From the Editor
A last-minute dash for provisions for a race is one thing; a new mast and rebuild another . . .

COVER STORY
On the Wind
Alex Thomson tells of his despair when a fishing boat holed his Vendée Globe racer just weeks before the start; a man loses his life in a classic regatta; new announcements in the America’s Cup

COVER STORY
Express ride to Cape Town
Records tumble as the Volvo Ocean racers dash to Cape Town
The Walrus
Concentrates on the basics of life – pants
Letters
Why carrying a gun on board is not a good idea; high cost of cruising
Robin Knox-Johnston
Corinthian sailors still want their own solo transatlantic – for the challenge
A moment in The Times
Ellen MacArthur’s round the world record was 71 days of torture for her
GEAR
Intriguing hybrid electric drive; fold-up tender; performance instruments
Digital definition
Do we really need High Definition and Super HD digital radar? asks Toby Hodges
Leading Edge
Muscle boost for racing sailors
Yachts
Featuring the boatbuilders of Maine, who have a tradition of building sturdy offshore boats
On test: Swan 66/Bordeaux 60
Two 60-footers with very different values. Swan return to their roots with their ‘performance cruising solution’ and the Bénéteau Group offer this fast cruiser from their semi-custom arm
Uniquely chic in St Tropez
Nowhere do you come across such an eclectic mix of classic and modern yachts as at Les Voiles de St Tropez. And people-watching becomes as important as the racing

COVER STORY
Giant ambition
130ft long and with a sail area of one square kilometre, the giant trimaran Banque Populaire V has been built to smash records. Elaine Bunting went for a white-knuckle ride

Cruising
Diceman’s voyage – passage planning by the throw of a dice; clothing made of bamboo; how to cruise the world for nothing

COVER STORY
Into the danger zone
Is the Pacific coast of Colombia safe? It seemed so until Clark Beek narrowly missed being taken hostage by guerillas . . .

Great Seamanship
Going at a rater knots! – capturing the thrill of sailing a fast 40-rater in the late 19th Century

COVER STORY
Performance World Extra
A bumper edition of our racing pages, covering the hugely popular first world championship for the Laser SB3 in Ireland; a bite size guide to the new racing rules; luffing – when it’s wrong to be in the right; Boat of the Month: the First 40; plus Pace Notes for the Sydney Hobart Race

Supersail
A Wally, but not as we know it – the new 148ft Saudade is no glorified daysailer, but a serious attempt at a long-distance passagemaker. Plus the 100ft Mrs Seven from Southern Wind

Yachts for sale
Classified ads
One Amazing Day
RYA youth coach Jim Saltonstall remembers when Britain won its first youth Gold medal in 1983