YOU always take risks at sea - but most long distance sailors try to minllnise them; they check out their boat, gain as much experience as possible, and always watch the weather. Having done our homework, we felt we were ready. We trusted the seagoing capabilities of our 10 metre yacht Nehan and sailed thousands of ocean miles in the previous eight years. But, of course, there are some things you simply can't prepare for.

Which one's for you? BoatsExplained.com explains the differences.

ACK in the early nineteen hundreds, when auxiliary power was just starting to catch on for sailing yachts, designers worked on a simple rule of thumb: one horse-power per ton. A 35 footer would probably have a 6hp petrol motor, while a 45 footer might warrant a 12. For big yachts, the ratio was often even lower.