From the Editor
Finally, Ben Lexcen has been inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame in New York, 23 years after the dramatic victory of Australia II. But the controversy is still not over

On the Wind
Sunsail Club staff are convicted of gross negligence after the death of a girl trapped in her trapeze harness; dramatic numbers of containers lost from ships in Biscay; who’s on and who’s off – Volvo crew changes at Rio; Dee Caffari on the home stretch – follow her on Google Earth

The Walrus
Heads you lose . . . The Walrus turns to thoughts lavatorial this month

Letters
ExCeL . . . just doesn’t, say our correspondents; hooked on Volvo; amateur yacht festivals threatened

Robin Knox-Johnston
The literature of sailing is rich and varied. It proves every sailor’s voyage is an adventure at some level

Gear
Rucksack-style drybags; clever cleats; a bendy drill bit adaptor; snazzy underwater lighting; plus the latest in plotting and charting software

Broadband on board
Imagine being able to connect to the internet, send e-mail and download pictures on board just as you do at home. With the BGAN satellite network, a revolution in onboard communication is on its way

Leading Edge
Now you can get a real impression of what it’s like to sail a VO70 with a new sailing simulator

Yachts
Frers is into everything – a round-up of the latest projects from the famous design office; introducing the new Malö 37 and Sweden Yachts 40; plus a high-tech classic from Falcon

On test: Bénéteau 34.7 and X-35
The big names go head to head to try to create the supreme 35ft racer. But Matthew Sheahan finds that it’s horses for racecourses when trying to compare

Health warning!
On Legs 3 and 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race broken boats gave way to broken crew as the injury tally mounted among crews trying to tame these ferocious sailing machines. Matthew Sheahan detected relief among the crew on reaching Rio de Janeiro

Two classic races . . . a world apart
In 2004 two retired Aussie guys set off on a venture to sail two classic ocean races, the Sydney-Hobart and the Fastnet in one year, taking their 33ft steed Berrimilla round the world and returning in time to do the 2005 Sydney-Hobart. Alex Whitworth and Peter Crozier describe their many adventures

Control freak
An unassuming Australian businessman is behind some of the world’s most amazing feats of speed. His Yellow Pages held the world speed record for 11 years, but his new machine could leave her standing – if only they could control it, says Simon McKeon

Aussie rules
Continuing the Australian theme this month, Matthew Sheahan visits Sydney Yachts, whose tough uncompromising racer-cruiser designs (remember the Sydney 40?) could have some lessons for Northern Hemisphere designers and builders

Arming your superyacht
Piracy has reached record levels in some parts of the world – particularly around the Horn of Africa. Now some superyacht owners are seeking armed protection from ex-SAS personnel to guide their valuable vessels through suspect areas. And there is a company that can provide just what they need

Cruising
2004 was a record year for rescues, reports the RNLI; fitting out is a risky business, say insurers; Guadeloupe revamps its image, writes David Glenn who was there in February. Plus: sink or salvage? What to do with an abandoned yacht

Great Seamanship
No room for manoeuvre. A salutory lesson from the days of square-riggers – when the wind blows and you’re approaching a lee shore, the only way out is to crack on the canvas and drive hard. And trust your captain’s instincts

Racing
Man of extremes. Leaps of faith from designer of the moment Juan Kouyoumdjian; British win OK in Australian, plus ‘Back in the Act’ – Peter Rusch previews the action for America’s Cup 2006 in Valencia

Inside Alinghi
The Defender returns to Valencia with a new look for its old boats and some new ones to play with

SuperSail
David Glenn reports from New Zealand where the big-boat industry is courting those who want to build a boat, refit one or simply marvel at a spectacular unspoilt cruising ground

Yachts for sale

Classified ads

Last Word
Mike ‘Moose’ Sanderson is the skipper with the mostest at the moment as his ABN AMRO One sweeps the board in the Volvo