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December 14, 2011Trimming the Tri-RadialSailmaker Mike Topper explores the tricks and tips of trimming tri-radial symmetric spinnakers. From the May 1982 issue of Yacht Racing/Cruising.
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July 9, 2012From the Archives: Ultimate Metamorphosis of the Open 30Just when the Ultimate 30 class appeared dead, U.S. owners and interested sailors in Europe gave this big dinghy a new lease on life - and a new name. From our February 1991 issue.
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December 14, 2012MC38 One DesignBest Grand-Prix One-Design
Photos by Walter Cooper
The MC38 One Design is a complete, modern grand-prix package, swimming in carbon and composites, and designed to do nothing else but tear around the cans at high-speed. As an excellent build out of McConaghy’s Chinese operation, the MC38, is presented as the upgrade for Farr 40 owners seeking a more contemporary design, and as a more substantial boat for Melges 32 owners that don’t have the athleticism for such a boat. Onboard, the MC38 feels like a lot more boat than either—it’s nearly 12 feet at maximum beam. With a flat deck and an open, uncluttered cockpit, a racing crew can just flow from rail to rail, as quickly as the boat goes into and out of tacks.
There’s a long list of engineering details that may not be immediately obvious says its designer, Harry Dunning, and these are details (such as the deck framing and sprit’s butt-end support) that they carefully engineered to save weight but deliver stiffness. With composite rigging, high-end ropes, a functioning string-take down system for the spinnaker, mast jack, and lots more, the boat is sorted for high-end racing. Developing fleets in Australia, Europe, and Asia are already enjoying close racing.
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June 1, 2011Clipped In
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June 12, 2012I Thought I Would Enjoy This MoreA first-time big boat tactician discovers that it's not nearly as easy or as much fun when everyone else is expecting you to make the right calls.
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September 10, 2012From the Archives: Wave JumpingIn this 'Around the Buoys' article from our January 1997 issue, Morgan Reeser describes how to utilize your planing ability even when the mark is dead downwind.
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March 17, 2013Sperry Top-Sider San Diego NOOD, Day 3A bit of groundhog day at the Sperry Top-Sider San Diego NOOD Regatta: more light winds and challenging conditions, but enough breeze to put two more races on the results sheet. For more images, visit Tim Wilkes Photography
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October 21, 2011Out of the Frying Pan and into the FireAn off day gives the U.S. sailors a chance to spend some time in the one place hotter than a J/24 deck on a light downwind run.
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July 9, 2012Naked AmbitionHoping to convince any doubters that sailors are athletes, too, 2008 gold medalist Anna Tunnicliffe goes sailing in the buff for ESPN the Magazine's annual The Body issue.
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December 11, 2012Dufour 36 PerformanceBest Crossover
Photos by Walter Cooper
For an owner seeking a sharp-looking raceboat to take off on for the weekend, the Dufour 36 Performance, selected as the Boat of the Year's Best Crossover, has everything to make that a reality: The cockpit is set up for racing, and even with an aluminum rig package, the boat was lively and quick. The interior, and even some of the more subtle cruising details, are so well thought out that you quickly forget you're sailing a dual-purpose boat.
There were several strong candidates in the Crossover category, but the Dufour 36 had all the right traits: excellent build, great speed and handling, and a respectable price tag for the quality ($225K). Most definitely, the best value of the fleet, the judges agreed.
