Sail championships could bring £1million to Dartmouth

A WORLD-class sailing event in Dartmouth this summer could bring as much as £1million into the town, it was claimed today. The J80 World Sailing Championships, to be hosted by the Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, the Royal Dart Yacht Club and the J/80 UK Class Association, are being held between June 9 and 15. . Race headquarters for the predicted 80 race teams, which are likely to involve 500 people, will be on Coronation Park. Hilary Bastone, who represents Dartmouth as a South Hams District Councillor, has been involved in arrangements for the prestige event. He said: "This is proving a really good money maker for the town and is really underpinning the port as a great venue to stage exciting sailing events – particularly with Start Bay being both sheltered and challenging. “We estimate that this event could bring in between £500,000 to £1m for the town. "It is a real prestige event and will do nothing but enhance the reputation of Dartmouth as a sailing venue. Last year’s J/80 Worlds were held in Copenhagen, and in 2010 they were in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. “We have already had a lot of block bookings from the teams wanting to come down in advance to get used to local sailing conditions in advance of the championships."

Why not 'sail' the coast of Turkey in a gulet?

For those who love the idea of a sailing holiday in the Med but don't want to sweat and grind your own way through precious holiday time or navigate through unknown waters, a sailing holiday on a gulet off the coast of Turkey could be just the answer. What's a gulet? Read on... A gulet, pronounced just how it looks, is a traditional designed two-masted (usually a schooner) wooden sailing vessel. They vary in size from 14 to 35 metres, and are used for cruising holidays with a difference along the popular cruising coastline of Turkey. While they are traditional sailing boats, made in Turkey and with lots of lovely polished timber aboard, the need to keep to schedules means that often the gulets often sail only a few times during a holiday. Don't be alarmed at the word 'scheduled'. These comparatively inexpensive holidays combine all the relaxation you expect on a sailing holiday, with the difference that the meals are prepared for you and the sailing/motoring is done by someone else. There are also specific departures where sailing is the priority and the itinerary are suited for this mode of travel. Gulet - it doesn’t need to be sedentary - .. . It's the ideal way to relax, sunbathing on the decks and swimming in quiet pristine waters off the island-dotted coastal waters of the Adriatic. There are also great opportunities to spend day visits and sometimes even overnight stays in some of the many small picturesque communities located along the coastal route. Not that your sailing holiday has to be all sedentary. If you would like to enjoy a good physical workout while onshore there are opportunities to do some hill climbing or cycling included on specific itineraries. Consider yourself fortunate if you happen upon a local celebration such as a festival day or a wedding at one of your stops as you will be invited to join in the activities. Gulet dining - .. . The food does not compare with the opulence of a cruise ship - the menus are limited by the size of the kitchens. While there are many privately owned gulets in Turkey, the owners rarely sail themselves, keeping a crew on board most of the time - a less expensive proposition in Turkey than elsewhere. Gulet cruises range from small two-cabin crafts to larger 24-cabin vessels. Individual cabin sizes are generally on the small size but are still comfortable and ample enough for a one-week cruise. It is easy to begin by shopping online for a range of gulet options, but a good site to check for comparison of size and price is www.adriatica.net You'll also find a full selection of departure dates and itineraries where you can choose your route.

Advanced Wave Sailing tips by Paul Goodison

Northampton sailing club among UK’s best

A NORTHAMPTONSHIRE sailing club has been recognised as one of the top clubs in the UK after being shortlisted for a national award for the third time in four years. Hollowell Sailing Club, based at Hollowell Reservoir, off Welford Road, has been named as a finalist in the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Club of the Year Award 2012. The winner will be announced at the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show in London, on March 3. Russell Brayshaw, Hollowell Sailing Club’s Commodore, said: “People know when they come to Hollowell they’ll be given a warm welcome and enjoy our activities in a safe environment, whether they’re beginners or experienced sailors. “We’re a close-knit group and everyone appreciates the value of working hard for the good of the club.” The RYA award recognises clubs which excel at promoting sailing, encouraging people onto the water and make their activities varied and accessible. Hollowell, which has about 550 members, was also a finalist for the award in 2009 and 2011.

Clipper Round-world Yachts Set Sail for Qingdao

Fleet of the 2011-2012 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race set sail for Qingdao on Saturday after a week-long stopover at Singapore. The fleet set sail on Saturday morning from the Marina at Keppel Bay for the 8th race of the round-the-world-trip. The route from Singapore to China's northern coastal city of Qingdao, which has been known as a city of sailing since the Summer Olympics in 2008, is 2,580 miles (4,128 kilometers). It is expected to take around 20 days. The race will be challenging as it started in the tropical heat and light headwinds and then, as it goes north, the weather turns colder, the winds come from directly ahead and the sea state kicks up to deliver a real challenge, organizers said. The fleet arrived in Singapore on Jan. 28. The yacht Gold Coast Australia won the 4,600-mile (7,360-kilometer) Race 7 from Australia to Singapore, which is the first part of the 5th leg of the trip around the globe. It was 79 minutes ahead of runner-up Derry-Londonderry. Geraldton Western Australia finished the race by arriving in Batam on Monday in the third position, followed by Qingdao and Singapore in the fourth and fifth places, respectively. The Singapore yacht, sponsored by the world's largest rig builder Keppel Corporation, sailed into the Keppel Bay on Saturday morning to the applause of Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and a large crowd. It was a disappointing result for the Finnish boat Visit Finland, which finished in the eighth place out of ten. The team had appeared on the podium four times in the previous six races. Ian Conchie, the British skipper of the boat Qingdao, has said that his team got "every incentive" to do their best in the race towards its home port of Qingdao. "We've got the speed in the boat. We are just gonna work hard as a team, bring it all together, and try and pull it to Qingdao," he said. Qu Zhiguo, a Chinese sailor on the boat, has said that he was hoping for a good result on the race from Singapore to Qingdao, too. "We will be expecting headwinds most of the time. So the speed is going to be fast. It is going to be challenging," he said. The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is known for the world's longest route at about 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometers), with 15 races on 8 legs. The fleet sailed from Southampton in the United Kingdom in late July last year and is expected to return to Britain in July this year.

Sailing Club Spotlight Tamesis Sailing Club 2

Sailing Club Spotlight Tamesis Sailing Club 1

Voyage of Recovery sailing for drug and alcohol addicts

Alcohol and drug addicts could be offered a rehabilitation programme sailing around the coast of Britain. During the 12-week "Voyage of Recovery" up to 160 addicts will work aboard the Tectona and be taught how to sail. The 1,800-mile (2,897km) trip, starting in Plymouth on 1 August, has been organised by two charities - Phoenix Futures and the Tectona Trust. The impact of the voyage on those taking part will be studied by Phoenix, Tectona and Plymouth University. The voyage will be split into will five-day legs for teams of 12 to allow as many people as possible to take part. 'Life changing' The Tectona will sail from Plymouth on 1 August to Portsmouth for the "official" start of the voyage around Britain. Duties on board will include navigation, manning the sails, hauling up anchor as well as preparing meals and keeping the ship clean. The idea for the sailing programme came from Stuart Plant and Darren Long as part of Phoenix Futures' Innovation Factor, which encourages people to think about new ways of overcoming addiction. Mr Plant, a residential manager for Phoenix, said while sailing was hard, physical work, it involved working as part of a team and helped to boost people's self-esteem and confidence. Mr Long, a former addict, who now volunteers for the Tectona Trust, said sailing had been "life changing in more ways than anyone could imagine". Karen Biggs, Phoenix Futures' chief executive, said: "The Voyage Of Recovery is the latest of a series of innovations that we have championed. "Our long history of delivering recovery services has shown us the importance of continuing to find new and imaginative ways to inspire people to take those important steps toward tackling their addiction."

British sailors win eight medals at Miami World Cup regatta

British sailors picked up three golds in a total haul of eight medals at the Miami World Cup regatta. Olympic hopefuls Nick Dempsey, Paul Goodison and the women's match racing trio of Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Kate Macgregor all won gold. Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark took silver in the 470, ahead of development squad sailors Sophie Weguelin and Sophie Ainsworth in third place. Team GB have already named sailors in eight of 10 Olympic classes for London. Olympic Champion Goodison battled past Brazil's Bruno Fontes in the medal race to claim gold in the Laser in Miami. "It's been nice to come and do Miami - it wasn't originally in the plan to come and do this event but after a really good week last week sailing in Key West it made sense to stop by here and work on some of the things I need to before the Games," said Goodison. "There are only I think three regattas that I'll do left before the Olympics, so it's good to be working on the things that I need to and to be improving on the things that I've set out to do." The women's match racing team saw off Australia in their final, Lush saying: "It's a great start to 2012 for us. "It doesn't feel like we've sailed particularly well this week but we held it together, pulled off some great results along the way and we've learned a huge amount which we'll take forward into our winter training. "You can see from the results this week just how tight the fleet has become - everyone is pushing hard so there's plenty of hard work still ahead of us." Dempsey recovered from a disappointing World Championship in Perth last month to dominate the RS:X windsurfer category. "It's quite nice [to win a World Cup] isn't it?" he said. "Getting all firsts this week was pretty good so I'm very happy. "It's definitely all going to plan and it's all on track. It was needed, the result at this event, and I'm really looking forward to the next few months."

Bavaria Yachts Unveils New Vision 46

At the world's largest boat show, the 2012 Dusseldorf Boot, Bavaria Yachts unveiled its new, most innovative sailing yacht, the Vision 46 to a large crowd with grand excitement. The development process for the Vision started with consulting cruising sailors from around the world about what would make the perfect sailing cruiser. Bavaria then employed the expert power of Farr Yacht Design and the British boutique firm, Design Unlimited. The result is a boat that will set a new standard in the owner's cruiser category, with a focus on high-end elegance, comfort and easy handling. The new Vision Series offers features that were, until now, only seen on mega yachts. The unique cockpit design has an offset companionway allowing space for a large port cockpit table that is electrically lowered and convertible to a lounging/day bed. The optional push button self-tacking system makes single and short-handed sailing a pleasure. Additionally, Bavaria's docking system employs drop-down bow and stern thrusters, coordinated with the main engine for complete control and accuracy in tight quarters. These and countless other unique comfort and handling features combine with elegant interiors, Farr Yacht Design engineering for fast and comfortable passages, and the premium build-quality and finish found in all Bavaria yachts. This stunning boat is sure to draw attention wherever she drops anchor. "I was in Dusseldorf this week to witness the unveiling of the first Vision hull and I was blown away. I can genuinely say that the Vision 46 is a game changer in this category. It is absolutely perfect for the American cruising market." Says Kenny Feld, Managing Director of Bavaria Yachts USA. The Vision 46, the first of the new series, can be customized with two or three cabins, one or two heads and each floor plan includes a separate shower room. The first US Vision 46 hull will be delivered to Annapolis, Maryland and available for viewing April 2012. Visit www.BavariaYachts.com for more information About Bavaria Yachts The Bavaria Yachtbau shipyard is the single largest yacht production facility in Europe, constructing thousands of performance cruising sailboats each year built by skilled craftsmen using computer-aided, state-of-the art manufacturing processes, and stringent, consistent quality control processes. Bavaria combines precision German engineering with collaborative design expertise from Farr Yacht Design and styling expertise from BMW DesignworksUSA and Design Unlimited UK. Teaming up with market leaders in yacht, ergonomic and interior design reflects Bavaria Yachts' constant commitment to delivering extremely well built, safe, premium quality yachts with powerful lines, striking designs, and innovative features. Introducing a new business model for the industry, Bavaria Yachts USA provides owners with "factory direct" pricing, boats built to personalized specifications, and ultra-efficient purchase-to-delivery lead times of typically around three months. Bavaria Yachts USA also offers an integrated, full-range customer experience from chartering new Bavaria's, to ASA learn-to-sail programs as well as a range of comprehensive Bavaria-dedicated yacht management services.

Sailing Club Spotlight Thorpe Bay Yacht Club

Sail 4 Cancer – Helping families affected by cancer

Sail 4 Cancer, part of the 4 Cancer charity group, aims to improve the quality of life for those living with cancer. The charity has been active along the Solent for the past 10 years helping families affected by cancer to get away from the stress of living with the disease. Sail 4 Cancer has now established an office in Fareham to better serve families along the South Coast and inform cancer patients and their families about the sponsored respite opportunities available to them. Families are taken on sponsored sailing days, ocean cruises, river boat adventures and park breaks. The charity also provides sailing weekends for youngsters living with cancer to improve their confidence and meet other young people dealing with the disease. 'Families who live with cancer experience enormous stress. From the moment someone is diagnosed with the disease family life is severely affected and often financial strain is added to an already heavy burden. We give families the opportunity to spend time together away from the stress of their everyday lives. We want them to just have fun as a family and use their time together to create special memories' remarked Lizette van Niekerk, Fundraising Manager for Sail 4 Cancer. In 2011 Sail 4 Cancer helped 400 people and this year they hope to help many more families. If you want to nominate a partner, child, friend or family for a much-needed break simply visit the charity’s website or call 0845 408 1849. Sail 4 Cancer is entirely dependent on fundraising and appreciates any donations to help more families. The charity is also looking for volunteers to raise funds by running the BUPA London 10K the 27th of May.

Sailing Club Spotlight Ullswater Yacht Club 2