We at Yachting Monthly receive a handful of abusive emails – and they invariably are abusive – if we run a cover picture which includes sailors not wearing lifejackets.

I’m interested to know what readers think about this. Should we only choose pictures in which yachtsmen are wearing life-jackets ? Should we be toeing the RNLI line that all folks on the water should wear a lifejacket at all times? Should we therefore self-censor all images coming in from around the world in which sailors are not wearing a life-jacket?

My own view is that we must show pictures which reflect the real world. In over 40 years of sailing, nearly all experienced yachtsmen I’ve ever met or sailed with, keep lifejackets on board and don them when they feel it is wise to do so. A very few I’ve sailed with wear them at all times.But neither has a problem with the other.

What do you think?