A chance to save some history – can you assist?
My grandfather, Ivan Jones, was a dentist living at Bundaberg in the early 1920's when he decided he wanted to build his own yacht to sail along the reef. As far as I can work out, he would have…
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.
Ideal conditions for faster yachts in Roland Smith Ocean Race
It was a clear start for the fleet of 18 yachts in the Roland Smith Ocean Race last Saturday. The annual 80 nautical mile race is run by Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Western Australia. The race began in…
Tickets now on sale for Whitsunday Clipper Race Carnival
The Whitsundays will come alive with festivities and fun when the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race arrives in January 2018. The Whitsunday Clipper Race Carnival will be a two-week celebration of exciting regional events and activities from January 13…
Rob Gough’s masterly performance at BMW Showdown
Hobart businessman and champion sailor Rob Gough is emerging as one of the strongest local contenders for the 2018 World championship for the SB20 one-design sports boats. Gough yesterday steered Difficult Woman to an impressive overall win at the hotly…
ILVE becomes fifth winner in five races of 18 Footers Spring Championship
Race 5 of the Australian 18 Footers League's Spring Championship produced the fifth different winner when Ollie Hartas, Pedro Vozone and Rob Polec brought ILVE home a 23s winner on Sydney Harbour today. The ILVE team had to come…
Next stop – Cape Town, as Dongfeng Race Team lead the Volvo Ocean Race fleet out of Lisbon
Dongfeng Race Team converted a strong start into an early lead as the Volvo Ocean Race fleet embarked on Leg 2, a 7,000 nautical mile race from Lisbon to Cape Town. Conditions were perfect for the leg start, with bright…
Mini-Transat La Boulangère – the funnel settles the accounts
Between the islands of Santo Antao and San Vicente, the competitors have to make their way along a channel spanning seven miles wide. The passage through the gate will give a precise idea of how everyone is ranked as well…
ARC+ Cape Verde sets sail from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Sixty-eight boats sailing with ARC+ 2017 set off today, 5th November, from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for the first leg of their Atlantic crossing, bound for Mindelo, Cape Verde. Twenty nations were represented on today's start line with 300…
Dehler – a history of success
Dehler has traditionally been a niche brand in Australia, but a closer examination of race results and the history of this enduring German producer shows it's a brand well worth putting on any club racer's list of potential yachts. FROM…
How to vote for Glenn Ashby as World Sailor of the Year
Australia’s 2017 America’s Cup-winning skipper, Glenn Ashby, stands on the precipice of sailing’s most prestigious title, as one of four nominees for the male Rolex World Sailor of the Year, to be announced in Mexico on Tuesday. The award is…
Team Brunel wins incredible In-Port Race Lisbon
Bouwe Bekking’s Team Brunel fended off a late charge by MAPFRE to win the Mirpuri Foundation In-Port Race Lisbon on Friday afternoon. Conditions were challenging, to say the least, with squalls bringing rain and gusty, shifting winds. Not only that,…
Mini Transat: Last chance for pit-stop before Atlantic expressway
Ian Lipinski (Griffon.fr) is set to enter the channel between the islands of Santo Antao and Sao Vicente in the early hours of tomorrow if he manages to keep up the current pace in the Mini Transat Race In his…
Leg to Cape Town marks new phase of Volvo Ocean Race
The Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 shifts into a new phase on Sunday with the start of Leg 2, a 7,000 nautical mile three-week, marathon leg to Cape Town, South Africa. It’s a tough leg, as the teams transition from the…
Francois Gabart and MACIF trimaran off on solo record attempt
On standby since 22 October, Francois Gabart cast off today, Saturday 4 November, at 10.05 (French time, UTC+1) to take on the challenge of the single-handed round the world record. The MACIF trimaran skipper left his home port of Port-la-Foret,…
BMW Showdown: Hail and 30 knots limit racing
A chilly sou’wester howling down from a snow-capped mountain at 30 knots, along with visibility-reducing rain showers, and hail was not conducive to pleasant and safe racing in the BMW Showdown this afternoon. Wisely, principal race officer Nick Hutton ‘pulled…
Clipper Round the World – Calm after the storm
It has been a testing 24 hours for the Clipper Race fleet as the 11 yachts made their way through relentless upwind storm conditions yesterday. Sanya Serenity Coast has retained its lead again today, which it has held since leaving…
Dongfeng ready for Atlantic Ocean Leg 2 of Volvo Ocean Race
At last the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 is getting down to business. After the training build-up, the official Prologue and the coastal racing of Leg 1, the fleet is about to test its mettle during three weeks in the Atlantic…
Yachting Awards show Australian sailing’s diverse strengths
America’s Cup-winning skipper Glenn Ashby and rising stars Natasha Bryant and Annie Wilmot were named the nation’s top sailors for 2017 at the Australian Sailing Awards in Sydney on Friday night when Kay Cottee and the winning Australia II crew…
Clipper Round the World Race – welcome to the Southern Ocean
The last 24 hours has brought about a dramatic change for the Clipper Race fleet as it experiences the true conditions of the Southern Ocean for the first time on Race 3: The Dell Latitude Rugged Race. Sanya Serenity Coast…
Nicholson and Niekerk boost team AkzoNobel line up
Team AkzoNobel will field a full-strength nine-strong crew for the second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race to Cape Town, South Africa which starts from Lisbon, Portugal on Sunday, November 5. The 12,964-kilometer second leg sees the return of British…
Mini Transat: Misfortunes at sea
After two days of racing in this second leg of the Mini-Transat la Boulangère, the fleet is already lamenting a number of issues, but for the lucky few, there’s nothing irremediable and they should be able to effect repairs at…
Volvo Ocean Race: Lucky escape for Liz Wardley
In an explosive Mirpuri Foundation In-Port Race in Lisbon, 'Turn the Tide on Plastic' sailor Liz Wardley had a lucky escape when her leg got caught in a rope while racing, which resulted in her being dragged at great speed…
Light winds divide Clipper fleet
Race 3: The Dell Latitude Rugged Race is often referred to as the Southern Ocean Sleigh Ride, but uncharacteristically light winds over the last 24 hours has seen the majority of the Clipper Race fleet becalmed in wind holes, leading…
Grant Simmer joins Land Rover BAR as CEO
The British America's Cup team, Land Rover BAR, led by Sir Ben Ainslie have today added a wealth of experience to their challenge with the announcement that four times America's Cup winner Grant Simmer will be joining the team as…
Team AkzoNobel debuts SAP’s biometric sensor technology in Volvo Ocean Race
November 2, 2017: Crew members from team AkzoNobel have been equipped with biometric sensors to be worn during the Volvo Ocean Race as part of an innovation project with SAP aimed at helping the sailors to optimize their performance. Fully approved…
Lucas Chapman Blog: Life on a Volvo boat in Leg One
Finally, the racing has started, in fact we’ve completed the first leg from Alicante to Lisbon. And we’ve had a small taste of what lies ahead. Although it feels a little strange to be back here in Lisbon, it’s almost…
Australia’s first female sailing gold medallists, Jenny Armstrong and Belinda Stowell, to be inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame
The pairing responsible for winning Australia’s first Olympic gold medal in a female sailing event, Jenny Armstrong OAM and Belinda Stowell OAM, will be inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Sydney tonight. “As the…
Sanya leads Clipper fleet as Greenings remains stuck on the sand
Though the tactics for Race 3: The Dell Latitude Rugged Race across the Southern Ocean are in full swing, the thoughts of the fleet are very much with Greenings, after the boat ran aground last night, shortly after leaving Cape…
The dream life of the Mini sailor
Naturally there was a fair amount of emotion at the start of this second leg of the Mini Transat La Boulangère. Indeed, you’re unlikely to set off across the Atlantic for the first time without a little apprehension and even…
Aussie Beachmate: A fold-up two-for-one
Cruising Helmsman editor Phillip Ross has reviewed the Beachmate for his December issue: I saw the Beachmate advertised in the Sydney International Boat Show program guide last August and contacted Ezy Beach. They sent one over for testing and I…
Australia’s first Olympic sailing gold medallists to be inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame
Australia’s first Olympic sailing gold medallists, Sir William (Bill) Northam CBE (1905-1988), Peter (Pod) O’Donnell (1939-2008) and James (Dick) Sargeant (born 1936) will be inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame this week, recognized for their gold medal winning…
Entries for Groupama feeder races climbing
Four feeder races delivering yacht fleets from three Australian capital cities and Auckland, New Zealand, will be a key component when it comes to the ultimate Groupama Race around New Caledonia starting line-up. Encouraging early numbers in the feeder races…
Sailing icon Rolly Tasker to be inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame
Australia’s first Olympic Sailing medallist and the first Australian to win a Sailing World Championship, Rolly Tasker AM (1926 – 2012) will be inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame tomorrow. A highly regarded and successful ocean racer, Tasker…
Have you entered the Festival of Sails yet?
The 175th Festival of Sails in Geelong, proudly presented by Rex Gorell Land Rover, will be an event not to be missed, with some great names joining the racing on Corio Bay. Recently named as Victoria’s Yacht Club of the…
Lisa Blair wins Australian Geographic Award for Antarctic circumnavigation
From solo-circumnavigating Antarctica on a sailboat, to getting up close and personal with WA’s stunning whale species, this year’s Australian Geographic Society Award winners have done some truly amazing things. Meet this year’s AGS Awards WA winners. These incredible individuals’…
Change of course for Mini Transat as wisdom prevails
Midway between the Bahamas and the Azores, a tropical wave is taking shape as an active storm formation looms. For the time being, the associated minimum low pressure is not likely to prove dangerous, however the water temperature, which is…
Seawind and Multihull Rally soaks up Sydney
A fleet of Seawind catamarans and other multihulls enjoyed a weekend of fun racing, waterside partying and dining surrounded by the spectacular sights of Sydney Harbour at a rally hosted by Multihull Central on the 27th and 28th of October. The…
The technology behind the Emirates Team New Zealand victory
While full credit must be given to their sailing team for getting a very high-tech machine around the course quickly and safely, it is generally accepted that New Zealand developed superior technology to defender Oracle Team USA and the other…
Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch to be inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame
Australia’s back to back Paralympic sailing gold medallists, Daniel Fitzgibbon OAM and Liesl Tesch AM will be inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame this week at a ceremony in Sydney. “In 2016 Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch became…
Greenings crew evacuated after running aground
The crew of CV24, Greenings, have been safely evacuated after running aground on the western side of Cape Peninsula, which sits roughly halfway between Cape Town and Cape Point at approximately 2140 UTC (2340 local time) on Tuesday 31 October…
