Sailing club Spotlight Solway sailing Club

The AC45 catarmaran the ulitmate sailing machine

Best young sailors to battle in Red Bull Youth America's Cup

Hannah Mills set for Extreme Sailing Series before Rio bid

WELSH sailing star Hannah Mills will return to her bid for Olympic golden glory next year. Mills, 24, who is planning on continuing her 470 partnership with Saskia Clark through to Rio 2016 after winning a silver in Weymouth last summer. In the meantime, Mills has been invited to take part in the Nice leg of the Extreme Sailing Series by The Wave, Muscat skipper Leigh McMillan. She feels the experience could boost her preparations for a return to dingy sailing in the build up to the Rio 2016 Games. "I think it's important to take some time off and the Extreme Sailing Series is about learning new skills and improving my sailing in all areas," said the 2012 470 World Champion. "I think if you stay in the same boat for the whole four-year-cycle it gets pretty demoralising so you have to keep it fresh. "I want to do as much different sailing as possible before stepping back into the 470 sometime next year." Mills was only one of a few women involved in Nice. The Dinas Powys ace hopes her success alongside Clark in London 2012 will inspire more women to stay in sport. Women won eleven of Great Britain's 29 gold medals, their best-ever haul. "It's great to be one of the only women here, but obviously it would be great if there were more women involved," continued Mills. "Anna Tunnicliffe (US two-time World Sailor of the Year Award winner, who is also competing in the Extreme Sailing circuit) has done a lot for the sport and the way sailing is going I'm sure there will be many more opportunities for women to get involved. "I definitely think Team GB women doing so well was a huge boost especially for the young girls. "When kids are coming through school it's very easy to drop out of sports so hopefully London will encourage them to stay involved for as long as possible."

Getting Started - Dinghy Sailing

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Sailing Club Spotlight Berwick Sailing Club

A MECHANIC who saved Berwick Sailing Club £4,000 by repairing its safety boat has made the semi-final of a national competition to find Britain’s top maritime hero. Eyemouth’s John Wood has made the semi-finals after being nominated by Alistair McDonald, commodore at Berwick Sailing Club. The new annual awards scheme was launched in June by Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky to reward the outstanding passion, commitment and achievements demonstrated within Britain’s maritime communities. After coming to the club’s 
rescue by carrying out essential repairs, John certainly fitted the bill. During a regatta in May, the club’s safety boat was damaged when it capsized in rough waters. The boat’s engine was in a sorry state and looked a write-off until John stepped in and worked day and night to save the club a bill in excess of £4,000 to replace it. “What John did was a big thing for the club.” Alistair commented. “It’s essential we have a boat to serve our safety needs and John worked solidly for a week to make sure we did.” A former Royal Navy engineer, John has also devoted a lot of time to the club since his two sons have joined up, going along to training sessions, helping at regattas and providing transport to events further afield. But despite his keen interest in the club, John has no desire to take to the water himself. Rather than go sailing, he prefers to watch his sons, aged 12 and 16, in action.

Best inland sail in Britain

Hobie Waves 20 plus knots

Tallship Lord Nelson sets sail on round-the-world voyage

A tallship with a disabled crew has set off on a 50,000-mile voyage around the globe. The Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST) ship Lord Nelson left Southampton on Trafalgar Day. A crew of 50 people, of mixed physical abilities, including wheelchair users, will sail the ship on the two-year voyage. The ship was escorted by a flotilla of other sailing vessels down Southampton water. It set sail for Rio de Janeiro at 11:50 BST, the time that Admiral Lord Nelson hoisted his final flag signal to the fleet at Trafalgar to "set all sails possible with safety to the mast". “ This is no pleasure cruise - our crew will be working together to guide Lord Nelson across the Atlantic and then around the world” End Quote Alex Lochrane JST chief executive The ship was designed and built to be sailed by people of all physical abilities, working side-by-side. It was named after "Britain's most famous disabled sailor", the JST said Beryl Jones, a retired disability adviser from Anglesey in Wales, who has multiple sclerosis, was on board. She said: "My grandfather was a sea captain who sailed the world and I guess at this late stage in my life I am following in his footsteps. "This sail will provide adventure, involving almost every activity on board. Scrubbing the deck and potatoes, washing dishes, setting the sails, keeping watch and peering from the crow's nest - a thrill of a lifetime." The project, called the Norton Rose Sail the World Challenge, will be completed in 10 main ocean passages, which will take up to two months each. The first leg is from Southampton, across the Atlantic, to Rio de Janeiro, from where the ship will set sail for Cape Town in South Africa. The crew of 50 will change for each of the 10 main ocean passages It will visit 30 countries and all seven continents and each passage will be completed by a different crew. Alex Lochrane, JST chief executive, said: "This is no pleasure cruise - our crew will be working together to guide Lord Nelson across the Atlantic and then around the world. "We are delighted to be able to give both disabled and able-bodied people the opportunity to take on massive challenges and push their boundaries."

America’s Top Sailing Team Capsizes, Destroys Their $10 Million Boat

Oracle Team USA, America's premier sailing team and one that's bankrolled by billionaire Larry Ellison, is the odds-on favorite to win the America's Cup title next September, but the crew hit a little snag Tuesday when their souped-up, super-expensive AC72 boat capsized in San Francisco Bay during a practice run. After that, it took all the crew's efforts, along with an assist from the US Coast Guard, to keep the remains from floating out to sea. The boat slammed into the water on its side, destroying the carbon fiber wing sail and scattering very, very expensive bits of carbon fiber over the bay. No one was injured, but the current pulled the boat through the Golden Gate and out to sea even as the team, joined by a crew dispatched from shore, tried to rein in the wreckage. "It was amazing - we watched it tip right over, and it looked like the top of the wing came right off," one witness told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Then the big ebb tide just took it right out under the bridge, and it was obvious there was nothing they could do." The team managed to return the boat, or what's left of it, to shore Wednesday morning. The wing was destroyed and the boat, which costs $8-10 million, needs extensive repairs. The rules allow each team to build two AC72 boats; this was the first of the two launched by Oracle. The second hits the water early next year. "There's no question this is a setback. This will be a big test for our team," said skipper Jimmy Spithill. "But I've seen these guys in a similar situation in the past campaign before we won the America's Cup. A strong team will bounce back from it."

Sailing Club Spotlight Annandale Sailing Club

Thames Sailing Barge Match Race