Dear readers,

We still have them in front of our eyes. The real sea dogs, daring men in shabby, worn-out Frisian mink, their Southwester pulled deep into their weather-beaten faces. They are the men without fear or reproach, toiling on their sailing yachts through the storm-tossed seas. They are the great fighters, toiling at the winches and battling the elements on the foredeck. They are the true heroes we admire and have admired. They are the idols of our childhood.

But now we have grown up and look at the glossy brochures of new yachts on which young and beautiful people in smart Bermuda shorts and sporty polo shirts glide relaxed into the romantic sunset. In most cases, the petite, pretty woman stands behind the large steering wheel, while the man leans casually against the stern pulpit, holding an Aperol Spritz with a cocktail umbrella in his hand.

I am happy to admit: Both depictions may come across as somewhat exaggerated and clichéd, but they somehow get to the heart of the matter. After all, cruising used to be a real sport, an often exhausting and sometimes gruelling adventure, with good seamanship as the top priority. The picture has changed. Thanks to modern ship concepts, cruising has become simple, manageable, safe and suitable for families. And: innovative assistance systems of all kinds complement experience, practice and skill.

Instead of using muscle power on the winches, electric drives are now used to tighten the sheets - at the touch of a button, so you don't have to let go of the beer can even when setting sail. Short overlapping headsails or self-tacking jibs ensure that tacking can be done without the need for top sporting performance. And interactive GPS plotters with XXL screens show the way to the destination clearly and - if you'll pardon the pun - foolproof. These are just a few examples. In short, sailing life on board cruising yachts has become comfortable, effortless and perhaps even a little lazy.

The topic has great potential to divide opinion and is therefore not only the subject of heated debate in sailing clubs. The traditionalists may be saddened by this unpopular development and mourn the gradual decline of seamanship. Meanwhile, the nautical modern age is delighted that fun, enjoyment and relaxation on a modern cruising yacht are now more important than sport, exertion and cramp.

As test editor of YACHT, I have the opportunity to follow the technical and design achievements of yacht development at close quarters. What's more, I'm allowed to try things out and I'm expected to evaluate them. As a result, I am naturally not only open to but also enthusiastic about the many exciting innovations that are created by the clever minds in the yacht building industry.

At the same time, I sometimes ask myself with some concern where the journey of yacht development might lead. Could we soon see super-futuristic yacht concepts on which artificial intelligence and sophisticated navigation electronics completely replace the knowledge and skills of sailors? Hopefully not!

The idea that cruising boats will soon be able to decide independently when and where to tack or jibe in order to find the best and quickest route to their destination sends a shiver down my spine. And if, on top of that, captive winches below deck automatically tighten the sheets during manoeuvres and automatically trim the sails according to information from sensitive pressure sensors, then perhaps the time has come to return to the traditional values of sailing. And preferably before the sailor becomes a complete passenger.

Michael Good,

YACHT editor

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