Destinations

Two free pull-out charts and all the information you need to explore the Blackwater harbour of West Mersea, and to navigate the Chenal du Four, gateway to western Brittany.

On test – Hanse 331

Yachting Monthly’s test team sail the new Hanse 331, built in Germany and now available in the UK. Read YM’s December issue to find out how she performs.

Troubleshooting with Sail Power

Do your sails set badly? Could your rig do with tuning? Next month’s Sail Power looks at common problems with sails and rigging – and how to solve them.

In the steps of Tilman

Bob Shepton sails his Westerly Discus 33 to Greenland, in the wake of Bill Tilman, and adds 25,000-year-old ice to his dram of whisky.

Close encounters

There’s something magical about meetings with whales and dolphins; for many sailors they are the highlight of a lifetime’s cruising. In December’s YM readers tell of fascinating, and sometimes frightening, encounters on the oceans, and closer to home.

Christmas cruise

The YM staff make a late-season passage to France to stock up with wine and cheese for Christmas and champagne for the millennium. Find out how we fare in December’s issue. Plus, the YM guide to yule-tide nautical gifts