Orford Sailing Club celebrates 100 years

Situated in arguably one of Suffolk’s prettiest villages and under the watchful eye of its medieval castle and church, Orford SailingClub celebrates its centenary in 2024.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF AIS IN THE NIGHT-TIME

When container vessels mysteriously started keeping clear of Peter Webb's yacht, it seemed odd, but the answer to their unusual behaviour didn't emerge until they were safely in harbour

A sea change in lifejacket design

Mustang Survival introduces ils new ISO approved Atlas 190

Are you brave enough to have a go?

The flexing of spring’s muscles calls for a dusting down of my jobs list.

Translated 9 retires from OGR with hull damage

Translated 9, one of the leading yachts in the Ocean Globe Race (OGR), has been forced to retire from the round-the-world race with hull damage and has diverted to Madeira.

Tributes paid to boatbuilder lain Oughtred

Tributes have flowed in for renowned boatbuilder and designer Iain Oughtred who died on the Isle of Skye in February, aged 84.

Russia suspected of 63-hour attack on GPS signals in the Baltic region

Russia is suspected of launching a 63-hour-long attack on GPS signals in the Baltic region, starting on 31 March, Easter Sunday, in a move that affected more than 1,600 passenger planes, as well as other GPS users.

TECHNICAL KETCH TO SCHOONER

Roger Hughes explains why he swapped his masts to create an impressive brigantine square-rigger

TECHNICAL CHOOSING THE RIGHT PROPELLER

A change of propeller can dramatically improve a yacht's performance while saving money on fuel. Sam Fortescue reports on the latest options

10 BEST HIDDEN SCOTTISH ANCHORAGES

The sheer beauty of the Western Isles draws many yachtsmen, but cruising on the west coast of Scotland has always been for the brave.

Affordable routes into sailing

Sailing doesn’t have to break the bank. Crewing on other people’s boats offers many low-cost sailing opportunities, says Robin Ashcroft

FIRST TEST LINJETT 39

This long-established, yet little known, Swedish yard believes it has the perfect formula for a contemporary yacht with timeless appeal. Rupert Holmes put her through her paces

TECHNICAL 'OUR BOAT WAS FULL OF WATER'

After an afternoon away, Roger Hughes had to act quickly when he found his schooner-rigged yacht sinking at its Florida marina mooring

HOW IT WORKS OPTIMISING SAIL TRIM

It is difficult to describe ‘correct’ sail shape, but the three most important things to consider are: sail draft (the fullness of the sail), draft position, and twist (controlled by the kicker /vang and leech tension).

HEBRIDEAN HIDEAWAYS

There are some incredible hidden harbours along the west coast of Scotland, many offering 360° shelter, although some may be rather challenging to enter

Mark lines to save miscommunication

This year, I spent my holidays working in the French Figaro class. My role was to be a préparateur – the French name for someone whose job it is to prepare and fix boats before and after races.

It's time for Deliveroo by canoe

Can we agree that it’s an old myth that sailors survive entirely on Fray Bentos pies and ‘pot mess’? Certainly on Skylax mealtimes are something to look forward to as both Rod and I love cooking.

Freak waves are lurking closer than you think

Salvage tug captain Nick Sloane can claim a library of feats of derring-do.

£33m government funding to develop green technologies for ports and ships

Maritime Minister Lord Davies has announced the winners of £33 million of government funding to develop green technologies for ports and ships as part of the decarbonisation of the sector.

Eight bells for C&N yacht designer Raymond Wall

Yacht designer Raymond Wall passed away in November at the age of 91 after a long and illustrious career.

OGR IRC leader returns with severe damage

Translated 9, the leading IRC yacht in the Ocean Globe Race was forced to divert to the Falkland Islands after discovering two cracks on the hull, one of which was big enough to sink the boat in heavy weather.

Celebrating 200 years of the RNLI

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) officially celebrates its 200th birthday on 4 March.

CLOSE TO THE EDGE

Kirstin Jones sails to the Shiant Isles to witness the wonder of the seabird breeding season on Scotland's West Coast and examines the distressing effects of climate change

BOOT DÜSSELDORF 2024

Mid-winter on the banks of the Rhine might seem like an incongruous time and place for a boat show, but boot Düsseldorf, held for 10 days every January, remains the world's largest, housed snugly in 17 vast halls.

BUYING A NEW BOAT & EQUIPPING FOR THE MED

After selling their business and retiring in March 2021, Mike and Debbie Morgan set about choosing, buying and upgrading a boat with all the bells and whistles to cruise around the Mediterranean in maximum comfort

FIRST TEST HANSE 410

Following the phenomenal success of the 460 - first of a new range of Hanse models - the 410 follows a similar theme on a smaller scale

HOW NOT TO BUY A BOAT...A GUIDE TO GETTING IT WRONG

When Dominic Fohnson’s dream of owning his own boat finally became reality, the litany of errors he made when purchasing and maintaining her sapped both his energy and his bank balance. Here he explains how you can avoid the same fate...

SAFFIER SL 46

Dutch yard Saffier have a reputation for stylish, quick day sailers. While their origins lie in their smaller 6.5m and 8m cabin boats, the yard has seen real growth in its SE range, standing for Saffier Elegance.

X-YACHTS X4⁹ MKII

Updating existing models is nothing new, but X-Yachts is currently working its way through its whole Pure X range, having already updated the X56, and the X4³, the Mk II of which I sailed last years, and loved (YM, Aug 23). The X4⁹ Mk II is following in the same vein as the other two models to have received the treatment.

HANSE 410

There appears to be no slowing down of the competition between the major boatyards when it comes to building new mid-size cruising yachts