The Tobago Cays are a divine cluster of isles in the Grenadines, in the southeastern Caribbean. But their out-of-the-way location can make this piece of heaven a bit hellish to get to. Roughly 30 nautical miles south of St. Vincent and 30 nautical miles north of Grenada, a visit requires a bluewater sail through the passes between the Windward Islands.

 To truly understand lightning and make a strategy for safe sailing, the best place to start is the fine print in your insurance policy. 

 Features  Just sail Practical purists are sailing the world engine-free and finding a list of reasons why cruising sans iron genny is the way to go One to remember A boat�

Twenty years ago, I was working at the office of Classic Boat magazine when I got a call to review a boat on the River Dart. It was the latest design by that doyen of modern multihull design Nigel Irens, best known as the designer of ENZA, Ellen MacArthur’s record-breaking B&Q and several Gunboat multihulls. 

Whether your boat has enjoyed a winter off or it’s time to take on some annual chores, our guide to fitting out will make sure your boat is ready for a great year of sailing

When a cruising tale starts with the words, “We had no engine and ... ,” it usually means a disaster story is about to follow. Most sailors get a knot in their stomach at the thought of losing an engine while trying to anchor somewhere new, entering a busy harbor at night or attempting to dock their boat. Those are the panic-inducing moments that we prepare for but secretly hope never happen. There are some sailors though who go through these scenarios on purpose. Sailing without an engine is not a new idea, but it’s one that is catching on slowly but surely with long-term cruisers all around the world. 

 Finding an opportunity to go racing, whether it be on a Hunter 336 for a weekly beer can series or a professionally crewed TP52, can be daunting. All the way through the ranks, most sailboat teams are tight little units with core groups of regulars. Standing on the dock with a sign, or registering with an online crewfinder are ways to get a spot on a boat. Word-of-mouth helps too. But it’s what you make of those opportunities that will determine your racing career trajectory, no matter how small your aspirations.

 Rig tuning relies on accurate, repeatable results. Spinlock’s Rig-Sense has a composite lead spring calibrated to output loads to a direct linear scale

 New ProLine tethers from Wichard have innovative snap hooks made from forged aluminum, for strength and rust-resistance, while remaining extremely light.

 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. 

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. 

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

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.

But never fear; we’ve assembled a list of sailing experiences you can enjoy right now, all of which will help tide you over until it’s time to pull the sails out of storage and kick off the season. 

Transiting the Panama Canal is a rite of passage that packs a lot into a 50-mile journey. Whether crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific or vice versa, cruisers celebrate their arrival in Central America by taking this short cut that recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of the opening of a channel cut through mountain and jungle in an engineering feat for its time.