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

 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

 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

 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

 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

 Few boats are without at least one knife, but when you need a knife in an emergency, you need it immediately. Sailors should carry a folding blade that can be opened one-handed. The Assist Salt

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

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

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

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

Features The need for speedTeam USA faces a learning curve racing the foiling SailGP in Sydney, AustraliaCruising in the shadow of Mt. VesuviusItaly’s Bay of Naples offers a one-of-a-kind&

Features When the sea is in a snitOne of the scariest legs of a journey halfway across the world turns out to be a section of the Caribbean SeaGet the season startedWork on your boat no

 Regardless of where you sail, odds are the off season was challenging. From the polar vortex to record cold and heaps of snow, the weather has sailors even more excited than usual to hit the wat

It has been a year and a half since Hurricane Irma, the largest hurricane recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, barreled over parts of the Caribbean, leaving a wake of destruction in its path in September 2

Features Ludicrous speed on hard water For hardy iceboaters, the racing season gets going fast when it freezesRacing the rockThe Golden Rock Regatta brings sailors back to the Leew

Features From barn to seaA family takes a chance on an old boat and discovers a gemA labor of love and friendshipFriends chase their dreams in restoring a BluenoseFrom beginner to boat

Sailors the world over have noticed an every increasing amount of plastic garbage floating in the oceans. One group made up of women sailors and scientists has spent the last four years studying and b