From the Editor
It’s a miracle no Volvo boats were seriously damaged on Leg 4 . Now bigger, faster multihulls are heading for the same stretch of ocean
On the wind
Tracy Edwards seeks ‘5 million to support her all-girl Jules Verne record attempt while two French maxi-multihulls race south. Plus gossip from Syndicate Alley in Auckland and a new Open 60 for Grant Dalton’s brother Graham for the Around Alone single-handed race
Preece comment
Amid all the rumour of secrets offered for sale, are there really any secrets still unknown about the America’s Cup-winning design NZL60?
Dogwatch
When gale-bound in harbour, a boat without a table feels bare indeed
Letters to the Editor
The ups and downs of sailing as a career, defending the deck saloon design for tropical cruising and more on racing rules for restored classics
Countdown to the Cup
The view from Auckland on the latest Cup shenanigans which threaten to make dockside gossip more interesting than racing out on the water36 Weighing in for America’s Cup
On the face of it, the America’s Cup International Regatta was a last chance for defender and challengers to square up to each other before the America’s Cup final in a year’s time. But was there more going on here than the close racing would suggest? asks Matthew Sheahan
Leading Edge
Forget keels, the race-winning developments at this America’s Cup are up there for all to see – in the rigs
Cruising Log
Weather is the theme of this new-look Log as we bid farewell to Finisterre and find out that more hurricanes are forecast over the next few years. Plus favourite April’s Fool stories we have read – and published
Cruising Log special: Tristan da Cunha
The remotest inhabited island in the world, this South Atlantic outpost supports a wonderfully settled community, reports Andy Dare
Letter from the South Pacific
Brian Savage and Colleen Ryan visit the rich red island of New Caledonia which has the second largest barrier reef in the world
The classics detective
Brian Pope of Ocean Yacht Company in Cornwall can spot a perfect Sparkman & Stephens counter peeping out from an old tarpaulin or trace the lines of a classic Fife in a rotting hulk and has turned a number of wrecks into valuable works of art. David Glenn reports
Fishtales
Herreshoff was an early pioneer of catamarans with his Amaryllis68 One hell of a ride
Hell is the operative word for the Volvo fleet’s heart-in-mouth dash across the Southern Ocean in Leg 4 of the Ocean Race. Huge waves, icebergs, knockdowns and a dismasting made this leg of the race the toughest many crews have ever done
La belle vie in Brittany
There’s something nostalgically reassuring about a cruise to South Brittany. From the bracing seas of Ushant to the wooded creeks of the Morbihan, South Brittany, Peter Cumberlidge anticipated familiar treats, lazy days and unexpected diversions
Global cruising survey
Are the world’s oceans becoming more crowded with cruising boats? Jimmy Cornell conducts an exhaustive survey to find out
Firefly
The Editor’s yacht will be spending a year in the Caribbean so he is signing off his regular column until the two are reunited
What’s New
An affordable nightscope, a mini ISDN satphone, a smart new furling system and a simple anti-rocking device. Honda BF2 outboard tested
New Yachts