Sailing Today

EDITORIAL EDITOR Sam Jefferson 020 3943 9261 sam.jefferson@chelseamagazines.com ART & PRODUCTION EDITOR Gareth Lloyd Jones WRITER AND SUB EDITOR Sue Pelling PUBLISHING CONSULTANT Martin Nott PUBLISHER Simon Temlett simon.temlett@chelseamagazine

WHEN PEOPLE TALK about a difference being as clear as day from night they are obviously talking about a very clear dividing line. I'd have to say that for sailors, the difference between day and night is actually even more defined. Sailing by day, ev

Spain’s summer of sporting triumphs continues as the Spanish Sail GP team scooped its first Sail GP title by defeating heavyweights Australia and new Zealand in a dramatic winner takes all Grand Final race in San Francisco. Driver Diego Botin deliver

Things have changed quite a lot since the Polynesians first came up with the idea of strapping two canoes together to make a catamaran. These days, multihulls are big business and, while the monohull market remains quite static, the multihull market

As an east coast lass, I always felt slightly ashamed that, other than racing my National 12 on the northwest coast during North West Norfolk Week many years ago, I had somehow managed to bypass the Broads. I truly believe the reason was a vision I h

A word of warning to the acclaimed artist, David Hockney – David, I’m on your case. Hockney has been a huge influence since the pop art of the 1960s, and at the age of 87 is still knocking them out for anyone who can afford them. You might think, tha

The last time I competed in a Musto Skiff World Championship in Weymouth was in June 2012. It was the last major event before Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy went into security lockdown a month before the London 2012 Olympic Regatta wa

Lagoon catamarans is without doubt the biggest cruising multihull manufacturer in the world and its yachts are ubiquitous be it in the South Seas or the South Coast of England. The manufacturer states that there are around 7,000 Lagoons bobbing aroun

I am writing this in a snug anchorage up the east coast of Sweden. The local met outfit, SMHI, give first-class forecasts of wind and weather, but for the vital overall picture, my favourite is still the UK Met Office and its excellent surface pressu

Firstly, what is the medal race? Well at least in theory it is the race which decides the medals at important regattas like World Championships or Olympic games. It is a short (maybe half the length of a fleet race) double points scoring, compulsory

The sporting spectacular that is the 2024 Paris Olympic Games is about to begin – (and yes, it has come round fast, thanks to 2020’s pandemic postponement) – with sailing one of 32 sports, set to contest 10 medal events. The Olympic waters lie over 4

When our friends asked if we’d help them sail Tourterelles, their brand-new Knysna 500SE catamaran on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic from South Africa, we jumped at it. We’d sold our own catamaran a year previously in Australia and were missin

Martin is sailing around the world with his wife Ilke and their kids (11), Jurre (10), and Hidde (8), on their Bavaria 50 Cruiser. They left home in the Netherlands in August 2022 and, since then, they have sailed through the English Channel, Bay of

There is an unusual amount of choice on the market when it comes to fitting or replacing a jib furler. Where much of the sailing industry has seen brands consolidate, furlers are still made by some smaller entrepreneurial suppliers alongside the bigg

The UK yacht charter business has diversified significantly over the last few years to meet the demand for more adventurous style holidays, as well as racing and cruising in general. You’ll also find that in addition to the mainstream charter compani

Troon Yacht Haven on Scotland’s west coast is the southernmost marina on the Firth of Clyde, and ideally positioned as the ‘gateway’ marina to the western isles and beyond. Given its sheltered position by the large harbour walls and its convenient ‘c

Navily is an app that relies on the feedback of its users to determine the finest anchorages and marinas around Europe. Thankfully, they are happy to share that data with us. This month we look at five anchorages that enjoy the backdrop of an iconic

Have you ever had the Greek Gods of Anchoring displeased with you? I have. I once spent a week on charter with a wonderfully nice father and daughter, on board Sail Ionian’s brand-new Bavaria C50, and it was an absolute nightmare. What’s more, the ya

On the intricate, sometimes challenging 300nm passage north from our home waters, inside Vancouver Island, we’d made only one stop at anywhere resembling civilisation: the rough-and-ready logging village of Port McNeill (Proud Home of the World’s Lar

I am not alone. I sat down at my desk in our aft cabin intending to write on another topic altogether when I spotted a tiny figure peeking out at from the bookshelf. There is a small, speckled gecko who stopped, mid-movement, as soon as he realised t

Zhik’s Seaboot 400 has been developed off the back of its popular Seaboot 700 and is a lightweight alternative to this boot. Designed specifically for the adventure cruising market, the Seaboot 400 combines the hallmark durability, waterproofing and

Najad 420, Stargazer is a lovely quality cruising yacht from the Island of Orust, Sweden. Compact enough for coastal cruising, yet with long legs should you wish to go a lot further. She comes with a spacious saloon, practical galley, and sleeps up t