49er Sailing Boat

Sailing Club Spotlight Swanage Sailing Club

Portugal - Great For A Sailing Vacation

The best sailing area is on the south coast where Algarve provides a perfect 150 Miles of interesting sailing coast. The west of Faro consists of small bays and coves mixed by striking rocky outcrops and interesting grottoes. East of Faro the coast comprises sandy offshore islets, which have created protected anchorages and the most wonderful quiet beaches that continue for miles. Portugal is located in the southwest portion of Europe. It's close to the Iberian Peninsula. On the west, you can find the Atlantic Ocean, and on the north and east is Spain. Two islands in the Pacific, Madeira and Azores, belong to Portugal. The climate of the country is basically Mediterranean. The weather is generally warm, which is just what you may need if you go sailing in Portugal. Algarve is one of the renowned tourist destinations in Portugal, most because of its excellent weather. As a matter of fact, some who have been here for their vacation decided to buy real estate properties. Moreover, there are a lot of interesting places to visit and beautiful beaches to swim or cruise. Alvor is one of them. Besides the long coastline, you can also enjoy the village, filled with narrow streets, bars, and restaurants. There is also a very old fishing village, which has been preserved very well by the municipality. Walk farther and you can find a beautiful lagoon. You can venture too in the sandy beach and coves underneath the cliffs. Whenever you're sailing in Portugal, make sure you can stop by the quaint town of Faro. Apart from finding a good temporary home in its villas and holiday resorts, you can also find a variety of artifacts and historical sites. For example, the Milreu ruins depict third-century homes of the Romans. There is also a parish church that was built hundreds of years ago, Palacio de Estoi or manor house and the Bronze Age fort found in Santa Barbara de Nexe. West of Faro are more developed areas like Vale de Lobo and Quinta do Lago. Disembarking from a yacht charter, you can visit Monchique, a rustic and unexplored town in Portugal. Bordered by the hills of Picota and Foia, Monchique is famous for its cobblestone streets and dark doorways, which eventually lead to small artist shops. There are also a number of religious places here, such as the Franciscan monastery and the parish church, which dates back to the sixteenth century. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1156964

Sailing in Greece - Destination Ionian Islands

The Ionian islands are a fantastic destination for people who want to combine their sailing in Greece holidays together with gourmet food and luxurious services. The Ionian sea is different than the Aegean as it is deeper, colder and darker in color. It is certain that you will make some of the best dives of your life! Also, the Ionian islands are very popular among sailors and skippers because Greeks and Italians have been sailing there from many years ago. They are a destination which will have its own place in your heart forever. Scuba diving is quite popular in the Ionian sea as the underwater views are uniquely terrific. Kerkyra (Corfu) is, perhaps, the most popular of the seven Ionian islands as tourists from all around the world keep arriving there in thousands every year. Luxurious hotel accommodation and many kilometers of seashore around Corfu are the main attractions of this magnificent island. There are bars, clubs, cafes, beach-bars, tavernas and restaurants all around the island. Places that you have already visited and you will visit again at the first chance, because of the state of the art services offered. The Easter time is very popular in Corfu as there are numerous attractions to make you get there every year to celebrate the Greek Orthodox Easter in a traditional way. The experience is fantastic as the municipality band keeps playing religious music all week long. Paxos complex are not very well known to everyone because they are just a small island complex underneath Corfu. The two main islands of the complex are Paxos and Antipaxos. Both of them are a sailing destination and an unforgettable experience. The beauty of nature is tremendous as both islands are covered with plants, having only the sea flowing between them. The Italians know Paxos complex very well as they visit them every year and because they are ideal for yachts. The only way to go all around these two islands and visit places not accessible by foot or wheels, is a boat. With your own or a rented boat you will arrive at small beaches of almost virgin nature. You can visit a different one every day! The trip from Paxos to Antipaxos is a must and it can be done only by boat. Both islands have very narrow roads with limited accessibility to the few small villages around. Most things needed can be found at the port which is very well organized and ready to serve the needs of the incoming sailors. Avoid travelling to Paxos and Antipaxos during the peak season because the islands are small and they can get very crowded. Arrange your sailing holidays in June or September as that's when you can really enjoy all that there is. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7027071

Sailing success for hospice funding

A RECORD number of yacht racers have raised more than £20,000 for St Wilfrid’s Hospice. In near perfect sailing conditions at Chichester Harbour, participants in the hospice’s 11th ‘Nab’ Challenge raced from just outside the harbour, around the Nab Tower and back. The race, which was held on Saturday, September 22, increased the cumulative sum raised by the event over the years to almost £150,000. Spokesman for the Inn-Shore Cruising Club, who organised the event, Mark Taylor, said: “Once again, we have set the bar high and in this year of high sporting achievements we have risen to the challenge once again and raised a fantastic amount of money for St Wilfrid’s.” Overall winner with the highest points total was Alan Stannah on his boat Sally of Kames. The ATAG trophy for the boat that raised the most money was won by Derrick Pope who raised £3,200 through sponsorship of his yacht Valkyrie, while the Tempest Fugit Trophy for the club that raised the most money will be going to Itchenor Sailing Club, which raised £7,180 for the Hospice. The winner in the Sunbeam Class for the second year was Gayle Palmer’s yacht, Little Lady. Class winners included Marcus Hyde with his yacht Veruska in Class B and David Gammon with his yacht Euphoria in Class C, both members of the Inn-Shore Cruising Club. All will be presented with their trophies at a special presentation to be held at the Itchenor Sailing Club on Saturday, October 13, starting from 11am and followed by a buffet lunch. The main sponsor of the event was Chichester-based ATAG Heating. Managing Director Phil Bell said: “It was extremely encouraging to see so many new entrants this year. “It’s thanks to the incredible generosity and support from local people that this event is so successful and long may it continue.” Since it opened in 1987, St Wilfrid’s has cared for over 10,000 local people and at any one time provides care for 210 patients, while offering support to their families and friends.

Sailing Club Spotlight Tata Steel sailing Club

Ultimate Dinghy Sailing !

Seven annual sailing season inspections to save you money!

Inspect Boat Sails and Repair. Remove all sails and canvas, such as Biminis and dodgers from the boat. Inspect both for chafe or tears. Have the local sail loft do a 'head to toe' inspection. Ask your sailmaker to beef up worn areas with additional chafe patches to prevent problems in the future. 2. Service Your Small Diesel Engine. All cruising sailboats abuse their diesel engines. We sailors just don't run them long or hard enough to make a diesel happy. Hire a mechanic once a year for one hour (or more). Have them conduct a 'physical' on the beast. Ask lots of questions. You'll learn a ton of stuff and save lots of money in the future. 3. Make a Bottom Dive or Haulout. Do you sail in fresh water or salt? If you sail in salt, your bottom gets fouled after a few months dockside, at anchor of at a mooring. If you don't haulout, hire a diver to check the bottom, propeller condition and rudder. Keep them clean and barnacle free for peak performance. 4. Test Every Seacock. If you haul the boat, you need to break down every seacock, inspect the internal parts, and grease the fitting. Use only a silicone waterproof grease to prevent damage to rubber parts. Keep them serviced so that they serve you for years to come. 5. Unstep the Sailboat Mast - Check Sailing Rigging. If you haul the boat, unstep the mast. Otherwise, you or a rigger must go aloft to check mast tangs, spreaders, spreader boots and halyard blocks. Check all running rigging and replace if worn. Keep your mast in place and your sailing rig strong to prevent failure. 6. Repair Spongy or Crazed Sailboat Decks. Moisture finds its way into cored decks after a decade or two. Check around every fitting, like lifeline stanchion bases, cleats and mast step for crazing. Before you fill them, use a moisture gauge to check for water intrusion. You must dry the core before filling with sealant. Keep cracks from crunching your cruising plans by taking action once a year. 7. Conduct an Anchor Rode Inspection. Pull it out--pull it all out. Empty your anchor rode from the anchor locker and onto the deck or dock. Inspect every inch of the line, give it a fresh water washdown and dry it out. Salt acts like sandpaper on nylon line and wet nylon loses 15% of its strength. Dry out the anchor locker to prevent mildew.

The Toughest Sailing Race in the World !!

Sailing Stars of 2012 Set to Inspire at RYA Volvo Zone Championships

Great Britain’s Junior sailors will be seeing stars when some of the world’s top Olympic and Paralympic sailors pay a visit to the RYA Volvo Zone and Home Country Championships which are taking place concurrently next weekend (29-30 September) across nine different venues throughout the United Kingdom. Members of the London 2012 British Sailing Team, including Paralympic gold medallist Helena Lucas, will be visiting eight venues across the course of the two-day regatta, to inspire the next generation of British sailors. Over 1000 young competitors, aged between eight and 16, will be given the chance to quiz the sailors about how their sailing careers developed, from club level to their first regional event and how they progressed to ultimately compete at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. They will get the opportunity to compete under the watchful eyes of RYA High Performance Managers, key coaches and selectors as well as showcase their talents in front of the 10 Skandia Team GBR and Team Volvo sailors who will also be offering tips and advice whilst out on the water. 470 London 2012 silver medallist Hannah Mills will be visiting the South Zone (Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy) along with Paralympic gold medallist Helena Lucas who will join Mills on the Sunday after dropping in on the North Zone (Rutland Sailing Club) on the Saturday. The North Zone will then welcome Olympic windsurfing silver medallist Nick Dempsey on day two. 2012 Match Race girls Annie Lush and Kate Macgregor will visit the South East Zone (Weir Wood Sailing Club, East Sussex) and the South West Zone (Chew Valley Sailing Club, Bristol) respectively. Olympic silver medallist Stuart Bithell will be at the West Zone (Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club, Greater Manchester) while his 470 sailing partner Luke Patience will be making the trip back to his homeland to visit Largs Sailing Club in Scotland. Visiting the East Zone (Alton Water Sailing Club, Suffolk) will be the Paralympic SKUD bronze medallist Alexandra Rickham, while the Welsh Championship will welcome her sailing partner Niki Birrell at New Quay Sailing Club, Ceredigion. Duncan Truswell, RYA Youth Racing Manager, said: “The RYA Volvo Zone and Home Country Championships are always a fantastic event and this year’s events will be extra special because thanks to the support of our long term sponsor, Volvo Car UK, the young sailors will be able to meet, get tips, advice and support and ultimately be inspired by their sailing heroes of 2012. “To achieve in Olympic Sailing takes a long time and sailors need to have self-belief, commitment and be inspired to put in the years of hard work – I hope that meeting the Team Volvo Sailors of 2012 will give the young sailors both an insight and the inspiration to see what a great journey it can be, what a fun and powerful sport this is and give them a new determination to make the best of the fantastic opportunities we can offer.” Truswell concluded: “There was a lot of talk about legacy and inspiring a generation this Summer, thanks to Volvo Car UK’s continued support and their enthusiasm, as well as that of the sailors of our Olympic and Paralympic team to support our Junior programmes, this weekend will really bring to life that aspiration for our young sailors.” The RYA Volvo Zone and Home Country Championships is a great first-time event for club level Junior class sailors, giving them the opportunity and support to get a real feel of a Championship atmosphere relatively locally. It is a great stepping stone into regional and national racing and race training programmes and also a key event for any young sailor wishing to be selected for the RYA Zone and Home Country squads. Racing takes place across the nine RYA recognised Junior dinghy and windsurfing classes including the Mirror, Optimist, Topper, RS Feva, Cadets and the windsurfers on the Bic Techno using the open 4.5, and 5.8 rigs, and the Techno 6.8s and Techno 7.8s – classes vary according to each venue. Competitors are urged to submit their entries, together with the entry fee, online at www.ryaracingevents.org.uk before 23 September 2012. Due to safety considerations and the size and complexity of the event, entries after this date cannot be accepted. The 2012 RYA Volvo Zone and Home Countries Championships will be staged at the following venues: The RYA Volvo South Zone Championships – Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, Dorset · The RYA Volvo South West Zone Championships – Chew Valley Sailing Club, Bristol · The RYA Volvo South East Zone Championships – Weir Wood Sailing Club, East Sussex The RYA Volvo East Zone Championships– Alton Water Sailing Club, Suffolk · The RYA Volvo West Zone Championships– Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club, Greater Manchester · The RYA Volvo North Zone Championships – Rutland Sailing Club, Rutland · Volvo Welsh Youth & Junior Championships – New Quay Sailing Club, Ceredigion · RYA Scotland Volvo Youth and Junior Championships – Largs Sailing Club, Largs · RYANI Volvo Youth Championships and NI Schools Cup In association with McCready Sailboats – Ballyholme Yacht Club, Co Down

Dinghy Sailing with Flying Fish

Racing in RS200 Sailing Dinghy

How to start Dinghy Sailing

Ten Heavy Weather Sailing Tips You Need to Know

If you are anything like me, heavy weather sailing can be a challenge and make you tired fast. The more you prepare ahead of time, the more energy you will save. Follow these ten "do ahead of time" sailing tips to prepare for less fatigue and more comfort the next time the rough stuff crosses your path! 1. Make Up "Zero-Prep" Energy Bags Use small Ziplock type bags to hold high energy snacks. Combine nuts, dried fruits, tasty seeds like sesame or pumpkin, banana chips, and dried coconut for a super snack. Press the bag tight before you seal to keep air out and your energy snack will last longer when stored aboard your sailboat. 2. Top Off Your Trusty Thermos Purchase two large thermoses. Before the rough stuff arrives, fill one thermos with a hearty soup or stew. Fill the other with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. That way, you won't need to worry about boiling water in choppy seas for a nutritious meal or drink. Secret Tip - Purchase a thermos with a spigot-top conversion kit and mounting brackets. Install the brackets in a spot near your boat galley. Fill the thermos, screw on the top and close the spigot. Mount the thermos "bottoms-up" in the brackets. Now you have a safe, fast, easy way to pour soup or your favorite beverage in any sailing weather! 3. Eat Before the Weather Arrives at Your Boat Fix a light meal with pasta if you expect rough seas when sailing. Stay clear of greasy, fried foods. Concentrate on foods that you boil, broil, or bake. Pasta has a good reputation as a "tummy tamer" when it comes to sea sickness. It's economical, easy to digest, nutritious, and provides good energy for sailing in rough weather. 4. Lash and Stow Below Check the galley for loose pots, plates, and silverware. Wrap silverware in towels to avoid clanging. Store pots in cabinets. Stuff towels or pieces of foam between stacks of dishes, glasses, or pots and pans to keep things in place and noise to a minimum. 5. Keep a Clothes Change Handy Pull out a full change of clothes. Fold and stow in an oversized Ziplock or waterproof bag outside of your sailing duffel bag. You want this change of clothes ready in an instant so you won't need to hunt around for it. Include underwear and socks. If you get soaked when sailing, you will want to slide into a set of dry clothes right away. Do this now to save you time and effort later. 6. Clear the Decks for Clean Decks Studies of past heavy weather sailing races show that those racing sailboats with clean, uncluttered decks had an easier time. Take a tip from the racing crowd. Check the outside decks from bow to stern. Neaten up sheets and lines. Turn cowl vents around to face astern to prevent water intrusion below; in extreme conditions, remove the cowl vents, stow them below, and screw covers in their place. Keep decks clean for safer sailing in any weather. 7. Add extra Lashings Check all lashings on deck-stowed Jerry jugs (cans), propane bottles, life raft canister, dinghy, and anchors. Double or triple lashings with small diameter line. Seas that break aboard can break weak lashings like a knife going through butter. Make lashings strong and robust to keep deck-stowed gear in place. 8. Seal Ports and Hatches No matter what the manufactures tell you, expect ports and hatches to leak. Heavy weather or squalls can bring high winds, seas, and horizontal driving rain that will find any nook and cranny. Use strong, waterproof duct tape to seal around ports and hatches on the inside your cabin. This will keep water out and dryness in for greater crew comfort in heavy weather sailing. 9. Set Up Sails Now Hank on your storm jib or trysail now with sheets run, halyards cleared, and all ready to hoist. If you decide to delay on the hoist, stop off the sail along the deck with sail ties or next to the mast (in the case of a trysail). This way, your storm sails will be ready to set in a matter of seconds when you need them. 10. Rest and Hydrate Often Heavy weather sailing saps energy like few other activities. Get as much rest as possible between watches. Remember to keep hydrated with water or non-sugar energy drinks like Gatorade or Emergen-C. These beverages replace critical electrolytes and minerals that you will use to keep your balance, hang on when heeling, or move about when changing sails or standing watch. Remind your sailing crew to rest and hydrate for greater comfort. Follow these ten heavy weather sailing tips to get ready before the tough stuff arrives aboard your boat. These tips will help keep your sailing crew safe and sound and provide them with more comfort--wherever in the world you choose to cruise! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7046795

Light Wind Sailing Tips

Learn to sail like a pro with these sailing tips for light wind sailing. Use these easy tips for light air sailing in the gentle winds of dawn's first light or the ghost-like breezes of a moonlit night. Keep Your Boat Moving Forward Imagine that you have your foot on the accelerator of your car, moving ahead at a slow speed. All of a sudden, you run out of gas. You need to find a place to pull off to the side of the road. You see a spot way up ahead about a half mile. Your car slows down more and more. You will need to use every trick in the book to keep your car's forward momentum going to make it to the pull-off ahead. You could try to keep the wheels straight to provide less resistance, look for inclines to build up a bit of speed, keep the tires on the smooth part of the road, or steer as straight as possible. All of these could make a difference in the acceleration or deceleration of your "out-of-gas" auto. You can use these same techniques in super light air in sailing. For this article, we will concentrate on winds of 0 to 5 knots. Some sailors call these winds 'zephyrs' or refer to this type of sailing as 'ghosting'. Your #1 goal will be to maintain forward momentum at all times. Just like the opening scenario, you want to keep moving to reach your objective. Slow down too much or stop and it will be difficult to get her going again. Follow these five fast tips to maintain momentum in light air sailing. Nautical Notes You Need to Know: Wind speed or boat speed should be expressed in knots. Knots are 'per hour' the same as miles per hour. But you would never say 'knots per hour'. Convert from one to the other like this: mph x.87 = knots; or knots x 1.15 = mph. For metric users, knots x 1.852 equals km; km x 0.54 = knots. Use Smaller Sails to Fill and Go You might think that light wind means you need a bigger sail to catch all the wind you can. But sails have weight--lots of weight--and weight won't keep your boat going forward. Use a little-known strategy and go for a smaller sail on a super light air day. Choose sails that are smaller, lighter weight to help your boat maintain forward motion in zephyr winds. Under Trim Your Sails Wind flows onto both sides of your sails. Your objective will be to keep that wind attached from the luff to the leech as long as possible. In light air, you will have more wind near the top of the mast. That's because less surface friction allows the wind to flow without resistance. Ease your sails more than you think necessary. This will cause the upper part of your sails to 'twist' just a bit to help the wind stay attached longer. Use the magic of under-trim in ghosting conditions and you will often be rewarded with better performance. Move Like You Whisper Ask your crew to move fore and aft along the center-line as much as possible. Keep the boat level to prevent loss of speed. If they need to shift to the other side, move at a slow pace. This will help keep the boat flat with forward momentum. Sit Forward and to Leeward Sails have a tough time in light air. The weight of sailcloth can cause them to flap like clothing on a line. Shift the crew weight forward and to the downwind (leeward--pronounced "loo-ward")side. Weight forward lifts the stern a bit, which means less hull friction; weight to leeward will help the sails fall into their natural shape through gravity and prevents 'slatting' (flapping in light air). Use Swooping When Beating to Windward Use swooping to maintain forward motion when your destination lies upwind. In light air on a close hauled course, your speed may drop off quite a bit. When it does, fall off to a close reach course. Wait for the boat to build up speed again. Use a slow, smooth motion with the wheel or tiller to 'swoop' back up to your close hauled course. Keep sailing close hauled until your speed starts to drop off again. Then, fall off the wind to a close reaching course to build up speed; then swoop back up to your close hauled course. Repeat this swooping sequence to keep your boat moving with good forward motion when beating in super light air. Learn to sail like a pro with these light wind sailing tips. You will experience more speed, power, and performance in the gentle breezes over the water-wherever in the world you choose to sail! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7033105

Top 60 Sailing Tips

Isle of Wight solo sail for cerebral palsy girl

A 15-year-old girl with cerebral palsy will sail solo around the Isle of Wight to raise £30,000 for charity. Natasha Lambert, from Cowes, has athertoid cerebral palsy which affects all of her limbs and speech. Her 21ft-long (6.4m) boat, Miss Isle Too, was adapted by her father, Gary, and allows her to steer by sucking and blowing into a tube. Natasha hopes to complete the 50-mile (80km) course on Sunday in 10 to 14 hours. 'Epic journey' Her mother, Amanda, said: "She's so excited but it's going to be an epic journey." The route, which will start at Cowes at 06:00 BST, will take Natasha in an anti-clockwise direction around the island, via The Needles and on to St Catherine's Point. Natasha, who started sailing when she was 12, hopes the journey will raise £30,000 for Isle of Wight Scope, Cowes RNLI Life Boat and the Ellen MacArthur Trust. She said her next challenge would be the Atlantic, which she described as "my ultimate dream".

ORACLE TEAM USA's first AC72 sail

Sailing Club Spotlight Melton Sailing Club

MELTON Sailing Club is looking for a new home after being given just two weeks to quit their current base. Owners Celtic Lakes Resort Frisby Ltd gave the club notice on the day more than 80 people had taken part in a try sailing Olympic legacy event. Members held a small protest on Saturday as they cleared the remaining boats from Frisby Water Park, their home for the past 40 years, and put them into storage. Commodore Mike Sharpe said: “At a time when the whole country is celebrating the success of Team GB at the Olympic Games we think it is tragic that a valuable sports facility should be lost to the people of Melton borough. “More than 80 people came to our Olympic legacy event to try their hand at sailing and over the years we have taught some 2,000 people to sail as we are a Royal Yachting Association Training Centre, the only one in Leicestershire. It’s a real shame to see it go.” Mr Sharpe said the club thought it had a reasonable relationship with new site owner John Carney, believing sailing would be an added attraction to would-be buyers of the new lodge park which is being developed. He said: “We didn’t see this coming. We took legal advice and while ultimately Celtic Lakes was probably within its rights to tell us to leave we do believe the short notice period was unreasonable. “We could have made a big fuss and perhaps won leave to hold on to the clubhouse for six months but we exist to sail for fun, not to wrangle.” Mr Carney said the decision was made because it had become increasingly difficult for the fisheries and sailing club to operate side by side. He said: “We have tried to make the two work over the past 12 months but they just don’t and our primary business is to develop a lodge park and fishery. “We are developing the resort and things are about to move at a very quick pace with the arrival of nine lodges in the next six weeks. “We plan to turn the clubhouse into an administration block and then extend it to create a bar, restaurant and shop.” Celtic Lakes has planning permission for 59 lodges in total and says it will be investing some £13.5m over the next five years. The sailing club, which has 120 members including about 30 cadets, is being supported by Melton Council which is scouring the borough for a new sailing base. Ronan Browne, Melton Council’s people manager, said: “We have been working with the club for 12 months and are keen to see a vibrant sailing club like this remain in the borough. We have agreed to store equipment free of charge in a unit we own and look at all options.” Councillors Joe Orson, Edward Hutchison and Trevor Moncrieff have all been trying to resolve the situation, too. An ongoing dispute about public access to the beauty spot is due to go before the county council’s regulatory board in October or November for adjudication.

FLYING START FOR PARALYMPICS: Plain sailing so far in medal quest

BRITAIN’S sailors got off to a flying start in the opening weekend of Paralympic Sailing races on home waters. Fiercely competitive fleet racing in Port-land Harbour saw the ParalympicsGB contenders make gains towards achieving the country's first medals in the three keelboat classes. After four races, quadruple Skud-18 World Champions Alex Rickham and crewmate Niki Birrell are second overall in the 11-boat fleet, just one point behind their Australian rivals Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch. The American team of Jen French and JP Creignou are third, with seven races to go, following two wins yesterday. Helm Rickham, 30, said: “We don't really like being pushed down the leaderboard but it's quite tough conditions and obviously the Americans showed great pace all day to take two bullets. “We had a bad start in the first race but managed to battle back to fourth so we're pretty happy with that. “In the second race there was a bit of a dog fight going on, we ended up doing some turns for something, I'm not sure if we needed to, but all in all we're quite happy with the day.” Rickham said it was still early days but every race counted. She added: “We’ve worked at this for four years, if we can’t do it now it’s not going to happen. This is it.” Related links •FLYING START FOR PARALYMPICS: Families are so proud Ads by Google Paralympics: Watch Live On 4. On Now. Online. Paralympics live from your PC www.channel4.com/Watch-Live Weymouth Hotel Deals Weymouth Hotel Deals From £25 Only Grab a Great Hotel Deal Online Now! BookDirectRooms.com/Weymouth-Hotel Helena Lucas enjoyed a flying start in the 16-boat 2.4mR fleet on Saturday but slipped from first to third place overall yesterday after taking a 720-degree penalty turn in race four for allegedly ‘rocking’ the boat to increase its speed. The 37-year-old denied the charge and said: “From my point of view I was steering the boat in the waves, which in the 2.4 creates a rocking motion. “Look at the size of me – I’m not very big to rock the boat but it’s a jury decision, that's the way it goes.” Lucas intended to unwind watching her football team Southampton against Manchester United and then ‘keep chipping away’ to get on the podium. Drama in the 2.4mR class on Saturday saw reigning World Champion Damien Seguin, of France, disqualified from race two following a protest by his Canadian rival for a starting line incident. The Athens gold medallist fell from second to ninth place but progressed to sixth overall after yesterday’s races. Meanwhile, the British Sonar Team of John Robertson , Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas clawed their way back from 10th to fifth place in their last race yesterday, to lie fifth overall in the 14-boat Sonar fleet. The trio made an unsuccessful redress request on Saturday, after a confusing X flag made them unnecessarily turn back to the starting line in race two, costing vital places. But skipper Robertson, 40, said their plan still remained to ‘get the job done and nail it’. Crewmate Thomas added that Weymouth and Portland was ‘showcasing itself as a fantastic sailing venue’.

Sailability Scotland

Sailing Club Spotlight Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Clubs

YOU can sum up what most people know about sailing in two words: Ben Ainslie. He, as if you needed telling, is the fella who made it four Olympic golds in a row in London, famously remarking ‘don’t make me angry’ when that Danish bloke ganged up with another competitor to bully Ainslie into second place. He came back and won, but just how he did it is a mystery to most. The BBC commentators’ attempts to explain were gallant but let’s be honest – as spectator sports go, sailing isn’t exactly the best. To the layman it appears as though Ainslie and his peers sit on the side of the boat and fiddle with the sail. The vessel bobs forward. And that’s it. That, however, is most certainly not the case, as I discovered after digging out my waterproofs and joining the members at Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club. As someone who once vomited 11 times on an overnight ferry to France, I admit I was a tad concerned about going sailing. I prefer being on solid ground as opposed to water. I find there’s less chance of drowning. First thing I discovered – apart from how exceptionally friendly the yacht club members are – is how enjoyable and how relaxing it is. That said, it isn’t possible to switch off completely for sailing isn’t like getting in a rowing boat. There is much to learn and all sorts of weird terms to get to grips with, such as telltales (the string on the sail), the jib (the front sail), halliard (rope to raise the sail), and the tiller (steering). That said, the most important thing of all is wind. None of that, or too much, and it’s impossible to sail. There are two styles of boats. The dinghy is for one or two people, the type Ainslie sails; offshore yachts are larger and capable of sailing from, say, Fleetwood to the Isle of Man. I was on the latter, in the capable of hands of Peter and Michael, a pair who have sailed together for many moons and were good company as well as good as dishing out advice. I needed plenty of that for I didn’t know what I was doing, but according to those at the club – on the bank of the River Wyre at the end of Wyre Road in Skippool – it doesn’t take too long to get to grips with the basics. “With 10 hours of experience on water I reckon you can be reasonably self-reliant,” said Stuart Fitton. He is the club’s commodore, the boss, and when it comes to sailing he knows what he’s talking about. Born in Poulton and a club member since he was 14, Mr Fitton has entered competitions all over the world, including the Sydney-Hobart race. He was also in the infamous 1979 Fast Net race from England to Ireland and back, when gale-force winds struck. Of the 306 yachts that started, only 86 returned. 15 people lost their lives. “It was pretty horrific,” recalled Stuart. “Fortunately I’d read a book about what to do if it turned nasty so we managed to get through.” Of course, that is sailing at the highest level. You don’t get that if you pop to the yacht club at a weekend, which is exactly what people will have the chance to do on Saturday week when the club holds an open day, from 10.30am to 1.30pm. All are welcome and with the Olympics and the success of Ben you-know-who, chances are it will be a bumper turnout and I, for one, can thoroughly recommend it. 
For more information about the Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club open day go to: www.bfyc.org.uk.

Life Jackets Types and Tips About Them

A Life jacket is designed to save your life. It is first and last line of defense between you and unforgiving water. Here are few tips why is a life jacket so important. - It will help against hypothermia. You will be able to pull your legs to your chests and with that you will preserve body heat. That is important because it could take some time for the rescue to arrive. - Most jackets are in bright colors which increases possibility of being spotted. There are also types with retro reflective tape sewn to the fabric, so spotting a person in the dark is not a problem. - Nobody plans to fall overboard, but if that happens and you are wearing a life jacket the possibility of drowning is greatly reduced. Because of the jacket your head is above the water so there is no room for panic Life jackets types. It is important to know that a life jacket won't work if it doesn't fit, because it depends on a person size how much amount of buoyancy he or she needs to remain afloat. They come in infant, child, youth and adult sizes and they include weight and chest measurements. It is important that jacket fits so you don't slip out of it. If it's too big then there is possibility that you will have problems with breathing and if it's too small the snaps and buckles might break. Almost every flotation device is most commonly made of a tough synthetic fiber material which retains a source of buoyancy, such as foam or a chamber of air. There are also several types of inflation methods for air-only life jackets, like oral method in which case your jacket must be fully inflated before using. The rest of the methods are manual, automatic and hydrostatic. It is important to know which method your jacket uses and how it works so there wouldn't be any surprises. There are five types of life jackets. First three are for recreational use. Fourth and fifth are not for small boats. They are for throwing to a conscious person in the water and they can't be worn. Type I - is effective in all types of water, especially if you need to wait a little bit longer for rescue. This one provides the most buoyancy and floats the best. It is easy to put on and design to turn most people who are unconscious in the water from face-down position to a face-up position. Type II -is intended for calm, inland water and when rescue is possible in a very short time. It will turn some unconscious wearers to a face-up position, but not all of them. Type III - good for conscious wearers in calm, inland water and where rescue is possible in a very short time. This type is very comfortable for continuous wear. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6813428

49er Sailing

Paralympics 2012: GB sailors aim to break medal duck by striking gold

They have got here in different ways. Half of the six were born with their disabilities while the others suffered accidents or illness. Some have sailed since they were children, others only took to it in later life. But all six will be looking to make history. Surprisingly, for a nation with a proud seafaring tradition and a fine Olympic record, GB's sailors have failed to win a single medal since the sport became a full Paralympic event in 2000. The class of 2012 are intending not only to win medals but to do all they can to make sure they are gold ones. "We want the gold medal," Hannah Stodel, the tactician in the Sonar keelboat, said. "We only want one medal. Any other medal would be rubbish for us. That's what gets us out of bed in the morning." Three types of keelboat sail in the Paralympic regatta. The Sonar is a three-person boat, and two people, at least one a woman, race in the Skud-18. A single sailor of either sex competes in a tricky little boat called the 2.4mR. Up to 80 sailors will be taking part at the London 2012 regatta from 23 nations. The giants of the sport include Germany, who top the overall medal table, France, the USA, Australia and Canada. But nations not as well known for Olympic or Paralympic sailing such as Puerto Rico, Malaysia and Japan will also be represented. Athletes have a wide range of disabilities and the boats are specially adapted to try to make sure all can compete on level terms. Some, for example, are fitted with foot pedals that control the tiller. Tilting seats or pulley systems are can be used to make sure the sailor is in the right place. Competitors in the small 2.4mR sit down low in the boat with all the controls to trim the sails and steer within arms' reach. A complex classification system based on an athlete's ability to perform tasks on the boat is designed to ensure fairness. The Sonar trio is GB's most experienced Paralympic sailing outfit, having competed together in Athens and Beijing, finishing sixth both times. Stodel said the trio were "heartbroken" to do so poorly at Beijing and thought about going their separate ways. "We should have medalled and we didn't. We let ourselves down, we let other people down," she said. Their "greatest" moment came when they sat down together to discuss their future and decided to stick together and campaign for London 2012. "That's more powerful for me than anything because we committed to each other," Stodel said. Asked to described the team dynamic, Stodel comes up with "random". Born without a right forearm, she began sailing aged three on the Essex coast and became GB's first woman sailing Paralympian. John Robertson, the helm and at 40 the oldest member of the ParalympicsGB sailing team, is a former weapons technician on Harrier jump jets, who uses a wheelchair following a motorcycle accident. He also had sailed since he was a boy. The third member of the team is Welshman Stephen Thomas, who was a keen rugby player as a young man but came to sailing after losing his legs below the knees when he contracted meningococcal septicaemia. A fierce competitor, as he lay in his hospital bed he began dreaming of taking part in the Paralympics. In the Skud-18, Niki Birrell and Alex Rickham make a fascinating pair. Birrell, who has cerebral palsy, was an excellent able-bodied sailor, campaigning in the 470 Olympic class with his brother before concentrating on the Paralympics. Rickham was paralysed after suffering a spinal injury when she dived into shallow water in her native Jamaica. She tried sailing as part of her rehabilitation and teamed up with Birrell just months before Beijing. They came a creditable sixth place and are tipped to go better this time. Rickham's injury means that her body's thermostat does not work properly. She typically wears five layers on top and three below, plus a balaclava. She has to be careful about how much she drinks because it is tricky for a wheelchair athlete to answer a call of nature while on board. The sixth member of the GB team, Helena Lucas, has taken part in both Olympic and Paralympic campaigns. She was born without thumbs but became one of GB's most talented sailors and won a silver medal in the 2006 Olympic test event in Beijing in the Yngling class. "I've grown up just finding my own way to do things," Lucas, who finished seventh in Beijing, said. "I was disappointed but I think I learnt some very valuable lessons." Of course, the regatta is not just about the GB sailors. There are many compelling characters from other nations. Such as the Israeli Sonar team, all of whom were left disabled while serving in the military. Australia's Liesl Tesch will also be worth watching in the Skud. She is a multiple Paralympian medal winner – but in basketball rather than sailing. It will be interesting to see if the Paralympic regatta grips the imagination in the same way the Olympic one did. The Nothe spectator area, a hit during the Olympics, has been dismantled. The Paralympics regatta takes place within Portland Harbour and can be viewed (binoculars recommended) from the shore. Sporting activities, which proved popular during the Olympics, are being staged on Weymouth beach. Though Ben Ainslie and the rest won a total of five medals at the Olympics, the team were a little disappointed to slip behind both Australia and Spain in the medals table. It may be time for their Paralympic counterparts to shine.

Society's collapsing... let's sail to Greece and learn survival skills

A BRISTOL couple have sold their home and all their possessions and bought a boat – to give themselves a better chance of withstanding the collapse of Western civilisation. Naomi Smyth, 30, and Sam Rossiter, 34, have sold their Montpelier home and bought a 22ft yacht – to follow their dream of sailing to Greece. ​ ​The couple will be leaving behind the Bristol sights such as the Suspension Bridge in favour of Greece's Acropolis •••..The couple set sail from Bristol Harbour over the weekend, heading initially for London via the Kennet and Avon Canal. When we caught up with them aboard their boat, Lexia, yesterday, they had only gone as far as the Jolly Sailor Inn at Saltford. "It's not about seeing how quickly we can get to Greece," Miss Smyth said. "It's about taking our time, meeting as many interesting people as we can along the way, and learning as much as we can from them." Miss Smyth, a freelance film- maker, and website administrator Sam, have left behind their Bristol- based careers to make the journey, which they believe will take them at least a year. "We think we should get to Greece around this time next year," Miss Smyth said. "First we travel on the inland waterways to London, in order to get more used to the boat. Then we cross the English Channel and join the French canal network at Dunkirk." The couple will spend the winter travelling slowly through France, before emerging at the Mediterranean in the spring. "We then want to take a detour across to northern Spain for a few weeks, before following the coast of southern France and Italy, before finally island-hopping through Greece." The couple hope to pick up survivalist skills along the way, which they believe will help them to survive in a post-banking collapse world. "A couple of years ago, when we first started planning this journey, people couldn't get their heads around why we would want to visit Spain, Italy and Greece to find out more about living without money," Mr Rossiter said: "But now they see the euro collapsing in those three countries, and they're increasingly starting to get it. "We were very conscious that the skills we had picked up in our careers were all very good for filming documentaries or running websites but when it came to being self-sufficient and living in a post-industrial world, we were hopelessly naïve." The couple bought the boat for just £500 from an internet auction site last year, and have spent the last few months making her sea-worthy. "Our parents are particularly worried about the periods where we will be going out to sea," Mr Rossiter said. "I can't blame them really. I have been on some sailing courses, but it's fair to say that our maritime knowledge is at about the lowest point at which we could realistically take this challenge on. But we're hoping to pick up a lot along the way – that's the whole point of the trip." Miss Smyth said: "It is far more than a gap year. It is also an exercise in seeing how far we can strip down our lives – how few material possessions we actually need in order to have a happy life. Parting with all our possessions was traumatic at first, but once we started giving things away it became addictive and very liberating. "The money we have from selling the house, we are hoping to put to one side, and when we return from our journey we will buy some land and set ourselves up with a more self-sufficient life in the countryside. "This whole thing began because Sam and I were starting to think about settling down properly and having children. But we were both genuinely concerned about bringing children into a world where we didn't have the right skills to look after them if the financial system that we all rely so much on was to totally collapse. "The fact is, it is already happening in Greece. So perhaps we can learn from the Greek people a bit more about what may be facing us in this country a few years down the line – and what basic skills we will need to live more self-sufficiently. "I personally would like to pick up skills like blacksmithing, foraging, food cultivation, and above all food preservation – something that every woman in England knew how to do 100 years ago, but which few people care much about in today's throw-away society." Miss Smyth will make a series of short documentary films along the way, and upload them to the couple's website. You can follow their journey at: www.howtosurvivethefuture.org.

Sailing Club Spotlight Tamesis Yacht Club

Boat Blunderer sailing a laser dinghy

Hobie Cat 18 - fast and fun

hobie cat sailing

Sailing

Sailing - Different Types of Sailboats

When you learn to sail, you will hear different sailboat terms like monohull or multihull. But just what does this sailing terminology mean? Follow this easy sailing guide to look at the different types of sailboats to help you decide on the best to fit your brand of sailing! Monohull Sailboats - Pros and Cons Pros: Mono means "one" of something, so in sailing, a monohull means a sailboat that has just one hull. Most sailors on the water sail on boats with a single hull. They are easy to sail, cheaper to purchase, simpler to rig, and take up less room when docking or turning. Most new sailors learn to sail on small monos called dinghies. Once they learn how to sail aboard a dinghy, sailors might move up to the larger cruising monohulls. These cruising sailboats heel over less than their dinghy cousins, have more room to move around, and might have a head (toilet and/or shower), galley (small kitchen), and inboard or outboard engine. Cruising sailboats with single hulls have made successful voyages across every ocean in the world. Cons Small monohull sailboats like dinghies heel over a lot. If they heel too much, they can flip over. Larger monohulls heel over too, but most of these will not flip over because they carry extra weight in a "keel" below the waterline. The keel helps to counter-balance a lot of the heeling. In breezy conditions, you will begin to heel a lot and the boat will become more difficult to hold on her sailing course. You will need to reduce sail--called "reefing"--when this happens to keep the boat balanced and easy to steer. Single-hull sailboats can have limited space for supplies like food, clothing, sailing gear, water, fuel. You will need supplies like this if you go cruising for the weekend or longer. The longer you stay out cruising, the more supplies you need. So, on a monohull sailboat, you need to be careful to be extra careful to load the supplies the correct way so that the boat stays "in trim" (in balance and level). Multihull Sailboats - Pros and Cons Pros: Multihull boats have more than one hull, attached by cross members. Catamarans have two hulls with a wide flat area or cabin space between. Trimarans have three hulls. Both boats give you a lot more living space for supplies and living aboard. Boats with multiple hulls tend to heel much less than monohulls because of their wide beam. This gives a much more comfortable ride in most calm to moderate sailing weather. Underway or at anchor, these boats give you more room for sleeping and offer more privacy for friends or guests that come aboard to cruise with you. Below the water, these boats have less depth--of "draft". That means you can poke into coves and shallow waterways where deeper draft boats could not go. And that opens up a whole new cruising world for you. Cats and Tris can skim across the blue green waters in the Bahamas and Caribbean to explore new areas that other boats could not. That's one reason these boats are so popular for island cruising. Cons: Multihulls cost more than monohulls because you are buying two hulls (or three in the case of a trimaran), instead of one hull. Overall maintenance costs can be higher because you have two hulls to take care of. Marinas may charge more for boats with multiple hulls. They take up more dock space than a single hulled boat. Multihulls need more care when sailing. Because they heel less than their monohull cousins, you need to be careful not to carry too much sail. This could cause the boat to become unstable and in extreme conditions, cause the boat to capsize. Reduce sail sooner than you think on windy days to keep the boat balanced and sailing at peak performance. At anchor, multihulls tend to sway back and forth because most of the boat lies above the surface of the water. Two or three hulls present a lot of surface for the wind to blow against. Rig an anchor bridle that looks like a "V" from pontoon to pontoon. Join the anchor line to the apex (point) of the "V". This will help the multihull behave in a windy anchorage. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6974541

Spotlight on Sailing Gear

Yacht racing and dinghy racing are popular participant sports in the waters around Great Britain. Sailing sports, such as these require special sailing clothes. There are many companies that specialize in producing high quality sailing clothing, like sailing jackets and trousers, as well as footwear and accessories meant specifically for sailors. Modern sailing clothes are generally made of synthetic materials, which are waterproof. Modern sailing jackets are engineered to provide protection from the elements, along with a high factor of comfort. Being the outer layer, the jackets must be waterproof, and they must be able to protect against the winds that are present over open waters. This protection, however, must be done with minimal loss in comfort. The sailing jackets, therefore, are designed and manufactured with a degree of breathability so the sailor does not feel stifled. Anoraks and parkas are also convenient for mariners, especially in colder weather. Sailing trousers are tailored for comfort and durability. Deck work on yachts and dinghies can be hard on these trousers, so they are often compiled of durable fabrics, such as nylon. There are also many brands of sailing trousers that are designed to dry quickly, so that the sailor wearing them is not burdened down by soaked clothing or chilled by the cold waters that may wash onto the deck. Sailing trousers are necessary accoutrements for those participating as yachtsmen and as dinghy racers. Specially designed jumpers and smocks are also important articles of clothing for sailors. Like the outer layer of sailing clothing, jumpers and smocks must also be breathable and comfortable, while maintaining a level of insulation against the outer air. A polyester layer of clothing is also helpful to be worn near the skin to wick perspiration from the body out through the other layers of clothing. Sailing accessories and footwear are also beneficial additions to a sailing outfit. There are multiple varieties of footwear used by sailors that include deck shoes, sailing and dinghy boots, deck trainers, and sandals. As with other articles of sailing clothes, the sailing footwear must be proficient at keeping the sailor's feet dry so that blisters and discomfort can be avoided. Accessories that are useful to yachtsmen and dinghy racers are sunglasses, gloves, and hats. Polarised sunglasses and hats are extremely important for sailors on sunny days, because the sun reflects off of the surface of the water, so it is possible that the eyes will receive damaging UV rays from the sun itself and its reflection across the water, while gloves protect the hands when working with lines on the deck of the vessel. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6865580

Lazer sailing big air and waves

Tornado Sailing Action

Moth Sailing

Sailability Scotland in the Round Shuna Pursuit

Sailability Scotland’s challenger fleet, including Paul Noble will, will be joining the Round Shuna Pursuit race on 26th August 2012. Clyde Corinthian Yacht Club has kindly allowed them to take part in their well-established event to help raise funds for Sailability Scotland. This is the first time that they have entered such an event to raise funds but they’re keen to step up to the challenge. They will be joining roughly another 50 boats who will also be taking part. The race will be taking place at Craobh Haven and will cover a distance of around 10 nautical miles. Support is already gathering for the challenge as Mark Hampton, Principle at Craobh Haven Watersports, will be allowing the Sailability Scotland sailors to use his facilities free of charge. Sailability Scotland tries to help people with all levels of disabilities to get on the water and enjoy sailing but is looking for people to sponsor Paul Noble and his fellow sailors to help increase opportunities on offer to disabled sailors and to increase the numbers getting out on the water on a regular basis. The Challenger sailors do have their own traveller series with venues for 2012 including Strathclyde Park, Helensburgh, Loch Venachar, Bardowie Loch and Lochaber Yacht Club. They also organise a number of sailing experience days at various venues to increase participation numbers. Despite all the activity they run, Paul is still very much aware that the Shuna Pursuit will be a real challenge to him and the rest of the fleet but is motivated by the impact it could have on their resources and programme. If you are interested in finding our more about this challenge or would like to sponsor those taking part then please get in touch via email: sailability.scotland@tiscali.co.uk

Sailing Club Spotlight Stone Sailing Club

RS Feva sailing 20-35 Knots

2012 British Sailing Team - London 2012

gp14 sailing at Annandale sailing club

49er Sailing Boat

SAIL Boat Review: J/70

Sailing on a hobie cat

It’s just you, a 30-knot wind whipping your body and the open sea. Like a rollercoaster, the sailboat bounces up and down the two-meter waves. You give it a firm grip to keep from falling into the sea, and shift your weight to keep the sailboat from flipping over. A miscalculation could mean the sea swallowing you whole. With your adrenaline shooting up at an all-time high and your brain processing too much information, you don’t have time to think about sharks and other potentially deadly forms of sea life. Or do you? “Whenever you’re in the water, sharks will always cross your mind,” said Jun Villanueva, smiling. Villanueva, hobie cat competitive sailor, has been sailing for 10 years. Although he has never encountered a shark, he becomes animated when he talks about sightings of pilot whales, dolphins, manta rays and sea turtles. Sailing, a relatively young sport in the country, he said, is slowly attracting more Filipinos. On the competitive level, the annual Philippine Hobie Challenge now has 50 per cent Filipinos and 50 per cent international competitors. Sailing is an incredibly strenuous sport. It demands that your entire body be in good shape, and if it’s not, it will be in a few weeks. With just a harness and a hook attached to the boat to keep you from straying too far when you fall—and everybody falls off, just like every boat flips over—you’ll need strong arms and legs and a firm grip to keep your balance as you constantly shift. And, oh those sheets (ropes used to control the sail) are really heavy, too, especially when up against a strong wind. From your upper body to your midsection all the way down to your toes, sailing will give you a complete body workout. Sailing for 10 hours “If you get a lot of wind, you’re exhausted after an hour. During light wind you can go on for two to three hours, depending on conditions. During competitions, there was a time when we were sailing for 10-11 hours,” recalled Villanueva. This year, the BlackBerry 12th Philippine Hobie Challenge held at El Nido, Palawan, last March attracted world-class athletes for the first time, such as World Champions Mick Butler and Natalie Hill. While there are many hobie challenges in the world, none is as unique as the Philippines’. The Philippine Hobie Challenge is a long-distance adventure race, with sailors sailing between islands and natural rock formations, hopping from island to island on a five-leg course. International competitions usually follow the standard, triangle racecourse. In February next year, the course will kick off at the Hundred Islands, Pangasinan, and end at Anvaya Cove, Subic. Although it’s not yet official, Butler, said Villanueva, has expressed interest in coming back. Villanueva said his claim to fame was beating Butler in the first leg this year. Butler, who was probably used to a triangle course, barely made it to the Top 5. He did, however, win the succeeding four legs and still emerged overall champion of the Philippine Hobie Challenge. This year, Villanueva said plans are already underway to get the youth interested in sailing. Youth camps and training centers will be set up, and will be formally launched at ROX, Bonifacio Global City, The Fort, in September. Anyone can sail, he said, as long as there’s genuine interest in sailing. Villanueva said you will get wet a lot and flip over many times. That’s just how the sport is. During this year’s competition, he said his boat flipped over at least three times. Getting the sailboat back up or yourself back on it is not easy, especially if the wind is strong. Scary speed The hobie is designed for racing. It is a very light sailboat with a huge sail. It will ride fast in perfect conditions. How fast? Maybe around 40 km an hour. Sure, that’s not a lot when you’re riding a car. But if you’re on a motorcycle, without a seatbelt, a 40 km per hour ride will give you a different experience. Better yet, try imagining yourself on a bicycle going downhill, hands off the break, until you reach that speed—a little terrifying, isn’t it? “It is scary, especially on your first encounter with the open sea. You look back and you see the land disappear, and all you see is water, and the closest person sailing is about two miles away. It’s disconcerting. You want to hold on to that boat,” Villanueva said. But take all the fear aside, and sailing is one of the best adventures you’ll probably experience, especially in the Philippines. Villanueva said he has been to so many islands in the country that he didn’t even know existed, islands that are undeveloped. Today, some of the remote islands they’ve been to are part of their outreach program, and they donate school materials whenever they can. There are so many things you discover about your country when you’re sailing, he said, and you learn so much about yourself, too. In the end, he said, you just learn to roll with the punches. Sailing is also a serious sport, so proper training is required. “Sailing is a lifetime of learning,” Villanueva said. “There’s the physics aspect—what’s the effect of wind on my sail; the navigation aspect—how do I get from this island to that island. You have to know how to look at the nautical chart, understand meteorology, the effects of tide and current, and so much more.”

Sailing a way of life for some families

Picture a sailing vacation: swimming in tropical waters, lazy days exploring palm-tree-lined islands, eating mangoes and watching sunsets. Sounds nice, right? What if it were not for a week or two, but a year or two … or five? On a boat where your sailing companions are less than 40 feet away, always? Where 80-mile-an-hour winds can make you reconsider your plan? Where at times you must stay awake for 32 hours on a long stretch of open ocean? Where your boat engine breaks down, and a fellow sailor happens to have the needed part and is happy to help you install it? Where the biggest question of the day is do you snorkel, tidy the boat or explore a beautiful island? Now try doing it with kids. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A handful of brave — and lucky — families live this way. They home-school their kids, believing the world’s ports and people are the ideal classroom. They spend days, sometimes weeks, at sea without contact with anyone else. They rely on a tight-knit, global community of fellow sailors. They wake up in a different marina daily or weekly, snug in their cozy floating homes, wondering what the day will bring. Two families — the Doolittles of the Bay Area and the Maddoxes of Anacortes, Wash. — harbored long-held dreams of epic sailing trips with their families. Not independently wealthy, they waited for the opportunity when money and timing lined up. For the Doolittles, it was realizing the boys were at an ideal age: “Not so young that they wouldn’t remember and appreciate it, and yet not so old they could do anything about it.” For the Maddoxes, it was when Glenn was laid off, with a hefty Christmas bonus. They went for it. And didn’t look back, despite storms that battered their boats, money worries and (at least initially) disapproval from extended family questioning the safety of taking young kids out to sea. The Doolittles Ben and Molly Doolittle, along with boys Mickey, now 10, and J.P., 8, sold their house last September, bought a used 38-foot Catalina, and two weeks later, sailed out of San Francisco Bay. They are midway through a two-year adventure through Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Currently, they’re back in the Bay Area, taking a short break from the hot, humid El Salvador summer, and earning a little more money from their medical insurance business, which they run remotely on the boat. Next month, they plan to resume the trip, sailing from El Salvador to Costa Rica by Thanksgiving, Panama by Christmas, then onto the San Blas Islands, the Caribbean side of Panama, Belize by Easter, then Key West and home by fall 2013 for Mickey to start sixth grade. While he’s enjoying the break, Mickey said he’s excited to return to the boat where it’s “quiet and you wake up to dolphin pods and sea turtles and whales.” It can get lonely, he said, but he and J.P. scope out the “kid boats” at each harbor in search of friends. In addition to being home-schooled by mom Molly, who used to be a fourth-grade teacher, the boys jot down trip notes and observations in their own blog. Molly Doolittle also keeps one for the family. Molly Doolittle said her favorite part of sailing is being part of such a tight community of sailors who rely on one another. “If someone needs help, there’s no hesitation – you just jump in,” she said. “It’s like a throw-back to when people really helped each other out.” Ben Doolittle, who sailed solo for two years before he met Molly, said he always intended to do a big sailing trip with his family, a pact they made before marriage. "I’m a dad with two kids and a wife, and Molly is mostly at home with the boys," he said. "So my option is living in the U.S. and working all day and having a house, or taking advantage of this opportunity to sail with my family." "You wake up when your body says to, you make coffee and you say, 'What do I want to do today? Is it boat tasks? See local culture or volcanoes and rainforests? Snorkel?'" Ben Doolittle said for him, the sailing is secondary to the travel. “In my mind there is no better way to see the world,” he said. “You have your home, your books and your computer, but every morning you open your door in a new place.” The Maddoxes A year-and-a-half ago, Glenn and Pam Maddox completed an epic, five-year sailing adventure with their two young girls, who were just 2 and 4 when they set out. In five years, they covered roughly 40,000 nautical miles in their new Catalina 440. Only the adoption of another child, a medically fragile boy named Bryan Tian, from China where they sailed to and volunteered, could alter their dream to sail completely around the world. In the spring of 2006, Glenn and Pam, along with daughters Linzi, now 10, and MeiLing, 8, sailed from Tampa, Fla., to Nova Scotia, then down the U.S. coast to Savannah, Ga., then to the Turks and Caicos Islands. From there, they spent almost a year in the Caribbean going as far south as Guayana, then turned around and sailed to Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and through the Panama Canal. From Panama, they sailed to the Galapagos Islands and Easter Island and back to Chile where their scariest disaster awaited: a six-day storm with winds gusting to 80 mph that battered their boat against the rocks. It took nine months — and much of their savings – to fix it. Once deemed sail-worthy, the boat headed to Easter Island and the South Pacific, hitting Pitcairn Island, the Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and on to China where they volunteered for three months at the same orphanage the girls came from. That’s where they met their newest arrival, Bryan Tian. The Chinese government would not allow the Maddoxes to adopt him, however, until they had an income and a residence. That ended the around-the-world dream, but started a new chapter in their lives. They headed for home, sailing from Hong Kong to Taiwan, Japan and the Aleutian Islands, the Bering Sea and then down the coast of southeast Alaska, ending in Anacortes in the fall of 2010. Pam got a job, they moved into an apartment and waited for Bryan Tian to arrive, which happened about three months later. Glenn Maddox said the original intent of the trip was to be close to and really get to know their adopted daughters. “But Linzi and Mei-Mei took us on a trip,” he said. “We got to see the world through their eyes and it was amazing to see how well-received they were in all these remote places — like rock stars. The girls made this trip unbelievably unique. We got to live in their wake.” Now a stay-at-home dad, Glenn doesn’t know what the future holds. Bryan has at least one more surgery, and the girls have mostly adjusted to school. They recently sold their beloved boat, “ending an era,” he said, “But Linzi needed braces and Bryan has had $25,000 in surgeries. This is an important time not to be sailing because he has needed so much medical help. But it was pretty sad to say our trip is absolutely done.” The Glesers More common than families on long sea journeys are empty-nesters and retirees. Virginia and Robert Gleser of Modesto, Calif., spend half of each year sailing to and around Mexico, often hosting their eight kids and six grandkids for visits on their boat named Harmony. Virginia wrote a new book focused on maintaining healthy relationships amid the occasional stresses of bad weather and boat breakdowns, and the ever-present tight quarters. Next month, she starts a book tour of "Harmony on the High Seas, When Your Mate Becomes Your Matey," starting with the Oregon Women’s Sailing Association in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 8. Virginia says keys to happiness and success together on the water are appreciation, gratitude, forgiveness and celebration. And one more biggie: “Communication is the No. 1 relationship tool whether on land or sea. But in a boat’s small space, if you fail to communicate what you need and what you are feeling, emotions and tensions can build to uncomfortable levels,” she said. After the book tour, the Glesers plan to head back down to Mexico for six months on Harmony, enjoying warm waters, the camaraderie of other sailors and their grandchildrens’ visits. “We will remain in Mexico at least for now, but maybe when the grandchildren grow a little older they can come with us farther afield, maybe to the South Pacific or the Caribbean,” Virginia said. “Who knows? Our plans are made in sand at low tide.”

OK Dinghy World Championship Preview

OK Dinghy World Championship is being held in Vallensbaek, Denmark from 21st to 28th July 2012. No sailor has ever won five OK Dinghy World titles. Three sailors have won four titles and two of them called it a day after that. The third sailor in question is the current World Champion Nick Craig (GBR) and he is about to try for a record fifth title at the 2012 OK Dinghy World Championship next week.

Sailing Club Spotlight Rickmansworth Sailing Club

Rickmansworth Sailing Club has received more than £40,000 in funding from Sport England to repair its ageing pontoons and buy two new dinghies. The club, which sails in Troy Lake, West Hyde, was given the grant from the £135 million "Places People Play" Olympic legacy programme. One grant of £32,116 will be used to replace the old pontoons, which are used to get in and out of the boats, with a modern plastic-modular system. The main decking on the access road bridge will also be replaced. A further grant of £10,000 from Sport England will be used to buy two new dinghies. Club commodore, Paul Johnson, said "We are delighted to have been awarded these grants. The new pontoons are safer to use and easier to maintain. "These investments will move our club towards the quality facilities we want to provide for our members and will help attract new members." Martin Smethers, a past commodore and grants officer said: "Rickmansworth Sailing Club is a strong local club and are always looking to attract more members. "Our project is opening up our club and giving people in the Rickmansworth and surrounding areas the opportunity to try their hand at sailing for the first time in these brand new boats. "We’re delighted to have received Lottery funding to make it all happen." The improvements will also benefit organisations such as the U3A, Royal Life Saving Society, Batchworth Dragon Boat Club and local angling groups which use the sailing club's facilities. David Gauke , MP for South West Hertfordshire, said: "This investment is fantastic news. Rickmansworth Sailing Club, has always has a strong sailing tradition both locally and nationally." "This money is an investment in helping young people of today and for securing the future for the Club, allowing them to work on their development plan which is aimed at increasing membership, and providing improved and modern facilities." Rickmansworth Sailing Club one of hundreds of projects across England benefiting from funding during the second round of the Inspired Facilities fund. Seb Coe, LOCOG chairman, said: "This is a fantastic funding project that will deliver a real legacy from the London 2012 Games. "It will provide a whole range of sporting opportunities for young people through improved facilities and will I hope inspire them to take up sport."

13' Inflatable Portable Sail Boat Catamaran.

Team Vodafone Auckland - Noumea 2012

London 2012: Team GB's top 10 sailing hopes for Olympic glory

Ben Ainslie Finn Has one Olympic silver and three golds but remains as determined, focused and fiercely competitive as ever. Admits that at 35 his body is beginning to let him down but his mind most certainly is not. Won a sixth Finn world championship in May. Gold at London 2012 would ratify his position as one of the greatest Olympians Key rival Ainslie says there are 10 or 12 sailors capable of winning on any given day. American Zach Railey won silver at Beijing and will be hoping to cause an upset Medal prediction Ainslie will not be satisfied with anything but gold Paul Goodison Laser Once held the Olympic, world, European and British titles at the same time following his gold medal at Beijing. Goodison also knows what it is like to miss out on a medal, finishing fourth at the Athens games. Passionate and aggressive, he still uses the disappointment of that fourth place to motivate himself in training and competition Key rival Since Beijing he has battled with Australia's Tom Slingsby for top spot. The scrap could be one of the keenest in Weymouth Medal prediction A consecutive gold is not beyond him Alison Young Laser Radial Aged 25, the youngest member of the GB sailing team. In May she finished two points off the bronze medal position at the worlds. Then at the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta in June she showed how quickly she is learning by winning gold at the Olympic venue Key rival China's Lijia Xu will be one to watch. She won bronze in Beijing, the first Chinese sailor to win a medal and has been in good form throughout 2012 Medal prediction A medal of any colour would be a great achievement Bryony Shaw RS:X women's windsurfing The only British woman to win an Olympic windsurfing medal — bronze at Beijing. The decision to drop windsurfing as an Olympic event will motivate all the competitors to make the most of this last chance Key rival Lee Korzits is aiming to become the first Israeli woman to win Olympic gold. Medal prediction Shaw's preparation has been hampered by illness but she will challenge strongly for a podium place Nick Dempsey RS:X men's windsurfing Has experienced ups and downs at the Olympics. Made his debut aged 20 at Sydney in 2000 when he finished 16th. Won bronze at Athens in 2004 but was bitterly disappointed to manage only fourth in Beijing. Took bronze at the Sail for Gold regatta in Weymouth in June Key rival Frenchman Julien Bontemps won silver at Beijing and took first place in the world championships in Cadiz in April Medal prediction Has been training well – could go one better than Athens and take silver Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark 470 women The pair came together only in February 2011. Clark had finished sixth in the 470 class in Beijing and her attempt to find a new partner became something of a soap opera. Mills and Clark won a string of silvers before taking gold at the world championships in May, becoming the first British women to win in the class Key rivals Bound to be a competitive fleet with lots of potential winners but the Australian pair of Elise Rechichi and Belinda Stowell, who have both won golds in the 470 with different partners, will be tough Medal prediction These two could be very popular gold medal winners Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell 470 men Patience is a jovial Scot, Bithell a down-to-earth Lancastrian. Both started sailing aged seven and have worked together since 2009. They showed they were Olympic medal contenders when they won silver at the Sail for Gold regatta at Weymouth Key rivals Australians Malcolm Page and Mathew Belcher are the men to beat. They have been a dominant force since teaming up after Page won gold in the class in Beijing Medal prediction Will struggle to upset the Australians but a silver medal is possible Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes 49er Morrison and Rhodes grew up competing against each other in Exmouth, Devon. Went to Beijing as one of the favourites and were bitterly disappointed to finish ninth. The 49er is one of British sailing's strongest classes and the pair are planning to use their failure in China to inspire them to success Key rivals Australians Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen are firm favourites. They head the world rankings and have a brilliant record at Weymouth Medal prediction The Australians are in pole position. Silver medal would be a great result Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson Star The elder statesmen of the team, Percy, 36, and "Bart" Simpson, 35, have three gold medals between them. They used to battle with Ben Ainslie in the heavyweight dinghy Finn class. They teamed up in 2007 and won gold at Beijing in the technical keelboat class. Lifelong best friends who love the pressure of elite competition Key rival Weymouth will be the latest venue for the latest round of a long-running battle between Percy and the great Brazilian Robert Scheidt, winner of two gold and two silver Olympic medals Medal prediction They will leave disappointed if they do not take gold Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush, Kate Macgregor Women's match racing Likely to be one of the hits of the Games. The event is exciting: a series of one-on-one races around a two-lap course, it is likely to be held in front of the main spectator area at Weymouth. Lush and the Macgregor sisters are all making their Olympic debuts but with home advantage are hoping to make a big impression Key rival The American team led by Anna Tunnicliffe-Funk (born in South Yorkshire) were beaten into silver position at the world championships in Gothenburg this month by a Finnish crew but may be the team to beat Medal prediction A new team, first Olympic Games, a bronze medal would be a good result