It was almost 30 years ago that one of my earliest sailing dreams was realised – to sail in the Caribbean. Together with another Royal Naval Sailing Association member, we chartered a yacht and spent 2 weeks cruising in the Virgin Islands. At the time it was seen as a “once in a lifetime” experience. Never for one moment did I dream that one day I would return – let alone sail there in my own yacht. It was therefore with a certain amount of trepidation that we set sail from St Martin bound fo ..... more

It may have only been a short 80 mile hop from St Kitts to St Martin, but if felt like we had sailed into a different world. As we closed in towards the anchorage at Simson Baai, we left the normal Caribbean far behind us and entered a fantasy world populated by those more commonly seen gracing the covers of the world’s glamour magazines. Joining a long queue of super yachts at the anchorage waiting to pass under the lifting bridge, we were left to ponder the conundrum that whilst the rest ..... more

The 2011 season may have started late – Cosmic Dancer was still in the shed at the end of May long after most yachts had been re launched – but we still managed to cram an awful lot into the remaining 7 months. As we toasted in the New Year we were able to look back on what has been a vintage sailing season. Our log shows us having covered 6,360 miles, during the course of which we completed 2-handed crossings of the North Sea, English Channel, Bay of Biscay, and the Atlantic. 4 new cruising ..... more