Dear readers,

you are a cruising sailor, over 45 years old and sail boats between 30 and 45 feet in length - mostly in the Baltic and North Sea, but also on our inland waterways. If you charter, you are drawn to the classic Mediterranean areas of Greece, the Balearic Islands or Croatia. You are interested in all the latest innovations the industry has to offer - be it boats, oilskins, lifejackets and hardware. We know you, dear readers, well from regular surveys - but we always want to learn more.

Our editorial team is made up of passionate sailors who have their ear to the ground and are deeply rooted in the scene. As owners and charter skippers, we have the same concerns as you. We are annoyed by the price increases for berths, crane fees and visitor's tax in the harbour. Our season is also - every year anew - simply too short and winter storage awaits us. Phew! Who has - apart from my colleague Hauke Schmidt - already fancy the cold hours in the cold hall?

Our expertise and passion for sailing helps us to provide you with plenty of reading material. These are stories and news that we hope will captivate, entertain and inform you. Of course, in addition to cruising sailing - your favourite subject - we can't ignore all other aspects. We want to make the opti sailor as happy as the Boris Herrmann fan, circumnavigator and solo skipper. In addition, we have an exciting variety of boats and passionate people to write about.

Personally, the magazine section "the special boat" is close to my heart, because here we have the opportunity to present the most unusual boats in the world. From the gaff-rigged Z dinghy, about beautiful retro classics up to the Superyacht. I am inspired by the variety of designs and the technology behind the constructions. Years ago, we used to receive criticism from readers for publishing the odd sailing superyacht, but now we regularly find words of praise for our coverage of the giants. And why not? Don't you get your binoculars out of your locker when a large sailing yacht sails into the bay and drops anchor? Who is the owner, which shipyard built it and which designer drew it? Even if these luxury yachts are unaffordable for the majority of YACHT readers, looking through the keyhole into this world is exciting and the technology behind the individual constructions is fascinating. Especially as we mere mortals benefit from the transfer of innovation from superyachts to series boatbuilding. This ranges from deck hardware and sails to construction methods and on-board electronics.

As the current market shows, some shipyards are orientating themselves towards the ultra-rich clientele anyway. Fortunately, without neglecting the smaller lines, such as Hallberg-Rassy with their new 370 shows. An exciting boat that we will soon be testing for you in Ellös.

One example of the drive towards superyachting comes from shipyard boss Magnus Rassy with his 20.96 metre long flagship Hallberg-Rassy 69, the "Queen of the cruising yachts". Nautor also recently caused a sensation and is targeting a new clientele with its new 44-metre SwanAlloy 44 model. The Lagoon and Fountaine Pajot catamaran shipyards are also expanding their portfolio upwards with the eight million euro Lagoon Eighty 2recently presented at the Monaco Yacht Show and the 35 metre long FPY 110 Swhich will depart from La Rochelle from 2018. Cost: 18 million euros.

Yes, these models do not appeal to our core readership, and yet they secure the existence of the shipyards whose smaller models we appreciate and sail. They help boat builders to utilise their capacity and invest in more compact models.

A lot is currently happening in the series boat segment. After a meagre 2025 with few new products, the jury of "Europe's Yachts of the Year" nominate 23 candidates this year - three from German production. Our editor Jochen Rieker sums it up as follows: "Whether from large or small series, whether performance cruisers, cruising boats or aluminium explorers - a fresh breeze is blowing again in all areas of yacht building." So it remains exciting.

Which topics are you particularly interested in, which areas of sailing do you think we should focus on more? Please write to us: mail@yacht.de.

Martin Hager

YACHT Editor-in-Chief

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• Opinion: Run out or crane out

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