Traditional Boats & Tall Ships Magazine

The 7th UK Firefighters Sailing Challenge to return to the Solent

The increasingly popular UK Firefighters Sailing Challenge will be run for the 7th consecutive year on 27th, 28th and 29th April in the testing waters of the Solent.

 

To mark the dedicated and continuing support of their Gold sponsor the event this year will be named The telent UK Fire Fighters Sailing Challenge 2010. As the event has become better known and respected invitations have been extended to the other emergency services and there are now police, ambulance and mountain rescue service entries as well as from the UK fire service. This may be the only 999 inclusive sports event in the country.

 

Apart from the benefits of the emergency services competing in a single event, having the opportunity of meeting with colleagues and making friends in a non emergency situation and fostering better relations, it provides a platform to raise money for charity. This year the charities benefiting from the event will be The Fire Fighters Charity and Help for Heroes. The event committee are very grateful to the many local and national companies who have generously donated prizes for the raffles and auctions that raise much of the money that will be donated.

 

Event dinners will be held at the Cowes Event Centre on the nights of the 27th and 28th and we are delighted that TV presenter and comedian Miles Crawford will be entertaining competitors on our first night.

 

For more details of the event check out www.ukfsc.org.uk

Pete Goss to give public lecture at Maritime Museum in Falmouth

Having only just returned to the UK following his epic adventure sailing 11,800 miles from Newlyn to Australia on a 37ft wooden lugger, Pete Goss is hot-footing it down to the Maritime Museum in Falmouth on the Thursday 28 May to give the first open lecture about his incredible journey.
 
Attempting to re-capture and live the history of the original Mystery, Pete and his crew designed and built a replica of the Mounts Bay lugger which seven Cornishmen sailed to Melbourne, chasing their dream of a better life in the gold rush of 1854.
 
Pete's Spirit of Mystery left Newlyn bound for Australia on 20th October 2008 and Pete and his family of crew (again capturing the true essence of the original seven crew - as they were all related) reached Melbourne on 9th March 2009.
 
After navigating the North Atlantic and encountering the gales and hazards of the southern ocean, tackling the dangers of the notorious Cape of Good Hope, charting their route by the stars, and coping with a serious knock-down which resulted in damage and a broken leg, they achieved their dream.
 
Tickets for this exclusive lecture at 7pm on Thursday 28 May start at £8 for children (6-15) and £12 for adults with all of the profits going to the Cornwall Playing for Success charity of which Pete is a founding trustee.
 
To enjoy the lecture and a two course buffet, prices are £16 or £20. An open bar is available. 
Tickets are limited and are available on 01326 214546.  (Picture: copyright Mark Lloyd)

New exhibition dedicated to the Gresham Ship to open soon

Over 500 years ago a merchant ship sank to the bottom of the Thames.

Now, scuba divers and archaeologists have raised the wreck from its previously undetected resting place. As the investigation continues, extreme conservation has hammered through stony concretions to free the objects and long hidden secrets within.

London of the 1500s was a dangerous city. With the import of high quality goods, pirate chases along the Thames were not an uncommon sight. For safety even trade ships found themselves armed to the hilt with several large cannons.

One such cannon, found amongst the wreckage bears the insignia of the famous financier and founder of the first English Stock Exchange, Sir Thomas Gresham (pictured right).

You can find out if the Gresham Ship was a victim of an Elizabethan hostile takeover or more innocently the treacherous river Thames. You will also be able to see the intimate daily artefacts from the ships final hours and haunting fated sailor’s shoes visible again and on display for the very first time.

The exhibition, 2009: A Thames Odyssey… the Gresham Ship journey so far, will be on display and open to the public at the UCL Institute of Archaeology from May 11th to 15th, before touring the UK. There is also a *Sunday open day on May 10th* from 10am to 5pm with guided tours, and the
opportunity to enjoy the rooftop balcony view over Bloomsbury.

For more information on the Gresham Ship Project visit www.nasportsmouth.org.uk/projects/gresham.php

The 16th Annual Scottish Traditional Boat Festival

From international boat experts to the world’s fastest knitter, the 16th annual Scottish Traditional Boat Festival will celebrate all aspects of Scottish maritime heritage from 2nd -5th July in Portsoy.

A major event in the Homecoming 2009 calendar, the festival has been extended by two days this year to include a symposium of fascinating speakers who will talk about nautical traditions ranging from early boat building to sea shanty and gansey knitting.

Nigel Irens, world-renowned yacht designer who designed Ellen McArthur’s yacht, will be discussing current and future design as part of the speaker’s symposium. Bjorn Arve and Johanne Tvedten from Norway will give children opportunities to discover boat-building skills and demonstrate some of the traditional techniques.

Knitting and weaving will also play a major part of the festival to celebrate maritime traditions. The world’s fastest knitter Hazel Tindall will be demonstrating, and Norman Kennedy, who is known across the world for his skills in knitting, weaving and singing, will be making the trip from America back home to his north east roots for the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival.

Music will also play a key element at the festival. This year the theme will be around shanty and will include a programme of music, song and dance that will feature traditional musicians and singers from around the world, including Norman Kennedy and shanty expert Bob Walser.

As well as demonstrations and performances, people can go to the Food Fair at the Wally Green to sample the finest produce from a range of local and national Scottish producers. There will also be family fun at Adventure Land at Loch Soy and for the more energetic there’s the 2k Fun Run and the 10K and 20k Road Runs on the Sunday morning.

The renovated Salmon Bothy, which opened at last year’s festival, is now a fully-fledged museum of Portsoy’s history and the salmon fishery. It will showcase exhibitions, demonstrations and entertainment during the event and its fully equipped genealogical rearch facility will prove popular with visitors wishing to explore their roots in this year of Homecoming. The festival brings together heritage and the celebration of maritime traditions with a variety of activities to suit everyone, making this an exciting and unmissable event.

For more information about the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival visit www.scottishtraditionalboatfestival.co.uk or call 01261 842951.

The Scottish Traditional Boat Festival is supported by VisitScotland and Event Scotland as part of the Homecoming Scotland 2009 initiative.

Tall Ships for Corporate Hospitality at Cowes Week 2009

New lower prices for exclusive charters

Two luxury tall ships are available for exclusive charters during Cowes Week 2009.  Tall ship specialist Red Sky Sailing is offering the ships ‘Atlantis’ and ‘J.R. Tolkien’ for day sails and evening receptions to enjoy the enthralling racing and sophisticated ambience of the regatta.

And as hospitality budgets get tighter, Red Sky Sailing has pulled out all the stops to reduce the prices of their exclusive charters without reducing the quality of their programme.  Rates have been re-negotiated with all suppliers to ensure the lowest possible prices for 2009.

With 1,000 boats and 8,500 competitors taking part in 40 races each day Cowes Week is the largest regatta of its kind in the world.  The racing attracts a diversity of competitors with teams of world class professionals through to local weekend sailors.  But it is not just about racing – annually over 100,000 spectators come to watch the sailing and soak up the unique atmosphere and live entertainment ashore.

This year’s events takes places from 1st to 8th August and Red Sky Sailing is offering a full programme of corporate entertaining.  The two ships are suitable for exclusive charters of groups from 20 to 140 guests and both have large interior saloons, well-stocked bars and great outside deck areas that can be covered with awnings.  With embarkation at Portsmouth or Southampton the programme includes day sails to watch the yacht racing, evening sails or quayside parties.  Guests are also welcome to get involved in sailing the ship.  Prices start at £180 per person (+ VAT) for a day sail and £145 per person (+ VAT) for an evening, based on 140 guests.  Prices include full catering and bar package, harbour fees, mooring and pilot dues.  Options are available for additional entertainment on board including live bands, entertainers, RIB rides (rigid inflatable boat), branded clothing and corporate ship branding.

Both the ‘Atlantis’ and ‘J.R. Tolkien’ are also available to charter for the famous Cowes Week fireworks display on Friday 7th August.  This annual spectacular sees a myriad of vessels on the water at Cowes and thousands of people watching from the shoreline as a volley of fireworks are reflected on the Solent creating an exceptional son et lumiére.

The tall ship ‘J.R. Tolkien’ is also available to smaller groups on a shared-ship basis for a day sail on Tuesday 4th August.  At £255 per person (+ VAT) the package includes breakfast, champagne reception, luxury buffet lunch, afternoon tea, bar package, official Cowes Week brochures and a race commentator to mingle with the guests and explain what is happening on the water.

Public spectator days are available on the tall ship ‘J.R. Tolkien’ on 1st, 2nd and 8th August at £149 per person, including lunch and afternoon tea.

For further information and quotations please telephone Red Sky Sailing on 01273 777978, email to [email protected] or see our website at www.redsky-sailing.com.

Tall Ships Tacoma: show me the money

 

At least traditional ships are earning money for someone, even if it's so rarely themselves: the Tall Ships Tacoma festival held in summer 2008 benefited the local economy to the tune of $19million, according to a recent independent economic study. 

“We are very pleased with the information included in this report,” said Stan Selden, co-chair of the festival.  “One of our goals in organising the festival was to provide an outstanding event for the community and the fact that the festival generated so much money for Tacoma is extremely gratifying.” 

Completed by the consulting firm Birchhill Enterprises, the study offers both an in-depth description of the festival’s impact on the local economy and a demographic profile of the visitors attracted to the Foss Waterway during the five-day event.  Cherry-picking of the study reveals that:

• More than $19 million of overall economic impact benefited the local economy
• 300,000 people visited the revitalised Foss Waterway during the festival
• $1,089,523 in state sales tax revenue was generated by the festival
• $229,047 in sales tax revenue stayed in the local Tacoma area
• 16% of festival guests travelled more than 50 miles to attend the festival, staying an average of 2.6 days in the Tacoma area
• 78% of festival guests said they would definitely attend future tall ships events in Tacoma

In addition to these and other economic impacts identified in the study, the Tacoma Tall Ships Organisation successfully lobbied the state of Washington for a million-dollar grant.  This money will continue the Foss Waterway rehabilitation by paying for steel pilings along the northwest shore.  The grant also eased the city’s acquisition of 1,200 feet of permanent concrete floats which were rehabilitated with donated materials and labour. 

Now, how do we get the money to the ships? 

Spirit of the Mystery to visit Maritime Museum Cornwall

The sailor and adventurer Pete Goss will be bringing his replica vessel Spirit of the Mystery to the pontoon at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall from 15th to 26th September.  For the duration of the fortnight, Pete and his crew will be sharing their incredible adventures with a number of schools from across the county.  The hundreds of Cornish school children will also encounter an 'original member' of the 1854 crew, thanks to a theatrical workshop.  Supported by HSBC, these workshops will teach the pupils about local maritime history, food, navigation and Cornwall's boat-building heritage. 

Pete, his crew and Spirit of the Mystery set sail for Australia via Cape Town in just a few weeks. The 37ft wooden lugger follows in the wake of seven Cornishmen who made a heroic journey from Newlyn to Australia more than 150 years ago.  Leaving Newlyn in November 1854, the Mystery travelled 11,800 nautical miles in 116 days before arriving in Melbourne in March 1855.  The only break in the voyage was a week in Cape Town for repairs and replenishment before heading into the Southern Ocean.  Pete will be re-enacting this journey in his Spirit of the Mystery in the most authentic ways possible: the replica boat is built by Chris Rees using local wood to the original drawings.  There is no engine and the crew will navigate only by the stars and the sun. 

After the schools' fortnight in September, Spirit of the Mystery will return to the Museum from the 16th to the 19th October, during the Falmouth Oyster Festival, where again people will be able to see the boat on the Museum’s pontoon.  Pete will also be giving a talk about his latest voyage in the Museum’s lecture theatre on Friday 17th October at 6.30pm. 

It's not just the kids who get treated to the boat, by the way - visitiors will also be able to get close to the boat and her crew from 3-5pm every weekday from the 15th to 26th September (excluding the 19th), and she’s also available for viewing from 10am to 5pm at weekends.  Have a look at the Museum website for more details - this is one of the finest opportunities this year to see Cornwall’s maritime heritage come to life.  

St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta 2009

The St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta is now inviting all tall ships to sail in the Caribbean in January 2009.  A special course for those large vessels has been added in the fourth classic regatta, due to be held in the third week of January, and tall ships will not have to pay a fee to participate in the Regatta. 

Ships like the Stad Amsterdam and the Star Clipper ships have shown interest in participating, while the 75m Canadian barquentine Caledonia, pictured above, has already registered.  The organisation hopes to attract many more!  

The fourth Invitational St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta 2009 kicks off on Thursday January 22nd with a skippers' briefing and official opening ceremony.  Effective sailing starts the next day from Great Bay to Marigot, where the yachts will be hosted at Fort Louis Marina.  Saturday will be a special Tall Ships Day, when all classics and the tall ships will sail back towards the finish line in Great Bay. 

Organisers received the authorisation from the Saint Maarten Port Authorities to dock the Tall Ships at the Pointe Blanche cruise ship pier so that passengers can disembark and an onboard VIP reception can be held after the regatta that Saturday evening.  It may also be possible for the general public to visit the ships on Sunday morning while they are in Great Bay. 

The regular schooners, vintage, 'spirit of tradition' and classic yachts in the regatta will set sail again that Sunday morning for the last regatta day towards Anguilla and return to the finish in Great Bay in the afternoon. 

Have a look at the Classic Regatta website for more details. 

Adventurers wanted for Atlantic odyssey

Have you ever dreamt of experiencing travel from a bygone age?  Do you yearn for the creak of the rigging and look up to huge white sails billowing in the wind?  Have you enjoyed watching Master & Commander or Pirates of the Caribbean and wonder what it would be like to actually sail these mighty ships?  Or perhaps you’ve seen round-the-world yacht races, and wanted the opportunity to crew on a truly epic voyage?  Here is your chance!

Ships taking part in the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge are now seeking adventurous trainee crew members to join them on this odyssey around the North Atlantic in 2009.  Tall ships, racing yachts and traditional boats will be competing together in an epic voyage that starts in Spain on April 2009, travelling across the Atlantic to Bermuda, then up to the US and Canada before returning to Europe with a final stop in Belfast in August.

The event is being organised by Sail Training International, the organisers of the annual Tall Ships’ Races.  While many Tall Ships competitions have age restrictions, the Challenge legs from Vigo to Tenerife, Tenerife to Bermuda, Bermuda to Charleston and finally Charleston to Boston do not, meaning anyone can join a crew, from the age of 15 upwards with no upper limit - as long as you are fit and healthy and ready for a challenge! 

Ships from many different nations will be taking part, and many are now actively seeking trainee crew members for the Challenge.  To find out more visit Sail Training International website.  What are you waiting for? 

Angele Aline is sailing again to save lives

It’s not often that you can really be a part of history… but the Angele Aline is a little ship that allows you the feeling that you truly are!  Joining her for part of her charity voyage this autumn gives you the opportunity to sail a Dunkirk veteran with an impressive pedigree. 

Launched at the birth of the Jazz Age, she survived the Depression and rescued countless Allied troops during the famous evacuation in 1940.  Her latest voyage will also save and improve lives, raising money for two diverse, but equally important charities: East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices and the Vila Maninga project in Mozambique. 

In autumn 2008 the Angele Aline is sailing the east cost of Britain, navigating the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness, visiting the Scottish Western Islands, returning through the Canal, stopping at Inverness, Edinburgh and Whitby, and finally returning to the home berth in Woolverstone. 

There are still a few vacancies to crew the Angele Aline between 6th September and 1st November – whether you are an experienced sailor or a novice.  There is a very special price offered for these late places: just £275 per person for one week, or £500 for two. 

The Angele Aline has been fitted out in style: retaining all the originality of her early history, she is now comfortable, with a feeling of spacious intimacy.  If you want privacy, there’s the option of the 'Owner Cabin', with en suite toilet, at £775 per week (double occupancy).  And you will not be expected to crew on an empty stomach – there’s a well stocked galley! 

Time is getting short and the Angele Aline needs to know that you will be joining her soon!  Bookings should be confirmed (and payment made in full) by 3rd September - so get your skates on! 

Go to the Angele Aline website for further details, send an email this way, or call Jean (daytime only) on 01284 728792 or Ray (evenings only) on 01284 723205.