Behind every great woman . . .
Ellen MacArthur is always generous in her acknowledgement of the strength of her backing team, Offshore Challenges, a company she heads up jointly with Mark Turner, himself no mean competitive sailor. But who are Offshore Challenges, apart from a highly professional and successful sailing management team (Nick Moloney and Sam Davis are also part of the team)? And what is their vision of the future of the sport of sailing at this high octane level?

Irens in the fire
Another key element in the success of Ellen?s record-breaking feat was the man behind the design of B&Q, Nigel Irens, the thinking man?s yacht designer. Nigel?s talents, though, go far beyond the realms of high-tech racing multihulls; he has also designed gaffers and cruising monohulls. We talk to him about B&Q and take a look at some of his other boats

The Huisman legacy
Wolter Huisman, who died earlier this year, was a remarkable man whose great yachts have charted the rise and rise of the sailing superyacht. Originally a builder of aluminium cruising and racing yachts, including both Flyers, the Whitbread winners, he rapidly expanded to fulfil the demand of designers and owners for bigger and bigger superyachts and his last creation, the grand-daddy of them all was the mighty Athena. David Glenn looks back at a lifetime?s achievements

Plus
Another record about to fall? Orange 2 and the world fully crewed record