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Page 8 Konza Sailor October 2005 |
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Magazine Review |
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Thank you
As always, all members are invited/encouraged/urged to write articles and send photos for future editions.
Bart Bartholomew, Editor |
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Christmas came early this year as I just received a card that my subscription to Sailing magazine had been renewed by my son in law. It is a gift I really enjoy. Many people write book reviews so I decided to tell everyone about Sailing. |
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Over the years I have subscribed to several magazines associated with sailing and each seems to have an appeal to different audiences: Yachting is directed at wealthy yachtsman and Sailing World is for racing enthusiasts. Sail magazine and Cruising World run a good cross section but just don’t have the appeal for small lake sailors. Ah! But Sailing is different. To begin with, the magazine is an odd size measuring 13 x 10 inches or close to the size of Life magazine. It’s easier to find in the book rack or under the mess on the kitchen table! And because of the larger size most of the articles are printed in large 11 point fonts for ease of reading. In fact, most of the pages of the magazine are in 3 columns that also make for very easy reading.
Boats of today are getting bigger so articles about 50 and 60 footers is not uncommon. Sailing magazine does follow the trend to write about these behemoths but not with the same zest as the competing magazines. Generally speaking, the articles are about smaller, more affordable boats and of small time cruising that is more |
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affordable to the small boat sailor. There usually are a couple of articles on racing but they center on smaller boats or are short articles about the big races that capture the attention of the small boat sailors. Advertisements are necessary to finance most publications; the nice thing about Sailing magazine advertisers is that the majority are from the Great Lakes area well within the reach of Kansas sailors.
A look at the October issue illustrates the general layout of Sailing. On the inside cover is an easy to read index; the following page reveals that the magazine is a Wisconsin publication which may be the key to why articles would have appeal to Kansas sailors. The early pages always contain 2 great full page articles by down to earth writers who have done a lot of sailing and write with an attracting flair. The subsequent articles cover the full gamut and include short stories about ocean racing, a handicapped sailor, the Lightning championships, and wooden boats in Washington. One can also find book reviews, a boat repair column, boat and gear test sections and very interesting articles about cruising in the BVIs and Leeward Island. An article about a boat purchased on E-Bay and one about a youth sailing program are eye catchers. I usually skip the section on boat design as it seems too technical but I always review the magazine once again to marvel at the beautiful photography found in every issue.
For me, an hour or two curled up in a chair with any issue of Sailing is a dreamer’s paradise. Thanks for the gift, Wayne. |
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Photo from: www.sailnet.com/sailing/index.htm |