Stainless steel and the Gipsy Moth IV

The recent interchange of views in this journal concerning the performance of stainless steels in a marine environment, with particular reference to some failures reported in Gipsy Moth IV, has emphasised the growing need for wider dissemination of well‐established metallurgical knowledge, whilst at the same time confusing some of the issues involved. The editor therefore invited me to attempt to clarify the main issue, a task in which I have been assisted by Sir Francis Chichester's kind permission to inspect some of the metal fittings shortly after the conclusion of his voyage.