Contents: September 2004

Yachting World

With much modern technology, it often seems the manual is bigger than the product...

  • From the Editor
    With much modern technology, it often seems the manual is bigger than the product itself! Is it time to put the fun back into sailing?

  • On the wind
    Tracy Edwards under threat of debt proceedings, Ellen MacArthur just misses out on an Atlantic record, duel to the ?death? at Cork Week, plus 1939 classic Whooper?s victory in the Round the Island

  • Mongoose
    The Snake is no more ? long live the Mongoose! The new name for our newest columnist

  • Letters to the Editor
    Mirabella ? a super-sailer? a diver is rescued; were Sparkman and Stephens ?too conservative??

  • Robin Knox-Johnston
    Robin describes a delivery trip to Liverpool on board one of his latest projects ? a steam tug

  • Gear ? a new twist on lifejackets
    A recent study into the turning power of children?s lifejackets by independent researchers in Norway has thrown up some serious safety concerns

  • Leading Edge
    Keel flutter ? the term may sound benign but the results can be lethal. Matthew Sheahan examines a phenomenon of high-tech canting keels that may have already caused one boat to capsize

  • Show business
    Mike Kopman introduces the latest gear and new boats that will grace the stands at this autumn?s Southampton International Boat Show ? from fun and affordable 25-footers to world-girdling 50s

  • Yachts
    The Saga 409 breaks ground in North America, Baltic?s design for the 60, the stylish Solaris 44

  • On test: Trintella 55C
    After a few years in the wilderness, the famous Dutch name is back. Now owned by a British company best known for its refit services, the Trintella 55C is the first of a new range

  • Modern Classics: the Folkboat
    Created 60 years ago by a group of Scandinavian designers, the Folkboat has become one of the most recognisable small cruiser-racers in the world. Jonty Sherwill looks at one of the latest glassfibre versions

  • The BIG test
    We have covered the story of Mirabella, the largest sloop in the world, from her design to her launch a few months ago. But now comes the acid test, when we report on how she actually sails. David Glenn went to the Med to sample a luxury charter

  • The man and the myth ? sailing with Patrick O?Brian
    When Tom Perkins invited Patrick O?Brian to sail aboard his yacht Andromeda la Dea, he was surprised to discover that the celebrated author of sea tales such as Master and Commander, was nowhere near as well acquainted with the sea and boats as you might expect

  • The sailing bug
    You may have been following our rookie sailor Jason Best on the website in his attempt to graduate from landlubber to Round Britain and Ireland crew in a matter of weeks. Now he?s back and brings you the final report on the tribulations of a very green recruit

  • Cruising
    Is there a cure for seasickness?; John Ridgway champions the albatross; a new supercomputer for weather forecasting; and cruising on Lake Malawi

  • Cruising truths?
    Mike Kopman meets up with a group of ARC Europe sailors in the Azores, who debunk some of the common ideas about modern cruising life

  • Great Seamanship
    Finishing lines. Clare Francis was the first woman to enter the OSTAR back in 1976. Not only did she complete the race, but she overcame severe self-steering gear problems with some nifty ropework

  • Racing ? Olympics 2004
    In our ten-page preview of the sailing Olympics in Athens, we talk to medal hopes Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy and Shirley Robertson about the pressures of preparing an Olympic campaign, highlight the names to watch out for in each class and get together two Finn Gold medallists from Olympics 50 years apart

  • Inside track
    No matter how the British team fares in the 2004 Olympics, a new crop of young British talent is up and coming for future Games

  • SuperSail
    Special review of the 90ft Christoffel?s Lighthouse, which was designed for short-handed adventure cruising but was putting in some racing in Antigua

  • Yachts for sale
    1000s of yachts for sale in our brokerage pages

  • Classified ads
    End of season bargains in our classified pages

  • Last word
    Andrew Preece interviews Tracy Edwards