Gloucestershire sailors Jeremy Warren and Phil Kirk smash UK coast record

Two weather-beaten West Country adventurers are celebrating after they set a new record for sailing around the UK. Jeremy Warren and Phil Kirk, of Gloucestershire, set sail from Weymouth in a Wayfarer dinghy, a small open boat less than 5m long, aiming to complete their journey in 60 days but returned yesterday, having taken 33, breaking the record of 76 days. Mr Warren, a 56-year-old technology entrepreneur, and Mr Kirk, 40, a naval architecht are members of the Thornbury Sailing Club on the River Severn and have decades of sailing experience between them. The voyage was raising money for lifeboat charity, the RNLI, and the Pappa Fund, which supports health and education projects in India.

Soaking the baton at Montrose Sailing Club

Hot on the heels of the Montrose Sailing Club’s 50th Anniversary, the club played its part in the celebrating Her Majesty The Queen’s Baton Relay coming to the town on Saturday. Not only do the club have a member who helped to design the Baton, and another who proudly carried it in Kirriemuir, but it held its first ever dry-land taster session, at the Sports Centre games field, on Saturday. A club spokesman said: “Judging by the number of people who came along to the sailing club open day on Sunday, a good number of people spotted our two bright yellow and blue Laser Picos (courtesy of the Angus Council Community Fund) and were not put off by Saturday’s rain. “All the same, it was with some trepidation that we opened the curtains on Sunday morning, but fortunately we were given a near-perfect day for folk to try sailing - bright, warm and with a steady breeze - and they certainly did come and try!” More than 30 new sailors attended the open day, keeping the club’s volunteers busy kitting out the visitors for a safe sail, getting them on the water and preparing them tea and cake to warm-up afterwards. The spokesperson continued: “All who came had a great time sailing on our “unusual” patch of water, and with the club’s own sail training programme and links with Monikie Country Park RYA sail training centre, we hope that we will have some budding Sir Ben Ainsleys or Shirley Robertsons joining the club, and a few more who will come to enjoy messing around in boats and 
seeing the seals. “The Club would also like to thank Montrose Community Sports Hub for the opportunity to take part on Saturday and to send our best wishes with the baton and its bearers to all of the athletes and volunteers who will be taking part in Scotland’s Games next month.” Meanwhile, if you missed the open day and are interested in trying a new sport, see www.montrosesailingclub.co.uk for details of the sailing programme and get along to Esk Road any weekend when the tide’s in.

Brtish government discussing eight million pound "investment" in Ben Ainslie America's Cup campaign

MINISTERS are preparing to invest up to £8m to boost Britain’s attempt to win the America’s Cup for the first time, and bring the prestigious sailing competition back to the UK after more than 150 years. The government is to give financial backing to Sir Ben Ainslie, the Olympic gold medallist who was part of America’s winning team last year, to build a state-of-the-art boat and set up a permanent racing headquarters in Portsmouth. But last night the move was criticised by Labour MPs, who said the money would be better spent on supporting sports open to everybody rather than on an “elite”. Ainslie hopes to enter a team in the America’s Cup in 2017 and, by winning the cup, bring the competition back to the UK for the first time since 1851 when it was launched off the Isle of Wight.

Crew sought for round-Britain sailing adventure

Tim Gardner is looking forward to swapping the London commuter train from Alton for a sailing voyage of a lifetime. After 18 months of planning, Tim, 46, from Medstead will be setting sail from Gosport on a circumnavigation of the United Kingdom. He will depart on Saturday, 5 July, and is hoping for calm seas for the following eight weeks as he voyages around the UK, raising money for the RNLI along the way. Despite being in the 'final countdown phase' and undertaking last minute jobs such as fitting a fridge, Tim is still seeking additional crew, especially for the return leg from Inverness to Harwich in mid-August. Tim said: 'I think we can accept additional crew with only 48 hours notice.' The route The 2,500-mile journey will take in the Scilly Isles, the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, through the Caledonian Canal and then down the East Coast to Newcastle Upon Tyne. Moonstone, Tim's 29ft sailing boat will then rest in Newcastle before completing the journey back to Gosport next Easter. Tim caught the sailing bug just over four years ago when he proposed to his wife that they could 'pick a hobby that we can do together'. A sail to Guernsey, followed by another trip to Dartmouth, identified the flaw in the plan. Jo, Tim's wife suffers from awful sea sickness. Moonstone held her own in last year's race around the Isle of Wight with a valiant crew that included Phil Miles and Esther Silver from Alton; they narrowly missed a collision with many but not all of the 1,900 other sailing boats as they made their way out of Cowes. For the last nine months, the boat has been out of the water being refitted so that she is ready for the journey around the UK. Last weekend, Tim, Phil and Esther, along with crewmates Bradley and Mark Gardner, took part in the light-wind edition Round the Island Race. Pre-voyage jitters 'There are bits of this trip that are beginning to give me sleepless nights', says Tim. 'In the Mennai Straight for example there are whirlpools that will spin a boat. But there are other parts of the journey that should feel truly magical.' The last time Tim and Jo sailed to Dartmouth, there were 10 porpoises swimming with the boat. Jo will join the trip at various points. She will fly to Isles of Scilly, covering the same distance that will take Tim a week in only 30 minutes. But Tim will not be on his own for all of the journey. He is looking for additional crew to take part in this exciting journey. To contact Tim, email Makingway@btinternet.com Follow's his progress via the Making Way page on Facebook. Tim says: 'I would not be able to make this journey without the support of friends and colleagues.' Fundraising Tim's biggest thank you goes to the RNLI after he called them out last year, when one of his crew hit her head in rough weather. He said: 'The support provided by the RNLI to amateur sailors is truly amazing. They were on the scene within minutes and took the casualty to the hospital as a precautionary measure.' Tim is hoping to raise £5,000 for the RNLI during this trip and will be participating in fundraising events at RNLI stations as he travels around the UK.

Young cancer survivor makes sailing racing debut through Dame Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust

A brave cancer survivor from Royston saw her dreams come true when she followed in the footsteps of Dame Ellen MacArthur during a 50-mile sailing race last weekend. Charlotte Butterworth, 17, had the wind in her sails as she raced around the Isle of Wight on Saturday after being given the opportunity by the retired sailor’s charity, the Dame Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. The sixth-former from Steeple Morden was diagnosed with a sarcoma in her cheek when she was just 6-years-old. Having beaten the disease, she joined 16,000 competitors for her racing debut in the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. Speaking to the Weekly News, she said: “I really enjoyed it and I would definitely want to do it again.” Charlotte, a pupil at Hills Road Sixth Form college, had sailed with the Trust before but never in the race and after finally making her debut – albeit in weather conditions which made sailing difficult due to lack of wind. She said: “I was really excited before the race. I’ve done five trips with them before and I’d always wanted to do this race but it clashed with my GCSEs last year.” “There were so many people at the start line, lots of boats racing competitively and it was really fun. “We were quite competitive as a trust with our different boats and all wanted to beat each other.” “My dad used to have a small boat but I hadn’t really been on a bit boat before all this so it’s really fun. “With the trust, everyone has been through a serious situation but they are able to support each other.” She added: “Dame Ellen is lovely. “She’s just so ordinary. You can really easily talk to her and just chat about normal things. “I’ve made some great friends doing the trips and it does help having so many people who have been in the same situation as you.” A sarcoma is a rare cancer that builds up in the muscle, bone and nerves. They make up 15 per cent of all childhood cancers. Though Charlotte does not remember much of the experience as a child, she has said she wants to continue helping others as a volunteer for the Trust. She said: “Next year I will turn 18 and will not be able to go back as a young person, but it would be great to go an help as a volunteer.” In the meantime though, she will be concentrating on passing her A-levels next summer in the hope of studying science at university. The J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race (Saturday 21st June) is one of the largest participation sporting events in the UK and the largest yacht race of its kind in the world. Organised by the Island Sailing Club in Cowes, it is dubbed ‘Britain’s favourite yacht race’, regularly attracting around 1,500 boats and 16,000 competitors.

Hartlepool Marina goes Dutch as 60 yachts sail in from the Netherlands

MORE than 60 private racing yachts sailed into Hartlepool with around 150 crew members from all over the Netherlands. The yachts – which average about 36ft in length – are members of a Dutch coastal sailing association, the Nederlandsche Vereeniging Van Kustzeilers. The huge fleet sailed its way to Hartlepool Marina as part of a friendly race between various North Sea ports which the association holds each year. They arrived at the marina throughout Monday and yesterday, and were due to leave today, heading off to race to Newcastle and then on to Scotland. The visit to Hartlepool was hosted by Hartlepool Marina, which provided the berths, and Hartlepool Borough Council, which was to welcome the skippers and crew at Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience at an event last night. Allan Henderson, Hartlepool Marina director, added: “It was such a pleasure to welcome the yachts to Hartlepool – I’m sure the crews will have been impressed. “Our town has one of the largest marinas in the UK and the fact that we can accommodate over 60 visiting ships further enhances our reputation as a ‘can do’ town which we established when we hosted the Tall Ships in 2010.” Hartlepool’s Mayor Councillor Stephen Akers-Belcher said: “I’m delighted that the crews have chosen to visit Hartlepool this year. “It was a great opportunity for the crews to see the many opportunities our town offers in terms of tourism and business and to hear about the work we are doing to lay the foundation of our future prosperity through the Hartlepool Vision. “I’m sure they will spread the word when they return home.” Members of the public were expected to be able to wave off the visiting ships as they leave through the marina lock gates between 11am and 12.30pm today.

Celtic sailing & exploration - West coast of Scotland

Scotland - Islands and Highlands

scotland west coast sailing trip

Co-op’s gift puts wind in club’s sails

It was with great pleasure that Rutland Sailability members welcomed three representatives of the Anglia Co-operative Community Fund to their regular sailing day at the Rutland Sailing Club on Rutland Water. Doug Boyall and Bev Middleton from the ACCF in Peterborough, were joined by Paul Brown, manager of the Oakham Co-operative Superstore, at Rutland Sailability to present 2 new sails for the club’s multi-hull Challenger boats funded by ACCF. In thanking ACCF for their generosity in funding the new sails, David Walker, Deputy Chairman of Rutland Sailability’s Marketing and Promotions Team, recalled the very valued support the Fund had given the club over many years. In recognition of their long established commitment to the club and to mark this very special occasion, the visitors were presented with the club’s traditional gift of a “Gone Sailing” photograph. As sailing got underway, disabled sailors took the Challengers, with their new sails, out onto the water where they were joined by the Black Kinsman boat sporting its previously funded ACCF sails - much to the delight of the visitors. Rutland Sailability is a registered charity based at the Rutland Sailing Club, Edith Weston, providing sailing opportunities for those with disabilities of all kinds. Funding from sources such as ACCF enables the club to continue to provide the very best facilities for its members. Sadly, this will be the last time funding will be awarded to Rutland Sailability by the Anglia Co-operative Community Fund, as the fund will soon be closed following the merger of local Co-operative Societies into the larger Central England Co-operative based in Lichfield.

Round the Island Race - light winds and sunshine forecast

More than 1,570 boats have entered this Saturday's Round the Island Race and around 16,000 sailors are getting set to enjoy the world famous race. Dubbed the 'Race for All', the event creates the unique spectacle of thousands of boats of all shapes and sizes, racing 50-plus nautical miles around the Isle of Wight Race. The race starts and finishes in Cowes this Saturday, 21st June, with an early start for participants. Sponsored by J.P. Morgan Asset Management and organised by the Island Sailing Club, the annual race regularly attracts sailors of all ages and abilities from across Great Britain, mainland Europe and from as far away as the USA. It is one of the largest yacht races in the world and one of the largest participation sporting events in the UK, topped only by the London Marathon and the Great North and South Runs. World renowned sailors taking part this year include Dame Ellen MacArthur, Sir Ben Ainslie and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. Also attending is Beijing gold medallist Pippa Wilson, plus Rio Olympic hopefuls Luke Patience and Elliot Willis, who will be swapping their 470 dinghy for a Farr 65 that they will be sailing with Question Time presenter David Dimbleby. Where to watch This weekend's event is promised to provide a 'festival of sailing' with lots to do ashore. Spectators will be able to enjoy a variety of entertainment and superb vantage points on the mainland and around the Isle of Wight, such as the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hurst Castle and The Needles. Friends and family can also monitor the race progress on the event website via a live Race Blog and live GPS Race Tracker. Twitter users are encouraged to tweet using the hashtag #raceforall - for every tweet J.P Morgan will donate £1 to the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. PBO racers PBO News Editor Laura is looking forward to joining the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust for the Round the Island Race. PBO Deputy Editor Ben will be racing his own boat Polly, an IRC class Impala 28. Good luck to everyone who is taking part. Forecast predicts light winds and sunshine. Find out more at www.roundtheisland.org.uk

One hull of an achievement as Bushey teen, Tom Collyer, selected for top sailing team

A seafaring teenager from Bushey is "ecstatic" to have been chosen to represent the UK a major sailing tournament. At 14 Tom Collyer is one of the youngest helms to have made the nation's team at the Cadet Class World Championships in Weymouth in August. The competition will see him compete against more than 250 other sailors from around the world. Tom trained throughout the winter and then took part in the selection series in April and May. This involved 18 races spread over three events at Datchet Water, Weymouth and Stone on the East Coast. Tom finished 8th and the top ten boats make up the team. Tom said: "I am ecstatic about having qualified to represent the country in the Cadet World Championships. "It's taken me years of training and a lot of hard work: five or six years of learning how to sail and two years of the campaign towards this goal. "I wasn't happy with my results at last year's National Championships and as a result of this I did not get in to the National Junior Squad which was hard to deal with. "I trained hard over the winter (with some very early starts and long car journeys) and sorted out the weak points of my racing. My dad taught me how to sail while my mum provided much support on land. "Some very inspiring figures have, of course, been Olympians Ben Ainsley and Andrew (Bart) Simpson along with some local role models including the Commodore of Aldenham Sailing Club Barry Steele - former Head of Art at Queens' School." The Cadet is the only double-handed racing dinghy that is sailed exclusively by junior sailors aged 17 and under. Pritam Vekariaat Queens’ School said: "We are all at Queens' very proud of Tom and his brilliance achievement and wish him the best of luck this August."

Portsmouth: Sailor Back On Water Thanks To Bionic Leg

Laurence Greenough, from Plymouth, who lost his leg in a sailing accident, has had his ability to get back on the water restored with the help of the world's most advanced bionic leg developed by mobility experts Ottobock. The Genium X3, originally designed for military personnel, is the only completely waterproof microprocessor prosthetic knee and has a Bluetooth remote control to switch between sailing, walking, jogging and cycling modes. Laurence was just 10 years old when he lost his leg in a tragic accident in the sea. Sailing with his family in Plymouth harbour, a routine capsize drill and subsequent incident with a safety boat went terribly wrong, the injuries Laurence sustained resulted in an above the knee amputation of his left leg. Only two months after the accident, Laurence was back on the water, choosing to use crutches to get around as there were no waterproof prosthetic legs on the market; using a normal prosthesis in the sea would cause it to corrode. Carrying on with his sailing dream, he was honoured with the prestigious Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year award in 2007, following in the footsteps of past winners including Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie OBE and world class yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur. As time went on, Lawrence stopped sailing as the difficulties of sailing and doing other activities without a prosthetic leg became apparent. After two years on crutches he was referred to and fitted by Richard Nieveen of ProActive Prosthetics with a computer controlled prosthetic 'C/Leg' which provided him with improved mobility but could not be worn on deck due to the risk of water damage. When Ottobock's Genium X3 was released Lawrence was keen to find out more about the bionic leg which was designed for people who lead an adventurous lifestyle. He has just been fitted at the ProActive Prosthetics clinic in Surrey. Laurence went out sailing for the very first time on his new waterproof leg on Tuesday 17 June along the south coast from Portsmouth Harbour on a 37 foot cruiser racing yacht with a team from ProActive Prosthetics. Lawrence said: "The first thing I planned to do was to take it sailing! It also has a 'walk to run' feature and bespoke running mode; I had not run since 2008 and it was the most exciting thing to be able to do it again. It makes walking feel so natural - I trust it and don't have to use so much energy. I feel safe and can just relax and let the leg do all the work." The Genium X3 is the world's most technologically advanced prosthetic leg and features activity modes that will allow Laurence to take part in everything his friends do: sailing, grass boarding, running and football in the park. The bionic technology can be programmed from a laptop and can be switched manually between different modes using bluetooth. Sensors, a gyroscope and in-built computer mean the Genium X3 can be programmed to perfectly match Laurence's lifestyle. Richard Nieveen, Laurence's prosthetist at ProActive Prosthetics, explained: "The set up and fitting of Laurence's new leg is tailored to get him back doing all of the things he enjoyed before his accident. We've also programmed a special sailing mode in the knee to allow him to move around the boat with ease - and of course he'll be safe in the knowledge that he can get it wet without any problem."