Busy day at the show

Well day one has not been uneventful. The show has been quite quiet, but it's Wednesday and we have to appreciate that people have work to do.

Some of the moments of highlight...

Definitely the gentleman who showed us his talent for tying knots with his eyes closed. A talent he was at great lengths to point out - was of the utmost importance should the weather really close in on you.

Neil from Boatshed.com stopped by with a bottle of bubbly which we shared with everyone on the stand. (Our thanks to boatshed.com, where would five o'clock be without you).

We met up with Guy - who is planning to row from Australia to Mauritius. UKSA are helping Guy in his endeavors with some donated training for his efforts. Guy will be joining us in a couple of weeks, so it was great to catch up with him and hear about his preparations. Visit their project website here or stop by Guy's facebook page here.

And with the free time we had, we have upgraded our stand with a sound system; So you can now sample our free online knot tutorials and have some fun with the practice pieces of rope we have to give away on the stand.

Radio Caroline have been playing music to keep everyone on the go and the Guinness stand has been doing a roaring trade just around the corner from us.

Our thanks to the steady stream of supporters and UKSA fans that have dropped by to catch up and share a few stories.

Boatbid.com - The worlds biggest boat auction

We met up with our mates from boatshed.com and they told us all about Boatbid.com the worlds biggest boat auction.

Publish Post

Bidding started this morning at 11am at the Earl's Court Boat Show. Basically, Boatshed.com are running an online auction. Every day during the show, 20 boats are put up for auction; Over the next five days 100 boats are going to go under the hammer.

Bids are subject to survey and sea trials if the winning bidder requires.
There is everything from small family cruisers to yachts with royal heritage, and if you come to the show you can see some of the boats up for auction.

All the daily auctions end at 5pm and you are all invited to Boatshed.com'snow infamous fizz at five party, where free bubbly will be flowing a-plenty!

Bid online, in person at the show or over the phone on +44 2392 987 625

UKSA at Earls Court Sail, Power & Watersports Show

UKSA are at this years Sail, Power & Watersports Show at Earls Court in London between the 26th and 30th November. You can find us on Stand N65 (a stones throw from the Guinness stand which has pleased us no end...)

If the build up is anything to go by, this show is going to be a spectacular event. As I write this, there are hundreds of exhibitors all busy building, polishing, sticking and fixing. The stands look spectacular, and there is a real feeling of excitement and expectation in the air. The shows Director James Brooke just walked past said 'hello' and announced that he couldn't stop - he was "off to climb inside a whale" which has intrigued us... we will investigate and find out more for tomorrows blog.

We will be blogging throughout the event, and aim to bring you the best bits of the show by lunchtime tomorrow; Trust us, there are some very cool companies offering some fab stuff at this years show. Subscribe to this blog for updates.

Ciaran , Kirsty and Katie are manning the stand, so if you are coming to the show please stop by and say 'hi'. We are promoting our newly published UKSA Impact Report which you can download or take away from the stand. We also have some free promotional cards to grab our podcast (actually the podcast is free to everyone.... but don't let on (just search for UKSA in Itunes store and you'll find us).

Also, we are promoting our now infamous online knotmaster course (again another free gift from the maritime charity that just keeps on giving).

So stop by, talk to us about our work, take away some of our latest literature and grow your knowledge of what our maritime charity does, and how it sets about changing lives through education and on the water activity. You never know, it might just change you.

Check out our earlier post for discount tickets.

See you all there.
Ciaran, Kirsty & Katie

UKSA Impact Report Published

Want to know what UKSA have achieved this year with their mission to change lives through on the water activity?

Download and read our newly published impact report which gives you an inside look at UKSA's work changing lives, showing the impact our work has had.

You can also view our submitted charity commission report here

If you feel inspired to contribute to our work please visit our changing lives pages to find out more and make a donation.

Vendee Globe Update

AND THEY'RE OFF!!

On 9 November, Dee and her Open 60 yacht, Aviva, blasted across the start line of what is considered to be one of the ultimate tests of endurance – the Vendée Globe race. Despite the challenging weather conditions and heavy seas, Dee produced the best start yet of her Aviva Ocean Racing campaign.

click here to view the Vendée Globe race video

The fleet of 30 boats headed straight out into brutal Bay of Biscay conditions and the solo skippers faced winds gusting up to 50 knots during the first 48 hours at sea; The drama of this 27,000 mile race quickly unfolded, forcing 9 yachts to return to port as the intense weather conditions caused damage to boats.

Sadly, there were three de-mastings which meant that Yannick Bestaven’s Aquarelle.com, Kito de Pavent’s Group Bel and Marc Thiercelin's DCNS all retired from the race. Alex Thomson, one of the seven British skippers competing, was also a casualty of the early stages of the race when his Open 60, Hugo Boss, started to take on water due to a crack in the hull.

Reflecting on the start, UKSA graduate Dee said:
'The start of my first Vendée Globe was amazing: Aviva and I were in the right place at the right time on the gun and I found myself alongside the previous editions race winner, Vincent Riou. We all knew the weather we were heading into was going to give a punishing first 48 hours of the race. The front came through as predicted and Aviva and I came out relatively unscathed, which is more than could be said for some of the other competitors. I was so sad for the skippers that were forced to retire from the race.’

Loïck Peyron on Gitana Eighty is still holding onto the lead and is some 23.7 miles ahead of Seb Josse on BT. Jean Le Cam on VM Matériaux suffered with an autopilot problem and has dropped back to 8th place. Leading the Brits is Mike Golding, on Ecover 3 who has made gains to secure 6th place - his best position in the race so far.

At 1000hrs today, Dee and Aviva were lying in 16th place, 54.8 miles behind Michel Desjoyeaux on Foncia.

Dee sets out to become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop, around the world in both directions

Leading up to the start of the Vendée Globe race…..

Les Sables d’Olonne, France is host to the start and finish of this solo race around the globe. Record crowds attended the Vendée Globe race village in the 3 weeks preceding the start, with queues of up to 2 hours to gain entrance to the bustling pontoons. Just as the race entry numbers are twice as large as they were in 2004, the footprint of the race village had grown proportionately with some 800,000 visitors flowing through the gates to view the Open 60’s and catch a glimpse of some of the skippers.

Dee spent her time in Les Sables D’Olonne involved in an eclectic mix of activities ranging from media interviews, meeting fans and promoting the French version of her book ‘Against the Flow’, to practising with new weather software and taking Aviva out on a training sail for the very last time before she set off alone.

On returning from her final test sail, Dee commented:

‘My tummy flipped as I realised the next time I hoist the main will be for the real thing. There are no more chances for practise, no more time for training sails. We are now at the time for action, it’s very exciting.’

As a former teacher, Dee was delighted to spend time meeting French children in the education space within the village. 10,000 children visited with their schools to enjoy the interactive displays, celebrate and learn the rich history of the event and meet the skippers. With the use of the Dee Caffari Education Pack, the Vendée Globe race can be used as a focal point for geography, maths, weather, healthy eating and many other subjects. The pack is available for all teachers and parents to download please click here. If you are interested in finding out more about the Education Pack please email annemarie@deecaffari.com

For all the Vendée Globe race news and up to date position reports, log onto www.avivaoceanracing.com

UKSA scoops major charity award

The UKSA has won a major award at The Prince’s Trust Celebrate Success Awards on Wednesday 12th November.

The charity won the The Hampshire Council Partnership Innovation Award for their work with The Prince’s Trust over the last three years, providing practical activities for young people on courses to get them jobs in the marine industry.

UKSA used its industry knowledge and experience to create an interesting and diverse programme, which gives young people the best chance of success once they finish the course, sometimes achieving a 100% positive outcome rate.

Jon Ely, chief executive, said: ‘We are thrilled and honoured to have won this award and feel proud to be associated with such a worthwhile charity as the Princes' Trust."



“I believe the reason this partnership has been so successful, is because of the enthusiasm shown by all our staff for supporting The Trust."

UKSA graduates compete in Vendee Globe Race

Two of the UK skippers competing in this years Vendee Globe are UKSA trained graduates.

Dee Caffari and Jonny Malbon both undertook their initial training at UKSA, and have since pursued successful careers in professional racing.

We are delighted to have two past graduates of UKSA to follow. Combine that with UKSA's relationship with BT Team Ellen and we will be watching with interest the performance of BT Team Ellen sailor Seb Josse. There is so much excitement at UKSA at the host of British talent in this years Vendee Globe race we are all keeping our eyes peeled and willing them all to do well.

We will be running a series of updates on the blog throughout the race all grouped here.
To track the race and follow our graduates Click here.

Dee Caffari - UKSA Graduate in Vendee Globe Yacht Race

Dee Caffari graduated from UKSA in 2000. Eight years later she is an accomplished solo racer. On 21st May 2006, having successfully become the first woman in history to sail single-handedly around the world, non stop, and against the prevailing winds and currents.

Dee's successful entry into the 2008 Vendee Globe is an attempt to secure another first. Successful completion will secure her another world record by becoming the first female to sail solo, non-stop around the world in both directions.

Find out more about Dee Caffari
Follow Dee's Race Diary
Study Dee's Vendee Race yacht (animated)
Sign up to get updates

Listen to Dee's interview on our podcast

And my personal favorite...
Download a desktop Dee

Jonny Malbon UKSA graduate enters Vendee Globe

Jonny Malbon, 33, is based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. His sailing experience is diverse and extensive. From racing as bowman onboard Peter Harrison's superyacht, Sojana, to helming a 26' rib across the Atlantic as part of the first ever Transatlantic Windsurf race; Jonny has dedicated much of his life to time on the ocean.

After leaving University in London, Malbon’s career in the sailing world began at the UKSA on the Isle of Wight as a course tutor, leading teams of students to gain their watersports instructor tickets in dinghy sailing, powerboating, windsurfing and kayaking.

It was at the Academy that he met Paul Bennett, who offered Malbon his first break in big boat sailing, as the first mate aboard Mike Golding's challenge boat Group 4. After a year onboard and 30,000 miles on the clock, Malbon left to join the Challenge Business as part of the training team for the 2000 BT Global Challenge. He was then promoted to Training Skipper and posted to San Francisco to run the US training programme... To read more click here

Jonny Malbon Links
Latest News
Photos of Jonny's Yacht
Artemis Ocean Racing II - On the water from Artemis Ocean Racing on Vimeo.

The Virtual Vendee Globe Race competition

In researching our Vendee Globe section of our website, we came across this and had to share it with you. If any of our graduates are taking part please post some comments to this blog on your position.

"Participate in the finest races with Virtual Regatta!
Create your yacht, adjust your heading, choose your sails and do battle with the skippers from around the world.

With more than 100,000 players, Virtual Regatta is the largest community of virtual racers.
10,000 euros cash for the winner! And many other prizes.

The race started on Sunday November 9 at 13h02 so it's too late to enter, but you can follow progress of the top 10 of 43,000 participants at www.virtualregatta.com/ranking.php

Definitely a website to visit before the start of any large yacht race.

About the Vendee Globe

The Vendée Globe is the only non-stop, round-the-world sailing race for single-handed sailors. Starting and finishing from Les Sables d’Olonne, France, it's one of the most challenging tests of individual endurance there is and the ultimate goal for all solo sailors.

Click on the map to view race positions

Competitors spend around three months alone at sea, facing some of the toughest sailing conditions imaginable, most notably in the Southern Ocean. They cannot draw on external help, such as customised routing or weather information, over a journey of approximately 21,600 miles.

Before the race, the competitors have to undergo medical and survival courses and be able to demonstrate prior racing experience in a single-handed transoceanic race. Dee will have to complete a 2,700 nautical mile qualifying passage on the boat that she will helm for the race no later than 1 July 2008. Her gruelling training programme includes the Transat, a single-handed yacht race across the north Atlantic, which can be used as the qualifying passage.

The Vendée Globe is a race for monohull yachts that conform to the Open 60 class criteria. These criteria stipulate some elements such as overall length, draught and stability, as well as various safety features, but all other aspects of the design are unrestricted.

Open 60s are designed to be sailed by one person and are some of the fastest boats in sailing. Made from carbon fibre, they are both light and strong and can right themselves if they turn upside down.

Working in charter article and podcast

New for this month, we are publishing an article for anyone interested in working in the charter industry. You can read the article here

To go with this article, we have also released a special edition of our podcast, covering an interview with UKSA's Emma Baggett who was interviewed for the article advertised in this months yachting press. You can listen to this episode below.

Get the most from our podcast content and subscribe to our podcasts in iTunes with our enhanced content with images, video and weblinks to support subject covered in these broadcasts. Just search for uksa in the iTunes store.

The Yachting Podcast: Episode 3

Episode 3 focuses on safety at sea with an interview from the RNLI on lifejacket safety, plus an interview with Nick Ward, author of Left for Dead, the true story of Nick's participation in and fight for survival in the storms that wrecked havoc on the 1979 Fastnet race. We also have the second in our series of interviews on being green at sea with Sarah Black from The Green Blue. This time it's wildlife we are discussing.

Subscribe to this podcast...
You can listen to these podcasts in the player above, but if you enjoy them, get a copy of iTunes, and subscribe to the podcast. Do this and iTunes will automatically download any new content we publish directly to your computer. That done, you can take these recordings with you and listen to them as and when you choose. You can find the podcast in the iTunes store - just search for UKSA.

Trinity Cadetship by Aidan Gerry

Update form Aidan Gerry - Trinity House Cadet
Overview of the first 2 months......
It's been a varied few months certainly a change from the mundane office job I left behind.

Week One: First Sea-phase: As new cadets we didn't even have time to unpack our bags before we were chucked onto a 42ft called Freedom. Luckily the weather was good so we set sail for Cherbourg covering the Competent Crew syllabus. An amazing way to start the course. We even got to go swimming in Lulworth Cove (without a wetsuit).

Week Two: Nav 1: Learning all about how to navigate from EPs to secondary ports and computation of rates charts up to Yachtmaster level. Bill Gardener as our instructor certainly made things interesting. Another successful week.

Week Three: Small Ships Radar: This was all done in the Transas suite. A room with no windows and loads of computer screens. I learnt a lot but didn't fancy spending anymore time in there than I needed. After all we're here to sail.

Week Four: Long Range Radio: No more interesting than the title. Paul Martin the lecturer was a legend. I cried with laughter when he brought out the puppets. It was a serious amount of information to take in with an exam at the end of the week so pretty heavy, but we all passed and are now MCA approved radio officers.

Week Five: Sea-phase Two: Spirit. An interesting (and wet) experience on the UKSA's only multi-hull. We started off the week with wall to wall sunshine but knew this wouldn't last forever. The force 6 northerly winds soon brought rain and big seas on the French side of the channel. Some of the crew saw their dinner more than once and if we didn't know each other before this sea-phase, we certainly do now. It was hard work but rewarding, and all felt a sigh of relief as we crashed into Gunwharf Quays (a long, embarrassing story). Why is it there is always loads of people looking when you mess up?!

Week Six/Seven: These were the weeks where we did our STCW95 course and the UKSA were kind enough to give us a couple of days off. Firefighting was definitely the highlight of the 2 weeks. We went to Ryde fire station and got kitted up with all the gear and BA sets then went into a burning building, (not something I'd recommend for the sleepy or un-alert)! We also did first aid, PSSR (which i won't go into as most people struggled to stay compus mentus), and sea survival with Bill Gardener; an outrageous day. I learnt an amazing amount and definitely never want to get into a life raft again.

Life at the UKSA is certainly different. There's a lot of different people from all walks of life and all over the globe, so finding something to talk about is never hard. It's nice not having to cook for yourself when on land and the swimming pool in the morning is a good start to the day.

We've got our self skippered sea-phase coming up and our Yachmaster after that so some more interesting weeks ahead (and no doubt some embarrassing crashes) which i'll keep you up to date with.