Sailing Magazine - Features https://sailingmagazine.net/articles.sec-116-1-features.html Mon, 17 Feb 25 00:00:00 -0500 en hourly 1 End of an era - SAILING Magazine’s long run as a print magazine has ended https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2626-end-of-an-era.html The publication that started as a newspaper for Lake Michigan sailors and grew into a glossy, oversized national sailing magazine respected by readers and advertisers alike for the quality of its writ...]]> Retrofit in paradise - After one sailor bought his dream boat, the Nordic 40 Arctic Tern, he found fixing it in Baja, California, to be cheap, easy and rewarding https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2627-retrofit-in-paradise.html Graham Wilson photo I’d been searching for a boat for years. I wanted “classic plastic,” and my favorite designs were from the 1970s and 1980s. Robert Perry designed many of the ones I like...]]> On step closer to a seat at the table - Action-packed racing in a highly competitive fleet: It’s not the America’s Cup, it’s the Women’s America’s Cup where the sailors hope one day to be allowed back into the main event https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2624-on-step-closer-to-a-seat-at-the-table.html After a thrilling victory in the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup in Barcelona, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli trimmer Maria Giubilei declared, “We are not going back.” “We have just dem...]]> Gifts for sailors - SAILING’s editors pick their favorite gift ideas for sailors of all stripes https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2616-gifts-for-sailors.html Emirates Team New Zealand AC37 Lego Yacht When the gift recipient lands in the crossover of the Venn diagram of sailors and Lego enthusiasts, you know there’s only one must-have gift: the Emira...]]> Go with the flo(tilla) - A flotilla bareboat charter packs in the fun to celebrate Sunsail’s 50th anniversary https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2606-go-with-the-flo%2528tilla%2529.html  Gazing at the azure waters of Pirates Bight, where yachts gently bobbed and red battle flags smacked in the breeze, I watched as a small armada of dinghies approached the shore. Their crews alig...]]> Bringing Home Serene - One couple found that the best way to get their brand new catamaran home from France was to sail it in the company of fellow ARC cruisers https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2607-bringing-home-serene.html Sailors have crossed the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean following the trade winds since Christopher Columbus first made land fall. The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers’ Las Palmas to S...]]> Racing in Zero Gravity - Sailors launch down the coast for the final leg of the California Offshore Race Week https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2608-racing-in-zero-gravity.html It’s dark. It’s Wednesday. The luminescent hand of my watch points to 30 degrees. It’s 2 a.m. and my mind is spinning. It’s been years since my last offshore race and with a recent health cond...]]> Double the Fun - This liveaboard couple opted for a multihull for a world cruise and found paradise in French Polynesia https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2609-double-the-fun.html We couldn’t resist French Polynesia. Where else can sailors get a two-year visa to explore the very different landscapes of three archipelagos within the same country? In our first nine months we ha...]]> Bargin Boats to Sail Now - Great design, build quality and good availability make for good buys to open the door to sailboat ownership https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2588-bargin-boats-to-sail-now.html Beware the cheap boat. A deal that seems too good to be true probably is. But there are boats that can be excellent bargains if you know what to look for.Boat shopping often starts with a dream boat t...]]> Annapolis Sailboat Show - Guide to SAILING Magazine's advertising partners at the show https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2591-annapolis-sailboat-show.html The season of new boat models and cutting-edge gear is here! Manufacturers are showcasing their latest innovations, and SAILING Magazine has you covered. Check out our partners to ...]]> Sailing's Forgotten Coast - Easy to get to and full of beaches, birds and bountiful in character, the thin water cruising in southwest Florida is not to be missed https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2594-sailings-forgotten-coast.html We’re all hoping to find charter areas that are overlooked, if only to get away from crowded anchorages, crowded restaurants, crowded pubs and, frankly, the crowds themselves.Picnic Island is perfec...]]> Island Aphrodisiac - The British Virgin Islands’ allure runs deep, drawing this family back to charter its pristine waters again and again https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2596-island-aphrodisiac.html Unique in the folklore of the Caribbean is the legend that conch is an aphrodisiac, to be consumed regularly and in great quantities. It can be eaten as conch chowder, conch fritters, steamed conch, c...]]> Safety at sea - Anatomy of a life jacket https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2576-safety-at-sea.html The crew aboard the Sydney 38 Clockwork fights through heavy weather under storm trysail off the coast of Tasmania near the finish of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Kurt Arrigo/Rolex photoOne of the mo...]]> Prepare for liftoff - The America’s Cup kicks off in Barcelona in August, with action on and off the race course https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2579-prepare-for-liftoff.html The 37th America’s Cup is right around the corner and what an extravaganza it promises to be, as six teams vie for victory in one of the world’s longest-running and prestigious sporting events. An...]]> Racing mode activated - A liveaboard cruising couple hits the race course in scenic and fun regatta and finds a new reason to love their boat https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2563-racing-mode-activated.html The tropical sun beat down on us and we found relief in every puff of wind. Perhaps each breath that grazed my cheek and filled our sails was a promise of more to come or a personal “good luck” ki...]]> Back to School - Students share the sailing school experiences that have changed their lives and make them full-fledged sailors https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2568-back-to-school.html Sailing schools have come a long way over the years. What started with classes to teach the basics has turned into formal courses designed for lifelong learning. Sailors continue taking courses not ju...]]> Sailor's Delight - A return trip to the British Virgin Islands designed to maximizing sailing miles is a panacea for a group of northern sailors https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2554-sailors-delight.html We were sailing on a reach, a stiff 25-knot trade wind filling our sails and kicking up whitecaps across the teal water. Behind us, the dark form of islands rising from the water slowly retreated and,...]]> No passport required - The United States Virgin Islands offer unparalleled charter cruising https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2555-no-passport-required.html  Charter sailors who fly into St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands, and quickly hustle to the ferry dock to catch a ride to the BVIs don’t know what they are missing. From Christmas C...]]> Cruising connection - Sailing the San Juan Islands brings both joy and challenges to an extended family that finds kindred spirits along the way https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2545-cruising-connection.html I think we’ve lost steering,” my brother Alex said in a calm, matter-of-fact voice, his tone out of place in light of our situation. Kyoko and four-legged family members buzz back to the boa...]]> Keeping history alive - The Pacific Northwest community gathers each year to celebrate the culture and craft of wooden boats at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2533-keeping-history-alive.html Who jumps in a truck, drives 1,300 miles from one corner of the country to the other, to see a bunch of wooden boats? We do. Jerry, Marcia, Shelly and me. Together, and separately, the four of us have...]]> Chasing a dream - A sailor takes on a quest to restore the famous Alden Schooner When and If and sail her off into the sunset https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2538-chasing-a-dream.html Seth Salzmann was never a 9-to-5 guy living out an ordinary existence. His eyes were always on bigger dreams, like sailing around the world. These days, Salzmann is owner and captain of When and If, a...]]> Gifts for Sailors - SAILING’s editors pick their favorite gifts ideas sailors of all stripes https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2524-gifts-for-sailors.html Outboard sling Anyone who has tried to pass an outboard motor from a wobbly dinghy to a person on deck knows that it’s an unpleasant task with the potential for disaster. The Barton Marine outboard...]]> New Boat Showcase - From an ultra-fast sportboat, to a flagship with push-button sailing control, this year’s fleet of new boats has something for every type of sailor https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2525-new-boat-showcase.html Cape 31   This exciting high-performance one-design racer exploded on the regatta scene in 2023, with super sportboat performance. Designed by Mark Mills and built in Cape Town, South Africa, t...]]> The tradition continues - Famous for his yellow Bahamian wooden racing sloops, Hughrie Lloyd builds each by hand from designs drawn in sand https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2509-the-tradition-continues.html In his yellow house up the hill in the tiny settlement in Exuma, Bahamas, 80-year-old Hughrie Lloyd  rises each day and heads out back to his shop. On a sand floor, with no plans, he builds Baham...]]> America's Cup for All - A new series of races gives women and young sailors opportunity for foiling in Barcelona https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2510-americas-cup-for-all.html It’s unlikely that any women or youth sailors will race aboard the foiling AC75s when the 37th America’s Cup gets underway next year in Barcelona, Spain. But they will have a chance to compete in ...]]> Race to Molokai - The Transpac race from Los Angeles to Hawaii is becoming a family affair https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2513-race-to-molokai.html The 2023 Transpacific Yacht Race wasn’t a record-breaker if you check the top boat speeds and elapsed times. But from a relative standpoint, the race knocked it out of the park. The 52nd running of ...]]> The wide, wide world of multihulls - What to know before you take the plunge and purchase a boat with more than one hull https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2514-the-wide-wide-world-of-multihulls.html One of our earliest family sailing charters was along the Florida Panhandle 20 years ago aboard a 34-foot Tony Smith-designed Gemini 105M catamaran. We thought our two kids would love this boat, but w...]]> All for one, one for all, in the Abacos - An all-woman bareboat charter in the Bahamas becomes a team effort where learning and having fun are the best part of cruising https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2500-all-for-one-one-for-all-in-the-abacos.html The cays have rebounded after Hurricane Dorian. Perched like a tiara at the northernmost tip of the Bahamas, the Abacos is a chain of barrier islands that forms the cruising paradise known as the...]]> Allure of Anguilla - A charter cruise through the waters off St. Martin offers sparkling waters, delectable food and unsurpassed relaxation https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2503-allure-of-anguilla.html I was sold on the appeal of one of the Caribbean’s most popular cruising destinations before we’d even cast off from the dock for our weeklong bareboat charter on Wallis, a 45-foot Moorings c...]]> Through the big ditch - The ups and downs of a transit through the Panama Canal goes smoothly with the Panama Posse https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2492-through-the-big-ditch.html Of my many madcap boating adventures around the world, transiting the Panama Canal is the one that always elicits the most oohs and aahs. It’s been declared “the epitome of man’s mastery over na...]]>