CRUISING

Showdown
Visitors were down but sales were up at London Boat Show

The marine oscars
Sailing heroes and top boats and gear are honoured

Barton competition
Win Barton deck gear worth up to £5,000

The creosote coast
A Normandy cruise leaves Dick Durham bursting at the seams

Travels with Peter Pan
The remarkable tale of a 74-year-old Swedish sailor, a small boat and their blue water adventures together

Landfalls: Bangor
The friendly Northern Irish harbour with a special welcome

Blue water letter: sailing’s six ‘P’s
Alex Whitworth shares the secrets of his extraordinary voyage around the world via the Great Capes

Dodecanese decadence
Toby Hodges scratches a seven-year itch and goes bare-boating in the Greek islands

Spawned on a prawner
Growing up on an old wooden boat in bohemian Burnham-on- Crouch made a lasting impression on Miranda Delmar-Morgan

A winter’s sail
Mike Peyton recalls the perils of cold water cruising

From peckham to paradise
A schoolgirl’s amazing voyage of discovery on Gipsy Moth IV

BOATS AND GEAR

New gear and boats
The pick of the yachts and kit from the London show

New boat test: Najad 440
James Jermain is impressed by this all-new Najad

Used boat test: X332
‘The sheer speed and lightness of helm is unnerving’

Save your life
Auto-inflating lifejackets tested in storm conditions

Beating the barnacles
Which antifouls worked best in our year-long test?

SAILING SKILLS

Expert on board: head to head
Self-tacking headsails v traditional genoas

Learning curve: when sparks fly
The risk of fire is ever-present, says Evans Starzinger

Skipper’s tips
Reading the tide, radar made easy and MOB advice

Question of seamanship
A shortcut beckons but visibility is failing. PLUS books

Any Questions
Private sale pitfalls, mystery engines and voltage query

Winter boatworks: wind power
Mac McDiarmid tells you how to fit a wind generator

Five essential engine checks
The founder of Beta engines shares some expert tips

REGUALRS

Editor’s Log
View from the helm

Opening shot
St Mawes from the air

News
Sailors’ dramatic rescue

Centenary celebrations
100 years of Yachting Monthly

Readers’ letters
The fellowship of the sea

Libby Purves
You can’t tame a wilderness

Cunliffe on Cruising
Tom sings the praises of the maroon

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Around the coast
What’s been happening in your home waters?

Confessional
Yachtsmen share their sailing sins