Life at the sharp end
Who are the hardest men in the hardest race? The men who perform acrobatics in impossible conditions of storm force winds, freezing temperatures, decks swept by waist high seas and handle loads of many tons with the finesse of a surgeon? They are the bowmen on the VO70s currently hammering through the Southern Ocean.
What do they do, how do they survive, what kit do they wear and use and what about the safety for the sailors who have been described as ‘the best seamen in the world’? You’ll find out all about life at the sharp end in the April issue of Yachting World

Routeing for victory
Weather routeing and tactics have become central to long-distance racing in the last few years, as modern ocean racing yachts have the ability to outsail weather systems and position themselves in exactly the right place to achieve the highest speeds and shortest distance sailed. Although the Volvo Ocean Race does not permit unlimited outside routeing advice, all the boats are provided with the same data by the organisers and limited access to weather websites so the navigator/tactician plays a key role. We see how it works for these round the world racers

The life of a Southern Ocean low
While the VO70s ride the Southern Ocean low pressure systems like stones skipping across a pond, at the other end of the ocean lone yachtswoman Dee Caffari, sailing Aviva, butts her way through them like Masefield’s dirty British coaster. The only thing they have in common is the same hostile stretch of water. We compare their two very different worlds

PLUS

We bring you up to date on performance cruising sailcloth, charter a Swan in the Caribbean and test the C&C 115, Grand Soleil 37, Sydney 39 and X37.