CATEGORIES

‘I decided to just go alone'

Chris Ayres realised a childhood dream when he sailed from Britain to New Zealand, via Panama, in a 28ft yacht – bravely setting sail solo when crew let him down at the 11th hour

MAXI 1100

As an understated fast cruiser with racing potential and a nicely appointed interior, the Maxi 1100 has much to recommend her. David Harding reports

BEAUPORT, JERSEY

Jane Cumberlidge escapes to Jersey’s south-west coast to anchor off one of the Channel Islands’ prettiest beaches

THE CONFESSIONAL

OWN UP TO YOUR SAILING SINS

Sailors aged 14 and 82 finish circumnavigations around Britain

Katie said the only challenging bit of her circumnavigation was going through the Menai Strait.

ADVENTURE THE LONG WAY

Katy Stickland meets the skippers turning their backs on modern technology to take part in the slowest yacht race around the world - the Golden Globe Race

ADVENTURE A SPANISH AFFAIR

Erin Carey and her family sail from the Azores to Ibiza as they ease their way back into full-time cruising

How Do You Offset Making Too Much Leeway?

A question of seamanship

10 Best Cruising Destinations For Bird Watching

10 Best Cruising Destinations For Bird Watching

FIESTA AFLOAT

Joshua Shankle and Rachel Moore find both bustle and peace as they cruise the west coast of Mexico

ADVENTURE FOUR CONTINENTS AND A WEDDING

Dr Roger Geary shares the highs and lows of his nine year semi-circumnavigation from south Wales, UK, to New South Wales, Australia

THE RELUCTANT HEROINE

YACHTSWOMAN ELANA CONNOR sailed 3,000 miles around New Zealand in a figure-of-eight for foster youth

ARCONA 370

If you’re in search of a capable and competitive 37-footer for offshore sailing, you might like to have a good look at the Arcona 370, says David Harding

SCILLY IN EASTERLY WINDS

East winds give Ken Endean a chance to explore unfrequented parts of one of Britain’s prettiest archipelagos

Judging distances at sea

Being able to accurately judge distance at sea is just as vital in the digital age as it ever was, says James Stevens

‘FIVE ON BOARD, ALL BRITISH CITIZENS'

Graham Sykes has an eventful training weekend with a last-minute vessel change, Border Force scrutiny and an overheating engine

Why It's Time To Pay Attention To Your Boat's Hoses

Your boat is full of hoses for many different purposes, many of them critical to essential onboard functions, and even keeping your boat afloat. Make sure they are fit for purpose, says Dag Pike

Technical Check For Water In Your Petrol

Petrol in tanks, whether for your yacht or tender, can go off. Ken Endean suggests an annual precaution

Teach Your Autopilot To Be Your Best Crewmember

Rupert Holmes looks at how to set up your pilot so it will steer better than you can

300MPH IN AN AEROPLANE COULD BE DESCRIBED AS QUITE MUNDANE. In a car, it's ludicrously fast. BUT IN A BOAT?

Everyone knows the story of Donald Campbell’s tragic crash on Coniston Water but few remember another all British attempt 15 years earlier. Now a new book reveals what really happened to John Cobb and his jet-powered Crusader

FUEL FOR THOUGHT

What better way to test the production version of the Cox CXO300 than on the brilliant Axopar 37? Is this a new dawn for diesel-fuelled outboards?

MAREX TO THE RESCUE

Monitoring Ch16 turned a routine return journey into a rescue mission for Richard Hall

AQUAHOLIC

Nick Burnham: Boating doesn’t have to be fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants stuff to be fun. Sometimes a chilled weekend aboard is just what the doctor ordered, as Nick attests

THE ULTIMATE UPCYCLE

Why upgrade to a newer boat when you can make your current one look as good as new with the aid of a designer refit service?

FERRETTI 1000

LOA 98ft 10in (30.1m) BEAM 22ft 4in (6.8m) ENGINES MTU 16V 2,217hp – 2,638hp TOP SPEED 28 knots PRICE FROM €8,400,000 ex VAT CONTACT www.ferretti-yachts.com

AZIMUT GRANDE TRIDECK

LOA 125ft 4in (38.2m) BEAM 25ft 11in (7.9m) ENGINES Twin MTU 2,400hp-2,600hp TOP SPEED 24 knots PRICE TBA CONTACT www.azimutyachts.com

NIMBUS C11

The C11 sits at the top Nimbus’s sportsboat tree but can this twin diesel wheel house cruiser justify its hefty price tag?

SUPERMARINE SPEARFISH 32

With the faultless Alan Burnard Fairey hull at its core, can this modern interpretation of a 1960s classic live up to the reputation of its iconic predecessors?

TRAILER TROUBLES

Scratched topsides get stopgap repairs while a Bluetooth-compatible stereo turns up the fun for Hugo Andreae

Whale-watching in Quebec

Liveaboards Belinda Chesman and Kit McAllister mix culture with cetaceans as they cruise Canada’s great St Lawrence river