…