Innehållsförteckning för February 2025 från Sailing Today

As the leaders reached the half way mark, the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe was shaping up to be an extraordinary one in many respects, with thrilling battles at all levels of the fleet. Records have repeatedly been broken, including from the Equator to the Cape of Good Hope, a stretch which saw the 600 mile a day barrier smashed. Yet, in a race renowned for a drop out rate approaching 50 per cent, it’s remarkable that only two boats had retired at or before the Cape of Good Hope. Part of that is undoubtedly due to the gentle conditions at the start on 10 November. At that time of year the Bay of Biscay can be ferocious, with multiple vigorous weather fronts to negotiate. Typically there’s a big…

Our annual summer cruise started with a week in Normandy to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing which was the start of the allied invasion of occupied Europe. Our yacht Freya is based in Poole so we were well placed for a hop across the channel to the broad, sometimes desolate Normandy beaches where, on 6 June 1944, British and American troops landed with the aim of driving the Nazis out of occupied France. It was a turning point in World War II. D-Day was the largest amphibious landing the world had ever seen. Having been at the 75th anniversary we knew it would be a moving and incredible event. As always the weather watching started a few days before our intended departures and things looked promising with…

It wasn’t the most original idea I’ve ever had: to sail our boat from England to Greece. Hundreds, probably thousands, of people have done it before. And yet. Having been brought up on a boat in Greece between the ages of 10 and 15, back in the 1970s, there is still no other place I’d rather be. This, despite having travelled the world quite widely for my yacht journalism work, covering stories in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Caribbean, the west coast of America and all over Europe. Still, for me, nothing comes near the combination of idyllic landscapes, pretty villages, and warm, friendly people that you find in such abundance in Greece (though I have to admit Tasmania did give it a close run for the money). Getting there…

48°47.18’N, 3°13.32’W The northern coast of Brittany is probably the most popular holiday destination of all for South coast based British boaters. Many of the most popular coastal ports and marinas along the cote d’Armor and the cote de granite rose are more or less equidistant from the crowded southern English marinas. But there are effectively two distinct varieties of ports in north Brittany, the coastal marinas and traditional fishing ports, and the inland ports up estuaries and inlets and up the rivers, sometimes surprisingly far up the rivers. The character and atmosphere of these destinations vary considerably but equally they appeal to all sorts of visitors for all sorts of reasons. The coastal ports such as St Malo, St Brieuc, Paimpol, Morlaix, and Perros Guirec owe their origins to…

Sailing magazines are full of advice at this time of year about how to batten down the hatches for winter and keep the boat safe on land. Between winter storms and Jack Frost, the threats to the boat seem to be legion. Not everyone takes that view, however. Some hardy sailors keep their boats in the water until Christmas and beyond for winter racing and cruising. Temperatures may be lower, but there are plenty of fine sailing days and the crowds are thin on the ground, meaning that a busy pub or anchorage can be all yours. We set out to learn more from Cruising Association members who swear by winter sailing, gathering advice, tips and equipment recommendations that could keep you afloat during the off-season. We also spoke to…

Three Garcias break the ice Garcia Yachts has announced that three of its Exploration 45 yachts have successfully traversed the notoriously difficult and dangerous North West Passage last summer. The legendary passage takes boats high into the Arctic latitudes as you thread the Bering Sea which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Traditionally it was a voyage that was virtually impossible, with many famed expeditions and explorers - perhaps most notably Sir John Franklin – perishing in the quest to pass through this fabled passage. In recent years, warming oceans have made the tricky passage slightly more possible as there is less chance of becoming icebound, and this undoubtedly aided the three Garcia yachts which, despite less than optimistic forecasts for the ice clearing at the start of the summer,…

Dating as I do from a different era, I have to say that I’ve never been deeply interested in safety gear. Of course I applaud the ultimate in safety, the RNLI and the SAR heroes who are always there for us when things go wrong, but my philosophy has always been one of taking every precaution to keep Old Man Danger at bay in the first place rather than assuming it’s my right to be saved if my efforts fail. My first priority lies in maintaining the boat as well as I can. Keeping off lee shores is a mantra. Looking after the charts and the paper logbook sorts out the navigation, while understanding my survival options if I find myself offshore in a storm is axiomatic. One policy straight…

Crossing the Atlantic under sail from the Canaries to the Caribbean as part of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) is statistically less dangerous than getting into your car and taking a 50 minute journey on the motorway. The combination of favourable winds and generally moderate, predictable conditions means that although it may seem that you are taking a step into the unknown, it is not in actual fact a terribly hazardous one even when compared to relatively mundane trips. If you take part in the ARC, you further improve your odds of arriving intact thanks to the assurance of safety in numbers, the rigorous safety checks and equipment required, and help with weather routeing. Nevertheless, the Atlantic refuses to be mundane and anyone who has sailed on this route…

It’s hard to think of a time before SailGP. The global race series brings the vision of its founder and CEO, Russell Coutts, to life in a BIG way and has consequently revolutionised our sport. It’s the series that showcases high octane sailing in such a way that has spectators – and even the sailors themselves – on the edge of their seats. Actually, the series only began in 2019, with just five events and six teams, all funded by the league. Crews of six raced foiling F50 catamarans (developed from the AC50 used for the America’s Cup in Bermuda) and, watching sailors tame these beasts on racecourses just metres from the shoreline, it was all very new and exciting. Crash-and-burn was undoubtedly the go-to phrase. Fast forward to now…

The very nature of location off the coast of Africa and Portugal, means the Atlantic group of islands including the Azores, the Canary Islands and the Cape Verde islands are generally considered challenging in terms of charter holiday destinations – particularly areas of the Canary Islands – so it’s important to select your location according to sailing experience. As far charter destinations go, however, these islands are a relatively short hop from the UK, which means sun seekers looking for year-round charter options may find this is a good alternative to travelling thousands of miles to the tropics. It is also an excellent choice if you are looking to expand your sailing experience or perhaps want an introduction to trade wind sailing in a warm climate. Some charter companies such…

If someone had told me that I’d soon be on the start line of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race as the youngest double-handed female skipper to have ever entered the race in history, I wouldn’t have believed them. It’s been a journey shaped by waves, wind, and wonderful mentors, each step bringing me closer to my goals of making sailing my career and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for young women in this sport. It definitely has not been an easy ride – dealing with discrimination in the industry and having to try 10 times as hard as the average male sailor to prove I am worthy of being on a boat. But nonetheless, I have come across some tremendous seamen and sailors in the industry who give us…

There is such a wide variety of people who sail these days: families, single-handers, racers, explorers, retirees, digital nomads. They can be rich, poor, left or right-wing, young or old. Those who are very mindful of sustainability and others who are more consumerist; some were well-travelled before they set-sail, and others are taking their first voyage outside their home country. My greatest advice, for what it’s worth, to all of the above can be summed up in a few key sentences. And one of them is simply to leave a clean wake. One aspect is being a good guest. As a visiting boater in a foreign land, it is important to follow the rules of the country you are in, even if they may be unfamiliar to you or seem…

“Perhaps I will, after all, one day become a Wingvangelist myself” After another phenomenally busy year of travel, my last overseas assignment of 2024 took me to Jericoacoara in the north of Brazil. This is the third consecutive December spent in Brazil reporting at the climax of the Wingfoil Racing World Cup. Jericoacoara – aka Jeri – is a desert oasis located about 200 miles south of the Equator. It has year-round temperatures of about 30 degrees and for half the year the strong wind blows in like clockwork. Watching the world’s best wingfoilers blasting around the race track at speeds sometimes close to 35kts, it’s a wonder to behold. It makes me want to give it a go. Then you realise just how hard it is. I’ve rarely seen…

There were jokes like ‘Moroccan prisons are ensuite you know, and there is probably French cuisine. You’ll be alright’. The cause of all this ribaldry was that I had been asked to bring out a large and heavy starter motor for Novara, the boat I was due to join out there, and since it was a reconditioned unit which was to go straight onto the boat to be sailed away out of the country, the new owner did not want to pay a heavy import duty. I was instructed to declare its value as £100. Sure enough, at Agadir airport all baggage was put through an X-ray machine, and I was stopped and asked to get the starter motor out of my hold bag; it was right at the bottom…

How do you follow up your biggest hit? It’s a conundrum that faces every successful band and the results can often be mixed. Perhaps the classic example was The Stone Roses. I’m showing my age now, but the Mancunian band followed up an immaculate debut album with the distinctly patchy Second Coming. To make matters worse, they spent years fiddling about with it and by giving the second album such an overblown name, they all but ensured that everyone panned it. Not long after, the band imploded. Why am I talking about the Stone Roses? Alright I admit it, mostly because it tied in with the snappy headline of this article but it’s also fair to say that catamaran manufacturer Lagoon is also trying to follow up on its greatest…

RUSTLER 42 | CORUISK The Rustler 42 is a proven offshore cruising boat designed by the renowned British Naval Architect Stephen Jones. This boat – Coruisk – has had one owner since new in 2005, and is of standard configuration with an encapsulated keel, skeg hung rudder, and cutter rig. According to the broker, the Rustler 42 is easily handled by a couple, and some are even on long singlehanded cruises. Coruisk has a teak laid deck, Selden deck-stepped double spreader anodised mast and boom, fully-battened Hydranet mainsail, and North Sails, South Africa roller furling headsail within her sail wardrobe. Down below she is light and spacious with exquisite woodwork, two staterooms, plus an ergonomic saloon and head, and berths for up to six crew. Year: 2005 LOA: 12.81m (42.03ft)…

Jean Luc Van de Heede’s sailing CV is a remarkable one. In the course of a sailing career spanning many decades he has rounded Cape Horn 12 times – six times solo eastabout, four times solo westabout, once as part of a two-man delivery crew and once while cruising in 2014. The former Maths teacher still holds the world record for the fastest solo westabout circumnavigation of the world, which he completed in 122 days, 14 hours, 3 minutes and 49 seconds. He has competed in the Mini Transat, the Vendée and the Golden Globe races – to name but a few. Here, he reflects on the moments when he was truly afraid, and his relationship with fear. Am I afraid to die? I’m often asked that question. Clearly, no.…