Sail Magazine

by Adam Cort

Adam Cort is SAIL’s executive editor. He lives and sails in the Boston area.

Lash Down Your Deck Gear

by Adam Cort, Posted April 12, 2011

Stainless steel tie-down fittings from Accon Marine ensure that loose gear on deck stays in place, keeping things safe and well organized when underway.The fittings are available in a large size (3.5in by 3.5in) and a small size (2in by 2in). These two sizes can be used for securing a wide range of items, including everything from scuba gear to fenders. Each tie-down is comprised of

Quality Impellers Increase Engine Efficiency

by Adam Cort, Posted April 12, 2011

High-quality, long-lasting impellers from JMP are manufactured from a mix of different rubbers and include a surface coating that decreases wear and tear for longer use.Tested by the U.S. Navy, the impellers help keep marine engines working at their highest efficiency, even in harsh operating conditions, by ensuring that their pumps are operating correctly.JMP offers flexible

Atlantic Cup Rounds Out Field

by Adam Cort, Posted April 6, 2011

Organizers of the inaugural Atlantic Cup have enlisted two more boats, bringing the fleet total up to five, just one shy of the number they had hoped for when the event was announced late last year.Set to take place May 6-14, the regatta will be held aboard Class 40 sloops—currently all the rage in Europe—and include both an inshore, fully crewed event and a double-handed 260-mile

Jean-Pierre Dick Repeats in Barcelona Race

by Adam Cort, Posted April 6, 2011

Sailing with fellow Frenchman Loick Peyron, Jean-Pierre Dick has repeated his 2007-08 triumph in the Barcelona World Race by winning the second running of the double-handed event aboard Virbac-Paprec 3 in 93 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes and 36 seconds.Finishing in second place about 23 hours later were Spanish sailors Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez aboard Mapfre. In third

BVI Regatta Marks Four Decades

by Adam Cort, Posted April 6, 2011

Having now celebrated its 40th year, the BVI Spring Regatta may officially be classified as “middle aged,” but it hardly shows any signs of slowing down.On March 28-April 3, an impressive 122 boats descended on Tortola’s Nanny Cay for five days of what sailors have long come to expect from this event—sun, wind, high-octane competition and even higher-octane parties.As

Glowfast Luminous Sail Tape

by Adam Cort, Posted April 6, 2011

Glowfast Marine has expanded its line of glow-in-the-dark sail tape so that cruisers can now keep tabs on sail shape during night watches, the same as racers. According to Glowfast, its luminous draft stripes can improve sail handling and performance as much as 20 percent after the sun goes down. Coupled with the company’s wide range of clutch labels, safety labels and even glow-in-the-dark

The Very Best in Caribbean Racing

by Adam Cort, Posted April 6, 2011

On March 25-27, the St. Thomas Rolex Regatta marked its 38th anniversary with three days that represented the very best in Caribbean racing. Steady breezes building from 12 knots to the high teens throughout the event, sunny afternoons, a varied and highly competitive fleet, excellent race committee work and parties that were neither too big nor too small, but just right: it

Scandinavian Cruiser 20

by Adam Cort, Posted March 11, 2011

A couple of days after last fall’s Newport Boat Show, I had a chance to take the Scandinavian Cruiser 20 out for a spin on Narragansett Bay. Despite being one of the smallest boats there, and up on a trailer besides, the SC20, with its classic lines, teak deck and royal blue topsides, was one of the show’s standouts.It was also one of the most surprising boats I’ve sailed. In retrospect, I

Class of the Month: Class 40

by Adam Cort, Posted March 11, 2011

The Class 40 began in 2004 as a scaled-down, less-expensive version of the Open 60 and Open 50 monohulls that are the darlings of professional shorthanded offshore racing in Europe. The idea was to give amateurs an affordable class that was a step up from the Mini Transat 6.5, but pros have since embraced the boat as well.In the 2006 Route du Rhum race from France to Guadeloupe, 25 Class

Know Your Level

by Adam Cort, Posted March 8, 2011

Since time immemorial, an aura of mystery has surrounded the tanks holding fuel, water and waste aboard a sailboat. Enter the Gobius tank measuring system, which uses vibrations to determine how full a tank is. Each Gobius includes a control unit and a series of sensors, each equipped with a “shaker” and an accelerator to create a “knock and listen” system to determine if there is liquid on the