Long before Polar Sun, the Stevens 47 we’re cruising in Greenland, reached the Arctic Circle, we had left the night behind. The last darkness we saw was when we left Flowers Cove, in northern Newfoundland, at 2 a.m. to catch the downtide to Mary’s Harbour in Labrador. After that, with the bows pointed north into the Labrador Sea, though the sun would briefly set, the twilight endured until it rose again just a little to the right of where it had gone down.

“The Air Up There” – January/February 2023 issue

Barry and Sue Parkin had already lost one sail. They were really, really hoping that they wouldn’t lose another as they screamed toward the finish line during last year’s Oyster Palma Regatta off Spain’s Balearic Isles. Their No. 3 jib tore straight across and blew apart the second time they took the helm of their recently purchased Oyster 625, Papillon. It was a 2013 build, and the sails that came with it were probably a decade old, with levels of wear and tear that they were still sussing out. If you had asked the couple a few decades ago whether they would likely find themselves aboard that kind of a sailboat, they both likely would have said no. But now that they’re both 58 years old, with three of their four children out of school, they’re starting to think about sailing a lot differently.

“Making the Turn” – March 2023 issue

Quetzal slipped her mooring and steamed into the fog. Our job was to sail to Newfoundland, where our Viking voyage would commence—a northern track eastbound across the Atlantic eliciting parallels to the adventures of early voyagers. However, our first landfall was fabled Sable Island, a crescent of shifting sands 90 miles south of eastern Nova Scotia. It’s notorious as the “graveyard of the Atlantic,” and more than 350 wrecks form a necklace of tragedy. It’s also home to an unlikely herd of 500 wild horses. It’s also not easy to visit, so when Alan arranged a coveted landing permit, we had to stop.

“In the Wake of Vikings” – April 2023 issue

As a fellow cruiser gazed around the torn-up main cabin of our 1982 Stevens 47, Totem, his eyes grew wide. He asked a head-scratcher: “Why?” Why not buy a newer sailboat? Why take on so much work? Why not be anchored at a remote Pacific Island right now instead of dry-docked in a dusty shipyard? Because this boat—our home of 15 years through dozens of countries along a path around Earth, classroom for our three children, magic carpet to unimaginable experiences—is our Totem. This boat has cared for us, and so we cared for it, with a refit centered on its 40th year.

“The 40-Year Refit” – May 2023 issue

We were cruising through one of Desolation Sound’s towering fjords when the wind hit 35 knots. This type of a headwind is to be expected in this part of British Columbia, and it made me glad that I was—for the first time in my life—exploring a region not aboard a sailboat but instead aboard a 53-foot Grand Banks trawler with twin 650 hp engines. The term “powering through” took on a whole new meaning.

“Switching Gears” – August 2023 issue

In the realm of extraordinary adventures, the thrill of a circumnavigation stands tall, offering an unparalleled opportunity to experience by boat some of the most mesmerizing places on the planet—places other people can’t get to in cruise ships; places that are tiny, with no infrastructure, and you get to experience these things that others simply cannot. Combine the allure of such a voyage with the comforts of cruising in a group of like-minded sailors, and you have the Oyster World Rally. Over the course of nearly 16 months, 25 Oyster yachts’ owners and guests traversed approximately 27,000 nautical miles, visiting awe-inspiring destinations, creating cherished memories along the way, and forging bonds to last a lifetime through shared experiences, laughter, and the pursuit of a common dream.

“World Wanderers” – August 2023 issue

“Willie, call me as soon as you can. I bought a boat. I haven’t seen it yet. It’s in the middle of Florida. We have to get it out of the boatyard by Monday.” When I received the voicemail, I was racing a Melges 24 regatta in Miami, and I knew adventure was brewing. My father-in-law, Chris, had started with casual boat browsing online and progressed to the sight-unseen purchase of La Reine, a 23-year-old Beneteau 381. In the process, he had set in motion a journey that would take my wife, Kim, and me on a 50-day, 1,000-nautical-mile shotgun journey into the unknown—starting with getting the boat off the hard for him within three days. Little did we know, delivering this boat would teach us that even the best-laid plans are sometimes no match for fate.

“An Unexpected Adventure” – September 2023 issue

When Kirsten Neuschäfer decided to compete in the 2022-23 Golden Globe Race, she searched for a fast, safe and stable boat. She studied designs with a good ballast-to-weight ratio, and sought out a hull and rig that could withstand a hard beat to windward. She found Minnehaha in Newfoundland and knew that the tough, sturdy Cape George 36 was the one. The quick cutter with a generous sail plan met all of the official requirements—a production boat with a full keel, less than 36 feet long, designed before 1988—and a few requirements she had set for herself. After 235 days at sea, she crossed the line in Les Sables d’Olonne, becoming the first woman to win a round-the-world race.

“Solo Act” – October 2023 issue cover

I’m no Ernest Shackleton. I live in Hawaii, and I love the warm weather and clear blue waters of the tropics. Having done a little high-latitude sailing, I have to admit that freezing weather is not my favorite. My boat doesn’t even have a heater.  Yet here I was with Tracy, a surfing friend from Hawaii, ripping down Puget Sound at 12 knots under spinnaker, in the dead of winter. I had on about 10 layers, two puffy jackets, gloves, boots and a hat. I also had a huge smile on my face.

“A Winter’s Sail” – November/December 2023 issue

Steve Brown knows a thing or two about heavy weather. Throughout his sailing career, Brown and his wife, Trish, took on a four-year circumnavigation aboard their Oyster 56, Curious, sailed a 30,000-mile circumnavigation of the Americas—sailing north from Camden, Maine, and then an east-to-west transit of the Northwest Passage—and spent more than his fair share of time in the Southern Ocean. Brown is up for debating the superlatively inhospitable places on Earth. Along the way, there’s been brash ice and icebergs, rogue waves and drogues, penguins and polar bears. He’s a sailor who’s had the real-life experience of switching from gale-force storm management to survival tactics after conditions transcend control—just the kind of expert you want to lean in to for heavy weather sailing strategies that may save your life.

“Wicked Weather” – November/December 2023 issue

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Santos Bay Brazil

These stunning sunsets were chosen by our readers as the top 10 finalists to our Sailing Sunsets Photo Contest in 2015. Want to see more of the best sunsets from other readers around the world? Click here to view even more entries.

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135 professional photographers spanning twenty-nine nations submitted a picture for the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image 2015 and generated an exceptional selection of images that summarize the 2015 yacht racing season better than words. Greek photographer Nikos Zagas (GRE) won the main award whilst Rick Tomlinson (UK) won the prize of the public. A special mention was awarded to Brian Carlin (IRL). The top 80 pictures can be viewed at www.yachtracingimage.com

No less than 38’555 votes have been taken into account whilst more than 1,4 million pages have been viewed on the event’s website. The viral spread of the images on Facebook is spectacular, and can be estimated in millions.

Based in Piraeus, next to Athens, Nikos Zagas has always had an interest in sports and especially water sports. He opened his own photography studio in 1992 and began sailing in 1996. He is now the official photographer of the biggest and most important regattas in Greece.

“I am very honored to win this prize, above all with so many professionals and experienced photographers in this contest,” said Zagas. “I feel fantastic, this prize is a big recognition for my work. The Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image is the most important sailing photography contest, thanks to the support of Mirabaud and the organization of MaxComm!”

Rick Tomlinson won the Public Award, awarded by the delegates from the Yacht Racing Forum in Geneva out of the twenty pictures preselected by the public on Internet, thanks to his picture of Team Brunel sailing past Cape Horn.

“This picture wasn’t taken by chance, it was a big work thanks to the Volvo Ocean Race team, my colleagues that came with me to the Cape Horn and Team SCA”, says Rick with a lot of emotion.

A special mention was awarded to Brian Carlin for his extraordinary picture of Team Vestas Wind grounded on a coral reef during the Volvo Ocean Race. Richard Gladwell said that “looking at the totality of what he did in terms of onboard media – video, commentary and still photography – it was an amazing effort and he achieved the rare distinction of having sailing video crack through into the mainstream news stories. It was a superlative effort and deserves special recognition in the wider context of sailing media.”

“The winning pictures illustrate in their own way, through angles or specific situations, the tight link that unites the sailors to the power of the sea. The quality of the images submitted, their originality, and the emotions they generated made it very difficult to make a choice amongst the 135 photographers,” said Antonio Palma, CEO of Mirabaud & Cie SA, the event’s main partner.

Richard Gladwell commented: “Overall the improvement in the technology available to the photographer makes many new angles and effects possible, and most of the images submitted had embraced that change and opportunity. In years to come some of the images submitted for this contest will be regarded as being amongst the iconic images of sailing. »

America’s Cup and Whitbread race veteran Dawn Riley, also a member of the Jury, paid tribute to all the photographers involved in the contest: “It was hugely difficult to make the choice between the photos with their quality and diversity.”

Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image 2015 – Jury Award – Top ten:

• Nikos Zagas (GRE)
• Christophe Breschi (FRA)
• Gilles Martin-Raget (FRA)
• Rick Tomlinson (GBR)
• Brian Carlin (IRL)
• Ingrid Abery (GBR)
• Robert Hajduk
• Laurens Morel
• Nico Martinez
• Marek Wilczek

Public award – top ten:

• Rick Tomlinson
• Brian Carlin
• Stephan Coppers
• Martina Orsini
• Jesus Renedo
• Marcos Méndez
• Jacques Vapillon
• Gilles Martin-Raget
• Nikos Zagas
• Laurens Morel

Special mention: Brian Carlin (IRL)

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In the glory days of sail, the British sailors were known as jack-tars, and with a flurry of shouted commands from the quarterdeck, they could have a huge sail furled or reefed in seconds. Today, forcibly pressing large numbers of civilians into low-paying servitude aboard your boat is generally frowned upon, so new methods have been developed to tame sails. One of the most important innovations for shorthanded sailing is, arguably, lazy jacks, so named because the sailor using them can simply let go of the halyard. The sail then drops into a nice basket on top of the boom ready for furling or reefing—no sail wrestling involved. As an added bonus, the person on the helm never has his or her vision blocked by the sail.

For our 44-foot Reliance ketch, Lyra, my wife, Jen, and I wanted a non-intrusive lazy jack system that could be quickly deployed, adjusted with one hand, and put safely away when not in use. We didn’t want to alter our existing sail cover, and we didn’t want the lazy jacks to chafe the sail.

After a couple of hours of raising and lowering the main while mocking up the lazy jacks using parachute cord and halyards, we decided that three support lines did the job.
Each of the support lines is fastened to the boom just forward of the leech end of a batten; the sail should naturally land in the basket and shouldn’t hang on the support lines when it’s being raised. Each of the cheek blocks for the halyards aloft should be independently able to take the weight of the boom.

Materials and Costs

For the halyard on our lazy jack installation aboard Lyra, we used 55 feet each side (110 feet in total) of 1/4-inch braided Sta-Set X [1] , from New England Ropes, at a cost of $78. We used 42 feet each side (84 feet in total) of 3/16-inch braided Sta-Set X [2] for the support lines; this cost $45. The six 1/4-inch Orbit blocks [3] from Ronstan—we used three on each side—cost $72. The total cost of the two 1/4-inch Spinlock jammers [4] we used, one per side, was $84. The 12 Ronstan sister clips [5], used six to a side, cost $24. The total cost of our new lazy jack system? $303, along with six hours of labor, most of which we spent developing the right configuration. Miscellaneous items we used include whipping twine, a sewing needle, a hot knife, machine screws with appropriate taps, a drill, bits, and cutting oil for drilling and tapping.

Green Brett has been sailing and living aboard since childhood, and he currently shares his love of cruising through his company, On Watch Sailing charters and instruction, out of Newport, Rhode Island.

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The 382 is available with six ­interior ­layout options, a ­rarity in this size range, to appeal to a wide audience. Owners can also choose an in-line galley or traditional L-shaped one, two cabins or three, one or two heads, and whether they want a nav ­station.

Like its younger sibling the 350, the 382 is elegant and comfortable both underway and at anchor.

For more information, visit thee Dufour Yachts website.

The new Dufour 382 Ph: Guido Cantini / Dufour/Sea&See.com

The new Dufour 382 Ph: Guido Cantini / Dufour/Sea&See.com

The new Dufour 382 Ph: Guido Cantini / Dufour/Sea&See.com

The new Dufour 382 Ph: Guido Cantini / Dufour/Sea&See.com

The new Dufour 382 Ph: Guido Cantini / Dufour/Sea&See.com

The new Dufour 382 Ph: Guido Cantini / Dufour/Sea&See.com

The new Dufour 382 Ph: Guido Cantini / Dufour/Sea&See.com

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The interior accommodations offer three cabins and two heads with separate showers. All interior living space is on a single level throughout, with several choices for the “third stateroom” configuration. Custom features may be accommodated on request. Generous storage and machinery space is available throughout the interior and in the large lazarette.

Large stainless steel framed windows give great light and visibility to the spacious main saloon while an assortment of overhead hatches, opening ports and Dorade-style vents allow for generous ventilation.

For more information, visit the Island Packet Yachts website.

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HRCS partners with eight New York City high schools to offer academic credit to students by teaching math, science, and character building through sailing and boat building. The academic curriculum is designed with New York City Department of Education teachers to support state standards. Over the winter, students worked together to build 9-foot wooden Optimist dinghies, which were launched at the Return to the River event.

“What we look forward to most at this event is seeing our talented students launch and sail the boats they created by hand this winter,” said Robert Burke, Executive Director of HRCS. “Through HRCS, these students are learning valuable lessons in teamwork, self-reliance, persistence, and other qualities necessary for college and career success, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate them—and the adventure of sailing.”

For more information on Hudson River Community Sailing, visit hudsonsailing.org.

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