CRUISING

• TIDAL GATES AND WAITING ANCHORAGES
  Sail like a local: Ken Endean on the joys of working with the tide on passage

• DESTINATIONS: LORIENT
  Peter Cumberlidge discovers atmosphere and charm in this bustling French port in South Brittany

• ATLANTIC SPECIAL
  VIRGINS? ATLANTIC
  Nine years? planning went into one couple?s Atlantic crossing dream. PLUS: 20 blue water cruising tips

• POND LIFE
  Peter Hoggins crosses the Atlantic in a catamaran.
  
  
• PLUS: an ocean list of reading for other dreamers
• STARS AND STRIPES IN THE SWATCHWAYS
  Forty US yachtsmen sailed the East Coast as guests of the Little Ship Club… YM?s Dick Durham went too

• THE BOTTOM LINE
  Choosing the right underwater profi le is a question of compromise, says Nigel Calder

• BETWEEN A EURO-ROCK AND A WET PLACE
  Ian Laval safely sailed 15,000 miles across two oceans before being ?wrecked? on the rocks of Euro legislation

• SECLUSION IN THE SEYCHELLES
  Is this Indian Ocean gem, just ten hours away by direct flight, the new Caribbean for sailors? Paul Gelder reports

• BLUE WATER LETTER
  Rod Heikell anchors off a live volcano and meets an old friend in the French West Indies

ON TEST

• DISC DRIVING TEST
  We take training CD-ROMs for a spin to see which will help you become a better yachtsman

• PONCIN 38
  Fast production cruiser or blue water passage-maker? James Jermain gives his verdict

• TAMING THE BEAST
  Simon Jinks gets to grips with RollGen, a new asymmetric spinnaker furling system

• SECOND-HAND BOAT TEST: CONTEST 36
  One couple?s idea of the perfect offshore cruiser

• MORE POWER TO YOUR WINCHES
  Powered winches can put the muscle back into sailing and take the stress away, says Mike Balmforth
  
  
• NEW GEAR
  Toby Hodges reviews the latest sailing equipment

SAILING SKILLS

• A QUESTION OF SEAMANSHIP
  How to leave a ?dumb-bell? mooring

• MARINA MANOEUVRES
  Our new series, ?Expert on board?, starts with boat handling in tight spots
  
  
• LEARNING CURVE: MITHRIL IN PERIL
  Geraldine Foley runs into stormy seas close to home

• CHARTWORK
  Nigel Calder welcomes the day when charts speak the same language

• CUNLIFFE ON CRUISING
  Never take your track for granted, warns Tom Cunliffe

• RADAR CLASS
  Use plotting sheets to get the most from your radar, advises James Jermain
  
  
• ANY QUESTIONS?
  How much will the fall of tide affect your swinging circle?

EVERY MONTH

• EDITORIAL
  Alice in Wonderland legislation
• READERS? SERVICES
  Order a back issue or a copy of an article
• OPENING SHOT
  Round the Island ? Swedish style
• ON WATCH
  The latest sailing news
• READERS? LETTERS
  Safety is not just a matter of regulations
• LIBBY PURVES: THIS CRUISING LIFE
  The spitting image of sailing
• NEXT MONTH
  What?s coming up in November?s issue
• YM SUBSCRIPTIONS
  Great savings for subscribers
• AROUND THE COAST
  News from our team of local correspondents
• COMPETITION
  Win a £1,000-pair of Canon stabilised binoculars
• CONFESSIONAL
  Owning up to your sailing sins