Who is sailing the boat?
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
Technology, AI, and the line offshore racing cannot afford to discover too late Well, the alternate headline is nowhere near as catchy. For it simply goes, ‘Technology, AI, and the line offshore racing cannot afford to discover too late.' So, accurate, yes. In-your-face? Definitely!
Posted on 7 Oct Which rocks you on about?
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
Australia is part of the 38th America's Cup. So where are they at? Australia is part of the 38th America's Cup. Given the seconf Preliminary Regatta has just occurred, where is Team Australia at? Best ask CEO, Grant Simmer OAM
Posted on 2 Oct The Real Deal
by Mark Jardine
Naples, and Luna Rossa, deliver America's Cup Masterclass It's hard to overstate how important the Preliminary Regatta in Naples was for the America's Cup, when on the surface it was just a show.
Posted on 28 Sep Hannah Brewis Interview
by Mark Jardine
Journey from Clipper Race First Mate, to Skipper, to Deputy Race Director When it comes to the Clipper Race, Hannah Brewis has done it all. Starting as a First Mate during the Covid-affected race, on to Skipper in the last edition, and now she is the Deputy Race Director.
Posted on 25 Sep On Board With Ollie!
by Mark Jardine
The ex-Charal IMOCA becomes Embrace the Challenge, modified for crewed sailing I went to see Oliver Heer in Gosport to talk about the new (to him) IMOCA 'Embrace the Challenge', which was Jérémie Beyou's Charal.
Posted on 21 Sep Women's International Championship kicks off
by Mark Jardine
Twenty teams have started racing at Newport, Rhode Island It's the opening day of the inaugural Women's International Championship at the New York Yacht Club and, without doubt, it is the stand-out event in sailing this week.
Posted on 15 Sep Mighty Mary, WIC, match racing
by David Schmidt
Mighty Mary, the NYYC's WIC and the Women's Match Racing Worlds I recently had the chance to stream Mary Mazzio's film, Mighty Mary, ahead of its September 11 debut. The film, which was narrated by Elizabeth Banks and Hugh Jackman, chronicles the first all-women's team to compete in the America's Cup defender trials.
Posted on 9 Sep Fly Higher. Travel Faster. Last Longer. - Pt. III
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
Bring on the final of the Gitana 18 trilogy - the Ultim - Edmond de Rothschild In Part One of Fly Higher. Travel Faster. Last Longer. we got to see just how different Gitana 18 is, and most importantly, why so. Part Two raised the stakes, literally, by seeing how much higher Gitana 18 will fly, and at what speeds. Now for the finale
Posted on 9 Sep Return of the Doublehanders
by Mark Jardine
It doesn't feel that long ago when they seemed to be going out of fashion... It doesn't feel that long ago when doublehanders seemed to be going out of fashion. There was a new crop of singlehanded dinghies, led by the RS Aero, and it felt like everyone was sailing on their own.
Posted on 1 Sep VX Air Test Sail - Thrills without the Spills
by Mark Jardine
Taking the modern single trapeze doublehander for a spin on Portland Harbour The VX Air is a high performance two-person, single-trapeze dinghy designed by Brian Bennett, Ross Weene, and Mackay Boats. The hull is 4.78 metres long, that's 15 foot 8 inches, and has a beam of 1.74 metres, or 5 foot 9 inches.
Posted on 25 Aug Fly Higher. Travel Faster. Last Longer. - Pt. II
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
Alphabet Soup - When it comes to appendages, we've had so many letters of the alphabet already When it comes to appendages, we've had so many letters of the alphabet already; C, T, L, J etc. The U rudders have always intrigued me. The answer lies in the higher flight of Gitana 18, meaning the rudders too are a half to one metre longer
Posted on 25 Aug 2026 Fireball World Championship Aftermovie
by Mark Jardine
All the daily action with sailor interviews and more! The 2026 Fireball World Championship, hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, saw 85 boats competing with sailors from 14 nations represented.
Posted on 20 Aug Fly Higher. Travel Faster. Last Longer. - Pt. 1
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
Nothing looks like the maxi Edmond de Rothschild. Nothing. So let's take a deep dive... And yes, as the pictures show, this is all about Gitana 18, the maxi Edmond de Rothschild. Not some new wonder pill. No matter how many ways you distill it, those three propositions about performance are entirely what the new Ultim is all about.
Posted on 15 Aug Back where it belongs
by Mark Jardine
The bicentenary has reinvigorated Cowes Week At the end of the day, bicentenaries are just a nice round number, but the effect they can have on events are quite extraordinary. They galvanise people to come together, to push harder, to put on a show and, most of all, attend.
Posted on 8 Aug Never say die!
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
Katie Spithill and the Women Racing team certainly own a fair dab of this trait Katie Spithill is the complete personification of the message, Never Say Die. As she says of herself, “Definitely. It is always there and available, and we are always fighting.”
Posted on 29 Jul When Sailing Events Become Festivals
by Mark Jardine
Events which are breaking out from the norm are thriving This week I'm at Travemünder Woche, the huge sailing and seaside festival in Germany, which is steeped in tradition, but is putting sailing in front of a vast audience.
Posted on 23 Jul The Cat Shot
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
Fall over the bow and then horsepower gets you away. Decent America's Cup parallel me thinks... May 14, 2026 may well have been when the fighter was 'thrown' off the front of the carrier, as it were. Aviator saluted the Shooter, who then tapped the deck, and a couple of seconds later you disappear over the bow, only to climb back out into free air.
Posted on 14 Jul Think Destination, Do it Different
by Mark Jardine
Some unique events in sailing are thriving Attending and reporting on a myriad of events - which has admittedly eaten into my own sailing time - does give a unique perspective on what is working and what isn't in this day and age.
Posted on 7 Jul Take the long way home
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
A few days ago, my phone lit up with a WhatsApp call from Michael 'Spiesy' Spies It was an email from Rob Brown OAM that was the genesis for The Kings of the Lowriders. During the calls that ensued, Michael 'Spiesy' Spies name came up.
Posted on 1 Jul Tideway Dinghy Derby Video
by Mark Jardine & Loreto Rodriguez
It's been a long, long time since this race was last held! It's been a long, long time since this race was last held. 1977 in fact when 300 boats took part during the Queen's Silver Jubilee.
Posted on 25 Jun Seven decades of B&G innovation
by Mark Jardine
The Past, Present and Future of Marine Instrumentation 70 years is a long time for any company, but in marine electronics it's extraordinary. B&G was founded in 1956, and has been a pioneer in the sector ever since.
Posted on 23 Jun History-making Tideway Dinghy Derby
by Mark Jardine
On Saturday in London, 80 dinghies raced ten miles up and down the River Thames On Saturday in London, 80 dinghies raced ten miles up and down the River Thames as part of the Tideway Dinghy Derby supported by Laing O'Rourke, celebrating a cleaner tidal Thames and supporting a life-changing sailing programme for young people.
Posted on 22 Jun Stories of the Cadet class in the 1960s discovered
by Magnus Smith
South African sailing magazine archive is fascinating reading Thanks to Richard Crockett of 'Talking Sailing' there is an archive of 1960s magazines, and while they focus on local racing in South Africa, there is enough of historial interest to attract Brits in a few interesting cases.
Posted on 21 Jun Inaugural X-Yachts Spanish Gold Cup Video
by Mark Jardine
Stunning conditions for three days of racing and celebration The Bay of Palma has become a natural mecca for Mediterranean sailing events. The central location, with easy access from mainland Spain, the French Riviera, Italy, and teams further afield coming across the Atlantic and through the Straits of Gibraltar.
Posted on 19 Jun Inaugural X-Yachts Spanish Gold Cup
by Mark Jardine
Palma provides the X-Factor for a fantastic event I've attended a couple of X-Yachts Gold Cups in Denmark, one in Aarhus and one in Haderslev, which has been the obvious location for the Danish boatyard to host events, but the yachts, and their sailors, have naturally ventured further afield.
Posted on 17 Jun The Kings of the Lowriders
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
Well before SailGP, there was Grand Prix 18-Foot Skiff Sailing, so what links the two? Rob Brown OAM reached out to me but a few weeks ago. Dangerous thing that, for it got me to thinking. As I pondered this, and reviewed that, I reached out to another great pal in Bill Macartney, to assess what I had been pondering.
Posted on 16 Jun At the mercy of the elements?
by Mark Jardine
Forecast fear, broadcast windows, and even mountains Possibly more than any other sport, sailing demands the right conditions to take place, specifically with the wind. Both too much and too little cause their own issues, but there are more factors at play...
Posted on 10 Jun The New York Sail Grand Prix Start Collision
by Mark Jardine
Video Analysis and Reaction On Sunday at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix there was a collision involving three teams in the final seconds before the Race 3 start.
Posted on 2 Jun The tech curve…
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
It just marches on. Slide rule and Hewlett Packard be damned, these vessels are a tour de force It just marches on. The latest launchings for solo/crewed, mono/multi masterpieces are a tour de force when it comes to material science, electronics, engineering, physics, especially hydro and aerodynamics. Slide rule and Hewlett Packard be damned.
Posted on 2 Jun Video: Bizarre first day at the New York SailGP
by Mark Jardine
Swirling Winds, Crane Issues, 3 Boats Racing Swirling winds in New York caused major problems launching the fleet of F50s at the Mubadala Sail Grand Prix, so only 4 boats made it on to the water, and that was rapidly reduced to just 3 when the Bonds Flying Roos nosedived, causing significant damage.
Posted on 31 May Championships shine, AC wakes, SailGP adapts
by Mark Jardine
So much has been going on that it's tricky to even know where to start What a week for sailing! So much has been going on that it's tricky to even know where to start. There have been so many highlights, both in terms of the events I attended in the UK and what has been happening further afield.
Posted on 26 May Australia's back!
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
Like, did we ever leave the America's Cup? Not really… Like, did we ever leave the America's Cup? Not really… Ever since Sir Frank Packer KBE kicked it off, we've been there, or thereabouts. For instance, Grant Simmer OAM has been involved with every one of them since winning it in 1983.
Posted on 17 May Team Australia America's Cup launch videos
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
Videos with key members of the team, Grant Simmer OAM, Glenn Ashby, and Tash Bryant Team Australia's challenge for the 38th America's Cup was launched yesterday at the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club.
Posted on 14 May The Same, But Different
by Mark Jardine
A packed schedule coming up with a diverse range of events I am so enjoying reading all the event news now the season has begun in earnest in the UK. The sun has been plentiful throughout April and May, encouraging everyone to get back out on the water.
Posted on 12 May Sunsail Funding the Future Initiative
by Sunsail
Now in its third year of supporting grassroots sailing clubs Sunsail has launched this year's Funding the Future Initiative, now in its third year of supporting grassroots sailing clubs. Previous winners include West Lancashire Yacht Club (2024) and Otley Sailing Club (2025).
Posted on 7 May Close Encounters…
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
Of the Jimbo kind. To know Jim Close is to have an experience. To know Jim Close, aka Jimbo, or Mumbles, is to have an experience (Boom. Boom. Basil Brush). It's not a reflection. It's a casting of vision. Yes. What a trip. Part acid. Part journey through space. Part adventure in existentialism.
Posted on 4 May Rotters and Colanders
by Mark Jardine
Initiatives which blow preconceptions about sailing out of the water In these times it's all too easy to fall back on old adages about sailing, saying the costs are too high, it's elitist and things are in decline, but there are some incredible bright spots which blow preconceptions about sailing out of the water.
Posted on 28 Apr Two things
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
The first time something occurs it's happenstance. Next is circumstance. The third is enemy action. So, there's an axiom that states, the first time something occurs it's happenstance. The next is circumstance, and the third is enemy action. Now on paper, and under that ruling, that makes this here Ed the latter. Hhhmmmm.
Posted on 19 Apr SailGP Venue vs. Revenue
by Mark Jardine
In 'Grandstand' sailing the race area is defined well in advance of the event SailGP finally got to land in South America, with the inaugural Rio Sail Grand Prix taking place over the weekend.
Posted on 13 Apr Mission Accomplished!
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
Keeping it in the family was always really the main mission. Just ask him… Keeping it in the family was always really the main mission. Just ask him… Now at 138 days and some change, Tristan Gourlay has shaved a fair old chunk off the 179 days and change his dad, Ken, set 19 and a bit years ago.
Posted on 6 Apr Setting Sail at the Sofia Season Opener
by Mark Jardine
So much sailing to celebrate at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca There's so much about the Bay of Palma that works for sailing, and has turned it into one of the main Mediterranean destinations for both regattas and training.
Posted on 30 Mar Analogue v Digital.
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
It all started with the mighty Finn. You might have considered that it had wandered off... It all started with the mighty Finn. Now some 77 years old, and no longer an Olympic Class, you might have considered that it had wandered out to the far reaches of the back paddock and now rests under a big tree. It doesn't.
Posted on 26 Mar On the right wavelength
by Mark Jardine
The rise of Radio Sailing While model yachting has been around for a very long time, dating back to the early 1800s with vane steering yachts raced in The Queen's Basin at Green Park in London, it has surged in popularity in this century.
Posted on 17 Mar Clipper Race Stage 7 Video Review
by Mark Jardine
An extraordinary welcome in Qingdao The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race arrived to a huge ceremony in Qingdao, China at the end of Stage 7.
Posted on 12 Mar Qualified. Determined. Passionate. Focussed.
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
And experienced, to boot. Joining the dots was both a pleasure and natural job for Jessica. Little wonder that it is all working out, then. And it is only the beginning! Take a former Australian Sailing Team member who has her Barrenjoey Pin, who's also an Environmental Scientist and certified teacher with over 10 years of experience...
Posted on 8 Mar Shows, Spectating and Season Highlights
by Mark Jardine
The Dinghy Show, Sydney SailGP and upcoming JJ Giltinan Trophy make for a packed schedule It feels like my feet didn't hit the ground at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show. The event, held on the penultimate weekend of February in Farnborough, traditionally fires the starting signal for the UK season, and was as busy as I ever remember it.
Posted on 3 Mar Sam Goodchild and Henri-Lloyd Ocean PRO
by Mark Jardine
His rise in the IMOCA class has made him one of the most highly respected stars of offshore sailing Sam Goodchild has spent nearly as much time sailing as he has ashore in the past few years. His rise in the IMOCA class has made him one of the most highly respected stars of offshore sailing.
Posted on 3 Mar Anniversary Classes at the Dinghy Show
by Mark Jardine
We speak to a number of classes celebrating significant anniversaries The RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show 2026 saw over 9,000 people visit Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre in the UK over the weekend of 21st & 22nd February to take in the feast of boats on display.
Posted on 1 Mar Pom Green: Born into Boatbuilding
by Mark Jardine
The Switch revolution, and the ethos behind Element 6 Evolution Pom Green has a family heritage in boatbuilding, growing up in the heyday of Green Marine, and has gone on to establish Element Six Evolution. While he has learned from legendary designers such as Doug Peterson, he has gone on to define his own legacy.
Posted on 25 Feb Quiet Achiever
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor
100 days in. Best part of 5000nm to go. Maybe one more month or so at sea. Record awaits you. Just slugging it out. Bit over one hundred days have passed now. Under 5000nm still to run. Something like 30 to 45 days left to get back to the Iron Pot near Hobart. The living embodiment of, 'In order to finish first, first you have to finish!'
Posted on 24 Feb