Hurricane Gustav Update!

Having lived in Miami for 2 years during the turbulent hurricane seasons of 2004-2005, my heart goes out to all facing the wrath of Gustav. Hurricanes are a very serious, life-changing matter, and the reason we relocated to Atlanta. Hurricane Gustav wrecked havoc on Haiti and Cuba, neither of which are destinations I sell and thankfully did not have any clients affected. Gustav did side-swiped the South Coast of Jamaica. I have been in contact with many of my South Coast & Negril hoteliers and villa owners and there has been no major damage and ALL are open for business. A quote from the AP, regarding Jamaica's encounter with this wild storm:

Gustav ripped off roofs, downed power lines and pounded rain into Jamaica, triggering landslides and flooding and four deaths before moving out to sea Friday.

Here is an article from the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper!

Vector Girls HQ Wallpapers Colection

Download Free Super Sexy Vector Girls High Qality Wallpapers Colection.

Square Metre Rule Range

I've previously posted pictures of examples of the 22 square metre and 30 square metre boats, but at the Jubilee regatta there were also some examples of the much larger 95 square metre boats racing - and don't they look good!

Click here for a background on the rule and permitted range of sail sizes (and other constraints).

Kayaking to the North Pole

How many explorers want to fail?

Well here's one: Lewis Pugh is planning to try to kayak 1,200 km or 745 miles from Spitzbergen to the North Pole.

And if he does it it would be bad news, another sign of the impact of Climate Change on the shrinking polar ice cap.

But its another chance for this long distance swimmer to raise the issue on the political agenda.

More here.

Two Square Metre Rule Jubilee Photos

I love this picture. It was taken by M. on our boat as we raced for the downwind mark - he has a good eye for sailing photos and had his digital SLR with him.

The time when going around the marks were pretty hectic so usually didn't get a chance to look at what was going on. But at moments like this half way up or down the course had chances like the other foredeckers here to crouch in the hatch or lie along the deck and watch the other boats.

And so here we were, five 30 square metre rule boats in a line, all with white hulls and wood decks, spinnakers flying, crews willing the boat to go faster, to get to the mark first.

And from memory we just got on the inside and was first to round!

The photo below is from the upwind leg - look at the mast bend on G-71!

Windows Vista Ultimate Black 1920x1440 HQ Wallpapers

Free Windows Vista Ultimate Black High Resolution 1920x1440 High Quality Wallpapers.

Nikki Beach Debuts in the Turks & Caicos!

Oh the love... one of my favorite haunts from my years in Miami (Nikki Beach Club on Ocean Drive) is now a full-blown resort in the Turks & Caicos. What a thrilling combination of the best of both worlds. Nikki's chic sophistication takes the beach vacation to a new level. While flip flops and frothy fruit drinks with bright umbrellas are still acceptable, the norm at Nikki is more tropical martinis and embellished tunics. One of the coolest draws to this resort is its "dance 'till dawn" entertainment options - a rarity in the quiet Turks. Rates start at about $350/night - contact me for packaged deals!

Luxurious Baths:
Bright & Airy Restaurant:
Beachside at the Resort featuring the casita beds that made Nikki Beach so popular:
Negative-edge pool with plenty of room:
Cool and breezy guest rooms:

Heron picture

Shipping Forecast in the Olympics

Those listening closely to the London segment of the closing ceremony of the Olympics would have heard briefly one of the most evocative series of words of British maritime tradition.

For the composer of the music used, as described here, included phrases from the shipping forecast such as "North Utsire, South Utsire and Lundy Fastnet Irish Sea..."

Its one of the greatest poems that isn't a poem, the daily ritual that saves lives at sea but is mostly listened to by non-sailors. There's something about it that is strangely soothing and yet refreshing, connecting even those deep inland to the wild seas around our coastline and is best listened to while snug under a duvet, hearing the rain and wind beat against windows outside.

But how much of those imagaries and associations is picked up by non-Brits? Does our shipping forecast mean anything to you?

Answers please!

Running past the Duke's Head....

.... nope, couldn't do it.

I should have been taken one of those water bottles that sensible people have. And it was ok on the way out, heading up river.

But on the way back it was just too tempting, so stopped for a cool drink of cider and watched the local wild life - and the heron. It's a public holiday here today, so why not stop rushing and relax for a bit?

I somehow felt you guys would understand!

Queen wins Olympics!

While Team GB did well in the "sitting down sports" at the Olympics (sailing, kayaking, biking, rowing etc) it didn't even put a team for the national game of football.

The reason is that despite the name "United Kingdom" there are separate football teams for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The background and issues are debated here at this article again from the BBC.

It all seems a bit parochial to me - I can't see the point of putting a Welsh football team into the World Cup unless you like loosing. In some quarters its related to a negative attitude towards Britain as a whole - such as the Scottish National Party's target of independence.

That attitude makes me uncomfortable as we can and do have multiple identities. I'm a Londoner, Englander and Scottish, British, member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and European amongst others.

And its interesting to see what the medal table would look like with the alternative associations. For example the Queen would win the Olympics if the Commonwealth of Nations were an entrant with 54 golds, 54 silvers and 57 bronzes making 165 in total.

Pretty impressive! But the EU would beat that easily - winning 83 golds 97 silvers 89 bronzes making a grand total of 269.

Now Boris has waved the Olympic flag and the games are coming to London.

Which leaves just one question to answer: why is it that America, a country where winning is everything and coming second nothing, uses total medal count, given that would imply that a third is as good as coming first?

Update on Ouzo

On a weekend where the coastguard strike highlights the issue of safety at sea, there's this interesting article at the FT site looking back at the loss of the yacht Ouzo almost exactly 2 years ago.

It gives a more comprehensive description of the cases put forward by both the prosecution and defence teams in the trial for manslaughter of the Pride of Bilbao's officer of the watch.

Its worth reminding ourselves of the two key claims of the defence:

1) That in a force 5 with favourable tides the average speed of the Ouzo was just 2 knots (this explains the backward position of the yacht that wasn't clear in the BBC report I referenced earlier).

2) There was another yacht similar to the Ouzo out sailing that night which had a close encounter with the Pride of Bilbao but didn't report it

Its hard to believe either claim on its own, but both must be believed simultaneously for the defence's claim to accepted.

I've seen articles saying simply "So what? Its up to small boats to keep out of the way of big ones". Yes of course you should do everything you can to avoid getting too close to them. But sometimes things go wrong - there are engine failures, medical problems, and so on - and the big boats can not just plough on regardless.

At night its hard to find the person overboard and even in August life expectancy in the water is all too short.

Safety of life is the responsibility of all at sea.

Danger in Britains Waters

Message from the coastguards to all those enjoying water sports this weekend - lets be careful out there!

For this long weekend 700 of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency staff are going on strike from tonight for 48 hours, protesting at a starting salary which is currently the extremely low £ 12,500 (fair enough if you ask me).

There will still be the RNLI lifeboats but the coordination centres will be on reduced staff.

More on this story here.

So don't go and smash your boat on the rocks, like this £200,000 boat outside Falmouth!

Need For Speed Undercover HQ Wallpapers

Free Need For Speed Undercover HQ Wallpapers , Ea Games Hi-Res Wallpapers.

Britannia Rules....

What a great week its been for Team GB at the Olympics! We were pretty amazed to see Great Britain up at third place last Sunday but we're still there and there's just two days to go. So we're likely to end up above Australia, which seems to upset those down under and amused many Poms up here.

And with the sailing done and dusted there's no doubt that again its the Brits who've been ruling the waves and come, sailed, and conquered.

Its been a great feeling and there's no doubt its a huge boost to the London 2012 campaign and wonderful in silencing some of those nay sayers who mutter about the downsides of hosting the next Olympics.

So hurrah and well done to all of the 44 medal winners and feel to join in all you ex-Brits now across the water somewhere, as long as you're still up for Marmite on toast and a pint of London Pride down the Duke's Head (as I'm sure you are).

But sometimes there's this nagging feeling. If only it meant I actually had done something good, rather than just joining the reflected glory. For Paul Goodison's (above) convincing victory in the Laser class doesn't mean I can sail it any better and I'm sure Tillerman would thrash me as much as he would have two weeks ago.

It sometimes seems a bit tribal - sort of "don't mess with us 'cos we're the winners" attitude, the sort of jingoism that is still too common and still sticks in the throat.

But I guess in this era when geopolitics has returned to the great game days of the 19th Century - that turned out to be not so much fun in the years 1914 to 1918 - it's at least welcome that we can compete in a less bloody way.

And our success does have real positive messages behind it - a country that has learnt from past failures and had the cash and will to fund a vigorous, intelligent, focussed campaign. So maybe it can be seen as a reflection of wider success of UK plc.

So hurrah again for our sailors, kayakers, bikers, and rowers - those that have sat on their bums to win Gold, Silver and Bronze for Britain and made us proud!

Here's one sailing, kayaking, biker who has been thrilled to bits over the last 2 weeks.

The Carib House - Luxury Villa on Antigua

If you ever doubted that a villa vacation was for you, this video should convince you! A short, breathtaking glimpse into a villa vacation with style at The Carib House, located on one of Antigua's 365 pristine beaches. The Carib House accommodates up to 10 guests in 5 well appointed bedrooms. With an amazing pool, lush gardens, and tranquil hammocks, it is impossible NOT to relax. Contact us and let us plan you Carib House Vacation today! Enjoy!

An Untouched Treasure - Mona, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is known worldwide for its pristine beaches and luxury resorts. Travelers come to this Caribbean Island paradise to take advantage of the natural beauty and luxury Puerto Rico Resorts. What many don’t get to experience are the 'untouched' natural wonders found in this fascinating country.

Located in the Mona Passage, Mona Island is something you don’t read much about. This natural preserve is a flat plateau surrounded by dazzling cliffs on most sides. On Mona, you’ll find many species that are either endangered or cannot be found anywhere else in the world. If is for this reason that Mona is often compared to the Galapagos Islands.

Take a tour of Mona and you’ll find countless species of animals. On land, the Mona Iguana freely roams the island but cannot be found anywhere else in the world. You’ll also find several species of rare birds. In the ocean, several endangered species of sea turtles swim freely amongst the unspoiled mangroves and rich coral reefs. If you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of dolphins or humpback whales.

Things to do in Mona
Most visitors spend a great deal of time exploring the island. With plenty to see, this can easily keep your attention for your entire visit. For ocean-lovers, it has been said that Mona offers some of the best snorkeling and diving in the Caribbean. Healthy coral reefs, clear visibility and warm waters attract ocean-lovers from around the world to this island paradise.

Camping in Mona
You won’t find any hotels on Mona. In fact, the only way to stay overnight is to pitch a tent on the inland. Camping is allowed on three different beaches and is restricted to weekends-only during hunting season.

Getting to Mona
Accessing Mona can be done from the towns of Mayaguez and Cabo Rojo in Puerto Rico. Charter boats carry visitors to the island. Since the trip takes 6 hours, you may want to plan to spend at least a couple days.

Next time you’re in Puerto Rico, consider spending a couple days away from hotels in Puerto Rico and visiting the natural wonder that is Mona Island.

Sailor's Gold Medals put Team GB third at Olympics

Yesterday's promise was today's gold, with two sailing medals to add to Team GB's total, putting us a rather amazing third. As its probably not going to last I did the following screen grab:


Today was a complete contrast to yesterday - strong winds and big waves must have made a nice change from the calm of Saturday. I did see a couple of articles complaining about the selection of Qingdao for the sailing events as being unable to guarantee wind, but to be realistic is the south coast of the UK going to be any different in 2012?

This summer we've had just that type of range of weather conditions within 24 hours - plus the tidal streams around Weymouth will add another interesting twist to the competition.

There's a couple of nice videos on the BBC's Olympics sailing page here.

The Olympics have been an interesting pointer to the benefits of internet TV: while I'm sure there is some sailing on broadcast TV (especially given the photogenic nature of our Yngling trio) it can require patience.

Video over the internet however lets you choose directly the sport and clips of interest, and on the BBC site all for free. This in general is a very good thing and hopefully a sign of things to come, especially the free bit.

And the gold medals should also raise the profile of the sport in the UK and guarantee continual support heading towards 2012.

Natural Navigation

I've always enjoyed navigation whether on land hiking up hills or on the water, checking marks and setting a course to a distant over the horizon destination.

And its a lot more fun to use numerous cues from the world around than just taping in lat / long into the GPS.

I remember one case climbing the Paps of Jura. These are wild and almost untouched by mankind. There are no paths or trails with signposts, steps, and handrails laid on by National Trust volunteers. You just look at the way ahead and pick a route that looks right.

Its harder but more rewarding. Once the mist came down and we had not only no GPS but no compass either, so I had to navigate back using contours alone, and was very pleased to come out of the clouds and find out we were exactly where I expected to be.

These forms of skills make up the basis for a new school of navigation here in the UK - the Natural Navigator. As its web site says:

The Natural Navigator is a small school that specialises in training natural navigation.

Natural navigation is the art of being able to find your way solely by reference to natural clues. It encompasses using the sun, moon, stars, weather, water, land, plants and animals.

Our courses are designed for those who enjoy the outdoors: walkers, sailors, pilots, expedition members, adventurers, travellers and explorers.

By spending time in our classrooms our students become better connected to the world around them as they learn skills that few others possess

The course is run by Tristan Gooley, who is one of the few people who have sailed single handed across the Atlantic and also flown single handed across that ocean.

Appropriately I first met Tristan as he was one of the crew of the boat that I joined to sail the ARC a couple of years ago. During the day he'd be the one taking sights using the sextant and at night checking the constellations against the astronomy book.

I'm going to sign up for the 1 day course as it sounds fascinating.

Light Winds stop GB Sailors

Team GB's sailors are in a good position at the Olympics this weekend for a couple of medals but light winds we will have to wait another day to see what they are.

Ben Ainslie called it "massively frustrating" in this article of the BBC web site, so things remain as in this video round-up from yesterday.

Good luck to him and the others such as Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson below:

Turmoil and Tranquility

As still recovering from the racing, took today off and went down to the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich for an exhibition called Turmoil and Tranquillity.

The exhibition covers art from The Netherlands between 1550 and 1700 and how they represented the sea. I really enjoyed it - not just the theme was sailing related but its not too large yet had a variety of good pieces.

My favourite was the one above one by Willem van de Velde, the Younger called "Two English Ships Wrecked in a Storm on a Rocky Coast". There were quite a few ship-wrecked-in-storms themed paintings, often with allegorical meanings related to the struggles of life and religious messages.

It was interesting how though painted by artists from The Netherlands, the ships were English. Some of the artists indeed travelled to London and worked in the Queen's House where the pictures are now exhibited and had a major influence on maritime art in Britain.

There were many battle scenes that for some reason didn't grab my attention. But some of the smaller works were gems - like this lovely capture of a squally afternoon:

After a walk round the sad sight that is the scaffolding hiding the blackened ruins of the Cutty Sark it was time to go home for a nice cup of tea.

It's smashing on the foredeck

This is the foredeck of the 30 square metre rule boat we sailed last week in Saltsjobaden

It was smashing in three ways:
1) Had a great time
2) Got bashed about a lot
3) Still feel rather tired

I've needed a holiday to recover from that one!

Ati Radeon - Sexy Ruby HD4800 Series High Resolution Wallpapers

AMD Gaming : Ati Radeon Sexy Readhead Girl Ruby Free Hq Wallpapers , HD4800 Series Hi-res 1680x1050 Resolution Wallpapers , Ati Ruby Widescreen HD Wallpapers.

Make a Difference - Caribbean Conservation Corporation

The Caribbean Conservation Corporation is one of the oldest Caribbean conservation efforts in existence. Since it's inception in 1959, the CCC's team has worked tirelessly to improve the survival outlook for my favorite animal, the sea turtle.

Why Sea Turtles? "CCC has chosen sea turtles as the focus of its conservation efforts in part because these ancient creatures are among the most important indicators of the health of the world's marine and coastal ecosystems. CCC believes that whether sea turtles ultimately vanish from the planet or whether they remain a wild and thriving part of the natural world, will speak volumes about both the general health of the planet and the ability of humans to sustainably coexist with the diversity of life on Earth."

One of the best things the CCC does is help to enact protective laws and to establish sanctuaries for sea turtles. Through environmentally-sound tourism, visitors experience nature without harming it, and enhance the economies of local communities.

Visit their website or their page on Facebook to see what you can do to help!

Saltsjobaden Big Boat 1: VOR 70 Ericsson

Also in Saltsjobaden while we were there for the Square Metre Rule Jubilee Regatta - or at least for a few days - was the Volvo 70 Ericsson from the previous race. Its been supporting the new two boat campaign to tune up for this autumns start. Apparently the two new boats are blowing it away, which is just as well as it didn't do that well against the old ABN Amro One. This boat is now called Ericsson 2 and is part of the four boat campaign - they are taking this very seriously!

On the principle that if you don't ask you don't get asked the skipper if could have a look around and he was kind enough to say yes. Having just got off the Volvo 60 Pindar / News Corp it was noticeable how much bigger it was - in particular beamier, even though it was less beamy than the ABN boats.

One of the problems we had when sailing Pindar was whoever was trimming bumping elbows with whoever was grinding, and it is clear that having a larger working area on these later boats can only help, especially when everything gets busy and the seas are large.

However below deck it remains as spartan as ever:

More from Ericsson Racing Team here.

Saltsjobaden Big Boat 2: Royal Blue

This is the second offshore racer we saw in Saltsjobaden while there for the Square Metre Rule Jubilee regatta. Its the 80 foot maxi racer Royal Blue, formerly known as Nicorette, under which name it won races such as the Fastnet and Sydney to Hobart.

Behind you can see the Saltsjobaden Observatory.

If you want to charter this boat click here.

Saltsjobaden Big Boat 3: Spirit of Titan

This is the first of the three big racers that were moored in Saltsjobaden while we were there for the Square Metre Rule Regatta. Its the ORMA 60 trimaran Spirit of Titan.

Very cool piece of kit. We did wonder if anyone would notice if we just took her out for a spin and then spent the next ten minutes wondering which rope to start pulling first, and how to get her off the quay against the wind.

While it looked black carbon fibre state of the art we couldn't help but noticing the seats for whoever is helming were more basic, looking like standard office plastic:

Wonder if they need seat-belts?

Boat web site here.

Two pairs of paddlers

It wasn't only sailing - the Swedes are into all forms of outdoor activities. It was a shame only had a short time there as could easily have spend the rest of the week in idyllic Saltsjobaden.

I was going to caption this as "The Swan of Tuonela" but found out on Wikipedia that this was of course a Finnish legend. The Sibelius piece of that name was originally an overture for an opera called "The building of the boat" so maybe there is a sailing connection somewhere.

Also wanted to see some Stindbergs having seen them at the Tate, but again no time.

Must go back another time - a seriously nice place to visit and I dare say live.