From the Editor
A host of big events in the offing this season, from Cowes to the Vendée

On the Wind
Quarter tonners have a blast in Cowes as this revitalised class evokes a past era; arrested for possession of a sailing knife; we say farewell to Peter Milne, designer and ex-Technical Editor of Yachting World, who died in May

Back seat driver
Formula One star Lewis Hamilton is for once in the passenger seat as he joins Alex Thomson’s Open 60 Hugo Boss for the Round the Island Race

Walrus
Wacky Races meets the America’s Cup

Letters
No substitute for paper charts; ‘powered’ records; whales in danger

Robin Knox-Johnston
How to seal your spurling pipe

Moment in The Times
When Team NZ’s mast came down in 2003, breaking the heart of a nation

Gear
‘Exquisite’ portable radio; lifejacket with PLB; screw-on bow thruster

Leading Edge
Poo power! Pig manure and the excretions of bugs could provide the fuel of the future

Yachts
A new pilot cutter that is a delight to sail and
a ‘single-level’ cruiser from Greg Elliott

On Test: Bénéteau First 45/Elan 450
On the face of it these two performance cruisers are similar, but only one is truly revolutionary . . .

On shore
Style at Skandia Cowes Week in our fashion pages

Olympic 08 special
Britain’s Gold rush? Our best chance yet for a haul of medals at Qingdao in China. Andy Rice reports from the British camp
Ill wind for the Tornado Last chance for the Olympic multihull to show its pedigree
Body language How two very different athletes get to the peak of fitness
Ben Ainslie: Great British Winner Is the Finn sailor taking on the mantle of a Steven Redgrave or a Matthew Pincent?
Who to watch in Qingdao Medal favourites

Going for Gold
Last-minute madness hits some teams

Elegant sufficiency
Sailing the first new Swan 90 in Palma – a synthesis of leading-edge engineering and timeless Scandinavian values

Cruising
A worrying new harbour law in prospect; Egypt halts cruising rally; people in the news

Round the world in a nutshell
A 9ft boat round the world? Must be mad! But there are plenty willing to try it

Great Seamanship
Finding his way. OSTAR navigation a generation ago with Geoffrey Williams on Sir Thomas Lipton

Supersail
Focus on the Superyacht Cup Palma 2008

Performance World
Quarterly special of our racing section including:
Winning at Cowes Tips from last year’s winners, important changes at the regatta and
Top 10 clangers at Cowes Regular mistakes and how to avoid them
Plus Boat of the Month: Mean Machine; Rules: obstruction, with complications; tuning an SB3

One Amazing Day
Sarah Ayton remembers her day of Olympic glory