Bilge pump basics for the novice to the expert
Bilge pumps, we all have them or should have them; they have saved many a vessel and it would be crazy to go to sea without one. The thing about a bilge pump is that you do not give them…
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.
Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron appoints dual Olympian and triple World Champion Sarah Ogilvie (nee Blanck) as Head of Sailing
Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron has appointed dual Olympian and triple World Champion, Sarah Ogilvie (nee Blanck) as Head of Sailing. Sarah’s appointment affirms Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron’s commitment to provide engaging and world-class sail training programs and experiences for all it’s members…
Boats of steel
“It is better to travel in hope than to arrive” is the often quoted mantra of the philosophical nomad who wishes to distinguish himself from the tourist or business traveller. However, the person who wrote this has clearly never been…
Charting the heavens and earth
In 1956 a Turkish naval officer gave a copy of an early 16th century Ottoman navigational chart, drawn by Piri Reis, a captain in the Ottoman navy during the sultanate of Suleyman the Magnificent, to the U.S Hydrographic Office in…
Flights of fancy: sometimes it pays to just go with the flow
That splinter of an idea: Sail to Lord Howe Island, had lodged there in my psyche many years, not festering but absolutely insistent. So, with the best (and worst) laid plans of mice, men and whoever else cares to dare,…
How to get paid to sail the Greek Isles
Yes you read it right. It is possible to sail the Greek Isles and actually get paid for the pleasure. We did just that recently and did not even need any form of commercial qualifications. How can this be? It…
Boys own adventure: 12 year circumnavigation
When Pittwater local Tony Roberts took off on his Crowther 42 foot catamaran, TacticalDirections on May 1 2006, he had no idea his travels would take him 43,629 nautical miles to 49 countries before completing his circumnavigation just last year….
Seawind 1190 Sport: adding the 'oh' in performance
Seawind have built a reputation on investigating what obstacles monohull sailors have in buying catamarans; then figuring out how to change those ideas to make them more appealing. For this reason I like the way Seawind have looked at the…
Repairing a RIB
Inflatable dinghies are a wonderful invention. It is true they do not have the rowing ability of a well-designed rigid dinghy, or the beauty of a classic timber tender but, for simple utility they are hard to beat. The inflatable…
Sampling some Turkish delight
We sailed into Turkey determined to be bound by no deadlines or obligations to do anything other than go where the wind blew us. The five weeks we were there comprised a long languid procession of hot and sultry days…
The history of the fore and aft rig
For thousands of years, man has heeded the call of the sea: whether for trade or piracy, for exploration and adventure, or to seek to understand more of his environment. Until the advent of aircraft, ships were the links that…
Astrea 42: wake up call
This latest Fountaine Pajot catamaran was so new to the Australian market, indeed the world, that at time of testing just after the Sydney International Boat Show in August, there was still no printed brochure available. Mind you, that has…
Jeanneau 490: take a bow
Let’s start with what I find as the most interesting addition to this yacht’s features. It is in the master cabin in the bow. An offset cabin door to port leaves the starboard side vanity and shower recess with an…
Beneteau 46.1: tailored to perform
Over the last few years I have been reporting about boatbuilder Beneteau’s change in direction being driven by its general manager Gianguido Girotti. His development of racing yachts, prior to joining Beneteau, has seen him move the company back towards…
Jeanneau 319: Relax, go to it
It has been a long time since I reviewed a production yacht this small, other than the Cygnet 20 trailer sailer back in April last year. The forty to fifty foot range is indeed a crowded market with these size…
Seawind 1600: Looking daggers
For over 35 years Australian catamaran manufacturer Seawind Catamarans has made a successful run at producing catamarans up to the forty foot mark suitable for family cruising and predominantly the charter boat market. Ever since its move to the Vietnam…
Nautitech 40: moving on up
We tested the original Nautitech Open 40 back in August of 2016; shortly after Bavaria Yachts bought the multihull boatbuilder and shortly before that company went into administration. When a venture capitalist management company took over Bavaria one of the…
Outbound 46: outward bound
In this era of mass production boat build whereas a new yacht rolls out the factory door at least once a week, it is amazing to see bespoke cruising yachts still finding the niche on the water. While Australia has…
Lagraviere leads early skirmish as La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro leaves France for Kinsale
Under grey skies on the Bay of La Baule, at the mouth of the Loire river in the west of France, Morgan Lagraviere (Voile d’engagement) lead an early breakaway trio at the head of the 47-strong La Solitaire URGO Le…
Aleph Racing: 44Cup winner after nine years of trying
This morning Hugues Lepic's Aleph Racing scored their third bullet out of four races, increasing their five point lead at the day's start to a massive 10. Ultimately a fourth place in today's second and final race handed the French…
Breakaway 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar for Rambler 88 and Vera
One of the biggest ‘door closing on those behind’ moments in offshore sailing occurred on Thursday night and through the next 24 hours for competitors racing in the special 10th anniversary edition of the 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar, between Livorno and…
The Long Blue Line: Ensign Charles Duke and seizure of rum runner Greypoint
Capt. Daniel A. LaliberteU.S. Coast Guard, retired Charles L. Duke, a native of Norfolk, Virginia, joined the Coast Guard on Aug. 26, 1925, amid the service’s dramatic expansion during Prohibition. A previous four-year enlistment in the Navy Reserve near the…
US Coast Guard rescues two from capsized yacht
On Wednesday night, the US Coast Guard answered an EPIRB distress signal and rescued a man and woman from a capsized sailboat about 65 miles off Atlantic City, New Jersey. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard’s Fifth District Command Center in…
Down Under Rally supports 10-year-old shark victim with horrific injuries
I am writing to you to see if you can help a New Caledonia family during what will be a very tough time. Earlier this week Anthony, a perfectly normal 10 year old boy was having fun jumping off the…
Hopes fading for Sydney sailor lost on India's second-highest mountain
Indian authorities have conceded that there is little hope of finding alive a Sydney woman who was part of an eight-person mountaineering party which failed to return to base camp at Nanda Devi, the second-highest mountain in India. Ruth McCance,…
Phuket Raceweek looking for Cruising Catamarans
Are you a cruising catamaran owner? How does four days of warm-weather sailing off Phuket’s beautiful south-east coast plus four nights of beachfront parties with buffet dinners, free flow drinks and perhaps a trophy or two along the way, sound?…
Records set on final day of 2019 Samui Regatta
Samui, Thailand: Coming into the final day, just 0.5 points separated the top two in IRC Zero with THA72 having the edge over Team Hollywood (AUS) – and one mistake, one bad call could decide the Samui Regatta. Looking through…
Marseille poised to host Hempel World Cup Series Final
Marseille, France is poised to host 325 sailors from 40 nations for the 2019 Hempel World Cup Series Final. Sailors will race at the venue for the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition across ten Olympic disciplines and an Open Kiteboarding…
Leader change as Aleph Racing goes turbo at the Adris 44Cup Rovinj
While conditions seemed similar to yesterday, with a light north-westerly, results on day three of the Adris 44Cup Rovinj demonstrated how fortunes between the slippery, high performance RC44 one design monohulls and their ultra-competitive crews can change in a heartbeat….
International Dragon celebrates 90th anniversary Italian style
In 2019, the International Dragon the class celebrates its 90th anniversary and to mark the milestone, the International Dragon Association (IDA) is partnering with Yacht Club Sanremo, Italy, to create a Gala Regatta, bringing together Dragons and Dragon sailors from…
2019 Samui Regatta: Closing in at the top on Day 4
Samui, Thailand: The Premier and Cruising classes got to stretch their legs on today's Mount Gay Rum race day, racing along the south-east coastline to Lamai Beach and back, while IRC Zero and IRC 1 added windward/leewards to their race…
Back to the future for 50th La Solitaire Le Figaro
The introduction of the new foil-assisted Figaro Bénéteau 3 has proven to have had a magnetic attraction to past winners of the famous annual La Solitaire Urgo Le Figaro, so much so that when the 47-strong fleet of solo racers…
Two bullet day for Charisma at Adris 44Cup Rovinj
After yesterday's multi-faceted single race, conditions settled down with a 10-12 knot north-westerly allowing three races to be held on the second day of the Adris 44Cup Rovinj, and with Rovinj's picture postcard old town forming the backdrop, the sun…
Fleet builds for historic 2019 Rolex Sydney Hobart
A mix of newcomers and race-winning veterans headline a 75-strong fleet already entered in the 2019 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the historic 75th staging of the iconic Australian sporting event. The Cayman Islands-registered Caro is the latest, returning to the…
Five races within one on opening day of Adris 44Cup Rovinj
A difficult opening day of the Adris 44Cup Rovinj saw just one race completed and a worthy winner in Igor Lah's Team CEEREF. But perhaps never in the history of the 44Cup have so many different teams led during one…
Irish solo racers buoyed up and ready to race ‘home’ to Kinsale
Rather than any accumulated local knowledge it will be the strong, primal lure of returning to the homeland, Ireland, which might yield any additional speed advantage to Joan Mulloy and Tom Dolan when the two Irish solo racers compete on…
Strong maxi fleet sets sail in 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar
What is now the Mediterranean’s largest offshore race set sail from Livorno, Italy this afternoon. The 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with a giant fleet of 220, up from just under 200 last year, making it…
Laser Masters urged to “get to Port Phillip early” for 2020 World Championships
Port Phillip Bay in Victoria, Australia, is the venue for the 2020 Oceania and Australian Laser Championships, as well as the 2020 World Masters Championships. It can be a tricky place to sail and local Laser veterans are advising international…
Australian Sailing names Olympic Test Event team
Australian Sailing has announced its 14-athlete strong team to represent the country at this year’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Test Event, which will take place at the Olympic venue at Enoshima, 70 kilometres south of Tokyo, from 15-22 August. The team…
Have your say to help improve safety, services and infrastructure on NSW waterways.
Have your say to make a difference As boaters in NSW, maritime safety, services and infrastructure are important to us all – which is why we are contacting you with the opportunity to have your say in our annual recreational boating…
