Cruising
COVER STORY: SUMMER SAILING
LYME BAY - CROSS IT OR CRUISE IT?
Brand-new pontoon berths at Lyme Regis, harbour guide and expert advice on rounding 'the South Coast's Cape Horn'

THE SEA GIPSIES
Worn out or worn in? Are streaked topsides, battered dinghies and frayed sail covers signs of neglect or badges of honour?

COVER STORY: YACHTMASTER IN 105 DAYS
FAST-TRACK YACHTMASTER
Do fast-track courses turn sailing 'zeroes' into heroes, or produce second-class sailors? Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker reports

STEVE WHITE: DIY OCEAN RACER
Meet the Heath-Robinson hero whose steely grit and ingenuity won widespread admiration in the Vend?e Globe Race

THE OYSTER CAPITAL OF FRANCE
Biscay cruise: maritime history in Rochefort, mooring in a moat, and a perfect anchorage on the edge of a fi erce tidal race

SAIL-IN MOVIES?
Should peaceful anchorages be protected from noise pollution? Would you buy a projector to watch movies on your mainsail?

Sailing skills
COVER STORY: EXPERT ON BOARD
RUNNING AGROUND: HOW TO GET UNSTUCK
How to avoid grounding: strategies for escaping the seabed's clutches, and damage limitation tips for when you're truly stuck

A QUESTION OF SEAMANSHIP
What's the best way for a singlehander to recover a drifting dinghy? PLUS Sailing skills library

LEARNING CURVE: FASTNET STORM-FORCE RESCUE
A heroic seamanship story from the 1979 Fastnet Race disaster

ANY QUESTIONS?
DSC radio signal strength, dodgy teak decks...

Boats and Gear
COVER STORY: NEW BOAT TEST
THE 32FT MONOHULL THAT NEVER HEELS
First UK test of a revolutionary cruiser with a gimballed hull that sails to windward on an even keel

SECOND-HAND BOAT TEST
The Trapper 500 won plaudits 35 years ago for her roomy interior and sharp performance. Has she stood the test of time?

SOUTHAMPTON BOAT SHOW PREVIEW
Highlights of the biggest waterborne show in Europe.
PLUS: New boats and gear

A-Z OF SECOND-HAND BOATS
Popular models from Gib'Sea, cat-rigged Freedoms, Galion 22 and two renowned ocean rovers: Frances 26 and Golden Hind

COVER STORY: GROUP TEST
CHART SOFTWARE FOR LAPTOP COMPUTERS
We evaluate six budget chartplotting programs that promise wide-screen navigation at the chart table

Regulars
EDITOR'S LOG
The view from the helm

OPENING SHOT
The world's most exotic landfalls

CRUISING NEWS
East Coast yard owner jailed

READERS' LETTERS
Your views and opinions

LIBBY PURVES
Disabled stickers for long-keelers

CUNLIFFE ON CRUISING
Tom reveals the true purpose of sugar-scoop bathing platforms

NIGEL CALDER'S TECH TALK
A new wiring system inspires fear and loathing in superstitious sailors

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AROUND THE COAST
Fife classic reborn after 65 years, and the rest of your local news

THE CONFESSIONAL
Yachtsmen confess their sailing sins