From the Editor
In a country so risk-averse that you can’t even cut your own trees without training, it’s amazing to read about the hard men at the bow of the VO70s, who take their life in their hands every day

On the Wind
Should the VO70s be scrapped after the Volvo Ocean Race? – some think they’re just too dangerous. Plus: a new round the world race for aspiring pros and amateurs; keel trouble halts the Clipper race in the Philippines; police charge to attend Cowes Week; and we preview the Rolex Antigua Sailing Week

The Walrus
Nothing goes to windward like a 747, but nothing goes across the Southern Ocean like an Antonov. It seems the Volvo yachts will soon qualify for air miles

Letters
Wind farms and yachts can happily share the seas; when is a foremain not a foremain?; and the joys of flotilla sailing

Robin Knox-Johnston
When will the BBC stop messing with the Shipping Forecast? complains Robin. Now they’ve gone and changed the theme music – they’ve obviously never tried to get a signal in mid-Atlantic

Gear
A wheel that isn’t round; non-drip jerrycans; walk-proof customised solar panels; silent electric outboards; and super-slippery antifouling

The alchemy of sailcloth
Finding sailcloth materials that work together is like turning base metals into gold. David Pugh investigates the art of creating the perfect sails for your performance cruiser

Leading Edge
The British Olympic squad goes mental in its attempt to find that extra edge – how psychological as well as physical training is stretching competitors

Yachts
A new range of high-tech cruiser-racers from Dubai; Minis to maxis – the prolific output of designers Berret-Racoupeau; plus a round up of what’s new at the world’s no 1 show in Düsseldorf

On test: a new class of cruiser-racer?
Is 37 the new 30? As average size increases, 37ft seems to be the new ideal for that hybrid creature, the cruiser-racer. David Pugh tests the Australian Sydney 39 CR, the American C&C 115, along with two Europeans, the Grand Soleil 37 and X-37

Exposed! Life at the sharp end
Is this the most unenviable job in sailing? Matthew Sheahan speaks to the danger men of the Volvo Ocean Race, the bowmen, who take the brunt of what the Southern Ocean can throw at them. They say they love it, but the fear of injury is never far away

Dock around the clock
The sailors may be the rock stars, but the shore crew are the roadies, who must toil night and day to get the Volvo boats to the next start line. But some teams have much longer job lists than others . . .

A friend in need
Who will come to their aid should one of the Volvo boats get into difficulties in the Southern Ocean? It is most likely to be a fellow competitor, as history proves

Life of a low
A Southern Ocean low pressure system is quite unlike a Northern Hemisphere depression and the conditions it produces much more fearsome. Elaine Bunting describes how modern sailors walk the tightrope of navigating through this vast hostile area

High life in the French Caribbean
Imagine taking a test-sail of your new yacht in the archipelago around Guadeloupe. A new charter operation from Nautor’s Swan allows you to try out one of their superb high-end yachts – with a view to buy. David Glenn loves the yacht and the cruising, but doesn’t get his cheque book out this time

Cruising
Catamaran rescue off Mexico – the true story; Northabout’s Arctic double wins the Blue Water Medal; Sardinia drops tax plans. Plus: A helping hand – cruisers who decide to give something back in aid to the communities they visit

Great Seamanship
Rite of passage. When rookie owner Michael Frost had to sail off a lee shore in his oyster smack Boadicea, with the eyes of the local oystermen on him, he knew he had something to prove if his reputation among these hard-bitten seamen
was not to suffer

Racing
Boisterous season opener at a star-studded Key West; what’s the point? First impressions of the new Olympic scoring system in action; will they, won’t they wear a skirt? Will America’s Cup teams use their new boats this year?

Inside Alinghi
Alinghi’s new boat will be ready in May, but in the meantime the team is in physical training in the snow in Switzerland

SuperSail
New thinking for a sporty 118-footer from the design board
of Berret-Racoupeau includes the ingenious use of glass; the lovely Adèle spawns some new orders; and Cape Town builders Southern Wind produce four racy 100-footers

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Last Word
New guy on the block Solomon Dipeere talks about how his life changed when he was asked to join Shosholoza