Golden Globe: Van Den Heede or Slats?
Jean Luc Van Den Heede is benefitting from a clear game plan – he is where he always wanted to be – riding the top of the Azores High. He has done this route many times before, and now has…
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.
Island Racing divisions swell as entries roll in for Bay of Islands Sailing Week
he Island Racing divisions at the CRC Bay of Islands Sailing Week have attracted so many entries organisers have had to create an extra division to accommodate the number of boats. The new Island Racing F division has been created…
Etchells Nationals crown goes to Murray Beashel and Allanson
The illustrious NSW trio of Iain Murray, Colin Beashel and Richie Allanson on ‘Havoc’ have come from behind to win the Etchells National crown in Brisbane on late Friday. Steered by Murray, who has won worlds, nationals and states in…
Ranger's rival returns to Auckland Anniversary Regatta
Two of Auckland’s most famous classic yachts will once again square off against each other at the Ports of Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta, on Monday, 28 January. Ariki, once hailed as the Queen of the Waitemata, was unbeaten champion of…
Spindrift’s attempt on Jules Verne record underway
Yann Guichard and his crew started their Jules Verne record attempt at Ushant today, Wednesday, January 16 at 11h 47min 27sec UTC – to break the record, held since 2017 by Francis Joyon and his crew, of 40 days 23h…
Vendee Globe IMOCA numbers growing
There will be at least eight new generation IMOCAs lining up at the start of the 2020 Vendée Globe says Nicolas Troussel, who in a year from now will be launching his Corum l’Epargne, a Kouyoumdjian designed boat fitted with…
Bigger fleet and new image for RC44 Championship
For its 13th season, the RC44 Championship Tour has been given a makeover and has been rechristened the 44Cup with a more modern logo in carbon black and neon yellow. “Rebranding is a standard marketing procedure in the corporate world,”…
Sydney Harbour Regatta entry open as MHYC celebrates 80 years
Middle Harbour Yacht Club (MHYC) will hold its annual Sydney Harbour Regatta on the first weekend of March, this year incorporating the Australian Sydney 38 Championship and the NSW J70 Championship, a fitting way to celebrate the Club’s 80th anniversary….
Countdown on for Festival of Sails as large numbers prepare to set sail
A fleet of more than 270 boats will compete in the 2019 Festival of Sails, Australia’s biggest celebration of sailing, which kicks off with the Passage Race from Melbourne to Geelong on Australia Day. Entries for Australia’s oldest sporting event…
Goolwa Regatta Week gears up again – entries closing soon
Sailing families around South Australia are getting set for the Goolwa Regatta Week, and its marquee event the Milang-Goolwa Freshwater Classic, which is well known as one of the most enjoyable and lifestyle-focused on-water events in the State. With a…
Wendy Tuck guest speaker for Port Phillip Women’s Championship series
Wendy Tuck, winner of the 2017-2018 Clipper Round the World Race, is to be the guest speaker at Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (RMYS), for the start of the Port Phillip Women’s Championship series for the Jennifer Goldsmith Perpetual Trophy. Tuck,…
Women hit the water in revolutionary new program
A Melbourne yacht club is breaking down the barriers of female participation in sailing through a revolutionary program known as Women on Water, paving the way for sailing and creating significant positive change in the local area. The Women on…
All-female crew for Round Martinique Regatta
She is actively involved in Martinique sailing and even more so in the category of Surprise monohulls, but now Délice Nouel and her crew on Dénébola – Didier are ready to take up the challenge of The Round Martinique Regatta….
Golden Globe: Slats closes to within 50 miles of Van Den Heede in nail-biter
With less than 1700 nautical miles to the Golden Globe Race finish in Les Sables d'Olonne, second placed Dutchman, Mark Slats, has sliced a further 393 miles out of Jean-Luc Van Den Heede's lead over the past eight days. At…
New attempt on Jules Verne Trophy imminent
After two and a half months of stand-by, Spindrift 2, skippered by Yann Guichard with his core crew in tow, is preparing to leave for a new attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. The crewed round the world sailing record…
Melges 24 Australian Championship for Lake Macquarie
Lake Macquarie Yacht Club (LMYC) is excited to announce it will be hosting the 2019 Accru Melges 24 Australian Championship from 12-15 March. The Club has had a long association with the Melges 24 class, running several state and national…
French connection: testing the Jeanneau 410 in France
While it is understandable most readers would be jealous of yours truly having the opportunity to sail test a myriad of yachts for Cruising Helmsman. The reality, however, may differ somewhat from the perception. It usually takes four hours to…
Knock, knock no longer
The Gobius Pro measures the level of fluid in virtually any kind of tank, all from the outside. Using Bluetooth communication via personal Android or IOS smartphone, a yacht owner can be instantly aware of tank levels. No longer do…
New Dufour models debut at Cannes
The official launch of the Dufour 390 and 430 Grand Large and Dufour catamaran 48 took place at the recent Cannes Yachting Festival. Ed Penn, general manager from the Dufour Australia office of Performance Cruising Yachts attended the show for…
Chartering makes it easy to decide
With land-based tourist destinations becoming more crowded, bareboat charter company The Moorings is witnessing more families and younger customers gravitating towards yachting holidays. The global yacht charter market is growing each year with the latest figures showing it is expected…
Latest designs born from severe testing for Spinlock PFD
Formed from the lessons learned by the Volvo Ocean Race teams, Spinlock released its Vito personal flotation device for the cruising community. The Vito is the first lifejacket harness to include a harness release system: HRS. The option to quickly…
Mazu sat comms with Raymarine and Jeanneau
Technology and satellite communications brand, Mazu, announced its integration with the Raymarine Axiom series of multifunction displays (MFDs). This partnership will allow boaters access to Mazu directly through Lighthouse apps. When paired with Mazu’s m2500 satellite communications system, Mazu software…
On the quest for Pax
Anyone who has attended the My State Tasmanian Wooden Boat Festival (February 8 to 11 this year) and has gone to some of the seminars will most likely have seen a vivacious American lady that everyone appears to know. Kaci…
Goolwa's regatta week – more than a sailing event
Sailing families around South Australia are getting set for the Goolwa Regatta Week, and its marquee event the Milang-Goolwa Freshwater Classic, which is well known as one of the most enjoyable and lifestyle-focused on-water events in the state With a…
Home built beats production models in Moth Nationals
McKnight dominated the Australian Moth National Championship sailed from Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron last week, dropping two sixes from 14 races, with a net score of 20 points. He raced a home built boat, with the new deck-sweeper mainsail configuration,…
Big names readying up for Etchell Nationals
Twenty seven Etchells have returned to the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron this week for a re-match, at least against their Australian competitors, on what were the waters for the World Championship held with 94 teams last October. In today's practice…
'Packed with talent and promise' youth squad named after nationals
A new set of national youth champions were crowned after a stunning final day of sailing on the Derwent River at the 2019 Australian Youth Championships presented by the Australian Maritime College in Hobart today. The regatta doubled as the…
Deadline extended for Festival of Sails Geelong
Sailing enthusiasts yet to register for the Festival of Sails can still jump on-board, with event organisers extending the entry deadline for the 2019 regatta. The Royal Geelong Yacht Club has extended the entry deadline for the three-day regatta, which…
World of adventure awaits latest World ARC ralliers
On Saturday 12 January the World ARC 2019-20 fleet set off from Saint Lucia at 12 noon beginning their adventure of a lifetime following years of dreaming, thinking, planning and preparations. Departing were a fleet of 26 yachts from 12…
Winners becoming clear at Australian Youth Championships
Hobart’s River Derwent turned on perfect sailing conditions for the penultimate day of racing in the Australian Youth Championships, warm and sunny with a constant 18-22 knot sea breeze. The sailors responded with exhilarating displays of close competition, providing a…
National titles up for grabs on the last day of 2019 Youth Champs
Young gun Zac Littlewood may have conquered a world championship, but there was one title missing from the cabinet – and he provisionally wrapped it up on the penultimate day of racing at the 2019 Australian Youth Championships, presented by…
Giles wins Finns but Lilley makes top Aussie
It had been a tough week at Black Rock Yacht Club, Victoria, for the Australian Finn Championships. Solid sea breezes for most of the races challenged the physical preparation of the 40 sailors who took part. Many sailors were visibly…
Americans go West to build a boat in Hobart
Next month, February, the american Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building (NWSWB) will showcase a Haven 12.5 it will build at Tasmania's MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart. ATL Composites is supporting this project by sponsoring West System products…
If you are in the area: Round Martinique Regatta
The first race of The Round Martinique Regatta will start from Fort de France in just a month’s time, eagerly awaited by both the competitors and the event’s organisers. However, before trimming the sails and sharpening tactics, the most important…
IMOCA delivers report card for 2018 and 2019 preview
The IMOCA class reports that after an exceptional year, 2019 is also looking high and fast. The 2018 Route du Rhum saw an unprecedented line-up and it will be the same for the next Transat Jacques Vabre with no fewer…
Bay of Islands Week set to break records
New Zealand’s biggest and multi-day sailing regatta, CRC Bay of Islands Sailing Week, will be held next week and organisers are again predicting a record breaking year in terms of entry numbers.The entry list for the event, which takes place…
Youths challenged by brisk breeze on River Derwent
Hobart’s River Derwent again turned on a brisk to strong breeze to challenge young sailors contesting day two of the Australian Sailing Youth Championships, a huge event supported by the Australian Maritime College and conducted by the Royal Yacht Club…
Australian Finn Championship: Victory for Scott – Lilley retains Australian title
Giles Scott wrapped up a great week’s sailing with two more race wins to take the overall victory at the Ronstan Australian Finn Championship in some spectacular Black Rock conditions, where Nicholas Heiner secured second place and Jake Lilley took…
Burvill and Puttman crowned new Tornado world champions
Australian duo Brett Burvill and Max Puttman are the 2019 Tornado world champions, crowned in New Zealand where the event was held, while the final race was won by famous locals, Olympic Gold and Silver medallist Rex Sellars, crewed by…
Battles brewing on the Derwent River
The best young sailors in Australia hit the waters of Hobart today for the second day of racing at the 2019 Australian Youth Championships presented by the Australian Maritime College, and in some classes, the elite sailors used the conditions…
