In the last week I have run into two transatlantic yacht delivery stories that have opened my eyes, but for two very different reasons. Two people best described as ‘suicidal idiots’ made international news for having to be rescued nine times before even getting out of European waters while moving their yacht from Norway to Maine. This is the […]
Sailing has been perceived as a very masculine sport and this can be very off-putting to a woman who may wish to learn to sail. Even though there are a number of women who have made it to the very top of the sport (Ellen MacArthur is a household name in the UK) the […]
This weekend coming I’m taking my partner on a sailing experience day to see if she could enjoy the sport enough for us to buy a Drascombe Lugger and spend the summer months cruising the Channel and south coast of England. My ideal weather conditions would be a southerly Force 4 in blazing sunshine so […]
Through my work with The Boating Hub I have come to the understanding that there are two types of sailing nation – the developed sailing nation with a good, structured sail training scheme and the underdeveloped sailing nation that either has none at all or relies upon its elite sailing clubs to get people sailing. […]
If you want to learn to sail a yacht in the USA it is fairly easy. There are a large number of yachting courses that are approved by authorities ranging from the American Sailing Association (ASA) via the US Coastguard to state approved boating safety courses. Through The Boating Hub we have focused almost exclusively […]
Last week we had a jaunt around the world looking at what beginner cruising courses there are available for the man or woman who dreams of going to sea but hasn’t quite taken the leap. This week, we’ll look at those who may have been sailing for a season or two but want to […]
A lot of people dream of casting off and seeing the world from off the coast. But not everyone gets around to actually doing it. I’ll never forget how, as soon as we left the dock at Milwaukee the heave of my sailing ship on a very gentle sea set a trainee’s stomach at full […]
Every advanced sailing nation’s teaching syllabus requires an element of experience. This enables you to gain something you cannot be taught – Sea Sense. Sea sense is roughly described as common sense linked to the sea, and it’s something that you can only gain through experience. The sea – not unlike a giant cat… The […]
While many of us will be bewitched by the sight of flying AC45s in the America’s Cup World Series or the carnage currently taking place in the Transat Jacques Vabre, very few of us will ever be mentally or physically fit enough to sail a foiling IMOCA 60 or catamaran. In learning to sail, it […]
With even the hardiest winter regatta series drawing to a close as autumnal storms start to make sailing uncomfortable for complete sailing nuts, now is the time to put your boat ashore for the winter. You don’t have to join a crochet class or get involved in your town council’s local politics to keep your […]