‘RB3’ was the hull name of INEOS Britannia, the AC75 the British America’s Cup team sailed in the 37th America’s Cup Match against Emirates Team New Zealand after winning the Louis Vuitton Cup Challengers Series – the best British performance in over 90 years.

Dylan Fletcher shared America’s Cup helming duties with team boss Sir Ben Ainslie.

“My coolest yacht would have to be either Shamrock IV or RB3,” he explains, “The two most successful British challenges of the Cup.

“RB3 certainly means the most to me, given it was my first time sailing a Cup boat and it was such an epic experience.

“Sailing RB3 was breathtaking. A huge leap from the AC40 into an incredible piece of engineering that is very rewarding to sail, hugely technical, that requires finesse to maximise the performance. Finally fulfilling a dream to helm a British America’s Cup was something else.”

Make sure you check out our full list of Coolest Yachts.

AC75 ‘RB3’ stats rating

Top speed: 55.6 knots
LOA: 23m/75ft
Launched: 2024
Berths: 0
Price: €10+million (boat only)
Adrenalin factor: 98%

Dylan Fletcher

Dylan Fletcher was co-helmsman for the British America’s Cup team in AC37, taking the port wheel of the AC75 through the Challengers series and Cup Match. He currently helms the Emirates GBR SailGP team’s F50, and is a former Olympic gold medallist and world champion in the 49er and an International Moth world champion.

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The world of high-performance cruising catamarans is currently undergoing a radical evolution. For decades, the segment was strictly defined by speed and lightweight, minimalist construction. Now, technological advancement, and a new focus on sustainability is driving builders to reinterpret what a fast multihull can be.

From the legendary Gunboat launching a radical new ‘Gran Turismo’ line designed for comfort over ultimate pace, to the eco-conscious innovations of Windelo and the superyacht-quality ambition of the new Dutch builder Holld, the focus is shifting.

This year’s yachting festivals provided a clear snapshot of this dynamic new market, showcasing performance cats that put volume, lifestyle, and ecological efficiency squarely alongside speed. With new models like the voluminous Gunboat Fusion 80 and the versatile Leopard 52 offering owners more luxury, livability, and operational flexibility than ever before, the defining lines of the performance multihull are being redrawn. Get ready to explore the exciting new generation of cruising catamarans that are built not just to sail fast, but to live well.

Gunboat Fusion 80

First, a Gunboat with a flybridge, and now a new line of voluminous flybridge cruisers…

Gunboat was/is the reference point in performance cruising cats. It didn’t just set the bar, it invented it. As Gunboat models evolved and were increasingly turbocharged, they became more elite cruiser-racers.

To see the now french-owned brand move into a new high volume market sector will no doubt raise many eyebrows, but together with design partners including VPLP and Christophe Chedal-Anglais, Gunboat has done its homework.

“We’ve led the fast cruising market for 25 years, but now owners have been asking for more,” marketing director Rodolphe Cadoret announced at the unveiling of this Fusion line in Cannes. “It’s time to bring something else to the market.”

That something else is a ‘Gran Turismo’ range that puts an emphasis on the lifestyle experience – intriguing, especially as Gunboat already has a 72ft flybridge model (No.5 in build).

Managing partner Benoit Lebizay confirmed the 72 fly was a “shy move towards this area… and see that the market is not only ready to accept this, but now demands it.”

So Fusion extends Gunboat into the realm of more comfort. “We want to focus on sailing early [from 6 knots], but top speeds are not important. The 72 is already too fast for some owners for a flybridge cat. To get to double digits quickly is capturing that essence,” Lebizay continued.

The Gunboat Fusion 80 will not need to keep such an eye on paring down to save weight – but will still be around 20 tonnes lighter than big cats of a similar size

The development team picked a figure in the middle of the weight sector – meaning 50-55 tonnes fully loaded, rather than the 32 tonnes of the GB72, or the 75 tonnes loaded figure of other cruising cats this size.

Construction will be in infused composite rather than Gunboat’s typical super light pre-preg carbon cats. “We can afford to not use honeycomb furniture and can offer more perceived quality,” Lebizay added. As a comparison, the 10m2 master cabin on the 72 is 19m2 on the Fusion 80. As well as this vast suite with its direct sea access, other key features include the large flybridge and forward cockpit with steps that lower to the sea.

Sensing people’s loyalty to the original Gunboat ethos, Lebizay compared the move to the automotive sector, explaining how the example they used internally is Porsche’s Cayenne model (a crossover SUV introduced over 20 years ago) – the german manufacturer took on that brand risk, yet succeeded in extending it into a new segment.

The first Fusion is an 80, pitched at the biggest expected growth area. “Gunboat is always going to be in the crewed boat area of 70-80ft… the idea is to do a range of Fusion because we want to combine two things that have been antagonistic – performance at one end and comfort at the other. This brings them together at the next level.”

Gunboat Fusion 80 specifications

LOA: 24.00m 78ft 9in
LWL: 23.95m 78ft 6in
Beam: 11.07m 36ft 3in
Draught: 2.20m-4.06m 7ft 2in-13ft 3in
Sail area (upwind): 295m2 3,175ft2
Price from: €13.5m ex VAT

Windelo 58 & 62

Think back over the explosion of performance cruising Catamarans in recent years, and a brand that sticks out for good reasons is Windelo. This Canet-en-Roussillon startup yard formed in 2019 with a focus on innovation, particularly with regard to using more sustainable materials and systems.

As well as its thorough research into and use of basalt fibre, recycled foam, green energies and electric hydrogenerating drives, these Christophe Barreau designs are also refreshingly different. Not only do they use a garage-style door aft to promote a vast and seamless indoor/outdoor space with a formidable amount of glazing and surround views, the forward helm and cockpit layout help set them apart.

I really came to appreciate the benefits of handling the original Windelo 50 from this position, one of the least pitching by the mast base. Minimal leads are needed for the lines, which aids short-handing, and the cockpit and helms are in easy social connection to those you’re sailing with. Therefore, while Windelo is currently building sports versions of its 55, it makes sense to see it maintaining the majority of these design features and material choices for its new range of 60ft cruisers, the 58 and 62. Both are conceived for private ownership or for use with a skipper/small crew.

The greenest motive power is the wind, so the new Windelo models are designed to sail in very light breeze.

Although powered by green energy, the most ecological measure is to sail as much as possible, hence these new models are designed to sail in as little as four knots of wind, thanks to lightweight fine hulls, lifting boards, and powerful rigs. “We wanted boats that offer more space, more comfort, and more autonomy — without compromising performance or sustainability,” designer Christophe Barreau explains.

The interiors have received an uplift in quality, thanks to a new partnership with automotive design specialists Stellantis. Both models offer up to five cabins (four of which are en suite on the 58) and the option for crew cabin access direct from the cockpit.

Windelo 58 specifications

LOA: 17.68m 58ft 0in
Beam: 9.48m 31ft 1in
Draught: 1.35m-3.00m 4ft 5in-9ft 9in
Displacement: 18 tonnes
Price: €2,100,000

Windelo 62 specifciations

LOA: 18.88m 62ft 0in
Beam: 9.48m 31ft 1in
Draught: 1.35m-3.00m 4ft 5in-9ft 10in
Displacement: 22 tonnes
Price: €2,550,000

Holld 74

We introduced this new dutch brand in our October issue, and then had the chance to meet the team and designer behind it at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September. The founders of the Zwartsluis yard have known and worked together for many years doing specialist composite work for neighbouring superyacht builders such as Vitters, Royal Huisman and Feadship. They’ve set themselves up as the only dutch carbon Multihull manufacturers, specialising in superyacht quality. Holld offers performance cruising catamarans that can be sailed with small crews.

“We want to bring our superyacht quality into high-performance cruising catamarans that can be short-handed,” says Holld’s Anneke Harms. The 74 is an Elliot Thorne design being built on spec with an expected launch at the end of next year. Aimed at owners downsizing from superyachts who don’t want big crews, 74 is the maximum you can handle with a small crew, Holld argues.

Stub keels are preferred over daggerboards as they’re easier and more practical, without taking interior space, for a small trade-off in performance. That said, the design could accommodate boards if an owner so desired.

These semi-custom cats are highly advanced technical builds, hybrid-ready, and with modular interiors. They use one-shot infusion in negative moulds, with all parts in infusion too, and the yard has an ‘obsessive focus on precision’.

Holld 74 specifications

LOA: 22.50m 73ft 20in
LWL: 22.00m 72ft 2in
Beam: 10.20m 33ft 6in
Draught: 1.45m 4ft 9in
Displacement: 23.95 tonnes

Leopard 52

Cannes marked the world premiere for the Leopard 52, a three- to six-cabin model, with multiple layout options to offer the most versatile appeal, whether for the owner-operator liveaboard or as a dream charter boat.

Leopard, The Moorings and Sunsail, together with their long-term builders Robertson & Caine and designers Simonis Voogd, make for a team not lacking in experience and feedback, having built 246 of the previous 50ft model. Impressively, the base price of this new replacement remains the same.

This 52 is not only ‘bigger everywhere’ but is designed to also deliver improved sailing performance over its recent smaller sistership 46. And despite the vessel’s size, it’s already proved it can sail in just light single figure breezes. Fine bows, stepped hulls, deep keels and a tall mast with optional square-top main (17% extra upwind sail area) all help contribute to this performance.

New Leopard 52 is ‘bigger and better’ than ever – but is priced the same as the previous model

The show boat had the hybrid electric JOOOL power set up installed (€170,000 extra), which is capable of regenerating power under sail, while 57hp diesels come as standard.

The indoor/outdoor configuration will draw appeal, as will the number of different relaxation spaces, including Leopard’s trademark forward cockpit. The wide range of layout possibilities helps it suit private, bareboat or crewed charter use. The port hull in particular is clever as it can be chosen with a VIP or crew cabin with private aft entrance, or with a huge utility cabin fore, aft or both that liveaboards will cherish, while every cabin can have its own en suite.

Leopard 52 specifications

LOA: 15.75m 51ft 8in
LWL: 15.31m 50ft 3in
Beam: 8.16m 26ft 9in
Draught: 1.45m 4ft 9in
Displacement: 20.52 tonnes
Price: €899,000 ex VAT

If you enjoyed this….

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The post Bigger and better? Meet the high-performance multihulls appeared first on Yachting World.

Every year when Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll around I go on the hunt for good Cyber Monday stand up paddleboard deals. And every year I’m reminded of just how much tat there is on the market. These might not be the cheapest options out there, but they are made by companies I know and trust and are well built.

If none of these are for you, one of the key things to look out for in an inflatable board is recommended inflation pressures. 15PSI is the minimum I’d suggest and anything that can take up to 20PSI will perform better (as it’s more rigid) and also tends to denote a higher build quality.

Paddleboarding became huge during the covid pandemic for a couple of reasons. Firstly, technology had moved on such that inflatable paddleboards were suddenly almost as good as rigid boards (but much easer to store and transports). Secondly, everyone was looking for a way to get out the house but away from other people.

If, like me, you took up paddleboarding around that time you probably either have a board gathering dust in the garage (like many of my friends) or you’ve may have caught the bug and still be getting out on the water regularly. If you are in that second camp, then now is a great time to pick up a Cyber Monday paddleboard bargain – and maybe consider replacing that covid-purchased board because it’s now actually six years old!

There are relatively few good paddleboard options this year, though I’ve picked out a few of the best deals below. But in summary Bluefin are offering many deals on their boards and Red also have deals across a whole range of their boards.

Best Cyber Monday Paddleboard deals US

Red 13’2″ Voyager MSL Inflatable Paddle Board Package – Was $1,749.00, Now $1,349.00
The Voyager from Red is a really great bit of kit and is well worth considering if you are looking for an upgrade over a more standard board. The slight ‘v’ in the bow allows the board to cut through waves better, whole the length and relatively narrow width make it glide further for ever stroke.
If you’ve only ever paddled a standard board, having something like this will be a revelation (note, though that you will want some experience as it is harder to stand on and manoeuvre than a standard board.

View Deal

Red 10’8 Activ MSL Inflatable Yoga Paddle Board Package – Was $949.00, Now $849.00
I’ll be honest paddleboard yoga is not something I’m that into. But clearly there are enough people out there for it to be worth Red making a bespoke board for just such a purpose. It looks to be (as you’d imaging) very stable, but that probably comes at the cost of performance. But that’s rather the point…

View Deal

Best Cyber Monday Paddleboard deals UK

Red 9’4″ Snapper MSL Kids Inflatable Paddle Board – Was £749.00, Now £549.95
Red is the absolute market leader in the inflatable paddleboard world. Their products are consitently high quality and the have always delivered a top-notch performance (and customer service). This smaller board, designed for children is a great deal.

View Deal

Bluefin up to 50% off site-wide
Let’s not beat about the bush, Bluefin always have a Cyber Monday offer on and this year is no bigger than previous years, so you can probably argue that you should never buy a Bluefin board at any other time of the year.
But if you don’t want to pay Red paddle prices, Bluefin offers great board kits, with everything you need to start paddle boarding for sub-£500 about as you’ll find any quality board. I’ve had a Bluefin Cruise on test for years now and it’s still going strong (though I have upgraded components like the paddle and pump).

View Deal

If you’re after a specific Cyber Monday boating deal check out our guides to:Best Cyber Monday Musto deals
Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals
Best Cyber Monday Garmin Deals
Best Cyber Monday REI deal (US only)

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post The best Cyber Monday stand up paddleboard deals (and how to find a quality board) appeared first on Yachting World.

If you’re a sailor, Cyber Monday often means diddly squat in terms of deals that relate directly to our sport. Sure, the latest Garmin Quatix deal is nice to have and is tangentially relevant, and there are often watersports and boat-adjacent deals that are worth grabbing. But in my five years of writing about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this is the first time I’ve seen a brand offering a discount on actual sails.

And the brand in question is not just some slightly random sail manufacturer, it’s one of the biggest sail makers in the world, North Sails. The loft is offering a range of deals and have anything from 10% to 30% off many of their One-Design sails.

If you’re a young 420 sailor, you can grab 10% off most of North Sails’ 420 stock, which is a pretty handy little saving. But bigger savings can be found elsewhere, with sails like the Melges 20 3Di Jib at 30% off (making it a c.$700 saving for US racers).

But there’s not really much point in me going through all the best or worst deals here. You’ll obviously only want to buy for your own class of boat.

So what are you still doing reading? Head over to North Sails and check if you class has a discount…

Quick links

If you’re not after sails this year or your class is not featured in the North Sails Cyber Monday discount there are other deals around for boat enthusiast – although, as mentioned these are rarely specific to sailing (other than the West Marine chandlery Deals in the US and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK.

But still, you may want to check out these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

The post Cyber Monday sails deal: North Sails has just dropped an unprecedented up to 30% off many One-Design sails! appeared first on Yachting World.

Cyber Monday is here and we’re picking out the best Cyber Monday boating deals available from across the big brands and niche retailers once again this year as we sort the great deals from the… less great deals.

Let’s not beat about the bush here, Cyber Monday has gone from being a weekend of genuinely impressive offers, to several weeks of so-called sales where prices are artificially slashed, or companies offload old stock.

But even though this is the case, there are still plenty of genuinely good deals out there to grab – you just need to sort through a lot more rubbish to find them.

Our team spends the weeks building up to Cyber Monday, and the weekend itself, price checking and monitoring all deal pricing to make sure they’re genuine deals using a variety of tools.

We do a huge amount of gear testing ourselves, led by our experienced editorial teams, so we know a good Cyber Monday boating deal when we see one.

Major marine retailers such as Gael Force Marine, West Marine and Helly Hansen have been running some very attractive offers and have historically had the best Cyber Monday Deals for sailors that we could find. But we will also trawl through big brands like Amazon, Walmart and Decathlon to pick out some of the best Cyber Monday boating deals there too.

So far for Cyber Monday 2025 we’ve already found some genuinely good sailing specific deals from a range of big brands (see our lists below)

If you’re feeling a bit icky from Cyber Monday’s all out late-stage capitalism vibe, head over to Finistere who are running a ‘Blue Friday’ where $2.50 (or £2) from every purchase made in-store and online will go to ocean partners, Surfers Against Sewage and Surfrider Foundation.

If you’re after a specific Cyber Monday boating deal check out our guides to:

Best Cyber Monday Musto deals
Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals
Best Cyber Monday Garmin Deals
Best Cyber Monday REI deal (US only)
Best Cyber Monday Paddleboard deals
Best Red equipment Cyber Monday deals
Best Cyber Monday chandlery deals from Gaelforce Marine

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Quick links

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Best Cyber Monday boating deals US

North Sails One-Design Sails deals up to 30% off a range of one-design sails
If you’re a young 420 sailor, you can grab 10% off most of North Sails’ 420 stock, which is a pretty handy little saving. But bigger savings can be found elsewhere, with sails like the Melges 20 3Di Jib at 30% off (making it a c.$700 saving for US racers.
But there’s not really much point in me going through all the best or worst deals here. You’ll obviously only want to buy for your own class of boat. So what are you still doing reading, head over to North Sails and check if you class has a discount…

View Deal

Musto HPX PRO SERIES DRY SMOCK – 50% off – Was $1000,, Now $500
Volvo Ocean Race sailors were wearing this in the Southern Ocean– it’s pretty legit, and at a full 50% off, this Gore-Tex smock is a steal. Pro performance for (literally) half the price. Cyber Monday shopping for sailors doesn’t get much better than this.

View Deal

Red 13’2″ Voyager MSL Inflatable Paddle Board Package – Was $1,749.00, Now $1,349.00
The Voyager from Red is a really great bit of kit and is well worth considering if you are looking for an upgrade over a more standard board. The slight ‘v’ in the bow allows the board to cut through waves better, whole the length and relatively narrow width make it glide further for ever stroke.
If you’ve only ever paddled a standard board, having something like this will be a revelation (note, though that you will want some experience as it is harder to stand on and manoeuvre than a standard board.

View Deal

Garmin Fenix 7X Pro – Was $999 now $549.99 from Dick’s Sporting Goods
If you’re desperate to pick up a discounted Garmin Fenix then this is the best Cyber Monday Garmin Fenix 7 deal I’ve found so far.
For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known for its rugged build, huge feature set, and truly exceptional battery life, thanks in part to its transflective memory-in-pixel (MiP) display.

View Deal

 

Best Cyber Monday boating deals UK

Garmin Quatix 7 – Was £869 now £465, from First Class Watches
This is an incredible price for a premium marine and multisport smartwatch that our tester described as “utterly brilliant” and a piece of kit you “won’t want to take off.”
There is a clear reason this is being deeply discounted, it has now been superseded by the Garmin Quatix 8, but we have one of those on test at the moment and the differences are pretty small, so you’re getting almost the same watch for a lot less money!

View Deal

Garmin GPSMAP 1223xsv Chartplotter – Was £2800, Now £2500 
This higher-end chartplotter has a broad range of functions and will integrate seamlessly into your marine system. I’ve even seen this one for under £2300 from places like Marine Superstore– it’s a great one to make the most of Gael Force’s awesome price-match policy.

View Deal

North Sails One-Design Sails deals up to 30% off a range of one-design sails
If you’re a young 420 sailor, you can grab 10% off most of North Sails’ 420 stock, which is a pretty handy little saving. But bigger savings can be found elsewhere, with many sails as much as 30% off.
But there’s not really much point in me going through all the best or worst deals here. You’ll obviously only want to buy for your own class of boat. So what are you still doing reading, head over to North Sails and check if you class has a discount…

View Deal

Garmin Epix Gen 2 – Was £739.99 now £369.99, from H. Samuel
For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known for its rugged build, huge feature set, and truly exceptional battery life, thanks in part to its transflective memory-in-pixel (MiP) display.
But this Cyber Monday week, if you’re hunting for a deal on the Cyber Monday Garmin Fenix 7, you need to pause and look closely at the Garmin Epix Gen 2
For the vast majority of users who love high-end Garmin features but want a screen that pops with colour and clarity for daily use and detailed mapping, the Epix Gen 2 is the superior experience.

View Deal

Men’s Musto MPX Gore-Tex PRO Offshore Jacket 2.0 – Was £800, Now £600 
We’ve recommended this jacket before, even at full price. With a full third off the price, this Gore-Tex Pro offshore jacket is more worth it than ever. It’s also the very same one worn by British sailor Sam Davies during the 2020-21 Vendee Globe. Weighted to balance comfort and ultimate protection, this steal has loads of practical features to keep you not only safe, but comfortable. Three colour options, including black, a classic red, and a very elegant blue.

View Deal

Men’s Ægir Race Sailing Jacket 2.0 – Was £725, now £543.75
What a discount! This jacket is for sailors to wear while covering many miles at sea. Our tester, Rupert Holmes, tried out the first Race Sailing Jacket and wrote,
‘The Helly Hansen Ægir Race Jacket is the outcome of extensive work with professional racing teams who know what works best in extreme conditions, including Thomas Colville, Pip Hare and Joan Mulloy.
‘The result is a very high specification full-length offshore jacket that’s still surprisingly lightweight, streamlined and comfortable to wear.’
Notable details include chest-level hand-warmer pockets lined with thin fleece, which provide enough warmth. And they’re not so thick that they’ll absorb much water, meaning they won’t take ages to dry.

View Deal

Bluefin up to 50% off site-wide
Let’s not beat about the bush, Bluefin always have a Cyber Monday offer on and this year is no bigger than previous years, so you can probably argue that you should never buy a Bluefin board at any other time of the year.
But if you don’t want to pay Red paddle prices, Bluefin offers great board kits, with everything you need to start paddle boarding for sub-£500 about as you’ll find any quality board. I’ve had a Bluefin Cruise on test for years now and it’s still going strong (though I have upgraded components like the paddle and pump).

View Deal

When is Cyber Monday 2025?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are globally recognised as the retail calendar’s premier savings event, marking the moment merchants worldwide dramatically lower prices on gear, accessories, and electronics to kickstart the holiday shopping season. It’s the optimal time to secure those essential boating deals.

The event’s date shifts annually, yet it consistently docks on the Friday following the US Thanksgiving holiday. In 2025, be ready for the rush on Friday, November 28th, with Cyber Monday taking place Mopnday 1 December.

While it began as a traditional in-store frenzy across the United States, Cyber Monday has overwhelmingly charted a course online. Major global players like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target now fiercely compete with dedicated marine sites to offer deep discounts on everything from navigation electronics to sailing gear.

The UK, spotting the significant sales potential, joined the phenomenon around 2014, with retailers like John Lewis, Argos, and Currys embracing the spectacle. This discount day has since evolved into a true global fixture, eagerly anticipated by sailors and shoppers in countries across Asia, South America, Europe, and Australia.

The post The best Cyber Monday Sailing and Boating Deals in 2025: The best bargains we’ve found this year appeared first on Yachting World.

Cyber Monday is here and there are a LOT of sites still offering a LOT of Cyber Monday Waterproof Garmin watch deals. I’ve gone through as many deals as possible and picked out these top options for sailors and watersports enthusiasts.

For the discerning sailor, deep-sea diver, or outdoors enthusiast, a rugged, waterproof Garmin Smartwatch watch is an indispensable piece of kit. Beyond tracking your fitness and health, these premium multisport smartwatches—especially the flagship Garmin Fenix, the vibrant Garmin Epix, and the marine-specialist Garmin Quatix series—offer unparalleled navigation, battery life, and durability in the harshest environments.

This year’s deals on the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) and Garmin Fenix 7X Pro are particularly compelling. For our water-loving readers, the highly specialized Garmin Quatix 7 is also seeing a rare, deep discount, giving you marine-specific features like boat data streaming and the invaluable SailAssist at an outstanding price.

Don’t miss your chance to secure one of these fully waterproof, multi-talented smartwatches at its lowest price of the year.

US Garmin Quick Links

• Garmin Fenix 7X Pro: was $999.99 now $549.99 at Dick’s Sporting Goods

UK Garmin Quick Links

• Garmin Fenix 8: was £819 now £599 at Very
• Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2): was £870 now £369.99 at H. Samuel
• Garmin Quatix 7: was  £869 now £465, from First Class Watches

Best US Cyber Monday Garmin Deals

Garmin Fenix 7X Pro – Was $999 now £549.99 from Dick’s Sporting Goods
If you’re desperate to pick up a discounted Garmin Fenix then this is the best Cyber Monday Garmin Fenix 7 deal I’ve found so far.
For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known for its rugged build, huge feature set, and truly exceptional battery life, thanks in part to its transflective memory-in-pixel (MiP) display.

View Deal

Best UK Cyber Monday Garmin Deals

Garmin Fenix 8 – Was £819 now £599, from Very
The latest iteration of the Garmin Fenix does everything that the Fenix 7 does and also has an upgraded AMOLED Display, meaning it is brighter and easier to use than previous iterations.
The old Garmin Epix has the same AMOLED display, which is great to use, but the Epix has slightly less battery life than the Fenix. This new Fenix has slightly less battery life than the old Fenix 7, but more than the Epix. It’s all a bit horses-for-courses,  but the Fenix 8 does represent the best compromise on both screen and battery life.

View Deal

Garmin Quatix 7 – Was £869 now £465, from First Class Watches
This is an incredible price for a premium marine and multisport smartwatch that our tester described as “utterly brilliant” and a piece of kit you “won’t want to take off.”
There is a clear reason this is being deeply discounted, it has now been superseded by the Garmin Quatix 8, but we have one of those on test at the moment and the differences are pretty small, so you’re getting almost the same watch for a lot less money!

View Deal

Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) – Was £870 now £369.99, from First Class Watches
This Cyber Monday week, if you’re hunting for a deal on the Garmin Fenix 7, you need to pause and look closely at the Garmin Epix Gen 2
The truth is, the Epix and Fenix 7 are almost identical twins beneath the surface. The only real difference is the Fenix has better battery life, but that is because it has a slightly duller MiP instead of AMOLED display screen (and you still get 16 days of battery on the Epic)

View Deal

The post Huge Savings on the Best Cyber Monday Waterproof Garmin Watches for Sailors and Outdoor Pros appeared first on Yachting World.

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025.

If you have (or have been meaning to get) an inflatable tender, you won’t want to miss these Cyber Monday deals on electric trolling motors from Walmart.

They’ll make you cleaner, quieter, and less obtrusive presence on the water while saving you some dollars.

First things first: trolling motors vs electric outboard motors

Cyber Monday isn’t the time to  get back into the petrol vs electric motor debate, but you should know that there are two electric options on the market.

Trolling motors with separate batteries (so called because they were mainly used as auxiliary slow-speed power for anglers) and integral-battery motors (built for dinghy propulsion).

These are probably the two you’ll be looking at if you’re thinking about changing to an electric outboard.

Trolling motors are cheap and simple, so they’re still popular for low-speed applications. However they do require a separate 12V battery.

Electric outboards with integral batteries are more sophisticated units, designed to give you greater speed and a wider range of power, though on any 3-4m boat the hull speed will be the main thing that limits your speed.

These will often include displays showing speed, range at a given speed, and percentage of battery capacity remaining, but these features come with a higher price tag.

Trolling motor deals from Walmart

Naipo Electric Freshwater Trolling Outboard Motor with 55 Lbs Thrust, 8 Speeds – Was $329.99, Now $162.99 
Almost 50% off! This model has a 8-speed control system, adjustable design, a telescopic handle, and a LED battery monitor. This trolling motor is quiet even at full speeds.

View Deal

Naipo Electric Freshwater Trolling Outboard Motor with 68 Lbs Thrust, 8 Speeds – Was $409.99, Now $195.99
Same features, just more powerful at 68 lbs thrust. Still a steal.

View Deal

Low-budget saltwater option – Watersnake Venom 34/30 Saltwater Transom Mount Trolling Motor – Was $187.99, Now $98.16
This option has a 34 lbs thrust, but at almost 50% it comes in under a $100, and it’s the only one specifically designed for saltwater use.

View Deal

Deluxe freshwater option – Lowrance Ghost Freshwater 50 lb Trolling Motor with 47 inch Shaft – Was $3,499, Now $3,199
This higher end option from trusted brand Lowrance has $300 shaved off the price. It has a 50lb thrust, and comes with loads of extra features including Lowrance sonar options and waypoint anchoring, and advanced steering control.

View Deal

More Marine deals from Walmart:

• Marine Speakers – There are lots of Cyber Monday deals on Marine Speakers from Walmart, but this one from Clarion Marine is particularly good (was $449.97, Now $300)

Quick links to more Cyber Monday deals for boaters

There are plenty of other great deals around for boat enthusiasts. Check out West Marine chandlery Deals if you’re in the the US, and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK for boat-specific savings.

Don’t miss these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: US Chandlery Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery deals
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
• Musto: British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Looking for more Cyber Monday deals for boaters?

The best Cyber Monday Sailing and Boating Deals in 2025: The best bargains we’ve found this year

Cyber Monday is here and we’re picking out the best Cyber Monday boating deals available from across the big brands…

The best Cyber Monday stand up paddleboard deals (and how to find a quality board)

Every year when Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll around I go on the hunt for good Cyber Monday stand…

Last Chance! Finisterre turned Black Friday “Blue” with donations to ocean protection on every purchase until Dec 2 (and a special collab with the RNLI)

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. For the fifth consecutive year, homegrown outdoor…

REI’s best Cyber Monday deals for US sailors and watersport enthusiasts: discounts on YETI coolers, PFDs, and more

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. If you’re a US reader, you’re likely…

Cyber Monday sails deal: North Sails has just dropped an unprecedented up to 30% off many One-Design sails!

If you’re a sailor, Cyber Monday often means diddly squat in terms of deals that relate directly to our sport.…

MUSTO cuts a mean Cyber Monday bargain: check out these discounts from the brand offshore racing legends swear by

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Cyber Monday doesn’t always have the most going on…

The post Power up your tender with Walmart’s Cyber Monday deals on electric trolling motors appeared first on Yachting World.

Cyber Monday Walmart boating deals are here and there’s a great opportunity to pick up some discounted gear, including paddleboards. I like Walmart’s offering for people on a budget who want to get some huge bargains.

However, it can feel overwhelming and like a timewaster to scroll through to get the deals. And who wants to use up their precious lunch breaks or free time to feel stressed over working out price drops. So, to save you from having to avoid doing the things you love, I’ve done the Cyber Monday Walmart trawling for you.

And, as paddleboards in particular are usually so expensive, it’s worth taking a look in case you spot something you really want.

Click on the links below to learn more about these bargains.

Best Cyber Monday Walmart Deals US

Bifanuo Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board with Accessories and Backpack Paddle Boards for Adults – Was $110.50, now $89.49
This is a classic Cyber Monday bundle bargain, including a paddleboard, paddle, and pump. This means it’s ideal for beginners and improvers, who want to give paddleboarding a go without splashing out on expensive equipment.
Although I haven’t tested it, out of 1868 user reviews on Walmart, it has a 4.2 star rating.
It has a non-slip deck that can handle up to 350lbs, so many people could take their pets or friends on their paddling journeys with them.

View Deal

Lifetime Recruit 6.5ft Youth Sit-on Kayak – Was $239.99, now $139.99
With Christmas coming up, this sit-on kayak would make a great present for an adventure-loving little one. I like that it’s light enough for a child to carry themselves, so they can develop their independence while exercising.
Walmart says the kayak’s material has UV-protection so it’s likely to last. This feature will prevent cracking and the colour fading over time.
Click ‘View Deal’ to learn more.

View Deal

Lifetime Envoy 10.5ft Tandem Kayak – Was $749.99, now $599.99
Dreamy days on the water with your partner or friend would be possible with this tandem kayak from Lifetime. Sometimes kayaking alone can be lonely, so it’s lovely to see that this tandem option has a Cyber Monday Walmart deal.
I can imagine giggling with a friend on this blue kayak. And I like that there are supportive backrests to help with your posture on the water. You can also adjust the footrests to accommodate paddlers of different heights and keep them comfortable.
Amazingly, there are storage compartments below the deck for stowing small items. There’s also UV protection, so it’s likely to last. Handily, there are self-bailing scupper holes in the cockpit area so you can drain water out if it’s getting too soggy.

View Deal

O’Neill Women’s Epic 4/3mm Full Wetsuit – Was $244.95, now $195.96
Since 1952, O’Neill has claimed its place as a quality brand for watersports lovers. So, this full-length wetsuit is an excellent opportunity to pick up a Cyber Monday Walmart bargain for going out on the water.
Wetsuits can be notoriously expensive, so this $49 discount is a healthy saving. I like that it has a back zip so you can get it on and off easily without the zip getting in the way.
It even solves the ‘where am I going to put my keys?’ problem, with an external pocket with a loop. So, with this wetsuit, you won’t have to leave your keys hidden on the beach with a kind enough stranger or loved one.
As it’s full-length, you can wear this on chillier days for anything from paddleboarding to wave-carving surfing.
Click ‘View Deal’ to see this wetsuit for yourself.

View Deal

O’Neill Men’s Epic 3/2mm Full Wetsuit – Was $234.95, now $196.89
This O’Neill Men’s 3/2mm full wetsuit has a 5-star rating on Walmart. I can see why.
You can see O’Neill’s experience in making high-quality wetsuits here. For example, there’s a handy long tab on the back zip that makes it easy to get it on and off.
To keep you warm and prevent water bubbles from getting inside, it’s got a double-seal neck.
One customer, Sally, said they experienced ’49-degree water, and this suit kept me warm.’ It sounds like a good option for wearing in the Fall and Spring.

View Deal

Quick links

If you’re not after Cyber Monday Walmart deals this year, there are other deals around for boat enthusiasts. Although these are rarely specific to sailing, there are two exceptions: West Marine chandlery Deals in the US and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK.

But still, check out these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

If you’re after a specific Cyber Monday boating deal check out our guides to:

Best Cyber Monday Musto deals
Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals
Best Cyber Monday Garmin Deals
Best Cyber Monday REI deal (US only)

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Best Cyber Monday boating deals for having fun doing watersports appeared first on Yachting World.

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025.

For the fifth consecutive year, homegrown outdoor brand Finisterre is turning Black Friday… Blue.

Over “Blue” Friday, £2 / $2.50 from every Finisterre purchase goes to one their ocean partners to help protect the oceans and to help people of all kinds enjoy them. The donation-scheme runs through Cyber Monday, into 02 Dec.

Since starting Blue Friday, Finisterre has raised over £50,000 for ocean access and conservation. In partnership with Surfers Against Sewage, Surfrider Foundation, and others, these donations have gone towards everything from adaptive swimsuits to ocean protection swimming lessons for kids with disabilities.

Pretty awesome, if you ask me. And it gets better.

As it turns out, Finisterre has a special collaboration with our beloved RNLI.

Not only do its limited edition items have a great marine heritage feel and functional design, but 10% of every purchase goes towards funding this important institution. If there’s anything I’d personally pick up this Black– sorry, Blue– Friday, it’d be items from this collection.

It’s great stuff for a great cause, one particularly near and dear to our sailor hearts.

Finisterre + the RNLI: double up on your donations

With every purchase of a piece from this amazing collab between Finisterre and the RNLI, an extra 10% of proceeds goes to supporting the organisation.

Any one of these items would make for a perfect holiday gift for a sailor, and all together they would be an incredible package (that colour-coordinated beanie/sock combo?!).

Here’s what’s in the Finisterre/RNLI collab, and how much you’ll end up donating overall if you purchase on Blue Friday.

Women’s RNLI Polperro Jumper – £150 – £17.00 donated
Inspired by the traditional Gansey jumpers from Cornwall’s South Coast and the designs worn by sailors for centuries, this navy staple is perfect for me– sorry, you…With a relaxed fit and just the right amount of detail, it’s sure to keep you warm (and looking slick) on or off the water. It also uses 20% recycled yarn, and has the RNLI collab branding. Honestly one of the best heritage-inspired fisherman’s sweater offerings I’ve seen out there. You can’t really see the details from the image, so be sure to click through.

View Deal

Men’s RNLI Polperro Jumper – £150 – £17.00 donated  
Same gorgeous jumper, but for the boys. Same awesome donation.

View Deal

RNLI Tipped Fisherman Beanie – £35 – £5.50 donated 
If you’re looking for an early holiday gift for (or from) a sailor, this is it. Made from extra-fine Merino wool, this beanie is warm, breathable, and naturally antibacterial. It uses the traditional fisherman’s rib stitch and familiar colours, and will keep you warm in all kinds of weather.

View Deal

RNLI Bosun Sock – £22 – £4.20 donated
The Bosun socks are soft and sturdy and will fit well into wellies, hiking shoes, and other boots. If you’re gearing up for your winter layup, this is definitely one to wear around the boatyard. They’re also 3 for 2, and have OVER A THOUSAND 5 star reviews… there must be magic in these socks, because people really, really seem to love them. I’ll probably pick up a pair (or three) myself.

View Deal

Discounted items from Finisterre made for sailors

Beyond the RNLI collection, Finisterre makes a lot of really cool, great quality items. Here’s what looks good from the sale section:

Men’s Clipper Cargo Short – Was £80, Now £48 
I’m always looking for the right pair of comfy, lightweight shorts to wear onboard. They have to be movement friendly, extremely durable, and have plenty of pockets to fit the bill. These seem like they tick all the boxes, and at 40% off make for a bargain. You can also get the long version for 50% off right now.

View Deal

Women’s Croft Smock – Was £110, Now £55 
Finisterre’s take on the sailor smock is a pretty great one. I wear my classic version from St. James all the time, especially in the mid-season, but if I had one criticism, it’s that it’s cut too lean around the waist. This one seems to be a bit roomier, and I think that’s an improvement on this iconic style. This version of the sailor smock is a perfect updated classic, cute and functional– and 50% off.

View Deal

Women’s Shetland Fair Isle Jumper – Was £250, Now £187 
Finisterre’s sweaters are so nice, but not in everyone’s price range. This 100% Shetland Wool jumper is a little more affordable, and delightful. If you’ve been looking for an investment piece to help you face the winter season, Blue Friday is as good an excuse as any.

View Deal

Other Finisterre items for sailors

I like basically every one of Finisterre’s fishermen-inspired knitwear  (especially this funky ocean-minded THRILLS NOT SPILLS chunky sweater— so fun).

They also have plenty of outdoor-friendly gear.

It’s worth having a look through their selection of changing robes, both in terry cloth and more serious stuff for cold water swimming, which you could complement with a handy changing mat.

And don’t even get me started on the wetsuits, which are also available for rental.

The idea is to make ocean-going more acceptable worldwide (yep, it’s global). You can try before you buy, or rent to figure out which product works best for you. Pretty awesome, and a great step towards reducing unnecessary consumption.

Plus, don’t miss these sailor-friendly pieces:

Men’s Shipyard Insulated Gilet – £175 
This workwear staple inspired by old US Navy deck jackets will keep you warm all winter. It may look fashionable, but this piece is all business; super-durable materials, reinforced seams, and 100% recycled REPREVE® insulation. It’s all in the name– wear this around the boatyard during your winter layup, or under a waterproof shell.

View Deal

Drift 20L Waterproof Tote Bag – £95 
This heavy-duty tote is made from 100% recycled polyamide fabric and has welded seams. It’s roomy and extra durable, and a perfect catch-all to take onboard, to the beach, or to the shipyard.

View Deal

Mako Packing Cubes – £50 
Packing cubes may seem like a rogue option, but if there’s one thing all sailors have in common it’s that they’re always thinking about space, and how to take up less of it onboard. These lightweight, water-resistant packing cubes in a range of sizes will help you keep your gear and clothing items organised while you’re living in close quarters.

View Deal

Quick links to more Cyber Monday deals for boaters

There are plenty of other great deals around for boat enthusiasts. Check out West Marine chandlery Deals if you’re in the US, and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK for boat-specific savings.

Don’t miss these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: US Chandlery Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery deals
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
• Musto: British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Looking for more Cyber Monday deals for boaters?

 

The best Cyber Monday Sailing and Boating Deals in 2025: The best bargains we’ve found this year

Cyber Monday is here and we’re picking out the best Cyber Monday boating deals available from across the big brands…

MUSTO cuts a mean Cyber Monday bargain: check out these discounts from the brand offshore racing legends swear by

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Cyber Monday sails deal: North Sails has just dropped an unprecedented up to 30% off many One-Design sails!

If you’re a sailor, Cyber Monday often means diddly squat in terms of deals that relate directly to our sport.…

The best Cyber Monday stand up paddleboard deals (and how to find a quality board)

Every year when Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll around I go on the hunt for good Cyber Monday stand…

REI’s best Cyber Monday deals for US sailors and watersport enthusiasts: discounts on YETI coolers, PFDs, and more

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. If you’re a US reader, you’re likely…

Cyber Monday deals: this drop-stitch kayak from Decathlon is £500 off and perfect for curious sailors

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Drop-stitch kayaks are a middle ground between the performance…

 

The post Last Chance! Finisterre turned Black Friday “Blue” with donations to ocean protection on every purchase until Dec 2 (and a special collab with the RNLI) appeared first on Yachting World.

Whether you like it or not, Cyber Monday can deliver some incredible deals for watersports. However, it’s sometimes hard to tell whether a discount is real or a retailer is trying to get a shady profit. Frustratingly, falling for a false saving can leave you with less money for the festive period.

So, to save you spending your spare time trawling through Cyber Monday RED Equipment deals, I’ve done the scrolling for you. RED is renowned for its high-quality paddleboards, and this sale doesn’t disappoint. If you’re not a SUP fan, there are some other options, too.

Click on the links below to learn more about these bargains.

Quick links

If you’re not after Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals this year, there are other deals around for boat enthusiasts. Although these are rarely specific to sailing, there are two exceptions: West Marine chandlery Deals in the US and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK.

But still, check out these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Best Cyber Monday RED Equipment Deals UK

Women’s RED Equipment Active Jacket – Was £119.95, now £39.95
What a bargain! You can easily pack this jacket into its own little bag, making it very lightweight.
Although I haven’t tested it, it looks like an ideal jacket for spring and summer, protecting you from the occasional shower.
The reviews are great with one customer, Mrs Linda R., saying, ‘The active jacket is comfortable, waterproof, breathable and soft to touch. Just made for paddle boarding with added flexibility. It is by far the best jacket on the market for this amazing sport.’
Sounds like a great versatile jacket for multiple watersports.

View Deal

Ultimate Ultra-lightweight SUP Paddle (Fixed) – Was £339.95, now £199.95
One for the paddleboarders: Here’s almost £200 off an ultra-lightweight paddle. I haven’t tried it but it has a carbon blade, shaft, and t-top handle, which keeps the weight down.
RED is renowned in the paddleboarding world for producing great-quality equipment and our Test Editor has vouched for that.
Goren G gave it a five-star review saying, ‘The extra reduced weight with the fixed paddle will help on the long races. The new handle felt really good, firm grip.’ Sounds like it is as lightweight as RED says.

View Deal

22’0″ Dragoon MSL Inflateable Paddle Board Package – Was £1999, now £1199
A huge discount for a massive paddleboard package- how good would this be with friends?
The deal includes a 22’0″ Dragoon paddle board, Titan 2 pump, race fin, XL wrap, 8ft coiled leash, repair kit, and water-resistant phone case.
You can fit four people on this paddleboard, partly due to its Monocoque Structural Laminate (MSL®). Why not take a look?

View Deal

Men’s Pursuit Waterproof Lightweight Changing Jacket – Was £209.95, now £159.95
This men’s long jacket looks like a stylish item to change into after being in the water. It would save you the awkward towel-shuffle as you get into dry clothes. And, it’s waterproof, too. So you can keep droplets off your dry outfit.
I really like the olive colour as it’s likely to suit multiple skin tones and is a bit more vibrant than the typical black option.

View Deal

If you’re after a specific Cyber Monday boating deal check out our guides to:

Best Cyber Monday Musto deals
Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals
Best Cyber Monday Garmin Deals
Best Cyber Monday REI deal (US only)

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post I love these Cyber Monday RED Equipment deals for sailors: A paddleboard package?! appeared first on Yachting World.

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025.

Chandlery-shopping makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. The sheer amount and variety of thing available means that everywhere I turn (or click), I seem to stumble across something. I. Definitely. Absolutely. Need.

If you’re anything like me, this breadth of offering also means that chandleries can make for stressful Cyber Monday shopping destinations.

But don’t let the volume scare you– here at Yachting World, we’ve put in the time to comb through everything (and I mean, everything) on offer from trusted UK Chandler Gael Force Marine to pick out the most interesting deals.

We can’t hit every base (we have no way to know if you’re specifically looking for a deal on electric extension cable, although this one is pretty great…), so we’ve rounded up some bigger-ticket items you don’t want to miss, as well as some standard safety equipment.

Sure, some of these discounts may not seem like much on one-off purchases, but if you’re looking to do a refresh on your onboard safety equipment or kit out a new boat you stand to make some pretty big bulk savings.

A lot of these are items that you’ll need to pick up at some point anyways; you might as well get them for less.

Don’t forget to sign up to Gael Force’s mailing list for another 5% off, while you’re at it, and (in case you didn’t know) Gael Force has a pretty awesome price-match policy, so if you find the item you’re browsing somewhere else for less, they’ll do their best to match it!

More Gael Force deals on big-ticket items

Garmin GPSMAP 1223xsv Chartplotter – Was £2800, Now £2500 
This higher-end chartplotter has a broad range of functions and will integrate seamlessly into your marine system. I’ve even seen this one for under £2300 from places like Marine Superstore– it’s a great one to make the most of Gael Force’s awesome price-match policy.

View Deal

Honda 10hp 4-Stroke Outboard Engine – Was £2600, Now £2350
Honda’s outboards are time old and trusted. This 4-Stroke is compact, ultra-portable, and easy to handle. Plus, it comes with a handy 6-year warranty (did we mention the neat £250 discount?).

View Deal

 Basic safety equipment deals from Gael Force Marine

Icom IC-M73EURO Handheld VHF Radio – Was £310.99, Now £250.00
We’ve tested and recommended plenty of Icom handheld radios, so we know this brand is worth is. This 20% discount is your chance to pick one up, whether it’s an item you’re missing or you just want a spare.

View Deal

Trem Tubular Radar Reflector- Was £44.49, Now £25
Exactly what you think it is, but 44% off. Sounds pretty good to me.

View Deal

Deals on emergency safety equipment you should probably have already

• THE GRAB BAG – Ocean Safety ISO9650 SOLAS B Top Up Grab Bag – Was £436.49, Now £370.00 – this grab bag brings your liferaft equipment up to SOLAS B specification when used in conjunction with ISO liferafts.
• THE PLB – Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1 – Was £392.99, Now £325.00 – a personal locator beacon that allows you to alert global emergency services at no charge with just the touch of a button.
• LIFTING STROP – Ocean Safety Helicopter Lifting Strop – Was £120.49, Now £105.00 – helicopter lifting strop is pretty self explanatory. You hope you never need it, but need to have one in case you do.
• FLARES – Ocean Signal rescueME Electronic Distress Flare EDF1 – Was £165.99, Now £145.00
• FLARES – Hansson Ikaros Inshore Flare Pack – Was £99.49, Now £65.00
• FIRE BLANKET – f – FX Fire Blanket – was £27.99, Now £18
• FIRE EXTINGUISHER – FX Refillable Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher FX4000DP – Was £105.99, Now £55

Quick links to more Cyber Monday deals for boaters

There are plenty of other great deals around for boat enthusiasts. Check out West Marine chandlery Deals if you’re in the US, and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK for boat-specific savings.

Don’t miss these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: US Chandlery Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery deals
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
• Musto: British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Looking for more Cyber Monday deals for boaters?

The best Cyber Monday Sailing and Boating Deals in 2025: The best bargains we’ve found this year

Cyber Monday is here and we’re picking out the best Cyber Monday boating deals available from across the big brands…

Cyber Monday sails deal: North Sails has just dropped an unprecedented up to 30% off many One-Design sails!

If you’re a sailor, Cyber Monday often means diddly squat in terms of deals that relate directly to our sport.…

MUSTO cuts a mean Cyber Monday bargain: check out these discounts from the brand offshore racing legends swear by

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Cyber Monday doesn’t always have the most going on…

Cyber Monday deals: this drop-stitch kayak from Decathlon is £500 off and perfect for curious sailors

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Drop-stitch kayaks are a middle ground between the performance…

REI’s best Cyber Monday deals for US sailors and watersport enthusiasts: discounts on YETI coolers, PFDs, and more

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. If you’re a US reader, you’re likely…

I love these Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals for sailors – it’s a great opportunity to update your wardrobe

Love it or hate it, Cyber Monday can save you huge amounts in the lead up to Christmas. However, sometimes…

Why this Black Friday bargain Garmin Epix deal should be considered by anyone looking for a Garmin Fenix 7 Black Friday deal

For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known…

The post Pick up big-ticket items and safety essentials with these Cyber Monday deals from UK chandlery Gael Force Marine appeared first on Yachting World.

The weather’s turned, and if you’re anything like me, you’re reaching for your warmest coat before leaving home. Without a cosy jacket to wear, you’re likely to start shivering just walking down the garden path. And chattering teeth aren’t a very festive addition to the Christmas period!

So, to save you from shivering outside this winter, I’ve found a Cyber Monday bargain: the ideal Helly Hansen Men’s Sailing Jacket.

If you’re heading out sailing in this weather or want to prepare for when there’s more sunshine, our tester Rupert Holmes has tried it out and vouches for its cosy credentials.

The jacket has handy adjustable elastic to stop water from creeping up inside. Photo: Helly Hansen

It’s also sometimes hard to tell whether a discount is a bargain or a retailer is cheekily deceiving us. Frustratingly, falling for a false deal can leave you with less money for the festive period.

So, to save you spending your spare time trawling through Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals, I’ve done the legwork for you. Our editors have been testing Helly Hansen products for years so they know what they’re looking for.

Click on the link below to learn more about this product.

Quick links

If you’re not after Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals this year, there are other deals around for boat enthusiasts. Although these are rarely specific to sailing, there are two exceptions: West Marine chandlery Deals in the US and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK.

But still, check out these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen Deals UK

Men’s Ægir Race Sailing Jacket 2.0 – Was £725, now £543.75
What a discount! This jacket is for sailors to wear while covering many miles at sea. Our tester, Rupert Holmes, tried out the first Race Sailing Jacket and wrote,
‘The Helly Hansen Ægir Race Jacket is the outcome of extensive work with professional racing teams who know what works best in extreme conditions, including Thomas Colville, Pip Hare and Joan Mulloy.
‘The result is a very high specification full-length offshore jacket that’s still surprisingly lightweight, streamlined and comfortable to wear.’
Notable details include chest-level hand-warmer pockets lined with thin fleece, which provide enough warmth. And they’re not so thick that they’ll absorb much water, meaning they won’t take ages to dry.
On the waterproof credentials, Holmes added, ‘he adjustable high visibility hood has an effective peak to divert water clear of your face and neck, even in extreme conditions.’ Sounds like an excellent option for protecting your face from driving rain on deck.

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If you’re after a specific Cyber Monday boating deal check out our guides to:

Best Cyber Monday Musto deals
Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals
Best Cyber Monday Garmin Deals
Best Cyber Monday REI deal (US only)

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post This Cyber Monday Helly Hansen Men’s Sailing Jacket deal is a bargain – we’ve tested it so we know it’s worth the money appeared first on Yachting World.

Love it or hate it, Cyber Monday can save you huge amounts in the lead up to Christmas. However, sometimes it’s hard to tell whether a discount is a bargain or a retailer is cheekily deceiving us. Going for a deal that’s not a saving can be frustrating and leave you with less money for the festive period.

So, to save you spending your spare time trawling through Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals, I’ve sifted through naff discounts and written the best bargains. Our editors have been testing Helly Hansen products for years. They’ve even got information about the deals in this article so you can make a sound decision on your purchases.

Click on the links below to learn more about these products.

Quick links

If you’re not after Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals this year, there are other deals around for boat enthusiasts. Although these are rarely specific to sailing, there are two exceptions: West Marine chandlery Deals in the US and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK.

But still, check out these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen Deals UK

Men’s Ægir Race Sailing Jacket 2.0 – Was £725, now £543.75
What a discount! This jacket is for sailors to wear while covering many miles at sea. Our tester, Rupert Holmes, tried out the first Race Sailing Jacket and wrote,
‘The Helly Hansen Ægir Race Jacket is the outcome of extensive work with professional racing teams who know what works best in extreme conditions, including Thomas Colville, Pip Hare and Joan Mulloy.
‘The result is a very high specification full-length offshore jacket that’s still surprisingly lightweight, streamlined and comfortable to wear.’
Notable details include chest-level hand-warmer pockets lined with thin fleece, which provide enough warmth. And they’re not so thick that they’ll absorb much water, meaning they won’t take ages to dry.

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Men’s Skagen Offshore Sailing Jacket – Was £375, now £281.25
I’ve found an incredible opportunity to update staples in your sailing wardrobe.
Our tester Rupert Holmes also reviewed the Helly Hansen Men’s Skagen Offshore Sailing Jacket, finding, ‘it shares ergonomics and features with the brand’s top specification Ægir collection that sells for two or three times the price.’
And to wear, it has a strong cosy factor too, ‘The high fleece-lined collar includes an effective storm flap with fleece fabric under the chin that maximises comfort and minimises chafe.
For when seas get particularly rough, Rupert added, ‘There’s also a two-way main zip, with Velcro fastened storm flap, plus plenty of reinforcement in high wear areas around the elbows and lower back.’
Holmes said that even though the jacket is thick, ‘articulated arms and shoulders facilitate ease of movement.’

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Women’s Crest Watermoc Shoes – Was £45, now £33.75
If you love watersports, these Helly Hansen Crest Watermoc Shoes for women are versatile, water-friendly slippers. You can easily pop these on to go paddleboarding, kayaking or simply chilling out on deck.
Our tested Patrick Kinsella said these shoes are ‘ideal for casual paddling adventures on sit-on-top kayaks and stand-up paddleboards during calm summer days, and general beach activities.’
He added that to wear, ‘they feel very comfortable’.  And for those concerned about Cyber Monday’s environmental impact, the designers used recycled materials for these slip-on shoes.

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Women’s Maridalen Fleece Pullover – Was £85, now £43
I love this fleece for multiple reasons. It has a great colour palette that should go with many items you already have in your wardrobe.
Even though I haven’t tested it, it looks cosy as you can button it up to the neck. And it’s thin enough to wear under a larger offshore jacket as an extra layer to keep warm.
Click the link to check it out.

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Men’s Pier 4.0 Salopette – Was £200, now £150
Ordinarily, sailing salopettes are super expensive, so this £50 discount means this is your chance to save some money. I love salopettes because they keep you dry in stormy weather.
And although I haven’t tried these specific ones, I’ve worn other Helly Hansen salopettes sailing and really appreciated their shape.
For protecting your body on deck, there’s reinforced fabric for the knees and seat.
So, this salopette is likely to hold up against many sailing trips.

View Deal

The post I love these Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals for sailors – it’s a great opportunity to update your wardrobe appeared first on Yachting World.

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025.

If you’re a US reader, you’re likely to already be familiar with trusted outdoor-titan REI.

We’ve combed through their seemingly endless Cyber Monday deals on watersports gear and more so you don’t have to.

Here are our top picks for deals on the items you’ll want onboard, or on the water.

50% Helly Hansen Women’s boating shoes

Helly Hansen – Supalight Medley Shoes – Women’s – Was $110, Now $63.73
Super light, water-repellent, and 50% off, these Helly Hansen women’s boating shoes are a steal. They’re great on deck or around water (and built with recycled materials).

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Decent discounts on YETI Soft Coolers

We’ve called YETI products our best cooler on test and the best cooling kit for sailors. Our tech editors love them, and the public seems to agree.

Right now, some models are 19% off from REI in one (actually quite lovely) colour, a pale blue-grey called ‘Big Sky Blue’.

While it’s not a mind-blowing price drop, these really are top-quality items, and the extra savings are a good excuse to pick one up if you’ve been eyeing one for boat trips or long beach days.

These soft-shell options are particularly good to keep on board, as they’re so easily stoweable.

YETI Hopper M30 2.0 Soft Cooler – Was $350, Now $280.93 
28 litre capacity, your roomiest option.

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YETI Hopper M15 Tote Soft Cooler – Was $300, Now $240
17 litre capacity  (that’s still 32 cans!)

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50% off these PFDS for watersports

Before you shop, don’t forget to check out our guide to how to choose the best lifejacket or PFD.

Kokatat – Leviathan PFD – Was $179, Now $88.83 
For kayaking and fishing and beyond, this vest has loads of handy pockets for all the tools and spare parts you may need.

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Kokatat- Neptune PFD – Was $209, Now $103.83 
Good for paddlers of all kind, and designed to be particularly comfy, with foam panels and adjustable straps.

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Mustang Survival – Solaris PFD – Was $110, Now $43.83 
A classic high-back PFD vest, meant for kayaking but good for paddleboarding and short boat trips, too, from trusted brand water-sport Mustang Survival.

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These PFDs from the brand NRS are 25% off, too:

• NRS Vector PFD – $224.73 instead of $299.95
• NRS Raku PFD – $134.73 instead of $179.95

Paddleboarding kit deals for boaters

After you check out these offers from REI, don’t miss our Black Friday guide to paddleboards. 

SUP Board Travel Pack – Was $159.95, Now $119.73 
If you have a paddleboard already but need a space-saving solution, this bag is it. It can carry your folded inflatable paddle board, a 3-piece paddle, as well as other accessories (or help you stow them away)

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30% off – WULF Aero Inflatable Paddle Board with Paddle – Was $559, Now $389.99 
This combo kit is a great one-stop-shop if you want to bring paddleboarding into your life onboard. It also comes with a 3-piece (that means it’s collapsible!) paddle, the center fin, a repair kit, a hand pump, a travel bag, and a coiled leash, so you have everything you need to get started.

View Deal

50% off – ‘Uhane 2-Piece Adjustable Stand Up Paddle – Was $235, Now $116.93
This stand-up paddle is adjustable (read: you can make it smaller to stow it away), and works for a range of paddler-sizes. It’s a great option to keep onboard if you want a one-size-fits all solution.

View Deal

50% off – Catalyst ST Canoe Paddle – $Was 184.95, $Now 91.83 
Ok, ok, I’ve mostly included this one because it’s such a beauty. Sure, it’s not collapsable, but as far as paddles go this is the nicest it gets. This one made of recycled wood has a warm, old-school charm, and will look great next to teak interiors. If any sailors in your life are even remotely into watersports, this would also make a top-tier gift item.

View Deal

Quick links to more Cyber Monday deals for boating

There are plenty of other great deals around for boat enthusiasts. Check out West Marine chandlery Deals if you’re in the US, and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK for boat-specific savings.

Don’t miss these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: US Chandlery Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery deals
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
• Musto: British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Looking for more Cyber Monday deals for boating?

MUSTO cuts a mean Cyber Monday bargain: check out these discounts from the brand offshore racing legends swear by

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Why this Black Friday bargain Garmin Epix deal should be considered by anyone looking for a Garmin Fenix 7 Black Friday deal

For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known…

The post REI’s best Cyber Monday deals for US sailors and watersport enthusiasts: discounts on YETI coolers, PFDs, and more appeared first on Yachting World.

The restoration of an iconic racer, one that was so ground-breaking it helped create a whole genre of yachts, is no small undertaking. But that’s exactly what inadvertent owner Tina Roberts ploughed into headfirst with the two-year refit of Ragtime, the original ultra-light displacement boat from the land of the long white cloud.

Designed and built single-handedly by New Zealander John Spencer for industrialist and racing driver Sir Tom Clark in 1963/64, Ragtime was launched as Infidel and was reputedly the largest hard chine plywood keelboat in the world.

Infidel immediately upset the racing establishment, beating the Tercel brothers’ 60-footer Ranger, which had won nearly every race it sailed over three decades.

So comprehensive were Infidel’s victories that it was reportedly banned from competing in regattas in New Zealand. It was also barred from entering the 1967 Sydney-Hobart Race because it was deemed too light and not seaworthy enough for the notoriously treacherous 630-mile race.

Under spinnaker, Ragtime’s low freeboard becomes evident. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

California dreaming

With nowhere to turn Infidel wound up where many wayward souls are welcomed: California. A pair of businessmen in Newport Beach purchased the yacht for $25,000 in 1969 and renamed it Ragtime.

The yacht changed owners again in 1971 and, 10 years after her launch, benchmarked the performance of the ultra-light displacement genre by defeating the 73-footer Windward Passage in the epic 1973 Transpac Race, winning the Barn Door Trophy for first-to-finish by a mere 4m 31s over the 2,225-mile course. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, that’s an interesting boat. That’s cool,’” recalls California yacht designer Alan Andrews of his first sighting of Ragtime in the early 1970s.

“Ragtime was a big boat, most of the racing at the time was in 30- to 40-footers. She was clearly very fast, at least downwind, with the hard chines as well.”

The plywood-built hull features hard chines that run its entire length. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

Ragtime is a simple but eye-catching yacht design, with a sheerline that drops noticeably from bow to stern. The hull is constructed from marine plywood; the cabin house, which stands tall of the sheerline, of kauri wood, and when launched it displaced 10 tons. The original LOA of 61ft 8in was determined in large part because that was the amount of floor space in Spencer’s shop, yet still the bow and stern hung outside the sliding doors on either end of the shed.

The boat hull features hard chines running the waterline length of 50ft 8in. In its original form Ragtime lacked an engine and was tiller steered, two features that were changed after she reached American shores.

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A reluctant refit

Since arriving in the US, Ragtime has had no fewer than 10 owners (individuals, syndicates and universities). Tina Roberts became the current owner in 2021, upon the passing of her partner Chris Welsh who was actually Ragtime’s longest owner.

Welsh was part of a group that bought the yacht at auction for $125,000 in 2003 before becoming sole owner two years later. Welsh and Roberts met in 2009, as kindred spirits and adrenaline junkies. When Welsh passed unexpectedly in March 2021, aged 58, he left Ragtime to Roberts.

Welsh had accumulated parts that he intended to use in a refit of Ragtime. He purchased a spare TP52 offshore mast in Europe and had it shipped to California. He found a marinised Smart car engine in Germany and also shipped it home.

Welsh intended to lighten Ragtime and make her easier to sail in his planned refit, but Roberts had great apprehension about undertaking the project on her own. “My first thought shortly after he passed away was: this is not my project.

Tina Roberts has spent around $1.5m on Ragtime. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

This was his project, and I don’t know what to do,” says the 54-year-old Roberts. “I had some really good friends who said I should sell the boat, get rid of it, sell the pieces and parts and move on. And I thought that was probably a good idea, but i wanted to wait and find out where life landed.”

Roberts spent the better part of a year clearing up Welsh’s estate, which besides tidying up his business affairs also included offloading cars and planes and submersibles. As she was going through his personal files she found a trove of Ragtime memorabilia that Welsh had collected, including clippings of Infidel’s launch from the New Zealand Herald and Seaspray magazine. She became more endeared to the yacht as she started to understand the life that Ragtime had led.

In 2022 Tina Roberts called designer Alan Andrews, who has drawn a slew of light-displacement boats, and asked if he’d be interested in taking on the project. Andrews had worked on Ragtime for previous owners and also knew Chris Welsh well, having been a sailing instructor to him in his youth.

Roberts had a vision of Andrews being the project manager, but Andrews didn’t want to be involved if Roberts wasn’t leading the way. “I hung up the call with Alan very frustrated,” says Roberts.

“Then I thought about it a little bit and decided that I knew what Chris’s vision was and I began to really understand who Ragtime was. I became really interested in the historical side of it. So, I called Alan back and said ‘Let’s do the project’.”

The rebuilt cockpit retains its previous woodwork and coamings, to preserve its historical appearance, though light weight, high-speed winches have been added. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

20-year project

Roberts, who previously owned food processing companies in the Pacific Northwest, set a budget of $1 million to $1.2 million, a sum that she didn’t expect to reach.

But after completely stripping and rebuilding the interior, rebuilding the centre cockpit, wrapping the hull in carbon fibre and fabricating new chainplates to support the new mast, which also needed modifications to fit the hull and new carbon-fibre rigging, she estimates that she spent more than $1.5 million.

“Throughout a project like this you have many decisions to make,” Roberts says. “My mantra for the decision-making process was, is this for the next two years or next 20 years?

“If you make decisions for the next two years, the boat will never survive; it’s a 60-year-old boat built of plywood. So, I had to make decisions about what the next 20 years for the boat would look like because every time you have to go back and modify something else, it’s very expensive. So, I wanted to do it right the first time and ensure she has longevity.”

Bow locker with its original showgirl decal. The stem-fitting and deck were rebuilt during the refit to strengthen the load-bearing areas. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

“Chris had a dream and a vision of what he wanted to do with the boat, and largely, the refit has been along those lines, except that it’s probably a bit more elegant,” says Andrews. “Tina didn’t take shortcuts. When she was presented with options for how things could be done, in nearly every case she did what was best for the boat.”

Andrews’ participation was important because he’d been involved in previous modifications to the yacht, including keel projects in the 1980s and working with Welsh in the 2000s. He noted how Ragtime’s hull construction was two layers of 3/8in marine plywood with the joints butted – not scarfed – over the middle span of the panel they lay upon. The interior structure included bulkheads, frames and longitudinal stringers.

“The interesting thing was the original bulkheads in the boat are hollow bulkheads with wood truss structure inside. So, there was quite some thought that went in the boat,” Andrews says. “Tina wanted to keep the spirit of Ragtime going, so when we added a few ring frames up forward they were done with plywood frames and laminated carbon and mahogany caps on them.”

Ragtime’s keel remains unchanged, though new rudder bearings and a new steering quadrant were installed. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

Carbon wrap

Perhaps the biggest modernisation was wrapping the hull in two layers of carbon-fibre, a decision made squarely with the boat’s life expectancy in mind. While the plywood hull showed very little degradation given its 60-year age, there were some areas near the bow where a couple of veneers had deteriorated and there was some rot around some of the original chainplate fasteners.

Previous keel modifications had added carbon-fibre around the bottom in the keel area, but wrapping the hull in carbon stiffened the boat (it always had a problem with headstay sag) and helped to distribute the loads more evenly across the sections of plywood. “We chose to use carbon-fibre instead of glassfibre because carbon works much better with wood,” explains Andrews.

Shroud chainplates are high-strength duplex 2205 stainless steel and allow the thickness outside the hull to be minimised. Custom fasteners without slots and fairing ‘ramps’ minimise drag
when heeled. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

“Another thing that occurred with the boat over time was at the chine log, where the bottom panel meets the topsides. There’s an overlap there, a piece of wood and the glue joint on that is what keeps the topsides from separating from the bottom. “Crack repairs under previous ownership were evidenced by wider pieces of wood laminated inside,” Andrews continues.

“By wrapping carbon over the boat, we were effectively able to overlap on the outside of this joint, increasing the bonding area by patching over the joint and better distributing the loads.”

This section of the boat needed to take more load concentration because of the new TP52 mast. The height of the TP52 mast was similar to Ragtime’s previous mast, at least when measured from the spinnaker height to the deck.

But the previous mast had inline spreaders and a cap shroud with fore and aft lowers, meaning three attachment points for the shrouds, spreading their load over about 4½ft. The new TP52 rig has swept back spreaders with all shrouds attaching at the same point, but a point that is wider than Ragtime. The TP52 rig was designed for a 14ft beam while Ragtime’s beam is 11ft 8.5in.

Keeping the chainplates in the original location, just inboard of the hull and stringers, would’ve led to much narrower spreaders and increased compression loads. So, the chainplates were moved aft to match the spreader sweep angle and attached on the outside of the hull just below the sheerline.

The mast step was rebuilt to fit the new mast, while the updated nav station now includes B&G instruments and Starlink communication. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

The new rig makes the boat easier to handle, as it can now sail upwind with a 100% jib and full, square-head mainsail instead of the previous large overlapping genoa with a 1960s-era triangular mainsail.

The updated cockpit allows more room for the crew, but also access to the engine compartment, which was required to fit the engine Welsh had sourced – a Mercedes Benz OM660, a 0.8lt turbocharged diesel made for use in Smart cars. It weighs approximately 250lb/113kg, which is about 300lb/136kg lighter than the previous Yanmar engine that produced similar horsepower.

Lasting legacy

“The refit’s fantastic for the boat and an ode to all the sailors who’ve raced on her,” says Roberts. “We run into people all the time in California, Hawaii, Australia or New Zealand where if you bring up the boat’s name there’s a reply, ‘Oh, I sailed on Ragtime once.’ “That’s the tradition that we want to continue.

We want the boat to continue to be relevant, because she has so much history and so many stories to tell. It’s really important to continue that legacy.”

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The post Extraordinary boats: Ragtime – the 60-year-old yacht that launched a genre is back on the water appeared first on Yachting World.

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025.

Cyber Monday doesn’t always have the most going on for sailors (except when it’s the sails themselves that get discounted, in the unprecedented Cyber Monday deal we found for you from North Sails), but every once in a while an opportunity comes up to pick up dream-kit for less.

This year, with deals from iconic sailing brands Musto and Helly Hansen, you can do just that. Don’t miss these spotlight deals from the racer-recommended (and a Yachting World favourite) brand MUSTO, and check out our sister guide to Helly Hansen’s Cyber Monday deals.

‘I wore this to race around the world solo’ is as good an endorsement for foul weather gear as it gets, and that’s more or less what Vendee Globe skipper Sam Davies, and plenty of her colleagues, have to say about MUSTO gear. No less than 11 skippers in the 2024/25 Vendee were proud MUSTO ambassadors, including titans Jérémie Beyou and Vendee record-breaker Charlie Dalin.

Throughout our gear tests, our Tech Editors haven’t had a hard time seeing why. They, too, have recommended the very items below, time and again.

The British manufacturer lab-tests its products to make sure they can withstand the world’s most hostile environments, and MUSTO’s offshore kit uses GORE-TEX technology, which makes them durable, water-repellent, windproof, and breathable as they stand up to the elements.

If you’ve been eyeing a full set, now’s your chance.

Here are the best discounts in the US and the UK.

MUSTO US: 25% sitewide Cyber Monday discounts

For US readers, MUSTO US is doing a 25% off sitewide discount on everything ranging from gloves to long johns to foulies, and up to 60% off on selected items.

Check out these deal highlights:

50% off – Was $1000, Now $500 – HPX PRO SERIES DRY SMOCK 
Volvo Ocean Race sailors were wearing this in the Southern Ocean– it’s pretty legit, and at a full 50% off, this Gore-Tex smock is a steal. Pro performance for (literally) half the price. Cyber Monday shopping for sailors doesn’t get much better than this.

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60% off the WOMEN’S BR1 CHANNEL JACKET – was $325, now $130 
MUSTO slashed 60% off this versatile waterproof jacket with a classic cut. It’s not quite as heavy duty as the offshore range and all the Gore-Tex, but it’s great quality for its price point, especially with this reduction. This jacket is sure to keep you dry and cozy in spray and showers while you’re sailing.

View Deal

MEN’S MUSTO 64 CHANNEL JACKET – was $300, now $165 
I’m a sucker for the heritage look, so I love the retro feel of this Channel Jacket. It’s styled after MUSTO’s 64 Archive Collection, but still packs all the performance of modern sailing kit. This jacket will keep you warm and dry on or offshore, and right now it’s almost 50% off.

View Deal

25% off MUSTO US Jackets

• MEN’S BR2 OFFSHORE JACKET 2.0 for $322.50 instead of $430
• MEN’S BR3 PERTEX OFFSHORE JACKET for $637 instead of $850
• MEN’S BR1 CHANNEL JACKET for $243.75 instead of $325
• MEN’S BR3 SPORT SMOCK for $401 instead of $535

25% off salopettes from MUSTO US

• WOMEN’S BR2 OFFSHORE TROUSER 2.0 for $240 instead of $320
• WOMEN’S BR3 PERTEX OFFSHORE TROUSER for $487.50 instead of $650
• WOMEN’S BR1 CHANNEL TROUSER for $265 instead of $198.75
• MEN’S BR1 CHANNEL TROUSER for $198.75 instead of $265
• MEN’S BR3 SPORT SALOPETTE for $363.75 instead of $485
• MEN’S BR3 PERTEX OFFSHORE TROUSER for 487 instead of $650

UK Cyber Monday: discounts on the MPX Gore-Tex Pro Offshore Jackets

MENS – Was £800, Now £600 – MPX GORE-TEX PRO OFFSHORE JACKET 2.0 
We’ve recommended this jacket before, even at full price. With a full third off the price, this Gore-Tex Pro offshore jacket is more worth it than ever. It’s also the very same one worn by British sailor Sam Davies during the 2020-21 Vendee Globe. Weighted to balance comfort and ultimate protection, this steal has loads of practical features to keep you not only safe, but comfortable. Three colour options, including black, a classic red, and a very elegant blue.

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Was £800, Now £600 – WOMEN’S MPX GORE-TEX PRO OFFSHORE JACKET 2.0 
Same jacket, same impressive £200 markdown, Vendée approved.

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Was £650, Now £487.50 – MPX GORE-TEX PRO RACE OFFSHORE SMOCK 2.0
This smock is a variation of the same line. It’ll keep you warm day and night and offers the very highest level of waterproofing and breathability. Features include a chest pocket, a packaway hood and a versatile mid-heigh collar.

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UK Cyber Monday: discounts on MUSTO trousers

Was £1,000, Now £750 – MEN’S HPX GORE-TEX PRO OCEAN TROUSER 
It doesn’t take a math whiz to see how good of a deal this one is– the website calls these the ‘most demanded trousers in sailing’, and we’re inclined to agree. This kit is top of the list for Musto’s ambassadors and a true classic for dependable reputation and durability.

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Was £600, Now £450 – WOMEN’S MPX GORE-TEX PRO OFFSHORE TROUSER 2.0 
Designed for shorter offshore racing, but just as durable. These salopettes protect you from the elements, and have been designed to be extra durable where you need it both.

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UK Cyber Monday: discounts on more MUSTO Gore-Tex Jackets

MEN’S – Was £650, Now £487.50 – MPX GORE-TEX PRO RACE JACKET 2.0 
This pick is great for lighter offshore racing, and shorter stints. It combines great quality materials with design for ease of movement, without giving up an ounce of weather protection and is still a steal.

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WOMEN’S – WAS £440 NOW £330 – LPX GORE-TEX JACKET
£100 quid off a versatile GORE-TEX outer shell doesn’t hurt. This one’s designed for inshore sailing, with adjustable cuffs, a detachable hood, and cozy brushed tricot inside the collar.

View Deal

Quick links to more Cyber Monday deals

If you’re not after a set of foulies this year, there are other great deals around for boat enthusiasts. Some are specific to sailing: check out West Marine chandlery Deals if you’re in the US, and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK.

You may also want to check out these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Looking for Cyber Monday deals for boating?

 

The best Cyber Monday Sailing and Boating Deals in 2025: The best bargains we’ve found this year

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Cyber Monday sails deal: North Sails has just dropped an unprecedented up to 30% off many One-Design sails!

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All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Drop-stitch kayaks are a middle ground between the performance…

Price Drop! Get the Garmin Quatix 7 PRO (our ‘Best Sailing Watch 2025’) for under £500!

Stop the boats! If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to grab the Garmin Quatix 7 PRO, now is…

Why this Black Friday bargain Garmin Epix deal should be considered by anyone looking for a Garmin Fenix 7 Black Friday deal

For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known…

 

The post MUSTO cuts a mean Cyber Monday bargain: check out these discounts from the brand offshore racing legends swear by appeared first on Yachting World.

Got a need for speed? The last year has delivered an explosive fleet of new performance yachts designed for one thing: getting there first.

Designers are leveraging every ounce of technology, from prepreg carbon fiber construction to optimised IRC/ORC configurations, resulting in some of the most dynamic and competitive yachts we’ve seen in years.

Whether you’re looking for a double-handed weapon or a grand-prix dominating maxi, the options are faster and sharper than ever before.

We dive into the cutting edge: Discover the Neo 620 Roma, a carbon-fiber mini-maxi built for fast cruising with the weight of a pure racer, and its lighter, competition-focused cousin, the 460 Competizione.

See how the radical Wallyrocket 71 stepped onto the global stage and instantly redefined the Maxi 72 class by taking the Rolex IMA Grand Prix World Championship.

Plus, check out the new wave of sportsboats, from the featherlight, trailable Melges 19 to the pure one-design thrill of the KiSS 25.

These yachts aren’t just built to sail—they’re built to win.

Neo 620 Roma (& 460 Competizione)

This rocketship is the second Carkeek design for Italian carbon cognoscenti Neo Yachts.

The Neo 620 is its new flagship, which will muscle into the competitive mini-maxi arena.

It’s an evolution of the 570 we featured a couple of years ago (check out the video tour), and continues to sport Carkeek’s distinctive chamfered topsides, which run into a reverse sheerline, a stealth bomber-style shape first seen on racing machines such as Ràn.

The 620 has various layout options, primarily adding a third heads compartment compared to its smaller sister, and providing the option for a convertible fourth cabin space, which can be used as a nav station, for dining or sleeping – all while keeping weight to a mere 13.5 tonnes (nearly half of which is ballast in a deep keel).

Neo manages this wizardry by building the 620 in prepreg carbon fibre, fitted with a high-modulus carbon rig.

Cariboni hydraulics aid high-speed control, while it can sport a single or twin rudders, has space for a 3m tender, and includes 400lt tanks for both fuel and water.

Founded by competitive sailor and sailmaker Paolo Semeraro, Neo has now built 30 custom or semi-custom high-performance yachts since 2018.

The ‘Roma’ branding is Neo’s fast cruising line, which reflects the possibility for the wood veneered interior to be removable.

So these yachts suit those wanting to compete at high-level events with the lightest-weight boat, yet do so while protecting the timber finish and maintaining resale value.

460 Competizione (Race)

Where Roma signifies a cruiser racer or Gran Turismo theme, ‘Competizione’ is Neo’s pure racer line, and the Bari yard has just sold the first 460 in this guise to a German team.

Designed by Ceccarelli as an offshore double-handed or crewed racer, which can compete in Group 1 of the Admiral’s Cup class, it is available with single or dual rudders, water ballast options and an electric retractable pod.

It also displaces only 200kg more than the 430, so weights in at just 6.2 tonnes, yet adds a second compartment inside.

Semeraro reasons: “There are no production competitive racing boats in the 45-46ft range, the only competitive boats racing are a bunch of very old Ker 46s.”

With this 460 he explains that the moulds and hull mould of the 460 Roma.

“A new owner can enter a no-compromise racing program without having to support the full costs of a prototype,” thinks Semeraro.

And with the next Admiral’s Cup already planned for 2027, teams will already be needing to get their new steeds in place.

“Our target was to produce an all-round boat, not too light, not too specific for reaching in strong wind etc, but a boat that can win and can be used in many configurations, including inshore, offshore and double-handed.”

Both versions of the 460 are in build, plus a 520 Roma – all due for launch next year.

Neo 620 Roma (& 460 Competizione) specifications

LOA: 18.59m 61ft 0in
Beam: 5.30m 17ft 5in
Draught: 4.50m 14ft 9in
Displacement: 13,500kg 29,762lb
Price – 620 Roma: €2.1m ex VAT
Price – 460 Competizione: €750,000 ex VAT
Contact: neoyachts.com

KiSS 25

Here’s one for the thrill-seekers.

We’ve seen a real appetite for smaller, high-performance racing yachts of late, with sailors moving from the 50s and Fast 40s to the likes of the Cape 31.

Now comes a new Danish brand with this contemporary one-design sportsboat designed to light up in international racing circuits.

KiSS (Keep it Simple Sailor) Yachting promises to bring a new level of speed and precision, using vacuum-infused carbon-built craft.

It’s partnered with Neo Yachts (opposite), which specialises in carbon craft.

So despite the 2.5m beam, the 25 weighs a featherlight 750kg!

Couple that with a square-top main and a 66m2 gennaker (or a Code 0) and it’s easy to imagine that skimming dish-flat shape flying downwind.

Features include a removable rudder to ease trailering and a retrieval system for the A-sail – set off a 1.8m retractable bowsprit.

The 25 is designed for three to five crew, and unrestricted hiking is encouraged.

KiSS promises race-ready craft, including CNC-machined appendages, Cyclops smart sensors, Pauger carbon rigging, and Harken deck gear as standard.

With guardrails added, it also meets ORC and IRC requirements.

KiSS 25 specifications

LOA (inc bowsprit): 9.43m 30ft 11in
Hull length: 7.63m 25ft 0in
Beam: 2.50m 8ft 2in
Draught: 1.8m 5ft 11in
Displacement: 750kg 1,653lb
Sail area (upwind): 35.5m2 382ft2
Sail area (downwind): 101.9m2 1,096ft2
Price: €119,450 ex sails, ex VAT
Contact: kiss-yachting.com

Wallyrocket 71

Wally launches a second rocket. If the name and look seem familiar, it’s because we ran plenty of coverage of the first Wallyrocket 51 earlier this year, following its eagerly awaited launch and build-up to the Admiral’s Cup and Rolex Fastnet Race.

Yet just as we began featuring the first rocket, Wally announced this larger sistership, with both yachts launching in the same season.

Both are Botin Partners designs, and where the 51 is conceived to take on the TP52s and smash races on handicap, the 71 has the equally herculean task of becoming the ‘world’s most successful maxi’.

Compared with its main Maxi 72 rivals then (most of which have been extended), the Wallyrocket 71 is two tonnes lighter, with over 30% more water ballast (2.7 tonnes of it) for the same sail area, which brings advantages both in the light and going downwind.

It can clock upwind speeds of 10.5-11 knots, while matching or exceeding true winds going the other way.

“We started from a blank sheet of paper, asking how we could beat the most competitive Maxi 72s on corrected time,” Botin’s Adolfo Carrau explains.

“When they were designed, it was to a box rule, so many parameters were already set.

Now, as everyone is **optimising** their boats under IRC rules, there is a lot more freedom.”

Giovanni Lombardi Stronati commissioned the build of the first 71, Django 7X, at King Marine in Valencia.

It is already being campaigned by his Italian Django team, which represented the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) at the Admiral’s Cup with the first 51.

Once again, this team is galvanised by the affable Vasco Vascotto, who holds more world titles than any other sailor.

Django 7X’s first major regatta was the Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup in September, hosted by the team’s club YCCS, where it took on the likes of seasoned competitors such as Bella Mente, Vesper, Jolt and Jethou – and beat them all, to claim the first Rolex IMA Grand Prix World Championship.

Quite the proof of concept!

Wallyrocket 71 specifications

LOA: 21.44m 70ft 4in
Beam: 5.55m 18ft 3in
Draught: 4.90m 16ft 1in
Displacement: 12,500kg 27,558lb
Sail area (upwind): 305m2 3,283ft2
Sail area (downwind): 630m2 6,781ft2
Contact: wally.com

First 36SE

Having gone big on the new First 30 last month, we’ll keep this preview concise.

The First 36, which launched three years ago, has received the Seascape Edition turbo charge treatment and is now available as an SE model.

This transforms the Sam Manuard design into what Beneteau calls ‘the ultimate planing racer’, with reduced weight (400kg less than the standard model) for more sail power.

Carbon is used in the structure, hull tweaks have shaved off 3m2 of wetted surface, and wheels are replaced with a tiller.

It’s also **optimised** for ORC racing with input from ORC guru Maurizio Cossutti and Pure Design helping Manuard and the experienced Seascape team tweak the model.

Actions speak louder than words, and in July a customised 36SE finished the Transpac in 2nd place overall, finishing behind the 88ft Lucky, and nine hours ahead of its nearest competitor – despite being the smallest yacht in the fleet and the only one sailed double-handed.

Also, a freshly-launched first production version of the 36SE recently finished on the podium of the 4th ORC Double-Handed World Championship.

First 36SE specifications

LOA: 11.98m 39ft 4in
Beam: 3.80m 12ft 6in
Draught: 1.95m 6ft 5in
Displacement: 4,400kg 2,359lb
Price: €295,370 ex VAT
Contact: beneteau.com

Melges 19

The YW office is hoping we see one of these in European waters soon – after a look at the first images and videos we’re itching for a sail.

The Reichel Pugh design should plane in as little as 10 knots and is designed to suit and reward all levels of sailors.

The third-generation family-run Wisconsin yard has an international reputation for its sportsboat racing classes and says this should bring that renowned level of fast, fun sailing together with class support.

A spacious cockpit suits a combined crew weight of 220-243kg for racing, and the simple kick-up rudder and daggerboard design suits beach and trailer sailing.

“The Melges 19 is built for speed, simplicity, and sailing with family and friends,” says multiple Melges world champion, Harry Melges III.

Melges 19 specifications

LOA: 5.79m 19ft 0in
Beam: 1.98m 6ft 5in
Draught: 1.37m 4ft 6in
Displacement: 179kg 395lb
Price: US$34,500 inc sails, ex tax
Contact: melges.com

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

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The post 6 race-ready new yachts: Performance designs built for speed appeared first on Yachting World.

Stop the boats! If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to grab the Garmin Quatix 7 PRO, now is your chance. We’ve spotted a phenomenal deal on what we feel is the best smart watch for sailing! The non-PRO version of this watch is available elsewhere for a similar price. But the PRO is a much more feature heavy version and this is a real bargain.

Was £869 now £465, from First Class Watches
This is an incredible price for a premium marine and multisport smartwatch that our tester described as “utterly brilliant” and a piece of kit you “won’t want to take off.”
There is a clear reason this is being deeply discounted, it has now been superseded by the Garmin Quatix 8, but we have one of those on test at the moment and the differences are pretty small, so you’re gettign almost the same watch for a lot less money!

View Deal

Why You Need the Quatix 7 PRO

The Quatix 7 PRO isn’t just for sailors; it’s a versatile powerhouse that excels on the water and in everyday life. Our review highlights why this high-end watch is worth every penny—especially at this price:

• Marine Integration: This model strengthens integration with onboard electronics. Use the touchscreen to control MFD displays, Fusion audio systems, and Garmin autopilots right from your wrist.
• Premium Display: High-end models, like the one featuring the Sapphire lens, boast a new ultra-clear AMOLED touchscreen, making information easy to read, even in bright sunlight.
• Built-in LED Torch: A new, practical feature that adds a red and white mini-torch for convenience in low-light situations.
• Multisport & Wellbeing Master: From sailing, rowing, swimming, and running to detailed heart rate and sleep pattern monitoring, it handles an array of lifestyle and fitness activities.
• Essential Sailing Tools: Includes built-in features to look up tides, sunrise/sunset times, Barometer, and Storm alerts. Plus, the MOB (Man Overboard) alert button provides a crucial safety net.
• Seamless Data Sync: Outputs directly to fitness apps like Strava and myfitnesspal.
• Practical Everyday Features: Offers contactless payments (via intermediary apps like Curve in the UK) and even a handy “pin drop” function to remember where you parked your car!
• The verdict is clear: while normally an “expensive bit of kit,” the reviewers call it “the best sailing smart watch for all round functionality.”

The post Price Drop! Get the Garmin Quatix 7 PRO (our ‘Best Sailing Watch 2025’) for under £500! appeared first on Yachting World.

For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known for its rugged build, huge feature set, and truly exceptional battery life, thanks in part to its transflective memory-in-pixel (MiP) display.

But this Black Friday week, if you’re hunting for a deal on the Black Friday Garmin Fenix 7, you need to pause and look closely at the Garmin Epix Gen 2. UK readers can grab a real bargain already and I think there are likely to be more Garmin Epix deals to come globally this Black Friday, based on some informed guessing about Garmin’s new release timelines.

For readers in the UK, H. Samuel has a great deal on the Epix Gen 2 down to just £369.99, from the RRP of: £739.99. There’s also an impressive deal at Millets for the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition (Saphire means a scratch resistant screen in Garmin parlance) down to just £399.

Comparative Garmin Fenix 7 deals are all around £100-£150 more for essentially the same powerhouse watch with one crucial (and, for many, superior) difference.

Epix Gen 2 vs. Fenix 7

The truth is, the Epix and Fenix 7 are almost identical twins beneath the surface.

Both watches boast the exact same extensive sports tracking capabilities, advanced health and fitness metrics, and powerful mapping and navigation tools. They are the full, uncompromising Garmin experience.

The Fenix 7 uses the MiP display, which offers an always-on display with incredibly long battery life, especially when combined with solar charging. The trade-off is that the screen is less vibrant, with duller colours and lower resolution.

The Epix Gen 2 is equipped with a stunning, high-resolution AMOLED screen, which is brighter, clearer, and far more vibrant, making on-watch maps, data screens, and daily use simple.

While the AMOLED screen naturally draws more power than the MiP display (meaning the Fenix 7 still wins on raw, multi-week battery longevity), the Epix Gen 2 still delivers an impressive battery life for all but the most hardy off-the-beaten-track adventurers (16 days in smartwatch mode, or around 6 days with the screen always-on). For most users, this is more than enough.

The AMOLED Future is Already Here

The biggest reason the Epix Gen 2 is the smartest Fenix 7 alternative this Black Friday is that it already has the feature Garmin’s top-tier watches are moving toward: the AMOLED display.

Garmin has already started adding AMOLED display options to its subsequent generations, effectively bringing the Fenix 8 into line with the Epix’s brilliant screen technology.

The Epix Gen 2 essentially gives you the stunning visuals of the newest generation watches, wrapped in a premium, flagship package that performs as well as the Fenix 7.

In fact, I’m pretty convinced that this coming together of these two top watches is why Garmin Epix deals are springing up this Black Friday. It seems to me with the Fenix 8 moving to an AMOLED display the (already slim) differences between the watches are now essentially zero, so we could be seeing the last of the Epix line.

Our verdict

If you find a deeply discounted Garmin Epix Gen 2 this Black Friday, you should absolutely pounce on it.

For the vast majority of users who love high-end Garmin features but want a screen that pops with colour and clarity for daily use and detailed mapping, the Epix Gen 2 is the superior experience.

And sure, if your plans mean that you will regularly be away from the means to charge a watch for weeks and weeks at a time, then the Fenix is still worth the £150 more. But I’d argue that there are very few people in that position really.

The post Why this Black Friday bargain Garmin Epix deal should be considered by anyone looking for a Garmin Fenix 7 Black Friday deal appeared first on Yachting World.

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025.

Drop-stitch kayaks are a middle ground between the performance of a rigid hull and the comfort and convenience of  basic, stoweable inflatable kayak, and this option from Decathlon is significantly reduced.

Unlike in a basic inflatable, the air chambers in a drop-stitch kayak have threads throughout to ensure the foldable panels don’t over-expand and threaten the vessel’s structural integrity. These high-pressure panels offer more structure, and high buoyancy.

There are entire facebook groups singing the praises of the drop-stitch kayak and compare notes on prices, perks, and troubleshooting.

I combed through them for long enough to know that a whopping £500 (that’s an impressive 50%) mark-down from Decathlon is a stellar deal you won’t want to miss.

Whether you’re already a fan or just kayak-curious, this is your chance to sink your teeth in.

Drop-stitch kayak deals from Decathlon

Optimal Single Inflatable Dropstitch Kayak – Sandbanks Style / Decathlon – Was £699, Now £449
£250 pounds off is still an impressive drop for a comparable one-seater option. The Optimal is a cross-over model, designed to give you the convenience of an inflatable kayak without compromising on performance. It’s a versatile option with plenty of room, good stability, and useful straps to help take dry bags and other gear along on your adventure. For solo would-be paddlers, this is a steal (and it comes with a 5 year warranty!).

View Deal

Stealth Single Kayak – Vast / Decathlon – Was £699.99, Now £529.95
The Stealth is another great single seat option, and it’s currently £170 off. It’s ultra sturdy, quick to assemble, and folds right back into its rucksack for easy storage. Another great way to get started, for less.

View Deal

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

After spending a season as the skipper of a support vessel for kayak cruises in the Mediterranean, I’ve got a pretty long list of why you should want a drop-stitch kayak.

Every night around a overflowing pot of pasta, I would listen to the clients rave about what they had seen from inside these simple craft; caves, impressive overhangs, fish and flora and perfect beaches. It sounded magical, but I had to stay with the boat.

Finally, one night in Saint-Florent, Corsica, I got my chance to join them.

We anchored in a bay near the Fiume Santu, and took the kayaks from onboard to the mouth of the river after dinner.

Heading inland, we paddled over the stars and a mirror of black water in total calm broken only by bird calls and the wind rustling through the reeds. Occasionally, a jumping mullet would startle us into laughter. It was still, quiet, surreal.

After months of watching the coastline from afar, I had all but forgotten the smell of green, of cold sand and fresh water. Now I could feel myself disappearing into the landscape, noticing things I never had before. On the kayak I felt invisible, and so low on the water that I might as well have been a part of it. Not even the frogs hiding in the riverbanks seemed to mind our passage.

The kayak offered what I was missing from life on the water: a seamless connection between boat, water, land, and shore.

Why you should keep a kayak on board

Photo: Viveka Herzum.

Whether it’s to get ashore or just to explore, kayaks have clear perks.

They don’t require noisy, smelly outboard engines, extra fuel, or stress around damaging the tender’s propeller or scraping its bottom. They streamline the physical effort and comical clunkiness of rowing a rubber dinghy.

With minimal effort (and lower risk of freezing, getting wet, or falling in… I’m looking at you, paddle-boards!), kayaks allow you to enjoy the open water, approach land, and explore the intricacies of the coastline. They won’t harm the landscape, leech fuel, or disturb wildlife.

No noise, no pollution, fewer seasonal limitations– it’s all just as good as it sounds. The only trade-off is the extra space onboard.

But with an inflatable drop-stitch kayak option, even that finds an easy solution.

The post Cyber Monday deals: this drop-stitch kayak from Decathlon is £500 off and perfect for curious sailors appeared first on Yachting World.

Wally launches a second Rocket. If the name and look seem familiar, it’s because we ran plenty of coverage of the first Wallyrocket 51 earlier this year, following its eagerly awaited launch and build-up to the Admiral’s Cup and Rolex Fastnet Race.

Yet just as we began featuring the first Rocket, Wally announced this larger sistership, with both yachts launching in the same season. Both are Botin Partners designs, and where the 51 is conceived to take on the TP52s and smash races on handicap, the 71 has the equally herculean task of becoming the ‘world’s most successful maxi’.

Wallyrocket 71 Django 7X became a world champ at its first major regatta. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Compared with its main Maxi 72 rivals then (most of which have been extended), the Wallyrocket 71 is two tonnes lighter, with over 30% more water ballast (2.7 tonnes of it) for the same sail area, which brings advantages both in the light and going downwind. It can clock upwind speeds of 10.5-11 knots, while matching or exceeding true winds going the other way.

“We started from a blank sheet of paper, asking how we could beat the most competitive Maxi 72s on corrected time,” Botin’s Adolfo Carrau explains. “When they were designed, it was to a box rule, so many parameters were already set. Now, as everyone is optimising their boats under IRC rules, there is a lot more freedom.”

Clean, Spartan carbon interior – it’s a racing yacht after all. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Giovanni Lombardi Stronati commissioned the build of the first 71, Django 7x, at King Marine in Valencia. It is already being campaigned by his Italian Django team, which represented the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) at the Admiral’s Cup with the first 51. Once again, this team is galvanised by the affable Vasco Vascotto, who holds more world titles than any other sailor.

Django 7x’s first major regatta was the Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup in September, hosted by the team’s club YCCS, where it took on the likes of seasoned competitors such as Bella Mente, Vesper, Jolt and Jethou – and beat them all, to claim the first Rolex IMA Grand Prix World Championship. Quite the proof of concept!

Article continues below…

World’s Coolest Yachts: Wallygator II

“This was the boat that represented the style of Wally and was the first large yacht really able to sail…

Wallyrocket 51 review: Is this the world’s fastest new raceboat (on handicap)?

You have to admire the ambition. A goal to create the fastest race boat in the world (on corrected time)…

Wallyrocket 71 Specifications:

LOA: 21.44m 70ft 4in
Beam: 5.55m 18ft 3in
Draught: 4.90m 16ft 1in
Displacement: 12,500kg 27,558lb
Sail area (upwind): 305m2 3,283ft2
Sail area (downwind): 630m2 6,781ft2
Contact details: wally.com

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post New Wallyrocket 71: The Next Generation Racing Yacht appeared first on Yachting World.

The red bandit. This rocketship is the second Carkeek design for Italian carbon cognoscenti Neo Yachts.

The Neo 620 is its new flagship, which will muscle into the competitive mini-maxi arena. It’s an evolution of the 570 we featured a couple of years ago (check out the video tour), and continues to sport Carkeek’s distinctive chamfered topsides, which run into a reverse sheerline, a stealth bomber-style shape first seen on racing machines such as Ràn.

The 620 has various layout options, primarily adding a third heads compartment compared to its smaller sister, and providing the option for a convertible fourth cabin space, which can be used as a nav station, for dining or sleeping – all while keeping weight to a mere 13.5 tonnes (nearly half of which is ballast in a deep keel).

Making a point: the Carkeek-designed 620 Roma is Neo’s new flagship model

Neo manages this wizardry by building the 620 in prepreg carbon fibre, fitted with a high-modulus carbon rig. Cariboni hydraulics aid high-speed control, while it can sport a single or twin rudders, has space for a 3m tender, and includes 400lt tanks for both fuel and water.

Founded by competitive sailor and sailmaker Paolo Semeraro, Neo has now built 30 custom or semi-custom high-performance yachts since 2018. The ‘Roma’ branding is Neo’s fast cruising line, which reflects the possibility for the wood veneered interior to be removable. So these yachts suit those wanting to compete at high-level events with the lightest-weight boat, yet do so while protecting the timber finish and maintaining resale value.

Article continues below…

Ceccarelli 42 first look: A contemporary spirit of tradition yacht

Roberto and Luisa Lacorte are passionate sailors with enviable track records of yacht ownership, including Flying Nikka, the Mark Mills-designed…

Stephens Waring 68ft Cirrus first look: Low-profile Mediterranean-style yacht

This large Spirit of Tradition yacht is another masterpiece from Belfast, Maine-based Stephens Waring Design that blends classic style with…

460 Competizione (Race)

Where Roma signifies a cruiser racer or Gran Turismo theme, ‘Competizione’ is Neo’s pure racer line, and the Bari yard has just sold the first 460 in this guise to a German team. Designed by Ceccarelli as an offshore double-handed or crewed racer, which can compete in Group 1 of the Admiral’s Cup class, it is available with single or dual rudders, water ballast options and an electric retractable pod.

Stylish carbon in the Neo 620 Roma’s interior

It also displaces only 200kg more than the 430, so weights in at just 6.2 tonnes, yet adds a second heads compartment inside. Semeraro reasons: “There are no production competitive racing boats in the 45-46ft range, the only competitive boats racing are a bunch of very old Ker 46s.”

With this 460 he explains that the moulds and design costs have been amortised by the yard, as it shares the hull mould of the 460 Roma. “A new owner can enter a no-compromise racing program without having to support the full costs of a prototype,” thinks Semeraro. And with the next Admiral’s Cup already planned for 2027, teams will already be needing to get their new steeds in place.

Two versions of the 460 Competizione are already in build

“Our target was to produce an all-round boat, not too light, not too specific for reaching in strong wind etc, but a boat that can win and can be used in many configurations, including inshore, offshore and double-handed.”

Both versions of the 460 are in build, plus a 520 Roma – all due for launch next year.

Neo 620 Roma Specifications:

LOA 18.59m 61ft 0in
Beam 5.30m 17ft 5in
Draught 4.50m 14ft 9in
Displacement 13,500kg 29,762lb
620 Roma price: €2.1m ex VAT
460 Competizione price: €750,000 ex VAT
Contact details: neoyachts.com

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Neo 620 Roma & 460 Competizione first look: Two new stealthy yachts aiming to top the mini-maxi market appeared first on Yachting World.

Let’s face it: finding the best christmas gifts for sailors can feel like navigating a minefield. As a gift-buyer, you’re faced with a unique challenge—the world of sailing gear is often filled with items that are either bafflingly technical or have specifications that look like pure gobbledygook. You want to buy them something they’ll genuinely use and love, not something that ends up shoved in the back of their locker.

If you’re buying for a loved one who spends time on the water, but you don’t know your halyards from your harnesses, fear not! Our expert team of sailors has done all the heavy lifting for you. We’ve spent time testing, sailing with, and—most importantly—loving every product on this list. We’ve curated this guide to feature the best Christmas Gifts for Sailors in 2025, hand-picking items that are guaranteed to earn you major points on Christmas morning.

We’ve also made sure to include a wide array of gifts at different price-points, ensuring you can find something fantastic whether you’re looking for a clever stocking filler or a generous, top-of-the-line gadget.

If  want to look for a specific Christmas gift for the sailor in your life, you might want to browse some of the options below for a whole range of sailors’ favourites. And if you’re still stuck, there’s always the good old gift card…

Best watches for sailors
Best handheld VHF radio
Best books for sailors
Best gloves for sailors
Best binoculars for sailors
Best stand up paddle board
Buy Gael Force Marine gift vouchers
Buy Bass Pro Shops gift cards

Ready to find the perfect present? Let’s dive into the gifts!

The very Best Christmas Gifts for Sailors

Victorinox Skipper Swiss Army Knife

This Victorinox has been by my side for years and got me out of some scrapes as well as helped me to fix a few things on the go. It was a gift from my dad about 15 years ago and I whisper a little thankyou to him each time it has saved my bacon.

The built in additional tools make this more than just a knife. So yes, it’s a bit heavier and fatter than a knife that’s solely a knife. The marlin spike is used for every line I mouse in and out of my boats and the bottle opener… well, I always feel smug when I pull that out of the bag.

Probably the best knife I ever used on a boat and a gift that keeps on giving. Thanks dad.

For more sailing knives have a look at my guide to the best sailing knives

Timberland Polarised Sunglasses

Ask any proper sailor or watersports enthusiast what makes a pair of shades the best sunglasses for use on the water and the answer will usually be ‘polarised lenses’. And for good reason. For those not in the know, polarised lenses reduce glare from reflective surfaces like water (and snow) providing sharper vision and greater comfort.

Many moons ago I might have thought that was just marketing spiel to get me to spend more money on sunglasses, but these days I honestly don’t go anywhere near the water in sunny weather without polarised lenses (even if I do own some non-polarised ‘fashion’ sunglasses).

I’ve been wearing these (nattily named TB00042) Timeberland polarised sunglasses all summer and, to me, they are the ideal shape (avoiding being too wrap-around while fitting snugly on my face during activities). They are light and feel like they are manufactured to the kind of standards you would expect from a brand like Timberland. They’ve certainly survived my clumsy usage for the year.

Timberland say the glasses are made from ‘eco-friendly bio-based acetate’ making the frames essentially recyclable and they come in a nice hard cardboard case, so I guess there is (at the very least) some attempt at eco-friendly manufacturing.

Red Adventure Waterproof Backpack 30 Litre

Red is a really great watersports brand – delivering some of the best inflatable stand up paddleboards on the market. Their Red Adventure Waterproof Backpack is a fully waterproof backpack that is also comfortable enough to travel long distances. This is my ‘does absolutely everything’ regular use waterproof bag.

Red Equipment have cracked it with waterproof backpack. You’ll find everything you need from a decent backpack – well-padded shoulder straps and a chest strap are comfortable to wear, and mesh panels wick away sweat. Plus, there are plenty of external pockets including stretchy water bottle pockets and a zipped external compartment ideal for stashing wet kit in.

Red then add in extras to make this ideal for adventures, including waterproof zippers, a tough, abrasion-resistant base so you can stand the pack upright and a roll-down top to keep everything water resistant. Inside the pack is roomy and there’s a clever removable organiser which you can take out completely and hang up or keep in the pack – it’ll store a small laptop, toiletries and plenty of other bits and bobs.

Sealskinz Bacton waterproof Beanie

This waterproof Sealskinz beanie is warm dry wooly hug for your head. It is water and stain repellent, with a three layer construction for warmth, durability and waterproofing. The waterproofing will keep your head dry. The breathability will help to let the steam out even if you’re working hard.

Most of us a have a few beanies at home of some description. But a waterproof one is a genuinely really helpful bit of kit when the weather is so bad that it would leave you with a sodden head when wearing a ‘normal’ knitted hat

Looking for a different style? Check out our guide to the best sailing hats on the market.

Sugru Mouldable Glue

Looking for a stocking filler or an extra gift for the person in your life that has everything? Might I suggest getting them the world’s handiest material!

Sugru came out several years ago now, but I’m still genuinly amazed ever single time I use it. Fresh out of the pack, Sugru feels like play dough but mould it around something, leave it for a while and it acts like superglue and sticks to most objects and surfaces.

It’s very user-friendly, highly malleable and waterproof and comes in 10 bright colours. It’s ideal for both fixing things and giving items a new lease of life as it sets like silicone rubber (flexible and insulated) – it’s also surprisingly fun to apply.

So, Sugru might not feel like the most exciting present to buy, but believe me, this is a gift that keeps on giving well beyond Christmas day alone.

C-monsta wetsuit hangar

Yes, you are reading this right this is a clothes hanger. And yes, correct again, I’m recommending it as a Christmas gift. But hear me out.

This odd looking hanger is designed especially for wetsuits and its accoutrements like the gloves and boots. It’s lightweight, so easy to bring with you and strong enough to take the extra weight of soaking wet neoprene. The design also helps wetsuits dry quicker and reduces wear and tear.

Honestly, all of that might not seem very impressive, but anyone who had wrangled cold, wet wetsuits onto a standard hangar only for the hangar to break, or stretch out the neoprene, will be eternally grateful for this gift – or at the very least will like it and know you’ve tried to get them something more useful than some last minute tat you’ve grabbed because you never quite know what they might want.

What they want is this. Do it. Buy the hangar.

Gill Deckhand Sailing Gloves – Long Finger

l’The Gill Deckhand gloves have been my go to glove for years now. For a while there was a women’s option available which was a much better fit than the unisex version.

The way the glove is tailored to the curve of the hand makes them easy to wear and easy to grip lines and other control surfaces. They do get a bit soggy to wear when wet and I keep a few pairs to be able to swap out while the others dry off. They usually last me a season and need replacing but I keep buying the same gloves because they are so comfortable to wear.

Steiner Navigator Pro marine binoculars

Steiner is one of the oldest names in optics and their Navigator Pro model, available with and without a compass, is designed for sailors.

The Navigator Pro is nitrogen-filled, waterproof up to 10m depth, and has a nano-coating on the lenses to enhance visibility and reduce glare. At 1.05kg they are comparable to the Minox binoculars in weight. A rubberised coating helps them to bounce off the hard surfaces around my boat. I love them for the fact they just work. They’re easy to adjust for my pupil distance and optical correction. They’re a bit on the heavy side but this has never stopped me getting a good fix when using them for pilotage, even in a choppy seaway.

Optimum Time Series 3 big face sailing watch

The popular ‘big yellow’ Optimum Time Sailing Watch is a highly functional racing watch. If you tune into the Olympic Sailing at the Games every four years, this is the watch that the vast majority of the racers will have. And it’s ubiquity remains almost anywhere you see serious racing sailing.

It truly is big – far too large for my wrist in any ‘normal’ applications at a gigantic 65mm (2.56” in) diameter and 16mm (0.62” in) thick. It’s also available in colours other than yellow – including white, blue and pink.

Standard Horizon HX890E VHF handheld marine radio

Best handheld VHF on test

With features like a large screen, built-in GPS receiver and DSC capability and great battery life, it’s easy to see why it comes in amongst our top editors choices. The handheld radio floats with a highly visible strobe light activated when in the water and is fully waterproof with an IPX8 rating.

It comes with an additional battery tray, which can use 5 x AAA standard disposable or rechargeable batteries, in addition to the set’s main rechargeable battery.

Looking for more options? Check out our guide to the best handheld VHFs.

Yeti Hopper Flip

When two fishermen brothers couldn’t find a robust icebox/cooler, they started Yeti, which produces a variety of top-quality adventure stuff. The brand started out with extra rugged coolers but have since expanded dramatically. 

Still, their coolers remain market leaders and for those who don’t want a hard cooler box, the Hopper is a formidable portable alternative, complete with backpack straps for lugging cold ones to or from the boat/beach.

A no-nonsense leakproof zip gives instant clues to the build quality. Closed-cell foam is used for the insulation.

The Yeti Hopper Flip comes in various sizes (and a myriad of colour ways), but for my money the big ’18’ size is the best option. The additional space in the 41 X 27 X 33cm cooler makes it really useful for keeping plenty of stuff cool.

Obviously if you want something more portable then pick one of the smaller coolers – coolers work best when completely full, so buying the bigger option abut only filling it 1/2 full most of the time is not a great idea.

Lego Emirates Team New Zealand AC75 Americas Cup

Is there anything more fun than building something out of lego? Well, yes actually there is but on a cold wintery day when you’d rather be indoors than out, then this lego model of the Americas Cup boat from 2024 will keep your hands occupied for a while. It doesn’t look too bad either for a display piece. This is one for the fans, but if you’re not into the America’s Cup, there’s a lot of other specialist models to choose from, Including my own favourite, a scene from the 1975 Spielberg movie, Jaws.

Helly Hansen HP Foil V2 Sailing Shoes

I’ve had these deck trainers for the past two and a bit years and they have been utterly brilliant. I bought them as a gift to myself, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a pair for someone else.

These They’ve been so grippy and so easy to wear. They dry fast and they’ve travelled thousands of miles with me. They slip into my kit bag easily and I’ve found myself reaching for them time and time again for every boaty job, foredeck, mast climbing, rail monkey and they slip off easily when I need to get my head down quick when going off watch.

Fenix Shadowmaster headtorch

What makes the best head torch for sailing? Is it the red light facility? How about the ability to dim the white light? Or do you want an ultra bright light for picking out mooring buoys in the dark? Great waterproofoofing? Or maybe you want all of the above.

The Fenix ShadowMaster’s two button controls make switching between white and red incredibly easy and simple.

The headband is breathable and adjustable, featuring silicone strips for a secure fit.

The Fenix HM65R ShadowMaster stands out for its powerful illumination, durable construction, and versatile lighting options.

It’s particularly well-suited for activities requiring both high-intensity lighting and night vision preservation. In short, it’s pretty faultless.

Bluetti Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station

This little powerpack is a blooming marvel and what a brilliant gift it could be for the boater or camper vanner in your life. Full disclosure, I currently have one of these on long term test and so far it has performed really impressivly. But I’ve yet to be able to fully test every single function.

What I was most interested in, however, was the Power Lift capacity, that should allow high wattage devices – think kettles and hairdryers – to be operated. I’m really impressed with this mode already and the idea that you can use something that is so power hungry in a 4kg package is… staggering.

Elsewhere connectivity is great and I was also really happy to see a 140W USB-C outlet as well at a 100W one and, as ever, the avbility to take charge from solar panels provides a genuine ‘off-grid’ option.

Frankly, if you are camping or sailing or living in a van or going to be away from grid power for any extended period, it’s difficult to know what might be more useful than the Bluetti Elite 30 V2.

Check my tested guide to the best powerbanks.

Garmin InReach Mini 2

For the adventurer in your life, give them the gift of track and traceability. From hiking the Appalachian trail to sailing offshore out of sight of land. There’s a whole array of ways this little device can help you and the ones you love to communicate and feel a little bit safer with it’s SOS capability. I used this one during an Atlantic crossing and despite having starlink, I had more fun with this and plotting text comments along the tracking line.

It does require a subscription after purchase but you only need to activate that when the device is going to be used. It really is a tiny device with a mighty capability.

For more beacons, have a look at my guide to Best personal locator beacons and AIS units: 16 top options for boating

Garmin Quatix 7 Pro

Best smart sailing watch

The Quatix 7 has actually just been superseded by the Garmin Quatix 8, and while the 8 does deliver some cool functionality that the 7 does not – voice command is its main selling point – there’s honestly not a huge amount of difference from one to the other.

By all means splash out on the Garmin Quatix 8 for that special someone, but if I were buying a Garmin Smartwatch for the sailor in my life – and I was spending my own money – I would be picking up the Quatix 7 pro.

Our boat test editor, Toby Hodges has been testing the Quatix 7 Pro for the last year and is very enthusiastic about it’s capabilities:

‘I’ve been using the Quatix 7 Pro for a year now has proven to be a revelation. It’s like going from black and white days to full technicolour instantly (illuminating even, as it even has a torch setting).

‘I’ve come to really appreciate the wealth of information it provides, particularly from a watersports, health and fitness side, yet I’ve still barely scratched the surface. Speaking of which, the scratch-resistant lens and titanium bezel have also proven seriously rugged.’

If this watch doesn’t tick your boxes, then read our guide to the best sailing watches available right now.

The post Best Christmas Gifts for Sailors 2025: 17 Tested Picks from Budget to Break the Bank appeared first on Yachting World.

Asking WIll Oxley to pick the coolest yacht he’s ever sailed is a tough choice, as his list incudes Comanche, Sodebo Ultim, and the foil-assisted superyacht Raven. “It was quite a difficult decision,” he recalls, “but I thought back to all the sailing I’ve done, and some of the most fun I ever had was in 2005 with Brian Thompson in the Transat Jacques Vabre on board Skandia – which was, of course, more famous as Kingfisher.”

Skandia was an Open 60 (now IMOCA) design by Owen Clarke built for Ellen MacArthur’s 2000 Vendée Globe campaign, in which she finished 2nd. The boat was later campaigned as Skandia by Nick Moloney, as well as Thompson and Oxley.

The 2005 TJV was sailed at a record-breaking pace. “I remember double-handing with Brian and doing nearly 100 miles in four hours,” says Oxley.

“This thing is tiller-steered and you’re strapped in. You’re getting water pouring down the deck, screaming along, just the two of you. I remember it being the most amazing sailing I’d ever done in my life at that point.”

Make sure you check out our full list of Coolest Yachts.

Photo: Jon Nash/OC Sailing Team/DPPI Media/Alamy

Kingfisher/Skandia stats rating

Top speed: 30+ knots
LOA: 18.28m/60ft
Launched: 2000
Berths: 1-2
Price: (build cost) £50,000
Adrenalin factor: 80%

Will Oxley

Will Oxley is one of the world’s best offshore navigators, and has sailed some of the most exciting ocean race yachts ever built. Since skippering an entry in the 2000 BT Global Challenge, he has gone on to work on four Volvo Ocean Race campaigns, as well as Maxis, superyachts, and winning many of the bluewater classic races.

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The post World’s Coolest Yachts: Kingfisher/Skandia appeared first on Yachting World.

It’s safe to say that the catamaran is truly out of the bag when it comes to the appeal of multihulls as cruising platforms, and not just for a week-long charter in the BVI’s. The mono vs cat debate has long raged, and while there will always be those who will never consider a yacht without ballast as seaworthy, the number of long-term cruisers crossing the world’s oceans on catamarans is increasing steadily.

As they’ve become more popular, they’ve also moved beyond the charter-style offerings of mass production catamarans. While Gunboat remains the brand that defines the performance breed, the likes of HH, McConaghy, Marsaudon Composites, Outremer, Balance, Kinetic and several smaller boutique brands are building multihulls that seem to demand little compromise in comfort yet offer near-raceboat levels of performance.

Boards down and powered up to weather on the first GB80 Highland Fling XV111. Photo: Sailing Energy/Multihull Cup

It’s hard to deny the appeal – this new generation of fast cruising cats offers an unrivalled blend of performance and livability that monohulls struggle to match.

And as we can see from the preceding Supersail World pages, they’re growing, in size, comfort, power, and performance terms.

But as Spiderman Peter Parker knows, with great power comes great responsibility. If you’re going to be safe and comfortable on a big cat you need to develop a certain amount of Spidery sense for the boat. Cats don’t talk back the way monos do, and they’re a lot less forgiving. When a gust hits a monohull, you know about it immediately. She heels over, spills some wind, might round up and flog the sails. On a cat, with its huge righting moment, the structure absorbs all that extra load.

Kopman’s wife and friends line handling. Photo: Mike Kopman

There’s no tell-tale increase in heel, and no way for the boat to automatically shed that power. If it’s sailed well, and not overloaded, that power will quickly translate into speed – which is great when you want it, but not so great if you’re already sailing close to the edge of your comfort zone. The old adage of reefing when you first think about it is doubly true for performance cats. In fact, you need to reef before you think about it!

Sailing large catamarans: Exit strategies

When the boat is really lit up, it’s crucial that everyone aboard knows the plan for if you get overpowered. Whether you’re going to head up and feather your way through a big gust or bear away and ride it out needs to be decided on beforehand, because in sketchy conditions, there’s no time to freeze and think about it.

If you’re already in upwind or downwind mode just keep going. Luffing up or running off works well on cats. But it’s when reaching fast in the so-called ‘death zone’ of 80°-110° true wind angle that things become less clear. Heading up increases apparent wind, which increases boat speed, while bearing away increases boat speed, then apparent wind.

‘Sailors agree that flying a hull has no place in cruising’. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Either way, loads spike fast, the yacht feels squirrelly and steering can become difficult. If you’re in gusty conditions or expecting an increase, then err on the side of being underpowered. This means boards up, traveller down, leeches open and twisted off.

If your ‘exit’ is to head up, you want both main and jib to start luffing evenly. Once you’re almost head to wind and the boat has slowed right down, sheet the jib on (to help with the bear away), dump the main, and turn the boat deep downwind aggressively before she can build speed again. Once you’re sailing deep, slowly and in control, you can plan to reduce sail.

Trimming and reefing

Modern multis tend to have the rig stepped further aft and carry higher aspect mains, with multiple headsails on furlers. This means changing gear quickly is a lot easier, but with the main further aft in the boat, it can act like a great big rudder and prevent you from bearing away, even with the sheet eased, so make sure you remember to dump the traveller too.

Kopman’s daughters at anchor. Photo: Mike Kopman

If you’re not familiar with sailing a cat with daggerboards it helps to think of them as another sail, and that means they can be reefed. Upwind, of course, you want a board down, but as the breeze builds ‘reefing’ the daggerboards is as important as reducing sail. In fact, it’s remarkable how much you can depower a cat on a beam reach by pulling the boards up. They can be hard to move on a reach due to the lateral load on them, but once they’re out of the water, the boat will be making considerably more leeway and generating a lot less power.

My family and I were sailing our own 20m cat, Komotion, off the south-east coast of Sardinia on the tail end of a Mistral. We’d headed offshore a little to avoid wind shadow, and pretty quickly the wind built into the high 20s, putting our apparent wind over 40 knots.

Mike Kopman is an MCA commercial captain with 25 years and 300,000 sea miles experience on yachts. Photo: Mike Kopman

While putting a few rolls in the jib, the lashing on the furling line turning block failed, and with a bang the jib unfurled and we were under full sail again. The boat speed jumped to over 20 knots and we suddenly had a bit of a situation on our hands.

We dumped the traveller, and my wife, Sarah, steered off deep to slow the boat, while I went up onto the trampoline and lashed the block back in place. Broken gear is not something you can usually anticipate, but having a way out of a difficult situation before it arises can be invaluable.

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Speed on

‘They suck going upwind!’ is still the oft-repeated criticism of sailing cats, and while it might be true for some designs where volume has been prioritised over performance, it’s clearly not true for all cats. With daggerboards down and quality, flat sails, it’s a case of sheeting in and hanging on. Cracking off a few degrees results in a smoother ride and the sharp increase in speed gives a nice return in VMG.

Fine bows and hulls on Mike Kopman’s 72ft fast cruising cat Komotion. Photo: Mike Kopman

When it comes to tacking, a few small points can help you avoid resorting to the ‘charter tack’, ie starting an engine to get the boat through the wind. Firstly, bear away a little to build speed (don’t try to tack when you’re pinching). Then come upwind sharply and decisively, but don’t stall the rudders. Ease the mainsheet a bit as you’re about to come head to wind. This will reduce the mainsail’s ‘weathervane’ effect that can keep the boat in irons.

As the bows come through the wind, hold off on releasing the jib sheet for a few moments. Letting it back will push the bows down on the new tack. Then ease it across onto the new tack, build speed, sheet in the main again and you’re off.

Ocean sailing at dusk aboard the author’s liveaboard performance cat. Photo: Mike Kopman

A quick note on flying a hull. On a true performance cat that is designed to be able to fly a hull, best boat speed generally comes from just skimming the water with the windward hull. If there’s any more air under there, that’s a sign you’re pushing hard and might consider dialling it back. That said, pretty much every big performance cat sailor would agree that flying a hull has no place in cruising. If you’re not on the racecourse, the risks are simply not worth it.

Keeping check

Where maintenance on a performance catamaran differs most from a mono is in the rigging. Visual inspections of the mast base and crossbeam area should be more frequent on cats. Don’t over-tension shrouds; the wide spreader base on cats mean rigs don’t need to be piano-wire tight.

Diamond stays and spreaders, though, take serious loads and need close monitoring for cracks, play, or corrosion. Mast base fittings and beam interfaces are under high stress and must be checked for elongation or wear. Check chainplates on hulls for symmetry and signs of creep or elongation.

Sight lines and crew communications become really important, especially if you can’t see all four corners of the boat. Photo: PKC Media/Tosca

Autopilots also work harder on a cat for all the same reasons. Without the ability to heel as a ‘pressure relief’, a catamaran’s autopilot feels a lot more sailing loads. The autopilot experiences higher loads, especially at speed, where shifts in apparent wind come quickly and unbalanced sails can throw the boat off course.

Shoal tactics

One of the attractions of a multihull is that the shallow draught allows you to anchor in places not accessible to monohulls, but this can have its own challenges. A big boat needs a lot of room to swing, and a big cat needs even more, so keep that in mind when picking a spot.

The usual rule of scope applies as much to multis as it does to monos, but it’s worth thinking about the extra windage of some bigger volume cats. Flybridges, solid bimini tops and acres of solar can add a lot of drag, and, as the saying goes, chain does nothing when it’s left in the locker.

Alex Thomson helming the Gunboat 68 Tosca mid-Atlantic. Photo: PKC Media/Tosca

Going one size up on your anchor will help you sleep better. Multihulls sail around at anchor a lot more than most monos, so it’s really important to have a good bridle system. Generally, if you’re swinging around like an excited puppy on a lead then setting out a longer bridle will help. And while Dyneema is super strong, its lack of stretch means it’s not ideal for this purpose. Good old three-strand is an ideal material, with eyes spliced at the anchor end shackled to a good chain hook. Simple whipped ends inboard means the length can easily be adjusted.

If you’re tying up to a mooring, don’t run a line from one hull through the mooring eye and back to the other hull. The yawing of the boat will chafe through the line, so always use two separate lines, one for each hull.

When it comes to getting underway again, remember the steering effect of your mainsail if you’re going to do the increasingly popular ‘hoist the main at anchor’ move in a crowded mooring field or anchorage. Keep the sheet eased, traveller loose, and get the jib out as soon as you can to help pull the bow down. Or better yet, motor to where you have plenty of room around you first. It may not look as cool, but then neither does ploughing into another anchored boat!

Manoeuvring

Sight lines on some catamarans are not as clear as on monohulls, so good communication among crew is really important when docking and anchoring. If engine controls aren’t ideally placed you’re going to need people calling distances. As is the same on any large yacht or superyacht, marine headsets make a lot of sense when anchoring and manoeuvring, particularly on cats with large blind spots. However, it’s still prudent to have backup hand signals, so make sure you agree on what distance one finger means beforehand!

Cruising mode engaged: big, fast cats offer long legs for passages and plenty of space at rest in shallows. Photo: Mike Kopman

Fortunately, twin props set far apart mean cats are really manoeuvrable, but the bows can blow off just like on any other boat and bow thrusters are not that common on cats. The key is to think through any close-quarters manoeuvre carefully in advance, and always have an escape route in mind. Weaving a tennis court through a crowded anchorage in gusty conditions can be pretty nerve-wracking. Daggerboards are just as effective at reducing leeway under power, so if the water is deep enough, then stick them down if it’s windy.

A little trick we sometimes use when picking up a mooring is to back up to it rather than approaching it bow on. Instead of standing up on the forward beam trying to guide the helmsman to the buoy (and then having to reach way down to pass a line through), we find it’s much easier for the line handler to stand on the transom where they’re lower to the water and within talking distance of the helm.

There’s much better visibility aft, the helmsman can bring the transom right up to the buoy, and a long line from the bow can then simply be passed through and brought back aboard as you spin around.

Motion

The motion of a cat offshore can come as quite a surprise to those used to sailing half boats. The sensation is more jerky, less predictable, and this motion can be quite fatiguing for the crew. If bridgedeck clearance on your particular design has been compromised, then expect sudden wave slaps from below that can make that much vaunted unspilled G&T leap right off the saloon table. The first time I experienced one of these I thought the whole structure had split in half.

Crew communications become really important, especially if you can’t see all four corners of the boat. Photo: PKC Media/Tosca

On Komotion, we find we are frequently slowing the boat down to keep our crew more comfortable, especially on longer passages and overnight. It’s important to manage fatigue and comfort across the length of the trip.

It’s great fun blasting along at 20 knots in flat water in the lee of an island, or for a wet and wild squirt across open water to the next one, but for passages longer than half a day or so the speed, the motion and even the adrenaline can become quite draining (although, that said, I’ll never get tired of watching the spray smoke off Komotion’s lee bow as we send it at 20+ knots!).

Noise in the hulls of a full GRP performance cat can be another fatiguing factor. Even aboard Komotion’s cedar-cored hulls, it sounds like a freight train down below when we’re doing more than 15 knots, and noise increases stress (no wonder, then, that some IMOCA 60 sailors use earplugs).

Sight lines become vital for sailing a big catamaran. Photo: PKC Media/Tosca

As a family we often find it more relaxing to sleep in the saloon on two- or three-day trips. Again, the key is knowing when to back off a bit. If you’re not racing, take your foot off the gas, reduce sail and enjoy the easy speeds that a large performance cat can maintain with less sail up. My wife and I will often sail through the night with a couple of reefs in the main and just switch between jib and staysail as conditions change.

For most of the long-term cruisers we’ve met sailing on larger performance cats, their choice of boat is more about enjoying the ability to keep sailing in light breeze, when everyone else is motoring, than sheer flat-out speed. This blend of performance and practicality is exactly why more families, ours included, are choosing to cruise fast, flat, and far.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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The post How To Sail A Fast Catamaran: Mastering the Art of Quick Cruising appeared first on Yachting World.

The use of AI in sailing is distinctly different to the tools based on large language models such as ChatGTP and DeepSeek that became available in the last three years and garner a disproportionate number of headlines.

Other forms of AI have existed for many decades. Machine learning, and neural networks trained on transaction data, for example, have been used by major banks since the mid 1990s. They significantly improved detection of credit card fraud and anomalies in real time. But there’s been a rapid acceleration of AI’s abilities in the so-called deep-learning era post-2012.

Today AI is used across a wide swathe of applications in the boating world, encompassing safety systems, weather forecasting and routing, naval architecture, performance analysis, coaching and broadcasting. It’s also increasingly used in the domain of autonomous craft and we can expect to see it implemented to improve watchkeeping on the bridge of ships.

“AI at sea doesn’t need to be perfect – it just needs to be better than us at certain things,” says Yarden Gross, CEO and co-founder of ORCA AI, which supplies systems to shipping companies including MSC and Maran Tankers. “Let’s face a hard truth: the status quo is unsafe,” he adds. “Fatigued crews, complex navigation environments and over-reliance on human lookouts combined with ageing fleets operating with outdated technology – this is not a system worth defending.”

Demonstration of a Sea.ai warning of a floating container

Just be better

Instead, he says new technologies don’t need to achieve a fictional benchmark of flawless performance to be useful – they only need to outperform human crews in specific scenarios. “We’ve already reached the point where AI-enhanced watchkeeping is demonstrably safer and more reliable than a distracted, sleep-deprived officer of the watch, or in extreme weather and low visibility conditions,” he adds.

Gross proposes a hybrid intelligence with human and AI systems working together, each doing what they do best. “The phased approach – where ships dynamically shift between different levels of autonomy based on context – is the real revolution, and it’s happening already,” he adds.

“Ships today are gathering data, learning from every near-miss and self-improving at fleet scale. They are improving with every single voyage, feeding real-time operational data back into smarter algorithms.”

Article continues below…

Autonomous boats: The rise of self-sailing vessels

‘Vessel not under command’ looks set to take on a new meaning, with the race to develop a new generation…

Everything you need to know about high performance autopilots

It’s 0230 in the morning and we’re sailing close-hauled mid-Channel with the breeze gusting to 30 knots. In the strongest…

A new vision

Staying with the theme of safety, 65% of the competitors in the last Vendée Globe used Sea.ai systems to help identify small floating obstructions that had potential to cause significant damage. This system, originally named OSCAR, is mounted at the masthead and fuses a colour camera with two thermal night vision units.

The onboard AI then constantly scans the image streams looking for any unexpected deviation on the surface of the ocean. If it spots differences in temperature or pixel patterns, it flags and classifies objects, whether these are people in the water, whales, semi-submerged containers or other boats – and alerts the skipper in real time.

Demand for this technology is such that the company has grown from a start-up to 70 staff across three sites in only a few years.

Data from competitors in the 2020/21 Vendée Globe formed a big part of the input initially used to train the system, but that required a lot of human effort, so new data acquisition is now based on more specific learning points. Some of these, like a man overboard, are set up with the specific aim of training the system, while others are tagged by users at sea.

Sea.ai detects a shipping container and displays it on a Raymarine MFD

“Each software update is getting better with new data,” Sea.ai’s Solenn Gouerou tells me. She says new instances of raw data, for instance from a man overboard or encounter with sea ice, are constantly being fed back to the firm’s site in Brittany.

The confirmed detection is then sent to a team who annotates each contact in a way that can be understood by the neural network, for instance by marking a square in the sea with a caption saying there’s a person overboard in that area. The network is therefore constantly learning, with benefits rolled out to users via updates.

Weather gAIns

Weather forecasting and routing are also areas in which AI is increasingly playing an important role. Numerical weather prediction, which forms the basis of all of today’s weather forecasting, requires a huge amount of computing power and typically uses some of the planet’s most powerful supercomputers.

Yet AI has potential to improve forecasts and also reduce the amount of computing power needed. ECMWF launched its Artificial Intelligence Forecasting System (AIFS) earlier this year, running alongside its traditional physics-based IFS model. AIFS outputs are similar in many respects, and in some cases, such as tropical cyclone tracking, can be more accurate, while using a whopping 1,000 times less energy.

The family of Sea.ai cameras

This represents such a dramatic shift in processing requirements that low resolution global AIFS weather models can be run on high-end gaming laptops. Marine weather guru Christian Dumard’s start-up Marine Weather Intelligence aims to use AI to optimise routing, both for sailors and to help decarbonise shipping, and has clients including the Vendée Globe and The Ocean Race.

He says they use a lot of AI to analyse which weather models are best in different circumstances. That will vary, for instance, depending on the distance of a race or voyage. Satellites measure wave heights very accurately, so Dumard also uses AI to find the bias in wave models. “The wave predictions are quite good for the first two or three days,” he told an audience at last year’s Yacht Racing Forum, “but then the biases build, depending on the time of year and many other factors.”

He says AI is very good at unravelling complex problems such as this, “but the human brain is not so good at handling all the elements and AI is doing much better work.” AI-assisted forecasts are also starting to be fed into long-term routing decisions in ocean races.

Given the exponential growth predicted for wind-assisted shipping, driven by a reduction of long-term costs, there’s a huge amount of research and funding going into this sphere, which in the longer term will also benefit more ordinary sailors.

A unit mounted on the masthead of an Amel 50

Piloting

Ocean currents are notoriously difficult to predict in high resolution, yet their many eddies can have significant impacts on both sea state and passage time. Paris-based start-up Amphitrite has devised a way to use AI to measure currents using high-resolution satellite photos.

In an independent study, a ship travelling at 16 knots between Tunis and Tangier was shown to save 4% of fuel costs and arrive an hour earlier when using Amphitrite’s data for routing. To keep a boat on course and ‘learn’ the sea state, autopilots have always used PID (proportional, integral, derivative) control systems that were originally developed in the 1920s.

Some pilots even adjust these parameters in real time using heuristics such as measuring how frequently large heading errors occur, or how fast the heading changes. This can, for instance, trigger an automatic shift between calm, moderate, or rough tuning profiles, but it does so using predetermined criteria and not as part of an automated learning process.

As a result, many autopilots struggle in a big quartering sea, or when a short-handed sailing raceboat is fully powered up on a reach in gusty conditions.

By contrast, when AI becomes involved, the system itself either learns patterns or may use trained models to classify different sea states or predict optimal control parameters. Madintec’s MadBrain, for example, adapts its steering response over time, learning how the particular boat responds to waves, gusts and wind shifts.

Thermal camera view of an MOB at night seen on an iPad

It’s a hugely powerful system used extensively in IMOCAs, Ultim trimarans and even foiling Mini Globe 650s. It’s also now becoming adopted more widely, including for very fast performance cruisers and in short-handed IRC offshore racing – the first four 33ft Pogo RCs, for instance, are all equipped with Madintec pilots.

Faster yachts and sailors

It’s perhaps no surprise that AI is used extensively in the America’s Cup, as it is in Formula 1. QuantumBlack (the AI arm of global consultancy firm McKinsey), for instance, created an AI virtual sailor for Emirates Team New Zealand ahead of the last Cup.

This was trained on a simulator by a top-level Olympic sailing sailor in a process that took only one or two weeks. After that, it could evaluate an astounding 50 different foil designs, across a range of wind and sea states, and on a weekly basis. What once took months of human-led testing on the water can therefore now be done in a few days – an important factor in reducing the development costs of America’s Cup boats.

Onboard display and the Sea.ai ‘brain’

QuantumBlack also built physics-based AI models replicating fluid dynamics and other complex systems, allowing rapid and efficient exploration of design options and iterations that are far more cost-effective than conventional CFD (computational fluid dynamics). AI is well embedded in the broadcasting of sailing events to the public.

SailGP and the America’s Cup, for instance, use machine learning to classify the boats, marks of the course, spectator craft, and shoreline to help create live 3D graphic overlays. “Once we know the relative position of the helicopter in space, that allows us to be able to draw the graphics in three dimensions on the video,” says Joseph Ozanne, simulator and AI team leader for Alinghi Red Bull Racing.

Helping hand

Assisted docking systems such as Raymarine’s DockSense and Volvo Penta’s Assisted Docking also use AI for improving the control logic or machine learning-based object recognition that helps the system positively identify items such as pontoons and other vessels in a marina environment. Thanks to AI, it’s now easier than ever to get accessible knowledge out of data through automated analysis.

We’re even heading in a direction where, within two or three years, it’s likely to be possible to run your own very high-resolution weather models using consumer-grade software and a laptop.

If you enjoyed this….

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The post Forget ChatGPT: Here’s how AI is used in everything from racing yachts to weather routing appeared first on Yachting World.

The best sailing watches can offer a multitude of functions, from MOB alerts to tidal calculations and large faced race count down timers. And yet still there’s utter simplicity of a waterproof self winding timepiece.

For anyone who spends time on the water—whether trimming sails, paddling a kayak, or freediving a wreck—a reliable watch is the most fundamental piece of gear. While sheer waterproof ruggedness is the baseline, today’s best models offer capabilities ranging from intricate race countdowns and MOB alerts to GPS tracking for paddlesports and depth logging for divers.

The market has evolved from the simple, waterproof self-winding timepiece to embrace sophisticated smartwatch technology. Brands like Garmin and Suunto have brought features like full navigation, fitness tracking, and deep integration with on-board electronics to your wrist. A single watch can now seamlessly transition from racing regattas to monitoring your stroke rate during paddleboarding or logging a freedive.

But the smartest watch is not always the right tool. Sometimes, the core function—a simple, large-faced, and ultra-readable race timer—is all that’s needed. This guide highlights the best choices across all categories: from the most advanced smart sailing watches to the specialised racing timers and enduring luxury pieces from heritage brands like Panerai. Whatever your watersport of choice, we’ve found the perfect rugged timepiece to keep you on course.

You’ll see that Garmin have several entries in our best sailing watches guide and if you’re specifically after a Garmin, we have rounded up the best of those in this guide to the best Garmin watch for sailing.

However, the cleverest watch is not always the best watch for sailing. For regatta racing an extremely simple and speedy to operate model may suit better. Price is not always an indicator of functionality either; even some of the least expensive sailing watches can be packed with features. I’ve created a guide to the best big face sports sailing watches if this is something you are looking for then have a look.

Editor’s top choices at a glance

Best waterproof smart watches

Garmin Quatix 7 PRO waterproof smart watch – Best smart watch for sailing 2025

Specifications: Apple or android smart phone compatible | Sizes: 47mm / 51mm | Weight 70g | Battery life: up to 16 days with screen on by demand | GPS tracking | Waterproof to 10 ATM

Reasons to Buy: Large easy to read face, incredible versatility for an array of lifestyle activity, healthy wellbeing and boat interactivity, customisable to suit individual needs, has a built in led torch!
Reasons to Avoid: expensive bit of kit (but worth every penny)

Garmin’s latest sailing smartwatch includes improvements to strengthen integration with onboard electronics and now sports a little red and white mini torch.

It’s a touchscreen model that can, for instance, be used to control MFD displays or Fusion audio systems, as well as Garmin autopilots.

You can also pay for things with contactless payments, but you’ll need to use an intermediary app, such as Curve if you are in the UK as British banks haven’t signed up for that function directly yet.

High end Sapphire models add a new ultra-clear AMOLED touchscreen.

The watch can output directly to Strava and myfitnesspal along with other apps according to your preference. We like this watch very much indeed and it is currently the best smart sailing watch for all round functionality. Pricey though, but worth it.

I’m going to get straight to the point, this watch is utterly brilliant. Once you put it on your wrist, you wont want to take it off. I have put a metal strap on mine as I find the Silicon strap, day to day can irritate my skin. But I pop on another sports strap for sportsing about.

I row, sail, swim, free dive, run, cycle, indoor row, do gym work, look up tides, sunrise and set times, Barometer, Storm alerts,  monitor my heart rate, monitor my sleep patterns, use the multiple alarms for a multitude of stuff, sync the watch to the rowing machine, and pin drop where I parked my car because I tend to forget where I put it. Thankfully I’ve never had to use the MOB alert button, but it’s good to know it’s there.

There’s no getting away from the fact that this is a big old chunk of change for a watch, but it really is the best sailing smart watch on the market. However, if you are looking to spend a little less I’d also strongly recommend the regular Garmin Quatix 7, which is a little less money for a watch that is very nearly as good.

Suunto Ocean Smart Diving and sailing watch

Specifications: Apple or android smart phone compatible | Sizes: 49.9mm diameter / 13.2mm thickness (One Size) | Weight 99 g | Battery life: up to 16 days in smartwatch mode | GPS tracking (Dual Band L1+L5) | Waterproof to 100 m (10 ATM equivalent)

Reasons to Buy: Dual-Purpose Design (Diving + Sports Tracking) | Premium Build with AMOLED Display | Offline Maps & Advanced Navigation
Reasons to Avoid: Higher Price Tag | Limited App Ecosystem

This watch is a beast! As someone who enjoys both freediving and outdoor sports, this watch can handle both worlds on the water and under the water easily.

The watch feels premium and rugged. The 1.43-inch AMOLED display is bright and crisp, even under direct sunlight. The sapphire glass and stainless steel bezel give it a solid, high-end feel, and I love that it’s made in Finland with renewable energy. The strap is comfortable, and despite being packed with features, it’s not overly bulky on my wrist, though let’s not pretend this thing is small, I’m used to wearing large watches, so if you do have a smaller wrist like me, it might take a little getting used to.

Battery life is good but not mind-blowing. I got around 50 hours with GPS tracking, and up to 60 hours in dive mode, but with regular smartwatch use, I needed to charge it every 4-5 days. That’s reasonable, but some competitors last longer.

If you’re an adventurer who dives, hikes, and trains, this watch is one of the best all-in-one solutions out there. It’s rugged, packed with features, and reliable in the water. However, if you’re strictly a runner, sailor or cyclist, a dedicated Garmin or Coros watch might suit you better for the price.

Garmin Instinct waterproof smart watch

Specifications:Apple or android smart phone compatible | Sizes: 40mm / 45mm / 50mm | Weight: 42 g (40mm) – 67 g (50mm) | Battery life: up to 28 days/unlimited with solar (45mm) | GPS tracking (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo) | Waterproof to 10 ATM

Reasons to buy: GPS positioning on charts | Barometric pressure and compass | Smartphone connectivity | An incredible amount of styles and colours | Single charge lasts 14 days
Reasons to avoid: Premium price without a premium design

The Instinct was launched as Garmin’s all-round watch, which they call their outdoors watch. Features that are particularly relevant to sailors include GPS positioning on charts; barometric pressure and a compass.

It has smartphone connectivity, receives emails and texts, and can control music via a phone. This watch also has an inbuilt thermometer and heart rate monitor.

The Garmin Instinct is available in no fewer than 20 different styles and colours. It’s actual diameter is 47mm (1 13/16” in) but the viewable face is 32mm (1 1/4”). The Instinct is 16mm (5/8” in) thick and weighs 53g (2 oz).

For racing sailors, it also has multiple start sequence options. The Garmin Instinct watch is a good alternative for anyone seeking a more moderately priced alternative to the Quatix 7, as it does many of the same things, but at a lower price. It may also be a better for for those looking for a multi sport watch.

The very best mulitsport watch remains the Garmin Fenix series, but (again) that comes at a pretty serious price.

Best Big Screen Watch for Sailing

Optimum Time Series 3 big face sailing watch – The most-loved waterproof watch for racing sailors

Specifications: Type: Digital, Size: 65mm

Reasons to buy: Great price |  Highly functional | Easy to read | Very robust for the price
Reasons to avoid: It’s really big, so is only really of use on the water

The popular ‘big yellow’ Optimum Time Sailing Watch is a lower-priced, yet highly functional racing watch. If you tune into the Olympic Games every 4 years, this is the watch that the vast majority of the racers will have. And it’s ubiquity remains almost anywhere you see serious racing sailing.

It truly is big – far too large for my wrist in any ‘normal’ applications at a gigantic 65mm (2.56” in) diameter and 16mm (0.62” in) thick. It’s also available in colours other than yellow – including white, blue and pink.

An advantage for racing is that this watch is easy to read at a distance thanks to its huge 16mm digits. A bracket is supplied to fix it to a mast. It also has a sync button if you miss the start gun, and can then run a repeat sequence or race timer for handicap competitions.

Robust, and water resistant to 5 ATM, with a wide elasticated strap. Any racing sailor worth their salt has bought, lost, broken, repurchased more of these than most of us care to remember. That’s not to say construction is an issue. But at this price point and for this use case, these do tend to see a great deal of abuse.

Gill Stealth Timer – Our best waterproof watch for racing sailors

Specifications: Type: Digital, Size 65mm

Reasons to buy: Robust design with secure strap | Extra-large | Easy to press silicon buttons | Great display
Reasons to avoid: Some consumers report issues with clasp/strap | Very big

This is Gill’s answer to the Optimum Time watch that dominates the racing market. With wrist, hull, mast or boom mount options, this timer is aimed squarely at racing sailors.

Gill is a well-known and well-trusted sailing clothing manufacturer based on the UK and this watch has clearly been designed by sailors for sailors.

In terms of outright functionality it is, essentially, identical to the Optimum Time watch. However, Gill has really made an effort to improve the visibility of the screen in all weather. The Optimum Time screen can suffer a little bit of glare, especially when wet. Gill has tried to get round this with a matte full dot matrix display, that can be easily read, even in driving rain.

It’s a great watch and like-for-like it is a step up from the Optimum Time. Again, you would not want to wear it anywhere other than onboard a racing boat, due to the screen size.

Ronstan Clear Start Race Timer

Specifications: Type: Digital, Size 65mm

Reasons to buy: Robust design with secure strap | Extra-large, easy to press silicon buttons | Good display
Reasons to avoid: Some consumers report issues with clasp/strap

With wrist, hull, mast or boom mount options, the Swiss-made Ronstan ClearStart Race Timer is aimed squarely at racing sailors.

Made by renowned rigging and hardware company Ronstan, it’s a robust design with a secure elastic strap and substantial ‘bumper’ around the digital display.

The ClearStart Race Timer’s features include extra-large, easy-press silicon buttons, a highlighted start/stop button, oversized 16 mm digits set in a 65mm rotating face and a double line display simultaneously showing the race countdown and time.

In addition, the ClearStart Race Timer offers ‘5-4-1-0’ and Match Racing start sequence programmes, making it a great choice for competitive sailors. Ruggedly constructed and built to last, this sailing watch weighs in at 92 grammes and is water-resistant to 50 metres.

Best luxury waterproof watch

Spinnaker Hull Chronograph

Specifications: Movement: Japanese VK73 TMI Meca-Quartz Chronograph | Case Material: Stainless Steel (Cushion-shaped) | Case Diameter: 42 mm | Case Thickness: 15 mm | Water Resistance: 100 m (10 ATM) | Crystal/Lens: Hardened Mineral Lens | Strap Material: Genuine Leather | Functions: Chronograph, Date, 24-Hour Display

Reasons to buy: Affordable | Good tachymeter function
Reasons to avoid: Only resistant to 10 bar | Leather strap will weather over time

Marine watch brand Spinnaker has produced a number of decent sailing-focused timepieces, but for a classic chronograph model, opt for the vintage-inspired 42mm Hull Chronograph.

Produced in Hong Kong with Japanese technology providing precision movement, this model is also equipped with a tachymeter feature and is available in a range of different colours (though the Lapis blue is one of the bestsellers).

Panerai Luminor Marina

Specifications: Movement: Panerai Caliber P.9010 Automatic Mechanical | Case Material: Stainless Steel (AISI 316L) | Case Diameter: Typically 44 mm (Other sizes available) | Case Thickness: Approx. 15.65 mm (Varies by model) | Water Resistance: 500 m (50 bar) | Crystal/Lens: Sapphire Crystal | Power Reserve: 3 Days (72 hours) | Functions: Hours, Minutes, Small Seconds, Date, Patented Crown-Protecting Device

Reasons to buy: Classic, elegant look | Luminous numerals | Made with hypoallergenic steel
Reasons to avoid: Only water resistant to 10 bar | Suede strap less durable at sea | Very expensive

Let’s not beat around the bush, this Panerai watch costs more than most of us are looking to spend on a sporting watch. But if you want a top of the range style statement that is also a handy sporting watch then look no further.

Long a staple of the brands marine range, the latest generation of the Panerai Luminor Marina preserves the watch’s unmistakable DNA. Specifically, the bold cushion case, the iconic crown-protecting bridge, and the highly legible sandwich dial.

But a raft of new technical upgrades have been made of most interest to watersports users is the increase in waterproof, which now offers 50 bar waterproofing (up to 500m). The new model has also been slimmed down necessitating a new movement.

This all adds up to a watch that is thinner, lighter, better-specced, and more versatile than ever.

Timex Yacht Racer watch – Best for Analogue race sailing watch fans

Specifications: Movement: Quartz Analog (Intelligent Quartz) | Case Material: Stainless Steel | Case Diameter: 47 mm | Case Thickness: 14 mm | Water Resistance: 100 m (10 ATM) | Crystal/Lens: Mineral Glass | Key Functions: Yacht Racing Mode (Countdown Timer to Auto-Start Chronograph), Perpetual Calendar (Perfect Date) | Lighting: INDIGLO® Night-Light (varies by specific model)

Reasons to buy: Striking analogue display | Countdown timers
Reasons to avoid: Larger than average design, Complex to set up | Can be hard to find

Including this watch in this guide breaks pretty much all of our rules about helping our readers to easily find the right product for them. Timex no longer produces this watch, so you r ability to buy one will be entirely at the whims of the used watch market.

The Timex Yacht Race is, though, the best combination of style and function for sailors that we have ever come across and it is well worth tracking down a decent used one to add to your collection (or as your main sailing watch).

This is a very striking analogue watch, designed to appeal specifically to racing sailors who don’t want a digital display. It features racing countdown timers (from 5 mins, 3 mins or 1 minute), then after the start the chronometer automatically starts a race timer for up to one hour.

This is a larger than average design, at 46 mm (1.81” in) diameter and 14mm (0.55” in) thick. It is complex to set up, as some functions require three buttons to be pressed in sequence. There is also no ‘reset’ button for anyone who misses their start sequence timer.

But… just look at how cool it is. How could you possibly say ‘no’?

FAQ: What makes the best sailing watch?

The ability to read the time, countdown or data in a hurry or at an angle is key, so look out for digital readouts with large numbers – some sailing watches have the ability to switch from digital to analogue readouts – and screens that can be viewed in different qualities of daylight. Backlit functions are essential for anyone heading offshore, whether racing or cruising.

A well-fitting wristband or strap with a secure clasp is vital to keep the watch on your arm. Most sailing watches have soft rubber or synthetic wristbands, which are more durable in a marine environment, and safer than steel. Rubber straps are also lighter and easier to adjust.

If you plan to use your watch for race start timing, look for programmable start sequence options, a sync button, countdowns that switch to seconds in the final stages. A loud, clear alarm or ‘beep’ function that tells you time to the gun is particularly useful, so you can keep watching your course, trim and other boats around you during the final approach to the line rather than having to glance at your wrist.

Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Head to Amazon’s dedicated boating page for more marine products.

The post Best Sailing Watch: Fully Tested Waterproof Watches for all Watersports Enthusiasts appeared first on Yachting World.

Choosing the best sailing watch is hard enough, but when it comes to choosing the right marine smartwatch, it can feel like navigating a storm. With a sea of options from various brands, each offering unique specifications and price points, how do you find the perfect Garmin watch for your boat?

Whether you’re a seasoned racer, a weekend cruiser, or an all-around watersports enthusiast, your wrist-worn tech needs to be as rugged and capable as your vessel. That’s why we’ve curated and tested the definitive lineup, bringing you the best Garmin watches for sailing, boating, and fishing.

We know the global leader in wearable technology and GPS navigation, Garmin, has a reputation for engineering gear that performs flawlessly in the toughest conditions. We’ll show you which model delivers the most essential open-water features—like sail racing assistance, boat data streaming, GPS navigation, and extreme battery life—to ensure you’re always connected, safe, and on course.

Best Garmin watches at a glance

Best Garmin marine specific smart watch – Garmin Quatix 7

Best Garmin watch for premium luxury design – Garmin MARQ Captain

Best Garmin watch for robust multi sport action – Garmin Instinct 2 Solar

 

What makes a good Garmin watch for the open water?

Garmin watches are renowned in the fitness world for being top-of-the-line wearables. Many features that attract athletes to this brand, such as extensive tracking, duration and navigation, will also appeal to sailors and boaters alike.

Whether you leave port on a catamaran, cruiser or sailboat, here at Yachting World, we think that the best Garmin watch should have GPS functions, good battery life and health monitoring. While we’re all familiar with using a watch for directions, making calls and sending messages, the options selected take features beyond that and into the realm of having navigation technology on your wrist.

If you’re on the lookout for the best sailing watch options for racing and cruising, you’re in luck because we found one timepiece with a multiple-start sequence option. 

Garmin Quatix 7 – Best marine specific smart watch

Specifications: Facia sizes: 47mm / 51mm | Display: 1.4-inch sunlight-readable color AMOLED display with touchscreen and sapphire glass | Battery Life: Up to 16 days in smartwatch powersave mode and up to 36 hours in GPS mode | Health and Fitness Tracking: Advanced health monitoring, heart rate monitoring, Pulse Ox, sleep tracking, and body battery | Navigation: Marine features including GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo support, barometer, altimeter, and compass | Sports Modes: Preloaded with various sports profiles including rowing, paddleboarding, and swimming | Smartphone Integration: Smart notifications, Garmin Pay for contactless payments, and compatibility with both Android and iOS devices | Marine Features: Boat data, sail racing assistance, anchor alarm, fishing calendar, tides, and more | Water Resistance: Up to 100 meters.

Reasons to buy: Large easy-to-read face | Incredible versatility for an array of lifestyle activity | Includes a dedicated MOB button
Reasons to avoid: The battery life isn’t as good as the Quatix 6 | Bright facia which can be distracting | Touchscreen is pointless without the additional kit it interfaces with

Debating on upgrading to the Garmin Quatix 7? The next-gen sailing smartwatch includes improvements to strengthen integration with onboard electronics. For instance, the touchscreen model on this watch can be used to control MFD displays, Fusion audio systems and Garmin autopilots.

But if you’re a Quatix 6 user, here are the major changes for the Quatix 7 over the Garmin Quatix 6. The main difference is the display it’s bigger and brighter and touchscreen.

If you found darkness or difficulty seeing the Quatix 6 screen, this has been addressed with a much brighter lit-up option. Whilst this might appease a large number of wearers, it can be harsh for some especially if you’re a frequent night sailor like me.  The obvious compromise to this is that the battery life takes a hit if you want an always on display. To eek out the battery life, then you’ll need to switch the display to on demand motion controlled.

The Quatix 7 has integrated more functionality into the Garmin app on the phone, so it’s easier to make changes to the user functionality of various apps within the watch, rather than having to fiddle about doing them on screen as with the earlier Quatix watches.

The Quatix 7 is undoubtedly one of the best watches for sailors and boaters currently on the market. I love mine and feel undressed without it.

Garmin Fenix 7

Specifications: Display: 1.4-inch sunlight-readable display | Battery Life: Up to 12 days in smartwatch mode | Health and Fitness Tracking: Comprehensive heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, Pulse Ox, and built-in GPS | Sports Modes: Over 120 preloaded sports profiles | Mapping: Full-color, preloaded topographic maps | Music Playback: Store and play music directly from the watch | Smartphone Integration: Smart notifications and Garmin Pay | Water Resistance: Up to 100 meters | Compatibility: Works with both Android and iOS devices

Reasons to Buy: Extensive Sports Tracking with a large selection of sports modes | Topographic Maps: Navigate with detailed maps | Offline Music Storage: Store and listen to music without needing your phone
Reasons to Avoid: The premium features come at a premium cost | It might be overwhelming for those not needing advanced features

The Garmin Fenix 7 is an absolute beast of a smartwatch, catering to adventurers, athletes, and those who demand the very best in terms of features, durability, and performance.

If you’re willing to invest, it’s absolutely a top-tier choice and one of the best waterproof Garmin Watches you can buy.

The Garmin Fenix 7 is a premium multisport GPS smartwatch that sets the bar high with its rugged build and a plethora of advanced features. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts and fitness fanatics, this smartwatch is a true powerhouse, though it comes at a premium price.

Though it isn’t marketed as a sailing watch, it will do the job almost as a well as the Quatix 7 but handle other sports really well too. So if you are into your fitness you might consider this over the Quatix models.

Garmin Descent MK3i

Specifications: Display: 1.4-inch AMOLED color display with sapphire crystal lens | Battery Life: Up to 25 days in smartwatch mode (Up to 66 hours in dive mode) | Health and Fitness Tracking: Comprehensive heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, Pulse Ox, Dive Readiness Tool, and built-in GPS | Sports Modes: Over 100 preloaded sports profiles (including dive modes: single-gas, multi-gas, gauge, Apnea, CCR) | Mapping: Full-color, preloaded topographic maps and DiveView color maps | Music Playback: Store and play music directly from the watch | Smartphone Integration: Smart notifications and Garmin Pay | Water Resistance: Up to 200 meters (20 ATM) | Compatibility: Works with both Android and iOS devices

Reasons to Buy: Very clear screen display (even underwater) | Exceptional battery life | Extensive dive functions which would suit most recreational divers’ needs, along with lifestyle and fitness smart watch functions
Reasons to Avoid: Expensive (especially if you are not a regular scuba diver, but a great buy for professional divers) | Initial set-up could be difficult for those who are not tech-savvy

For years, I scuba dived and taught diving all over the world with my trusty Suunto Mosquito dive computer and apart from a battery change, it never let me down, until it did when it sank into the deep when the watch clasp and lanyard it was attached to both failed at the same time (it does happen!).

So I was eager to try the new Garmin Descent MK3i which is not only a dive computer but also a smart watch too, with a huge array of lifestyle activity and healthy wellbeing customisable settings to suit individual needs.

There are so many options that the setup took a while for me, with a bit of headscratching and referring to the manual along the way, but that is to be expected with any new tech. The watch is not too bulky on the wrist and is comfortable to wear, even over a thickish wetsuit, and it is easy enough to attach a lanyard as backup in case the strap fails. I tested the watch while diving in the Red Sea in Egypt with two friends.

The Garmin Descent MK3i has everything you could possibly need as a recreational scuba diver – gas mix setting (nitrox and trimix) so you can set the mix you are diving with to get the right no decompression time, 3-AXIS compass, LED flashlight, which includes a strobe, which is useful for an emergency or attracting attention on the surface, as well as GPS to mark your entry and exit points and dive planner (no decompression limit and gas deco).

The numbers can be made bigger, so you can easily read your depth, no decompression time etc, and the sapphire crystal AMOLED screen is bright, crisp and clear underwater. The dive function button is more prominent than the rest of the watch buttons, so it is easy to locate.

Garmin MARQ Captain – Best Garmin watch for premium luxury design

Specifications: Facia Size: 46mm | Display: 1.2-inch (30.4 mm) diameter, 240 x 240 pixels, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display | Lens Material: Domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating | Case Material: Titanium with a ceramic or DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coating | Bezel Material: Titanium, ceramic, or DLC-coated titanium | Water Resistance: Up to 100 meters (10 ATM) | Battery Life: Up to 12 days in smartwatch mode, up to 28 hours in GPS mode, and up to 48 hours in UltraTrac mode | Navigation: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, barometric altimeter, and compass | Health and Fitness Features: Heart rate monitoring, Pulse Ox, Body Battery, stress tracking, sleep tracking, and more | Sailing Features: SailAssist, tack assist, virtual starting line, and race countdown timer | Smart Notifications: Receive smart notifications from your connected smartphone | Music: Store and play music on the watch, and sync playlists from music streaming services | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ANT+ | Strap Material: Interchangeable, compatible with QuickFit bands

Reasons to buy: The watch has weather and tidal data | Good OB and GPS functions and streams boat data to your wrist
Reasons to avoid: The full extent of capabilities is governed by the onboard technology it’s connected to and it has a premium price

The MARQ Captain sailing watch comes packed with marine-relevant features that are ideal for the open water.

Functions include weather and tidal data for your home port, a regatta timer to pinpoint starting times, a ‘tack assist’ function to determine whether you’re on the lift or a header, a man overboard button and GPS.

If you’re searching for a top-quality Garmin watch and value luxury quality, don’t let the price tag put you off. The full extent of its capabilities is governed by the onboard technology it’s connected to. Still, possibilities include streaming boat data directly to your wrist wherever you are on the boat and controlling products from the Garmin-owned Fusion range of audio systems.

Essentially this lovely smart time piece packs all of the premium features possibly available from Garmin and encased it in a beautifully presented box, with premium quality wrist straps and a really smart watch body. If I had the money I’d buy this as a gift for my dad as I know he would love it (and he’d be able to keep track of his fitness and health monitoring too).

Garmin Instinct Solar – Best budget Garmin watch for multi sport action

Specifications: Facia Size: 40mm / 45mm / 50mm | Display: 0.9 x 0.9 inches (23 x 23 mm), monochrome | Lens Material: Chemically strengthened glass | Bezel Material: Fiber-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover | Case Material: Fiber-reinforced polymer | Water Resistance: Rated to 100 meters (10 ATM), making it suitable for swimming | Battery Life: Up to 14 days in smartwatch mode and up to an additional week with solar models

Reasons to buy: GPS positioning on charts | Barometric pressure and compass | Smartphone connectivity | Single charge lasts 14 days
Reasons to avoid: We’ve classed as a budget option, but it might also been a bit pricey still for those on a tight budget

Back in February 2022, Garmin’s all-round time piece which is known as their ‘outdoors watch’ was released. Since then, Instinct 2 has continued to be a top choice for sailors across the world thanks to features like GPS positioning on charts, barometric pressure and a compass.

It has smartphone connectivity, receives emails and texts, and can control music via a phone. This watch also has an inbuilt thermometer, heart rate monitor, and is available in no fewer than 20 different styles and colours.

If you’re a racing sailor, pay close attention to the multiple start sequence options.

Garmin Vivoactive

Specifications: Display: 1.1-inch (27.9 mm) diameter, sunlight-visible, memory-in-pixel (MIP) display | Screen: Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Rated to 5 ATM waterproofing (50 meters), suitable for swimming | Up to 7 days battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 5 hours in GPS and music mode | Bluetooth, ANT+ for compatibility with various sensors | Wrist-based heart rate monitor | Stress Tracking: Monitors your stress levels throughout the day | Tracks your sleep patterns and provides sleep quality insights | Includes profiles for running, cycling, swimming, yoga, strength training, and more | Features animated, on-screen workouts for various activities | Receive notifications from your smartphone, including calls, texts, and app alerts | Supports contactless payments

Reasons to Buy: Fits a smaller wrist | Lots of features to suit almost all users requirements | Good for swimmers
Reasons to Avoid: The tracking option on the Garmin Vivoactive 4S is limited because it requires bluetooth and cellular connectivity | May take some time to learn how to use it

The Garmin Vivoactive 4 and 4S is a smart watch that gives a whole host of features for tracking and logging health, fitness and sporting activities and comes in a lifestyle compatible case. You can wear this watch every day as a regular watch and it won’t look out of place in most day to day activities, from work and an office to the gym or swimming outdoors.

The companion app, which works for all of the watches in this buyers guide gives access to a whole host of metrics and information. You can also download different screen options to your smart watch from the app too. The straps are compatible with the Garmin quick release strap system so you can swap those out and change them according to your activity or outfit.

Ali from Practical Boat Owner magazine tested this watch at length and had some great results with it.

Garmin Epix

Specifications: Display: A 1.3-inch, sunlight-readable color touchscreen with a resolution of 260 x 260 pixels | Battery Life: Up to 14 days in smartwatch mode and up to 24 hours in GPS mode | Health and Fitness Tracking: Comprehensive health monitoring, including heart rate, sleep tracking, Pulse Ox, and a Body Battery feature | Navigation: Preloaded topographic maps, turn-by-turn navigation, and a barometric altimeter | Sports Modes: It offers over 41,000 preloaded golf courses, skiing maps, and a variety of other sports profiles | Music Playback: Store and play music directly from the watch or stream from music services | Smartphone Integration: Smart notifications, Garmin Pay for contactless payments, and compatibility with both Android and iOS devices | Water Resistance: Up to 100 meters

Reasons to Buy: Preloaded topographic maps and turn-by-turn navigation | Offers comprehensive health tracking, sleep analysis, and body battery insights, helping you maintain your well-being | Store and play music directly from the watch, eliminating the need for a smartphone during workouts or hikes
Reasons to Avoid: It’s on the higher end of the price spectrum, making it an investment | Its array of features might overwhelm those looking for a simpler, everyday smartwatch

If you’re confused about the differences between the top Garmin watches, Quatix, Fenix and Epix… then you’re not alone. I’ve compared the top three watches side by side to get a better understanding of what kind of person they are designed for.
Essentially the Fenix and Epix are virtually the same watch but with slightly different screen options. The Epix has a red screen option for better night vision preservation and the fenix 7 has memory in pixel screen meaning you have the option of an always on display without killing the battery.

Both have the same sports tracking and health and fitness features. The Quatix is very much geared towards the pure boating person with its dedicated man overboard button and marine first focus on onboard features.

If you see a great deal on either the Fenix 7 or Epix, then know you are getting pretty much the same watch with very tiny, subtle differences in the screen.

FAQ: Do I Need My Phone for My Watch to Acquire GPS?

No, all of the above Garmin watches have built in GPS. They do not require the internet to work, nor a phone. They can work independently, tracking your activities or personal metrics. They store this information onbaord until you upload to a suitable other deivce.
For best results you should sync your watch to a smart phone from time to time. Especially if you want to download your activities to other apps such as Strava.

The post The Best Garmin Watch for Sailing, Boating and more appeared first on Yachting World.

There’s been the odd singular sailing superyacht thus far, the likes of the 44m Pendennis-built Hemisphere and Perini Navi’s recent 46m floating art gallery ArtExplorer, while JFA has quietly gone about launching a handful of 85-110ft custom sailing catamarans.

But a new pride of big cats is coming. Last year John Mountain launched his carbon bluewater sailboat Air Yacht 80 after failing to find his preferred blend of performance, space and superyacht quality.

And it’s the performance element which has triggered this new trend that we centre on in these pages. Yachting World readers will have noticed a similar movement with monohulls of late, where production yards have stepped up to cater to a semi-custom demand in the 70-90ft sector.

We dedicated these pages to them two years ago, detailing the latest launches from YYachts, Solaris, Grand Soleil, CNB, Ice and Swan. Now with an increasing number of sailors seeking that size, style and speed combination on two hulls, it’s fuelled a real surge of new, big (and mostly fast) cats.

Gunboat can arguably be credited with igniting this performance cruising cat cult and we’ve been writing about and reviewing a multitude 45-60ft fast cruising cats in YW in recent years. Now they’re growing in size, space and pace. McConaghy, Balance, Kinetic, Advanced Yachts, Black Pepper, Cure Marine and HH are all producing or have recently launched varying levels of performance cats around the 70ft region.

Typically, these involve carbon or E-GRP lightweight composite construction, ultra fine bows, and powerful rigs with booms kept low down. Where Gunboat and HH are taking it to the next level of luxurious lightweight performance, we can see the needle shifting further still, and at each end of the spectrum too.

Article continues below…

The best bluewater multihulls of all time: a complete guide

What are the best bluewater multihulls for long term cruising? The one you own, or the one you can afford…

Best Yachts of 2025: European Yacht of the Year 2025 Winners

The European Yacht of the Year 2025 winners were announced this evening, Saturday 18 January 2025 on the first night…

At its sharpest, Persico’s new foiling 72 is being tested by the American Magic team and will surely prove the most rapid ‘cruise-equipped’ multihull to date. Thrill seekers should also check out S6’s dynamic foil-equipped Infinti 72 design, and the latest images of Daedalus’ jaw-dropping D75, D100 and D165 projects.

For the large part of the market less obsessed by speed comes the real space race that multihull platforms can provide – a market cornered by production yards Sunreef, Lagoon and Fountaine Pajot over the last decade, but one also seeing some evolution.

Think flybridges like flats, drop-down balconies and freestanding designer furniture, albeit combined with innovation in greener materials, propulsion and solar technology. Scaling up further, Echo Yachts in Australia is well into the secretive build of a monster 58m catamaran superyacht, which will go straight in to claim the spot as the world’s largest sailing multihull.

Welcome to a new era of Super sailing, that of supercats, megacats, and particularly the performance-oriented maxicats.

New MaxiCats – Space & real pace

Advanced AC72

Italian boutique yacht builder Advanced Yachts has turned its attention for the first time to multihulls. Active in the 60-80ft monohull sector, Advanced offers semi-custom yachts with fine Italian styling requiring a small crew of two or three.

It has started building the moulds for a 72ft catamaran that fits the same brief, with naval architecture by the renowned Reichel/Pugh. Performance is certainly an important consideration, but this is really designed to be a comfortable offshore cruising cat for bluewater cruising – or just loafing round the Med. It’s built in E-glass with a carbon-fibreglass deck and superstructure to keep the centre of gravity down and displacement to 35.5 tonnes.

The former is important when you add in the low-profile flybridge and towering carbon rig from Lorima. It also uses 4m-deep centreboards which lift into the boat hulls. “We have a higher power-to-weight ratio than anything else in the crewed yacht cruising capability class,” said sales director Jay Nolan.

“We put Gunboat and one or two others really in a separate Grand-Prix class. We’re not as powerful as that – we’re specifically stopping short of the most frightening performance where cats are a little edgy.”

Sail handling and navigation is all brought back to the flybridge, allowing the yacht to be sailed by a couple. The electric rudder control means it would also be easy to put a helm at the nav desk in the shelter of the saloon. “We’re building-in the ability to have protected controls not just with canvas on the flybridge,” added Nolan.

This leaves the aft cockpit free for guests to relax. There’s also a forward cockpit to take advantage of the breeze at anchor. The main deck is flush, with glass doors aft sliding completely away to open up one big indoor-outdoor space.

Configuration and finish is a matter for individual owners, but the concept from Cassetta Design puts a master owner’s cabin in the port hull and three guest cabins to starboard, with space for two crew. A large hydraulic platform aft serves for bathing and watersport toys, or carries a tender up to 4.6m in length when underway.

Holld 74

This Dutch startup and Zwartsluis yard has a focus on luxury, aiming to put the super into performance cruising catamarans. The founders are using their two decades of carbon composite superyacht boatbuilding experience, combined with that of designers including Eliot Thorne, to offer full carbon semi-custom cats ‘as technically advanced as they are visually stunning’. Holld promises a bespoke build programme for each owner using hybrid-ready platforms, smart digital systems and flexible modular interiors. This first 74 is already in build.

“We didn’t set out to build another production multihull,” says founder Guido Achtelik. “We set out to re-engineer the category from the ground up, using carbon and epoxy infusion, digital build processes, and an obsessive focus on precision, longevity, and performance with a superyacht finish.” The launch of the brand will be during the Cannes show.

Gunboat 80 Agave & new model teaser

Agave has been tearing it up since she hit the water in last May, but this second version of Gunboat’s 24.65m flagship is decidedly a (swift) cruising boat. Where the red hull number one was always destined for the Highland Fling racing programme, hull number two was customised with a number of more cruising-friendly features, notably around the interior.

Make no mistake, though: in the words of Gunboat, this is still an ‘objectively epic sailing machine’! From the pre-preg carbon layup and rotating mast to retractable T-propeller rudders and daggerboards, Agave is designed in true Gunboat tradition for exhilarating performance.

The yard reports that she matches true wind speed from 5 knots and tops out at over 30 knots, while the foils on the rudders reduce pitching in oceanic swell by 30%. Grand Prix accessories include ECsix carbon rigging, titanium fittings and HydrauNautic hydraulics with pressure sensors and a quick-release system to de-power the mainsheet, Cunningham, outhaul and other key controls.

With 16 hydraulic controls, the boat is designed for short-handed sailing. There’s little detail about the cruising interior, but the standard design allows for three guest cabins and up to three crew.

Meanwhile, Gunboat is hinting at an exciting new product range to be unveiled at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The French yard is remaining tight-lipped about the details, but we know that the debut model will be an 80-footer and that it will have a flybridge.

“What we are about to reveal is not just another yacht,” said marketing director Rodolphe Cadoret, “It’s the birth of an entirely new segment in high-performance sailing – a project that fuses long-distance capability, refined onboard experience, and the unmistakable Gunboat DNA.” The veil will be lifted on 9 September, but Gunboat is likening the move to that which saw Porsche launch the Cayenne as its first luxury SUV.

Black Pepper Code C.69

French speed merchant Black Pepper is at it again – this time with a catamaran. Pitching its debut multihull at a punchy 69ft LOA, the yard has just revealed a second order – before the first has even been delivered. The two hulls have already been completed by partner Multiplast in Vannes and towed to Black Pepper’s premises in Nantes, where they dominate the build shed.

Infused in carbon fibre, the hull of the C.69 is light despite plenty of hull openings. In fact, the yacht only displaces 17.5 tonnes light – so perhaps 21-22 tonnes fully loaded – not bad for a 70-footer!

The yard says it did a lot of soul searching before launching the multihull project with designers François Pérus and Romain Scolari. The brief was ‘handsome, fast, safe and high-tech’. The result is eye-catching: reverse bows and a heavy, bevelled tumblehome with a low coachroof and a long bowsprit. There are sunbeds just ahead of the mast, while the helm stations on the quarters seem to float above the deck.

Accommodation runs to two large double cabins and a triple with a fold-down berth, supported by up to three crew. But the layout is flexible. The second boat will feature a hard bimini extending aft from the coachroof to cover part of the cockpit. Its helm stations have been simplified and brought further inboard, leaving clearer side decks.

And it will also have a hybrid diesel-electric drive. The first boat will be launched at the end of the year, the second in 2026.

Baltic 107

It was big news when performance yacht builder Baltic revealed its first multihull order last year. Berret-Racoupeau’s 33m low profile design includes a flybridge and a full-beam bathing platform aft as well as cabins for eight guests.

But the performance is what makes this boat stand out: pivoting centreboards, a huge sail area and high-tech lay-up in carbon Corecell sandwich. Since we last covered it, moulding is now complete in line with delivery in summer 2027. “With bulkheads installed, the two hulls have been released from their tooling and connected together via the wet deck midsection,” said Baltic’s Henry Hawkins.

“Further structural members will now be installed as well as the commencement of system and interior fit-out. We continue to receive enquiries regarding the boat and potential future catamaran projects.”

Kinetic K6

Kinetic Catamarans, builders of performance voyaging cats the KC54 and KC62, is launching a formidable-looking new K6 range. It will be officially announced at the Cannes Yachting Festival this September, but we have the exclusive preview after speaking with founder Bob Hayward and veteran boatbuilder Leon Scheepers.

K6 comprises a new 63 and a 67, the former is for private use, designed to fit into a 20m berth, the latter is more aimed at sailing with pro crew. This US-based brand builds semi-bespoke high-end carbon fibre cats from its yard in Kynsna, South Africa, which is currently completing an expansion and redevelopment, to help accommodate the new K6 range and more larger models to come.

Cannes will be the first time its yachts are available to view at a show in Europe, a key market having sold four KC54s here now.

Together with design partners Simonis Voogd, Kinetic specialises in clean lines and prefers not to have daggerboards sticking out through the decks. “We’re staying with centreboards as it’s a system that works very well,” Hayward explains.

Controlled by line drivers, these are contained below the floorboards. “Our yachts are world cruisers, so if you hit something like a coral head, a weak fuse allows it to automatically ride-up. Replace the fuse and you’re back sailing in 20 minutes,” he adds, having tested the theory on his own KC62 in the Pacific.

The powerful sail plans are offered with slab-reefing or in-boom furling. Opting for a push-button controlled mainsheet and traveller plus furling sails makes the 63 manageable short-handed. Note, the traveller is led to the coachroof, which takes significant structural engineering, but keeps the aft cockpit free for a leisure zone.

A luxurious forward cockpit sees sunbeds built into the deck and a retractable awning above. Kinetic won’t do a flybridge, but its forward helm stations are key for its owners, close to the sail controls. The K6 also has twin exterior wheels on distinct mezzanine levels for optimum visibility.

Superyacht vibes continue with a wide fold-down swim platform, carbon davits that fold out of the roof supports and bulwark side doors. The port hull offers a full owner’s suite, including an office, with its own private access aft. These are 48V powered yachts, including the aircon and refrigeration, and use Integral E-drives delivering up to 15kW each into the house batteries bank.

Stay tuned for more to come in the next couple of years from this maturing brand.

HH80

If there does happen to be anyone left out there still thinking cats don’t look cool, then perhaps show them a picture of the HH80. This bang-up-to-date Morrelli & Melvin turbo cat might be the only beast out there to get near a Gunboat 80’s performance. A carbon epoxy build with prepeg boards, it has a 30m-high mast and is capable of hull flying. Can you imagine that?

HH says it has the lowest boom in class for a low centre of effort and fast, smooth ride. While the light displacement figure is not given and will depend on interior fitout, a generous cruising payload weight of up to 40 tonnes is presented. HH has some form at this supersize level too, having delivered the HH88 two years ago.

It’s since been flat-out building its latest range, the new 44s, 52s and 56 to come. The HH80 appearance is all curves and muscle, from the reverse bows to sculpted sections of the coachroof, which help fashion forward and aft cockpits. Below that glass-look roof is a multitude of solar panels (around 11kW) on the carbon superstructure.

A self-tacking jib could be controlled by a captive winch for more short-handed operation, and M&M’s predictions are it could offer sparkling cruising ability with 250+ mile days possible in just 12 knots breeze! The design affords real space to the forward cockpit, with the winches and sail handling set well forward at the start of the longeron.

Walking through the sliding doors from there to the main saloon must be like entering the Starship Enterprise (you can almost hear the ‘swoosh’ noise of the doors). At 79ft, it offers the most space and speed available without falling into restrictive big yacht coding.

The HH80 is designed to suit six to eight guests with space for two to three crew in dedicated accommodation.

Balance 750

Balance is a US/South African brand/build which has really created momentum since its 2013 inception with a range of refreshing performance voyaging cats packed with practical and original thinking. And now it’s gone big, with a new flagship 750 that launched in Cape Town earlier this year, named Some Day. Balance claims it will redefine luxury and speed.

The company is named so for good reason, aiming to hit that balance of speed and agility using fine hulls with daggerboards paired with airy, modern comfort. The 750 adds a liberal sprinkling of luxury into the mix. This is also the first Balance with a forward cockpit, linked to the saloon via a waterproof door.

Offering another relaxation zone, this also houses the primary winches at the mast base, so the boat can be trimmed from forward or controlled from either aft helm. We particularly like the inboard station Balance has designed, allowing its swing wheel VersaHelm to cant to a fully protected steering position.

A powerfully rigged yacht, the 750 is controlled using a full hydraulic system, including rams in the boom, mast, beams, and captive winches. This promotes short-handed use, so two or three hands can sail and operate the yacht. It’s also a sleek-looking design by Anton Du Toit, with low hulls and roof.

A flybridge is an option, and Some Day has an in between ‘flylounge’ to give some sunlounger space between the solar field. The interior shows how the UK’s Design Unlimited is one of the world’s best at combining superyacht glam with lightweight materials. Furniture is all foam cored styled with wood veneers, in accommodation laid out with four or five cabins with or without crew quarters.

The hulls, deck and structure are foam cored too, keeping displacement to 32 tonnes. Infused E-glass is predominantly used for noise insulation, while there’s also plenty of carbon reinforcement in high-load areas and bulkheads.

Persico Cat 72

Construction work on this 72ft speed project by Persico Marine has continued since 2023 behind a veil – until January this year, that is. The finished hull was revealed in a series of images which show just how narrow its twin hulls are, and how they are allied to a low-profile superstructure.

An enormous longeron dominates the forward half of the boat, which wastes no weight in fripperies such as foredecks. Underlining the performance potential of this 21.5 tonne Morrelli & Melvin project, American Magic has ‘come on board’, with sea trials and fine-tuning of the boat, shifting to the team’s base in Pensacola, Florida.

Persico promises it will ‘push the yacht to its limits’. And those limits look to be pretty far out, thanks to a full set of foils that are designed to keep the hulls flying just above the water. There are rake-controlled righting-moment foils (RMFoils) over 7m in length, daggerboards for leeway control, and T-rudders with rake control. The whole set-up is integrated with Gomboc’s Flight Control System, which manages the foil angles of attack.

Expectations are that the RMFoil is beneficial from wind speeds of around 9 knots and allows the yacht to skim at 20 knots in just 13 knots of true wind. Persico reports that the system will automatically lower the flight of the boat and manage speeds according to the owner’s preference.

Nonetheless, a crew of at least three is required to sail with a choice of two exterior helm stations or a protected interior wheel, which gives access to mainsail management and all flight controls. The yacht has a pared-back, modern interior from Design Unlimited.

And despite potential speeds of up to 40 knots, Persico describes it as possessing ‘the comfort of a cruising vessel’. The coachroof is studded with 2kW of solar panels and the yacht features electric boats propulsion.

Supercats – Size & some speed

McConaghy Sapphire Plus MC & Panther

While it built its name on its high-performance and record-breaking maxi monohulls, McConaghy has proved that it can build anything, from AC40s and their hydrogen chase boats to a deep-sea submersible. It’s also no stranger to multihulls, including its largest craft to date, the sensational, futuristic 42.5m trimaran Adastra, which launched 10 years ago. Latterly, it’s really honed in on the large cruising multihull market, with its MC range of sailing cats.

These Jason Ker designs, with their signature flybridge-mounted aft helms, began with the MC50 in 2018, and grew to include last year’s spectacular launch, the MC75 Jack. Such has been the interest in these large cats that McConaghy has recently conceived two full new ranges: a Panther line of electric hybrid yachts from 48-68ft and a Sapphire range of super spacious supercats from 70-115ft. Both are, of course, carbon builds, the forte of this yard.

The Sapphire range looks to be going after more of the Sunreef space race market, albeit with distinctly more sailing focus. Despite Sapphires aiming to offer ‘the largest interior volume in the world relative to their size’, they should still sail well. The yard predicts they’ll be able to average speeds in the teens – in 20 knots the S80 should reach at almost 14 knots, and could even hit 20 knots on its day. Now that would be a sight!

Retractable composite centreboards drop 5m down from the hull at the push of a button to help offer pointing ability, while sail handling systems use advanced push-button technology to make operation by a small crew easy. In terms of comfort, these highly voluminous yachts won’t be lacking. A hard bimini covers both the forward and aft cockpits, while the side windows can open out at the push of a button.

Vaan R8

An aluminium supercat. After all, it’s the material of choice for the majority of monohull superyachts. Vaan has been quietly making a name for itself as a specialist in luxury aluminium multihulls with a focus on greener building. Its 40ft R4 and 50ft R5 have proved its use of recycled and fully recyclable aluminium as a viable material for its semi-bespoke electric powered yachts.

Our full review of the R5 follows next month, but suffice to say when you board this yacht and appreciate the finish quality and particularly the natural light the huge coachroof windows bring (thanks to the stiff structure), it’s easy to picture the appeal of scaling up the design. Reassuringly, the naval architecture is once again by fellow Dutch firm Dykstra, world-class superyacht designers.

Vaan likes to keep the boom low for performance, so no flybridge on the R8. There is, however, an internal helm, linking to a forward cockpit, and when you combine these with the saloon and aft cockpit, it equates to formidable single-level living space.

Siting the galley down to starboard amidships will also emphasise this space. And it’s designed like a superyacht, so the crew quarters forward link to the galley, mess and the bridge. Elsewhere, there’s space for five guest suites, but another benefit of aluminium is that each yacht is built to order so layout can be adaptable to suit.

Equally, aft helms or benches can be chosen, a crane, davits, swim platform etc. The R8 will be powered by two electric engines with two diesel range extenders and a 100kWh battery bank. Displacement is predicted to be between 35-40 tonnes. Construction of the R6 is due to start later this year and Vaan has several serious prospects for this R8, a project born from demand, founder Igor Kluin confides.

JFA 87

French yard JFA has been working with fast cruising monohull and multihull expert Marc Lombard on a successor to its 85ft sailing catamaran for a couple of years, and the new design is now well in build. Measuring 87ft LOA, it has an extended flybridge, featuring a new navigation station, a sheltered bar and a large saloon, with solar panels on the hardtop.

Franck Darnet’s interior uses the 11m beam to deliver a huge social space flush with the cockpit, and a wonderful owner’s cabin forward at deck level. The aluminium hull has been completed and was recently married with the glass-epoxy composite deck, allowing interior systems to start going in.

Cabinetry is already taking shape. The US-based owner plans to sail round the world with a family of four.

Lagoon Eighty 2

We featured this yacht in our Cannes show preview last issue, where it will be making it’s world debut this autumn. The hull design comes just below the 24m mark in terms of class, making the boat an attractive candidate for charter, just like its 77ft predecessor.

Key features of the new model include a large 50m2 flybridge with a hard-top and optional Jacuzzi, plus a wide lifting bathing platform that extends the flexible cockpit space. Accommodation is designed for eight guests, where the centrepiece is the owner’s suite with its drop-down balcony.

Loose furniture that can be specified by the owner is a new feature, creating much greater customisation potential. And the hull is made of 40% bio-sourced resin, with a lower carbon footprint.

Megacats – Supersized space

Sunreef 43

Moulding the hulls for this sailing cat was completed back in February and constituted the largest one-shot infusion project in the world, according to Sunreef. Flybridge and bimini mouldings are also complete, with work well under way on the interior systems of this 140ft ‘supercat’.

The hulls alone account for 1,700m2 of composite surface and will be embedded with part of the 250m2 of third-generation ‘solar skin’, capable of generating 60kW of electrics. It can be stored in the huge 1MWh battery system – a bank that can propel the yacht under silent electric power for 12 hours, or guarantee night after night of silent operation at anchor.

A regenerative propulsion system allows the yacht to make electricity while sailing. The 43 Eco should sail too, with speeds well into double figures. But the real draw is the enormous volume and open deck space. Highlights include the giant flybridge with a spa pool, flexible lounging dining space with a bar on the main deck level and the beach club with fold-down side platforms.

There’s accommodation for up to 12 guests and we expect a generous forward owner’s suite with prime views. Three boats have already been sold!

Echo Yachts 58m

Dubbed the ‘Adventure Sailing Catamaran’, this true megacat promises to be the world’s largest luxury sailing cat when completed. And Australian shipbuilder Echo Yachts has experience here, having already built a 56m powered cat and an 84m trimaran.

This all-aluminium, full-custom build features a twin DynaRig sail system. Designed by Dykstra Naval Architects in collaboration with One2three Naval Architects, the yacht is engineered to manage the complex structural loads unique to sailing catamarans. It incorporates dual shaft generators that harvest energy from trawling controllable-pitch propellers, and a battery storage system that ensures emissions-free operation and extends range while under sail.

Sunreef 35 Eco

Never one to slacken the pace, Sunreef also announced the sale of a new 35 Eco sailing cat late last year. The 115ft boat is being built in the UAE and is slated for delivery in 2028.

Like all Sunreefs, it will feature a huge solar array for renewable power, as well as vast outdoor spaces, including a 100m2 flybridge with a plunge pool. Accommodation is for up to 10, with a master cabin dominating the forward section of the superstructure and filling the full 14.7m beam.

Its bathroom includes a tub positioned with fine views out through deep glazing and freestanding his ‘n’ hers basins in limestone-effect composite. The saloon includes an elegant bar running down the starboard side and the yacht represents a new level of interior finish for Sunreef. An ‘ocean lounge’ is formed by a combination of the aft platform and the fold-down side wings, reached down a few teak wood-lined steps from the aft cockpit lounge area. catamarans-lagoon.com

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Local dinghy classes tend to evolve to suit the particular conditions of the waters they sail in, and the Patí Català catamarans are unique to their Barcelona birthplace. The catamaran is a development of the simple twin-hulled platforms that Spanish fisherman would paddle out to check their nets in the late 1800s.

In 1942 two brothers from Catalonia added wooden spars and battenless mainsails to their boats and the sailing class was born. Often referred to as ‘skates’, the flat-bottomed Patí boats have no rudder, daggerboard, or foils of any kind, meaning they can be comfortably dragged across the sand of the Barceloneta and Badalona beaches.

They’re also exceptionally quick to rig, allowing locals to race the class in their lunchtime breaks before popping back to work (racing is held five days a week, first gun at noon). However, while the design may be simple in construction, they are complex to sail, relying on the sailor’s skill in body weight positioning, sail trim and rig adjustment to manoeuvre.

Dani Pich sailed his Patí Català solo around the Isle of Wight in July. Photo: Tim Jeffreys Photography

Single mould design

The Patí Català is a strict one-design. So strict that not only must each boat meet the minimum weight of 89kg, but all bar a handful of boats are built using the same mould, as Spanish sailor Dani Pich explained.

Pich was showing me his modified Patí Català, which he went on to sail around the Isle of Wight solo on Thursday 24 July, in 13 hours and 8 minutes.

“They are all handmade near Barcelona. To make the hulls, we use what is called the cow. We call it the cow because when you put in the plywood, you stack it, and you have to clamp it.

“Then you have to go underneath and to tighten it the movement is as if you were milking a cow. Since 1970, all the Patí Catalàns have been made with this cow, except for maybe fewer than 20.”

Up close, the Patí hulls are surprisingly pretty, skilfully crafted from different woods to give different levels of structural stiffness in key areas.

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“The plywood is okoume. They are all tropical woods. The soft one, the yellow, is called ayous, it’s the one that permits the twist and the flex. And the one that is darker is called samanguila. That is a variation of the oak, and it’s very strong,” explains Pich.

The twin hulls are connected by five wooden crossbeams, known as racks or benches, which sailors use to traverse the boats and to move their body weight forward and aft depending on conditions. Weight is key – each racing boat has a minimum hull weight of 89kg and competitive sailors will sand their boats down to ensure they are as close as possible to the class minimum (if individual boats come in too light they must carry corrector weights).

Patí Català sailing off Barcelona during the America’s Cup. Photo: Ian Roman/America’s Cup

Custom build

Eight years ago Barcelona sailor Pich lost his sight when a fire extinguisher exploded aboard the gas ship he was working on as a merchant seaman. He is now totally blind.

Pich learned to sail as a child, starting in the Optimist dinghy before moving to the Laser (now ILCA) single-hander, though he never fell in love with racing. For him, the lure of sailing was more about the challenge of ocean crossings, and in his late teens he moved into sailing larger yachts, crossing the Mediterranean and Atlantic before building a career at sea.

Waterproof box housing a processor that converts wind data to a ‘clock’ direction system. Photo: Tim Jeffreys Photography

He first experimented with sailing the local Patí Català when he was 16. “At first I thought this was too complicated for me. But after a summer when I had the opportunity to train a lot with it, I found it spectacular,” he recalls.

After his accident, Pich struggled to return to the sport he loved. He tried some ‘accessible’ sailing programs in Spain and was left feeling degraded by the experience. “It was ‘Sit here, sit there’. I felt like a package they were moving around, and giving me orders. And I was supposed to be thankful for the opportunity.”

Pich demonstrating how he uses foot placement and body weight during a tack. Photo: Tim Jeffreys Photography

Despite their complexity, the only option for him to sail autonomously was to sail a Patí, out of a local Barcelona city club. “It meant that I could leave my house and go by public transport, and not require many more people to do this. I could go by myself,” he explains.

“I knew the club. And I thought, well, I know this is a difficult way to start. But the club were the only ones that said, ‘Okay, let’s try it.’”

Initially Pich was required to sail with another person aboard his Patí, so it was stiffened to carry the additional crew and the hull now weighs in at 150kg. However, the reinforced structure also helped Pich’s boat stand up to the short Solent chop during his single-handed sail around the Isle of Wight.

The ‘piano’ area of sail and rig controls. The cut-out notches both reduce weight and act as extra foot grips when hiking. Photo: Tim Jeffreys Photography

“This is the only Patí that you can be sailing in 15 knots upwind, with two people hiking, and it doesn’t break. Normally, when you start to heel, the bow wants to fall down, and the aft end wants to fall down. So the bits that suffer are the first and the fifth benches. And they break, bam! After the third time I broke the benches, I said, enough is enough – we’re going to build from scratch a boat completely reinforced, so I don’t have this problem.

“I built it myself with the woodmaker. So I know everything about it, how it is made, the wood thicknesses. Because I thought that if I had to do some repairs I should know my own boat.”

Rig and controls

With no rudder, the primary controls on the Patí Català are rig adjustments, mainsheet and shifting of body weight.

“You start sitting in the neutral position,” explains Pich, indicating between the third and fourth cross-beam. “So how we can control the boat is with our weight moving to the bow or to the aft. If we go to the bow, the boat goes upwind. When we go to the aft, we sail a lower course. You can do this in five knots of wind without touching anything. But when it starts to blow harder, if you don’t trim the sail, you cannot.”

Pich uses ropes of different diameter so he knows which control line is which. Photo: Tim Jeffreys Photography

To initiate and exit a tack, Patí sailors stand, using their body weight to drive the boat into a turn and swinging against the sail as it loads up in a fluid, acrobatic movement. Pich has added a solid panel between the forward cross-beams to allow him to more safely cross the boat without sight of his foot placement.

Besides the mainsheet and sail controls, there are also control lines that allow the sailor to adjust rig shape underway. “I can make the mast like a ‘C’,” explains Pich. “There are two ropes going from inside the mast to outside. I can bring on the front stay, but I’m not pulling the mast forward. I am just pulling from three quarters of the mast, to the front. So I can flatten the sail and twist the outer part of the leech.

“We call it like the gears of the car. You start with first, then second, third. So you start completely open, with the wind on the sail starting the power of the boat. When you feel the boat is starting to run, you go into first gear, put a little bit [of rig tension] on, then a bit more. And every time, then you have to trim the sail.”

Stripes of non-slip padding allow Pich to orient himself along the side decks and five racks. Photo: Tim Jeffreys Photography

Because the boat has no boom, the Cunningham is heavily used to pull down the mainsail. A stainless steel metal beam aft is the traveller, and also counter-balances the weight of the mast forward.

Sailing by feel

Despite its complexity, Pich says the wooden construction of the Patí gives a lot more feedback to him as a blind sailor than a glassfibre boat such as his Laser dinghy. “We say that this boat, you sail it by feelings. The wood talks a lot. The sound that it makes is incredible. You can know many things about what’s happening on board just by hearing the boat.”

Pich says the plywood Patí Català gives a lot more feedback to him as a blind sailor than a glassfibre boat would. Photo: Tim Jeffreys Photography

“Every time I broke the boat in any way, I was the first to know it – more than anyone who has sight. The sound completely changes. There is a new sound that enters the puzzle.”

There are two other unique items on Pich’s boat: a wind sensor and a black electronics box. These read wind data which is then communicated to Pich through a special custom-made vibrating vest created by a Catalan startup company called White Jacket.

The vest has two strips around Pich’s torso, and 12 small vibration motors connected to a battery. The first strip feeds Pich information on his course, using the circle of a clock – so 12 o’clock is at his front and means dead ahead. The lower strip connects to the data from the wind sensor, and gives Pich true wind angle.

“I’ve got the two vectors; course over the ground and the wind angle. So then it’s trying to do some magic!” explains Pich, who calculates the course to steer in his head and by feel.

Pich only began working with White Jacket in April, and they want to develop the vest technology further to include heading guidance. This would also make the vest more of an accessibility tool for less experienced sailors than Pich.

The vest components are housed inside a silicone tube, with IP68 connectors for waterproofing. However, during Pich’s around the island bid in July his vest began overheating and he went on to complete most of the circumnavigation by feel, with his team on the support RIB communicating information on tide, waves and obstructions.

Pich also uses other cues such as the sun. “I cannot see light, but I can feel the heat. So for example, if I am reaching and I am on starboard tack, the sun is on my right. And I can feel it on my face. I know from the movement of the sun that is going from east to west, and knowing my latitude, I can orientate myself. But this is what I’d like to show people: that because we are blind, we’re not stupid. We can do things.

“Do you know how complex it is to fry an egg without seeing? It is hundreds of times more complex than sailing!”

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post How a blind sailor raced this unique rudderless catamaran around the Isle of Wight appeared first on Yachting World.