Recent content by r_h

Agree with this: upwind it makes it easy to shorten sail in increasing breeze, while maintaining efficient sail shape. The staysail is also helpful when power reaching, in effect reducing weather helm in gusts and therefore making the boat easier to steer (whether by a human driver or pilot) and...

Demand is huge, most places have long waiting lists for permanent berths, and prices for monthly berths spike very high in July and August. Do you need to be afloat all the time - we hauled out in Les Sables d'Olonne for July and Aug a couple of years ago - it was easy to arrange and a lot...

Brilliant - I sailed the prototype for a Yachting World test - still reckon it's one of the two best boats I've tested in the last five years. As Flaming says don't skimp on big kites for light airs VMG - you can pack it away before things get too exciting. In any case a boat light enough for...

First reports sound promising, but still must have been a properly scary time Speaking after the incident, Pip said: “I’m completely fine and on first assessment, there is minimal damage to Medallia. This just goes to show that accidents can happen to anyone – even those of us with lots of...

Haven't sailed the 12.50 (though have done the AZAB competing against one) and have sailed other Pogos, including the 44. Very quick, generally very easy to handle, huge stability are all in its favour. Inside the 12.50 is relatively basic and doesn't have a large owners cabin forward - but...

A brave choice, but in the last Vendee Globe Jean Le Cam was only hours off the winning spot in a daggerboard boat that was two generations out of date. I reckon the evidence is that the teams with foiling boats are now able to extract a lot more performance from them than they could even 2-3...

0830UTC live commentary here from 0810: https://www.youtube.com/live/UKDG5bnqJD0?si=QVqW6idhKX4ewdvy

There's also a version with a 1.3m draught that adds additional ballast to maintain stability

I tested the Oceanis 30.1 for PBO when it was first launched: www.pbo.co.uk/boats/big-new-small-yacht-beneteau-oceanis-30-1-tested-64447 As others have said the low ballast ratio alone isn't a reliable metric. This line from the test is relevant to your question: Compared to older boats of this...

Is this what your sailmaker was thinking of: HOME | Deckchute.com I believe they have been used on boats as large as J Class

I've sailed 20,000+ miles with one of these on a 36ft / 5,000kg boat Type RS Sailboat Drives - Octopus Drives Has a clutch and, also important, a rudder reference sensor which significantly improves course keeping - we've used it surfing at 13-15 knots while racing. B&G used to sell them (though...

Some thoughts here that might help you https://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/reefing-downwind

Absolutely, nothing beats being able to identify the best part each weather system to be in and to have the speed to get there.

That's certainly my understanding - as far as I'm aware it's a policy that's decades old, which frustratingly means a lot of the MetOffice's excellent data is difficult or impossible to access.... ...whereas that bastion of socialism across the Atlantic {note the irony mode] makes weather...

I appear to have it on the Windy iOS app (with a paid subscription)