A remarkable change in the field of sailing holidays has taken place. You may be surprised, but Croatia is no longer the most popular sailing destination among sailors from Europe. It was not without reason that Croatia was the number one sailing destination for years. The phenomenal sailing areas, many islands, a wealth of available […]
If you’re an elite sailing geek like me you may want to check out Thomas Colville’s solo round the world record attempt that’s happening right now on the trimaran Sodebo. After 20 days at sea he is only 5300 nautical miles from the finish and is a whopping 1600 nautical miles ahead of the […]
With the Grand Depart of the Vendee Globe singlehanded round the world yacht race just eight days ago, some people will be thinking of what it would be like to sail solo, and what qualifications there are out there to sail alone? The fact is, most people will sail singlehanded at some point in their […]
So, the Olympic sailing circus has left Rio. Has it improved opportunities to learn to sail there? While Brazil came away with a Gold medal at the sailing events, and the waters are some of the most beautiful on the world (at least on the surface) there isn’t much for those inspired to learn to […]
So, the Olympics is over again. More smiles on the podium, and hundreds of young sailors who can move on with their lives with ‘Competed in the Rio Olympics for my country’s team’ on their CVs yet who confidently could say they had no hope at a medal from the start. This isn’t to slag […]
Every year the RNLI and other rescue authorities end up rescuing hundreds of people who on impulse have bought a lilo or inflatable dinghy with the idea of having a paddle off the beach. Where normally I focus on various ways of learning to sail and the qualifications you may need for your leisure or […]
The 2015 US Coast Guard (USCG) safety statistics have been released and there is a clear (if not obvious) message – those without instruction in boating safety are far more at risk of fatal accidents than those who have had training. Another issue is that intoxication at sea is a killer too. USCG Statistics […]
Owning a boat is an expensive affair. Keeping a 40ft yacht in a South Coast marina can cost £5000 a year, and then you will need to pay insurance and maintenance, as well as hauling it out every year to keep its underside in good condition. It is no wonder that there’s a saying that […]
As I grew up, I had a habit of getting wet when I was staying anywhere near the sea, and if it floated I would try to have a go on it – be it canoes (surf or inland water), surf boards, a range of dinghies and even tall ships. Behaving badly on the water […]
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. […]