WEYMOUTH: Exciting 2014 events programme launched !

WEYMOUTH and Portland has officially launched its exciting programme of events for 2014. It will be hosting more than 260 events throughout the year including world and national sailing championships, live music, art and sports events, community fetes and fairs and many seasonal favourites during 2014. The events programme gets off to a sporting start this month (February) With the Topper Winter Regatta at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy while on February 22nd-23rd the borough will also host the quad bike racing event, Dickies Quad Beach Cross, on Weymouth Beach. The borough’s major events are back in 2014 including Best of Dorset Show in March, Weymouth Kite Festival in May, Wessex Folk Festival and Armed Forces Celebrations in June, Dorset Seafood Festival and Spirit of Portland in July, Weymouth Carnival in August and the Lions Beach Motocross in October. Big sporting and leisure events will be happening in Weymouth and Portland this year including one of the country’s leading Iron Distance triathlons, Challenge Weymouth, in September. Challenge Weymouth will lead more than 1,500 athletes through this incredible multi endurance event which includes a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike ride and a 42.2km run, attracting an extra 5,000 sports visitors and supporters. Challenge Weymouth is planning to develop a strong future in Weymouth. A range of high class sailing competitions will also be happening at the WPSNA including Cadet Worlds in August and the Wayfarer and Optimist Nationals in July and August. People can also take part in sporting challenges such as BustinSkin multi-event series, Round-the-Rock I0K, Portland 10 mile road race and Dumble Bimble Fun Run on Portland, the Weymouth 10 Mile Race on Weymouth Seafront and the ASA Long Distance Swimming Championships. July and August is always a great time to try out a sport and join in the fun on Weymouth Beach and this year the Ecover Blue Mile will be back with an open-water swim, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding. This will be part of the Dorset Festival of Sports which will feature the Beach Sports Festival, the Battens Charity Beach Volleyball and the RAF Weymouth Beach Volleyball Classic, the country’s leading two side men’s and women’s volleyball championship. Throughout 2014 the borough’s fabulous park and open spaces will host a range of activities including fetes, fairs and picnics organised by the parks’ friends groups and the borough council. Weymouth Portland tourism spokesman Councillor Ian Bruce said: “The 2014 programme is full of top quality events. There are seasonal favourites and exciting new events making this programme bigger and better than ever. There is really something for everyone to enjoy and get involved with. This programme will again give a great economic benefit to the area. “A special thanks to this year’s event partners, Real World Security, Weymouth Swimming Pool (SLM), Weymouth Pavilion, Mud & Gears and Just Racing (Challenge Weymouth).” For the events happening in Weymouth and Portland go to www.visitweymouth.co.uk.

A new range of performance wet weather gear

Hudson Wight is the latest brand of performance sailwear to enter the technical end of the sailing clothing market. Their range of stylish-looking gear is targetted mainly at keelboat sailors for year-round use whether cruising or racing, inshore or offshore, however the range is only available to purchase direct from Hudson Wight which is intended to reduce pricing. Norrie Forster, a delivery skipper and RYA Yachtmaster Instructor in Scotland, had this to say. "In summary, I would now without hesitation consider the Hudson Wight sailing suit (HW1s) as my first choice; indeed I feel strongly enough about the significant increase in effectiveness that I find myself regularly evangelising about this new brand and its future in the sailing marketplace." More products are being added to the range this year but for all the technical and fabric information and testimonials refer to the website: http://www.hudsonwight.com

SAILABILITY :- Grantham’s Val performs well at windy Rutland Water

Disabled sailor Val Millward took part in the prestigious John Merricks Tiger Trophy event at Rutland Sailing Club over the wekend. The conditions were extremely windy, particularly on Saturday when it was only possible to run one of the scheduled races. The Sunday pursuit race went ahead as planned but even then it was very windy. There were 165 boats entered but not all actually took to the water, such were the trying conditions. Val Millward finished 17th over the two-day event and was the first lady helm, receiving the Lady Tiger Trophy for the second time. She recorded a maximum speed of 12.6 knots on Sunday although she said she may have gone even faster on Saturday. Val said: “It was like being inside a washing machine during Saturday’s race at times. The waves were tossing the boat about that much that it made you feel quite seasick.” The John Merricks Tiger Trophy is part of the winter Sailjuice series of events. There are eight venues and sailors count their best four results. Val was only able to sail four of the events and her results from the other three were not good as there had been little to no wind, so last weekend’s 17th place has helped improve her overall result for the whole series.

Calling new British sailors: RYA Push the Boat Out begins May 17

Calling new British sailors: During the weekend of 17-18 May, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) will once again be running RYA Push the Boat Out (PTBO) with clubs, centres and marinas across the UK offering a range of ‘have a go’ and taster sessions for you to experience sailing and windsurfing. In 2013 thousands of people took to the water including newcomers, regular sailors as well as families. Over 100 sailing clubs opened their doors to host Push the Boat Out events. Clubs and centres can now register their 2014 PTBO open days and taster sessions. RYA Push the Boat Out is also part of National Watersports Month. May signifies a great time to kick start a summer of sport and National Watersports Month promises to provide an action packed schedule of activities across the country. 'Push the Boat Out is a fantastic opportunity for clubs to inspire those who live locally to get out on the water and find out just how easy it is to get involved in the sport' said RYA Club Support Advisor Jackie Bennetts. 'This year Push the Boat Out is going to be even bigger and better with more clubs signed up and even more people of all ages and abilities finding out why sailing is such a great sport'. If your club is holding an event for the public on RYA Push the Boat Out weekend, the RYA will provide promotional materials including postcards, badges and pens, coasters and key rings. Resources will also be available on the RYA website including advice on how to run an open day, promote your event and downloadable PTBO posters.

Monkey business on River Mersey

THE threatening winter conditions did not prevent Liverpool Yacht Club / Tranmere Sailing Club staging their latest Brass Monkey Series races on the River Mersey on Sunday. There was a seven-strong turnout in IRC Class One eventually headed by Greg Chiswell's Diva from Bada Bing (Andy Napper and Andrew Farrall) and Eazi Tiger (Adam Kyffin). The Warwick Telfer owned Clarevouyant took Class Two from Saphoenix (Ken Roberts). There were three starters here. The next competition is scheduled for February 16 at 10.30am.

West Mersea's Martin Evans prepares to sail for 145-mile sailing challenge

AN Olympic hopeful will sail from Mersea to the Netherlands on a boat about the size of a surfboard to raise money for charity. Martin Evans, 21, believes he will be the first person to take on the 145-mile challenge in a Laser dinghy, which is just 4.2m long and 1.4m wide. The former Colchester Royal Grammar School student, who is in the second year of a law degree at Exeter University, will take on the challenge in June to raise money for the RNLI.

Pascoe seals second consecutive Miami crown

THE cancellation of racing on the final day for the Paralympic classes saw Portland’s Megan Pascoe secure her second consecutive Miami World Cup title. The conditions also handed the island’s Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell victory in one of only two events that’s eluded them so far during their six-year SKUD partnership. The British Sonar trio of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas claimed silver, having also seen no racing on Friday, while Paralympic champ-ion Helena Lucas joined Pascoe on the podium, winning 2.4mR bronze just three points behind her team-mate. “It’s a very, very good way to start off the year,” Pascoe admitted. “Last year here was a bit more tricky – I wasn’t quite leading going into the last day and I had to have a few things go my way – but last week has steadily gone my way. Everything’s been really fast and I’m really, really happy.” The 2.4mR fleet was sent out and even managed to start a race before any trace of wind finally disappeared from their course area. “We had quite nice wind to start with – it was about six knots, as the beat progressed it was going more and more left, the pressure was becoming incredibly patchy,” the 27-year-old Pascoe explained. “But going down the run it just went incredibly soggy – I was lucky enough to have had a good beat and was ahead of Helena and Allan, which is what I had to be, so even if the race had finished I was confident I’d still be in the position where I am, but the race wasn’t going to finish. “We were definitely going to be timed out on that one.” Pascoe, aiming to qualify for her first Paralympic Games at Rio 2016, admits that her Miami win is a timely confidence boost at the start of the season. “I think 2014 could be very important in terms of my Rio campaign. There are all sorts of rumours about when trials might start, but really it’s always nice to win and it would be nice to go to the IFDS Worlds in a really good place. “They’ve always kind of eluded me, so hopefully we’ll get one this time.” Meanwhile, Paralympic SKUD class gold is the thing left on Rickham and Birrell’s hit list after finally breaking their Miami World Cup duck. “We’ve been to the Miami World Cup five times – my first ever SKUD event was out here in 2008. We’ve done every year except one since then, and we’ve had every result from fifth to second I think. Finally, now we’ve got to the gold, so now we’ve got a 1,2,3,4,5 in our five attempts.”

Largs sailing event lands top award

The Royal Yachting Association Youth Championships has been voted Event of the Year by the UK sailing community and readers of the Yacht and Yachting Magazine. Held last April, it was the biggest ever UK Youth Championships to be held in Scotland. The 450 young athletes who sailed in 239 boats were from all over the UK, and even from as far away as Australia and Serbia. The championships were held at Largs Yacht Haven. David Kent of the Scottish Sailing Institute, based at Largs Yacht Haven, thanked the volunteers who made the competitors so welcome.

500 student sailors aim to qualify for British Uni Team Racing titles

2014 BUCS/BUSA Student Team Racing Championships.83 student teams, representing 36 British universities, are competing to qualify. Most will be racing at venues around the British Isles this coming weekend, with the Northern group of universities meeting the following weekend (to accommodate the tide timetable!). University sailing clubs (USCs) have been busy training, selecting and competing since the beginning of the current academic year, last October. Team racing is one of the disciplines of student sailing, together with fleet, match and keelboat yacht racing. Clubs also make an increasing contribution to bringing newcomers into sailing, organising learn-to-sail training and facilitating a variety of sailing-related training and qualifications. But Team Racing is particularly popular in universities because of its exciting and sociable sailing format, as a team of sailors work together to try and establish an overall winning combination for their team over their opposition. Team races are fast and furious and reward good starting, boat speed, boat handling, rules knowledge and team work skills. Most university sailing clubs organise sailing at least once a week at a local sailing club, often two or three times a week, arranging team race training and, in many cases, taking team racing skills to a high level of performance. University sailing clubs compete with each other throughout the academic year, organising events themselves across the British Isles. Many familiar names appear in the calendar year-by-year. The Leeds’ Halloween Howler, Sheffield Shuffle, Oxford Magnum, Brummy Bender, London 6-Pack, Cardiff’s Welsh Dragon, Bristol Brew, Loughborough Lemming and Warwick Turtle have already been held this year.

Seems a bit like too much hard work for me !!!!

Post by Waterlust.

Scottish Sailing club in line for national award

Loch Venachar Sailing Club has been shortlisted for the Royal Yachting Association Scotland club of the year. Club representatives will find out if they have won tomorrow (Saturday) at the RYA awards dinner at the Glasgow Science Centre. Loch Venachar Sailing Club is a friendly, family-focused club which has a core of enthusiastic and willing volunteers committed to making everything the club does a success. It has a growing reputation as the place to take children to learn to sail Optimists and progressing on to racing, initially at the club and then on the traveller circuit. It has increased the number of sailors competing away from the club and, as well as supporting these young racers, the club has been making an RIB available to support the regatta fleet where hosting clubs were struggling to provide resources. The club was recently awarded Charter Plus status by Active Stirling and its volunteer instructors ran a second successful year of SQA sailing for a local high school. It is up against Dalgety Bay SC and Clyde Cruising Club in the club of the year competition. RYA Scotland chief executive James Stuart said: “The nomination process has brought to light a host of truly outstanding activity and people. Consequently the short list is of a very high standard indeed. “Our awards dinner is a chance for us to draw attention to these remarkable people and clubs.” The club of the year award is sponsored by Clyde Challenger.

Andrew Simpson: Olympic sailor's 'Bart's Bash' logo chosen

The winning entry has been unveiled after a competition to create a logo for a race in memory of Olympic sailing champion Andrew "Bart" Simpson. More than 65 entries were received, including many by schoolchildren, but the organisers eventually chose a logo by a professional graphic designer. Polly Durrant, from Dorchester, said her logo reflected the "give it a try" ethos of the Bart's Bash dinghy race. It is being held simultaneously at UK sailing clubs in September. Simpson, from Sherborne in Dorset, was killed while training for the America's Cup in San Francisco Bay. Trustees of the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation (ASSF) picked the winning logo from a shortlist of three compiled through a vote on Facebook. An ASSF spokesperson previously said entries had come from "a broad field, including professional graphic designers, adults and children as young as five". Nicknamed Bart, Simpson won Olympic gold at Beijing 2008 and silver at London 2012. He died after becoming trapped under an AC72 catamaran when it nosedived, capsized and broke into pieces while training with Artemis Racing. The foundation was set up in his name by his widow Leah, sister Amanda, and fellow sailors Sir Ben Ainslie and Iain Percy, with the aim of supporting youth sailing. More than 250 sailing clubs have so far entered Bart's Bash, which is expected to attract some 10,000 sailors to the water on 21 September.

Youngsters shown the sailing ropes

When the opportunity to practice and train ahead of the racing season is presented to the young sailors of Derbyshire, they certainly commit themselves with vigour. Despite the cold weather, there is no lack of enthusiasm for getting in their boats and working hard to develop and perfect their skills, at all levels and ages. The next training session is being held in the north of the county at Combs Sailing Club on Saturday, March 9 and will be led by coach Richard Rawson of Peak Dinghy Spares. He will be helping the sailors to work on key aspects of their chosen sport and leading them through a series of activities that will be challenging their fitness and capabilities. Rawson raced in several DYS series some years ago and is an RYA trained instructor, so he is well qualified and experienced to help teach today’s competitors. Carsington Sailing Club hosted the first training session of pre-season which was extremely well attended and well received by the sailors. The light wind conditions were perfect for helping the sailors to learn to extend their concentration, so that they can maximise their boat speed and make the most of what little wind there can often be. When the sailors are faced with weather conditions at the lower end of the thermometer, they put on insulating clothes under specialist sailing dry suits that keep them very cosy. They also pull on thick gloves and a variety of warm headwear. Often the sailors return to shore after hours afloat and report that they were too hot as they had to work so hard, but their beaming smiles show how much fun they still had. DYS Training Co-ordinator, volunteer Des Luxton, said: “ many of the sailors are eager to get out onto the racing circuit and start competing at events, their calendars and diaries for this year are already full of commitments for the season.”

Scottish-based sailing charity able2sail launches its 3 LightHouse Challenge

A team of challengers are gearing up for a 700-plus mile sail and cycle in aid of one of Scotland's charities for the disabled. The 3 LightHouse Challenge has been launched by able2sail. It will start from The Lighthouse in Glasgow on Friday 23 May 2014. Six volunteers will endeavour to cycle and sail more than 1,141km of Scotland's most dramatic landscapes and sailing waters. In six days the team aim to cycle to Oban, set sail on able2sail, the charity's own yacht for the sail and cycle round the Outer Hebrides, before returning to Oban and cycling back to Glasgow. The 3 Lighthouse Challenge is a key fundraiser for the charity, which last year took more than 130 clients, friends and carers out sailing on the Clyde and the waters of Argyll. All the opportunities able2sail provides to the disabled community are free of charge by a committed group of volunteers. Charity chairman Gerry Campbell said: 'Sailing truly enables people to be free of their disabilities. With us they are part of the team and the crew, irrespective of their disability or sailing experience.' How will the challenge work? For the sailing legs, the team of six will be joined by one of the charity's expert skippers and members of crew. Throughout the land parts of the challenge, a small support team will provide safety cover, help with punctures etc and of course provide the much needed snacks and warm cups of tea. A yacht delivery team will take able2sail from her home port at Kip Marina to Oban for the start of the sailing aspects of this fundraising adventure. Find out more about the 3 Lighthouse Challenge and how to sponsor the team at www.able2sail.org.uk

Harbour wheelyboat helps give disabled their sea legs

LIFE on the water is second nature to some. But for people living with disabilities, the practicalities of boat trips aren’t so easy – or so you might think. That all changed with the launch of a wheelchair-accessible boat, providing new opportunities for everyone to explore the rich and varied marine life in Chichester Harbour. The John Q Davis RM Wheelyboat launched in June last year, giving disabled people independent access to the water. “We have had a hugely encouraging first year,” said boat skipper Ian McCoy. “It has been better than I thought. We’ve taken out more than 500 people.” The project was a joint venture between Thorney Island’s Army Welfare Service, Thorney Island Sailing Club and the Wheelyboat Trust, a charity based in Petworth. Ian McCoy is a support officer at Thorney Island Army Welfare Service. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for army personnel and their families and others to get out on to Chichester Harbour,” he said. “The expression on their faces that they can do something is amazing. They really enjoy it. “The whole thing was devised to get families to experience the water.” Ian said some families who lived on 
Thorney Island weren’t aware Chichester Harbour was an area of outstanding natural beauty – until they saw it. “We take the groups out and do seal-spotting,” he said. “They are amazed when they see them. It’s just a different way for people to see the area.” The Wheelyboat benefits the island’s army families, injured and disabled service personnel, disabled schoolchildren and adults, and is supporting Thorney Island Sailing Club and the community. “We take out groups from Help For Heroes’ Tedworth House Recovery Centre,” said Ian. The centre helps servicemen and women who have suffered life-changing injuries and illnesses, running activities which help them to do what they enjoy most. Jack, one of the participants from the centre, said it was ‘the best activity’ they had ever done. “It’s great to drive the JQD,” he said. In June, 90 Scouts from Hayling Island were taken out on to the water and Thorney Island Sailing Club, which provides the boat’s mooring for free, used JQD as a support vessel for its junior sailing week when the boat was involved in two rescues. Ian said he was trying to encourage fishing trips, but day trips, harbour tours and nature excursions were also available. “We can finish off with a picnic at East Head, or go to the pub in Itchenor. That’s popular.” The boat was named by Valerie Davis, in memory of her late husband and former Chichester harbour master, Lt Col John Quintin Davis, Royal Marines, who died suddenly while out sailing with Valerie in August, 2010. “My husband’s vision was that the Chichester Harbour is for the enjoyment of everyone and this allows it to be enjoyed,” said Valerie, speaking at the launch of the new boat last year. Andy Beadsley, director of the Wheelyboat Trust, said: “The funding for the boat was kick-started by the John Davis memorial fund. “Valerie has been a keen supporter of the project. She knew it would’ve been a project John would have loved to support. “Ian contacted me in 2011 to see if we had a model for an accessible boat for use in 
Chichester Harbour. It’s really been one of our flagship projects.” The boat was the 150th Wheelyboat supplied by The Wheelyboat Trust since it began charity work in 1985. To help meet JQD’s running costs, the Wheelboat Trust is asking anyone who is passionate about Chichester Harbour to become a Friend of JQD. The annual membership fee will continue provision for disabled people, their families and friends with access to Chichester Harbour. For more information or to make a booking, visit www.jqdwheelyboat.co.uk

Dart Sailability reflects on a successful year

DART Sailability, the Dartmouth-based charity that helps disabled people take to the water, is reflecting on a successful year. Principal and senior instructor Mark Farries said: “We had some of our best weather for five years so everyone enjoyed good sailing. “I would like to thank all the volunteers on the shore, the pontoon and the water who have given up so much time and always done so with a smile.” Sailing takes place at Noss Marina twice a week between May and September and 101 disabled sailors took part last season. Two schools, Oakland Park in Dawlish and Bidwell Brook in Dartington, have continued to bring disabled students aged 14 to 18 years. The Dart Harbour Authority awarded Sailability the Dart Harbour Senior Award for exceptional and inspiring work with young people on the river, saying: “The organisation meets the needs of so many disadvantaged people in such a fun way.” Chairman Robert Boyd said: “We greatly appreciate their kind donation of £500.” Other activities during the year included racing the group’s 23ft yacht Sonar of Dart in the RDYC Wednesday evening series and the Dartmouth Regatta. Sailing with different, mixed-ability crews, they acquitted themselves very well, finishing fourth overall in the keelboat series in the regatta. During the regatta, the group hosted a visit from Geoff Holt and his catamaran which can carry disabled sailors including several in wheelchairs. A number of members went out for a high-speed trip in the bay which was much enjoyed. Barry Cooper and a team from Dart Sailability took part in the Eddystone charity race and raised £1,077 for the group. Another team provided safety boat cover for the Totnes Longbow canoe races and a generous donation was received from Totnes Rotary Club in gratitude. Mr Boyd said: “As a disabled sailor and the group’s chairman I would like to thank everyone for making Dart Sailability such a delightful organisation to be a member of. It provides support, friendship, recreational and competitive sailing which improves the condition of our lives. “We are indebted to all our volunteers, sponsors and fundraisers who make this possible.” All the boats are currently out of the water undergoing their annual refit, which is being undertaken by the group’s volunteers. The sailing season will start again in May.

Princess Anne gives a Churchouse sailing boat her seal of approval

A SAILING boat built in north Hampshire has received a royal seal of approval. The Princess Royal, president of the Royal Yacht Association (RYA) and patron of RYA Sailability, did the honours at the Churchouse Boats stand at the London Boat Show last week. The Drascombe Longboat, called Penny Wake, will be an addition to the growing number of boats used by Rutland Sailability, at Rutland Sailing Club, in Leicestershire. The vessel has been built to include various modifications to the standard Drascombe Longboat, to make it easier for disabled people to use. Churchouse Boats is run by husband and wife team Simon and Sharon Harwood, at Apsley Sawmill, in Hurstbourne Priors, near Whit-church. Delighted that the princess accep-ted the invitation to name the boat on behalf of Rutland Sailability, Simon said: “She said the boat looked lovely and was surprised that we have a small team of three producing such wonderful boats.” The London Boat Show certainly proved to be fruitful as the firm secured a deal to build a new boat, along with numerous spares and accessories. “It’s a great show worth going to as there is always competition out there from other boat builders, and so we are able to show off our product, which has been built to a high standard, for all to see. “Going to the show also opened up an opportunity for us to work with other Sailability groups and network with potential suppliers.” Simon added: “Our business continues to grow through building new boats, brokerage sales, refurbishments and spares, which are sold not just in the UK, but also worldwide.”

A Teenage Girl Grows Older and Wiser While Sailing Solo Around the World

Dutch teenager Laura Dekker set out at fourteen on a solo sailing trip around the globe. Her journey covered 27,000 nautical miles and lasted 519 days, and she currently holds the unofficial record for youngest person to accomplish such a feat. Dekker’s incredibly impressive adventure mostly through footage she took herself while sailing apart from friends, family and strangers alike. We get to watch as this confident and capable young woman deals with inclement weather, impending madness caused by doldrums, and a constantly developing desire for a life other than the one she left behind in Holland. By the time she crosses the equator, dancing alone in a party hat and offering pancakes to Neptune, you’ll find yourself loving her spirit and personality nearly as much as she loves the sea. “Freedom is when you’re not attached to anything.” Dekker’s larger journey of life began off New Zealand where she was born on a boat to parents who themselves had set out to sail the world. They made a home on land a few years later, but the saltwater bug was already coursing through Laura’s little veins. When her parents split up she chose to stay with the one who shared an affection for sailing, but life with her father also shaped her into an independent and self-sustaining child. That drive helped her win a ten-month-long court battle with the Dutch government who wanted to stop her plans to sail the world solo, even going so far as attempting to take custody away from her dad. She set sail in August of 2010 intent on setting the age record, but while other teens focused on speed, Laura was more interested in seeing and experiencing the world around her. She made multiple stops along the way, and we see her time split between the solitary life aboard the Guppy and her brief, social excursions at various ports or with fellow sailors. Her initial jubilance is tempered by ravioli disasters and clumsiness as she learns to film while going about her business on a rocking boat, but even as her spirit sinks and nerves settle in at the beginning of the 2200 -mile stretch across the Atlantic ocean, she stays remarkably focused and controlled. There are tense moments as storms approach, water gets in where it shouldn’t, and Laura works to navigate a deadly, reef-filled strait at night in the rain, but the film is filled with vitality, charm, and a sense of humor. Animated maps show the legs of the trip with watercolors and personalized little touches highlighting her dog Spot, where she was when she turned 15, and more add a human touch. A scene counting the days trapped by dead winds in the Indian ocean features Laura joking that “bobbing on the waves for days” is enough to drive someone crazy, and it’s followed by her introducing a bird that had taken up residence on the boat. “I’m only speaking English to him,” she says straight-faced, “because he probably doesn’t understand Dutch.”

Jubilee Sailing Trust - Be Inspired: Meet Jess

The Jubilee Sailing Trust is a Southampton based charity that promotes the integration of able-bodied and disabled men and woman through the medium of tall ship sailing. The JST owns an operates the only two tall ships on the planet that have been specifically designed to cater for people of all abilities. They are called Lord Nelson and Tenacious Lord Nelson is currently embarked on her maiden circumnavigation. This staggering 50,000 mile voyage is made even more incredible by the crew, people like Jess, who come on board and become part of the adventure Jess Mellish is a 16 year-old from New Zealand who was sponsored to travel with JST through the special needs unit at Te Puke High School. Jess has condition called Septo-optic Dysplasia, which caused the loss of her sight. On her voyage in New Zealand she climbed the mast in an incredible display of bravery. Lord Nelson is a 55-metre square rigged vessel that was purpose built in 1986 and has, along with her sister ship, Tenacious, had 40,000 customers. Of those, 15,000 have been disabled and 5,000 have been wheelchair users.

Sailor well on his way round the world !!

On November 11 last year 53-year-old Andrew Halcrow slipped quietly and unannounced out of port in his 30-foot yacht Elsi, on the start of a single-handed, 40,000-mile Falmouth to Falmouth west about circumnavigation. Andrew is no stranger to long distance sailing. The Shetland islander, a blacksmith by trade, has already sailed part the way around the world with his brother in a five-year long adventure beginning in 1988. However, he had a burning desire to sail single-handed around the world. In 2006 he set sail on a single-handed round the world voyage but 300 miles off the south Australian coast he suffered a burst appendix. He contacted his wife who alerted Shetland Coastguard, who in turn passed the information to their colleagues at Falmouth. An Australian aircraft located him just four hours after the initial alert. In a rescue operation co-ordinated by Falmouth Coastguard he was airlifted to hospital in Albany. His yacht was left to drift. Months later, relatively unscathed Elsi had drifted ashore in Australia. Andrew made arrangements to have his craft returned to Shetland on a freighter. At the time, Andrew insisted he had no intention of ever embarking on a similar journey again. After refitting Elsi he decided to have another attempt at his round the world voyage. This week, Andrew was sailing down the eastern coast of south America. He expects to be back in Falmouth in December. Elsi is averaging between 80 and 110 miles every day. His route is from Falmouth down through the North and South Atlantic, then round Cape Horn, up the west coast of South America, across the South Pacific in the SE trades to the Torres Straits, across the Indian Ocean, round the Cape of Good Hope and back up to Falmouth. Before sailing from Falmouth Andrew said: “If I don’t do it now, I am never going to do it. I dinna want to be sitting in an old folks’ home, being 90 years old and thinking I really should have done it.” Readers can follow Andrew’s progress at www.elsiarrub.co.uk

Hundreds of sailing clubs sign up for Bart's Bash ( World Record !! )

A total of 129 sailing clubs have already signed up for a Guinness World Record attempt in memory of Olympic and America's Cup sailor Andrew Simpson. And interest continues to grow for 'Bart's Bash', which aims to get thousands of sailors racing at hundreds of locations across the world simultaneously on 21 September 2014 at 11am (BST). The original plan was for the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation (ASSF) event to be 'the largest dinghy sailing race in the world ever' but after organisers were inundated by requests from yacht clubs wishing to take part, the event has been expanded to encompass yachts and multihulls. Event spokesman Jez Payne said: 'ASSF Bart's Bash is now set to be a world first event - embracing the concept of sailors racing each other from clubs across the country, racing across continents and racing across the categories of boats; from dinghies to yachts to multihulls. 'We will be investigating the Guinness Records for the largest yachting events, the UK Round the Island hits 30,000 sailors, we will have to re-set the target probably above 50,000, five times the original goal.' Loch Tummel Sailing Club in the Scottish Highlands was the 100th club to sign up to the event, just five days after it was launched on 17 December. A spokesman for the club said 'Loch Tummel SC is very proud to be involved with the ASSF Bart's Bash and we look forward to getting as many boats out on our beautiful loch as possible. 'We will have participants ranging from the young sailors in their Oppies to their grandparents in their Flying Fifteens and Yeomans taking part and are really looking forward to doing our bit to break the record.' Double Olympic medallist Andrew Simpson, who was nicknamed 'Bart', tragically died aged 36 in May 2013 while training for the 34th Americas Cup. All proceeds from Bart's Bash will go to the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation, a charity set up in his memory to encourage youngsters into sailing. How to take part Greater details about Bart's Bash will be announced on 1 February. For a full list of participating clubs visit www.bartsbash.co.uk To sign your club up, email tim@bartsbash.co.uk

Largest Dinghy Gathering Ever - World record attempt

The Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation, founded by Sir Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy and family members to encourage youngsters into sailing, is planning a monster sized attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for 'The Largest Dinghy Sailing Race' in the World Ever, which they are calling 'Bart's Bash'! The idea is to have a mass participation club race simultaneously across Britain. Pretty much every club in the country has a race on Sunday morning, with all kinds of boats taking part, the goal is to get everyone participating together to create one big race. The goal is to get over 200 clubs taking part, with over 10,000 sailors on the water, they will become new Guinness World Record Holders for dinghy racing in Andrew 'Bart' Simpson's name. Jez Payne from 'The Bart Project' commented 'It is one of those ideas that has huge potential to be a major, major event that absolutely honours the core of what Andrew was about'. British sailors who are the 'right person to sign their club up' are invited to email tim@bartsbash.co.uk. An event briefing for clubs & competitors is going to be launched on the first of February and there will be further dates for the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions. 'Bart's Bash' will be on Sunday 21st September, 2014, so there's plenty of time to plan. To get more details, go to the website: http://www.bartsbash.co.uk/

Brave Teenager Is Sailing To Hobart For The First Time - Without Her Wheelchair

While the conditions will be challenging, the 16-member crew of the 16-metre Lyons 54 faceboat Sailors with disABILITIES should be up for the challenge, having previously survived and won the 1998 race, the toughest yet. On board the boat in her first Hobart is Grace Kennedy, 19, who has spina bifida and is normally in a wheelchair. She left it behind this morning as she climbed about the boat, skippered by Kirk Watson, who is legally blind and competing in his 9th race. Sailors with disABILITIES (SWD) was founded by David Pescud to help disabled and disadvantaged young people and they’ve competed in 16 Rolex Sydney to Hobart races. faceboat Sailors with disABILITIES is already showing its ability as one of the first 20 boats out Sydney Heads and currently leads its division. SWD is still ‘seeking sponsorship for the boat’, which costs just $25, tax deductible, and donors will have their photo on the hull of the yacht for 12 months. Business Insider will continue to monitor and report the progress of faceboat Sailors with disABILITIES as she races to Hobart.

Portsmouth host special Christmas race today !!

Portsmouth Sailing Club are holding a one-of-its-kind event as they host a boat race on Christmas Day in aid of the RNLI. Today, the sailing club have been granted special permission to race from the entrance of the harbour as Christmas Day is the only day when the Royal Navy do not use this entrance nor is it used for commercial shipping. One of the boats involved in the Christmas Credit: Portsmouth Sailing Club The event has previously attracted high profile participants such as Sir Robin Knox-Johnston among other willing competitors. The event is open to all types of boats there is expected to be lots of fancy dress.

From oars and lakes to rudders and seas

Australia’s Sarah Cook is no stranger to international competition and racing on the water in pursuit of Olympic dreams. Cook, who spent ten years in the Australian Rowing Team, has swapped 2,000 metre dashes in a boat of eight to sailing up and downwind in the Women’s Two Person Dinghy, the 470. The tall 28-year-old recently celebrated her one year sailing anniversary but her physique immediately caught the eye of one Australian sailing hero who saw a match made in heaven, 'I met Elise Rechichi, my helm, back in London at a sushi train of all places at the London airport when we were leaving the Olympics,' commented Cook. 'I’d just competed in the women’s eight for Australia and met Elise randomly. It just so happened that she was a after a new crew and apparently when I stood up she said it was love at first sight. For her having a tall crew is the most important thing and there I was.' Rechichi had a fresh slate with Cook who entered the sport for the first time in an Olympic event, 'I’d never sailed, I literally did a learn to sail course last September and got into the 470 for the first time in October. It’s been a very steep learning curve. It was nine months in the boat by the time we got to the Worlds in La Rochelle. We learnt a lot in those nine months but we were really happy with how our international season ended up.' Cook knows what it takes to become an Olympian. Ten years of hard work and dedication resulted in her representing Australia at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games. Both Olympic sports require certain physical and mental aspects and Cook has enjoyed the transition, 'It’s so different to compare the two sports,' she said. 'I’ve literally transformed myself I feel from one kind of athlete that you have to be for rowing to a sport that’s so highly technical and tactical. There’s just so much to know not only on your tasks and what you’re doing in the boat but then in terms of strategy and fleet racing on top of that.' Rio 2016 is firmly in sight for Cook but she doesn’t plan on making any more changes for Tokyo 2020, 'I’m definitely going to stick with the sailing,' she added. 'I’m loving the sport and I think a big part of that is having a change and learning something new. It’s such a great opportunity for me to have the challenge of transforming the kind of athlete I am from a rower which is one end of the spectrum to a sailor at the other.' At ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne Cook is competing with 2013 ISAF Youth Worlds 420 gold medallist Carrie Smith after Rechichi pulled out on medical grounds. The duo got off to a wonderful start, taking the lead on the opening day but have slipped to fourth with only the Women’s 470 Medal Race to go. Cook concluded, 'We only had one sail together before this regatta and Carrie has come from 420s so it’s a big challenge for us to connect as a team but for her to learn to sail the 470 as well. 'She’s doing an amazing job. We’ve had some good races and some not so good races but all in all we’re enjoying this week.'

Blind sailor leading the way in SydHob

A blind skipper in this year's Sydney to Hobart doesn't consider his condition a problem, with plenty of eyes to help him. Kirk Watson, who suffers from the degenerative disease Retinitis Pigmentosa, will be the leader aboard Sailors with disABILITIES in this month's race. "Kirk's leadership is inspirational, this will be an empowering journey for him and the whole crew," said Malcolm Turnbull, the Federal Communications Minister and patron of the group. Watson started offshore racing in his early 20 when his vision was already being affected by the disease Retinitis Pigmentosa. He can see when the sun is bright but has no effective vision and is legally blind. Soon to embark on his ninth Sydney to Hobart, 40-year-old Watson stressed his impaired vision was no obstacle to him sailing and and didn't represent a hazard to him or his crew. "There's always a few other people on the boat, so if there's something I need to see they let me know," Watson told AAP. He will stick primarily to his established role as a mainsail trimmer in addition to the extra decision making entailed by being the skipper. "I'll still be trimming the sail. Just because you're the skipper doesn't mean you steer the boat," Watson said. "I can steer a boat, I have steered a boat. "It comes down more to the fact there are far better steerers than me (on the boat), so I'm happy for them to steer the boat." He emphasised sailing was a sport that didn't just rely on vision and that feel was also an important aspect. "Sailing isn't all about being able to see a sail, there's so much more to it than that," Watson said. "There's also the technical side of trimming, and you've got your overall strategy. "How are you going to sail against your opposition? There's a lot of in the head stuff you do as well." Watson has sailed in the Sydney to Hobart on eight previous occasions, finishing five times. Showcasing the abilities of sailors suffering from a range of disabilities, the SWD program has a proud history in the race, contesting most years since its 1994 debut. In 2013, it has gone back to the 54-foot boat in which it won the PHS division of the Sydney to Hobart in 2007, after contesting more recent races in a TP52.

Lottery grant expands fleet

A grant from the Big Lottery Fund has boosted the fleet that enables disabled people to go sailing at Lackford Lakes. The grant has allowed West Anglia, Suffolk and Haverhill (WASH) Sailability to spend £7,978 on a specially adapted sailing boat and ancillary equipment, bringing its fleet to five vessels. The new boat, named Erica after the club’s first chairman Eric Bratt, was handed over at the club’s annual meeting on Saturday. Alan Turvey, from Wash Sailability, said: “The boats are specially designed with safety in mind, are very stable even in windy conditions and are suitable for both adults and children.” Sailability clubs worldwide offer sailing facilities and training to people with any form of disability, whether they want to sit in a boat or sail it themselves. WASH began in 2009 with a request from the Haverhill Association of Voluntary Organisations to Lackford-based St Edmundsbury Sailing and Canoeing Association. For details call 01284 769101 or visit WASH’s website

LEICESTERSHIRE SAILING INSTRUCTOR WINS BBC UNSUNG HERO AWARD

Nearly 50 years of volunteering has been rewarded after 71-year-old Colin Magee of Burbage, Leicestershire won the title of BBC East Midlands Today Sports Unsung Hero 2013. Colin has got thousands of young people into sailing, breaking down the idea that it’s only a sport for the well off. Colin was given the award at a surprise presentation on Tuesday morning and was reduced to tears. “I am absolutely overwhelmed. It is just something I do. I get people on the water. It is something I can share. And if I can get just one young person off the streets and away from trouble than I have done something.” He is the driving force behind the Leicestershire and Rutland Youth Sailing Team, running courses for schools and youth groups and entering teams into Regattas. Colin is also a key figure in fund raising activities, making sure there are boats available for use and suitable sailing clothing. He charges no membership fee and offers free instruction. When he’s not on the water, he’s maintaining boats to the highest possible standard. The award organiser, Mark Shardlow of BBC East Midlands, said: “Colin is a fantastic example of someone who has given time and effort to help others play sport. He has clearly had a major impact on sport in the East Midlands. The judging panel were particularly impressed that he’s recruited so many volunteers to act as coaches, judges and committee members to ensure the club has a legacy.” Graham Chilvers, from Hinckley and Bosworth District Counil, nominated Colin. He said: “In Colin’s eyes everyone can have fun sailing. He has a singular ability to motivate and inspire. He is a very special man.” Colin now moves on to the national final. The results will be revealed at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award on Sunday 15th December live on BBC One.

Sailing taster day for 100 disabled people

A SAILING school owner has described a taster day which gave 100 disabled people the opportunity to get on the water as a ‘fulfilling and humbling experience.’ Even before the open day at Mylor Sailing School began on Saturday, owner Tracey Boyne said she was “overwhelmed” by the demand for places across the five workshops. ​ Now she is even more determined to take her project to the next stage and secure enough funding to set up a social enterprise which will make the pleasure of learning to sail a reality for disabled people across the county. “The idea for this open day was to find out the demand for a disabled sailing school,” said Miss Boyne, from the sailing school near Falmouth. “You can’t apply for funding until you can prove demand and we have been completely overwhelmed.” One of the main attractions was the chance to be taught by John Robertson, who has represented Team GB at three Paralympic games. The volunteers and instructors, including Mr Robertson, took out three large sailing dinghies and three powerboats in each of the taster workshops. During the open day, staff gathered information to see how many of them wanted to learn to sail on a regular basis in the future. “It was a really great response,” said Miss Boyne. “The day went smoothly, but it was just not what I expected, to get that many people there and for so many people wanting to do it. “It was very fulfilling. I was pretty choked up watching them all go out on the water, and to hear some of them coming back saying how it was the best thing they had ever done. “I also had some tear jerking emails after the day saying they can’t wait for the club to get going. It was very humbling.” Miss Boyne’s next step is to apply for funding to meet her target of getting the new school, the Mylor Sailability Group, up and running by March. “Sport England has just opened up new streams of funding for disabled support,” she said. “We are going to apply for those.” “We have already been offered funding from the West Cornwall Youth Trust (WCYT) and Cornwall Sports Partnership (CSP). “But the big funding from Sport England will take a bit longer.” Miss Boyne stresses that a project like this is not possible without help. On the open day she had 15 volunteers , support from CSP’s Steve Hillman, WCYT’s Nick Fletcher and Roger Graffy, owner of Mylor Yacht Harbour, whose help was “never ending.” “And John Robertson has just been such a great inspiration for disabled people,” she said. People as far afield as Penzance and Bodmin came to Mylor on Saturday. Apart from Stithians Lake, there is nowhere else in Cornwall which offers disabled sailing instruction.

Volvo Ocean Race: All-female crew 'not proving a point'

Sam Davies, the woman leading the first all-female crew to take part in the Volvo Ocean Race in 12 years, says they have nothing to prove ahead of their departure for 12 months of training. Team SCA leave for a year's worth of training in Lanzarote ahead of the round-the-world sailing race. "I don't think we're out there to prove a point," Davies, leader of the seven-strong team, told BBC South Today. One of Davies's grandfathers was a submarine commander, while the other was a powerboat racer pilot When she was 23, she attempted the Jules Verne round-the-world race with an all-female crew but lost her mast near Cape Horn She finished fourth in the Vendee Globe in 2009, completing the journey in 94 days, four hours and 39 minutes "For those of us out there it's just a race and we're there on equal grounds." She continued: "We just want to do the best we can. Once we are racing we don't even think about being an all-girl racing team - we just want to try and get on the podium. "As an all-female crew it's an opportunity to go out and perform. "Volvo Ocean Race have made the rules better for us so as an all-female crew we can take more crew members and that will make the racing a little bit fairer, because physically it's very hard. "So we should be able to go out there and sail the boat as well as a male crew." The race begins in Alicante on 4 October 2014 and Davies will be joined by Abby Ehler, Stacey Jackson, Annie Lush, Liz Wardley, ​Carolijn Brouwer and Sophie Ciszek. Davies, who has competed in two Vendee Globe races, is aware just how big a challenge it is for her and her team-mates, and admits the next year of training in Lanzarote will be crucial to their chances of success. "This next 12 months will be a big learning curve," said Davies. "All the boats are identical so it means it's the sailor and the crew that makes the difference. Every hour counts when we prepare for this. "Individually, we have a lot of experience but as a crew we don't so we have a lot of work to do to learn how to sail this boat. "We are based in Lanzarote because it's the perfect place to train. The wind is always around 25 knots, so it is tough conditions pretty much all of the time but perfect for training. "It's on an island, so within five minutes we are out in the ocean. The climate helps, we don't stop for training and having the wind and the water a little bit warmer means we can train for longer." Having competed in two Vendee Globes, Davies is used to isolation while sailing so admits it will be nice to return to being part of a team. "For me it's quite different," she said. "It's really nice. I started in all-female crew so it's nice to get back to that. It's not so much a psychological or mental challenge, but more a physical one. It's great to be back with some amazing sailors, Olympic medallists and we are learning so much together." Davies will be leaving behind her two-year-old son, but says the chance to compete in the nine-month race, which is held every three years, was too big an opportunity to turn down. "It is a big commitment," she admitted. "But it's such a big opportunity to do the Volvo Ocean Race so leaving home and missing the family is a sacrifice that is part of this opportunity and we are lucky enough to have great support around us.

Lord Nelson takes part in international fleet review

Lord Nelson, owned by Southampton-based charity, the Jubilee Sailing Trust, represented the nation’s tall ship fleet at the Royal Australian Navy International Fleet Review in Sydney Harbour yesterday. The invitation to take part in this weekend’s centenary celebrations for the Royal Australian Navy, attended by HRH Prince Harry, was the catalyst for the ship’s current 50,000-mile, two-year global voyage. Lord Nelson is one of only two ships in the world that are built to be fully accessible and is sailed by physically disabled and able bodied crew members as equals. The 55-metre square rigger is undertaking the first ever circumnavigation by such a vessel, the Norton Rose Fulbright Sail the World Challenge, which aims to promote inclusion and equality in each of the 30 ports of call. 'This is a truly exciting initiative which brings together people from all walks of life and all physical abilities to sail side by side across the world’s oceans on this extraordinary ship,' said Norton Rose Fulbright , Australia’s Managing Partner, Wayne Spanner. So far more than 500 people from 25 countries, approximately half of whom are physically disabled and include 54 wheelchair users, have taken part in the journey, which set off from Southampton, UK, in October 2012, riding the wave of the success of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Lord Nelson is carrying one of the London 2012 Paralympic torches and a number of international Paralympians, including Sydney 2000 Gold Medallist, Michael McLean, have sailed on board Lord Nelson. Among those on board for the voyage arriving in Sydney this week was a contingent of Australian Defence Force personnel, as well as representatives of Help For Heroes, the UK charity which works to rehabilitate injured service personnel. Lord Nelson will take part in the International Tall Ships race from Sydney Harbour to Auckland, departing on 10 October, and will undertake four voyages in New Zealand waters before she sets sail on 15 December to cross the Southern Ocean and round the infamous Cape Horn. There are just a few spaces remaining on the voyage from Sydney to Auckland for those wishing to be part of the crew sailing into New Zealand waters with Lord Nelson for the first time. Berths are available for both able bodied and physically disabled people for the voyages in New Zealand. A ‘buddy’ system on board pairs able bodied and disabled crew to offer mutual help and support during the passage. The lower age limit is 16 and there is no upper age limit. No sailing experience is necessary as the permanent crew will give all the training and guidance needed to get the most out of the voyage, whether that is showing a crew member how to climb the rigging, steer the ship or haul on a rope to help set the sails. The ethos on board is to focus on what each person is capable of, rather than what they can’t do. Lord Nelson is due to return to the UK in September 2014.

A woman who has never sailed before is taking on the world’s longest ocean race.

A story of a badly injured sailor during an around-the-world-race is enough to turn most people off the high seas, but not Anne Jobbins, 43, from Sutton, who was inspired to take on the challenge after hearing such a story. Miss Jobbins normally works as a personal advisor at the Jobcentre in Sutton but on Monday she flew to Rio, in Brazil, to join her crew on a journey across the South Atlantic to Cape Town as part of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Asked why she decided to take on such a challenge Miss Jobbins said: "There was nothing to stop me really. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. I don’t like to say that’s the reason I’m doing it but that kind of experience does make you a different kind of person. "I do look at things a bit differently. I’m not in it for the challenge, don’t get me wrong it is a challenge but I’m really in it for the experience. It’s going to be absolutely awesome. "Before I started this I had never sailed before. I’d never been on a boat unless you count the ferry to France and I have only done that once. "The training they give you it really intense. You live on the boat for the week you are training." Miss Jobbins is not the only person from Sutton taking on the race, Fred Mundle, 67, from Carshalton Beeches is flying out to Rio on October 4 to join his crew. Retired consultant, Mr Mundle, has sailed before but not on a scale like this. He said: "On one of our training courses we had severe gale force winds of 10 or 11 so we are prepared for anything. You just don’t know what you are going to get."

Sir Keith Mills backs Sir Ben Ainslie

SIR KEITH MILLS is ready to set up a British America’s Cup team with Sir Ben Ainslie after Britain’s greatest sailor helped spark one of the biggest comebacks in sport. With billionaire Larry Ellison, owner of Ainslie’s victorious Oracle Team USA, promising to reduce costs to attract more teams, Mills wants to realise Ainslie’s dream of bringing the Auld Mug home for the first time since the inaugural race 162 years ago. “We could assemble an extraordinary, predominantly British team to go and win the cup,” said Mills, who played a leading role in organising the London Olympics. Ainslie said: “The America’s Cup started in the UK in 1851, we’ve never had it back since, so it’s about time we changed that.”

Team USA sails to historic victory

Yesterday in the San Francisco Bay, Oracle Team USA clinched the trophy in sailing’s greatest race, America’s Cup. The team narrowly knocked out Team New Zealand, who won four of the first five races. To regain its momentum, Oracle modified its boat, brought Sir Ben Ainslie aboard and proved its worth in dramatic fashion by winning eight races straight. In the final race, the team beat New Zealand by 44 seconds. The teams competing in the Cup are highly international, comprising Brits, Kiwis, Aussies, Americans. Emirates Team New Zealand was backed by a Dubai-based airline. Ainslie, a four-time British Olympic champion, worked brilliantly with skipper James Spithill and strategist Tom Slingsby – both Aussies – to turn the team’s fortunes around in what some are calling the most dramatic comeback in the history of the sport. “What a race it had everything,” Spithill told the BBC. “Man, these guys just showed so much heart.” He continued, “On your own you're nothing, but a team like this can make you look great. We were facing the barrel of a gun at 8-1 and the guys didn't even flinch. Thanks to San Francisco, this is one hell of a day.” Although the race ended with Oracle lifting the trophy – the Auld Mug – the Kiwis, led by skipper Dean Barker, put in a strong performance and clearly took the lead early on. Things began to change, however, when they began to have trouble dealing with strong winds. “It's obviously very hard to fathom. We went out there to give it our absolute best shot,” Barker said. “We felt we didn't leave anything on the table. When you're sailing against a boat going that fast it's very hard to swallow. It’s very frustrating. The gains they've made are phenomenal.” “I'm incredibly proud of our team and what they've achieved but I'm gutted we didn't get the last win we needed to take the Cup back to New Zealand.” Oracle also won the America’s Cup in 2010, clinching the mug from the Swiss team Alinghi in this extremely upper-crust competition. The winner each year determines the format, venue and timing of the next Cup. The specifications for this year’s Cup, laid out by the winners in 2010, were unique. Larry Ellison, billionaire Oracle co-founder who sponsors the team, and Oracle team captain Russell Coutts decided that the teams would use 72-foot catamarans with rigid wing sails. This change allowed the teams to reach speeds of more than 50 miles per hour. Some critics did not support this change, especially when Oracle’s catamaran capsized in the San Francisco Bay this May, killing two-time British Olympic medalist Andrew Simpson. Some referred to it as a “billionaire death match.” But the Cup is clearly about much more than money. Ellison “is obviously financially involved, but that’s not as important to him as the risk that he took in staging this spectacle on San Francisco Bay, in these high-tech catamarans, where nobody thought it was going to take hold, and now it’s taken hold in a bigger way then I think he had dreamed,” said Julian Guthrie, a San Francisco journalist who wrote The Billionaire and the Mechanic. “You're hitting near freeway speed – over 50 miles an hour,” San Francisco sailor Kimball Livingston told CBS. “These are the fastest boats ever built. We've never seen anything like this in any kind of sailing boat, much less the America's Cup.” An additional change this year: the races were held closer to shore, allowing easier access to television studios eager to increase audience interest in the sport, which has waned over the years. Faster boats and slicker televised coverage could be a winning combination for the future of the event.

Wayfarer Dinghy Cruise, Scotland May 2013

Tobermory 4 , Isle of Mull

Tobermory 3 , Isle of Mull

Tobermory 2 , Isle of Mull

Tobermory 1 - Isle of Mull

Cold Weather Sailing Tips

Take more clothes to the club than you think you might need. Carrying them should warm you up for a start! If your sailing wardrobe is inadequate, raid the cupboards for an old fleece or two. And it may be time to get the credit card out Basic principle: Never under-estimate the cold - it's far easier to strip a layer off if too hot than heat yourself up if you get chilled If your boat lives ashore rather than on a mooring, dress warmly in civvies whilst you rig up, including extra layers, hat, gloves, etc. No harm in sneaking thermals under the jeans or putting a (dry) sailing waterproof on together with your coat But if it is also chucking it down with rain, get the sailing gear on first Rig with a sense of purpose, this is no time for faffing about. If someone fancies a chat, save it for the changing room. Move the boat out of the wind if practicable. Check the toe-stap strings and the like - this is hardly the day for gear-failure to induce a swim Eat well before going afloat - this is not a time for low blood-sugar levels. And use the toilets too. Stripping-off to answer nature's call whilst out in the elements is not going to help keep you warm I have a theory that your head is a good source of wind-information. But if it aches with cold, forget that. Put on at least a beanie hat and better yet a balaclava - or both! Don't over-heat in the changing room, get sweaty then immediate freeze as you walk outdoors. Save putting on the last couple of layers until you have left the changing room, perhaps even until you go outside Don't wade into the water to launch if you can avoid it. If you really have to go deep water paddling regularly, get yourself a drysuit. Making the crew do it to save yourself is unacceptable Take an extra layer or two afloat - but store them somewhere dry - in an accessible tank or a dry-bag Don't wear leather sailing gloves - they keep your hands wet, which sucks the heat out of you. There are several alternative materials Do some gentle exercise to get the blood flowing Don't launch too early But once afloat, get busy. Don't sit there feeling miserable If you must hang about (due to general recalls for example) heave too and get out of the wind as much as you can. Also, if possible, sail to somewhere sheltered but not too far away from the start If you fingers get cold, suck them - you will be amazed Do some more gentle warming up afloat around the time of the 5-minute gun Do not be psyched out by the weather - embrace it and laugh; doing so will give you a real edge on the miserablists Light airs and cold are the biggest challenge all that sitting still If you come ashore feeling really cold, get warmed up, showered and changed before packing the boat up (but do take the sails down first)

A MUM has praised the yachtsman who taught her autistic son how to sail.

Carley Chamberlain, 26, was full of praise for Micky Early, 27, for his “time and patience” in helping her seven-year-old son David to develop. Now, just months after starting sailing at the Tees and Hartlepool Yacht Club, David has gained the confidence to get in a boat on his own. Carley said David, who has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, began sailing at Easter. She said the help he had received from Micky, who is the training principal at the yacht club, had made a real difference. She said: “He did not socialise well so I started bringing him to the yacht club and he has been a completely different child ever since. He gets really into the sailing. He gets really focused on it. “Micky has taught my son for the past few months how to sail which isn’t easy as he is autistic.” “He has had the time and patience to give him one on one tuition for free. He has also done a lot for Tees and Hartlepool Yacht Club as a volunteer,” added single mum Carley, from the King Oswy area of Hartlepool and who works as bar staff at the yacht club. She was so impressed, she has nominated Micky in the coach of the year category of the Hartlepool Mail Sports Awards. Micky, a member at the yacht club since he was ten, has loved helping David as well as dozens of other fledgling sailors. He said: “David’s progression is outstanding every week. He has gone from being scared of sitting in a boat with lots of people to getting in a boat by himself. He pushes himself every week.” Micky’s help has extended to all sections of the public. He’s held courses for students from High Tunstall, Dyke House, and Owton Manor Schools and said: “Hopefully, we are getting more primary schools in.” And when told he’d been nominated for an award, he said: “It’s nice to be recognised but I don’t really think about awards. I just do what I do.” Club commodore Barry Hughes said: “Micky is one of the best coaches on the North- East coast.” He said Micky had organised a family open day at the club which had been a huge success and another one was planned on September 14.

Matt Bugg starting Rio Paralympic campaign

London 2012 Paralympic sailor Matt Bugg leaves for Europe today to start the first stage of his campaign to represent Australia at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, sailing in the International 2.4R class. His first event will be the British open championships this coming weekend at Poole Yacht Club in Devon on the south coast of England which will host the 2.4mR open world championship in early September. The Tasmanian, who finished a creditable seventh overall at the London Paralympics, will be joined at Poole by his coach, Richard Scarr, and two other Australian 2.4mR class sailors from Canberra, Mark Duram and Michael Leydon. The Australians will then train with the British team before heading to Kinsale in Ireland for the IFDS Disabled Sailors World Championships from 22-30 August. This will be the first major Paralympic event following London 2012 with 120 disabled sailors from 20 countries expected to attend the regatta. 'We expect that Matt will be sailing in a fleet of 45 2.4.mRs, the single-handed Paralympic keelboat, while other Australians will be competing in the Sonar and Scud classes,' coach Richard Scarr told ‘The Mercury’ before flying out from Hobart on Sunday. Following the IFDS worlds, Bugg will return to Poole for the International 2.4mr Open championship for both disabled and fully able sailors. 'He will be facing 80 boats starting off the one line,' Scarr added. 'We have spent the past six months getting in some intense sailing on the Derwent, working on sail development, technical improvements to Matt’s boats and on race strategy, working with the other 2.4mR sailors from Canberra. 'Next year will see some more heavy race programs, including the first Paralympic qualifying regattas for Rio, to be sailed in Canada,' Scarr added.

Disabled Sailing Festival returns to Rutland

Sailors with a wide and varying range of disabilities will again descend on Rutland Water for the 7th RYA Sailability Multiclass Regatta this weekend (10-11 August). Sponsored by Sport England and the Joan Braithwaite Sailing Trust, the regatta is the largest of its type in the country with competitors coming from all over Britain, and in some cases Europe, to compete in one of 10 classes. The event attracts sailors with a huge array of ambitions, from those who are relatively new to racing or simply enjoy competing to those with serious Paralympic aspirations. Rutland Sailing Club has hosted the regatta since its launch in 2007, and home club, Rutland Sailability, will as always have a strong contingent at the event, with some 15 local competitors bidding to make home advantage count. Debbie Blachford, RYA Sailability Manager, said: “We love bringing the Multiclass Regatta back to Rutland each year. It’s a great piece of water to accommodate more than one fleet and it’s a very accessible club with good facilities, great for networking and lots of interaction between the classes. “The regatta is a fantastic showcase of the talent we have within the disabled community and it’s a great social event too with many spectators coming along to support and meet other disabled people who share a common interest in the sport. “The whole ethos of Sailability focuses on the acceptance that everyone is different and it’s what each individual can do, not what they can’t, that can be nurtured into a lifelong involvement in sailing.” More than 60 volunteers, most based locally at Rutland Sailability, plus a number of RYA Sailability Regional Organisers and helpers from the country’s many different Sailability groups, will also be on hand to assist with the running of the regatta and help the sailors on and off the water. Debbie added: “The invaluable help of the Rutland Sailability group makes the event happen. Boat launchers, tractor drivers, RAF safety boats and crew, tea makers and all the rest, they are the spirit of Sailability.” The weekend kicks off with a race training day on Friday, offering on-water and shore based training sessions for both newcomers and more advanced sailors. A full day of class racing takes place on the Saturday before day two of racing on Sunday and the weekend culminating with prize-giving, including awards for the top boat in each class and the Ken Ellis Trophy for the overall champion of champions. Richard Parker will be travelling from Switzerland to compete in the Neo 495 class. He said: “We choose to come to the Multiclass Regatta as it’s a great opportunity to sail with other boats, see other classes on the water and to meet other people.” RYA Sailability is the national programme, run by British sailing’s national governing body, which encourages and supports people with disabilities to take up the sport and helps clubs to develop facilities to deal with a wide and diverse range of abilities. Sailing is one of the few sports in which able-bodied sailors and disabled sailors can participate on equal terms. The 10 different boat types being contested at the event are Challenger, Access, 2.4mR, SKUD 18, Laser Stratos, Artemis, Neo 495, Kinsman, Squib and Sonar classes. For more information about RYA Sailability and the Multiclass Regatta visit www.rya.org.uk/programmes/ryasailability or contact the Sailability team on 0844 556 9550 or at sailability@rya.org.uk

At Cowes Week - Alex Thomson nails it!

In an unexpected twist, solo Round-the-World Yachtsman, Alex Thomson, who was the sailor least expected to win ahead of the race, nailed it taking the speed title and £1,000 for 'Sported' - the UK’s leading sporting legacy charity of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. However it wasn’t easy for Alex, as he fought off strong competition from Olympic windsurfing medallist, Nick Dempsey and the Moth, raced by Olympic gold medallist, Paul Goodison. Sam Lutman-Pauc, more comfortable in extreme kitesurfing conditions and long distance speed challenges struggled with the short racecourse and ripping tide. 'That was great fun! Paul Goodison is officially a lunatic on the racecourse, was not giving even an inch of any boat. I didn’t expect to win but really I owe it to the two guys onboard with me, grinding away, so they can take all the glory not me. But, it was great to win the £1,000 prize money for Sported, looking forward to handing it over to them.' Commented Alex, who in January became the third only ever British sailor to podium finish at the Vendee Globe. The race was delayed due to the light wind, but the four guys finally got up and out at around 18.00. The conditions in the Solent were challenging and tricky, the wind varied from 10 to 15 [knots], with two to three [knots] of current and a strong tide that went in the same direction as the wind. But, second placed Nick Dempsey on his windsurfer enjoyed the battle 'all day there’s been no wind and we really didn’t know if we would actually be able to do [the race], so after all the preparation and excitement, when the wind came in it was amazing. It was close, Goody (Paul Goodison) and I had a brilliant first reach, we were neck and neck, but when we gybed and headed up for the second lap, the wind had shifted a bit and we couldn’t get back up to the next mark in one tack, so we had to double-tack. Everything I Iost there meant that Alex was just getting further and further ahead, but it was still so close! There was a lot of current out there today, it wasn’t easy. It was a really good race, very exciting amazing to race next to Alex in Hugo Boss.' Paul Goodison, best known for his skill in the single-handed Laser dinghy, reached 18 knots once up foiling 'It was a great race, really good fun to be out there with all the other guys burning around at different speeds. I thought I won the start, had a nice lead going down the first leg. Nick was a little bit faster and started reeling me in, and then just before the gybe mark I got quite a lot of weed on the foils. Had a bit of a nightmare gybe and then really struggled to get on the foils coming back. I had to stop, capsize the boat on it's side and clear the weed off, which is never fast. Watching Nick sail away from me was pretty disappointed. Alex obviously did well but I want a rematch in the flat water so we can have some real action! Classic race though, and all for charity as well!'

Women sailors take on the challenge of the Rolex FastNet Race

This year’s Rolex Fastnet Race will see a number of women sailors taking part, when the world’s largest offshore race sets sail from Cowes on Sunday 11th August. With the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s flagship event breaking new records in terms of the size of its fleet, this biennial race from Cowes to the Fastnet Rock off southwest Ireland and back around the Isles of Scilly to Plymouth, has attracted several well known women to take part. Spindrift 2 largest boat The largest boat on the start line will be the 40m trimaran Spindrift 2, which as Maxi Banque Populaire in 2011 completed the course in just 32 hours 48 minutes. Since the last race, this, the fastest offshore boat in the world, has been sold to the Franco-Swiss Spindrift racing team. Her new co-skippers are Yann Guichard and Dona Bertarelli, whose brother Ernesto Bertarelli has been involved with the America’s Cup with his Alinghi team. Spindrift 2 is obviously gunning to beat the existing record but putting up a challenge will be Vendee Globe competitor, Dee Caffari on Oman Air-Musandam. Seventh Fastnet for Dee Caffari For Dee this will be her seventh Fastnet, her first having been as skipper of Group 4 in 2001. In 2007, her IMOCA 60 Aviva had to pull out with a ripped mainsail and a very sick Olympic gold medallist Matthew Pinsent on board, while last time she was on Steve Ravussin’s MOD70, Race for Water. Dee, who this year joins Sidney Gavignet’s team on Oman Air-Musandam said, “I’d never done the race that quick before in my life, so I am really delighted I’m back on a MOD70,” Omani sailor Raya Al Habsi As part of Oman Sail’s efforts to develop women’s sailing in the sultanate, Omani sailor Raya Al Habsi will also be competing on board. She has previously competed in Sailing Arabia – The Tour in 2012 and 2013. As to their prospects this year Oman Air-Musandam will be up against another MOD70 in the Seb Josse-skippered Edmond de Rothschild. Dee remembers two years ago when her crew match- raced another MOD70 Veolia Environnement for the entire race. “I am really looking forward to being back in that intensity again” she said. Overseas boats Of the 350+ boats competing in the Rolex Fastnet Race this year one third of the fleet, 119 boats are from overseas. The boat having travelled furthest is Geoff Boettcher’s Secret Men’s Business 3.5, from Adelaide in South Australia. 3.5 refers to how the boat’s original hull was chopped away from the deck, and somehow replaced with an upgraded design four foot longer, now up to 51ft. This dramatic modification worked, for in 2010 she won the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Secret Men’s Business 3.5 rates well under IRC and is expected to be a strong contender for the overall IRC prize. Looking for a hat-trick Looking for Rolex Fastnet Race honours will be Bella Mente, Hap Fauth’s Mini Maxi which will be trying to beat Rán 2. Niklas Zennström’s team on Rán 2 will attempt to become the first to ever win the Rolex Fastnet Race three times in a row: Bella Mente is a newer generation Judel-Vrolijk design and beat Rán 2 to the Mini Maxi World title last year so this will make for some very interesting racing. On the 11th August there will be a succession of starts for the various classes, with the full starting sequence taking two hours.

Jeanne from Ealing (uk) is the oldest woman to sail around the world

THEY say third time is the charm and that was definitely the case for intrepid pensioner Jeanne Socrates who broke a world record earlier this month. The 70-year-old from Ealing is now the oldest woman in the world to sail non-stop around the world unassisted after two failed attempts. After nearly nine months crossing the most dangerous stretches of open water in the world, Mrs Socrates is now back on dry land after getting back safely to her starting point of Victoria, British Columbia at around 2am on July 8. Mrs Socrates, a grandmother of three said: “I feel great. Lots of friendly people have been coming by to see me here or emailing. I got a lovely welcome on arrival, even though it was 2.20am. “It was eight and a half months of very mixed sailing and conditions, from the usual Southern Ocean strong weather, with even stronger stuff occasionally. “There were also way more periods of calm weather than I’ve experienced in my two previous Southern Ocean crossings, which is why it took a lot longer than I’d expected as originally I’d hoped for something like seven months sailing time.” Although she was by herself during the entirety of her trip, Mrs Socrates said she never felt isolated. She said: “I got lots of emails and also had frequent radio contact with people in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada, all of whom were very supportive and friendly. “The best moments were frequent, like being far across the Southern Ocean with lots of birds around, albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, prions, all getting uplift off the big swell. “The worst moments were definitely when I had to climb the mast on my way down towards Cape Horn. It was really tough – I had to dig deep to force myself to get to the top, despite the motion of the boat trying to fling me off the mast frequently. “I would be very tired and covered in deep blisters on my fingers and bruising on my arms from grabbing hand-holds and clinging on for dear life.” “It feels good to know I’ve finally managed to achieve the non-stop round-the-world trip after my previous two unsuccessful attempts and can cross it off the list and relax, with no deadlines in sight.” Mrs Socrates said she hopes to be back in Ealing soon, but only for a short while as she has plenty of work to do on her vessel, Nereida. “I can’t afford to be away from her for too long at present. I have no plans for any particular celebration on my return but it will be good to see family and friends,” she said. Despite making history on the waves, she has no plans to stop sailing, adding: “I’m planning to get the boat repaired, although that will take quite a time because there’s so much to do, and I’m looking forward to organising Nereida for plenty of relaxed cruising in warm places over the next few years.” She added she is also busy collecting donations for Marie Curie Cancer Care. You can find out more at her website www.svnereida.com.

Princess Anne launches safety boat

The Princess Royal visited Hykeham Sailability, Lincoln, to launch a new safety boat for the organisation. Hykeham Sailability “organises sailing for anybody with a disability and is part of the Royal Yachting Association. It encourages sailing at all levels from absolute beginner to those who represent their country at the Paralympics.” Princess Anne launched the new boat, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sleaford, as Patron of the Royal Yachting Association: Hyekham is part of the Association’s Sailability scheme. The boat will help provide additional safety to those disabled people who sail there and was partially funded by the Rotary Club to the tune of £6,500. Rotarian Kevin Roberts said: “This boat will enable further groups of disabled would be sailors to access and enjoy the freedom of sailing.”* The Princess Royal chatted with members of the club and cut a birthday cake in celebration of the organisation’s fifth birthday.

Sail along to club’s open day

Did the Paralympics inspire you to be more active? Or are you looking for a new outdoors activity where everyone is equal. Northampton Sailability is hosting its annual open day on Saturday, August 3, at its base at Pitsford reservoir. Everyone is welcome and you can have a go at sailing for free from 10am to 3pm. Northampton Sailability is an established RYA Sailability site providing opportunities for disabled people to learn to sail and sail regularly as part of the national Sailability programme run by the sport’s national governing body, the RYA. The club has a fleet of boats designed especially for disabled sailors, and no previous sailing experience is necessary, just bring a sense of adventure and fun. RYA Sailability is renowned for the strength of its volunteers so if you have got time to offer to enable others to get afloat then come along and find out how you could get involved. You never need to have stepped into a boat in your life. Refreshments will be available throughout the day with strawberries and Pimms and fruit punch at lunchtime. No booking is required. Northampton Sailability is a recognised RYA Training Centre, and about 200 people regularly sail with the club. For more details visit www.northamptonsailability.org.uk

Marine festival at Conwy will help establish Wales' seafaring credentials

A NEW sailing event held in North Wales will help boost Wales' reputation among sailors. The All Wales Boat Show, held between marinas at Deganwy and Conwy, will help establish Wales as one of the best places in the world for sailing, according to Steve Morgan - chief executive of the Welsh Yachting Association. The show includes a £4million line-up of world-class boats - including a luxury cruiser, the Portofino 40, used by James Bond. Mr Morgan was one several guests at the event launch, which took place this morning (Wednesday) He said: “This show provides an excellent platform to promote and celebrate the marine leisure industry and is in the perfect location to showcase the marvellous scenery and sailing waters of North Wales. “Marine leisure is a key industry for Wales and events like this add to its importance. Wales’s Deputy Skills and Technology Minister Ken Skates, who opened the show, said: “Why anyone would need to go abroad I don’t know. “Wales, and in particular this area, has some real advantages which I call the three big Cs – the cost of sailing is less, it has a coastline you would struggle to find better anywhere and the clarity of its water."

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