Ex-president Barack Obama was all smiles after successfully learning to kiteboard in the BVI’s Gorda Sound — for which he scores big points in our book. © 2017 Jack Brockway / Virgin.com More »

In the January 18 ‘Lectronic Latitude, we asked the following quiz question: ‘What is the official maritime rule most often broken by sailors?’ Somewhat to our surprise, almost everyone who responded — and there must have been more than 100 — got it right. More »

Svea, the longest J Class yacht ever, has been completed for a Northern California owner. She is now in Amsterdam about to undergo sea trials.  © 2017 Vitters Svea, which at 143 feet is the largest J Class yacht ever built, has been completed by Vitters of Zwartsluis, Netherlands, and has just arrived in Amsterdam, reports SuperYacht Times. More »

Cruiser Jim Van Cleve of Kalokalo, type of boat and hailing port unknown, was attacked by two men while anchored off Suva, Fiji, at 11 p.m. on January 25. According to reports from people on boats near Kalokalo, two men armed with at least one cane knife confronted Van Cleve in the cockpit and then attacked him. More »

Francis Joyon (far right) and his crew (left to right: Sébastien Audigane, Gwénolé Gahinet, Alex Pella, Clément Surtel and Bernard Stamm) celebrated their arrival in Brest yesterday. © 2017 Jean-Marie Liot / DPPI After Thomas Coville shattered the solo round-the-world record, and a Vendée Globe in which Armel Le Cléac’h and Alex Thomson both finished several days under the record for a solo monohull to circumnavigate the globe, it was with bated breath that we followed IDEC Sport’s attempt at the Trophée Jules Verne record. More »

The Hughes 42 Feet, the object of the Wanderer’s boat lust.  Richard
©2017Latitude 38 Media, LLC Already the owner of 3.5 boats — the 63-ft cat Profligate in Mexico and California, the 45-ft Leopard 45 cat ‘ti Profligate in Antigua/St. More »

Perhaps the white shell on the ‘chisel’ of the Rocna anchor reduced the anchor’s holding power.  Quixotic
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC We got a laugh out of this photo by Lewis Allen of the Redwood City-based Voyager 43 catamaran Quixotic, which is currently in New Zealand. More »

Bill Lee’s 1977 68-ft sled Merlin has been racing in the Santa Cruz Yacht Club Midwinter Series this season. © 2017 Richard Linkemyer In October, when last we left the saga of Merlin’s homecoming to Santa Cruz, she had just had her new keel attached and her rig stepped, and she’d been splashed. More »

Peter Johnstone, the founder and former owner of Gunboat Catamarans, reports that Rainmaker, hull #1 of the Gunboat 55 series, is getting a refit. A total refit. Rainmaker, hull #1 of the Gunboat 55 series, is apparently about to get a complete refit in the UK.  More »

Jack van Ommen wants his family, friends and many fans not to be overly concerned about what looks like a perilous situation for him and his Gig Harbor, Washington-based Naja 30 Fleetwood. More »