Life jackets have become highly specialized, so investing in your own, rather than using whatever a boat may have available, is a good idea. You can customize the fit, but more importantly you c
A personal flashlight is a must-have if you are doing any nighttime sailing, but using one that is waterproof and has a strobe function makes it a safety device as well. One problem with many po
The cheapest piece of safety gear might just be the most important thing you carry on a boat. Whistles have proven their value in man overboard situations. Those without a “pea” that will ke
Pyrotechnic flares are important to have onboard, but adding an electric “flare” to the safety kit can be easier for all crewmembers to use and it never expires. The SOS Distress Light, whic
Not every boat needs a life raft, but depending on where it sails it can be a great addition. Most life rafts pack small so they don’t take up a lot of room, but make sure they are stowed some
Instead of assembling your own first aid kit, consider picking up one specifically designed for a marine environment and for the kind of sailing you do. Adventure Medical Kits’ Marine 1000 is suited
The 105-foot classic ketch Whitehawk is set to race the Great Lakes Mackinac races.What do you do when you no longer have your Volvo 70 Il Mostro to race the Mackinac races on? If you’re Peter Thort
Features
Alone at sea
Istvan Kopar managed broken gear and bad luck for 263 days in the Golden Globe Race
Heartbreaker
The boat that broke one owner’s heart is reimagined with an unco
Hungarian-American sailor Istvan Kopar spent 263 days sailing the Golden Globe Race dealing with broken gear, contaminated water and maybe some bad luck, but battled to place fourth place out of 18 entrants
Istvan Kopar had just returned to his Florida home after spending nearly 263 days sailing around the world in the Golden Globe Race and he was facing his toughest challenge yet: returning to life on lSchedule
Lowell North won five Star world championships. Lowell North sailed his first regatta at age 14, when he and his father came in last in every race in a Star that came with cotton sails. Young Nor
Genevieve Evans didn’t set out to own two sailing schools more than 3,000 miles apart, but now her students and instructors find places to learn year round
It’s not uncommon for committed sailors to decide to share their love of the sport by teaching others to sail. But it is remarkable for a sailor to jump into sailing education by founding two school
There are times on every boat when you need to send someone aloft. This is almost never convenient, but it’s a necessity and one in which safety needs to be a priority. Fortunately, the days of a pl
Features
One love cruising
A cruise of Jamaica left a sailor feeling irie
The healing power of sailing
Warrior Sailing military veterans sail Charleston Race Week
A cruiser gets school
The forecast was for 83 degrees with a 12-knot wind. The water was a stunning aqua blue off the St. Thomas Yacht Club on Cowpet Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands, the site of North U’s midwinter racing clini
Seattle resident Paul Souders didn’t start out as a sailor. In fact, he didn’t really start out as a water guy at all; he was simply a professional photographer who had grown dissatisfied with his
In April, Sperry Charleston Race Week drew its second largest ever fleet, with more than 250 entries from across the U.S. and overseas. In the void created by the defunct Key West Race Week, Charlesto
If your boat lies unattended, even for a short time—be it in a marina, (in or out of the water), or on a mooring—it doesn’t take long for it to become grubby, from bird droppings or wind blown d
Features
Great small boats for big adventures
Small boats with proven pedigrees top our list of boats capable of serious sailing
Wooden boats with a side of wine A trio of French da
Who says you need a big boat for a big adventure? Self-sufficient sailors have long turned to sturdy little crafts for passages in challenging waters from lakes to oceans. Not only are small boats sim
With the summer of scow racing a distant memory, a sailing adventure was exactly what my husband Matt and I needed to escape a brutal Midwest winter. Our destination had to meet several criteria: have