The reluctant hero
Who is Francis Joyon, the quiet Frenchman who has wiped 14 days of Ellen MacArthur’s solo round the world record? Elaine Bunting finds out

On the Wind
The London Boat Show was more of a spectacle than expected, but for boats, go to Düsseldorf; Lulworth returns to
. . . Lulworth; Ben Ainslie wins Olympic berth despite being “rusty” in the Finn; awards for Golding and Knox-Johnston

Walrus
Is facial hair vital in a boat tester?

Robin Knox-Johnston
An incident in the Clipper Race proved how vital is the man overboard drill

Moment in The Times
Edward Gorman was at the start of the ‘greatest show on earth’ but where was sole British contestant Tony Bullimore?

Gear at ExCel
Seen at London Boat Show: gaming-quality chart plotter; nautical cinema; Crocs meet Sharx; a host of AIS units

Ships in your sights
See and be seen by all the ships in your vicinity. That’s what AIS (Automatic Identification System) can do for you. David Pugh investigates.
PLUS: competition to win a Comar AIS Class B transponder

Leading Edge
An electronic strain gauge to help set up your rig

Yachts
High-speed push-button dayboat; high-calibre Gunboat; Mischief replica. Plus: all the new boats seen at the London Boat show

European Yacht of the Year 2008
Winners and runners-up in this prestigious award were announced at Düsseldorf. Between them David Pugh and Matthew Sheahan sailed them all
Channel hop in SolOceans speedster
Matthew Sheahan took just four hours to cross the Channel in the prototype of a new 50-footer designed for solo racing round the world

Remaking the legend
The three-masted schooner Atlantic held the Atlantic record under skipper Charlie Barr for 75 years. Now a new version is being built in Holland

Cruising
Government’s new E-Borders scheme could jeopardise our sailing freedom; a solo Atlantic crossing by plane and boat; Pete Goss is off on a Mystery adventure

Summer in the Skagerrak
Intricate island passages, sheltered sounds and hidden anchorages provide a feast of cruising in Sweden and Norway for Peter Cumberlidge

Great Seamanship
Psychological assessment of a solo sailor

Performance World
Laser treatment: Matthew Sheahan relearns how to sail a Laser from Olympic star Paul Goodison; barging at the start with rules expert John Doerr

Going for Gold
Patience and performance are the keys to success

Supersail
Superyachts limber up for the Atlantic in Antigua; specialist race management for superyachts; Big Class yachts head back to Britain