© Martina Barnetova

On the Cover Paul Childs, of England, muscles his way upwind, and to a RS100 class win at the Magic Marine RS Eurocup on Lake Garda, Italy.

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Features
Captain Calamity Grows Up
Singlehanded sailor and stuntman Alex Thomson shakes off the bad luck of the past to start the Vendée Globe as a serious contender.
By Andi Robertson

The Birth of Fast
From the fertile grounds of the Santa Cruz boatbuilding scene emerged a generation and culture of fast, fun designs.
By Jeremy Leonard

Paradise Found
The best way to get landlubbing friends hooked on sailing? Join the BVI bareboat fleet for some casual racing, and bring plenty of rum.
By Stuart Streuli, photos by Ingrid Abery

Great Garda
A Lake Garda first-timer experiences the thrill of racing on the
legendary lake, and gets a heaping dish of high-speed humility.
By Dave Reed

Tech Review
Technology
The SpeedDream 27 takes all the go-fast accoutrements of modern yacht design and blends them into one
radical concept.

Gear
A handful of watches made with sailing in mind will give you an edge on the starting line.

From the Experts
Rules
How will the new rules affect our game? Dick Rose takes a first look at how room at the mark has changed.

Winner’s Debrief
The Big Boat Series’ IRC- and HPR-winning team on the J/125 Double Trouble tells us how to get it done on San Francisco Bay.

Boatspeed
You’ve got your boat tuned up, but have you checked your rudder angle? Andy Horton explains how to get it just right.

Columns 
Editor’s Letter
Contributors
Sailor’s Forum   
Starting Line  
Jobson Report
Gaining Bearing
Ask Dr. Crash