Mark Pillsbury

Newport

Writer and Editor at Freelance

Editor at Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors

I'm editor of Cruising World magazine and get to read tons of great sailing stories every day.

Featured in: Favicon

cruisingworld.com Favicon

sailingworld.com Favicon

maineboats.com Favicon

yachtingmagazine.com Favicon

greatlakesscuttlebutt.com

Articles

Reading, Writing, and Outboards

1 week ago | buff.ly | Mark Pillsbury

This winter, a group of students at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, Maine, are spending a couple of hours every other school day taking apart outboard motors, learning about marine electrical systems, and getting an inkling of what it’s like to work in a boatyard. The idea, of course, is that one day, after finishing high school, at least some of them will find a place somewhere in Maine’s sprawling marine sector.
J/40 Reborn: A Legendary Cruiser Reinvented for a New Generation

1 month ago | cruisingworld.com | Mark Pillsbury

Like father, like son. In 1984, J/Boats launched its first cruising sailboat, the J/40, designed by company founder Rod Johnstone. Right out of the box, it was named Best Domestic Cruiser by our sister publication, Sailing World (Cruising World had not yet launched a Boat of the Year program of its own). That boat had a 10-year production run, with 86 hulls launched.
A Greener Machine: Windelo 54 Boat Review

2 months ago | cruisingworld.com | Mark Pillsbury

When French businessman and sailor Olivier Kauffmann decided that it was time to buy a multihull and sail around the world with his family, his search for the right boat came up empty. Instead, he founded catamaran company Windelo and opened a shipyard in Canet-en-Roussillon, France, in 2018 with his son, Gautier, now the company’s operations manager.
Moody DS48: A Stylish Liveaboard Cruiser with Serious Sailing Chops

Mar 10, 2025 | cruisingworld.com | Mark Pillsbury

When Moody, a division of Germany’s Hanse Yachts, introduced its first Decksaloon model—a 45-footer designed by Bill Dixon—in 2009, it ushered in a look that has since been reflected across the brand’s 41- to 54-foot lineup, including the newest model, the Moody DS48.
Boat Review: Hallberg-Rassy 57

Feb 19, 2025 | cruisingworld.com | Mark Pillsbury

Packed with redundant systems, an enormous 24-volt lithium battery bank and generator to feed it, a high-output watermaker, practical and elegant accommodations below for owner and crew, and tankage enough for more than a 1,000-mile cruising range, the Hallberg-Rassy 57 was by far the most striking long-range voyager to be found among 2024’s Boat of the Year entries. It’s a beauty of a sailboat.
Cruising World On Board: Catana Bali 5.8

Dec 15, 2024 | cruisingworld.com | Mark Pillsbury

Discover the Bali 5.8, a revolutionary luxury catamaran that redefines maritime elegance with its innovative design and seamless indoor-outdoor living experience. Featuring a large tilting door, spacious flybridge, and expansive windows, this vessel transforms sailing into an extraordinary journey of comfort and panoramic beauty.
The Leopard 46 Leaps Into the Hybrid World

Dec 15, 2024 | cruisingworld.com | Mark Pillsbury

With its new 46-footer, Leopard Catamarans has launched a sporty and stylish sailing vessel that also stakes out some significant turf in the evolving realm of auxiliary hybrid propulsion. Built by Robertson and Caine, the Simonis Voogd-designed Leopard 46 reflects the DNA of its 45-foot predecessor—fine sailing performance and solid construction—but includes a lot of versatility in terms of options for gear, systems and layouts.
Sailboat Review: Hallberg-Rassy 40C

Oct 15, 2024 | cruisingworld.com | Mark Pillsbury

Built in Orust, Sweden, to withstand the harsh conditions of the North Sea, Hallberg-Rassy yachts over the years have tended to pull at the heartstrings of Cruising World’s Boat of the Year judges, mine included. So it came as no surprise that when I stepped aboard the HR 40C at last year’s Annapolis Sailboat Show, I was instantly smitten.
Gear Test: Electric Motors for Dinghy Engines

Aug 30, 2024 | greatlakesscuttlebutt.com | Mark Pillsbury

Published: Friday, August 30, 2024 9:00 am By: Mark Pillsbury Looking for an alternative to your dinghy's gas engine? These three self-contained electric motors will get the job done. When I tell friends that I’m going off sailing, really, I should add, “and motoring,” because that’s what I’ll be doing with our dinghy to reach our sailboat out on its mooring.
Chartering Tahiti: A Party in Paradise

Aug 6, 2024 | cruisingworld.com | Mark Pillsbury

Oh, my God,” the local kids shouted and giggled. One by one, they jumped into the water from the side of a concrete boat ramp and came to the surface, repeating what they had just heard us say as we did the same thing to cool off after a long afternoon of chart and boat briefings at The Moorings charter base on Raiatea, a gem of a destination in the Leeward Islands of French Polynesia. From the water, I watched their mothers chatting the late Sunday afternoon away in the shade of a stand of trees.