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2015 June 1

Thriving one-design classes have found the right formula to keep sailing flourishing

It’s been a tough decade for sailing. Between 2004 and 2014, one-design class participation declined 12%, and according to US Sailing, this is reflective of the sport as a whole. One-time and would-be sailors are still reeling from the recent recession’s economic aftershocks, and they’re experiencing dwindling amounts of free time while facing an exploding number of options for the limited time that’s left. Longtime sailors have left the sport, youth sailors stop after college and newbies are staying on land.
2015 April 30

Encourage even hesitant sailors to jump on board by improving their sailing skills in the most beautiful places on Earth

 Keeping both partners happy when one finds a new passion is an age-old dilemma; even Penelope stayed home in Troy when Ulysses sailed off. So often, one partner gets hooked on sailing, but their companion doesn’t; one has a boating background, while the other’s water-based activities are limited to the bath.If you’re having a hard time getting your loved ones into sailing, now might be the time to sweeten the deal. Sailing schools exist in every beautiful corner of the world and who can turn down a learn-to-sail vacation in paradise?
2015 April 30

A pair of 23-year-old friends tackled the Great Loop on a boat a decade older than them with a dog and a cat as their crew. What they found was a profound personal journey filled with wonderful people and inspiring experiences

 On September 4, 2012, best friends Jessie Zevalkink and Katie Smith cast off the docklines in Northport, Michigan, aboard a capable pocket cruiser named Louise. The 23-year-olds had little sailing experience, yet they were determined to tackle one of the continent’s great adventures—the Great Loop.
2015 April 30

Owners of some of the country’s oldest sailing schools say teaching sailing has changed for the better

For half a century, sailing schools have taught people of all ages how to get out on the water. School fleets were often full of aging boats and instructors’ experience could vary dramatically. There was no certification and no universally set standards. We asked some of the owners of the oldest sailing schools in the country what things were like then and what they are like now.
2015 April 15

A Lake Michigan charter cruise visits the nooks and crannies of Grand Traverse Bay

When to reef? Honestly, I wasn't sure. The wind was now up to a solid 13 knots, tickling 15 with every indication of getting stronger. Yet the 35-foot boat with a full-batten, square-top main seemed to be handling everything fine. In fact, as we galloped past Old Mission Light in Grand Traverse Bay, my sister and her daughter, both nonsailors, were below in the galley, happily making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup without a hint of seasickness. Not bad for a sailboat I was originally reluctant to take on a four-day cruise on Lake Michigan. 
2015 April 15

A flotilla charter to the Caribbean islands of the Grenadines is filled with camaraderie and playing pirate

Digging deep into a wooden chest filled with doublets, waistcoats, sashes and breeches I found a tri-cornered hat, complete with beaded dreadlocks dangling from its leather brim. Perfect! Along with my plastic cutlass and scabbard, I was a near-clone of Capt. Jack Sparrow. I sauntered out into the bright sunlight to join my crewmates, scrambling over cannons and up ratlines like scurrilous pirates. St. Vincent and the Grenadines served as the primary filming location for “Pirates of the Caribbean” and a dozen years later, we found ourselves romping through several of the remaining movie sets at the town of Wallilabou, aka “Port Royal” in the popular movie series. It was just one of the many treasures we unearthed on a Sunsail flotilla cruise through the Windward Islands.
2015 April 6
Flotilla sailing offers the benefit of a built-in group of friends, with many practical advantages as well. Daily weather reports, chart briefings and local knowledge, plus knowing a helping hand is not far away can set your mind at ease, whether you’re a novice charterer, or old hand.
2015 March 3

Thanks to an innovative acoustic signaling system, blind sailors are able to race by themselves, giving them back the independence they lost along with their sight

Kris Scheppe met his crewmates for the world championship regatta just days before the three men would compete against some of the best sailors in the world. Scheppe, Scott Ford and Jim Kerr had only
2015 February 3

Has the polar vortex frozen your home sailing waters solid? Thaw out your flip-flops and get away to SAILING Magazine’s Top 10 places to go sailing now

Without question, the No. 1 pick for a winter getaway is the BVI. With its rowdy sailing in the Drake Passage to the many anchorages in this Caribbean island chain, the BVI has more to offer cruisers. 
2015 February 1

It was all hands on deck for an expedition cruise aboard the tall ship Lord Nelson

Never one to pass up an opportunity to climb out of my comfort zone (something to do with a 62-year-old body trapped in the mind of a 25-year-old), I found myself questioning my judgment during the  memorable morning of March 5, when, just west of the South Shetland Islands in the Antarctic, I found myself in a Force 10 northerly, barometer at 971 millibars, getting it right on the nose on our homeward-bound passage to Ushuaia, Argentina.
2014 December 1

Through more than 400 sailors on 80-plus training passages and six ocean crossings, John Kretschmer’s sturdy Quetzal has served her owner admirably. John chronicles the refits he’s made to his beloved boat over the last decade to keep her sailing hard

The boat was stranded ashore in a snowy Maryland boatyard. I remember my first glimpse of the 1985 Kaufman 47 that my daughters and I would soon rename Quetzal like some might recall their wedding nig
2014 November 10

What to buy for the sailors on your list

SAILING Magazine's editors have rounded up some of the best gifts for the sailors on your list this year.
2014 November 10

Fulfilling a lifelong ambition, 55-year-old Dave Rearick set sail aboard an Open 40 to join the elite group of people who have sailed solo around the world

 I sat quietly in the cockpit as Bodacious Dream sailed easily in the dying evening winds, 40 miles out from Point Judith and Beavertail lights. These lights guard the entrance to Narraganse
2014 November 1

After Hurricane Sandy destroyed the Raritan Yacht Club fleet, Jersey sailors rallied to rebuild the Cal 40 Sinn Fein

 Sinn Fein, destroyed in Hurricane Sandy, was lovingly rebuilt by members of the Raritan Yacht Club and her owner Peter Rebovich and family just in time for the 2014 Newport Bermuda Race.Marianne
2014 November 1

A charter cruise around Brazil's Ilha Grande is miles away from the bustle of Rio de Janeiro

 A cruise along Brazil's Costa Verde includes stops at remote Ilha Grande.Michelle HurniWe began having doubts as we bounced along Brazil’s 100-mile-long Costa Verde coastline aboard a public
2014 November 1

What happens once you're in a life raft? A group of safety experts hunkers down in one for 24 hours to find out

Every sailor dreads the possibility of a sinking boat and having to make the call to abandon ship. 
2014 October 1

Five young sailors and their parents discover the treasure that is the Abacos

It was one thing to show our crew of five boys a chart of the Bahamas’ northern cruising ground, but quite another for them to see it for themselves from Elbow Reef Lighthouse. From this vantage p
2014 October 1

A charter cruise goes upscale when this crew crashes the St. Barths Bucket superyacht regatta


2014 September 1

A new crop of exciting sailboats—from performance-oriented dinghies to drop-dead gorgeous flagships—is coming to a boat show near you

SAILING Magazine brings you a sneak peek of all the new boats you can catch at boat shows. From fast and exciting to spritely passagemakers to dreamboats, there's a new boat for every taste. Fli
2014 September 1

The world championship at Newport, Rhode Island, drew both pros and amateurs who love sailing this classic one-design

Patricia Stadel sailed her fifth and self-proclaimed last Etchells World Championship in June where she had the distinction of being the most senior skipper competing in the 95-boat fleet. At 75, Stadel has by default become a goodwill ambassador for the International Etchells Class. She had plenty of wisdom to impart when asked why she and so many other competitive sailors, including legends like John Bertrand, 68, who won the America’s Cup for Australia in 1983, gravitate to this particular sloop.

Perry on Design

  • Bob Perry gives the interior of a 1998 Farr-designed racer a makeover for offshore sail training

  • This next gen racer-cruiser is elegantly fast

  • A comfy cruiser with loads of interior space has options to suit many

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