Classic Sailor – our first issue

Griff finishes the race at St Malo at 5am, beating the modern boats in class by 40 minutes!

We kick off with an opening shot of history repeating and a first-hand account of how the S&S yawls Dorade and Stormy Weather fought it out at the Fastnet Rock

Association News: 8-Metres Worlds. With the King of Norway, and a rerun of the 1912 Olympics

Smylie’s Boats Mike Smylie’s new series starts in the Far West, with Cornish Luggers

The Post: Your letters and feedback are welcome

Andrew Bray on the Americas’ Cup, then and now.

Andrew Bray

Guest Column: Peter Willis: Restoration comedy

Cowes to St Malo. Editor Dan Houston puts to sea with Griff Rhys Jones on Argyll as he limbers up for the Fastnet – and how the three S&S yawls fared in the race

Fastnet heroes 90 years after the first race, we celebrate some of the original participants, who pioneered offshore yacht racing in Britain

Rowing down to Runnymede. A spot of re-enactment as Sophie Neville wiffles aboard shallop Royal Thamesis to deliver an archbishop to Magna Carta’s 800th anniversary

How to survive a regatta: Guy Venables’ infallible guide to navigating the rocks of etiquette

The unofficial raid on Brittany. Roger Barnes and some sail-and-oar amis are refused permission for an organised event – but the Challenge Naviguer Leger goes ahead anyway

Puig Vela – classic fun in Barcelona. Why this Catalan event is fast becoming Europe’s regatta of choice.

Stars of the East. Thames Barges, smacks bawleys and the rest – how the East Coast’s unique heritage was preserved, by Robert Simper, who was there.

The Marine Motorist. The page for petrol-heads, with news from the world of propellers.

Return to Dunkirk. On board one of the Dunkirk Little Ships for this year’s cross-channel passage to commemorate the historic wartime operation.

Rowing. There’s a revival of interest in rowing: the first of our regular reports

Great British designers. The Top 21 founding fathers (and grandfathers) of British yacht design, from GL Watson to Alan Buchanan, profiled by Theo Rye.

Sailing Skills: Raising the Jib. First of a new illustrated how-to series showing a seamanlike approach to sailing tasks, starting on the foredeck with safe ways of jib handling.

Navigation: finding your way around the globe. And another new series, this time going right back to the fundamentals of making and reading charts.

Around the Yards. Who’s building what, where: Cornwall, Suffolk, Holland, Australia, plus a special report on the restoration of the Fife classic Cambria.

Practical: repairing a teak laid deck, part 1. The llustrated how-to guide begins by showing how to deal with removing and replacing an individual plank

Tools: the drehknüppel. The what? It’s what you’ve always needed to save your hands when pulling tight on any kind of line. By ropemeister Des Pawson.

Over the Yardarm – Secrets of the perfect Martini.

Sam Llewellyn. Off Lampedusa in the dark, along with who knows how many refugees.

Plus: gear tests – things to rely on, books to read and news from around the globe.

(Order your copy now or get a subscription!)