What about a fantastic knife for Father's Day?
Every boat needs a sharp knife on board and one that will hold it's edge and not rust. So if you are looking for a last minute present idea for Father's Day, the new Wichard carbon and wood knife is…
Boats & Gear
The latest insights on racing and cruising yachts, keelboats and dinghies. Plus all of the latest gear, boating accessories, equipment and sailing clothes from Australia and around the world.
Joshua one-design class yacht to be inaugurated in the 2022 edition of the Golden Globe Race
Dateline 22nd August 2017, Plymouth. UK. The story of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s battle to stay ahead of French yachtsman Bernard Moitessier in the 1968/9 Sunday Times Golden Globe solo round the world Race is one of legend. The 2018 Golden…
Fishos finally fire GME EPIRB: get rescued immediately
Two fishermen are fortunate to be alive after their 5.5 metre boat capsized off the southern Sydney coast on Saturday evening. The men, aged 36 and 28, were not wearing lifejackets when they capsized in rough seas about 6pm on…
Philippe Briand unveils revolutionary design of new Jeanneau SO 440
Philippe Briand and Jeanneau have announced their latest collaboration, the 44-feet (13.4-metre) SO 440, a revolutionary new model in the timeless Sun Odyssey cruising boat range that Briand has been designing for the French builder since 2012. Some might presume…
Multihull Central adds Privilege catamarans to its range
French shipyard Privilège Marine has chosen Sydney-based Multihull Central to exclusively represent its range of cruising sail and power catamarans in the Australian and New Zealand markets. There are currently three core models in the Privilège fleet ranging from the…
Launch of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild – first foiling offshore trimaran
At 08:30 GMT this Monday, the first oceanic trimaran designed to fly offshore was launched in Vannes, south-west Brittany, under the proud gaze of her owners, Ariane and Benjamin de Rothschild, her designers and builders, and of course the whole…
Jeanneau 51 to Première at Sydney International Boat Show
The new Jeanneau 51, the latest addition to the Jeanneau Yachts range, is the luxurious result of a teaming of renowned naval architect Philippe Briand and superyacht designer Andrew Winch. Following the successful launch of the Jeanneau 54 at…
Setting sail for the 50th Sydney International Boat Show
Those with an interest in sailing will be keen to visit this year’s Sydney International Boat Show. With research showing that 30% of visitors to the event have an interest in the sector, exhibitors will be on hand with a…
Quantum Sails acquires Hood Sailmakers
Traverse City, MI—Quantum Sails today announced that it has completed an agreement with Hood Sailmakers in Newport, RI to acquire the company’s sailmaking rights and manufacturing assets. The acquisition, which includes occupancy of Hood’s world headquarters in RI, will increase…
Buy yourself a tall ship – they aren't all that expensive
Halifax Chronicle Herald. I’ll have a tall ship to go, please. Not quite as ridiculous an order as it might sound to tall ships broker Peter Milley. His website, Privateer Yacht Sales, lists half-a-dozen tall ships taking part in the…
Germans snare French flair: Bavaria buys Nautitech
The move by Bavaria into the multihull market could be seen to be a smart one. The multihull charter market is growing world wide and the opportunity to buy straight into multihulls through a known and respected designer and builder…
Raymarine Axiom lets you see what's under the water
WILSONVILLE, OR (June 21, 2017) – During a recent sea trial for Axiom Multifunction Displays, Raymarine’s UK-based test boat Raymariner came upon an interesting underwater target. The M/V Margaret Smith was a coal dredger that capsized and sank near Yarmouth,…
Navionics updates Bermuda charts for America's Cup watchers
June 21, 2017– Navionics has released significant chart updates for waters in and around Bermuda. The new cartography provides numerous navigational objects, improved contour detail, and more, such as America’s Cup event-related content. The Bermuda enhancements are part of Navionics…
Doyle management team takes control of global sailmaking
Doyle Sails announced today their next bold move to drive the Doyle business forward. The leadership team headed by Mike Sanderson and supported by David Duff and Richard Bouzaid from Doyle Sails New Zealand formally announced their ownership of Doyle…
North Sails releases new polyester cruising product
Newport, RI (June 1st, 2017) – North Sails has introduced the latest application of their patented 3Di technology – a revolutionary cruising sail made of 100% polyester fiber. 3Di NORDAC is an innovative product that marries patented 3Di shape holding…
When it comes down to millimetres, you need good measurement
As the America's Cup pre-racing hype finally disperses and we get down to the nitty gritty, it is good to see this short promotional video from Garmin. Previously known as being big in powerboat electronic navigation, Garmin have realised that…
B&G Launches NAIS 500 Class-B AIS
B&G has released a fully integrated, Class-B Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder – the B&G NAIS 500. They say the NAIS 500 — which includes a dedicated GPS-500 receiver — is compact in size, lightweight and fully waterproof. It offers…
Musto clearance sale at RANSA this weekend
Musto Clothing Massive Clearance this weekend @ RANSA. Up to 75% off selected stock*. Where: • RAN Sailing Association, Sir David Martin Reserve, New Beach Road, Rushcutters Bay NSW 2027. When: • Friday 19th May – 12pm – 7pm •…
World Sailing confirms roll out of foiling Nacra 17
Today (28 April 2017) the World Sailing has confirmed its support for the existing roll out plan to release the first batch of 45 Foiling Nacra 17’s on June 26. The European Championship, as previously stated in the released NoR…
Andrew York’s masterclass in sailing fast one-design keelboats
It is no accident that Andrew ‘Yorky’ York finds himself entrenched in the upper echelons of sailing – it’s in his DNA – but the son of famous yachting parents Michael ‘Mick’ York OAM and Jeannette York OAM has moved…
Garmin's Panoptix Forward PS51-TH allows you to see what's ahead of you under the water
Garmin’s new Panoptix Forward PS51-TH thru-hull transducer is designed to give boaters more confidence and peace of mind when navigating unfamiliar water. The new phased-array, multi-beam transducer incorporates Panoptix FrontVü™ forward-looking sonar, which displays the bottom up to 300ft (90m)…
Oceanis 41.1 goes for a test sail
Opting for luxury over performance has long been a hindrance to many a sailor's dream of taking out the twilight title week to week. Beneteau's development may be indicative of the mindset of the modern sailor; the application of their…
Volvo Ocean Racers starting to gear up
Zhik has been selected by Volvo Ocean Racing team Akzo Nobel as its official technical clothing partner for the upcoming edition of the VOR. The crew will race across four oceans and encounter some of the most extreme weather conditions…
Musto BR1 for inshore and coastal sailing
Upgraded for 2017 after feedback from leading sailors, Musto's new BR1 range provides a great foul weather gear solution for summer sailing and those winter series days when the sun shines brightly. Breathable, windproof and allowing for full freedom of movement, Musto…
Behind the scenes at Noakes Boatyard
Noakes Boatyard was established in 1979 as a rigging company. It is now a maintenance and repair facility on the Australian east coast. The Australian owned and operated business has two facilities based in NSW, North Sydney and Nelson Bay,…
Inside Boat Crew Gear
BoatCrewGear.com was started in 2013 by Andrew Hawkins as a way to fill a gap in the sailing gear market. What started as a simple website with a couple of brands has evolved into a business that 'pops-up' at sailing…
Tales of abandoned vessels in Bay County
Sydney Harbour, Moreton Bay… it seems that anywhere there is sheltered water there will be boats left to rot. And arguments about which authority should be resolving the issue. Here's another story on the subject by Katie Landeck in the…
Lifejacket coat takes the scratch out of wearing a PFD
The SOS Sea Pilot`s high tech lifejacket is “keeping it simple and bridging the gap to improve an affordable lifejacket coat” according to importers Southern Seas Marine. The high-tech lifejacket is integrated into a coat by using a quick-burst zipper…
MC31: More than a sports boat
Following on from the MC38 one design program, McConaghy Boats released its smaller sister the MC31. The intention of this smaller design is to reach an interesting market sector that the team at McConaghy’s have pinpointed as ripe for this…
Tall ship named sailor of the year
Northern Advocate. It isn't often that a ship is named Sailor of the Year – but then the R Tucker Thompson is no ordinary ship. The Bay of Islands-based tall ship, or rather the charitable trust that operates it as…
Derelicts: making the best of a rotten deal in Queensland
Derelicts: making the best of a rotten deal It’s dirty work – but someone’s got to do it! Following our article titled “Forward Thinking Can Stop The Rot” in the December 2016 issue we’ve regrettably been busy ridding some of our…
Factory rebates of up to $15,000 on Bavaria yachts
Bavaria Sail has announced that the Bavaria factory is offering cash-back incentives of from $5000 to $15,000 on their range of monohulls and powerboats. The rebates are not available on multihulls. The rebates are available to buyers who confirm their…
Sperry shoes take a leap forward and land safely
The quest for the perfect boat shoe continues, but Sperry may well have taken a step closer. Launched this month, the technology of the Sperry '7 Seas' shoe was developed in partnership with the America’s Cup authority. As we all…
Boat Books Sydney has moved after 40 years
After 40 years in the same location at Crows Nest, the iconic Boat Books Sydney, Australia’s large chart agent and specialised marine book store, has moved. But they have not moved too far. Just over 200 metres along it is…
Special offer on Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349 for just $199,900
Jeanneau dealers across Australia have worked together to bring you this limited special offer on the best-selling Sun Odyssey 349. With over 25 of this new model already in Australia, the 349 is obviously hitting the mark with local…
Sirena's call turns heads: Azzuree 46
In my Sydney boat show review last year, I made the call that the Azuree 46 was my boat of the show. The main reason for the call was a marked difference to other yachts on show. While not particularly…
Multihull Central Marina open day on Saturday March 4
Multihull Central in Rozelle Bay, Sydney will be opening their marina on Saturday March 4th from 9.00am – 4pm for an open display of catamarans for sale and also a chance for potential charter boat owners to learn what it…
Viper 640 Worlds for Perth in 2018
The International Viper 640 Class is pleased to announce its next World Championship Regatta from February 17 to February 23 2018 at South of Perth Yacht Club, Western Australia. SoPYC is one of the largest yacht clubs in Australia with…
B&G adds Predict Wind to Zeus and Vulcan chartplotters
B&G has announced its latest software updates will bring PredictWind weather services direct to its Zeus and Vulcan[1] chartplotter range. The online-based weather forecasting service provides the very latest weather and sailing information to sailors all around the world. The…
Hobart excels: wooden boat festival considered best in the world
After four days, as boats slowly took the opportunity to slip out of Hobart's Sullivan's Cove and head for their respective homes, I was reminded of the seminar Lin Pardey gave during the MyState Wooden Boat Festival symposium. Sponsored by…
