The youngest round the world yachtsman!
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Saturday, 15 November 08 - 10:26 PM (GMT) By Mike Taylor in Sailing |
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16-year old Michael Perham has set off on his solo, non stop, around the world sailing attempt.
Mike set off from Portsmouth’s Gunwharf Quay at 11am this morning Saturday 15th November.
He is attempting to become the youngest person to sail solo non stop around the world. The record is currently held by Australian Jesse Martin, who completed the his trip set in 1999 aged 18.
When Mike was fourteen he became the youngest person to cross the Atlantic singlehanded. On that trip hen took six weeks to sail from Gibraltar to Antigua. His present voyage is expected to take between four and five months and cover in the region of 21,600 nautical miles. He hopes to be back home in Portsmouth in time for his 17th birthday.
Follow his progress at http://www.marinetrack.com/eventviewer/?vessel=04940914
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And now for something different.
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Friday, 14 November 08 - 08:29 PM (GMT) By Mike Taylor in General |
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Pirates take on the Royal Navy.
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Thursday, 13 November 08 - 01:51 PM (GMT) By Mike Taylor in General |
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HMS Cumberland was involved in an armed skirmish with a Yemeni flagged dhow on the 11 November.
Three of the pirates were killed during a gun-battle with two RN assault craft.
The pirates' dhow was intercepted after having been identified as having been involved in an earlier hijack attempt on a Danish merchant vessel.
When the dhow failed to stop small assault craft were launched to encircle the vessel. The pirates then opened fire and the Navy fired back in self defence, according to a statement by the MOD.
The HMS Cumberland was on a routine patrol in the Gulf of Aden as part of the British contribution to a NATO mission providing security to shipping transiting the Gulf.
Two of the pirates are believed to be Somali nationals, the third, believed to be a Yemeni was found injured and died later after receiving emergency treatment aboard the Cumberland.
Killer Whales, chocolate steam pudding with custard and flying fish.
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Monday, 10 November 08 - 01:20 PM (GMT) By Mike Taylor in Sailing |
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Now that sounds more like my kind of sailing.
I enjoyed getting caught up in the excitement of the Vendée start.
But to my mind Pete Goss and the crew of the wooden Spirit of Mystery epitomise a much more civilised sort of adventure.
Their recent run of 132 nautical miles in twenty four hours would disappoint the racing fraternity. But for the Goss crew it is real progress.
They are now just north of the Cap Verde Islands and approaching the Doldrums as they make their way south towards Cape Town.
Keep up with their intrepid voyage and find out all about the Killer Whales, the chocolate steam pudding with custard and the flying fish on on Pete Goss' website
In memory of Miriam Makeba
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Monday, 10 November 08 - 10:22 AM (GMT) By Mike Taylor in General |
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Miriam Makeba, the South African singing legend died yesterday, in Italy aged seventy six.
She collapsed as she left the stage during a benefit concert for the writer Roberto Saviano.
The singer nicknamed "Mama Africa" became the musical symbol of the black struggle against apartheid.
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They are off!
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Sunday, 09 November 08 - 02:03 PM (GMT) By Mike Taylor in Sailing |
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Hundreds of thousands of French yachting fans gathered at Les Sables d'Olonne for the start of the Vendée Globe. TV channels all over France have been following the build-up and have covered this morning’s start.
Vincent (Vincent The Terrible) Riou on PRB, and Jean-Pierre Dick on Paprec-Virbac led the 30-strong fleet away from Les Sables d'Olonne.
Sebastien Josse on BT, Dee Caffari on Aviva and Hugo Boss were close to windward.
Further back were Brian Thompson in the middle of the pack while Sam Davies on Roxy and Mike Golding on Ecover are chasing hard to catch up.
Of the 30 skippers to cross the line and head out into the Bay of Biscay there are five British men; Mike Golding on Ecover Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss Steve White on Toe in the Water, Jonny Malbon on Artemis - Brian Thompson on Bahrain Team Pindar.
The only two women in the race are are those two beautiful British girls Samantha Davies on Roxy and Dee Caffari on Aviva.
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Should boat owners be allowed to carry flares?
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Sunday, 09 November 08 - 10:14 AM (GMT) By Mike Taylor in Grumpy old git |
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Do you have the recommended (by the coastguard) flares on board our boat?
Do you regard them as a safety measure?
Well it now seems that the risks from carrying them might outweigh the advantages.
I recently received a letter from the CG66 Voluntary registration scheme asking if I needed to up date the information I gave them about my boat. The scheme is run by HM Coastguard to aid in any search and rescue situation. It is without doubt an excellent idea.
But I’m now in a quandary, I’ve told them that I have flares on board!
Am I now in danger of being boarded by the Health and safety fanatics?
As they have now declared that even trained Coastguard personnel are not to be trusted using flares where does that leave me?
The decision by the government’s agency for crackpot ideas, to ban coastguards from using emergency flares will, according to rescue teams, put lives at risk. But what do they know? Just because the Maritime and Coastguard Agency itself is unaware of any incidents in which coastguard personnel had been injured using flares. And after all they have only used them in a few hundred of rescue missions.
Rumour has it that the ban has less to do with the operational value of the flares and more to do with the saving on insurance. The inference is that they are more worried about the rescuers injuring them selves than the saving of lives.
So what about my boat insurance, are the premiums going to go up because I have flares on board?
According to the Coastguard web site, “Day and night distress flares are an essential part of a boat's safety equipment and should be stored in a suitable waterproof container.”
If flares are too dangerous to be used by the trained rescue personnel should they be recommending that pleasure boat owners carry them on board?
Perhaps it is time the health and safety people were banned for being a danger to the rest of us.
Anyone want to buy a set of Flares?
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Anne Quemere kite sailing across the Pacific
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Friday, 07 November 08 - 03:15 PM (GMT) By Mike Taylor in Sailing |
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From Yacht Palls comes news that Anne Quéméré has set off from San Francisco in an attempt to kite sail from California to Tahiti.
Surely someone could have told her that fixing her kite to a mast would be a safer more easily controlled option.
Or am I just old fashioned?
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Go to Yacht Palls for the full story and updates.
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Microsoft is donating software worth £5M to the RNLI over the next 3 years.
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Friday, 07 November 08 - 12:16 PM (GMT) By Mike Taylor in General |
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The gift allows the RNLI to use Microsoft software license-free for the next 24 to 36 months.
Andrew Freemantle, Chief Executive of the RNLI commented: 'This generous donation will greatly assist the RNLI in maintaining its lifesaving services in the current difficult economic climate. This donation gives us the flexibility to continue supporting the roll-out of MOB Guardian, which could help provide 1,500 fishing boats with a safety system over the next 3 years.
Microsoft UK's Matthew Bishop said: 'The way the RNLI is using the latest technology to save lives is inspirational. We're delighted to support the vital work of the RNLI as part of our software grant programme, and look forward to developing many new initiatives in the coming years.'
From Practical Boat Owner, 6 November 2008
Andrew Freemantle, Chief Executive of the RNLI commented: 'This generous donation will greatly assist the RNLI in maintaining its lifesaving services in the current difficult economic climate. This donation gives us the flexibility to continue supporting the roll-out of MOB Guardian, which could help provide 1,500 fishing boats with a safety system over the next 3 years.
Microsoft UK's Matthew Bishop said: 'The way the RNLI is using the latest technology to save lives is inspirational. We're delighted to support the vital work of the RNLI as part of our software grant programme, and look forward to developing many new initiatives in the coming years.'
From Practical Boat Owner, 6 November 2008
Channel 4 (UK) is to broadcast a one-hour TV special on the Clipper 07-08 05 race.
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Wednesday, 05 November 08 - 01:46 PM (GMT) By Mike Taylor in Sailing |
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The one-hour programme follows the crews of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race.
The programme will be broadcast in the UK on Channel 4 on Sunday 16 November from 7.35-8.30am (Video Plus+ 9457535 if you want to record it!) and an hour later on Channel 4+1.
Fox Sports 3 in Australia will broadcast the documentary on 22 November from 1700 – 1800. (Check local listings for your time zone.)
Viewers in the United States will also be able to watch the ten-part television series this month. Universal Sports is broadcasting the programmes on consecutive days from 17 November. Check your TV listings pages for local times – these are Eastern Standard Time:
17 November 1800 – 1900
18 November 1800 – 1900
19 November 1830 – 1900
20 November 1830 – 1900
21 November 1830 – 1900
22 November 1830 – 1900
23 November 1830 – 1900
17 November 1800 – 1900
18 November 1800 – 1900
19 November 1830 – 1900
20 November 1830 – 1900
21 November 1830 – 1900
22 November 1830 – 1900
23 November 1830 – 1900
For further information check out the Race News at http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/index.php/race_news/category/news/
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