January 2012

From the Editor
Dismastings, lost keels – why are the latest racers looking so fragile?

On the wind
Volvo fleet decimated on leg to Cape Town, plus famous first leg failures; prosecution for “reckless” Solent sailors; the weird design that won the Mini Transat

Letters
Oyster's all ours, say Dubois; not really round the world; reminder of a good read

Laven's Olympics
As crews' training ratchets up, Kate Laven spots the hard workers

Leading Edge
Do joystick docking systems work? Matthew Sheahan has reservations

Robin Knox-Johnston
Classic yacht sailing is keeping the old skills alive

The Walrus
How a liveaboard crew might redesign a minimalist superyacht interior

Gear
Thermal imaging camera; smart chartplotter from Standard Horizon; flying cam
rope gripper; superior wooden boardgame for racing enthusiasts

Gear Focus: the eco-powered yacht
Spanish sailor Javier Sanso intends to sail round the world without using a whiff of diesel for his yacht's engine

Yachts: London Show preview
Just two new yachts for London this year, as big-name builders pull out. Is ExCel not excelling?

On test: Fairlie 55
Better known for their superb restorations of great Fife classics, Fairlie put their expertise into a Spirit of Tradition yacht to their own design

Round the World Legends
The Volvo Legends Regatta, held before the start of the latest Volvo Ocean Race, was a time to enjoy again some of the best moments from 11 past round the world races – all the best pictures and stories

Tough time in the Transat
One boat was holed and one lost her keel, just two of the incidents in a tough Transat Jacques Vabre double-handed race

Cruising
Bumper entry for quirky Jester Challenge; round Britain in an 18-footer

Breaking the unbreakable
How one owner watched his yacht, which was both his home and his business, crash to the ground in a Plymouth yard

Adventure in the ice
New to yachting, Steve Powell wanted the whole adventure, a cruise to the Antarctic in his Oyster 62. Part 2: Uhuru heads south

Great Seamanship
Victorian family adventures. Lady Brassey has a refreshingly matter of fact take on dangers afloat during a circumnavigation in 1876

Performance World
British Soldier's tour of duty. Matthew Sheahan meets a crew of serving soldiers who took a standard production boat on an 11,000-mile racing season

Olympic profile
Is Annie Lush the ham in the sandwich between the two fiercely competitive Macgregor sisters in the Elliott 6m women's match racing class?

SuperSail
Replica Britannia is towed to Cowes for the final act in her long building saga. Plus: Schooner fleet heads for Falmouth – at least six huge schooners signed up for 2012

Yachts for sale

Classified ads

One Amazing Day
RNLI head Paul Boisser gets a taste of lifeboat duty