Isle of Wight Radio interview with Mick Hill

Our efforts to raise funds for and general awareness of UKSA's good work received a boost this weekend when our intrepid Housekeeper Mick Hill was invited to take part in a short interview with Isle of Wight Radio.

The interview was so good we just had to share it with you.



Our thanks to Isle of Wight Radio for the coverage and the recording :-)

You can read more about Mick's efforts here

UKSA Teams up with King of Watersports

King of Watersports has teamed up with UKSA as part of a push to promote 10 of the best kitesurfing schools across the country all providing kitesurfing lessons. Each kitesurfing school is a member of the British Kite Surfing Association (BKSA) and offers comprehensive kitesurfing lessons in a safe and secure environment using the best equipment and most experienced instructors. www.kingofwatersports.com is an online Watersports company selling wetsuits and kitesurfing equipment including harnesses, kites and boards.

It puts UKSA firmly on the Kitesurfing map as a Kitesurfing training provider.

MCA Podcasts Out Now!

With the help of UKSA, the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) have produced a series of podcasts and online videos to keep you up-to-date with the latest news and advice. Topics include; sailing, diving, safety at sea, the dangers of tombstoning, real-life cliff top rescues, the latest helicopter to come into service for HM Coastguard, the new Sikorsky S92 and much more!

UKSA helped to film the videos, and provided the MCA with staff and boats.

For more information and to subscribe for free to the MCA podcasts, click here

Ron Holland live event recording

If you were not able to make our live event this Thursday, no worries... we recorded it so you can experience the recording. The live broadcast didn't work quite as well as we had anticipated, but we will persevere with these live events till we get them polished. Thanks to all of you who tried to attend. we hope you enjoy the recording. To go with it, we have posted a copy of Ron Holland's presentation in this post. Our thanks to Ron for a really great and entertaining insight into the world and thoughts of a superyacht designer.

UKSA to launch first LIVE online learning event

UKSA is about to experiment with broadcasting their first live online radio broadcast this Thursday 14th May with a live radio broadcast of Ron Holland's talk which will be given to students staff and guests at the Academy.

The system they have employed should allow streaming audio to be delivered to up to 100 online listeners, so we would like to invite you all to attend. As our first experiment with this medium we have been running checks and double checks to make sure everything is working, but would add that until we trial a broadcast with a sizeable audience we don't have any guarantee that we have it all tweaked right.

Free Online Almanac for you all.

Wiley Nautical yesterday unveiled a brand new online almanac which is free and covers the UK and French waters.

We haven't had time to fully play with it yet, but an initial glance says its well worth some time to play with.

You can download area sections for off line viewing, which is great for those taking to the water who don't have an Internet connection while afloat.

NEW WILEY NAUTICAL ALMANAC PROVIDES FREE INFORMATION

Wiley Nautical Almanac, launched on 11 May, is a new, comprehensive directory of harbour, tidal and weather data for 135 harbours from Lowestoft to Padstow and Vlissingen to L’Aber-Wrac’h, including the waters of the English Channel.

Available as a free digital download from www.wileyalmanac.com, it enables quick and easy access, at home or on board, to essential navigation, meteorological and key contact information – even without an internet connection.

The Wiley Almanac divides the area it covers into 5 distinct areas. It can be downloaded in its entirety or by area. Each downloaded section contains detailed information on:

• Tides – times and heights of high and low water, graphical tidal streams and rates
• Weather forecast – 1-7 days including wind direction and force in knots and Beaufort scale, sea state, air temperature, cloud cover, sun/moon -rise and –set
• Ports & Harbour navigation: aerial photographs, charts, navigation and pilotage notes
• Reference section: including information on Navigation, Communications, Safety and UK and Continental Weather sources
• Local facilities: contact details for marinas, fuel, restaurants, chandleries, marine engineers, sail makers etc
• Notices to Mariners and Trinity House advice updated on issue

IT’S EASY – JUST POINT AND CLICK!

THERE IS NO HARD COPY COMPANION VOLUME, ALTHOUGH PAGES MAY BE PRINTED OUT IF DESIRED. THERE IS NO COST, SUBSCRIPTION OR FEE.

Get more info and download the Free Online Almanac Here

or play their introductory tour below

Before you nod off...

On Tuesday 12th May on BBC One at 9pm, Dee Caffari will be featured in a BBC documentary called '10 Things You Need To Know About Sleep'. The programme has followed a host of celebrities, including BBC newsreader Kate Silverton, chef Aldo Zilli and record-breaking yachtswoman Dee, that for one reason or another have unusual sleep patterns. The show looks at how each person deals with sleep deprivation and disturbed sleep and offers practical tips on how to get a good night's sleep.

For more information click here

And they're off...!

Andrew Delaney and Guy Watts, who completed some safety and navigation training at UKSA back in February, are now well into their 4000 mile row from Western Australia to Mauritius!

The pair are taking part in the inaugural Woodvale Indian Ocean Rowing Race to raise money for their chosen charity Orchid, a charity that focuses specifically on male cancers. Andy and Guy also hope to set two world records; to be the youngest, and first pair to cross the finish line.

During the 90 days expected crossing time, Andy and Guy will be taking it in turns to row in 1 1/2 hour on, 1 1/2 hour off shifts. They're now two weeks into the challenge, and you can track their progress, and get daily updates on their blog.

You can check out more information about the race and the other competitors taking part by going to http://www.indianoceanrowingrace09.com/progress/