Sail Magazine

by Adam Cort

Adam Cort is SAIL’s executive editor. He lives and sails in the Boston area.

Hallberg-Rassy 372

by Adam Cort, Posted June 24, 2012

In his famous novella Typhoon, sailor and author Joseph Conrad pokes fun at a character named Capt. MacWhirr who is obsessed with the quality of the door handles on the steamer Nan-Shan.

It’s funny how quickly things that once seemed revolutionary can become the norm. Created by Farr Yacht Design and BMW Group DesignworksUSA, the Bavaria Cruiser 36 comes standard with an in-mast furling main, fixed hull ports to help light the interior and a sturdy drop-down swim transom.

Groupama Wins VOR Leg 8

by Adam Cort, Posted June 15, 2012

France's Groupama staged a dramatic comeback to win Leg 8 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Lisbon, Portugal, to Lorient, France

Clear and Simple AIS

by Adam Cort, Posted June 13, 2012

Vesper Marine’s WatchMate Vision Class B AIS transponder is a self-contained AIS transceiver with a built-in GPS and a Wi-Fi hub that allows iPhone and iPad users to remotely access AIS info from anywhere on the boat.

Rock-Steady Night Vision

by Adam Cort, Posted June 12, 2012

Like its predecessors, the FLIR M618CS night-vision scope’s ability to create thermal images by discerning miniscule changes in the temperature is quite astounding.

Good Thing in a Small Package

by Adam Cort, Posted June 11, 2012

Standard Horizon’s HX-300 handheld VHF offers a lot of radio in a small floating package, making it a good example of a product in which less is more.

SOS in the Digital Age

by Adam Cort, Posted June 11, 2012

Like GPS, the emergency position-indicating radio beacons, or EPIRBs, that first came to market in the 1980s seemed nothing less than a miracle. But that didn’t stop manufacturers from continuing to refine them in an effort to make them that much more effective.

Satellite Weather Reports

by Adam Cort, Posted June 8, 2012

SiriusXM Satellite Radio now provides marine forecast information that can be received via select chartplotters from Lowrance, Furuno, Raymarine and Simrad. Sailors can access a similar service from XM Weather using Garmin’s GXM system.

A Personal Rescue Beacon

by Adam Cort, Posted June 8, 2012

ACR’s ResQLink personal locator beacon weighs just 5.4oz, measures 4.5in long, and features an integrated 66-channel GPS, which allows it to include a position fix in the digital 406MHz distress message it sends to rescuers via the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite constellations.

World Match Race Tour Comes to Chicago

by Adam Cort, Posted June 7, 2012

For the first time since it became a major pro series with serious cash prizes, the Alpari World Match Racing Tour will be coming to the United States. The five-day Chicago Match Cup regatta will be held in mid-July.