300MPH IN AN AEROPLANE COULD BE DESCRIBED AS QUITE MUNDANE. In a car, it's ludicrously fast. BUT IN A BOAT?

Everyone knows the story of Donald Campbell’s tragic crash on Coniston Water but few remember another all British attempt 15 years earlier. Now a new book reveals what really happened to John Cobb and his jet-powered Crusader

FUEL FOR THOUGHT

What better way to test the production version of the Cox CXO300 than on the brilliant Axopar 37? Is this a new dawn for diesel-fuelled outboards?

MAREX TO THE RESCUE

Monitoring Ch16 turned a routine return journey into a rescue mission for Richard Hall

AQUAHOLIC

Nick Burnham: Boating doesn’t have to be fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants stuff to be fun. Sometimes a chilled weekend aboard is just what the doctor ordered, as Nick attests

THE ULTIMATE UPCYCLE

Why upgrade to a newer boat when you can make your current one look as good as new with the aid of a designer refit service?

FERRETTI 1000

LOA 98ft 10in (30.1m) BEAM 22ft 4in (6.8m) ENGINES MTU 16V 2,217hp – 2,638hp TOP SPEED 28 knots PRICE FROM €8,400,000 ex VAT CONTACT www.ferretti-yachts.com

AZIMUT GRANDE TRIDECK

LOA 125ft 4in (38.2m) BEAM 25ft 11in (7.9m) ENGINES Twin MTU 2,400hp-2,600hp TOP SPEED 24 knots PRICE TBA CONTACT www.azimutyachts.com

NIMBUS C11

The C11 sits at the top Nimbus’s sportsboat tree but can this twin diesel wheel house cruiser justify its hefty price tag?

SUPERMARINE SPEARFISH 32

With the faultless Alan Burnard Fairey hull at its core, can this modern interpretation of a 1960s classic live up to the reputation of its iconic predecessors?

TRAILER TROUBLES

Scratched topsides get stopgap repairs while a Bluetooth-compatible stereo turns up the fun for Hugo Andreae

SUNSEEKER MANHATTAN 55

How do you go about improving the most successful model you have ever made? That was the task facing Sunseeker in updating the 52 – has it succeeded?

XO 260 DSCVR

After a few years out of the spotlight, XO is back with a bullet-proof new sports boat that combines user-friendly features with laser-sharp handling

THE ITALIAN JOB

Thomas and Jutta Kittel push on round the bottom of Italy’s boot from Messina in Sicily opposite the toe to Manfredonia tucked under the heel’s spur on the Adriatic coast

GYRO WARS

Thanks to new owners Yanmar, Smartgyro’s latest range of efficient, easy-to-install and competitively priced gyroscopic stabilisers now has the firepower to challenge market leaders Seakeeper. Let battle commence

HOW TO USE A LIFEJACKET PROPERLY

Wearing a lifejacket is one of the most important things you can do to increase safety afloat but unless you wear and maintain it correctly, it won’t work as well as it’s meant to if and when you fall into the water. Any Personal Flotation Device (PFD) provides buoyancy that helps keep you afloat. This is measured in Newtons and for most PFDs starts at 50N. However, from 150N upwards it should be buoyant enough to turn you face up even when unconscious, greatly improving your chances of survival.

COBRA NAUTIQUE 9.2m

As buyers go crazy for outboard-propelled sports boats where does this leave the luxury RIB market? There’s no better way to find out than testing a fully kitted out Cobra in blustery conditions

THE ACCIDENTAL TOURISTS

Kelston and Jackie Tobin didn’t intend to circumnavigate Britain, but after cruising from Kent to the Solent they decided to keep on going

BUSINESS & PLEASURE

Stephen Hubbard is living proof that you can mix business with pleasure after buying a custom-built Cockwells then investing in the yard and restoring a Dunkirk Little Ship

BLUE'S FINAL FLING

Jack Haines delivers his verdict on the Ultra anchor and prepares to bid a fond farewell to Blues Away

A STEEP LEARNING CURVE PART 2

Having swapped their 35ft sailing boat for a twin-engined Nelson 38, motor boat newbies Cas and Dave Peace share their experience of getting to grips with their new toy and their first full year afloat

How To Get Into Boating - Part 2 : Owning & Running A Boat

You’ve bought a boat - now what? The second part of our series on getting into boating focuses on running and maintaining your boat

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME

A team of French scientists has developed a tear drop-shaped catamaran that gets more efficient the faster it goes. Could this be the future of fast boats?

PRINCESS F45

Princess’s entry-level flybridge has some big shoes to fill in replacing the all-conquering 42 and 43. Has it been worth the wait?

ROCK STAR

THE IMAGE THAT ROCKED OUR BOAT THIS MONTH

SCILLY SEASON

The Leaver family fulfill a lifelong ambition to cruise the Isles of Scilly in their 18m Dutch steel motoryacht, Duchess

THE ITALIAN JOB

Thomas and Jutta Kittel continue to explore Sicily’s arid landscape and historic ports before casting off for the Egadi islands and on to Malta

EVO R6 OPEN

With more folding sections than a Swiss Army penknife, this razor sharp sportscruiser cuts a dash wherever it goes, but do its talents extend further than its expanding decks?

DROMEAS YACHTS 28CC

This young Turkish brand has big ambitions to challenge the likes of Axopar and Saxdor with its stylish range of fast, affordable outboard-powered craft. We take its 28ft centre console model for a spin

A STEEP LEARNING CURVE

Lifelong sailors Cas and Dave Peace cast aside their prejudice and take the first tentative steps towards a new life afloat in the warmth and comfort of their first proper motor boat

DALE OF A TIME

After an agonising wait, Dominic Barrett finally takes delivery of his brand new Dale 28