New Look Yachting Monthly

RAF

RAF

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I was just about to cancel my subscription to YM as it seemed to be full of the same tedious reports on new gear and visits to Channel Ports. Nothing against the visits per se but lets widen the scope. What about a report on some Baltic Ports or even some Spanish ones? Since I started subscribing in 1992 I must have had read at least three or four visits to Beaulieu.

However on reading the latest issue I am delighted that I haven't. Excellent series of articles on legs etc. The boat reviews were also extremely objective. Well Done YM.
 
Hi RAF,

Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad you liked it! :)

We've been working long and hard on the redesign, and the way we do things on the magazine. We're still going to improve and tweak it more, so the best is yet to come ;)
 
I have to say, SWMBO and I were wetting ourselves at the review of the new J. Methinks the reviewer had missed the point. He had added nearly two tons of weight with all the 'if it were mine I'd add...'

Not sure how the new 100 point boat test will manage to still conclude that all Benny's are wonderful, no matter what their flaws, in quite the way that the previous format was able to ignore the poor text of the review and conclude that it's a smashing boat at a smashing price, perfect for everything the broker says you want...
 
Thew mag does look fresher and the articles are certainly keeping my interest for longer...well done.

Now the bad......which bl***y idiot put in the article about dogs and boats...it's going to be very difficult to keep my wife from seeing that one and if she does you guys are gonna get all the...........too late she snatched it out of my hands and is muttering about how much would a pair of doggy lifejackets cost. Thank a bunch chaps.
 
Just wait till next month and the one after with all the reports from the Southampton boat show then there will be the run up to the London boat show followed by the reports from that for a couple of months. I gave up ALL the mags at the begining of the year and today had my first look at PBO & YM but wasn't tempted.
I believe that one should go in a different direction, probably PBO back to its roots, or they should merge as they have been too similar since the last editorial reshuffle. For what its worth I used to prefer PBO but as it became a carbon copy of YM I switched my preference to YM.
 
The new mag does look very good, but I wish boat tests would be a bit more realistic:

J97: "The Solent was fairly choppy, enough to be able to test whether or not she slammed upwind."

Halmatic 30: "... a fresh breeze blowing against the tide produced enough chop to give us a good idea of the boat's manners in a seaway."

If I hear the words "chop" in a boat test again I will go mad. In no way can those conditions be related to conditions out at sea. What really annoys is when there is a test of a blue water yacht and the test seems to have taken place entirely in protected waters.

Mark
 
DevonMark said:
If I hear the words "chop" in a boat test again I will go mad. In no way can those conditions be related to conditions out at sea. What really annoys is when there is a test of a blue water yacht and the test seems to have taken place entirely in protected waters.

Mark
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Hi Mark,

Fair point, but we can only sail boats with the weather we get, and in the location of the yacht on the day of the test. We're trying to address the weather and the time on board with the 24 hour boat test, to get a variety of conditions and a feel for living on board, but the take up amongst boat manufactures has been a little disappointing, with the exception of the Swedish manufactures - Arcona, Regina, Hallberg Rassy. This is one of the reasons why we've introduced the 100 point boat test, where we have an exhaustive checklist that we go through, and mark every boat out of 100.

We're also including a "How we test box" to let you know where the boat was tested and the conditions it was tested in.

The time we get on the boats is usually limited to a day, as the boat is only usually around for a short time before it's delivery to an expectant owner. We will test in whatever weather we get given if the manufactures allow. However they also have to consider it's a new boat with new sails, and taking them out in a decent blow isn't good for the sails, or the happiness of owners. ;) I've been out shooting in a F8 in Cornwall and it's not good for camera equipment either!

It's good to get positive feedback about the redesign (it's good to get and feedback full stop). But it's been the comments of readers panels that have influenced the way Yachting Monthly now looks
 
New look Mag

Like the new look esp the clear type faces and layouts.
I thought the cover was confused with the broad yellow band covering the picture.
However the slogan 'For the cruising sailor' -great says it all.
Please no more about towing/helecopters etc as we get all that from the RNLI's excellent CD.
May you go from strength to strength I will be renewing my sub at the Show this Saturday
 
Cantata said:
How do we get on one of those?
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I believe an open invite to contact us went out with the eds newsletter over a year ago when the whole process started.

We then select a cross section of our "readership", those that read it often, those that don't, subscribers, occasional buyers, experienced sailors, those that are new to it all.

Or we'll just grab you and a boatshow, blind fold you, and take you to a small room to be interrogated...think 1984! :eek:
 
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