For those wondering about all that talk of the “good old days” in the Volvo Ocean Race, there could be no better primer than the recently published Sailing Legends: Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Race 1973-2009, by veteran sailing journalists Bob Fisher and Barry Pickthall.

Cell phones and water don’t mix, which by extension means that cell phones and sailing don’t mix. Although I usually leave my phone belowdecks while I’m actually sailing, I once managed to fall overboard while the boat was sitting happily on its mooring...

A look at the materials and design that go into bluewater foul-weather gear. Catch our September, October and November issue features on bluewater, coastal and dinghy foul-weather gear, and check back here for more information about our favorite picks and the materials they're made of.