Here is something new and a bit different from Gerry Douglas and his design crew at Catalina. In the past Catalina has stuck to a very conservative look that in time has distinguished it from the more contemporary or Euro-influenced designs. But with its new 425, Catalina has moved in the Euro direction a bit and is producing a boat that is aesthetically on a new tack. 

 The TackingMaster is a wrist-worn navigation device that helps racing sailors track wind shifts and trends to make educated tactical decisions.

Garmin’s Quatix 3 is the first general-purpose watch that incorporates navigational features and marine tools that sailors will appreciate. 

 The SOS Distress Light from Weems & Plath is approved by the United States Coast Guard for use in lieu of traditional pyrotechnic flares.

 The warp factor speeds that the latest generation maxi multihulls can reach is hard to conceive of even for experienced performance sailors. For example the fastest offshore sailboat in the world, the French 130-foot trimaran Spindrift2, covered 908.2 nautical miles in one day in its previous incarnation as Banque Populaire V. 

 I am adding an AIS transceiver to my boat. After a few close calls, I decided that not only do I want to know where other boats are, I’d like them to be able to see me as well. It looks like the AIS will work well with my chartplotter but I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing with the antenna. I’d appreciate your guidance.

 There is one thing I’ve always loved about sailing, and it’s not the wind or the freedom or the spray or the excitement of racing. It’s that sailing is one of the last truly democratic sports.

 A mental disease called prairie madness afflicted settlers living on the American Great Plains. It was caused by the wind. The incessant wind blowing over the endless expanse of flat land literally drove people nuts.I believe I was once on the brink of going crazy because of the wind. That was during the worst sailboat race I ever experienced. Unlike prairie madness, my nascent mental disorder was caused by wind that never blew. 

Sail repair is a crucial offshore skill, many times it can save a passage. It takes a little planning to build a kit and to study some basic skills, but it is manageable for anyone. 

This new 31.5-footer is obviously aimed at getting the very most you can out of that LOA. Let’s take a look and see how it went about doing that.

 Here is a handsome new design from the Finot-Conq design group and built by Beneteau.

Swan considers the new Juan Kouyoumdjian (aka Juan K) design the “cutting edge of contemporary yacht design.” Seems like the company has used all the buzz words, and from the look of the boat, I’d say it was warranted. This is a very exciting looking design.

 Frank Butler had a dream. In July 1969, he designed and built the first Catalina 22 in North Hollywood, California. This petite, family-friendly cruising sloop was his fledgling company’s inau

Any sporting event that stretches across more than a century is bound to have a certain watershed event, a historic turning point after which it is forever changed. For those who follow the venerable

Dear Boat Doctor, I am installing some new Harken winches on my boat, and I was told to clean the fasteners and use Loctite to prevent them from “galling.” I agreed, but I’m not entirely sure I

 I’m going to tell you how cheap sailing can be. No mixed messages here. If you happen to have the wealth of a monarch (but lack self-control), you could easily spend your net worth on the sport of sailing. A valid counterpoint: Smart, eager and creative paupers also go sailing, and they spend almost nothing for the privilege.

Olaf Harken, who was inducted to the National Sailing Hall of Fame last year, is half of the team responsible for Harken Yacht Equipment, a company known across the globe as a leader in sailing technology.

Some the actors in the 2015 movie “In the Heart of the Sea” had to suffer for a few weeks with a diet that consisted of small portions of fruit, yogurt, spinach, chicken and salads so they would l