TSC interviews New England Rope’s Kevin Coughlin at the 2005 U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD. With so many types of line available, which ones should a cruising sailor choose when it’s time to replace those aging halyards and sheets? Kevin gives some incite into proper rope selection for cruising boats. Be sure to [...]

The Morrisons and Riglers take a group jump into the sea at The Baths. Then they continue their BVI cruise with a sail to the “drowned” island of Anegada. Anegada means drowned land. Its highest point is only 28 feet and much of the island’s interior consists of salt ponds. But at the water’s edge, [...]

Valencia Sailing asked Davide Tagliapietra and Doug Schickler of Schickler-Tagliapietra to give their insight into the fleet of VO70's gathered in Alicante. Valencia Sailing: What are your impressions of the boats and the rule development? Schickler-Tagliapietra: Everybody knows the rule has become a much tighter design space. The boats are limited in displacement range, and keel weight is controlled independently. In the small range, the boats will probably all try to be at the light end, of course with the heaviest bulb possible. Using higher modulus fibre in the masts, and the very impressive carbon rigging will make a nice step forward in performance. Safety and reliability concerns have driven other new rules, especially in the keel area. Not all of the changes are founded on sound engineering, but the stakes are high for Volvo and the resulting boats are undeniably awesome. Valencia Sailing: There have been a lot of interpretations to this more refined rule, comments? Schickler-Tagliapietra: This keel weight rule has unfortunately led to a near "attack" on the interpretation process concerning the keel of one team. Even more unfortunate, VOR found itself in a position where it felt the best way forward was to amend the NOR so a boat without a valid certificate could start the race. They have tried to disarm the situation, but the precedent is troubling. Valencia Sailing: Any other interpretations of interest? Schickler-Tagliapietra: One about the use of a rotary keel actuator instead of rams. It's use was denied, but it stirs the imagination. There is an interpretation concerning the use of spray rails for lift, thus declaring it an appendage. The spray rails will trickle down to other long distance race yachts - a good development from IMOCA's and these boats. Valencia Sailing: Can you give us a summary of the boats and teams, from a designer's point of view?  read more »

There hasn't been an election like it. Not just two but three candidates battle it out for the world's most powerful position. They have been questioned on every subject from abortion to Zaire - but where do they stand on yachts and yachting?

Our roving reporter, Buff Staysail, has caught up with them and has this world exclusive!

In their own words, oldest first, its McCain, Clinton, and Obama!  read more »

[Source: Volvo Ocean Race] Under the gaze of a huge spectator fleet, and a clutch of helicopters buzzing in the sky, the 4,450 nautical mile leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race from Cape Town to Cochin in India got underway today at 1120GMT (1320 local time) in beautiful, classic Cape Town conditions. Andreas Hanakamp, skipper of Team Russia summed up the atmosphere among the crews on the dock this morning when he said, You can never come to this place for long enough, but lets set the horses loose. We are here to race, so lets race. As the eight crews gathered onboard, saying their goodbyes and spending a few precious minutes with their families, under the blazing South African sunshine the fleet was blessed by the Reverend Rowan Smith. After a short postponement to allow the wind to stabilise, the gun echoed out across Table Bay signalling the start of leg two, which, for the first time in the history of the race, will finish in Cochin, India in December.  read more »

Ice Blink is coming to PBS in 2008. This powerful 54-minute documentary follows a conventional family of five living a very unconventional life afloat. DIGITAL VIDEO DOWNLOAD Through a special arrangement with the producer, TheSailingChannel is making available to our viewers a near-DVD quality Windows Media download for only $4.99. The complete 54-minute [...]

TheSailingChannel.TV previews Lin and Larry Pardey’s Storm Tactics: Cape Horn Tested. This 84 minute video delivers the skills you need to weather storms with confidence. If you like the preview, buy the DVD. It’s the next best thing to having Lin and Larry Pardey onboard, coaching you on storm tactics as the seas build and [...]

[Source: Vende Globe] As Lock Peyron points his bow pretty much directly at the island of Sao Nicolau this evening, preparing to pass between the Cape Verde Islands, he has seen a small gain by the hard driving Seb Josse (BT). Race leader Peyron had just 36 miles to run to pass the biggest of the northern windward group of islands. The highest mountain on Sao Nicolau, Monte Gordo, rises nearly 1320m high to Gitanas leeward as they pass, with Josse tracking now about 12 miles to the east of Peyron and Jean Le Cam still about 18 miles out to his east and slightly astern. Le Cam has held station on Peyron at just over 38 miles, Josse is heading more directly south, while VM Materiaux and Gitana Eighty are now both headed slightly west of south.  read more »

The Rezidor Hotel Group announces the Radisson Hotel Blaauwberg in Cape Town, South Africa – the property featuring 144 rooms is scheduled to open in Q4 2010. It is the third Rezidor hotel in Cape Town (besides the Radisson ...

Day 14, Year 3: Cape Upstart to Magnetic Island
Date: Friday, May 23, 2008
Weather: No Change–Sunny Skies and Fair Winds, SE 15-20
Temperature: Air 72 degrees F; Water 72 degrees F
Latitude: 19 degrees 06.666 minutes S
Longitude: 146 degrees 51.536 minutes E
Location: Magnetic Island, Queensland, Australia

“The East point I named Cape Cleveland, and the West, Magnetical Head or Island, as it had much the appearance of an Island; and the Compass did not traverse well when near it.” (James Cook’s Journal, 6th June, 1770)  read more »