Tabla de contenidos para April 2026 en Sailing Today

Fitting-out time is here again. Because I winter up in the Baltic where the sea still sometimes freezes, my season doesn’t really start until May. It was different when I berthed my 22ft wooden sloop on the Hamble River long ago. I expect it’s the same now, with Easter weekend firing the starting gun for the season and people getting afloat in anything that promises not to sink under them. The target for the innocent and over-keen was to be up with the lark on Good Friday, drop off the customs declaration and swirl away eastwards on the spring flood bound for the Nab and ever onwards for the 60-mile hop to Cherbourg. Reliable engines were a rarity then, so ‘Cherbourg and back’ in a weekend was an ambitious plan,…

Anyone who is of a certain age will remember the children’s TV programme Record Breakers which, aside from the encyclopaedic knowledge of earnest right wing libertarian Norris McWhirter, the unlikely resuscitation of the career of Bucks Fizz singer Cheryl Baker, or the sight of Ron Reagan Jr on our screens, the most compelling thing was how weird some of the record attemps were – most time spent sitting in a bath of baked beans anyone? Anyway, 2026 has been a big year for record-breaking in the world of sailing and, while inevitably the spotlight has been on the exploits of Sodebo and the Famous Project in the Trophée Jules Verne, another record was being broken closer to home. Belgian sailor Quentin Debois was going for a record that was a…

Bigger is better? It certainly seems to be the case in the world of sailing, where manufacturers are consistently discovering that what their clientele want are bigger and bigger models. This is certainly the case for Bali whose new 5.2 marks something of a sea change for the manufacturer. Back in the day, Bali shook up the market by producing a high volume of uncomplicated and extremely roomy catamarans crammed with clever innovations such as its trademark tilt/slide ‘garage door’ aft which opened up the possibility of a catamaran having a saloon that seamlessly blended with the outdoor areas when the weather was fair. These were competitively priced, uncomplicated yachts that seemed tailored to the charter market. Back in the day, most of their range was in the 40’ bracket…

Easter is like a sunrise in the Ionian. The villages and harbours start to wake after the winter. Bleary-eyed taverna owners open shop, sweeping terraces and cleaning their grills. The sound of drills and hammers renovating shop facades replaces the noise of chainsaws cutting firewood. The quaysides slowly fill as the boatyards launch their winter cargo one by one. Domestic Greek travel booms, with cities like Athens and Thessaloniki emptying as workers return to their home villages and distant families are reunited. Orthodox Easter is bigger than Christmas; it’s a time for families to come together and celebrate. For the Ionian sailor, spring weather tends to be changeable, with wind directions shifting on a daily basis. Light southerlies can bring some rain but often increase the temperature, whilst northerlies are…

“Some of the greatest technical developments emerge from the worst of events” The Auckland SailGP weekend was one of the most emotionally testing events I’ve experienced. I witnessed the horrific collision between the New Zealand and French F50s little more than 200m away from where I was standing. As you read this a few weeks on from when I wrote it, I’m hoping that it’s already been confirmed that the two sailors who suffered significant injuries – Black Foils grinder Louis Sinclair, and French strategist Manon Audineau – have made excellent recoveries. Right now, I’m not sure how things will work out for them, so my fingers are crossed. During that windy and gusty contest on Auckland Harbour, I was standing on the rocks in front of the huge, temporary…

On 25 January, Thomas Coville set a new, non-stop crewed record, lapping the planet on board the 100ft Ultim trimaran Sodebo 3 to claim the Jules Verne Trophy, in 40 days, 10 hours, 45 minutes – surpassing Francis Joyon’s 40d, 23h, 30m set in 2017. While it was the third time claiming the trophy for the 57-year-old Frenchman, (who held it in 1997 and 2010, and who has also held the solo round the world record at 49d, 3h, 7m), this was his first time as skipper. And, in fact, it was his third attempt on this boat, launched in 2019 with exactly this record in mind. A day later, sailing another Ultim, (that same IDEC Sport that Joyon set the record on in 2017), under the banner of The…

Croatia’s charter season – running from May to early October – has quickly become a premier destination for sailors of all levels. Located in the Adriatic Sea, it is remarkably accessible from the UK, with a short 2.5-hour flight from Gatwick to Split, and is therefore a good option for multi-generational families. It also has a range of charter options from bareboat, skippered, crewed, and flotillas, so there really is something for everyone. Early in the season, travellers can enjoy pleasant temperatures between 22°C and 28°C, offering a milder alternative to the intense southwest Mediterranean heat. Sailors can expect reliable winds ranging from light breezes to 20kt gusts when the Bora or Jugo winds are active. With over 1,200 islands along the Dalmatian coast, the region is noted for its…

50° 42.689’ N, 001° 59.114’ W Poole Quay Boat Haven is based on Poole’s vibrant and historic Town Quay and is one of two Poole Harbour Commissioner-run trust port marinas in Poole Harbour. The other – Port of Poole Marina – is just across the water near the freight ferry terminal and is often used as an overflow when Poole Quay reaches capacity. This marina is also noted for its premier service having won the Coastal under 250 berths category at the TYHA Marina of the Year Awards in 2025, in addition to the five times previously (2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2024). Its popularity is also due to its ideal, convenient location along the quayside in Poole, and its easy access with no locking in or out. Basically, once you…

OYSTER 56 | SHAYA MOYA The Oyster 56 needs no introduction, being arguably the most successful model of the world renowned Oyster range, with more than 70 built and many notable world-girdling voyages logged.The Rob Humphreys design is a supremely capable offshore passage maker, which offers fast voyage times in safety and comfort, with the build strength and beautifully crafted interior synonymous with the Oyster brand. Shaya Moya is a fine example of the marque, having been extremely well maintained by the current owner. Powered winches, hydraulic sail handling, bow thruster, and autopilot ensure that the yacht can be handled by two people. The spacious, well appointed interior offers superb accommodation for six adults. Whether your long term cruising plan is coastal exploration, an Atlantic circuit, or more extensive voyaging,…

The Eastern Sporades I hear you ask? You mean the Sporades as in Skiathos and Skopelos and Skiros. No – I mean the Eastern Sporades as in Khios and Lesvos and Limnos. The first group of islands of which Skiathos is the best known are the Northern Sporades lying in a gently curving arc in the northwest corner of the Aegean. They have recently been dubbed the ‘Athens Riviera’ since the denizens of the Attic coast started buying second homes there and stuffing the harbours full of their yachts. The Eastern Sporades are those lumpy islands strung out along the northern Aegean coast of Asia Minor which are rarely cruised, and little visited by land-based tourists for that matter. While other island groups in the Aegean like the Cyclades or…

Having never set foot on a catamaran, when I arrived in Thailand for a 10-day sailing holiday, I had no inkling that this trip would rapidly unfold into one of the most spontaneous, varied, and exhilarating experiences of my life. Keen to seek out some winter sun, while browsing the Seafarer Sailing Holidays’ website as hailstones battered my office window, I was instantly drawn to the words ‘Sail away to a paradise of turquoise waters and emerald islands’. I mean, what’s not to like? My interest was instantly piqued. A subsequent phone call to the knowledgeable Seafarer team – whose calm expertise I totally trust – took an unexpected turn. Instead of chartering another monohull, as my husband, Phil and I had done previously, they suggested something completely different; joining…

Mass production. It’s a term that is often scorned. What’s the opposite of mass production; bespoke, hand crafted, exclusive. Somehow the invers of that can almost come across as a dirty word. Yet a fully functioning production line working in harmony and producing any large, complex item whether it be a car or a yacht is a thing of beauty; a masterpiece of planning, poetry in motion and a paean to the beauty of a well coordinated team. Mass production is the ultimate endorsement of a company that has succeeded in perfecting a product to the extent that demand is so high that it needs a carefully orchestrated team of workers, product designers, logistics experts and more to satisfy the public’s insatiable appetite. All of which brings me to Beneteau.…

As the rules around antifouling paints have tightened to protect the environment, manufacturers have responded with a welter of innovative solutions to keep the hull clean. There is ultrasound, Finsulate microflock and SeaSpeed epoxy alongside tried and tested options like Coppercoat. But some of the biggest effort has been around ultra slippery silicone paints. Hempel’s Silic One was the pioneer in the leisure marine sector, but it is no longer alone. International is rolling out a competitor product called B-Free Explore (not yet available in the UK) and Seajet, which has been particularly active in the ‘green antifouling’ space, has just unveiled its own version, called Seosil. Even traditional paint stalwart Teamac is developing a biocide-free product. All these paints are based on silicone polymer technology and work in the…

Sometimes, when you can enjoy the exquisite peace, calm and quiet of bobbing at anchor, it’s easy to forget just how loud the world can be. Both literally and figuratively loud. A provisioning run to stock up the boat with supplies will inevitably take you into a busier speed of life. It makes you feel like an alien that has suddenly landed in the chaos of Mexico City, or the whirr of a wet market in Thailand, or the inexplicable traffic of Tahiti. It’s all so overwhelming, with music blaring, and intense food smells, and brightly coloured packages of things, or weird looking fresh produce. In Singapore, a simple trip to the dentist involved us having to navigate an impossibly huge shopping mall which left our eyes sore from all…