British boating sector sails to sixth year of consecutive growth as fall in pound boosts exports and staycations

The UK's boating sector has notched up its sixth consecutive year of growth as the pound's dip boosted exports and demand for UK boating getaways, according to research out today from British Marine. Industry revenues rose by 3.4 per cent to £3.1bn in 2017, which British Marine said was their highest level since the financial crisis. Between March 2016 and April 2017, the sector directly contributed over £1.3bn to the UK economy. The membership organisation for the UK leisure, superyacht and small commercial marine industry, said the slump in sterling encouraged a rise in "staycations", noting demand for barge and cruising holidays in the UK. The pound also propelled UK marine industry exports to grow by 4.7 per cent, as British-made boats became more competitive abroad. Howard Pridding, chief executive officer of British Marine, said: These impressive figures demonstrate how the industry has successfully cashed in on the pound’s devaluation since the Brexit referendum in 2016. In 2017 UK marine industry exports grew by 4.7 per cent to £924m, with the weak pound making British-made boats and products more competitive abroad. Business confidence in the industry has increased over the past six months, according to the report, with a net balance of 41 per cent of British Marine members positive about their future prospects. British Marine said the boating tourism sector in particular was making waves, with over 60 per cent of marine tourism operators reporting rising sales over the summer. Pridding said: "As the pound has dipped, many Brits have rekindled their love for barges, yachting, watersports holidays and canal cruises in and around the UK. Confidence in the sector is at its highest since the credit crunch and we expect to see further growth into 2018." The challenges ahead for the industry regarding Brexit include its potential impact on the labour supply chain, as well as rising costs relating to overseas procurement, according to British Marine.

Fundraiser for Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust at Largs

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust are holding a fundraising night on Saturday 3 February at the Largs Sailing Club, starting at 7.30pm. Local band The Fencebay band will be playing and the event will include a raffle and games to raise money for the trust. The Trust, who are based at Largs Yacht Haven, take young people aged 8-24 from all over the UK on sailing trips to help inspire them in rebuilding confidence after treatment for cancer and leukaemia. The trips are huge amounts of fun and the young people don’t need to have any previous sailing experience. As well as getting to live, sleep and eat aboard our yachts the young people will learn an introduction to sailing as well as getting to enjoy other fun things like crabbing, mackerel fishing, BBQ’s, ice creams, and making new friends, Tickets are £10 and available to purchase at the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust Office, Largs Sailing Club and Largs Yacht Haven office.

The World Sailing Show - January 2018

Comedian Roy Walker to sail around the world aged 78 after buying boat

The former Catchphrase host will shell out on a sailing boat for a trip to mark his birthday next year. A close source told us: “Roy has always been a keen sailor and fancied going on a big voyage. “He’s getting close to his 80th birthday, is still in good health and has decided, ‘It’s now or never’. “Roy isn’t foolish though, and is going to navigate the waters around the British and Irish coasts first, just to get a feel for it, before setting out into the wider ocean. “He loves being alone in the ocean, and is prepared to spend up to a year on his travels. “He is in good health, and realises that at his age he needs to be more careful, but he really wants to fulfil this dream.” Belfast-born Roy, a widower since 1989, fled the Troubles to begin his stand-up career. He hit the big time after appearing on talent show New Faces. He was a cult figure hosting Catchphrase between 1985 and 1999, with the show also coining his famous “Say what you see” line. Globetrotting Roy most recently appeared on BBC reality show The Real Exotic Marigold Hotel, which showed older celebrities sampling retirement living in India. He also regularly works as a stand-up comedian on cruises – entertaining passengers on ships travelling to the Middle East. Explaining his love of the voyages, Roy explained: “I’m surrounded by sand and doing as little as possible.

New maritime centre in Hartlepool

Two British wooden boat
 enthusiasts – Anthony Wheaton 
(owner of Aeolus) and Pelham Olive 
(owner of Kelpie) – have parted with 
£20,000 of their own money to 
buy 25 boats at the recent 
EISCA auction, with the aim of
 forming a new maritime centre 
for Hartlepool and nearby 
Middlesbrough. The boats are fi
ve working boats, 14 classic
 dinghies including nine
 International 14s, and six small
wooden craft. The first stage of 
assembling these boats at
 Teesside has been completed and six of them have now been 
moved to Hartlepool Marina. To ensure the collection has a
 sustainable future, Hartlepool Marina, Middlesbrough College and local Teesside businesses have come on board to create employment training schemes, a boatbuilding school and traditional sail-training funded by a range of government sources. The scheme was to start in December, which will generate funding for the collection. A further £20,000 is sought to transport more boats to Hartlepool and Middlesbrough and to set up the workshops for trainees to start repairing them. Hartlepool Marina is a centre of maritime heritage with the Naval Museum and HMS Trincomalee, the oldest British warship still a oat; the collection’s boats will be shown to the public on the quay and in the water, and some will be sailed in the marina. Middlesbrough College is in the old docks and intends to locate the boatbuilding school on the quayside. The classic dinghy collection will be maintained by the school and in the summer the dinghy eet will visit regattas in the UK to demonstrate and allow sailors to experience classic dinghy sailing. For more information and to make a donation, please contact Anthony Wheaton, anthony@aeolus1904.com, 07803 389 676

Around the world in 42 days: French sailor smashes solo record

Frenchman Francois Gabart smashed the world record for the fastest non-stop solo navigation of the globe on Sunday, completing the mammoth feat in 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds. The 34-year-old sailor crossed a virtual finish line drawn between the island of Ushant off France's northwest tip and Lizard Point in southwest England at 0145 GMT, comfortably beating the previous record set by compatriot Thomas Coville last year by six days and 10 hours. The race time was announced by an observer from the World Sailing Speed Council but will be subject to checks of the boat's black box and its GPS data before final confirmation. Father-of-two Gabart becomes just the fourth title-holder for a world record of sailing the globe solo without stopping. Since the record was first set in 2004, nearly 30 days have been shaved off. The debut record holder was Frenchman Francis Joyon who completed the odyssey in 72 days and 22 hours. British female sailor Ellen MacArthur took to the seas a year later, racing against the clock to break that record by just a day and a half (71 days, 14 hours). She remained undefeated until 2016 when Coville set a new record of 49 days and three hours which many predicted would be difficult to topple. Gabart's 30 metre (98 foot) long new generation maxi-trimaran was helped by good weather throughout much of the voyage, particularly during the long and arduous Pacific section. He set a number of new solo race records along the way, including the fastest navigation of the Pacific (7 days, 15 hours, 15 minutes) and the longest distance covered in 24 hours (851 miles or 1,576 kilometres).

Historic Suffolk yacht ‘Leila’ completes gruelling 500-mile race on her 125th birthday

Youngsters George Ray from Ipswich and Simon Wiseman from Great Yarmouth were among the crew that sailed ‘Leila’, the fifth oldest sailing yacht in the country, from Lowestoft to the race start in Sweden in June. Leila stormed off at the front of the fleet, taking three days to cover the 500-mile course to reach the finishing line in the Gulf of Finland, near Russia. Despite being the oldest and smallest ship to take part in the event, Leila’s crew managed to come third in class out of 15 and fourth overall out of the fleet of 50 tall ships. The Victorian racing yacht had been discovered rotting in a backwater near Yarmouth and rescued by skipper David Beavan from Southwold. She underwent a five-year, £150,000 renovation programme at the town’s Harbour Marine Services boatyard with most of the work being carried out by volunteers, led by David, before being re-launched as sail-training boat in 2012. Next year will be the last of lottery funded voyages Leila will take along the East Anglian coastline, and booking are now being taken. The Leila Trust is looking to recruit more volunteers to crew the boat as well as helping to keep the vessel ship-shape. Normally Leila only takes bookings from youth organisations, schools and colleges but next year the opportunity is being offered to local individuals and family groups. “We find that schools and youth groups cannot afford the cost of supplying a leader under government cuts, so want family groups of perhaps two adults and four children to apply,” said Mr Beavan. “We will also be running some voyages for over-18’s to come unaccompanied. “The Leila Trust is preparing for the loss of the Lottery support in 2019 but it means we will not be able to afford full-time crew and need local volunteers to act as mates on voyages as well as work on maintenance and help run the Trust. It is vital that we recruit more local volunteers to keep “Leila” sailing - she is a fascinating boat to sail, especially if we wind her up to race mode at full sail and speed.” For more information and to volunteer visit www.leila2c.org

The World Sailing Show - December 2017

Olympic sailor Iain Pearce celebrates 50 years of Chew Valley Sailing Club

President Rob Mitchell and Commodore Helen Martin were delighted to welcome Iain Percy to the sailing club for their 50th anniversary sailing awards dinner. Iain is one of the top sailors in the world, double Olympic gold medallist and team manager for the Artemis America’s Cup team. He is also a founder and trustee of the Andrew Simpson Foundation, a charity set up in memory of Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson, the Olympic sailor tragically killed in 2013 in an accident whilst training for the America’s Cup. The Foundation raises money to support disadvantaged youngsters to take up water sports. Iain and Andrew had been friends since childhood, had won Olympic gold together in a 2-man race and Iain was part of the team sailing with Andrew when the tragic accident claimed his friend’s life. Chew Valley Sailing Club has supported the Andrew Simpson Foundation since its inception particularly the Barts Bash race, which began as a world record attempt for the largest global sailing event. Introducing Iain Percy, Rob Mitchell said “The annual Barts Bash race has always been well supported by the club both in terms of numbers participating and in money raised for the charity, it is a wonderful worldwide celebration of sailing. We are proud and honoured that Iain has found time in his busy schedule to visit Chew to help us celebrate our 50th anniversary”. The dinner was attended by founder members, new members, the young and young at heart. Iain gave a fascinating and entertaining talk tracing the early days of the America’s Cup through to the high tech present day, he answered questions and then presented the trophies. In her opening remarks Commodore Helen Martin highlighted the very good relationship with Bristol Water over the club’s 50 years. “We are so pleased that the Director of Customer Relations, Ben Newby, is also able to join us in our celebrations”.

Double amputee who feared he’d never walk again prepares for sailing adventure

A double amputee is preparing to set sail on a global adventure after fearing he would never walk again. Paul Johnson, 24, lost both of his legs in November 2014 when he was hit by an electric shock as he crossed a railway line in Glasgow. It is the latest phase of his recovery since working with the Finding Your Feet charity, who Mr Johnson credits with rebuilding his confidence after the horrific accident. “It was quite a turn of events,” the 24-year-old said. “My head was a bit messed up at the time so I was drinking quite a fair amount and I was coming home late from a night-out and tried to take a shortcut over train tracks. “I don’t remember much from then but what I do remember is waking up about two hours later with my legs on fire. “I had to roll over, put the fire out and drag myself over to grab my bag and phone myself an ambulance. “I spent one month in ICU (intensive care unit) and a few months in the burns ward at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. I then went to the Southern General for rehab and got fitted with prosthetics.” Finding Your Feet was founded by Corinne Hutton after she suffered acute pneumonia and septicaemia in 2013, meaning surgeons had to amputate both her hands and legs below the knee. The charity provides one-to-one and group support to amputees and families through a range of projects. Since it began working with Mr Johnson, he has passed his driving test, started playing guitar again and taken part in cooking and gardening classes. He said: “My brother got in touch with the charity almost immediately because he knew I would need all the support I could get. “The charity were right on it and Corinne especially tried to help. She would call my brother and my aunties whenever she could to give support. “I wasn’t able to get out my shell a lot in the first couple of years but they really helped me bring myself out and started getting back out in the world. Mr Johnson is to travel to Gran Canaria in January for a week-long trip at sea with the Jubilee Sailing Trust (Andrew Milligan/PA) “We would go for lunches here and there, and they do a drop-in centre which is just getting bigger and bigger with a bunch of amputees getting together, sharing experiences and helping each other.” Mr Johnson is now preparing to travel to Gran Canaria in January for a week-long trip at sea with the Jubilee Sailing Trust. The charity gives disabled people the opportunity to experience crewing a tall ship and if all goes well he hopes to take part in a longer sail to South Africa later in the year. He said: “The ship has been completely adapted for people with disabilities, so we’re able to do the sails, helm the ship, scrub the deck, work in the galley – basically it’s a working holiday, a working adventure. “I couldn’t have imagined I’d be doing something like this. I just wanted to walk never mind set sail on a boat so this is going to be absolutely incredible.” With his place on the ship secured, Mr Johnson is hoping to raise around £15,000 for Finding Your Feet during his trip in recognition of the charity’s support. Ms Hutton said: “Paul has been through so much, so when we had the chance to offer him something that would change his life for the better it was a no-brainer. “He has gone from being housebound in his wheelchair to walking on his prosthetics, and I can’t believe we’ll be seeing him at sea soon. I know he’ll do great. “This kind of thing is what the charity is all about, and we hope Paul’s story will encourage others to challenge themselves.” :: Donations to Paul’s voyage can be made through his fundraising page: http://mydonate.bt.com/events/sealegs/

Essex businessman hopes his Borrow a Boat online service will become the ‘Airbnb for boat charters’

Matt Ovenden launched online marketplace borrowaboat.com around a year ago. It is a website where private boat-owners can list their boat for charter giving people access to a choice of thousands of vessels around the world. Mr Ovenden, who lives in High Easter near Chelmsford, says the idea for the venture came about after he looked into buying a boat for himself. “I found the cost of buying and maintaining a boat was incredibly high, and all for a few weeks sailing each year,” he said. “It was clear the current model was not really serving anyone very well - it was preventing many sailing enthusiasts from owning a boat, and making it very expensive for those who did. I felt it was a model that was ripe for disruption.” He added: ”Ownership is going out of fashion, many people don’t own their car anymore, for example. “The new generation would rather have access to experiences. Services like Airbnb, Uber and Spotify have changed parts of our lives and have made things more accessible.” Over 13,000 boats in more than 50 countries are currently listed on Borrow A Boat, which Mr Ovenden hopes will open up boating to a wider market by offering more variety of boats, locations to charter and better pricing, while also providing a useful source of maintenance income for boat-owners, making the cost of ownership more affordable. A number of owners of boats moored at Ipswich’s Neptune Marina have signed up after the service was promoted at this year’s Ipswich Maritime Festival. Mr Ovenden knows the area well and learnt to sail on the River Orwell. Borrow A Boat is his fourth start-up in a career that so far has seen him hold the role of head of innovation and technology at London Underground, and work with Richard Branson to bring renewable energy to remote islands in the Caribbean. In its first year, around 100 charter days have been sold through the Borrow a Boat site and now having proven the concept of the business model and built the main commercial platform, Mr Ovenden is now looking to market the service to more customers in more regions through investment. To that end, Borrow A Boat recently launched on equity crowdfunding website CrowdCube, looking to raise £200,000 and has currently attracted over £215,000 in investments.

Retired Norfolk businessman continues his sailing success

This is the seventh time that Mr Tillett, 84, has won the trophy since buying the sailing dinghy in 2002. A Stiffkey Cockle is a 15ft 2in clinker styled sailing dingy that was first built by George Hewitt at Stiffkey Marine in 1996. There are now 118 boats in the fleet. Since his retirement 19 years ago, Mr Tillett has sailed with the Stiffkey Cockle Club in the Blakeney Pit out of Morston Creek on the North Norfolk coast. He has won the Cockle World Championships twice, the Main Series four times, and the Evening Series seven times. This year he cut down on the number of races he competed in to focus on one championship - the Evening Series challenge. The series consists of six races with points awarded for each race. At the end of the series the lowest score is eliminated and the winner is the sailor who has the most combined points from the remaining five scores. Mr Tillett received the trophy at a prize giving on October 27. He said: “I’m very fortunate that I’m fit enough to still be able to sail competitively. “The fact that I can still do it is a wonderful thing.” Having first raced in a 12ft national on Wroxham Broad just after the Second World War, Mr Tillett’s sailing career saw him compete in nationals and white boats at Norfolk Broads Yacht Club (NBYC) in Wroxham; in Norfolk Dinghy’s at Frostbites Sailing Club in Norwich; and in a Broads One Design (Brown Boat) at the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club in Lowestoft. He is also a past Commodore of NBYC. Current chairman of Stiffkey Cockle Sailing Club Andrew Chapman said: “James is a remarkable man, quietly competitive and a very nice person. “He is a fine example to us all and sets a tremendous pace on the water. “We are proud to have him in the club and see him continue to win prizes.” Stiffkey Cockle Sailing Club is a single class sailing club based around the Stiffkey Cockle boat and based at Morston Creek in North Norfolk. There are about 70 members of which 40 are racing members.

Sailor to mark sacrifice made in Falklands

AN ADVENTUROUS sailor will be paying tribute to a ship’s crew members who died during the Falklands War. Alex Alley from Gosport is looking to set a solo non-stop round the world sailing record next year – but will be stopping off to pay tribute to the personnel who gave their lives aboard HMS Glamorgan. On June 11, 1982, County Class destroyer HMS Glamorgan was struck by an Argentinian Exocet missile, killing 14 crew members. During Alex’s journey around the world, he will lay 14 poppies at the site where the crew members lost their lives. Alex said: ‘I will be laying paper poppies out at sea – each of which will have a crew member’s name on the back. ‘A very good friend of mine is Peter Galloway, who served on board HMS Glamorgan at the time. ‘When he suggested that I do something like this I thought it was an absolutely brilliant idea.’ Alex’s journey will begin in November 2018, with the current plan being to reach the Falklands in January 2019. He said: ‘I am looking forward to stopping by the Falklands to pay tribute to the crew members. ‘I am genuinely honoured to lay down the poppies at sea, and I see it as a privilege to have been asked.’ Captain Peter Galloway said: ‘I have been inspired by what Alex has already achieved in his lifetime and I am extremely proud to count him as a friend. ‘Together with the members of the ship’s company who wished to support Alex in this amazing venture and all those on board HMS Glamorgan who survived that dreadful moment in 1982. ‘I wish him the very best in his world record-breaking attempt and thank him most sincerely for agreeing to carry out this meaningful tribute to those we lost.’ Alex’s vessel of choice for the adventure is the class 40 racing yacht Pixel Flyer – courtesy of PixelBoat. The campaign is crowd-funded, with people able to have their picture put onto the side of the boat. This round-the-world journey will be the first time Alex has taken on the ocean solo. He said: ‘I am really excited because it is the first time I have done this – but it may also end up being the last. ‘I don’t think I will get lonely while taking on the challenge, because there is always so much to do. ‘You just have to plan things much more meticulously – and further in advance – since there’s only one of you. ‘I will also have connection to the outside world, so not 
only can keep people updated with my progress but also can keep in touch with friends and family.’