I was asked recently to create a list of the most popular web sites about sailing. At first I accepted the assignment thinking that it was a piece of cake, but I regretted just few moments after acceptance. I found it very demanding and ungrateful at the same time because sailing is more than just a sport and it is popular globally. Therefore we could discuss the most popular sailing web sites country-wise, while international or global sailing sites have to be put in some categories.
According to my personal preferences I would like to share with you some of my favorites.
Sites about sailing, yachting and boating in general would be internet news-portals or internet versions of popular sailing magazines such as:
- www.sail-world.com – covering major points of sailing sports news, along with social networks and interactive contents
- www.sailmagazine.com – oriented to the sailing boats, equipment, cruising and similar interests
- www.sailinganarchy.com – gives the choice of news from sailing world, from sporting news to novelties and interesting facts related to either sailing sport or hobby/leisure
There are loads of sites created as tool or interactive help for skippers and sailors. The most useful would be those providing detailed weather forecasts, while there are some of them which would be useful when planning a route:
- www.yr.no – norvegian weather forecast web site, providing pretty reliable information for various sites and sailing areas
If we consider sailing just as a sport, the task to pick up the most popular sites does not become any easier. Still, not all of competition formats attract my attention equally, so here is my choice:
- www.sailing.org – the official web site of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF)
- www.americascup.com – the official web site of the America’s cup, the oldest international sporting trophy
- www.volvooceanrace.com – the official web site of one of the most popular round-the-world sailing races for teams
- www.vendeeglobe.org – the official web site of the round-the-world single-handed yacht race
- www.extremesailingseries.com – the official web site of the international inshore racing circuit, very similar to the Formula 1 format
At the end of the day, almost all of us are fans of some team in some sport. The same applies to the sailing sport, where teams are being gathered from race to race, from format to format etc. Some of them last for years while others rely on the sponsor’s generosity. However, my favorites in several formats would be the guys from New Zealand, or the popular kiwis Emirates Team New Zealand.
Almost all mentioned above, as well as many others, could be followed through interactive platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and other social media applications.
It would be highly appreciated if you provided us with your lists of favorite sailing web sites and portals. Thank you in advance!
I wish you a calm sea, a fine wind and a strong mast!
That’s really an informative post. I appreciate your skills. Thanks for sharing such a nice post.
Dank voor een ander groot bericht. Waar anders zou iedereen krijgen dat soort info in zo’n een ideale manier van schrijven? ik heb een presentatie volgende week, en ik ben op zoek voor deze informatie .