Boating News

Navigators & General, UK pleasure craft insurer and part of the Zurich group, is joining the campaign to urge the European Commission to allow the UK government to apply lower fuel duty for diesel used in private pleasure craft.

At a gala dinner in Wicklow, Eric Lisson of the Royal Cork Yacht Club was formally presented with the overall winner's trophy for the BMW Round Ireland Yacht Race, which was the highlight of the 2006 Sailing season. Crews from the 704-mile race gathered to celebrate prize-winners from individual categories in the race that attracted entries from as far away as New Zealand.

Saga Insurance is sponsoring Sir Robin Knox-Johnston as he competes in the VELUX 5 Oceans round the world yacht race. He will set sail in his yacht ‘Saga Insurance’ from Bilbao, Spain on 22 October.

An associate from Honda (UK) has become the world’s first woman to win a Formula 4-stroke powerboat round in the 150hp class – in only her third race!

MDL Marinas has launched wireless internet access (WiFi) at all of their 18 marina locations, and to celebrate, will be giving away free 24-hour WiFi access to all overnight visitors who are members of their Cruising Club scheme during the whole of August! Membership to Cruising Club is FREE and visitors can join during their stay, PLUS members enjoy every seventh overnight stay absolutely FREE.

Fairline Nederland (Brielle Yachting BV), Fairline’s official distributor for the Benelux, Germany and Austria has opened a brand new state-of-the-art showroom in Nieuwpoort, Belgium and has appointed a new Sales Manager, Willy De Ridder, to run the premises.

Ipswich based Broadblue Catamarans, now the UK’s leading catamaran builder will show its highly successful Broadblue 385 at this year's Southampton Boat Show. The 385 is an ideal family cruiser offering exceptional accommodation for a boat of its size while sailing is made easy with its aptly named “Easy Sail Rig”. This has a small mainsail stepped aft with a large furling genoa providing fast and stable performance. An alternative “Sport” option takes the rig further forward with a large roached, fully battened main and smaller genoa. The sport rig is designed for fast passage making and for those who enjoy even more exhilarating sailing.

BoatStats, a new web site, has been launched to give surveyors, boat buyers and boat owners access to information previously locked up in thousands of yacht surveys carried out by professional yacht surveyors over the last ten years.

Fairline Boats plc has announced that the Fairline Targa 38 is to make its world debut at next year's London Boat Show, which runs from January 6th-15th at the ExCel Centre in London's Docklands.

Formula Yacht Spars, the UK’s leading manufacturer of performance carbon and aluminium yacht spars will announce the launch of ‘Oceanfurl’ at this year’s METS Trade Show. ‘Oceanfurl’ is a roller-based in boom furling system that has been created in association with Matrix Masts in New Zealand. Following five years in development the system is set to take the market by storm.

To coincide with the London Boat Show, Avon Inflatables and National Boat Shows are offering you the opportunity to win an Avon Rover 260 inflatable boat. To enter, simply log on to the 2006 London Boat Show website at www.londonboatshow.com and enter your details.

Project X is the name given by Sealegs for the design and manufacture of a new amphibious marine craft. The new boat will be designed as a high-volume, low-cost craft. An initial estimate of the production commitment is 100 boats in 2008.

Leading luxury motor boat manufacturer, Sealine International, have appointed 5 Star Motor Cruisers of Rose Bay in Sydney Harbour as their official Australian dealer.

Sunsail, the market leader in watersports beach resorts, flotilla sailing and yacht charter holidays, is to open a new resort in Turkey in the spring of next year, bringing the total number in Turkey to four. Sunsail also operates three watersports beach resorts in Greece and one year-round resort in Antigua.

Fairline Boats plc, one of the UK’s largest and most respected boat builders launched their online merchandise ‘Collection’ in 2004 and following a year of excellent sales, which exceeded turnover projection, the company has re-launched the site with an exciting range of new products and exclusive gifts.

It has often been said that the Costa del Sol is a hotbed for new business initiatives and to prove it, Blue Heaven Yacht Club, based in Marbella, has gained so many members in such a short period of time that they have had to go shopping for a new yacht in order to accommodate them all.