Solo sailor and top helmsman Brian Thompson shares his magic touch with us for a new series
Elaine Bunting
Scotland’s stunning sailing
The west coast of Scotland can't be beaten. It has some the finest seascapes on earth
Mike Birch is back
One of the first pioneers of the ocean racing multihull plans a return aged 81
Golding going with the wind
Mike Golding talks about plans for the Vendée Globe next year with a new sponsor
Race rescues at full stretch
Coastguard and RNLI stretched to handle 75 incidents during the Round the Island Race
Boisterous conditions forecast for Round the Island
Building south-westerly winds will make it a bumpy ride for the 1,908 yachts racing round the Isle of Wight tomorrow, but small yachts may be favoured
Chart shows ‘imaginary island’
Can you help us find out if the rogue island on this Navionics chart is on other software versions?
Exorbitant marinas
What's the world's costliest marina? Can you top €600 for five nights?
Hitting the bricks
It's not always easy avoiding those sticky-uppy bits of the chart...
Happy birthday Contessa 32
The evergreen modern classic is 40 years old and still in production
A 65ft family cruiser?
I test the Hallberg-Rassy 64, the company's most complex yacht to date yet still aimed at couples
Dynastic duo
Ocean racing legend Ross Field and his son Campbell are to race round the world together
Sam’s solo demo
Britain's youngest solo hopeful Sam Goodchild makes it look easy
iPad 2: a cheap all-rounder?
If the iPad 2 is any use as a navigation gadget, it's a no-brainer for boats big and small
Heave ho!
Calling for Huey, driving the porcelain bus...my stab at the world offshore spewing title
Wild Welsh river
A visit to Milford Haven and the upper reaches of Cleddau River is not to be missed
Coastguard ‘needs modernising’
The RYA says its main worry is Coastguard operations' ‘weakness and lack of resilience’
The X factor
The X One Design, 100 years old this year, has matured into one of the world's largest classes
Crew problems?
You just can't get the staff these days, and it seems one never could...
Credit card fraud
Getting ripped off while sailing and travelling abroad is increasingly common - and expensive