Whats Going On With Sailmakers?

During our recent cruises through boat shows and seminars, we were surprised that changes in sailmaking are occurring as rapidly as consolidations in the...

Are Masts Getting Too Skinny, Too Fragile?

Dear Editor: Some time ago you published a letter from a marine surveyor who said he’d seen three boats whose masts failed when sailing...

Consider The Self-Tending Jib

During the 1960s, the CCA (Cruising Club of America) rating rule promoted boats with large mainsails and smaller foretriangles. Despite the fact that many...

Offshore Log: Rigged For Downwind

A cruising boat has for downwind sailing much the same hardware as a racing boat. The only difference is that the cruising boat is...

Harken Boasts Best Overall Quality Among Backstay Adjusters

In these times when everyone seems interested in tight tacking angles, a taut forestay is the ticket to ride. And to create a...

Sail Track Lubes: Slide-All Lasts Longest

Whether fitted with slides and shackles on a metal track or plastic slugs in a mast slot, mainsails can be difficult to hoist or...

Top 10 Products for 1999

Choosing the best gear for sailboats isn't easy. But at Practical Sailor were used to doing just that. The job is easiest when empirical...

Offshore Log: A New Sail Inventory

PS readers sometimes comment on our seemingly profligate ways: trying one thing, getting rid of it if it doesn’t perform perfectly, replacing with something...

A Foolproof (and Simple) Way to Set Jib Leads

An excellent, surprisingly simple way to set jib leads is to use jib luff telltales as a guide. This technique applies to all types...

PS Advisor

Dutchman vs. Lazy JacksIm in the market for some kind of sail flaking system and need advice. Have you compared the lazy jack method...

Jeanneau’s New Rule Breaking Sailboat – Sun Odyssey 350 Boat Review

Are you interested in a 30 to 36 foot cruising sailboat? Shopping for a Jeanneau Sailboat? The new Sun Odyssey 350 replaces the wildly...
X Yachts X43 Sailboat Tour video from Practical Sailor

X Yachts X43 Sailboat Tour

Latest Sailboat Review

Island Packet 350 Used Boat Review

The current tally of Island Packets—"More than 1,800 sold"—is impressive for any boatbuilding company. Just over 20 years ago the first boats in the...