Eileen Ramsay dies aged 101

13 Feb 2017

Yachting photographer Eileen Ramsay dies aged 101

Eileen Ramsay, the Queen of British yachting photography during the post war years, has died aged 101.

Ms Ramsay recorded the explosion in small boat sailing during the 1950s and 60s, capturing not only the boats but also sailing pioneers such as Francis Chichester, Alec Rose, Col Blondie Hasler and Eric Tabarly.

Ms Ramsey was born in Sanderstead, Surrey in 1915. She began her career in 1937 as a 22 year-old receptionist to the Reading based Royal photographer Marcus Adams.

Mr Adams was about to be called up to help record the impending conflict against Germany and rather than close down his studio, gave each of his staff a camera and told them to go out and take some interesting pictures.

“I didn’t know anything about cameras then, but my pictures were judged the best and I got the job of running the business while he was at war,” said Ms Ramsay.

“Photographic materials were very difficult to get, but I had great success taking pictures of wives and people in uniform, which taught me a lot about portrait photography.”

Cowes based yachting photographer Ken Beken recalls: “Eileen carved a name for herself with her creative skills shouting out from the pages of nautical books and magazines.

“Her style was unique and innovative and an ‘Eileen Ramsey shot’ was always easy to discern.”

Ms Ramsay gave up photography in 1971 when her partner George Spiers was killed tragically in a riding accident, but later took up watercolour painting.

She remained fit and alert right up until her 102nd year able to recall almost every photograph she had taken and provide an amusing anecdote about each subject.

via Boating Business | Eileen Ramsay dies aged 101.

Rita is launched13 Feb 2017Rita with the Land Rover BAR America’s Cup teamThe ambitions of Land Rover BAR to win the 35th America’s Cup – and bring the trophy back home to Britain after 166 years – have taken a step forward with the launch and christening of the team’s America’s Cup class race boat Rita.Code-named R1, the boat represents three years of design and build including four test boats.Sir Ben’s wife Georgie and daughter Bellatrix christened Rita – the same name as all 19 of Sir Ben’s previous boats – in Bermuda where the team is preparing for the America’s Cup event in May.The team will now continue with its intensive testing and development programme that will include in-house racing against test boat T3.”The launch represents the sum of all the team’s efforts to bring the America’s Cup home and we’re delighted to get her in the water here in Bermuda,” said Sir Ben. “We’re a start-up team, and we had to build not just the boat but the design and engineering team, the facilities and the processes to get to this point today.”Richard Hopkirk; Land Rover BAR engineering manager added: “We believe this is the most sophisticated and best prepared British challenger, with a total campaign design effort of 50,000 hours and a construction effort of 35,000 hours for Rita.”The boat is supported by high-tech hydrofoils, 67m of rope on board, 130m of hydraulic pipes and more than 1200m of electronic and electrical cabling connecting 190 sensors and four video cameras.

via Boating Business | Rita is launched.

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More records broken

Alex Thomson celebrates, photo courtesy of Mark Lloyd

And congratulations also go to British sailor Alex Thompson who finished the Vendée Globe solo round the world race onboard his boat HUGO BOSS despite breaking his starboard foil a few days in.

After finishing in a time of 74 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes, Mr Thomson become the fastest Brit to sail solo around the world matching Dame Ellen MacArthur’s second place finish that she achieved in the 2001 edition of the race.

via Boating Business | More records broken.

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Record is broken by four days

The Idec Sport team celebrate their achievement

Congratulations to Francis Joyon and his crew who have completed a record-breaking Jules Verne Trophy.

The team on board the maxi-trimaran Idec Sport sailed around the world in 40 days, 23 hours and 30 minutes.

The team sailed 26,412 miles at an average speed of 26.85 knots, beating the previous record set by Loïck Peyron and his crew by 4 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds.

via Boating Business | Record is broken by four days.

GAC Pindar returns as Volvo Ocean Race provider

06 Feb 2017

GAC Pindar returns

GAC Pindar and GAC companies around the world will return as the Volvo Ocean Race for the second consecutive time as the official logistics provider.

The Group will work closely with GAC offices around the world to provide a wide range of services for the Race which kicks off in Alicante, Spain, on 22 October.

During the 2014-15 Race, the GAC Pindar team clocked up more than 21,000 man hours working to ensure the smooth delivery of the event.

“We are thrilled to again be the official logistics provider for this iconic event, building on the success of our collaboration for the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race,” said Andrew Pindar, team principal at GAC Pindar.

He added: “This appointment for the second consecutive time sends a clear message about our ability to meet the toughest challenges in yachting. We have established ourselves as a leader in the field, and that reputation is underpinned by the qualities that the GAC Group as a whole, the Volvo Ocean Race and its participants embody – stamina, spirit and teamwork.”

The announcement of its appointment for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 follows the signing in November 2016 of a long-term deal making it the official provider of marine logistics and shipping services for World Sailing.

GAC Pindar is also the official logistics provider for the Extreme Sailing Series, World Match Racing and the M32 Series.

Richard Mason, Volvo Ocean Race COO, concluded: “As a unique global event working under severe time pressures and facing unexpected obstacles, flexible logistics management is integral to operational delivery of the Volvo Ocean Race. The 2017-18 edition will see the sailors tackle one of the toughest race courses in recent history – and with 12 Host Cities on six continents, we’re facing a challenge on-shore, too.”

via Boating Business | GAC Pindar returns as Volvo Ocean Race provider.

Legends Race to celebrate Volvo Ocean Race history in 2017-18

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Tanya Visser/PPL

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Volvo Ocean Race

The Volvo Ocean Race will celebrate 45 years of history with a Legends Race on the final leg of the 2017-18 edition from Gothenburg to The Hague (full story below).

GOTHENBURG, Sweden – The Volvo Ocean Race will celebrate 45 years of history with a Legends Race on the final leg of the 2017-18 edition from Gothenburg to The Hague.

Any yacht to have featured in the Whitbread Round the World Race or Volvo Ocean Race, dating back to 1973-74, will be welcome to join the 2018 Legends Race. The race will be run over the same course, and around the same time, as the closing leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18, which starts from Gothenburg on 21 June.

The announcement was made at the yacht racing seminar Meetingspot in Gothenburg and follows a hugely successful Legends Regatta that was held before the start of the 2011-12 race in Alicante and exhibitions at the both the Volvo Ocean Race Museum in Alicante and at the finish in Gothenburg in the last edition in 2014-15.

Among those participating at the seminar was Tracy Edwards MBE, who skippered the all-female Maiden team to two leg victories in their class in the 1989-90 race and is planning to reunite her crew and the boat for the 2018 race.

“Maiden was found in a sad state a few years ago in the Seychelles and since then I have been working very hard to get her back, restore her and get her back in her former glory again,” said Edwards.

“She will shortly be shipped back to the UK for a renovation program and our aim is the gather the original all-female crew from 1989-90 and compete in the new Legends Race 2018.”

The plan for the Legends Race is to include a Maxi class, a Volvo Ocean 60 class an Open class. Both Sweden and Holland have a proud history in the Volvo Ocean Race and a large number of fans who have followed the event through the years.

“The Legends Race will add a lot of excitement to the Stopover in Gothenburg because there are many fans in Sweden who are devoted to the history of the Volvo Ocean Race,” said Camilla Nyman, CEO of Gothenburg & Co, organisers of the stopover in Gothenburg. “We’ll be welcoming famous yachts and crews to the heart of Gothenburg and fans will get to see a lot of legendary yachts and familiar faces.”

Frank van der Peet, head of the team organising the finish of the race at The Hague, added: “Holland has a long and successful history with the Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Race so we are very enthusiastic about welcoming these magnificent and historic race boats to The Hague.”

via Legends Race to celebrate Volvo Ocean Race history in 2017-18| Volvo Ocean Race.

GAC Pindar returns as official logistics provider for Volvo Ocean Race

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Marc Bow / Volvo Ocean Race

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KLM Cargo

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Ainhoa Sanchez / Volvo Ocean Race

Once again, GAC Pindar and GAC companies around the world will be put to the test by the Volvo Ocean Race. The 2017-18 edition will be the second consecutive time that GAC serves as the official logistics provider for the world’s premier offshore race, after its successful collaboration in 2014-15 (full story below).

GOTHENBURG, Sweden – Once again, GAC Pindar and GAC companies around the world will be put to the test by the Volvo Ocean Race. The 2017-18 edition will be the second consecutive time that GAC serves as the official logistics provider for the world’s premier offshore round-the-world race, after its successful collaboration in 2014-15.

The Group’s marine sport and leisure logistics specialist, GAC Pindar, will work closely with GAC offices around the world to provide a wide range of services for the Race which kicks off in Alicante, Spain, on 22 October. That will include customs clearance and transportation of pavilions and hospitality infrastructure, broadcast and other support equipment to Host Cities across six continents.

It will be a repeat of the epic challenge presented by the 2014-15 Race, during which the GAC Pindar team clocked up more than 21,000 man hours working to ensure the smooth delivery of the event. It also played a key role in getting two of the competing crews and their boats back in the Race after disaster struck: assisting in the Dongfeng Race Team mast replacement after it snapped en route for Brazil; and moving Team Vestas Wind’s stricken boat after it ran aground on the Cargados Carajos Shoals near Mauritius.

Since its establishment in 2011, GAC Pindar has become the go-to provider of marine leisure logistics, offering a complete range of services such as yacht transport, superyacht fuels, air ocean and land freight, yacht spares logistics, sailing even management and ship agency. The announcement of its appointment for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 follows the signing in November 2016 of a long-term deal making it the official provider of marine logistics and shipping services for World Sailing, the world governing body of sailing representing more than 140 member nations. GAC Pindar is also the official logistics provider for the Extreme Sailing Series, World Match Racing and the M32 Series.

“We are thrilled to again be the official logistics provider for this iconic event, building on the success of our collaboration for the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race,” says Andrew Pindar, Team Principal, GAC Pindar. “This appointment for the second consecutive time sends a clear message about our ability to meet the toughest challenges in yachting. We have established ourselves as a leader in the field, and that reputation is underpinned by the qualities that the GAC Group as a whole, the Volvo Ocean Race and its participants embody – stamina, spirit and teamwork.”

Herman Jorgensen, Managing Director of GAC UK, adds: “Both GAC Pindar and the global GAC Group as a whole value such long-term relationships which draw on past experience and lessons learned to drive efficiencies and cost savings.”

Volvo Ocean Race COO Richard Mason underlines the importance of working with a reliable logistics partners: “As a unique global event working under severe time pressures and facing unexpected obstacles, flexible logistics management is integral to operational delivery of the Volvo Ocean Race. The 2017-18 edition will see the sailors tackle one of the toughest race courses in recent history – and with 12 Host Cities on six continents, we’re facing a challenge on-shore, too.

“Working alongside a world-class, industry-leading player such as GAC Pindar, gives us great faith that we can not only meet those challenges, but over-deliver once again.”

via GAC Pindar returns as official logistics provider for Volvo Ocean Race| Volvo Ocean Race.

MAPFRE back for another Volvo Ocean Race challenge in 2017-18

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Ainhoa Sanchez / Volvo Ocean Race

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Francisco Vignale / MAPFRE / Volvo Ocean Race

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Ainhoa Sanchez / Volvo Ocean Race

MAPFRE will return to the Volvo Ocean Race for a second consecutive edition, as the third confirmed entry for sailing’s toughest team event (full story below).

ALICANTE, Spain – MAPFRE will be back on the start line for the Volvo Ocean Race in 2017-18, the Spanish team announced on Tuesday.

MAPFRE, backed by the Madrid-based global insurance company, are the third confirmed entry for sailing’s toughest team event, which starts from Alicante on Sunday, 22 October and will take the teams on a 45,000-nautical mile route around the world. Dongfeng Race Team and team AkzoNobel announced their campaigns last year.

In the last edition in 2014-15, MAPFRE won the leg into Auckland, New Zealand and grabbed three more podium finishes. Their return is testament to the success of the project both on the sporting and commercial side.

MAPFRE president Antonio Huertas said: “It’s an honour for MAPFRE to be on the start line again in one of the most demanding competitions in world sport. We really value being involved in a sailing competition around the world that represents the same values that define us as a company.

“Our experience in the last edition, with a great team of professionals, committed and determined to do well in this race, was very positive. Additionally, the Volvo Ocean Race will have stopovers in some of our main markets, such as Spain, Brazil and the United States, and we will therefore increase brand awareness of MAPFRE at an international level.”

Spain’s Pedro Campos will again oversee the MAPFRE project, with announcements on the skipper and crew to come in the near future.

Spanish boats have competed in eight of the previous 12 editions of the Volvo Ocean Race – formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race – but the country is still looking for a first win.

“It’s fantastic news to be able to confirm a Spanish team for the next edition, and of course great to see another sponsor return to the race after a successful campaign,” said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Mark Turner. “With Alicante recently confirmed as the start for the next three editions, and Spain having played a significant role in the history of the race in general, it will be great to see Spanish fans lined up again on the dock in October to cheer on their team, MAPFRE.”

Spanish sailor Campos has an unbroken history with the race dating back to the movistar campaign in 2005-06.

Pedro Campos, CEO of Team MAPFRE and of the last five Spanish projects in the Volvo Ocean Race, said: “We are very grateful and proud to have the full support of MAPFRE once again for the great adventure that is the Volvo Ocean Race, probably the longest, hardest, and most extreme event in the sports world. Just taking part in it, it’s a big goal for every team. To be on start line from Alicante with a chance to try to win – that is our first big challenge and our job for the next months.”

From the start in Alicante on 22 October, the teams will race their one-design Volvo Ocean 65s on a route that calls in at Lisbon, Cape Town, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Auckland, Itajaí, Newport (Rhode Island), Cardiff and Gothenburg before the finish in The Hague.

A recent rule change provides a major incentive for teams to include female sailors as part of the crew, while a series of further initiatives were announced last year to make the racing more open than ever.

via MAPFRE back for another Volvo Ocean Race challenge in 2017-18| Volvo Ocean Race.

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World’s greatest yachting cartoonist dies

Mike Peyton in his studio Photo courtesy of Paul Gelder

Mike Peyton, dubbed the ‘World’s greatest yachting cartoonist’, has died aged 96. Born into a mining family in County Durham in 1921, Mr Peyton began sketching as a boy.

He lied about his age to join the Army and was seconded to draw maps of the North African desert by the Intelligence Corps during the Second World War.

After the war he went to Manchester Art School and he also discovered boating buying a 12ft canvas sailing canoe and working his way down the River Thames, sleeping on moored barges.

He worked as a freelance cartoonist for New Scientist magazine for 35 years, as well as contributing cartoons to a wide range of magazines, from Yachting Monthly and Practical Boat Owner to the Church of England Times and Corsetry & Underwear. His cartoons, which often needed no translation, were published worldwide in yachting magazines from Japan to America.

He also had 18 books of yachting cartoons published and in 2016 was presented with the Yachting Journalists’ Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and dubbed the ‘Picasso of sailing’.

Mr Peyton is survived by his wife, Kathleen and daughters Hilary and Veronica.

via Boating Business | World’s greatest yachting cartoonist dies.

Dongfeng Race Team become first team to take delivery of their newly-refitted Volvo Ocean 65

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Eloi Stichelbaut/Dongfeng Race Team

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Eloi Stichelbaut/Dongfeng Race Team

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Eloi Stichelbaut/Dongfeng Race Team

There are 268 days until the Volvo Ocean Race fleet departs Alicante ahead of a 45,000 nautical mile marathon through the most challenging oceans on the planet, and Dongfeng Race Team are set to make the most of that preparation time after becoming the first to take delivery of their newly-refitted Volvo Ocean 65 at The Boatyard in Lisbon today (full story below).

There are 268 days until the Volvo Ocean Race fleet departs Alicante ahead of a 45,000 nautical mile marathon through the most challenging oceans on the planet, and Dongfeng Race Team are set to make the most of that preparation time after becoming the first to take delivery of their newly-refitted Volvo Ocean 65 at The Boatyard in Lisbon today.

The handover marks the formal beginning of the Chinese team’s second consecutive campaign, and holds extra special significance as it is exactly two years to the day since Charles Caudrelier and Dongfeng Race Team won their 2014-15 homecoming leg into Sanya.

Having been through a re-fit process worth around one million euros, the boat now features an eye-catching new colour scheme and branding, alongside a range of upgraded kit consisting of over 500 items across sails, deck gear, electronics and a new media and navigation station.

“For us, today is the largest milestone we’ve had so far in the re-fit period. It’s 15 weeks since Dongfeng gave the boat to us, and the deadline for returning it is today,” explains Neil Cox, Paint and Commissioning Manager at the Boatyard.

“We’ve had two days of sea trials which have gone well, and that’s the culmination of an enormous amount of work by 25 to 35 people, who have worked the last three and a half months putting in close to 3,500 man hours into the boat, covering everything from boatbuilding, rigging, to electronics, and sails, to get it stripped and put it back together.”

He continues: “In addition to that, we’ve put an additional 2,500 man hours into painting and branding, which has pretty much seen every area of the boat – from the hull, deck, masts, keel, rudders and daggerboards – stripped, re-primed and brought back into new paint, so we’re giving back a product which looks like a brand new boat.”

And Dongfeng technical specialists were full of praise for the Boatyard team, who have given the boat a complete overhaul whilst under huge time pressure.

“We have our boat back and she is still the same one that we got to know last time,” said boat captain, Graham Tourell. “But really she is almost new with some innovative upgrades – everything has been either replaced or renewed and she looks stunning in her new livery.’

Dongfeng skipper Charles has been working for months to build his crew for a campaign which he hopes will see the team better their third place of 2014-15, and the handover of the boat is a landmark occasion, he says.

“Getting our hands on the boat today is another huge step for us. It marks the beginning of another adventure for our team and the moment that we start our training programme in earnest. In the next few weeks we will also be able to finalise our crew selection.”

Who will sail onboard Dongfeng is not yet confirmed, but the Frenchman revealed that his squad will once again feature a mixed Chinese and western crew and will take advantage of new rules designed to encourage female sailors to take part.

“We’re looking for people who are competitive, determined to succeed and committed to our cause,” said Caudrelier. “Competition for each slot on the boat is exceptionally tough but we are determined to take our time and make sure we have the right mix.”

With the main phase of boat preparation now completed the focus switches to Dongfeng Race Team’s on-the-water training and racing programme in the lead-up to the Volvo Ocean Race start from Alicante in Spain on 22 October.

The 2017-18 route will see the Volvo Ocean 65 fleet race more than three times as many Southern Ocean miles as in recent editions, visiting 12 landmark cities across approximately 45,000 nautical miles – including a first return to Melbourne, Australia in over a decade, as announced on Thursday – and Caudrelier can’t wait to test the boat against the toughest conditions on the planet.

“As a team, we’re relishing the new emphasis in the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race on racing in the Southern Ocean and leg three is going to be one of the biggest challenges we will face,” he added.

via Dongfeng Race Team become first team to take delivery of their newly-refitted Volvo Ocean 65| Volvo Ocean Race.