Elaine Bunting

The X4-9 is a stylish performance cruiser that is both manageable short-handed and can still win races, reports Pip Hare The X4-9 is a stylish performance cruiser that is both manageable short-handed and can still win races, reports Pip Hare The X49 is squarely aimed at the no-compromise sailor who wants it all. It combines a comfortable, stylish interior, with clean, beautiful lines on deck and can even be raced with a minimal crew

Preparations for the voyage from the Caribbean to Europe need to begin before you leave home, but what should you consider? Preparations for the voyage from the Caribbean to Europe need to begin before you leave home, but what should you consider? By early summer the peak Caribbean season is coming to a close, ushered out by a fusillade of big regattas. Then, with summer returning to the northern latitudes, crews begin the return leg of their migration back home

The lessons gleaned from their Transatlantic sailing problems can benefit us all We quizzed 254 skippers who took part in the 2017 ARC rally about the spares they shipped and the repairs they made en route. We asked skippers on the 2017 ARC and ARC+ what spares they carried, in particular for steering/autopilots, power generation, engines, sails, cooking, plumbing, refrigeration and navigation. We carry a spare blade, spare bolts and a tool kit for the Windpilot, and a maintenance kit and fluid for the autopilot. A thorough sail repair kit as well as the time and patience required to fix sails can also negate the need to carry too many spare sails on an ocean crossing.

When a renowned superyacht yard builds a 67-footer for short-handed cruising you can be sure the result will be something special When a renowned superyacht yard builds a 67-footer for short-handed cruising you can be sure the result will be something special Were money no object and you wanted the ultimate yacht for long-term cruising, what would you choose? The Baltic 67 is very much at the luxury and custom end of the production yacht scale, so our light wind trial of the boat focused more on the various choices and details aboard and how they might be relevant to sailors in general. I found myself gravitating to the side deck to sit and steer, instinctively wanting to sail the Baltic 67 like a cruiser-racer. The more time I spent aboard and the more I learned of the systems and engineering, the more I began to appreciate what sets this boat apart.