The Summer Olympic Games 2008 start in Beijing, China on August the 8th and last until August 24th. This year the British Olympic Sailing Team 2008 will compete in 11 different classes.

Seaweed Problem

The conditions for sailing in China will be challenging. Light winds and high tides will test the technical skills for all 18 sailors of the British Olympic Sailing Team 2008. Recent and widely reported problems with seaweed, that has made sailing waters thick and carpet-like, just adds to the challenge and the British Olympic Sailing Team 2008 is now working really hard to ensure an excellent performance.

Medal Winners Return

The Yngling team (pronounced ‘ING-ling’), comprising of the same three women (Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson) who won gold at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 and is now aiming for its second gold in Beijing.

Single Handers

Single handed dinghy classes of the British Olympic Sailing Team 2008 include Ben Ainslie in the Finn class, Paul Goodison in the Laser class and Penny Clark in the Laser Radial class.

The 49ers

Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes are competing in the double handled 49er dinghy class. The 49ers are exciting boats and racing success depends on close crew coordination to prevent capsizing. Keep up with the latest updates from the British Olympic Sailing Team 2008 49ers by visiting their blog.
Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson, who are racing the men’s Star keel-boat class, are training really hard in China, in spite of the aforementioned sea weed problems.

Windsurfing

The British Olympic Sailing Team for the windsurfer RS:X class is Nick Dempsey in the men’s category and Bryony Shaw in the women’s.

470 Class

The highly successful men’s crew of Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield for the two person dinghy 470 class have been competing for 10 years together, winning silver in Athens, 2004 and are now one of the favourites for a gold medal in Beijing. The women’s crew in this class consists of Christina Bassadone and Saskia Clark.

Tornado Class

Leigh McMillan and Will Howden’s Tornado crew is ranked sixth in the world. The Tornado is capable of reaching speeds of over 65 km/hour and is considered to be the ‘formula-one’ of the sailing world. The British Olympic Sailing Team’s Tornado crew has not only superb skills and competence to ensure its success, but it also has tremendous tactical thinking ability, which is crucial in handling this multi-hull fast vessel.

Boat News from Cover My Boat

Cover My Boat, the marine and boat insurance specialists, will be bringing regular updates of the British Olympic Sailing Team’s successes throughout this summer’s Beijing Olympic Games.

Events at the Marine Experience 2008

Among the many exhibitors at the Marine Experience 2008, will be all the major boat-market players like Laser and Honda Marine, but perhaps the most interesting feature on the display this year will be the famous Earthrace. The Earthrace is a unique trimaran that’s 100% carbon neutral, runs on 100% renewable energy and is an inspiration for “green” boat enthusiasts.

There will be a variety of boating and marine activities on offer every day at the Marine Experience 2008 including racing powerboats, the National Thundercats Championship and the On Board programme for children to encourage school kids to climb on board a dinghy and get boating.

Don’t miss the popular Try-A-Boat attraction at this year’s show that will feature power boats, sail boats and the latest RIBs. Make sure you arrive early at the Marine Experience 2008 to ensure your free place on the Try-A-Boat exhibition.

Book Tickets

Tickets for National Boat Shows’ Marine Experience 2008 range from £5 to £25 depending on the time and date of your visit. Buy a ticket online and you can win the Bug - Laser Performance sailing boat!

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One of the longest standing sailing events in the UK is Cowes Week Sailing Regatta.It is also one of the worlds longest running sailing events. The sailing event is held In August every year and has been running since 1826, this offers both sailors and visitors alike an exciting racing schedule and a packed entertainment itinerary on shore throughout the week.Follow this link for Cowes Week sailing events www.cowes.co.uk

An estimated 1000 boats attend this sailing event in the UK, along with over 50,000 sailing fans and party revellers. It attracts a wide range of competitors from amateurs to Olympic and world champions. The fantastic onshore activities include live music, a display from “The Team Road Angel” Aerobatic display team and a spectacular fireworks display on the final Friday night.

One can get an idea of the scale of pollution from the series of paintings by Claude Monet. The painting Houses of Parliament was not created from an artist’s imagination, but was purely based on actual observation.

Houses of Parliament.Claude Monet.

To tackle the problem, a number of measures have been put in place to reduce pollutants cased by commercial cargo vessels and boats.
Today however, boating is considered to be one of the most green leisure activities. There are even more new green technologies available- like boat solar panels or biofuels to insure your boat has the least impact on the environment.

With a climate change, rising water levels and increased flood risks, the standard of new buildings should be improved, the Association of British Insurers announced today.

Last summer’s floods cost the insurance industry more than £3bn. It’s not just the house insurance market that has been affected, but the boat and marine insurance market as well.

Though a small inflatable boat or canoe stored in a garage can assist in the case of a flood, boats and yachts can be affected to the “beyond repair” extent. In a flood situation, boats can be forced by the current, float uncontrollably and then hit bridges or buildings.

This narrow boat floated into the tunnel as the water level rose, until it filled up with water and sank. Photo: Patrick Campbell

If you are a boat owner, you will be responsible for recovering the vessel, which can be a difficult and expensive task when the water level finally drops. Even worse, you might be responsible for the damage your boat causes to someone else’s property. So, to avoid major financial loss, ensure you have fully comprehensive boat insurance or at least be covered by third party boat insurance.

Don’t simply hire the surveyor recommended by the seller and don’t rely on a report paid for previously by the seller. Find a reputable professional for the job yourself instead.
Look for a certified marine surveyor, who is accredited in professional bodies that require strict technical and ethical standards. Ask for the criteria your boat will be evaluated upon and exactly what will be covered in the report. It is worth paying to have an ‘out of water’ inspection to see whether the boat has been grounded or if there is keel damage. When arranging the date and time for the inspection, arrange to be present yourself. It’s a great chance to learn about your boat from an expert.

Remember, the survey is an overview of the boat condition on the day of inspection and problems hidden by the permanent structure of a boat may not be detected. A good survey could save you the value of your boat many times over in repairs alone.

Here are the major boat shows that will keep sailors, boat owners and their families busy and entertained this winter.

11th - 20th January 2008, London
Collins Stewart London Boat Show will feature over 1000 boats and around 650 companies exhibiting marine based products. On 60,000 square metres of covered space and over 100 acres of water, the show will have everything for your boating needs.
There will be something for everyone: a range of fun and educational boat activities for young children; an aerial spectacular Sea Queen Show performed by circus dancers; a Royal Navy Destroyer- a vessel equipped with the air defence missile system will be moored outside on the show’s spectacular marina in the Royal Victoria Dock.

Tickets range from £10.00 to £17.50 and can be booked online.
Visit the website

February 19th -24th 2008, Birmingham
The National Boat Caravan and Outdoor Show will not only feature boats and marine products, but also caravans and tents, cars and motor homes will be on offer.
Two hundred thousand square metres of display space at the National Exhibition Centre allows plenty of room to host free family activities including canoeing, kayaking, archery, climbing plus caravan towing and motor home manoeuvring courses.

Tickets range from £8.00 to £14.00 and can be booked online.
Visit the website

28th February - 2nd March 2008, Mumbai, India
With the British Marine Federation as a strategic partner in the Mumbai International Boat Show, it is the largest boat show in India. On a 10,000 square metre space, a wide range of small and medium sized boats, boat engines, water sports equipment and luxury products will be displayed. Press conference with international speakers from marine and boating industries, VIP preview evening, Networking dinner and other sponsored events will make marine experience in the ‘Gateway to India’ city Mumbai unforgettable.

Tickets range from £2.00 to £9.00 and can be booked online, by wire transfer or bankers draft. When visiting the site please note that prices are shown in Indian Rupees (100PS=1.28GBP)
Visit the website

People who are selling their Yachts need to be aware of fraudulent activities currently occuring. The deception begins when a potential buyer contacts the seller via email. The buyer makes enquiries and requests photos, stating he/she would like the boat to be shipped abroad and promises to pay by cheque.

Although the cheque is fake or stolen, it appears to clear long enough for the boat to be delivered, but then the funds are denied by the bank.

Precautions to take, according to Yachting Monthly :

If in doubt please seek professional advice or talk to the police.

By choosing larger tourist-owned yachts, the smugglers are able to transport a large number of immigrants while appearing to be holidaymakers. They often fill the boat in Turkey and then sail to either the Greek or Italian coast where the immigrants are off-loaded. The yacht will then be scuppered or dumped to avoid being caught.

To make matters worse, communication between Turkish and Greek Coastguards is minimal (even though there is only 2 miles separating them), which makes tracking stolen yachts even more laborious. Smugglers are aware of this and can use it to their advantage.

If you intend to sail to these regions, here are some helpful tips on securing your yacht:

Invest in a Yacht Alarm
Even a simple alarm fitted to entry hatches and doors can prevent thieves from sailing away in your pride and joy.

Yachts are often moored alongside 100’s of other vessels – so if thieves see that your yacht is alarmed but your neighbour’s isn’t – which one will they pick to steal? The latest yacht alarms allow you to monitor your yacht by CCTV so that you can access the camera via the internet using your laptop – giving you real-time footage.

Hatch and Door Locks
Simply improving locks and padlocks can prove to be a visible deterrent, especially on older boats where entrances consist of a drop-in board and a sliding hatch.

Window Locks
Windows are often held in place by very weak plastic catches that can be easily broken, making entry to the yacht very easy. It is inexpensive to upgrade the window catches and locks and could prove an invaluable addition.

Choose Your Mooring Location Carefully
With larger marinas, it is reasonable to assume there will be more staff and fellow sailors which will mean yachts are under constant surveillance. It is also likely that CCTV will be employed, so try to moor close to a camera if possible.

Try to avoid leaving your vessel in areas where there are few people such as a bank side or enclosed bay.