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BRITAIN’S MOST READ WATERFRONT NEWSPAPER JULY 2009 • VOLUME 9 • NUMBER 7

First female win was pure Turkish delight

Island race rekindles trade wind memories

Wight delights that refresh Cowes sailors

www.yachtline.co.uk Tel: 020 7403 3884 • Fax: 020 7403 3885 E-mail: yachtline@yachtline.co.uk Web: www.yachtline.co.uk

Getting into motor yachting

RNLI needs You! Shelley Jory page 12

THE RNLI needs two million sea goers to rescue the lifesaving charity which has reserves to pay for only seven months operation.

Sponsored by Helly Hansen, the new Serious Fun! campaign aims to increase regular donations from among leisure marine and watersports enthusiasts.

More than half of the 8,000-plus lifeboat launches each year are to leisure craft but support for the RNLI among this group is in decline.

While more than 53,000 boating and watersports enthusiasts are currently regular supporters and members of the RNLI, a 2008 British Marine Federation report into watersports and leisure participation among UK adults indicated that up to two million people participate in boating activities in UK coastal waters.

This suggests that as few as 2.5 per cent of those who go to sea for pleasure make regular donations to the RNLI. The charity’s financial free reserves, which guarantee the future operation of the maritime search and rescue service are at their lowest level in 13 years.

The reserves are needed to sustain RNLI operations and ensure longterm investment in its 235 lifeboat

Ellen MacArthur page 14

stations, more than 330 lifeboats and 140 beach lifeguard units around the coast.

The volatility of legacy income and the recession mean the RNLI needs regular financial support from leisure sea users.

RNLI Fundraising and Communications Director, David Brann, said: “Occasionally putting some coins in the lifeboat collection box, although welcome, simply does not provide us with the assured income needed to run the RNLI. “Last year our running costs averaged around £378,000 per day.

As a charity that relies on voluntary donations and legacies we cannot be taken for granted.

“Although the charity is grateful to its dedicated supporter base among the traditional sailing and boating fraternity, it is crucial that we build on this if we are to protect our lifesaving service around the coast.

“The Serious Fun campaign is all about encouraging regular giving, with donations starting from just £2 a month.”

At the heart of the RNLI’s new fundraising campaign is a DVD entitled ‘Serious Fun!’ which is available FREE of charge from the RNLI’s website: www.rnli.org.uk/seriousfun

In The Drink page 18

Motor yachting page 21

Photo: TH Martinez/Sea&Co/onEdition

ROUND THE ISLAND 2009: TURN TO PAGES 4 AND 5

FREE PULL-OUT: YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO COWES WEEK + BOATING BRITAIN

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | news@allatsea.co.uk

CREW AND CONTENTS The best of days Sea talk.. ................................................ 2 News...................................................... 2 Kit - the latest boating gear.........10 Consultant Editor Bob Satchwell

Ad Manager Katie Hawksworth

Sailing through the Crunch......... 11 Shelley Jory....................................... 12 Sticky’s Tips........................................ 13 Ellen MacArthur.. ............................. 14 Sébastien Josse.. .............................. 15

Group Sales Manager Jody Bratley

Managing Director Sue Baggaley

In the drink........................................ 18 Motor Yachting............................... 21 Cowes Week guide...................... I - V Boating Britain.........................VI - VII Book reviews.. ................................... 30 Private adverts................................. 36

South Coast Rep. Bill Oakley

Designer Flo Terentjev

Production Controller Anthony Gibbons Contributors Ellen MacArthur Sébastien Josse Shelley Jory Sticky Staplyton Paul Antrobus Tim Spicer Sue Pelling Published monthly by CSL Publishing Ltd Alliance House 49 Sidney Street Cambridge CB2 3HX Tel: 01223 460490 Fax: 01223 315960 Subscriptions: 01223 444081

Recycled paper made up 79% of the raw material for UK newspapers in 2009.

Classifieds....................................43-45 RNLI...................................................... 46 Weather and tides........................... 46 The views and opinions of the contributors to this publication are not necessarily those of the Publishers.

Accordingly, the Publishers disclaim any responsibility for such views and opinions. Printed in Cambridge by Cambridge Newspapers.

Copyright 2009 CSL Publishing Ltd. ISSN 1475-8237

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THERE is something unusual, pleasant, but humbling about getting a thank you email from the Island Sailing Club after the Round the Island Race.

Sure we all get smarmy messages from companies when we buy their goods or services encouraging us to go back for more. But this is different. It is those of us who join the race – and all the fun surrounding it – who should be thanking the club.

Unlike that other huge and even bigger participatory sporting event, the London Marathon, for most of us there are few aches and pains afterwards. Well, few relating to physical exertion!

The ISC, which during two rush hours processed 900 finish times, and of course the main sponsor JP Morgan Asset Management deserve huge credit. We are grateful to everyone who contributes.

They include the other Cowes clubs, the people who fire the guns at the Royal Yacht Squadron, the RNLI, Coastguards and others who watch over us.

Don’t forget the captains of ferries that have to tiptoe through the gigantic fleet and the container ships and cruise liners – although the latter should perhaps contribute to the race fund so that we can all benefit for putting on what must be a terrific spectacle for their passengers leaving Southampton.

There are countless others so easy to forget and perhaps difficult to identify but most of all I want to say a personal thanks to the crews of all the other 1,565 boats that finished. You made my day!

In fact the number of finishers from what was the fourth biggest entry list was up on 2008. And what is staggering is that with so many boats with crews of varying skill and experience in a relatively enclosed area of water there were so few incidents of injury or damage.

Thirsty work

THE Good Pub Guide has unveiled its new interactive website with one in 12 of their best pubs by the sea, river or lake. It provides a free on-the-move and up-to-the-minute guide to more than 55,000 UK pubs with full contact details at www.thegoodpubguide.co.uk.

Snap to it

A NEW photographic competition, The British Wildlife Photography Awards, has a coast and marine category which aims to highlight the vast range of sea life surrounding the British Isles. The closing date for submissions is 31 July. The competition, which is offering £14,000 worth of prizes and exposure in a national touring exhibition, is open to both amateurs and professionals. www.bwpawards.org

Wherry classy

A 100-year-old wherry, sunk in Ranworth Broad, Norfolk, in the Second World War to prevent enemy hydroplanes landing, has been raised to make way for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s new generation of 12-seater education trip boats. The 60-foot wherry was blocking a berth needed for the new electric powered boats at the Norfolk Wildlife Centre on the Broads.

Seatalk

By Bob Satchwell

That is a valuable lesson supporting the RYA’s continuing campaign about education being better than licencing. You could not replicate the island race on the roads, even in a bike race.

As the ISC says, the race continues to run true to the ethos established in 1931 of an all-encompassing event for people from all walks of life and boats of diverse age, size and design.

And on top of the fun, led by Charity Trophy winner Edward Donald of Madelaine who raised more than £18,000 for Leukaemia Research, the fleet has already collected more than £74,000 for charity The ISC asks for feedback. Here is some: more of the same please.

And, yes 19 June 2010 is firmly in my diary.

In the thick of it

Photo: OnEdition

Land ahoy

PRINCESS has signed a lease on an extra 15 acre waterfront site at South Yard, Plymouth, where it will build a new generation of large motoryachts. The deal gives Princess a total of 38 acres and the chance to offer more work in the area. The first completed craft from the new site is hoped to be a Princess 105 to be launched at the end of next year.

Jolly Polly

A THREE-man crew and an African grey parrot on board a 36-foot yacht were rescued off Blackpool by Lytham St Annes lifeboat. The yacht was returning to Preston after cruising around the Isle of Man, when it lost its rudder and was in difficulty. The volunteer lifeboat crew set up a tow to a safe mooring and nobody was hurt.

World race

THE notice of race for the double-handed round the world Barcelona World Race has been published to mark the official start of the campaign for the race’s next edition that will start on 31 December, 2010. The Barcelona World Race and the Vendée Globe, are the only two round the world races in the official IMOCA calendar for the next four years. www.barcelonaworldrace.org/en

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | www.allatsea.co.uk

British women cross ocean into history FOUR British women, the Ocean Angels, were set to become the first female crew to row across the Indian Ocean from Australia to Mauritius in early July.

In the first 3,700 miles Indian Ocean Rowing Race, the girls were to set a new world record while rainsing money for Breast Cancer Care, the charity that supports people living with breast cancer.

The foursome are Fiona Waller, 34, a photographer and cancer survivor, Sarah Duff, 25, a consumer researcher, and Elin Haf Davies a 32-year-old nurse who all rowed the Atlantic in 2007, and first timer Jo Jackson, 28, who had never set foot in a rowing boat or been to sea until signing up for this enormous challenge.

The Ocean Angels were the only female competitors in the epic race, heralded as the world’s toughest rowing race.

Only two men had rowed across the Indian Ocean unsupported. Of the ten boats that set out in April, only five were still in the race by the end of June which is testament to the gruelling conditions the rowers had to face.

The girls had to be totally self sufficient dealing with numerous

News in brief Gran’s global sail GRANDMOTHER and retired teacher, Jeanne Socrates, based at Hamble Point Marina, Hampshire, is attempting to sail solo non-stop around the world to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Jeanne, an experienced single-handed sailor will begin her 25,000 mile journey in September. Her boat ‘Nereida’, a Najad 380, has been specially adapted after her previous boat was beached 60 miles from the finish during a circumnavigation last year. www.svnereida.com

World debut

RETAILER Marina Marbella will unveil the world’s first Sea Ray 305 Sundancer at the 2009 PSP Southampton International Boat Show on 11-20 September. The 305 Sundance, developed for the European market, is Sea Ray’s first hard-top sports boat and the price will be revealed at the show.

In deep water Left to right: Fiona, Jo, Elin and Sarah

breakages, power problems, flooding, and steering issues.

They were pushed backwards at times due to extreme weather.

The girls rotated in pairs rowing for two hours and resting for two hours all day, every day.

After being at sea in their 29-foot boat for more than 65 days, with the

Photo: Debra Moeller

end in sight the Ocean Angels were dreaming of clean sheets, fresh food and hot showers.

Sarah said: “I am so excited at the thought of sleeping in a bed for longer than two hours at a time, eating food that’s not in a bag, and being able to have a shower every day, not to mention seeing all my friends

and family again.”

Elin said: “The messages we get through really keep us going when times are tough. Friends and family are fantastic but it’s also amazing to hear from complete strangers and breast cancer sufferers who we hope will benefit from what we’re doing.” www.oceanangels.co.uk

Pre Cowes practice

Photo: Marine Action

COWES Week entrants will get a chance of stealing a march on the competition in Round 4 of the Solent IRC circuit on 25 July.

Hosted by for the first time by Portsmouth Sailing Club, racing will take place in the Eastern Solent where much of the action will take place during Cowes Week.

PSC Commodore Robin Townsend said: “We’ll be running two round the cans races, using many of the marks that will probably be used during Cowes Week” Race with Condor are responsible

for race management and local boats are looking forward to taking on the competition from the Central Solent on the Portsmouth’s fleet own turf.

Entrants from Cowes and the Hamble will have the benefit of a favourable tide both ways and will face a different set of challenges in the Eastern Solent.

After racing, competitors are invited back for refreshments in PSC’s historic Clubhouse in Old Portsmouth. www.solentirc.org.uk

THE luxury hotel, Kinloch Lodge, on the Isle of Skye has sunk three deep-water moorings in the sheltered waters of the sea-loch Na Dal in the Sound of Sleat. Kinloch is the highland home of award-winning cook and food writer Lady Claire and Lord Godfrey Macdonald. The moorings are free and can take yachts or boats up to 40 feet in length or ten tonnes in weight. www.kinloch-lodge.co.uk

Rowing races SOUTHSEA Rowing Regatta will take place off Eastney Beach on Saturday 11 July. The regatta will be held in an area about 1,000 yards in length by 400 yards in width from the foreshore immediately to the East of the Inner Gate of the Submerged Barrier. A series of Red inflatable unlit marker buoys will be used to mark the extremities of the course. With 36 Rowing boats participating the Safe Swim area will not be available during the regatta.

News in brief Sail for a fiver A TOTAL of 506 children had a taste of sailing on the Olympic waters in Dorset at SailLaser’s second Sail for £5 week. SailLaser provided boats and instructors and The Chesil Trust, subsidised the event which taught the children how to set up the boat, steer and turn around. Schools interested in taking part should contact Emma Dawson on 0845 337 3214.

Out of fuel WHITSTABLE Lifeboat rescued two people from a speedboat which had run out of fuel half a mile off Seasalter Sailing Club near Whitstable Harbour in Kent.

The boat was taken under to tow to a launch ramp in the harbour.

Old salts rescued A 40-foot catamaran with two elderly sailors was rescued by the Porthdinllaen lifeboat in a sixhour operation 10 miles north of Bardsey Island. The yacht, on passage from Ireland to Fleetwood, lost both engines due to fuel contamination. The 76year-old skipper was concerned for the 84-year-old owner’s health. The yacht was towed to the safety of Porthdinllaen harbour and moored by the RNLI lifeboat crew.

Bumper cars

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | news@allatsea.co.uk

There were no records in this year’s JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race but there was plenty of action as nearly 1,800 boats battled for line honours and the coveted Gold Roman Bowl. Sue Pelling was there.

ANYONE who happened to be heading towards Bembridge as the wind shut down in the second half of the race will remember the overwhelming concertina effect it had on the fleet.

There was simply nowhere to go as hundreds of yachts of all sizes blanketed the entire eastern end of the Solent.

The harrowing, crunching sound of hulls being sandwiched together in unenviable positions was painful to listen to but it was surprising to learn from the Solent Coastguard there was very little in the way of serious damage to any of the boats.

Despite the unavoidable traffic jam at Bembridge however, the race was a huge success with 1,779 entries, making it the fourth largest entry in event’s 78-year history.

Conditions ranged from two knots to 20-plus knots, round the back of the island which made for some

extremely exciting racing particularly for the faster boats which were able to break through and extend their lead over the rest of the fleet.

Line honours went to the Extreme 40 Oman Sail Masirah skippered by Pete Cumming who took 6 hours, 39 minutes, 40 seconds to complete the 50-mile, anti-clockwise course.

No record but it was a nail-biting finish with just 29 seconds separating first and second-placed Russell Coutts helming Team Aqua.

The conditions were not ideal for Mike Slade’s canting-keeled supermaxi ICAP Leopard which finishing seventh across the line and 547th overall.

But the star of the show taking the coveted Gold Roman Bowl for first overall on corrected time was the 1978built, 25-foot Nordic Folkboat Tattarat skippered by Royal Lymington YC member Philip Williams.

Rounding the Needles

Raising funds for the Ellen MacArthur Trust

Williams and team, including his 62-year-old father Eric who had to leap out and push the boat off when they ran aground at Ryde Sands, and Rory Paton, completed the course in 10 hours and 46 minutes.

The Silver Gilt Roman Bowl for the top yacht in the ISC Rating System Division was the 20-foot Hunter Medina Tudor Rose, built in 1982 and owned by Richard and Ian Cooke from Hill Head.

Commenting on his Gold Roman Bowl win Philip Williams said: “It’s fair to say that it’s one of those events

Photo: onEdition

where you have to really get everything right the whole way round, plus you need to have a good deal of luck in your favour. And the chances of doing it again are quite remote.

“It was a mind game all the way round and we were so exhausted.

No one could have been more surprised than us when we found out we had won. We had no idea. But we feel honoured to have won such a prestigious event.”

Next year’s JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race will take place on 19 June.

Photo: onEdition

Read about Ellen’s race on page 14

at Bembridge ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | www.allatsea.co.uk

News in brief Diary date THE British Leisure Show, designed to be a showcase for a fantastic range of leisure products, sports and activities including boating and watersports, will be held at the Royal Windsor Racecourse, from 19 – 21 March next year. It is organised by the same crew that staged the Earls Court Boat Show and includes camping and caravanning, cars and bikes, explore Britain and extreme sports among its other core themes.

Royal honour PETER Methven, former President of The British Marine Federation was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for outstanding service to the marine industry. The award recognises his 40-year commitment to the marine industry.

First lady SOLO sailor, Hannah White (26) was the first woman and fourth skipper overall to cross the finish line of the 2009 OSTAR (Original Single-handed Trans Atlantic Race). She crossed the 3,000 nautical miles from Plymouth to Newport, Rhode Island, existing on minimal sleep while dealing with thick fog, stormy seas and strong winds.

Sails in the sunshine

Tons of fun with a top team

The Espada team: (from left) Louise Morton – boat owner, current women’s keelboat champion, and class winner at Cowes Week last year. Round the Island Race successes in own boat include a 4th, 5th, 7th and tenth overall; Nicky Bethwaite – Three times Olympian for Australia, sister of Julian (18-foot Skiff champion and designer of 49er) and daughter of designer Frank Bethwaite; Nicky MacGregor – highly respected dinghy sailor racing with sister Lucy; Vicky Lenz – sailed with Cordelia Eglin and won women’s match racing Europeans, and Mumm 30 Europeans as trimmer; Charlotte Lawrence – match racing helmsman, bow on Espada for five year. Photo: Sue Pelling.

I WAS fortunate enough to join Louise Morton and her all-star crew aboard the immaculately restored, 1980s-built Farr-designed Quarter Tonner Espada.

This team who are consistently atop the Quarter Tonner fleet rankings, including a win at last year’s Cowes Week, were eager to demonstrate their performance and, not surprisingly, they did not disappoint.

Not only did they win IRC Division 3c but came fourth overall on corrected time.

The standard of experience and extreme competitiveness aboard Espada was clear from the moment I stepped on the boat but the professional attitude among the crew, mixed with a strong helping of fun-spirit is what really makes their exceptional race-winning formula.

While everyone on board was quite capable of

rotating jobs, and indeed we did during nine and a half hours out on the racecourse, it was generally Morton and Nicky Bethwaite who shared the majority of the driving.

Charlotte Lawrence took the role on the bow/ navigation while Nicky Lenz and Vicky MacGregor and I shared the trim on the long spinnaker leg round the back of the island.

As we sailed back into Cowes Yacht Haven after a spectacular day’s racing Morton said: “We couldn’t have asked for better. The conditions were certainly challenging and kept us on our toes throughout the day but I have to say, there was never a dull moment and I enjoyed every minute of it.”

Morton and team headed off to Ireland the next day to compete in the Sovereign’s Cup Regatta in Kinsale, Ireland where up to 20 Quarter Tonners took part.

Photo: onEdition

News in brief Boats stolen TWO new Rinker sportsboats have been stolen from Cambrian Boats, based at Swansea Marina. The 192 sportsboats are distinctive with inboard Volvo 4.3L sterndrives, black hulls and white topsides.

They were on new SBS twin axle trailors. Their hull numbers are US-RNK91564E809 and USRNK90552J708. Contact: Robin at Cambrian Boats on 01792 467 263 or e-mail robin@cambrianboats.com

Product recall GARMIN is recalling its 2009 version of Blue Chart g2 in micro SD/SD formats and g2 Vision digital charts. The products have been sold since the beginning of April.

The data cards have been found to give inaccurate information regarding water depths off Sweden and Denmark. Garmin has decided on a global product recall in the interests of safety. www.garmin.com/bluechartrecall

Leisure lobby A NEW European organisation has been formed to represent the leisure marine industry.

The Brussels based European Leisure Marine Industries Federation merges two industry-wide nautical and marine leisure groups and provides one powerful lobby to voice issues within the European Union.

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | news@allatsea.co.uk

Tall ships in the Baltic

By Sue Pelling.

THERE was no shortage of glamour to make up for he light winds for the opening race of The Tall Ships’ Baltic series.

More than 100 vessels including 23 of the largest Class A ships in the world, were set to cross the start line in Gdynia bound for St Petersburg.

The leg – a total of 240 nautical miles leaving the Swedish island of Gotland to starboard – was expected to take up to six days to complete depending on size of ship.

The biggest contingent of entries in the series is from Poland with a total of 35, followed by Russia with 22 including the largest sail training tall ship in the world, Sedov at 122 metres.

There are also 12 from the United Kingdom including the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s Lord Nelson skippered by Captain Clare Cupples from Otley, Yorkshire.

There are also at least 12 ships competing for the first time and over half the 3,000 crew members are aged between 15-25 years.

The four-day tall ships festival in Gdynia coupled with the Heineken Open’er Festival – one of the biggest music festivals in Europe with performing artists including Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, The Prodigy and Lily Allen – attracted more than

Mir leads Pelican and Alexander von Humbholdt in 2008

one million visitors which is a huge boost to the city during this tough economic period.

The St Petersburg four-day stopover festival gave crews the

Photo courtesy of www.sailtraininginternational.org

opportunity to recover from the first leg and prepare for the next which is 240-nautical mile cruise in company through the Finnish archipelago to Turku in Finland.

The final leg of the series starts on 26 July and takes the fleet for the first time to Lithuanian city of Klaipeda.

Follow the racing on www.sailtraininginternational.org.

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | www.allatsea.co.uk

Caffari’s girls smash round Britain times AT 08:40:29 on the morning of 22 June, Dee Caffari, the British yachtswoman who made history by becoming the first woman to sail solo, non stop both ways around the world, set a new record for sailing around Britain and Ireland.

Caffari and her all female crew aboard Aviva, including fellow British yachtswoman and Vendée Globe race rival Samantha Davies, completed the course in 6 days, 11 hours, 30 minutes and 53 seconds – 17 hours and 16 minutes ahead of the previous record set in May 2004 on board Solune.

The all female crew waited for a weather window before laving Gosport on 15 June. They crossed the official start line off Ventnor on the Isle of Wight at 21:09:36, before embarking anti-clockwise on their 2,500 mile journey.

With changeable conditions throughout the record attempt, Caffari and her crew slipped either side of the required record pace on a daily basis.

A high pressure front in the English Channel saw Aviva slow significantly with 450 miles to go but, with enough distance banked under the more favourable weather conditions, Caffari and her crew were able to

Services set sail around the world

TV’s Nick Knowles will fire the gun from Southsea Castle to start the triservice round the world Excercise Trabnsglobe on July 11.

Three 67-foot steel hulled yachts named Adventure, Challenger and Discoverer crewed by Royal Navy,

maintain a sufficient lead to finish inside of the required record pace.

Caffari said: “The outright speed record was always our goal and I am ecstatic that we accomplished our aim. In sport, as in many areas of life, choosing the right team is vital to success and over the last six days, Aviva has had a strong, focussed team aboard pushing her every inch of the course.

“We have all given it 110 per cent and clear communication has played a key part in this achievement. It has very much been a team effort and having the other three girls with me has been a blast.”

Davies added: “I think I’m almost as exhausted after this trip as I was after the Vendée Globe – although that’s probably as much from the constant chatting as the sailing!”

Joining Caffari and Davies on board Aviva for the record were fellow Brits, offshore sailor Miranda Merron and boat captain Alex Sizer.

In the process of breaking the outright record, Caffari and her crew also set a record time for an all female crew. The previous record had stood at 10 days and 16 hours and was set

by Samantha Davies and her crew on board Roxy in June 2007.

Army and Royal Air Force personnel will set off at 1300 hours to undertake the adventurous sail training exercise that will circumnavigate the globe.

The first leg will head for Lanzarote to finish by the end of the month.

There are 13 legs being sailed over the course of 12 months with crew changes on most legs, allowing more than 540 men and women to experience the thrills, spills and chills of ocean sailing.

The boats are supplied by the Joint Service Adventurous Sail Training Centre in Gosport.

News in brief Ellen returns DAME Ellen MacArthur will give a lecture about her experiences at sea and her plans for the future at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, Cornwall, on 31 August. The talk, at 7pm, is part of a round Britain tour raising funds for the Ellen MacArthur Trust. This will be the first time Ellen has returned to Falmouth since her world record-breaking circumnavigation in 2005. For tickets call 01326 214546.

Centenary singing A CENTENARY concert organised by the Port of London Authority raised more than £12,000 to help fund the RNLI’s work on the River Thames. Celebrities from the world of classical music and members of the Royal Family supported the fundraising event called Celebrating London and the Sea. The concert was held in Chelsea and marked the PLA’s 100th birthday this year.

Word of warning SOCIAL websites Facebook and Twitter could be a burglar’s dream for those leaving their property, and boats unattended.

Some people are already putting too much information about their travels on Websites. By studying Facebook and Twitter postings astute thieves could find out what kind of boat you have, where it is, and when you will be leaving it or your home unattended.

Photo: Mark Lloyd Images

Swans return to Cowes COWES will again be the venue for the 2009 Swan European Regatta.

Five days of racing organised by the Royal Yacht Squadron on courses around the Solent from Saturday 11 July to Friday 17 July has attracted 40 entries from nine nations including Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the USA. The 14th edition of the Swan European Regatta will include yachts spanning the Swan range from classic to modern style models, with

racing split into two fleets according to rating and size of yacht.

The regatta is famed for attracting talented skippers with a strong knowledge in tactically challenging tidal Solent racing, and the Highland Fling trophy for ‘highest placed owner driver’ will be hotly contested on the water with predicted close racing.

Entry to the regatta is through the Royal Yacht Squadron website www.rys.org.uk

PSP links to Korea HAMPSHIRE logistics company, PSP, was one of only a handful of British companies to attend the Korea International Boat Show. The title sponsor of the PSP Southampton Boat Show was capitalising on its strong marine links with the Far East.

Logistics supplier to names such as Clipper, ISAF and Tall Ships International, PSP’s knowledge of the marine industry would stand it in good stead with the market in Korea said PSP’s marine operator, Alex Dixie.

News in brief Chairman’s honour JOHN Fletcher, former national chairman of the Inland Waterways Association for six years, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Mr Fletcher is also chairman of the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society.

Big turnout MORE than 500 boats in 25 different classes will compete in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2009 from 9-12 July. It is expected to be the biggest regatta in Ireland and the second biggest in Europe this year.

Final hurdle THE Broads Authority Bill, which will improve management and safety of the Broads, has cleared its final hurdle and now goes to the Queen for Royal Assent.

Government support and agreement with the national boating organisations were crucial to its success. The key provisions are Compulsory Third Party insurance for vessels; a licensing scheme for hired craft to include stability testing and maximum weight of passengers; comprehensive handover procedures for customers and a requirement to have lifejackets on board.

Help needed to turn tide on beach litter THE Marine Conservation Society urgently needs volunteers to take part in the UK’s biggest beach litter survey and clean-up.

They will join the Beachwatch Big Weekend taking place on 19 and 20 September.

The tide of litter washing up on our shores is unpleasant to look at and it can harm and kill marine wildlife.

More than 170 species of marine wildlife including seabirds, turtles and whales have mistaken marine litter for food resulting in starvation, poisoning and fatal stomach blockages.

Plastic packaging and discarded fishing nets also injure, entangle and drown some of Britain’s favourite marine animals, including seals and dolphins.

Surveys have recorded a 110 per cent increase in the amount of beach litter compared to 1994. The four main sources of litter come from the public, fishing, sanitary waste, particularly cotton bud sticks, and shipping.

More than 5,000 volunteers took part in Beachwatch 2008, cleaning and surveying over 370 beaches and collecting more than 385,000 pieces of litter on just one weekend.

An MCS survey recorded an average of 2,195 items of litter per kilometre on UK beaches - two items for every metre of beach surveyed.

Beachwatch results have helped influence laws on disposing of waste at sea and resulted in investment in better sewage treatment. MCS is now calling for UK governments to develop an action plan to tackle marine litter, Emma Snowden, MCS Litter Projects Co-ordinator said: “If you care about our amazing marine wildlife and are concerned about the growing tide of litter in the UK, this is your chance to make a difference.

The information you collect will help us to tackle the sources of litter and campaign to reduce the most common items ending up on our beaches and killing wildlife.” www.adoptabeach.org.uk

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | news@allatsea.co.uk

Light winds add to the challenge LIGHT airs could not dampen the competitive spirit as 14 yachts jostled for position in the Industry Sailing Challenge.

With a shortened course and two “round the cans” races, James Yearsly’s Deloitte team were crowned winners.

Starting from Portsmouth Harbour Yacht Club, Port Solent, in a matched fleet of Sunsail Sunfast 37 yachts the crews enjoyed a spinnaker start as they headed east towards Bembridge to start their clockwise double circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight.

However, the light winds and the forecast of overnight fog lead to the course being shortened after just

one round of the island.

With an overnight stop in Portsmouth, the crews took to the water again for some round the cans racing. The summer sun shone but took the wind away as the teams put in two races before heading in to Port Solent for a champagne reception.

Ben Dillistone, also of Deloitte, took second place and Ian Reed’s Pall Europe team, taking part for the first time, was third.

The winners picked up a trophy along with a prize of five days racing in the Sunsail Sunfast 37 Class at Cowes Week.

Entires are open for the 2010 Industry Sailing Challenge. 0844 463 6815 www.sunsail.co.uk/events

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | www.allatsea.co.uk

Escape stunt will thrill race crowds

A DEATH-DEFYING stunt involving a burning rope, a straitjacket and a 40-foot crane is to be the highlight of this year’s Cowes Week entertainment.

Cowes Yacht Haven, where all the action happens during the regatta, will host an illusion of giant proportions.

Isle of Wight magician, Aaron Isted, will wow the crowds on August 5 as he escapes from a straitjacket suspended from a burning rope swinging above the audience.

His feet will be shackled together and he will have to battle against the clock and keep his cool in order to escape before he falls.

Aaron, 21, from Ventnor, is a member of the Magic Circle. He started performing magic when he was six years old and has since

News in brief Charity chief PAUL Boissier has been appointed the new chief executive of the RNLI. He takes up his new post when the current CEO Andrew Freemantle retires in September after ten years at the helm. Mr Boissier retired recently from the Royal Navy.

Family fun ORGANISERS of the Beale Park Thames Boat Show are celebrating another successful year of family fun after the three-day event attracted more than 5,500 visitors - despite the rain. It is now one of the UK’s largest regional boat shows and is being renamed The Beale Park Boat Show for 2010. Next year’s dates are 4, 5 and 6 June. www.bealeparkboatshow.co.uk

attempted world records. He made a name for himself when he became the UK’s first beach magician.

Aaron said: “This is going to be one of my most spectacular stunts to date and it’s definitely going to make Cowes Week go with a bang.

“I think the hardest thing is going to be keeping my cool because it’s hard enough escaping from a straitjacket as it is, let alone when you’re upside down, 40 feet in the air with all your blood rushing to your head!”

The hair-raising stunt is just one of the activities going on at Cowes Yacht Haven during Cowes Week. There will be live music on stage every night, shopping in the various retail units set up especially for Cowes Week and entertainment as Isle of Wight Radio broadcasts live from the stage every day.

Lifeboat launch

See our special guide to Cowes and Cowes Week – special pull-out Aaron Isted with the crane / Photo: VentnorBlog

A NEW £2.7M RNLI lifeboat for Angle in Pembrokeshire, has been officially named by HRH Prince Michael of Kent.

The Tamar lifeboat, named Mark Mason, was funded from a £1.6m donation from the Grand Lodge of the Mark Master Masons, a branch of the freemasons, and by RNLI supporters in Pembrokeshire and Birmingham.

It has been involved in five rescues since it went operational in March.

In 2008, Angle’s all-weather RNLI lifeboat launched 25 times and rescued 21 people.

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | news@allatsea.co.uk

10

KIT

DRESS FOR SUMMER GILL has produced two new pieces of kit for.

First, and ideal for summer, is the Inshore-Sport Vest, which is similar to the Inshore Sport Jacket but with the styling of a body warmer.

It has a mesh lining to keep you cool and a zippered internal pocket for a wallet, phone or iPod. It has a separate exit point for headphones. The vest is available in Charcoal or Silver Grey in sizes XS - XXL for £50.

Gill has also launched a new women’s version of their popular Coast-Sport Jacket.

The new jacket is available in sky blue and graphite, while graphite is the new additional colour choice for men. The jackets cost £135.

Gill: 0115-946-0844 / www.gillmarine.com

LIGHT FOR LIFE THE new Light for Life™ UC3.400™ does not use batteries and comes with a 12V DC charging base. It is fully charged in just 90 seconds and keeps shining for the best part of 24 hours.

Its three LED bulbs are rated for 50,000 hours and never have to be replaced. It has a low operating cost, is light, robust, water resistant and maintenance free. It will be available in the autumn with prices to be confirmed.

COMBI PLOTTERS AND FISHFINDERS

SMALL IN SIZE, BIG ON FEATURES

STANDARD Horizon’s CPF180i and CPF300i are combined chartplotters and fishfinders. The five inch CPF180i has a built-in EGNOS/WAAS/ MSAS compatible 50-channel receiver with pin-point accuracy to within three metres and LCD screen that can be viewed even in direct sunlight.

The CPF180i has one NMEA input and two outputs, which allow it to be connected to a wide range of NMEA devices. It is AIS enabled (when connected to a compatible AIS engine).

The CPF180i costs £499.95 and the widescreen CPF300i £829.95.

Standard Horizon: 01962-866-667 / www.standardhorizon.co.uk

STANDARD Horizon’s GX1100E is one of the smallest fixed VHF DSC radios around and is the first fixed DSC they have produced on which ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) can be fully programmed and switched on and off via the front panel.

ATIS is an identification system used on inland waterways in many areas of mainland Europe. Your position is automatically transmitted when the distress button is used and can be entered manually if a GPS is not connected. It retails at £119.95 Standard Horizon: 01962-866-667 / www.standardhorizon.co.uk

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | www.allatsea.co.uk

11

Nanotechnology helps beat Credit Crunch

sailing through

the crunch

company

focus

REGARDLESS of budget shape or size the one thing all yachts have in common is their constant battle against attack from the exceptionally harsh marine environment.

Keeping a yacht looking its best has never been easier with the aid of smart surface nano technologies that mimic dirt repelling properties found in nature whilst incorporating sophisticated UV filter and corrosion barriers.

Corrosive effects from salt sea air, pollution, engine exhaust and the constant blanket bombardment of UV and IR radiation from the sun work hard to transform your beautiful shinning gel coat into a matt finish with a chalky look.

Unfortunately these are constantly on show to the world: sleek exterior surfaces expensive paint finishes and high gloss GRP. The burning question then is how best to minimize these harmful effects on the areas that are most exposed

and hence, most vulnerable.

It is a brave and perhaps unwise owner who neglects the upkeep of his yacht’s surfaces. Those beautiful lines neatly highlighted in liquid gloss finishes at new will not stay that way for long unless a properly thought out program of surface care is implemented – and the sooner the better.

As in much of life, prevention is dramatically cheaper and many times

Putting a shine on the topsides

better than the cure.

Enter the World of Intelligent Marine Coatings and Polishes based on Smart Surface Nanotech.

Next generation coatings are starting to emerge based on the implementation of smart nano technologies where functional materials are on the order of 1,000 times smaller than current tech coatings and are able to mimic the

way nature looks after itself.

High-performance biomimetic surface coatings based on smart surface technologies already achieve measurable results for gloss and colour stability far beyond those in the established marine care industry, whilst adding valuable functionality such as lotus leaf-effect, stain-resistant easy cleaning surfaces and, most importantly, extremely strong UV and IR filters that stop the harmful effect of the sun damaging your gel coat Such polishes are a reality today using nano-composites that are around 1,000 times finer than traditional abrasive particles to build a nanoscopic polish formulation.

These polishes are able to produce microfine surfaces, completely free of the micro scratches, swirls or holograms normally associated with machine polish finishes.

The tiny nanoscopic structure effectively employs a rounded action rather than cutting through

the surface defects such as scratches and do not go back to a deeper, fresh layer, as with use of coarser abrasives found in conventional polishes and cleaners.

Nanoscopic polishes do not require all the heavy solvents, waxes and oils that are normally found in abrasive polishes/compounds and are water based, much lower in harmful volatile compounds and much more environmental and people friendly.

Nanotech Marine will soon be releasing two new exciting Nano products the first being a Nano active engine oil additive that can reduce fuel consumption by up to 15 per cent and the second an antifouling additive designed to extend the working life of any antifouling.

Nanotech Marine Tel: 02380 458888 info@nanotechmarine.com www.nanotechmarine.com

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | news@allatsea.co.uk

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First female win was pure Turkish delight Shelley Jory British Powerboat Champion www.shelleyjory.com

I AM delighted to have made history in P1 power boating!

My race partner Audrienne Ciantar and I have our first Supersport Grand Prix of the World Championships under our belt.

Taking the gold in the Turkish Grand Prix meant that Audrienne and I have become the first all female team to win a grand prix in Powerboat P1.

To be the first all lady team in any sport is pretty special but to make history is a completely different sensation. It’s wonderful to prove that we can actually go out there and regularly compete with the boys. Everyone including our male competitors was so supportive and congratulated us on a deserved victory.

The race week-end was not without incident though. Racing in our Chaudron 41 #44 IKO CASA we enjoyed a great first race on the Saturday to take second place on the water. First place went to our team boss, Angelo Tedeschi, racing with Audrienne’s brother, Aran Ciantar in #43 Seagull Chaudron however the long arm of power boat racing rules caught up with them and found them guilty of speeding.

That was exactly what caught out Audrienne and me in the Maltese Grand Prix. Their loss was our gain and we moved into first place.

Racing on the Bosphorus in Istanbul was spectacular. Although the strong currents played a big part in controlling the speed, the water was generally flat which is not ideal for our Chaudron powerboat but it was good for our second grand prix

Photo: onEdition

together as a team.

We are still on a steep learning curve, but every race is feeling more like home. Audrienne and I share the same passion - determination and ambition for powerboat racing. The team is a success and working well, which is always a worry when you set up

a new partnership. Powerboat racing is more of a team effort than any other sport I know.

Sunday’s endurance race was fast, furious and long. We held our line on the start and came out of the first corner in third place. Two corners later we moved into second place

battling with #38 Team Bahia. #26 SW1 Capital were long gone in first place. We were once again penalised for over speeding in the race, largely as a result of our total concentration on trimming the boat for ultimate performance and taking ours eyes off the speedo for ten seconds.

But we have learnt a good lesson.

The penalty meant a disappointing drop to fourth place but there was enough in the bag from the Sprint race to take our historic win.

The pressure is now on for our next race in San Benedetto, Italy on 3 to 5 July.

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | www.allatsea.co.uk

13

Delivery woes up the mast and down below Sticky’s tips

By Sticky Stapylton

WELL, my seven-week delivery of a Beneteau 321 to Split in Croatia was not without incident.

The headsail halyard parted just after passing through the Raz du Sein and we made for the nearest port on the south coast of Brittany, Loctudy.

My first instinct was to get up the mast and look at the fitting of the forestay and the roller furling mechanism.

It was quite obvious that the forestay had been put under some strain, the individual strands of wire were distorted and the masthead fittings had not been serviced for some time.

We must have had a bit of halyard wrap round the forestay which had put the stay under pressure. The most likely cause of this was a lack of preventative maintenance.

Inevitably it was a French holiday and the boatyard were completely tied up with fitting out and putting boats into the water and the yard manager said he could not help us for at least a week.

When I explained to him that the crew and I would remove the forestay, dissemble the foil and gear and provide him with a naked stay, he was very helpful and arranged for the old stay to be picked up and taken to the nearest rigger in Benodet.

The plan was for me to go over by taxi a couple of hours later and pick up the replacement. This I did and it took us about five hours to get the whole thing assembled, the stay refitted and the rigging tuned, all in atrocious weather.

It was an interesting experience

going up the mast of a lightweight boat with a gusting wind. Instead of being delayed by a week-plus, we had everything sorted in 36 hours or so.

It was not until we had to enter a port for the first time that I discovered that there were no binoculars on board. This, to my mind, is a serious omission from a boat’s inventory, and you could argue that it was my fault for not actually checking that there was a pair on board.

I had given the owner a list of essential kit needed for a 3,000 mile delivery and had assumed that he would ensure such items were available.

Lesson: never take anything for granted. We needed, and used the binoculars I bought in Loctudy for nearly every single pilotage plan to get us into port on the six further legs of the passage.

During the second leg from La Coruna to Gibraltar, we set off on a lovely sunny day with sufficient wind to make four knots or so and had progressed as far as Cabo Villano some 20 miles north of Cabo Finisterre.

We had locked the propeller by engaging astern gear and we suddenly heard a knocking noise against the hull as though something had caught either round

the propeller or rudder.

We were in the area of the warm sector of a depression, and the cold front appeared to be approaching with not a few cumulonimbus clouds under which there would probably be some serious down draughts.

So what to do?

The water temperature was 13° C but I was not too happy continuing with the threat of a wire strop round the propeller.

I carry a dry suit on such deliveries, it takes a couple of minutes to get on, and I keep it in case we have an unconscious man overboard, because I am not convinced that in smallish yachts one would be able to retrieve a casualty who was unable to help himself.

So on with the dry suit and down the stern ladder. We had rigged a warp under the yacht down which I hauled myself and after a couple of dives came up with what was wrapped round the propeller (see photo).

I suspect that if we had started motoring there would have been a good chance that the propeller would have cut through the line but who could be sure that the line was not something stronger?

Ageing GPS

HAVE you been reading about the possible adverse affects of the ageing of satellites to the GPS system?

We may experience inaccurate positioning and other false data from gizmos on which a lot of sailors have become so dependent. Apparently next year we are likely to experience these inaccuracies.

So, to remind those of you who have forgotten the procedures for taking a fix, here they are: a. Select objects (consult chart) and write down details in navigation notebook.

b. Objects should be: • Charted and visible.

• Suitably placed to give a good cut between 30° and 150° apart.

• Near to avoid errors in identification.

• Not on the same circle as the vessel? If so discard. c. Take bow and quarter bearings first, beam last. d. Note time the bearings were

taken, depth sounding, course steered and log reading. Convert bearings to true and plot on chart.

Relate to dead reckoning/estimated position, or sounding.

NB: A fix is where you were. Run an estimated position forward and remember the shoot up procedure - if you are not aware of this drill, email me and I will explain. instructor@sail-help.co.uk

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | news@allatsea.co.uk

14

Island race rekindles trade wind memories Ellen MacArthur IT WAS wonderful to race our beautiful BT 60 in the Round the Island Race.

I never cease to be amazed by the sheer numbers of boats which are out there on the water for the race, not to mention the sheer numbers of people!

It was a lovely surprise to bump into Francis Joyon at the Island Sailing Club and we managed to have a really great catch up about life, sailing and projects in general.

Francis was back again to sail in a race which he loves. I have so much respect for him, and it’s always lovely to have the time to speak.

The last time I saw him was at the finish of his Round The World record attempt during which he blew my previous record out of the water.

I shall never forget the look in his eyes at that time, the sheer fatigue, and the feeling I had inside of knowing just how hard it was for him, and just how much he had pushed himself. He is a very strong, gentle and courageous man.

The Island race itself was great for us and of course as always it had its ups and downs.

We had the exciting beat down the Solent to Needles and then the lovely spinnaker run along the South of the island.

I love to see the whole coastline of the island, and I think its good sometimes to remind yourself of just what a beautiful place it is that you live. We are all so lucky to be based there, and the race gives you the ‘distance’ from it to remind you of that.

We had a shocking hour after St Catherine’s when the wind absolutely died, and Artemis caught up with us and overtook us, as did Liara which

had taken an offshore option.

It was fantastic to feel BT’s bows slide down the waves which had built up at St Cats, and the gentle smack of her bow as it landed on the face of the wave reminded me of many a happy hour sailing Kingfisher in the Tradewinds of the Atlantic.

In fact there was one particular memory of the Route du Rhum I remember sailing along at 20 knots under a moonlit sky. Hand steering all night in shorts and a t-shirt in the warm evening air and loving every minute of it.

On another note, the Ellen MacArthur Trust Round Britain is going really well. The young people are having a ball which is the number one goal. The team are fantastic and my talks round the country are going well. Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Liverpool, Cardiff, Falmouth, Torquay and Cowes remain so if you haven’t been along to one yet – please, support the trust by buying a ticket on www. roundbritain.org . If you are able, buy a mile!

Powering through Hurst

Photo: OnEdition

Precious gift from Poole

Ellen on board Moonspray with from left: Frank Fletcher (EMT), Ellen, Frank Hackforth (PSTT), Jo Summers (EMT), Tracy Curtis (EMT) and Steve (PSTT)

WE spent a lovely Sunday when the 44-foot Gibsea Moonspray was donated to Ellen MacArthur Trust together with a cheque for £13,000 from the Poole Sail Training Trust.

Moonspray has been used by the Poole Sail Training Trust since 1998 giving young adults, from all backgrounds the experience of sailing. But after ten successful years, they decided she should have a new

home and very kindly thought of the EMT. Talk about a special day, we are totally over the moon, (ha ha!) and it’s going to make a big difference to our capabilities as a charity to have her.

We have nicknamed her ‘A donf!’ - French for “Go for it” and she will be used for our four day sailing trips this summer.

Thank so much Poole Sail Training Trust!

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | www.allatsea.co.uk

Volunteers flock to join in the great British sailing summer Sébastien Josse I AM glad to report that my association with Jean-François “Jeff” Cuzon works as well as BT is fast on the water!

Jean-François, to whom I introduced All At Sea readers in my last column, will be my co- skipper for the Transat Jacques Vabre and it’s important for us to get as many miles under our belts together as we can this summer.

You might remember also that last month I wrote about the Transmanche that would take us across the Channel, around the Plymouth breakwater and back to Brittany. Well, I’m pleased to announce that we ended up winning that 220-mile event, shattering the course record in the process.

All is good for us at the moment, and we also won the classic Round-the-Island race in the IMOCA category but I will leave it to Ellen to give you a complete account of that fantastic event.

From my perspective, it was yet again a pleasure to be back in the Solent. Cowes was drenched in glorious sunshine and the whole crew loved it. To say that I never have trouble getting volunteers to join me for the summer British events would be an understatement!

Having a very “One-Design” or IRC-focused racing culture in France, we are always amazed by the incredible variety of boats taking part in the Round the Island race or Cowes Week.

It’s absolutely crazy to see such a fleet on the water. Having seasoned pros and big boats like Leopard or IDEC racing against families and old wooden boats is a unique experience and I enjoyed it from the first minute to the end.

It was a lengthy one due to the light airs.

It took us more than eight hours to complete the course. Bear in mind that the last time we sailed around the Isle of Wight, during the 2008 Artemis Challenge we spent only four hours and

a handful of minutes on the water.

We rushed back home to carry on with our training but will be back very soon in the Solent for Cowes Week. Meanwhile, we have plenty to keep us busy and our work with the Artemis Ocean Racing team, now under the management of the Offshore Challenges, proves very interesting.

As I have already mentioned here, sailing on different boats is a good way to keep your instincts alert and the two-boat testing we did earlier this month with Artemis Ocean Racing II in Brittany lead to some interesting conclusions.

Confronting our different visions and measuring the boat’s potential on the water now allows the Artemis team to carry out a very well planned summer refit and I’m confident their IMOCA 60 will come back on the racing scene with a notably increased level of performance.

For us, it was interesting to be able to have hands-on experience of some innovative solutions adopted on Artemis Ocean Racing II as well.

It’s also great to see Jonny Malbon enter the Figaro Class under the Artemis banner and having raced on that circuit for many years hopefully I can give him valuable advice and tips.

Jonny is spending time with us, working hard and enjoying his new challenge. It’s quite brave on his part, because the Figaro One-Design scene is awash with guys who have spent countless hours, weeks and months practising their manoeuvres.

Some of them have been in the class for more than ten consecutive seasons, training collectively every winter.

And talk about a line-up for this year’s Solitaire du Figaro: Michel Desjoyeaux, Yann Eliès, Jérémie Beyou or Armel Le Cléac’h to name but a few! Past winners and a Vendée Globe winner, what other class could boast such a turnout with 55 guys on the line?

I’m almost jealous. I wouldn’t mind having another go at it after having finished second in my last participation in 2001.

Time sure flies when you’re having fun!

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ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | news@allatsea.co.uk

16

Dip into Thanet for a slice of onthe-water action

Photo: visitthanet.co.uk

THE business wannabees facing Sir Alan Sugar’s challenges in the BBC’s Apprentice series could not quite do it, but the local council has.

Thanet District council has rebranded Margate as the in-place to be for anyone with a passion for action on the water.

The message is that in Margate and nearby seaside resorts it is almost impossible not to be tempted by the sea and the range of watersports on offer.

So the council says throw caution to the wind and get active in Margate, Broadstairs or Ramsgate.

The area boasts beautiful beaches with seven Blue Flag awards and four Quality Coast awards. It is close to London and there is an abundance of watersport – sailing, scuba diving, windsurfing, kitesurfing, jet skiing, water skiing or surfing.

Thanet’s association with sailing

goes back centuries and it is home to the country’s only royal harbour at Ramsgate. Ramsgate’s Royal Temple Yacht Club provides both the theory and the practical tuition. Ramsgate’s thriving waterfront includes an awardwinning 700-berth Marina, Beginners at Kent Scuba start off with a poolside safety lesson and pool dives and then graduate to the waters at Margate. And once you are in at the deep end there is plenty to see including crabs and crayfish, lobsters, sea anemones and a lot more.

You don’t need to be an exceptional athlete to enjoy windsurfing and it is suitable for the young and not so young, no matter what level of ability.

Boards for beginners are extremely light (12kg) and can be handled and launched without having to take a body-building course!

Kitesurfing is a new watersport. In 1998 there were probably only a couple

of dozen kitesurfers in the world. Now the number is around 200,000. Its simplicity makes it challenging. Your body is the only connection between the kite and the board so you have to pilot the kite and steer the board on the water at the same time.

Joining the jet set will give you plenty of thrills as you speed across the water.

A mix of water skiing and speedboat driving, with jet skis or more correctly personal watercraft, you stand so the sport is all about mastering the art of weight distribution.

Water skiing, invented in Lake City, Minnesota in 1922, is fun and challenging and the perfect activity for sheltered bays as the expanse of water must be wave-free.

Surfing is the fastest growing sport in the world - and Thanet has a great surfing heritage as the region is unique in offering beaches that face north east and south and therefore

pick up North Sea swells as well as Channel waves.

Surfers have been riding the waves at Joss Bay for more than 30 years and this classic surf spot is suitable for all levels of surfer.

Joss Bay Surf School provides courses for beginners – either on a one-to-one basis or group lessons led by a British Surfing Association instructor. Refresher courses are also available.

There are also surfing facilities for disabled people with bigger and more buoyant boards to give confidence on the water.

If you want to take it easy you can let someone else do the hard work by taking a boat trip.

And the best thing you can do to stay safe in and around the water is to know how to swim. Always wear a buoyancy aid and in summer wraparound sunglasses as the glare

factor is much stronger on the sea than on land.

Make sure you have all the necessary equipment and accessories, observe regulations and byelaws and be considerate to other water users.

Margate Broadstairs Ramsgate

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | www.allatsea.co.uk

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Where to find the action Sailing

Ramsgate (sailing – yachts and larger boats); Minnis Bay, Margate and Viking Bay, Broadstairs (dinghy sailing) Royal Temple Yacht Club on 01843 591766 Broadstairs Sailing Club on 01843 861373 Margate Yacht Club (dinghy and cruiser sailing) on 01843 292602 Minnis Bay Sailing Club on 01843 841588 Ramsgate Week – August 10-15, Ramsgate Royal Harbour.

Call 01843 591766 or go to www.ramsgateweek.com

Boat trips

Horizon Sea Safaris – 07931 744788; www.horizonseasafaris.co.uk Galleon Cruises – 07740 071015; www.galleoncruises.com Capital Coast Sailing – 01843 865057; www.visitthanet.co.uk

Windsurfing

Minnis Bay Windsurfing Club on 01843 833042

Kitesurfing Ramsgate Harbour

Photo: visitthanet.co.uk

Minnis Bay, Birchington – a kitesurfing hot spot; Westbrook Bay, Margate and Ramsgate Sands.

All Good Fun on 0870 3003 213

Jet skiing

Palm Bay (selected areas), Margate Jet Ski World at Palm Bay on 01843 231703

Water skiing

Foreness Water Ski Club in Margate, launched in 1967. www.waterskiclub.co.uk Westbrook Bay and Walpole Bay, Margate

Surfing

Joss Bay Surf School, Broadstairs, 07812 991195

Scuba diving

Kent Scuba, based in Margate, offers a Discover Scuba lesson costing £25 for one hour. The minimum age is 10.

The company also does a free Try Dive session. Call 01843 297430 or go to www.kentscuba.com Kitesurfing Ramsgate Week Yachts

Photo: visitthanet.co.uk

Photo: visitthanet.co.uk

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | news@allatsea.co.uk

18

Wight delights to refresh Cowes sailors In the drink

By Paul Antrobus

COWES beckons this month and next with a nearly continuous programmes of regattas.

The Quarter Ton Cup run by the Royal Corinthian, July 15-18, goes from strength to strength. Then comes Cowes Classics Week, July 1926, Cowes Week, August 1-8, and the start of the Fastnet Race on August 9.

All give sailors and spectators plenty to get excited about and bring welcome visitors to the Isle of Wight.

Lots of refreshment is needed so there is perfect chance to make a direct contribution to Island industry.

Goddards Brewery in Ryde epitomises the spirit of Island enterprise and excellent produce.

You will find their award-winning ales on draught in favourite Cowes pubs and clubs from the Duke of York to the Royal Corinthian and in bottles at the supermarkets.

Their Fuggle-dee-dum, fuggle being a traditional English-style aroma hop, is an intensely flavoured malty, hoppy 4.8 per cent strong, real and very local ale and excellent drinking.

Goddards Ale of Wight is a terrific 3.7 per cent session beer, was originally brewed for summer but is now an all-year-round offer due to popular demand. An aromatic pale beer, it is available on draught and from local supermarkets for well under £2 for a 50cl bottle.

Ale of Wight also champions a retro fight back against the ubiquity of wine as the only thing to go with a meal.

A pint with a pie or ploughman’s platter used to be a very English combination. Now Goddards exhort us: “Next time you instinctively reach for a wine bottle to go with lunch or dinner, why not have some fun and try Ale of Wight with Mediterranean food, pastas and dishes with olive oil? Citrusy aromatics and balanced hoppiness moderate and compliment the dishes where oil and herbs are main ingredients.”

Wight Vodka is not actually made on the Island but since its launch the London-based family distillery behind it, called 50 Degrees North, has focused its marketing on the Island and supporting the sailing fraternity.

As you know, 50 Degrees North is the latitude of the Isle of Wight.

The company’s latest contribution is to take on sponsorship of the racing mark at N50.48.63, W01.16.65, which my last year’s chart lists as yellow racing mark number 11 for white group yachts, just NNE of Calshot.

Previously called Brittania Events, it is now Wight Vodka.

The vodka is smooth and flavoursome, the result of seven times distilling in small batches and imported award-winning Polish (the best) potato spirit.

The brand owners have put their money where our boats are so, whenever you sail around Wight Vodka, reward yourself and try one ashore. Usually available at the Pier View pub and other Cowes crew bars.

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | www.allatsea.co.uk

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ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | news@allatsea.co.uk

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | www.allatsea.co.uk

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Getting into motor yachting It’s easier and less expensive than you imagine Morphing from landlubber to competent motor yacht owner and skipper can be a quicker and easier than you think. Rupert Holmes explains.

HAVE you ever coveted the lifestyle of people you see heading out to sea on their motor yachts, leading a glamorous lifestyle away from the bustle of everyday life, yet thought it unattainable?

Owning and skippering a motor yacht is more achievable than most people imagine – only a modest amount of training is needed to get started and good secondhand boats can be found at very appealing prices.

After less than two weeks training you could be spending your leisure time in glitzy marinas with buzzing harbour-side nightlife or exploring tranquil creeks and estuaries with only sea birds for company.

In good weather sandy beaches make a great lunchtime stop and from the south coast France is less than three hours away, door to door.

What better way to spend your hardwon leisure time?

Motor yachting encompasses a huge range of boats, from modest craft worth no more than a decent secondhand car to the latest and biggest yachts that are worth millions.

What they all have in common is accommodation that enables their crew to sleep aboard, whether for a weekend, a fortnight’s holiday or in some cases a full-time cruising lifestyle.

Although most motor yachting takes place around the UK’s coasts there are thousands of sea-going craft on inland waterways, particularly major rivers such as the Thames, Severn and Trent.

“Traditionally people have thought that owning a boat is very expensive but for older secondhand craft the

initial capital outlay is relatively small,” says Neil Chapman, a founder of yacht brokerage network Boatshed.com.

“A secondhand boat represents extremely good value for money.

Unlike a house or a car, the nature of boats means they tend to have had lots of time and care lavished on them.

“There are large numbers of boats that were built in the 1970s and 1980s that are now extremely good value.

They’re mostly British-built boats that were made to a high standard, so they’re robust vessels that will look after you well.”

Most owners find that annual maintenance, mooring and insurance costs are around ten to 20 per cent of the capital value of the boat, providing it is not kept in one of the top South Coast marinas.

Continues on next page.

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Get the right skills SADLY many committed people get discouraged from this wonderful pastime through bad experiences that can arise out of not having enough of the right kind of training before buying their first boat or upgrading their skills when they start making more adventurous voyages.

Manoeuvring a motor yacht in a confined space can be a challenging and stressful experience, especially in strong crosswinds but skippers with adequate training will find the experience more relaxing and more fun. And if you are relaxed and having fun, your crew will follow your lead.

Training in the UK is co-ordinated by the Royal Yachting Association

which has a comprehensive scheme that covers everything needed for skippers and crew of motor yachts, right up to qualifications recognised by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for professional skippers.

Courses are delivered by hundreds of independent sea schools in the UK and abroad.

The two introductory courses are the Helmsman and Day Skipper certificates. The former provides two days of brief familiarisation with basic boat handling and safety considerations, while the Day Skipper has two elements – five days of theory and four of practical training. The programme teaches pilotage, navigation seamanship and boat handling to the level needed to skipper a motor cruiser by day in fine weather and familiar waters.

Although not formally part of the Motor Cruising Scheme, structured experience in a smaller powerboat can help enormously when it comes to handling a larger vessel.

It is therefore worth considering taking the two-day RYA Powerboat Level 2 course. This will provide an excellent introduction to the fundamentals of boating.

The Helmsman’s certificate and both practical and theory elements of the Day Skipper can be taken in a single nine-day programme at UKSA in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, making this an excellent choice for busy people.

The organisation is one of the

country’s largest provider of RYA courses, and practical elements of the training take place on a 38-foot Fairline Phantom motor yacht, fitted with twin 370hp diesel engines.

The huge variety of motor yachts available means that when you buy your first boat it may be very different to the one on which you trained. But while you are learning to handle it you also have to instruct your crew in the basics of crew work.

That is a tall order for a new skipper, so it makes sense to book an instructor to come aboard your boat for the first two or three days out.

Tying knots is one of the most important skills for the crew of a motor yacht, so make sure your crew get a head start by taking the free online Knotmaster course at www.uksa.org/knots.

Think safety on the water DESPITE the potentially hostile environment in which it takes place, motor yachting has an enviable safety record but it is vital to have knowledge of basic safety equipment and procedures.

In addition, the skipper must take his/her responsibilities to others on board seriously. Lifejackets are obviously a must for everyone on board, as are two ways of attracting help. The best means for this are a VHF ship-shore radio and distress flares.

If venturing further offshore, a life raft and emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) are also worthwhile investments. A

number of one-day RYA courses go into more depth in the use of safety and emergency equipment than is possible during the Day Skipper.

These include Short Range, VHF, Radio Operation, Sea Survival, First Aid at Sea, Diesel Engine Maintenance and Radar operation.

Even if your own boat is very modest, a minimum of third party insurance is vital. If you are held responsible for an accident you could be liable to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation.

Among many other benefits, members of the RYA get a useful discount on marine insurance with Bishop Skinner.

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Becoming an expert THOSE who really get hooked on motor cruising will eventually find they want to attempt more adventurous voyages, whether crossing the English Channel for a holiday in France, navigating at night, or just acquiring the skills that enable them to put to sea in stronger winds.

After Day Skipper, the RYA scheme includes Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster qualifications.

The former covers the skills needed to be a safe skipper on coastal and offshore passages by day and night. It also includes more advanced boat handling and manoeuvring techniques.

The Yachtmaster Offshore requires a great deal more experience, and qualifies the holder to skipper a vessel on long passages that take it up to 150 miles from the nearest port.

Gaining the skills needed to be an expert skipper is not only about

doing the right training courses – it is a constantly evolving process in which you can learn from all experiences, whether good and bad.

A good skipper is someone who looks at a trip just completed and asks: “How could I have done that better?”

Sometimes boat handling or seamanship will come under the spotlight but on other occasions the answer could be something that would have made the voyage more fun for yourself and others on board.

At the top end of the scale are those who seek a professional career on motor yachts. This has been a rapidly-growing employment sector for many years, with well qualified, reliable and hard-working crew remaining hard to find.

As a result, rates of pay are generally excellent with positions almost universally all-found, so day-to-day living expenses are minimal and most

23 crew are able to save a substantial proportion of their salaries.

Outsiders tend to imagine this kind of work requires a lifetime of experience but that’s simply not the case, although surprisingly few organisations offer motor cruising training that leads to qualifications with commercial endorsements.

However, UKSA’s Commercial Motor Yacht Training programme will take a newly-qualified Day Skipper up to the RYA/MCA Coastal Skipper qualification with commercial endorsement in just six weeks. With this qualification you will be qualified to work as skipper or crew on commercially operated motor yachts of up to 24-metres.

The practical time afloat has a strong emphasis on boat handling, close-quarters manoeuvring skills and improving command skills. In addition, participants build an indepth understanding of advanced navigation and radar systems.

First Aid and Personal Safety qualifications are included as an integral part of the programme, while optional bolt-on modules, which lead to qualifications for working on motor yachts of over 24metres in length, include MCA fire fighting and Personal Safety and Social Responsibility. In addition, the MCA Approved Engine Certificate is a four-day course that goes into much greater depth than in the one-day RYA course.

More information on a wide range of careers in the yachting industry can be found at http://careerarticles.uksa.org.

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YOUR GUIDE TO COWES WEEK

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO

COWES WEEK

EE gu pu id ll e ! ou t

INCLUDING BOATING BRITAIN A GUIDE TO COWES

FR

Photo: Rick Tomlinson

1 – 8 August

WHAT’S ON WHERE • INFO FOR RACERS • MAP OF COWES

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YOUR GUIDE TO COWES WEEK

WITH hordes of spectators gathered eagerly on the shore and boats angling for a position on the start line - the canons sound, the sails fill and they are off!

There is nothing quite like the excitement of Cowes Week. With up to 40 races every day and more than 1,000 boats participating, it is the largest and most prestigious sailing regatta in the world. Cowes is an idyllic location on the northern-most point of the Isle of Wight - closest to the mainland.

With a sunny temperament and good wind, it is considered by many to be the sailing capital of Great Britain. Whether visiting to compete in one of the many races, to watch the action, or to try sailing for the first time – Cowes has plenty to offer everyone. Tim Spicer reports.

FORMIDABLE3, Class Zero IRC

GUIDE FOR SPECTATORS MORE than 100,000 people visit Cowes each year to watch some of the most competitive sailing in the world. And thanks to the lay out of the event, spectators can see a great deal of the racing from the shore.

The Green and the Parade are particularly good places from which to watch the action.

And if watching the starts appeals, then one of the best locations is between the Castle of the Royal Yacht Squadron and the cannons – but mind your ears!

One of the racing highlights of Cowes Week is the Artemis Challenge, held on Wednesday 5 August, where IMOCA 60s will be competing in a high speed, 50-mile race around the island. Top class skippers will put there all into this competition to try and win the £10,000 prize money that is up for grabs, to donate to a charity of their choice.

On the social side, Cowes Week boasts a unique festival atmosphere that is full of parties, live music and street theatre. This year there will be plenty of the smokey single malt Talisker whisky to whet your whistle. Or if whisky’s not your tipple, how about supping Mumm champagne in the sunshine? It is estimated that more than 50,000 glasses of Mumm are glugged every year at Cowes Week!

When you are feeling peckish, take an amble through the charming streets and explore some of the town’s pubs and restaurants. From

traditional English food in honest pubs like the Travellers Joy, to Italian food in Tonino’s restaurant, or Mediterranean-style seaside dining in The Red Duster.

And if you enjoy spotting celebrities then you might be in luck during Cowes Week.

Previous years have seen Bear Grylls, Jodie Kidd and Davina McCall. Also keep your eyes peeled for David Coulthard, James Cracknell, Ben Fogle and sailors Dame Ellen MacArthur, Dee Caffari, Shirley Robertson and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

Starts

Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Alex Thomson, Andrew & Davina McCall / Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Photo: Rick Tomlinson

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YOUR GUIDE TO COWES WEEK

COMPETING THE sheltered waters and unusual tidal conditions of the Solent make for some interesting and challenging racing.

With 8,500 competitors, from Olympic and world-class professionals to weekend sailors, racing at Cowes Week is open to all.

Entries for Cowes Week can now be completed online at cowesweek.co.uk. Those who are unable to access a computer can call the entries office on 01983 242 049, where details can be taken over the phone. Standard entry (including fees received) is open until 17:00 on Sunday 26 July. Late entry (including fees received) is open until 18:00 on Thursday 30 July.

Arriving at Cowes, you will need to register at the start of the week at the Regatta Office on 18 Bath Road, behind the Bandstand on Cowes Parade (01983-295744) . This also acts as the central hub of information for all racing related queries.

Classes go from Class Zero IRCs to XODs. Simply visit the website to enter your category and boat name.

Race courses are designed each day taking into account the weather forecast, tidal streams, and speed of each class of boat.

Sailing instructions for Cowes Week are generally more complex than other regattas, so carefully reading is essential, for you and anyone on board your vessel.

Another great source of information for competitors is Cowes Radio (87.7FM), which provides commentary and full information on races. Cowes Radio is also broadcast on the PA system along the Green and Cowes Parade.

HAVE A GO

WAIMANU, Class 6 IRC, Sunsail 03, Sunsail 37

IF you have never tried racing, Cowes Week provides the perfect opportunity. Cowes Sailing School is running ‘Try Racing’, or you can ‘Rock up and Race’ with Ondeck or charter a boat from Sunsail which has its own class. Or once the 1,000 boat fleet has finished

for the day, head to ‘Come Racing’ with Laser Performance and Pelican Racing.

For £10, you have the chance to race against nine other Laser SB3s, with proceeds going to the RNLI as the official charity of Cowes Week.

Extreme 40, Jodie Kidd, Bear Grylls, Neil Laughton, Tom Avery

Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Either book your place in advance or call on the day. All you will need to bring with you is a pair of soft-soled shoes. Other essentials including spray tops and buoyancy aids will be provided.

To book your place, call 01983 201581.

Photo: OnEdition

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YOUR GUIDE TO COWES WEEK

WHAT’S ON WHERE Royal Yacht Squadron Racing starts take place every five minutes from 10:00am onwards. The start line is split into two - Black Group classes (larger yachts), which begin on the outer segment of the line, and the White Group classes (smaller day boats). The race control centre is within the battlements of the Royal Yacht Squadron where the race officers set the courses and manage the racing.

Mind your ears!

Regatta Centre

The Royal Yacht Squadron Photo: TH Martinez/Sea&Co/onEdition

The Regatta House is the central hub of activity for competitors. This is where you register at the start of the event, where declarations are made at the end of each day’s racing. It is also the protest suite, general information centre for results, weather, courses and general enquiries. It is also where you can buy spectator guides.

Cowes Parade

Cowes Parade provides a unique vantage point of the racing start lines, as well as street entertainment, live music, the Sail for Gold bar and BBQ, and a showcase of island produce. For a full calendar of entertainment throughout the week visit www.cowesweek.co.uk.

Cowes Yacht Haven

Cowes Yacht Haven welcomes everybody – from professional sailors, to visitors and spectators. It houses the Champagne G.H. Mumm bar on the water’s edge, a beer tent that can serve up to 12,000 people a day, entertainment on the main stage, a food court, and retail units selling everything you might need for the event. In addition, there will be entertainment on the main stage daily from 15:00 until 23:45.

Shephards Wharf

A popular spot with crews, Shephards Wharf usually has plenty of entertainment including a large Crew Bar open from 11:00 until 02:00, an exclusive Pier Bar, and event TV screens and online declaration kiosks. Plus crew breakfasts and food throughout the day, bands every night, and Infernos Nightclub, open from 21:00 until 02:00 every night.

Cowes Yacht Haven

Photo: Rick Tomlinson

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YOUR GUIDE TO COWES WEEK

MOORING BERTHS are always in high demand during Cowes Week so if you do wish to moor your vessel you must get it sorted in advance.

If you are entering a one-design class it is worth contacting your class secretary because berthing is arranged on a class fleet basis in many instances.

Details of berthing options in Cowes are as follows:

Cowes Yacht Haven  Vectis Yard, High Street, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7BD Centrally-located Cowes Yacht Haven is a main party venue. Those berthed here during the event will receive one passes to the ticketed part of the site because the main stage and beer tent require tickets after 6pm each evening. Unfortunately, due to popular demand, berths at Cowes Yacht Haven have now sold out.

Shepards Wharf Marina  Medina Road, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7HT Shepards Wharf Marina has undergone major re-development and is now a vibrant venue and home to a crew bar, restaurant, trading village and Infernos nightclub. The 8-night rate (minimum bookable) from 31 July to 7 August inclusive is £56 per metre NOTE: Berthing here does NOT grant free tickets to Cowes Yacht Haven.

East Cowes Marina  Britannia Way, East Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO32 6UB Quieter berthing - the redeveloped marina in East Cowes offers a free river bus up the River Medina for competitors wanting to make the trip across to West Cowes in the evening. The price is £65 per metre for a nine-day package, from 31 July to 8 August inclusive - boats departing 9 August.

NOTE: Berthing here does NOT grant free tickets to Cowes Yacht Haven.

Swinging moorings 

Map from visitmap.info

Town Quay, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7AS For those who do not require a walk ashore facility, swinging moorings or pontoons are available via Cowes Harbour Commission. Most one-design classes organise moorings for their fleets so talk to your class secretary before booking direct. CWL run a free launch service for all competitors from 08:00 until 00:30 and there are several water taxis too.

NOTE: Berthing here does NOT grant free tickets to Cowes Yacht Haven.

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BOATING BRITAIN

BOATING BRITAIN A guide to Cowes

Home to world elite yacht clubs, top-notch grub, and tremendous coastal cruising - Tim Spicer takes a closer look at Cowes town – sailing’s capital and the gateway to the Isle of Wight.

Anchor, Cowes High Street

Photo: Rick Tomlinson

COWES is just a few miles off the Hampshire coast.

Popular with holidaymakers and boaters alike, the cobblestone Georgian streets are always buzzing with activity.

Made up of two towns, East and West Cowes, which are linked by a chain ferry or foating bridge, Cowes has a combined population of around 16,000 - a figure that is easily doubled during the sailing regatta.

Hemmed in by vintage pubs that serve real ale and honest fodder, Cowes attracts an assortment of people, from families and children to deck-shoed yachties and bearded old-timers.

One of the first things you notice is the refreshingly refrained pace of life, where people appear to make the most of living. The town has a positively south-

coast atmosphere that is accompanied by sunshine, drinking and – occasionally – a spot of morris dancing.

Most of the eateries and pubs are between the Parade and Shepards Wharf Marina, with 11 restaurants offering everything from Portugese and Thai, to English cuisine and fresh seafood. The high street has lots of shops to browse, with fashion outlets and several well-stocked chandleries to procure your blazers and foulies.

Located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, Cowes is a hot spot for yachtsmen and women from all over the world. With four marinas (see previous page for full listing), you have plenty of choice for any size of boat and will find any marine facilities you could wish for. And that’s not to mention

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BOATING BRITAIN

VII

‘Cowes you can’t milk, Needles you can’t thread, Freshwater you can’t drink and Ryde where you walk’ - local IoW riddle. a vast smattering of top class yacht clubs for winding down après-sail over a leisurely gin and tonic.

Entering the harbour you are greeted by the world famous Royal Yacht Squadron, which is housed in Cowes Castle. Whilst the beautiful harbour is defined by streams of handsome yachts, billowing white sails and ruggedly tanned skippers.

The coastline is a sight to behold from the water, as apricot mornings warm the island’s furrowed cliffs and chalk downs, and the Solent ripples its way back to Hampshire.

With a complex tidal pattern and winds frequently gusting from unexpected directions, the Solent can provide a real challenge for even the most steadfast boater.

Departing from Cowes, you can bluster east towards Portsmouth and with the wind behind you, even on to Brighton. Or head West towards the charming Lymington, and head for the Jurrassic coastline until you reach the sanctuary of Poole and Swanage.

Why would you ever want to leave the Isle of Wight? With more than 25 miles of beaches, the atmosphere manages to evoke feelings of childhood nostalgia - home to buckets and spades, 99 ice creams, and lashings of fish and chips.

More than half of the island is designated an Area of Outstanding

Natural Beauty, with about half of the coastline named as ‘Heritage Coast’ - an honour only awarded to the finest stretches of coastline in the country. With a surprisingly warm climate, its rural loveliness should be taken advantage of by hiking, cycling or boating around the perimeter.

The island is also home to several major events aside from the sailing regatta. The Isle of Wight festival takes place every June, and this year saw Neil Young and The Prodigy take to the stage. The Isle of Wight Garlic Festival follows Cowes Week on 15 and 16 August, powerboat races are held later in the summer, and the fancy-dress music extravaganza, Bestival, takes place from 11 to 13 September.

If you don’t visit the white isle under your own sail, Red Funnel short high-speed and car ferries operate between Cowes and Southampton, giving fast access to Southampton airport, railway station and motorway links to the rest of the UK. Travelling by hovercraft or fast cat from Portsmouth to Ryde or Whitelink car ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne are others options.

Whichever way you decide to visit Cowes, once there, you are sure to have a superb time in this laid back sailing mecca.

ACCOMMODATION It is highly recommended that you book a place to stay before arriving on the Isle of Wight particularly during Cowes Week as most accommodation is booked well in advance.

Try the Carlton Hotel in Shanklin (01983 862517), the Parkbury Hotel in Sandown (01983 402508), on the east coast of the island or closer to the action, there is the boutique Villa Rothsay, a short stroll up the hill beyond the Royal Yacht Squadron.

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Wake up to summer Wakeboarding is a sport everyone can enjoy. It used to mean forking out for a rather expensive specialist boat – not anymore!

Mike Dovey reports.

WAKEBOARDING is taking off right now, with families and friends alike swarming to the water to enjoy this extreme summer sport.

Despite the fact that many would love a £50,000 plus specific wakeboard boat; it’s a big compromise to make if wakeboarding isn’t the primary task of your weekend runabout – it’s also a big financial commitment in today’s climate where emphasis seems to be moving more towards “Don’t move… improve!”

But fear not, these days the best of both worlds can be enjoyed at a fraction of what a new, specialised machine may cost… and here’s how: So long as you have a boat between 16 and 28 feet; with enough horsepower to get a skier up you have the most important bits covered.

From there on in most of the bits and bobs to get you flying high over the wakes can be added – generally at a

fraction of the cost of factory fitted options.

There are literally hundreds of shiny wakeboard related accessories on the market aimed at your boat, but the most important things to remember are as follows:

A high pull

When wakeboarding, the aim is to launch yourself off the wakes of the boat. This is made far easier by ditching the low slung standard ski towing eye found on most sports boats and upgrading to a pylon or wakeboard tower.

This makes it easier to grab hang-time and complete aerial tricks like board grabs, spins and for the more seasoned of you, flips! Adding this type of accessory can cost as little as £300 as an aftermarket item but expect to pay a lot more if purchasing as a factory fitted option on a new boat.

A big wake

We’re not talking tsunamis here but a nice firm well formed wake is the Holy Grail for wake heads. Whilst the hull shape has a large impact there is a lot you can do as a driver to maximise the experience for those on the end of the rope.

Trimming outboards and stern drives out a little and raising any trim

tabs can push the transom that little deeper, as can getting plenty of friends on board, or even adding something known as a ‘fat sack’ – basically a big water ballast bag. Experimenting with speed, rope length and all the above should quickly allow you to work out what works best for your hull and wake requirements. You want the wake big but don’t want to be overloading the boat – find the compromise that works for you.

A constant speed

Generally wakeboarders need the wake to remain consistent and the speed constant. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Most specific wakeboard boats now come with a form of cruise control, which you can add to your boat yourself from around £800, but for those not wanting to fork out that kind of cash, a simple prop change to a lower pitch and practice on the throttle can help a lot. Also, keeping a dead straight course helps wake consistency.

Look to invest in a four or five bladed stainless steel number rather than the standard three bladed aluminium units that most of our boats come fitted with. This can help with speed holding, increase handling and if pitched right can make your boat a rocket-ship out of the hole.

Wakeboarding can be enjoyed at a fraction of what a new, specialised machine may cost

Boat bling

Ok, we have to admit that this may not be an essential but it’s certainly a big part of the wakeboard lifestyle and can add much comfort to days spent out on the water. Plus, if it’s good enough for the wakeboard specific tow boats why not your pride and joy too?

Elements such as cockpit heaters, interior lighting, stereo systems, wakeboard racks for your tower and bimini tops can all add to your enjoyment and comfort out on the water and add that personal touch to your boat.

With tow boats like Mastercraft, Nautique and Malibu all coming with these kind of tasty options on the extras list (and increasingly, more sports boats too) you can add them to

your own boat for relatively little money and truly get the most out of what your boat has to offer.

It’s not so much about competing with the specific tow boats, more getting your boat to a place where it can take a wakeboarder in its stride, whilst also doing everything else you bought it for – be that day-tripping, fast cruising or simply sitting out in the sun watching the world go by…

So next time you’re at a boat show drooling over the latest offerings, why not ask yourself the question: “Can’t I just do this myself?”

Useful Links:

ww.wakeboardtowers.co.uk w Forums.Wakeboard.com LDBWakeSchool.co.uk

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BOOKS IN BRIEF Outrageous Grace

Photography at Sea

Taking the Long Way Home

Techniques for capturing amazing photographs afloat

John Otterbacher • Adlard Coles Nautical • £8.99 OUTRAGEOUS Grace is the story of an incredibly determined sailor refusing to give up his dream in the face of massive odds. Just as he and his young family had decided to sail a circuit of the Atlantic for a year, John Otterbacher is struck down with heart failure. Devastated that their plans have been put on hold, he endures seven operations in eight months but all to no avail. Finally, he has to endure open-heart surgery – and immediately makes plans for his ‘trip’.

John’s account of drowning in heart disease is very moving and inspiring, and he is living proof that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It begins with him flat on his back in a local health club, gasping for air and it ends 31 months and 4,000 miles later as he and his family sail their boat into Schull Harbour, Ireland.

Funny, tragic, uplifting, moving and humorous – Outrageous Grace speaks not only to the timid sailors, wondering if they are brave enough to take that big step but also to anyone facing immense difficulties, setbacks and even lifethreatening danger in their lives. A truly inspirational story that is extremely well written and a real page-turner.

When John Otterbacher talks about ‘living beyond your fears’ he’s speaking from experience. Paying for his education via factory and construction jobs, he qualified as a clinical psychologist, set up his own practice, and then became a firebrand senator campaigning on health issues. He and his wife took up sailing in the 1980s, taking a 15 month cruise to the Mediterranean and Caribbean. He is now a sought-after speaker.

Subscribe to BRITAIN’S MOST READ waterfront newspaper and be part of our growing 100,000+ readership

Our next edition is out early August and will be packed full of news and features. To reserve your copy of next month’s paper call 01223 444081 or visit

www.allatsea.co.uk

Patrick Roach • Adlard Coles Nautical • £19.99 IN this full-colour, highly illustrated guide, Patrick Roach, one of the world’s leading yachting photographers explains how to get the best shot and dramatic effects whilst taking photographs at sea.

This is a unique, informative and instructive book which looks at all the elements photographers afloat will need from composing the shot and capturing groups, fast action and reflections to dealing with confined interiors and taking dramatic creative shots.

Ideal for anyone who wants to take on the very tricky yet exciting task of taking amazing photographs at sea. With expert guidance from Patrick Roach, Photography at Sea is an inspiring and attractive addition to any bookshelf.

Patrick Roach is one of the UK’s most successful marine photographers.

His photographs are published in all the leading yachting and motorboating magazines in the UK, USA and Europe, and his images regularly appear on the covers of Adlard Coles titles. Fred Barter is a boating journalist and book designer.

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36 sailing yachts

P12929/06

P12600/06

1991 British Hunter 27 OOD

£23,500

P12576/06

1965 Warsash One Design

£5,000

P12310/06

1989 British Hunter 27 OOD

£19,750

P12085/06

1969 Snapdragon 24

£6,500

1980 Colvic 26 Sailor

£11,000

Ticks all the boxes. Excellent example of this fast, sure footed racer / cruiser whose performance turns heads. Owner has continually renewed and upgraded producing a boat to be proud of. Interior ticks all the boxes. (South)

Safe offshore cruiser. Fully equipped for coastal or cross channel cruising. (Channel Isles)

Fast cruiser. Very clean example of this fast cruiser with lots of updated gear inc. Roller Genoa & furler forward hatch GPS DSC-VHF standing & running rigging cradle stackpack~lazyjacks ready for the season (North West)

In good condition Yanmar 1gm diesel engine, furling Genoa, cruising chute. Stainless steel cooker with oven. Interior in excellent condition ready to sail away. (South)

Bilge keel; 1992 18HP Yanmar 20 diesel; re-epoxied 1996; Raymarine colour plotter; new DSC radio; autohelm; Plastimo twin burner & grill 2002; Size 16 self-tailing sheet winches 2006; new heads pump; 90 ft anchor chain 2008. All good condition; two owners from new ...

(South West)

Tel: 07096 690773

Tel: 07096 692183

Tel: 07096 692173

Tel: 07096 690703

Tel: 01237 470393

sailing dinghies

P12018/06

P11814/06

1971 Marcon Marine Trident 24

£5,850

P11705/06

1984 Cobra 1050

£27,950

P11408/06

1972 Galion 22

£2,450

P12533/06

1983 Bilge Keel Moody 27

£20,000

RS Feva XL

£1,795

Triple keel, 4 berth. Good survey 2008. Yanmar diesel, recent service.

Features rig to lower/raise mast single-handed, for inland waterways.

Ready to go, possible mooring - Southampton. (South)

One owner from new. One owner from new. Professionally fitted out to owners design. All teak interior. 36hp ‘Buhk’ engine. Wheel steering. Recent ‘out of water’, survey for insurance. VAT receipts available. Consider exchange for small bilge keeler. (South)

Ideal family starter yacht. Is a very well built sailing yacht with 4 berths, 7/8 rig, 2 sets of sails, a frame, Volvo diesel, just antifouled.

Handles well whether inland or coastal. Sadly must be sold. (East Anglia)

Lovely family owned cruiser. Currently based at Gosport. She is well equipped for cruising and besides her Volvo MD7 17.5 hp engine she has a full cockpit tent and autohelm. The sale also includes a dinghy and outboard. (South)

RS Feva XL at a reasonable price. Grey Hull Sail number 662, includes Main, Jib, Genniker, Trolly, Cover. Some minor damage (from trolly) on Port side (official RS repair kit included) sails well, 2nd in Club racing. Should be £2000 but say £1795 lying at Bexhill Sailing Club, East Sussex (photo not actual boat). (South East)

Tel: 07814 198267

Tel: 07096 692061

Tel: 07096 690642

Tel: 07096 690585

Tel: 07096 692152

CLASSIC SAIL BOATS

CLASSIC MOTOR YACHT

cruisers - over 35’

P11961/06

P11721/06

2007 Laser Stratos

£7,350

P11820/06

2008 character boats Post Boat

£9,950

1990 Blondecell Giles 38

£79,500

In excellent condition, inc. Tohatsu s/s 4hp new 2007. On combi trailer, top & bottom covers, trapeeze (unused). Outboard bracket.

Mainsail / jib / asymmetric spinnaker (unused) Ready to go for season. (South)

Superb Day Sailer. New in January 2008 in as new condition. Spray hood, cover, bilge pump, oars, warps, fenders, galv trailor, lighting board, spare wheel, wheel clamp, outboard well suits Yamaha 2.5 four stroke. (South East)

Long-keel, cruising yacht Comfortable, fast, cutter-rigged, cruising yacht; extensive refit 2008; in commission and ready to go. Phone or email for CD with full details and lots of pics. (South)

Tel: 07096 692091

Tel: 07096 690648

Tel: 07096 692063

Cruisers - UNDER 35’

P11439/07

RIBS

P11681/06

Colvic UFO 34

£13,495

P12114/06

1989 Sea Ray 300 Sedan Bridge

£34,995

P11776/06

P13296/07

Classic Motor Yacht on Chichester Canal £145,000 60ft Classic Motor Yacht on residential mooring in Chichester Canal, with views over harbour and close to yacht club. Built by A H Moody & Sons in 1937, this beautiful boat is constructed mostly of Burma Teak, it has been well maintained by the same ownership for 40 years. 2 toilets, 1 bath. Large deck saloon, lower deck saloon with dining area.

Ideal holiday or permanent home.

£1,500

£45,000

Much admired classic Converted 1967/1971, new decks in 2000, similar to Nelson. Spare diesels (v.economical), fully equipped.

Registered vessel. (South East)

Tel: 07096 692 246

Tel: 01252 317955

dinghies / inflatables

OUTBOARDS

P12684/06

Avon RR Lite 260

EX NAVAL PINNACE

P12723/06

2000 Compass Inflatable

£POA

TOHATSU 5HP SAIL 2 STROKE

£745

1979. 7 Berth. GRP Fin-keel diesel. Wheel-Steer furlex Redcrest - Yamaha.

Unlaunched. Requires completion.

Motor cruiser with 2 x Mercruiser 260HP engines on shafts. The 12ft beam and spacious light interior make this boat ideal for a couple or a family. (South East)

Superb Yacht Tender Yacht tender RIB - the best - with Yamaha 4hp only - all ‘4hrs use’. Can deliver UK early May.

With electric engine and battery; includes oars and boat cover. £250 (South)

New/Unused. F-N-R.Standard shaft. Fitted alternator. 2.5ltr internal tank.12 ltr tank with fuel hose. Instruction manual. Tool kit. Complete.

(South)

Tel: 07816 030254

Tel: 07096 690637

Tel: 33 298714077

Tel: 07096 692213

Tel: 07096 692225

INBOARDS

waterskiing / wakeboarding

Chandlery/Equipment

moorings

P11993/06

P11880/06

P12959/06

P12927/06 aas_A/06

£2,250

Mertek Self assembly yacht cradle £450

Running Jan 09. Head recon Mar 08. S/S exhaust. Alt & Starter motor recently replaced. Panel with key. Water filter. Inspect & collect.

(South)

Mercury 90 HP Black Max Elec T&T. Foot Throttle, Bucket seats, New CLH Trailer, Spare wheel. Light Board, Anchor (Wales)

Yacht cradle Suitable for up to 35ft fin keel yacht. Disassembles into small units capable of being transported in average hatchback car.

Only 2 seasons use. (South West)

Berth TO Rent

Tel: 07096 692104

Tel: 07096 692081

Tel: 07096 690775

Bukh 10 ME

£350

Ring Powercraft 16

FOR JUST A SMALL FEE GET NOTICED! £RENT

Fully serviced berth in Gosport Marina available from 1 June 2009.

Max length 50 foot. Contract term and price negotiable. Access 24hr, Solent 5 mins. (South East)

Tel: 07590 570351

Visit our website for more details

www.allatsea.co.uk

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News in brief Cliff faller rescued

THE Aberystwyth lifeboat was called out at 10.30pm on Wednesday 24 June to a 21-year-old man who had fallen 30 feet from cliffs. The lifeboat was quickly on scene, and found one casualty at the base of Constitution Hill and two other people 30 feet up the cliff face. A crew member went ashore administered first aid and awaited assistance from Borth lifeboat. The casualty was placed on a spinal board/stretcher and transferred to Aberystwyth lifeboat

by Borth lifeboat. The casualty was taken to a waiting ambulance. He was taken to Bronglais Hospital and treated for a broken leg. lowered the two other people who were uninjured to the base of the cliff for Borth RNLI lifeboat to transfer them to Aberystwyth Marina.

Anchor holds ILFRACOMBE all weather lifeboat was launched on 24 June to a broken down 33-foot motor cruiser with three people on board. The vessel was on passage from Bude to Sharpness when the fuel filters on the engine became blocked. Coxswain Andrew Putt said: “This incident shows how important it is to carry a decent anchor with sufficient chain on board. When we arrived on scene there was a strong onshore breeze.

So, if they had not been able to anchor, this could well have ended in tragedy”. The vessel was towed to Ilfracombe Harbour.

ALL AT SEA | JULY 2009 | news@allatsea.co.uk

RNLI save French father and son A FATHER and son crew who were thrown into the sea by a huge wave during a yacht race have spoken of their gratitude to the RNLI. The French sailors were taking part in a Mini Transat yacht race to the Fastnet in the early hours of Wednesday 17 June, in 30 knot winds.

The pair got into difficulty when, seven miles south of Baltimore Harbour, a wave hit their Mini Transat yacht and threw them into the water.

They were wearing safety harnesses but their mast was broken by the wave and their yacht was left in darkness.

They managed to get aboard again and alerted the Coast Guard, which requested the launch of Baltimore RNLI all-weather lifeboat.

On arrival at the scene the Baltimore lifeboat volunteers checked on the condition of the crew and the yacht and quickly established a tow.

The lifeboat took the casualties – Guillaume Bonniot and his father Laurent – safely into Baltimore Harbour (pictured). While the yacht was in need of repair, the two crewmen were unharmed.

Photo: RNLI/Youen Jacob

Monsieur Bonniot said: “We wish to thank the lifeboat crew for their assistance. They were very quick and professional. We felt very supported and of course there was great chat between us.”

Baltimore RNLI Coxswain Keiron

GALLEY GOURMET Cooking on board should be simple – the recipe must use mainly store cupboard ingredients, be cooked in one pot, on one gas ring and in record time to conserve fuel.

CLASSIC MOULES MARINIÈRE Foraging for free food on the coast is great fun and if you like to collect your own mussels it’s best to do it when there is an ‘r’ in the month – the cool months. It’s best to leave the collecting of mussels to the professionals during the warmer months to avoid being caught out by tummy upsetting toxins present in the water. The quickest and tastiest way of eating your hoard is to prepare large bowls of Moules à la Marinière.

SERVES: 4 PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes COOKING TIME: 10 minutes INGREDIENTS: • 1.5kg mussels • 2tbs butter • 1 onion finely chopped (or two shallots) • A glass of white wine (125ml) • 2 cloves crushed garlic • 1 tbsp dried parsley (a handful of chopped fresh parsley is preferable if you can find it) • Ground black pepper METHOD: 1. Check over the mussels. Discard any with broken shells and those that are open and don’t close when lightly tapped.

2. Wash remaining mussels in clean water and sharply pull away the ‘beards’.

3. Put them aside in a bowl of water until ready to use.

4. In a large pan gently sweat the onion in butter until translucent.

5. Add wine, garlic, parsley and season with pepper.

Bring to the boil.

6. Drain the mussels add them to the pan, turn up the heat, cover and give the pan a good shake to cover the mussels with the liquid. Shake the pan every 30 seconds until all the mussels have opened (3 or 4 mins).

7. Spoon into large bowls and serve with chunks of bread to soak up the liquid.

COOKED BY: Susan Greenwood

Cotter added: “When we received the call in the early hours we were very anxious to get to the yacht as quickly as possible.

“The men were experienced sailors and had taken excellent safety precautions including the wearing of

harnesses. This meant that when they were washed off their yacht they were able to reboard it quickly. “ Sadly they were unable to complete the race but they have been receiving some Baltimore hospitality before they head home.”

Tidal Predictions DOVER TIDE TABLES ALL TIMES UTC (GMT). REPRODUCED BY KIND PERMISSION OF THE HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE AND THE CONTROLLER OF HER MAJESTY’S STATIONARY OFFICE. CROWN COPYRIGHT RESERVED

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Variations on hw dover FALMOUTH

HW

-6hrs

PLYMOUTH

HW

-5hrs 30mins

DARTMOUTH

HW

-5hrs 15mins

WEYMOUTH

HW

-4hrs 45mins

POOLE

LW

+5hrs 45mins

COWES (IOW)

HW

+30mins

SOUTHAMPTON

HW

+30mins

PORTSMOUTH

HW

+15mins

SHOREHAM

HW

+15mins

BRIGHTON WALTON BLACKWATER HW

DOVER +15mins

LOWESTOFT

HW

-1hr 45mins

ABERDEEN

HW

+2hrs 30mins

NAIRN/INVERNESS

HW

+1hr 10mins

WICK

HW

+30mins

STORNOWAY

HW

-4hrs 30mins

ULLAPOOL

HW

-4hrs 30mins

OBAN

HW

-5hrs 30mins

LARGS

HW

+1hrs

DOUGLAS (IOM)

HW

+15mins

LIVERPOOL

HW

+15mins

HOLYHEAD

HW

-45mins

MILFORD HAVEN

HW

-5hrs 15mins

CARDIFF

HW

-4hrs 45mins

BRISTOL

HW

-4hrs 15mins

CORK/CROSSHAVEN

HW

-5hrs 45mins

BELFAST LOUGH

HW DOVER (S), +1hr (N)

DUN LAOGHAIRE

HW

+45mins

FULL MOON: 07/07/2009 NEW MOON: 22/07/2009

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