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Leader
How times have changed since the first sailors fought their way through the Southern Ocean

On the wind
British America’s Cup bid is announced, with Ian Walker as skipper. Plus first hand accounts from The Race and the Vendée Globe and news from the London Boat Show

Letters to the Editor
Why should these thoughtless ocean racers put Australia’s rescue services at risk? Plus Robin Knox-Johnston is called to task over Rule 5 of COLREG

Dogwatch
John Passmore goes for the simple life with his choice of new boat, a Cornish Shrimper

The toughest challenge yet
BT Global Challenge crews arrive in Wellington afire with enthusiasm for the close racing and exhilarating sailing of the third leg of this amateur round the world race. Plus: Tim Thomas reports on the making of a Cape Horner

Heroes of the South
Never before have so many yachtsmen rushed to cross that most inhospitable of seas, the Southern Ocean – once you could count the adventurers on one hand. In this celebration of those pioneers who have braved the high winds and relentless seas at the bottom of the world, we look at their achievements and find out what it is that attracts sailors to punish themselves and their boats in the deep south

Cruising Log
RCC and OCC cruising awards recognise true adventurers of all ages, a gentle rally to the Azores is organised and introducing Mission Antarctica, helping to clean up the icecap

Letter from the Caribbean
Chris Doyle reports on the colourful life of the Caribbean where the National Guard can be called in to paint the town and a man can claim his own island kingdom

Fishtales
Rothmans was first over the line at the 1990 Sydney-Hobart but she did not appear on the honours list . . .

Firefly
If the summer won’t come to us we’ll have to go to the summer. Firming up plans for Firefly’s first big cruise

Racing Round-up
We report on a Sydney-Hobart that many thought was as bad as the infamous 1998 race; British golden girls in the ISAF Youth Worlds and Blyth’s new race for Open 60s

Xtreme sailing
Round the world veteran Jean-Luc van den Heede has a new aluminium boat for a record attempt

Leading Edge
Why should the young lightweights have all the fun in the new dinghies? Here’s one for the ‘mature’ sailor

Offshore Essentials
Open ocean sailing is not like hopping across the Channel so give some thought to your sail handling set-up with help from Brian Savage and Colleen Ryan

Showtime
The editorial team scours the halls of Paris and London boat shows to find the most interesting new boats and gear for this year

On test
It comes to something when the builders of a boat ring up after the test worried about how fast their boat had sailed. But then the Farr 395 is no ordinary performance cruiser

A vintage charter
Photographer Malcolm White samples a hedonist’s holiday of ‘cruising, snoozing and boozing’ aboard the luxurious 104ft sloop La Mer Sereine. The wine flowed and the crew made sure guests did not have to lift a finger but the weather held the trump card when it came to ‘cruising’

SuperSail
David Glenn reports from Boot Düsseldorf’s gigantic new superyacht hall on the latest new yachts over 100ft. Plus: sailing tenders for superyachts and Shamrock V’s launch

Yachts for sale
Yachts galore in our brokerage pages

Classified ads
Winter bargains and summer charters

Robin Knox-Johnston
Rescues at sea are well publicised but what happens to the boats left behind on the high seas? Robin looks at the thorny question of salvage

 
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