Seahorse Sailing Magazine

27/05/2026

Allen's blocks are moving on up from Moths to Cape 31s and even Imoca 60s, with a two-tonne max working load.

From its humble 1950s beginnings by two brothers in a garden shed, Allen has always set its sights on quality and performance. Over the years, the company has built a strong reputation for small boat blocks and hardware, specialising in high-speed, high-load products that over the past decade became the go-to among top Olympic and Moth campaigners.


To read the full brief... https://www.seahorsemagazine.com/article/june-2026/scaled-up-to-keelboat-siz

15/05/2026

Spinlock’s Rig Sense Pro brings a higher level of reliability to larger boats.

Until electronic strain gauges entered the leisure marine world, setting up a yacht’s standing rigging was more art than science. While the dinghy and small keelboat scene had basic mechanical devices for measuring static loads in wire shrouds, bending the wire and seeing how it deflected a simple metal indicator didn’t translate well to bigger diameter wires, let alone rods.


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Seahorse Magazine

13/05/2026

From a strong start to the game-changing innovations it is developing today, Rondal has never shied away from challenges regardless of scale.

Anniversaries are best when there’s a success story to celebrate, as is the case for components specialist Rondal. Five decades on, the company remains firmly established in its niche, and continues to redefine what is possible. Here, we look back at Rondal’s history and key milestones, and consider what lies ahead for a business that refuses to rest on its laurels.


To read the full brief... https://www.seahorsemagazine.com/article/may-2026/rondal-at-50-half-a-century-devoted-to-ultimate-reliability

11/05/2026

McConaghy Boats and Mc1SPARS are building a new Botin 41… a true dual purpose inshore-offshore raceboat with a mission to win the next Admiral’s Cup

The popularity of the revised edition of the Admiral’s Cup last year has ignited new enthusiasm for true dual-purpose race boats. Not dual-purpose in the sense of being racer/cruisers but being capable and competitive at both inshore and offshore racing. The last few decades have seen a bifurcation in this regard, with the advent and popularity of big boat one-design classes and box-ruled designs racing around buoys for a few hours in daylight. By contrast, for those who wish to race offshore there have not been many available options to choose from among proper raceboats without having to customise their build for this purpose.


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Seahorse Magazine

09/05/2026

Hempel is using sophisticated research and modelling techniques to reduce the frictional drag of antifouling. The results speak for themselves

The elegance of sailing comes from the simple physics made available by nature to help propel the boat through water by optimising the balance of lift and drag forces exerted on the boat. Better performance occurs whenever clever design can reduce drag forces, which for non-foiling boats are always a factor for hull and appendage surfaces.


To read the full brief... https://www.seahorsemagazine.com/article/may-2026/the-need-for-speed-sustainably

08/05/2026

It is surely more than exciting that there will 15 or 16 different boats racing during this 52 Super Series season – and yet the standard looks set to be as high as it ever has been. Yes, some teams expect to do only a few selected events, but they are there testing the water in advance of a full season as soon as 2027.

Once again this year’s programmes will kick off at full speed in Puerto Portals, Mallorca following training out of Valencia for Alegre, Provezza, the new Brazilian team of Caballo Loco, the French duo Paprec and Teasing Machine, while rivals No Way Back, Gladiator, Platoon and Alkedo have all been warming up in Palma.


To read the full brief... https://www.seahorsemagazine.com/article/may-2026/still-growing-like-topsy

07/05/2026

Balance Catamarans is replacing its most successful model with a new one, resdesigned throughout. The Balance 540 has a tough act to follow…

'The 540 will not only improve upon the famed performance of our legendary 526, which it replaces,’ says Balance Catamarans founder and president Phil Berman, ‘but, based on our preliminary polars, she’ll be the fastest model we’ve ever built. Add to that there are significant improvements in her interior design and liveability, and a marked increase in volume and luxury throughout, and the 540 will be a dramatic evolution of our 526.’


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Seahorse Magazine

05/05/2026

Elvstrøm Sails A/S has discovered that Technora fibres and thermoset resins are a winning combination in the quest to improve its sailcloth materials.

Advances in sailcloth design and fabrication would seem to be a mature technology, given the great leaps made in the past few decades from relying on assembled panels cut from rolled goods to being able to optimise the films and fibres in places where they are needed on a sail. Many variations on which materials to use and how best to do this assembly have been developed by various sailmakers, with varying degrees of success across a wide variety of applications.


To read the full brief... https://www.seahorsemagazine.com/article/may-2026/strength-and-stability

03/05/2026

After 15 years of physical and culinary endurance as an ocean racer, Giulio Bertelli founded Akta, a company that is serious about offshore nutrition

The human performance of a sailor can be looked at from many perspectives through the centuries. This has led me to develop freeze-dried meals for sailing, with high culinary value. Garments and tools we use on board are always changing but a splash of cold salty water hitting your face will always feel the same, just as lying in a wet bunk, cold, exhausted and with a thousand calories of food in your belly ready to fuel you again and again just a couple of hours later.


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Seahorse Magazine

02/05/2026

This month's nominees are ready for your vote!
All the details about the nominees and to vote here... https://www.seahorsemagazine.com/sailor-of-the-month
Voting closes Monday 18th Mayl!!!

Dubarry of Ireland Musto Harken Derm
New Zealand International Optimist Dinghy Association
Haroldo Solberg J/70 International Class Association

01/05/2026

New owner. Major investment. Fresh ideas. New product lines. Bold strategic moves. On the 60th anniversary of the iconic brand, its leaders share deep insights into their vision and ambitions

These are interesting times at Nautor Swan. First the acquisition of the company, by Sanlorenzo in 2024, delivered a tenfold increase in financial clout and economy of scale. To follow that, a relaunch in North America. Then a major expansion of product lines, with Nautor Swan stepping boldly into segments of the sailing yacht market beyond its traditional niche.


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Seahorse Magazine