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.
Day two of the Commodore’s Cup at Sail Port Stephens yielded a new division one winner and though the Archambault 32 Esprit’s handicap slug after day one made a second victory much tougher, sailing couple Jane Bartels and Greg Wilkins…
Amid the gleaming white fibreglass boats racing en masse at the Commodores Cup, stage one of the two-part 10th anniversary Sai Port Stephens, is the classic timber boat Vittoria cutting a wide path through the gentle Nelson Bay chop. Built…
Morning All, Well what a testing 24 hours I have had. Yesterday after I finished writing the blog I heated up my hot water bottle and crawled into bed as the boat was sailing nicely with 20 knots. I had…
At approximately 0300 (AET) Australian sailor Lisa Blair issued a PAN PAN 895nm south of Cape Town when in 40 knot winds and seven (7) metre swell her boat Climate Action Now was dismasted after the port shroud broke in…
The GC32 Racing Tour will break new ground when it visits southern Sardinia at the end of June: This will be the first time that a major international sailing event has been held at Villasimius, on the Italian island’s southeasternmost…
A huge fleet enjoyed a cracking start to the 10th anniversary Sail Port Stephens sailed on Nelson Bay in warm 15-20 knot SSE winds. Pantaenius Commodore’s Cup race one was a 15 nautical miler on a course better known as…
A 20-knot sou’easter propelled a record fleet in record time from Newcastle to Port Stephens today, as the feeder race for – you guessed it – a record 2017 Sail Port Stephens regatta in Nelson Bay NSW. More than 40…
“Choices are the hinges of destiny,” goes the famous quote by Edwin Markham, and today’s Congressional Cup racing proved that making good choices can make, or break, you. As the frontrunner after two days of Qualifying, Johnie Berntsson (SWE) elected…
The last time Chris Brain sailed competitively was 34 years ago on a Minnow, the same Minnow that brought him out of retirement for the Aero Australian Championship he won off Black Rock on the shores of Port Phillip in…
A Boating Industry Association support crew departed today for Far North Queensland, to help members coping with damage to boats and marinas from Cyclone Debbie. Led by BIA Queensland Manager Aaron McKenna, a team of nine people met up today…
After a three year cruise from the east coast of USA, Ian and I arrived on Outsider in Fiji in April 2015, our original plan was New Year’s Eve on Sydney Harbour. But after a month or so in Fiji…
In May 2012 I wrote an article in Cruising Helmsman about my experiences of removing craze from acrylic windows on my catamaran. I was prompted to write about this subject as I could not easily find if such a technique…
We have been lucky enough to spend some time around the southern Great Barrier Reef over two cruises, one in winter the other in summer. We stopped at five different spots: Lady Elliott, Lady Musgrave, Masthead Island, Fitzroy Reef and…
You have invited friends or family on a cruise. They have never done it before. They have put their trust in you as their hosts and sailing guides. How do you maximise your chances of a memorable and successful cruise?…
Not far from the Heads, at the southern end of Victoria’s Port Phillip, lies what must be one of the world’s most unique yacht clubs. Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club is unique in many ways. Not just because it sits on…
Everyone who reads Cruising Helmsman has an interest in boats. There is probably a voice in the deep recesses of your mind saying “one day I’ll just sail away…..”. So how do people actually do it? In this article I…
There are few things that set off a classic yacht as beautifully as a well laid teak deck. It is relatively non-slip, provides insulation for the cabin and, equally importantly, adds to the traditional appeal. But mine had another undesirable…
Affordable Gemini catamarans are designed by British boat builder Tony Smith, who established his company Performance Cruising in the USA and went on to build more than 1000 of this production boat. They have become one of the most popular…
In a series of matches that were as mercurial as the weather, Ian Williams (GBR) and his team GAC Pindar triumphed in the 53rd Congressional Cup, beating Johnie Berntsson (SWE) in a fifth and final winner-take-all match. Not since 2012…
Finn sailor, Jake Lilley, joined the team at the end of 2016 as a Grinder after impressing Exercise Physiologist , Pete Cunningham. “Jake has shown great dedication to his training over the past 5 months or so and has turned…
In France they call it a “Repêchage.” In America it’s known as a “do-over.” And today, in the world of top-level match racing, it was called “redemption.” Ian Williams (GBR) – who finished at the bottom of the pack in…
Put five top Finn sailors on a beautiful stretch of turquoise waters, 25 knots of wind and baking hot sunshine and you have a recipe for some magic happening. Magic happened today in Palma. After a spectacular final race as…
On Thursday, the Gitana Team invited the press to the Palais de Tokyo museum in Paris to mark the official launch of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, a ‘giant’ measuring 32 metres long and 23 metres wide, which is undergoing…
The impact on boat owners and the marine industry in QLD by Cyclone Debbie has been devastating but as always, the industry has been quick to respond with support. Jeanneau Australia dealers received a communication from the BIA asking for…
Long Beach (CA), USA (March 29th, 2017) – Brilliant sunshine greeted the all-star line-up of Congressional Cup 2017, racing along the shores of Long Beach, California. Conditions were nothing like last year’s dismal, drizzly weather. But the wind played havoc…
At 17:15hrs local time on Thursday afternoon while the team was sailing about seven nautical miles SW of the island of Ons (Pontevedra) near their home base in around 25 knots of wind and four meter high waves the VO65…
Some of the most spectacular venues in Italy will comprise the 2017 International Circuit for the Farr 40 Class Association. With the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship already scheduled for Porto Cervo in July, class organizers have announced two additional…
On 28 March 2017, Sir Philip Craven, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President met with senior World Sailing officials, receiving an update on the progress the world governing body is making in its Para World Sailing Strategic Plan. In the…
The latest round of America’s Cup Class (ACC) practice racing ahead of the 35th America’s Cup concluded on a beautiful spring Sunday on the Great Sound. Artemis Racing had a good weekend, winning six straight races on Saturday and Sunday….
TAMARA HOWIE, NT News POLISH off the wheels and throw on the detective outfits – the inaugural Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association scavenger hunt is here. DBCYA general manager Wendy McCallum said it was a great way to get out…
Scott Dickson and David Storrs defeated young challengers Harry Price and Nevin Snow in the semi-finals of the 38th annual Ficker Cup, with Dickson, representing Long Beach Yacht Club, going on to win the prestigious Ficker Cup trophy, and a…
The America's Cup Hall of Fame is to induct three personalities in 2017: John K. Marshall, Doug Peterson, and Syd Fischer. The America's Cup Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on October 5, 2017 in San Diego, California, aboard…
Stuff.co.nz. By Duncan Johnstone. Team New Zealand skipper Glenn Ashby admits to “plenty of hairy moments” – even losing helmsman Peter Burling overboard – as they push their new America's Cup catamaran to the limit. The Kiwi syndicate are in the…
After 21 days of sailing in the Hauraki Gulf, Emirates Team New Zealand has lowered its bold red wing sail in New Zealand for the final time with the focus immediately shifting to begin disassembling their race boat and get…
Online entry has opened and the Notice of Race is available for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s annual Land Rover Winter Series, which opens with the Windward Trophy Great Veterans Race and the Jill McLay Ladies Day on Sunday…
There has been some recent uninformed comment and news reports concerning the America’s Cup Rules and the reasons America’s Cup teams voted to change various rules. In particular, there seems to be confusion about the new allowances for daggerboards and…
As Cat 4 Tropical Cyclone Debbie loses intensity and tracks south towards Brisbane, the Gold Coast and northern NSW, residents and visitors to the Whitsundays Islands, Airlie Beach, Mackay and other affected areas of northern Queensland are emerging from their…
As always when disaster strikes, people are quick to help in whatever way they can. The Boating Industry Association has sent an appeal to all its members, asking for both monetary and physical assistance for the operators of the marinas…
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…
SYDNEY, MARCH 29, 2017: MySail, an app to find crew for racing yachts, has been launched in Sydney to help yacht owners recruit and manage appropriate crews for their vessels. Created by avid sailor, Deborah Dalziel, MySail simplifies the task…
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