We find out why and how a change that will take place across the entire outdoor clothing market is going to affect the sailing kit you wear in the future as we head north to Henri Lloyd's base in Manchester at the heart of what was once known as 'Cottonopolis.' This city is where modern clothing manufacturing for the world began and while Henri Lloyd didn't start that revolution, its roots are firmly planted here reinforcing its position as world leaders in sailing clothing. The big change that will effect everyone who heads outside is that new regulations are set to ban a type of chemical, polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), that have as been used for decades in the production of waterproof surfaces on clothing. In some countries around the world they have already been be banned while elsewhere the move is on its way. So, Matt Sheahan finds out what it means and why the biggest move in outdoor apparel has been so challenging

When teams set out on a solo race to the Arctic Circle and back all of them knew that they would be venturing into new territory. No one had ever taken an IMOCA this far north, alone. They all knew the history of an event that had been derailed from its original objectives on both previous occasions by the weather. And all of them knew that the tactical challenges would push them hard. yet no one had predicted the emotional roller coaster that the entire fleet found itself enduring. From the front to the back there were highs and lows, storms, flat calms, penalties and heartbreak, all in just eight days. The racing went sown to the wire in one of the most dramatic finishes the IMOCA fleet has seen. As he stepped ashore Macif Santé Prévoyance skipper Sam Goodchild described the race as the most intense he had done. In our third feature on this outstanding race, we look at how the second half of the 3,500nm race played out. Plus, in this episode we have another helping of Docktalk.

The start of the Vendée Arctique may have been a quiet affair when the fleet set off from les Sables d'Olonne on Sunday 7 June, but it didn't take long for the pain, stress, sea sickness and breakdowns to start. Racing to the Arctic Circle and back alone, on a course where the only turning point is the latitude that defines this infamous point on the globe, has seen the fleet head up the west coast of Ireland before breaking out into unfamiliar territory for all. And there has been at least one heroic act along the way as Italian sailor Ambrogio Beccaria was forced to dive down to the bottom of his keel to free his boat after getting trapped - the footage is remarkable and his nerve breathtaking. We report on the first half of this incredible race, plus we talk to skipper Francesca Clapcich about her unconventional approach to reaching her ultimate goal.

Taking 60ft carbon fibre grand prix machines further north than Cape Horn is south is an ambitious plan. So ambitious, that on both of the previous attempts the Vendée Arctique race course had to be modified. But the challenge of racing 60ft carbon machines so far north is giving a cult status to this race while also making it a must do event for skippers looking towards a lap of the planet in the big one, the Vendée Globe. Matt Sheahan heads to the start of the Vendée Arctique in the infamous town of les Sables d'Olonne on the west coast of France to talk to skippers and find out how and why they are setting up for the big race to the north.

With only four teams able to race and then a match race between two for the opening day in the Big Apple, the New York stage of SailGP opened with chaos and uncertainty for the spectators and teams alike. When racing did get underway there were heart stopping moments that led to big questions being asked once again about the 2026 SailGP season. Here's how the racing panned out and what it all boiled down to as Matt Sheahan reviews Event 6 in New York.

They might have been involved in major grand prix offshore racers before, but getting Gitana 18 up onto her foils for the first time was a very big deal for the team. This is a project that is pushing at the boundaries at the most extreme end of the sport and could well define the next generation of deep ocean foiling machines. So when Gitana 18 lifted onto her foils, albeit just on port tack, heads turned. Here's what it looked like. Plus, we talk exclusively to one of the key players on the design team Sebastien Sainson about where the project is, what happens next and what the thinking was behind their very unusual interior.

While the first event of the 38th America's Cup cycle was eagerly awaited, no one dared hope that it would be this good. But over five days the Sardinian town of Cagliari delivered a superb event culminating in a final day that few, if anyone, had anticipated. Matt Sheahan was there and reports on a day of action in Luna Rossa's home town.

A second day for Cup racing in perfect conditions as the fleet heads towards the 38th America's Cup

What a spectacular day. 15-20 knots of breeze with a sea state that challenged everyone and provided drama right to the end. Plus, close competition with lead changes and crosses that had everyone on the edge of their seats and a performance from one team in particular that says a great deal about how this Cup cycle could see a change of guard. Matt Sheahan reviews the opening day in Cagliari, an event that marks the start of the 38th America's Cup cycle and also talks to sailing rock star Ken Read, the boss of one of the latest teams to enter.

The racing hasn't even started yet but the big questions have been coming all day. Among them, what state is the British America's Cup team GB1 in following their very public spat with former backer Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS? The biggest question of all is who owns the AC75 and does the British team have an AC75 to race at the next America's Cup? In an exclusive interview with team principal Sir Ben Ainslie Matt Sheahan asks the key questions on the eve of the first Preliminary event in Cagliari and gets direct answers to this and several other key questions.

Not all the teams are here, no one is sailing their 75ft Cup boat and this isn’t where the 38th America’s Cup will be contested. So why is the first Preliminary event in the Sardinian town of Cagliary so important? On the eve of the practice racing Matt Sheahan heads south to find out and considers why this event is important for the teams and how it might shake up the 38th America’s Cup. And once you’re in the picture as to why this event is so important, check out Yacht Racing Life’s latest feature with the British AC team based on an exclusive interview from the cyclor turned flight controller turned driver, Ben Cornish, it’s well worth a read. https://www.yachtracinglife.com/from-cyclor-to-helmsman-gb1s-ben-cornish-on-his-big-career-break-in-cagliari/?ref=members-newsletter

It's been one of the big stories of the year already and it's not even flying yet. Gitana 18 is an extraordinary project that looks set to take offshore foiling onto another level. It's a massively complex boat and yet its greatest strength is that it builds on the considerable experience that this team has created over the last two decades. And then there's their skipper, Charles Caudrelier who says it's frustrating to be limited to 30 knots during testing and that it can also be scary at these speeds if you're not flying. Matt Sheahan speaks face to face with Caudrelier aboard Gitana 18 to find out how the programme is going and how the team is working up this giant beast of a boat.

Being last to enter an America’s Cup cycle is never a good look, but the Australian entry could be different. History suggests that winning the America’s Cup is about painstaking preparation, a well established team on shore and afloat, lots of money and a long runway to the match. At least that’s how its been for a very long time. But now the latest team to enter the 38th Cup has none of these and while it’s tempting to consider the Australians as outsiders because of this, there’s also a case for making an exception. Team Australia is not like other Cup teams, as Matt Sheahan explains. But whatever the outcome, the other thing that’s significant about the Australian announcement is that it takes the total number of Challengers to the biggest we’ve seen since the heady days of Valencia for the 32nd America’s Cup in 2007. And given the current climate, both financially and globally, that’s pretty impressive. So, here’s our take on the latest Cup news.

After a wild and erratic start to the season, Bermuda provided the conditions SailGP needed. Matt Sheahan reviews how the racing played out, which teams advanced, and why the results mattered.

After a wild and erratic start to the season Bermuda provided the perfect setting for the latest event in Season 6. Matt Sheahan reviews how the racing played out, which teams advanced, and why the results mattered.

The next Vendée Globe may not be until 2028 but there is no doubt that the cycle for the next solo non-stop race around the world has started already. In the first of several exclusive reports from the heart of the offshore scene, Matt Sheahan talks to Sam Goodchild, the new jockey for MACIF, the team that won the last Vendée Globe.

The next Vendée Globe may not be until 2028 but there is no doubt that the cycle for the next solo non-stop race around the world has started already. From new builds to new teams and reconfigurations, the IMOCA scene is buzzing already. The 1000 Race is the first of the new cycle, so we headed to Brittany to find out what's in store for the 2026 season. In the first of several exclusive reports from the heart of the offshore scene, Matt Sheahan talks to Sam Goodchild, the new jockey for MACIF, the team that won the last Vendée Globe.

There had been a stony silence from the Swiss America's Cup team for months, nothing on their website, nothing on their social media channels and barely any rumours, at least not ones we could broadcast. But now going under the name of Tudor Team Alinghi, the cat's fully out of the bag and the Swiss are back in the Cup with a slimmed down but strong team that suggests a very different approach this time around. The French have opened their doors to show off their Cup team too. For many this was a strong team in the making at the last Cup in Barcelona and their impressive performances in SailGP has frequently confirmed that this is a team that's thinking smart and learning fast. We talk to both teams directly as their news broke to find out what they have planned for an America's Cup cycle with a desperately short runway.

Turbulent times. It's a complicated phase for the America's Cup as the prospect of new teams build the excitement for Naples, while talk of legal issues threaten to drag the Cup back. For SailGP the prospect of close racing at a new exotic and former Olympic venue was scuppered when the weather decided not to show, but offshore the story was different as the Globe 40 fleet completed its lap of the planet and the Ocean Race Atlantic put the final piece of the puzzle in place. Matt Sheahan reports on a turbulent week.

Their latest build has been a secret one, until now. The plans for their next new build appears to take the company way outside its normal area. We head to the yard in Ipswich to find out why Spirit Yachts' next new launch could be its boldest yet.