FEATURES

Talk's easy – Part I
Given the frequent parallels with motor sport favoured by advocates of sailing's 'unlimited' media potential we thought it time to look a little deeper at how Grand Prix racing operates. In the first part of our new series Red Bull composite design head ANDREW MACFARLAN starts to put the F1 vehicles themselves into perspective...

First light
An obvious key to sailing's future media success is the 34th America's Cup. BMW Oracle design co-ordinator IAN 'FRESH' BURNS takes a look at the development of the AC45 preview class...

The real deal – Part 2
Australian sailing legend CARL RYVES talks to BLUE ROBINSON about old school Olympic campaigning and defending the Cup alongside design genius (and also an Olympic sailor) Ben Lexcen

Busy busy
18-footer champion STEPHEN QUIGLEY and composites specialist VALERIO CORNIANI look at the improvements made with the latest generation of one design 18-foot skiff hulls

REGULARS

Commodore's letter
ANDREW MCIRVINE

Editorial
ANDREW HURST

Update
TERRY HUTCHINSON prepares for 2011, PIERRE-YVES JORAND reflects on Alinghi's decision to sit out AC34, ANDY RICE has some plaudits for the 'new look' ISAF machinery, FREDERICO PINHEIRO cautions against too much F1 worship and BORA goes low drag...

World news
The best old faces and fast younger rivals share the Rhum podiums, the changing science of two handed ocean racing, ROB SHAW's lightweight flyers carry all before them, early promise (and air injectors) for hydroptère.ch, why our man in Oz was ahead of the curve and changes at Key West. PATRICE CARPENTIER, ROB ­MUNDLE, IVOR WILKINS, PIERRE MEYER and DOBBS DAVIS

Olympic and small boats news
There's life yet in many traditional dinghy classes, especially the development fleets. ANDY RICE talks to former FD and Int. 14 champion JON TURNER about a rather fresh return to his roots

Rod Davis
One or two considerations... before abandoning the Flintstones completely

ORC column
alessandro nazareth

Design – Turnkey
How can 'younger' teams possibly get up to speed quickly with the new look America's Cup classes... ERIC HALL thinks he has a solution

Technical Soapbox
– the human element

Seahorse build table
– Everyone's at it
And an impecunious but sophisticated new entry into the expanding world of foiler development

RORC news
EDDIE WARDEN OWEN

Seahorse regatta calendar

Sailor of the Month
Rivals again... two of the very brightest talents

Below: And now for something completely different... round the world solo racer Thierry Dubois recently launched his new blue water schooner, La Louise, looking forward to more voyaging but with more comfort and safety. Dubois has to be one of the most fortunate men alive, surviving a terrifying capsize (inset) in the Southern Ocean during the 96-97 Vendée Globe