Yachting World

There are two questions we get asked. A Lot. One is ‘Which boat should I buy?’, to which the answer is as personal as choosing a house. The second is usually ‘How much money do I need to go cruising?’ Over the years we’ve written countless articles on the other building blocks you need to put in place before a big bluewater adventure: from planning your lives to preparing a boat to learning the relevant skills. But we’ve rarely touched on the thornier topic of cash. That’s because, understandably, many cruisers don’t want to share their personal finances, so it’s a very hard topic to get true data on. In his years at World Cruising Club, Jeremy Wyatt has got to know hundreds of cruisers so when he asked the…

Seven people are dead following the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian, a 56m/184ft British-flagged Perini Navi, off the coast of Sicily. The yacht sank in the early hours of the morning on Monday 19 August in a sudden storm, while at anchor off Porticello, south-east of Palermo on the Italian island’s north coast. Twenty-two people were on board at the time: 10 crew members and 12 guests. Fifteen were rescued immediately following the sinking, including a one-year-old child and their parents. Emergency services recovered the body of the yacht’s chef, Canadian Recaldo Thomas, soon after. A complex search and rescue operation was launched in order to find the six remaining passengers: the Bayesian’s owner, tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch; his 18-year-old daughter Hannah; and friends and colleagues of Lynch’s who were…

Bayesian is one of Italian yard Perini Navi’s 56m series, originally named Salute. The aluminium build launched in the spring of 2008 with a loaded displacement of 543 tonnes. The Ron Holland design is unusual as it’s one of the few Perini Navi sloops, and had the world’s tallest aluminium mast on launching. This measures 72.3m from the water and can set 2,900m2 of sail. The mainsail is sheeted to an arch on the flybridge. It also has a large forward guest cockpit area. As is typical of most Perinis, it features a stub keel with a centreboard (typically used for sailing upwind), which pivots down to increase its draught from 4.05m to 9.83m. It has a central, beam-wide owner’s cabin, five more guest cabins, accommodation for nine crew forward…

The Paris 2024 sailing regatta saw mixed fortunes for many favourites – some confirming their dominance, others crashing out as variable winds played havoc. There was a lot that was fresh and innovative at this year’s Games – a gender balanced fleet, new foiling classes, and new formats – but a combination of difficult conditions and tight schedule that had little flex (only a reserve day at the end) meant sailing had few opportunities to really showcase all it can offer at the Games. Nineteen different nations took home medals, the Netherlands topping the tables easily with two gold, two silver – the first time since 2000 that Great Britain has not scored the most silverware at a Games. The Brits had to make do with two – one gold,…

North Technology Group (NTG), owners of North Sails, has bought out competitor sailmakers Doyle Sails and Quantum. Group CEO Sam Watson says that each sailmaking brand will continue to operate independently, with their own brand identities and will manage their own products, lofts, sales and marketing teams. Quantum Sails has built up a reputation for high end racing and one-design sails, while Doyle International, headquartered in New Zealand, has also pushed into racing and superyacht products, though both also make cruising sails. The management teams of both companies are being retained and will continue to develop each brand’s products. ‘North Technology Group [has] big ambitions and a relentless drive we are continuously evolving’ “North Technology Group [has] big ambitions and a relentless drive we are continuously evolving,” says Watson. “We…

Vendée Globe: the toughest test An incredible year of sailing in 2024 rounds off with the 10th Vendée Globe. The ultimate solo non-stop around the world race starts on 10 November, featuring a record-breaking fleet of 40 IMOCAs and skippers. Don’t miss our full guide to the toughest test in sport PLUS walk the course with Vendée contender Pip Hare First steps to a liveaboard life You don’t have to grow up around boats in order to be able to sail around the world: there are now many options to get cruising from a standing start or with mixed experience. Cruising couples reveal how they took their first steps to a life afloat 10 keys to keep sailing Nothing can hold up a cruising adventure like a breakage that puts…