Bill Springer joins the ARC Baltic rally for some enjoyable Baltic sailing from Sweden to Russia, taking in the exotic magnificence of St Petersburg Dvortsovy Bridge over the Neva River in St Petersburg. Photo: Corbis It was hazy and hot. The air was still. Sticky even. The seas were calm. Certainly not the conditions we…

Designers work hard to create fast yachts, but much can be done to optimise a boat’s IRC rating. Jonty Sherwill asked measurement experts for their 5 tips It’s important to keep on top of subtle changes in the measurement rules if you want to be competitive. Photo: Paul Wyeth It’s the same type of boat…

This video of Orca whales chasing after a motorboat is impressive but quite scary Orca whales video This incredible video of a pod of Orca whales in the wake of a speedboat is an incredible display of their speed and more than a bit scary. They live in social groups and do hunt as a…

In the seventh instalment of our Bluewater Sailing Techniques series, we show you the quickest way to stop your boat under spinnaker when the crew go overboard What would you do if someone fell overboard when the spinnaker was flying for a long downwind passage, with foreguy and after guy fixing the pole in place…

Florence Arthaud had an extraordinary career and seemed quite indestructible, says Elaine Bunting Florence Arthaud It feels unreal that Florence Arthaud is gone. She always seemed the most indestructible of sailors, less vulnerable than many of the male solo sailors I’ve met: truly strong and with a calm aura of inner strength. I always thought…

A group of sailors from Poland have sailed to the furthest point south in recorded history Yacht Selma set a record for navigating to the furthest point south A Polish crew has set a new record for sailing the furthest south. Selma, a 67ft steel ketch skippered by Piotr Kuniar and a crew of ten,…

Matthew Sheahan went to Persico in Italy to see how it was possible to repair the VO65 Team Vestas Wind get the team back in the race Recovering a wrecked Volvo 65 from a remote reef in the Indian Ocean and shipping her over 5,000 miles to a yard tucked up against the foothills of…

Experienced yachtsmen are being sought for sailing trips geared towards blind or visually impaired travellers Skippers wanted for sailing holiday with a difference Traveleyes, a unique travel company that runs tours for sighted and blind travellers, is seeking qualified yacht skippers for their next sailing holiday. The organisation, now in its tenth year, specialises in…

On the face of it the findings of the independent report into the grounding of Team Vestas Wind on the Cargados Carajos Shoals in the Indian Ocean were straightforward, the crew had no idea that there was a reef blocking their path and as they barreled along at 16-21knots in the dark they slammed into…