Features

• Sail like a local
  Ken Endean introduces a new eight-part series that takes you to the places pilot books don?t ? exploring Brittany, the Isles of Scilly and Channel Islands

• LONDON BOAT SHOW
  London?s 50th Boat Show in docklands broke all attendance records. What was showgoers? verdict?
  PLUS reports on new boats and the latest equipment

• Winter quarters
  In the frozen wilds of Nova Scotia, Peter Bonsey finds a warm welcome in the tiny harbour of D?Escousse, with its population of just 250. Hauling his boat out for the winter was an entertainment for villagers

• Are you an ?expert? too?
  Sailing attracts ?experts? like a clean deck attracts seagulls. Hugh Marriott considers why such expertise has always eluded him

• Destinations: Pontrieux
  Peter Cumberlidge explores the delights of this Brittany cruising gem that lies upstream of Lézardrieux on the magnificent Trieux River
  PLUS: your free pull-out chart

• A dreamboat come true
  A skiing accident confined Mike Browne to a wheelchair but inspired him to create a hi-tech £1m catamaran in which he plans to sail the world

• Survey Survey Survey
  Paul Jeffes meet Roy Hart, veteran offshore yachtsman, who is looking for a boat in which to compete in the Round Britain & Ireland Race

• Collision avoidance
  A sonar transducer as sensitive as a dolphin?s fin… is this the stuff of science fiction? YM spends a day with innovative British marine electronics company Echopilot, which has pioneered the forward looking echosounder

Sailing Skills

• A question of seamanship
  Tying the knot isn?t as simple as it seems for James as his prospective father-in-law takes issue with his bowlines on a cruise

• Anatomy of a collision
  How was a yacht run down and sunk in fog? Why didn?t the ship stop? Why did radar not prevent the collision? Learn from our analysis of how the accident happened and sail more safely yourself

• Sailing Quiz
  Demonstrate your knowledge of the seas and win £200 worth of books

• Better Boat Handling
  Simon Jinks concludes his series on anchoring by looking at some more advanced techniques

• Yachtmaster Class
  GPS may be accurate to within a few metres but sometimes you?re better off using your brain than a little black box, says Tom Cunliffe

• Any Questions?
  YM?s panel of experts answers your queries
  

On Test

• New gear at London
  The pick of the new gear on show at ExCel

• Centurion 40S
  James Jermain sails this new fast cruising boat fromWauquiez and enjoys it so much, he?s tempted to push on to Cherbourg

• Burning bright
  How would your flares fare after being soaked in water or baked in an oven? We take nine flares into the laboratory to see which are the most reliable and burn brightest

• New antifoul stripper
  Is blast-cleaning the best way to remove old antifouling? Or will ice-blasting techniques reign supreme? Simon Jinks finds out

Every Month

• Editorial
  View from the helm

• Opening shot
  The leviathan and the dolphin by French photographer Phillip Plisson

• On Watch
  Bravery of dead delivery skipper; licensing for yachtsmen?16 Readers? Letters Collision avoidance and radar training; and EU ensign changes

• Next month/YM Books
  Sneak preview of next month?s YM

• YM subscriptions
  Save up to 30% each month

• This Cruising Life
  A trip to the London Boat Show reminded Libby Purves that seafarers are often shocked by modern comforts

• Blue Water Letter
  Scraping barnacles from the hull while your wife watches for sharks is all part of the fun for Colin Lowe on passage from the Galapagos Islands to the Marquesas

• A-Z of Second-hand Boats
  V is for Vertue, Victoria and Vivacity

• Around the Coast
  Local news round-up from our coastal correspondents nationwide

• Confessional
  Forgive me Father, for I have sailed