The Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race is one of the world’s great bluewater challenges. The 645-mile event was born in 1977, and this year’s running may be remembered as the toughest Bermuda crossing since the notorious 1979 race. Three major low-pressure systems created what some observers termed a “mini-Perfect Storm” and 21 of the 48 starters retired in the face of 20-foot seas, driving
The Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race is one of the world’s great bluewater challenges. The 645-mile event was born in 1977, and this year’s running may be remembered as the toughest Bermuda crossing since the notorious 1979 race. Three major low-pressure systems created what some observers termed a “mini-Perfect Storm” and 21 of the 48 starters retired in the face of 20-foot seas, driving
When William “Scott” Piper III was a child his father laid a piece of advice on him that still resonates after 60-plus years: “There’s no reason to live in Florida if you don’t do what it has to offer.” With this, a passion for sailing was born, and with it a legacy that Piper’s father, now passed, would be proud of: Four “near” circumnavigations, podium finishes in high-profile events such as
They had planned to sail the entire length of the Northwest Passage in a small open boat. But when Kevin Oliver and Tony Lancashire of the British Royal Marines pulled their 17ft 6in craft out of the water for the last time in early September they had sailed, rowed and pulled their tiny craft across 1,400 miles of the waters of the Arctic Archipelago. But instead of reaching Baffin Bay on the
Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived in the big city. One day the little girls mother and father brought her to a big garden center. There were rows and rows of seeds and bulbs and saplings, and in the very middle there was a sailboat. She climbed on board and found a little kitchen, a little bed, and even a little toilet. Her mother called to her, Honey, what
Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived in the big city. One day the little girls mother and father brought her to a big garden center. There were rows and rows of seeds and bulbs and saplings, and in the very middle there was a sailboat. She climbed on board and found a little kitchen, a little bed, and even a little toilet. Her mother called to her, Honey, what
Every time my wife Jennifer and I sail to the Beaver Islands, something goes wrong. So why do we keep going there? Initially it was because of where they are, but now its because of what they are.First, the where part. The Beavers are a dozen islands in northern Lake Michigan, 30 miles from Michigan sailing centers like Mackinac Island, Harbor Springs and Charlevoix.
Every time my wife Jennifer and I sail to the Beaver Islands, something goes wrong. So why do we keep going there? Initially it was because of where they are, but now its because of what they are.First, the where part. The Beavers are a dozen islands in northern Lake Michigan, 30 miles from Michigan sailing centers like Mackinac Island, Harbor Springs and Charlevoix.
I steered Sonata, my 1981 Pearson 36 cutter, out of the landcut linking Goose Creek to Bay River, in eastern North Carolina. Turning to my wife, Liz, I triumphantly announced, Were done! No more landcuts till next spring.Liz smiled quizzically. What? she asked. You mean you dont like landcuts? Imagine that.Wed navigated many landcuts along the
I dropped my crew at the fuel dock in Ajaccio, Corsica, thinking it would be only a few moments before I would be able to tie up Eidos, my 32-foot East Orient cutter. Lying just off the dock, I shifted in and out of gear and drifted while waiting for space to open up. Once I was safely tied up I planned to spend the rest of the day cleaning up and fixing things. It was early Sunday
Swiss photographer Loris von Siebenthal has been named winner of the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image photo competition for 2019. Von Siebenthal bested no less than
In just 22 days, the Brest Atlantiques fleet of giant, doublehanded Ultime trimarans has already made its way from France to Brazil to South Africa
Cruisers aiming to transit the Panama Canal in 2020 are in for some sticker shock. The canal authority has doubled the minimum charge for small
If you’re looking for a new boat this winter, you should start making travel arrangements to visit one or both of the best displays of
An Even Better SOS Veteran satellite rescue beacon manufacturer ACR Electronics has now made its personal locator beacons (PLBs) better than ever with the introduction
Jimmy Cornell, father of the sailing rally, has turned to two hulls for his next epic voyage, the Elcano Challenge. Known for a string of
Executive Editor, Charles J. Doane had never sailed the islands south of Antigua and jumped at the chance to charter in Grenada. He grabbed a few friends and headed to the Granadian waters, and only the Grenadian waters.
Push-Button Reefing Boats have never been easier to sail, and yet, designers and builders still strive for that extra iota or two of convenience. A
My dissatisfaction with the head and holding tank plumbing arrangement on our 1987 Sabre 38 had grown as we cruised the boat away from
Two of the most indispensable items on board a cruising yacht are a dinghy and an outboard motor. At anchor or on a buoy,
