Viking slips anchor
RACING LEGEND How a teenage Swedish seaman jumped ship and became a sailing legend in Australia, by Bob Ross. The big Swede with the ready laugh “Ya Ya” to the offshore fraternity led from the front, both as sailing master…
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.
Partnership afloat
NEW OWNER'S PERSPECTIVE Partnership afloat Taking delivery of a shiny new Sydney 36CR has given Sean Rahilly's sailing a real boost, reports Di Pearson. With a ship's captain for a father and growing up close to the water in Sydney's…
Family afloat
NEW OWNER'S PERSPECTIVE Getting afloat with a new boat is never cheap, except perhaps when sharing the burden with others, reports Di Pearson. So many options are available to prospective yacht owners today: ticketed lessons, casual bareboat and skippered charter,…
Loch Ness family flotilla
Loch Ness family flotilla That monstrous thing, sibling rivalry, reared its ugly ahead amid the majestic Scottish Highlands, recounts Kevin Green. The competition began long before we'd even got on the water with my little sister racing up from the…
Destinations: Tonga
Island honeymoon Heading off into the unknown with a few friends and 50 or so complete strangers on a sailing regatta is perhaps not everyone’s idea of a romantic honeymoon, reports Traci Ayris. Tonga’s Kalia Cup Rally in July suited…
Postcard from Dubai
POSTCARD FROM: DUBAI Training base for the mighty America's Cup winning Alinghi team and very likely a venue for some of the Acts in the next Cup, Dubai has a lot to offer the travelling sailor who may want a…
Sydney Harbour: Jim Murrant
Then and now I hope you’ll forgive me if I wax a little nostalgic. It won’t last long but it is necessary to set the scene for this month’s column. I first arrived in Sydney by ship late in 1947…
Out of cruise control
Practical: Sail-training Can race training help a cruiser? Caroline Strainig finds out when she enrolls in the Eastsail ready-to-race course. There were yachts within a few metres of us on both sides and about another 20 or so within 200…
Don't leave home without it!
Practical: Bluewater cruising Now an old salt after a cruise through Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, Trish Comer reflects on the things she definitely would not leave home without next time around. The old catch-cry from a…
Communicating in cruiser-land
Practical: People skills Having trouble meeting people, or getting on with them when you do? Or don't quite know how to repel unwanted advances in a way that won't cause offence? Chris Sharpley takes some of the mystery out of…
Investing in a charter yacht
Practical: Buying a boat Putting your yacht into charter is one way of financing the repayments for that brand-new, you-beaut production yacht you've been dreaming of, says Ross Moncrieff, who did just that with his Hanse 34. In late November…
DEOXIDISE SAFELY
Deox-C from Permanent Painted Coatings removes rust on any steel, stainless steel and most ferrous materials. The crystalline, 100 per cent active corrosion removal product when dissolved in tap water produces a bath of powerful rust-removing liquid which can remove…
ALWAYS ON STRIKE
EasyStrike wind and water-proof survival matches have a longer shaft and longer burn time than other matches and a more durable and effective strike plate which is usable even when wet. EasyStrike wind and water-proof survival matches have a longer…
SLAM’S NEW VIC AGENT
Salt Sportswear, Australasian distributor of SLAM Advanced Technology Sportswear has appointed MarinePlus as its agent for Victoria. SLAM offers innovative technical sailing clothing and a fashion range based on a strong nautical theme. More information: MarinePlus, tel (03) 9521 6789;…
Outboard on board
The fewer the fixed weights aboard a performance trailer sailer the better. We all know there are fixtures aboard such as the rigging and centreboard that can't be moved to windward to keep the hull as flat as possible upwind,…
Crisp finishes 7th at RS:X Worlds
The Australian Sailing Team's Jessica Crisp has finished seventh at the 2009 RS:X World Championship in Weymouth, England, getting an invaluable look at the venue for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Crisp finished seventh in the medal race to end…
Batemans Bay off-the-beach regatta takes place at end of October
Because of the ongoing success of their Anzac Weekend Regatta, Batemans Bay Sailing Club (BBSC) now invites all sailors to participate in the inaugural Lake Coila, Tuross Head Regatta which will be held over the weekend of 31 October –…
6m Worlds at Newport
Competitors arriving at Sail Newport this morning to prepare for the second day of racing in the 2009 Six Metre World Cup were greeted by whitecaps on Narragansett Bay courtesy of a brisk northeasterly (upwards of 15 knots at 0900)…
Record Reward
The Adelaide-Lincoln record was smashed and the Lincoln regatta remains as enjoyable as ever, by Bob Ross, words and pictures SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S most dedicated offshore campaigner, Geoff Boettcher earned a milestone reward when his Secret Men's Business 3 broke the…
Big shoes to fill
Boat Review: Beneteau First 40 Beneteau's new First 40 follows in the footsteps of the wildly successful 40.7, by Andi Robertson THE new Farr designed First 40 is the follow up to an all-time best seller, the First 40.7. Beneteau's…
Jessica Watson hits bulk ore carrier on way to round-world start in Sydney
Jessica Watson, the 16-year-old girl who has roused divergent opinions regarding her attempt to become the youngest ever solo around-the-world sailor, has damaged her yacht in a collision with a merchant ship off the Queensland coast. She was sailing her yacht 34ft…
Global fix EPIRB
New generation of EPIRBsMarine safety product specialist RFD has introduced a new-generation 406 MHz EPIRB onto the Australian market that features a world-first digital display screen and dual-GPS technology. The new GlobalFix iPro EPIRB is a breakthrough safety beacon that…
On Test next month in Australasian Yachting
The radical new Moody 45 DS (deck saloon) was launched at the Sydney International Boat and received plenty of attention. Featuring bulwarks, a walk-in deck saloon and copious amount of cabin space the appeal of this new design will be…
Seerauber: a pocket cruiser
My Boat – July 08 Seerauber: a pocket cruiser You don't have to have a big boat to have big dreams, says Tony Fountain, who had chosen a 7.26m pocket cruiser to fulfil his sailing ambitions. Pocket cruiser.” While that…
Raider One Design
Australian catamaran builder Lightwave Yachts is the builder and campaign partner with All Yacht Spars for a new racing class, the Raider One Design. The Raider 302 design has already proved its credentials in offshore multihull racing and has now…
Final races of Audi MedCup series starts next week
In one week's time Cartagena will host the climax to the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit, and the conflict in the two different Series, the ten boats who will compete in the TP52 Series, and six for the GP42 Series, is…
How couples cope
Holding onto that “lov'in feeling” can be hard when you are cooped up together for long periods. Rosemary Jilderts interviews cruisers for their tips. Ron and Trish Steineck,Geraldton, WA.Scuttlebug, 11.6m Jensen Coral Sea Catamaran The Steineck family has spent four…
I feel the need, the need for speed
Sailmaker, Ian Short, shares sail trim and rig adjustment tips that will help you sail faster under a range of conditions. It’s a fallacy that only racers need to sail quickly. If you’ve ever been caught out in a gale…
Taking the waters
Destination: Brisbane Water The small, land-locked destination of Brisbane Water has a lot to recommend it, despite a bar and bridge, says Alan Lucas, who has made it his land base when not out cruising in Soleares. Brisbane Water is…
Raymarine extends its Automatic Identification System capabilities
New AIS500 transceiver and AIS ‘buddy tracking' feature Raymarine's addition to its AIS (Automatic Identification System) product range, a combined receiver and transmitter, is now available. The AIS500 allows users to both transmit to, and receive, AIS data to and…
Beneteau release the new First 35
The hull is by Farr Yacht Design, and the spacious interior is the work ofNauta Design. The new 35 features the lines and coachroof characteristic of the First 40. The Farr Yacht Design hull is optimized for IRC racing and…
New Oceanis 58 from Beneteau
The Oceanis 58 incorporates a more stretched coachroof, much lengthened side windows,fully built-in spray hood/bimini arch and optomised ergonomics. All lines come back to the helm positions for easier sailing and to keep the living areaclear. Plenty of stowage space…
March 07: News
Australia Day regatta Australia Day in Sydney went off with a bang and with glorious weather as many celebrated the occasion on the Harbour. Hundreds of Sydney sailors, their crews, friends and families celebrated as their forebears have done each…
March 07: News Briefs
Bavaria sale rumours Reports by the German press rumoured offers to buy Bavaria Yachts are untrue, according to Australian distributor Tony Kirby from North South Yachting. He is in Dusseldorf, Germany and has confirmed with the families who own Bavaria…
Headsails: Practicalities by Andrew Bray
Headsails Reefing gear continues to develop so real gains can be had by checking out the latest systems. The greater efficiency of the new technology has allowed systems to be adopted by larger yachts, racing boats and, of course, cruisers….
Outboard Motors: Just Cruising by Keith Fleming
JUST CRUISING BY KEITH FLEMING. Every cruiser has one and many catamaran owners have three of them. The outboard motor is an essential item for any cruising boat and making the right choice of size and brand can be one…
A very long engagement
YA/RYA UPDATE A long engagement rather than a quick marriage between the two associations, seems to be the case, reports Jim Murrant. Almost a year has elapsed since the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) signed what could be called a truce…
Geelong pips Cowes for party honours
PARTYING AT GEELOG Skandia Geelong Race Week is Australia’s oldest and largest keelboat regatta and is renowned for both its on and off water action. With a record 448 yachts entered in the event this year, there was no shortage…
Self-suffciency: Just Cruising by Keith Fleming
Self-suffciency I suppose you could equate cruising with the original hunter and gatherer, where you have to rely on your wits and be self-sufficient in food. As cruisers, we live on water so our natural element is the water rather…
CLUB SAILOR
CLUB SAILOR After a succession of cruising boats, David McLean's latest boat, a nimble X-37, has given him the chance to mix it up with the club racer fraternity. For almost 30 years, I have continued a wondrous voyage of…
