Leader
Andrew Bray reflects on a spectacle the like of which has never been seen before
A feast of America’s Cup sailing
It was the most wonderful week – 200 of the world’s most spectacular yachts gathered together in Cowes, the birthplace of the ‘oldest sporting trophy’, to celebrate 150 years of America’s Cup racing. The replica of the schooner America, the majestic J Class, the beautiful old classics mingled with famous 12-metres like Australia II and Freedom and modern ACC yachts with their sights on the next Cup in 2003. In this 36-page picture spectacular, we try to give a flavour of the event and its place in history
On the wind
EDS Challenge, Fastnet, Team Adventure’s broken bow
Preece comments
A bird’s eye view of the Jubilee Race Around the Island
Letters to the Editor
Why were the British national press indifferent to the Jubilee?, querying the quality of RYA qualifications and why Mike Golding likes his slippers
Dogwatch
Life without a depth sounder is just great . . .
Gladiators of the Western Solent
As the three J Class yachts, Endeavour, Velsheda and Shamrock V, cross-tacked off Lymington, spectators looked on in awe to see these magnificent yachts racing in British waters for the first time in 65 years
Counting in Twelves
Match racers Russell Coutts and Thierry Peponnet joined classic yachts of yesteryear for the biggest gathering of Twelves the world has ever seen. But this was no demonstration race; it was the hard-fought Prada 12-metre World Championship
Cruising Log
Mixed news on Greek harbour fees, yachtsman under investigation for shooting at a jetski, online reporting service for yachts. Plus: the cost of staying healthy
Letter from the northern isles
Beth Leonard and Evans Starzinger cruise northern Iceland and go for a stroll to the Arctic Circle
Baptism of Firefly
The Editor’s new yacht has her first bluewater keel-wetting across Biscay to Portugal on her way to join the ARC. Andrew Bray describes how she fared
All-action Cowes
A blustery record-breaking Skandia Life Cowes Week took its toll on boats and crew but the lively conditions made for exhilarating sailing among the 1,000-strong fleet. Reports from a variety of classes by Matthew Sheahan, Bob Fisher and others
Childhood magic
Detlef Jens rediscovers the gentle cruising ground of his teenage summers among the peaceful islands along the Baltic coast of Denmark
Fishtales
A lasting memorial to those lost at sea from the fishing port of Brightlingsea
In tune with Tobago
There is something seductive about soca and calypso music that puts you in the right frame of mind to enjoy the Angostura Yachting World Tobago Sail Week, as Tim Thomas reveals
Xtreme Sailing
Sailors are queuing up to sail across the Atlantic in the Mini Transat – and six of them are British
Leading Edge
You’ve heard of seeding clouds to make it rain; what about seeding to disperse clouds altogether?
What’s New
Spectra’s latest watermaker, a new folding prop from Germany and a range of binoculars and nightsights from Nikon. Plus: Brian Savage tests the new Iridium satellite e-mail service
New Yachts
Three Sparkman & Stephens 46-footers, the Spanish Ronautica range and the Hylas 46 at Southampton
On test – Najad 400
The launch of this attractive cruiser with solid good looks and a performance to match marks the completion of Najad’s restyling of their range