Eclipse of the gossip journalism

I'll give an update about the Abramovic's mega yacht Eclipse.
A few months ago I told you that safety comes first of all for Abramovic. I was wrong privacy is even more important.
This one is peculiar: an anti photographers laser shield that was added to the equipment of the fantaboulous mega boat. Do you remember?: (2) 3 tenders, (3) a submarine, (4) bullet-proof windows, (1) anti-missiles detector, and (5) an helicopter basement.
This is a whole new concept on the war against media and gossip journalism. The anti paparazzi infrared shield installed on the top of the boat deck could detect the camera's ccds and would shot a light able to burn any photo.
However a friend photographer told me confidentially that even if Abramovic's ways to keep off photographers are quite genial, he would able to dig a big hole on his safety plan just using one of his old mechanical cameras or, better, with the aid of a few colleagues of him: he is sure that the machine would unable to control a high number of cameras.

The Ice Age starts this Autumnal Equinox

This is going to be the most warm autumn we have recorded. The Arctic sea ice cover appears to have reached its minimum extent for the year, the lowest since satellites began measuring minimum sea ice extent in 1979. In the end of Summer, in the Arctic, after six month of sun-light, naturally ice melt down, but the actual low extent of the ice cover doesn't seem to be in the range of a natural variability.
The new alert comes from the National Snow and Ice Data Center of the Colorado University (NSIDC). And while some people are still in denial about the warming effects and the growth of the World Green House, see on the NSIDC's twitter feed, Green Peace is collecting data to send to the world leaders at the Copenhagen Climate Conference to be held at the end of the year. The Green warriors are doing it on board of the Arctic Sunrise, from where Peter Wadhams, a world-class sea-ice expert, says: "We're entering a new epoch of sea-ice melt in the Arctic Ocean due to climate change. In five years' time most of the sea-ice could be gone in summer".
This is not the first mission for the Arctic Sunrise, a ice breaker that, ironically was once a sealing vessel: in 1997 she became the first ship to circumnavigate James Ross Island in the Antarctic, which previously was an impossible journey until a 200m thick ice shelf connecting the island to the Antarctic continent collapsed. This was just one of the many signs of climate change which the Arctic Sunrise has helped to document.

Holidays guided tour - Saint Tropez France, 3 different ways to enjoy it

Intro on Holidays guided tour - Saint Tropez France, the opencast vip party and more

Every year 5 millions tourists head to Saint Tropez a true pearl on the Cote d'Azure, France. Turists are attired there just because that many music and movie stars have elected that town as the most trendy place all over the world. But Saint Tropez is not all about vips and Vip Watching, it has many attractions : I'm trying to get the most out of it building for you 3 different ways to enjoy your holidays.
(Click here or on the map if you want to locate the places on the town)

Golden path - VIP TOUR.
This is probably the main goal that a one day turist has on mind. Sharing the same ballroom with Paris Hilton could have its thrill.

(main map)
1 - L'Escale Joseph: A dinner feet on sand. Jacques Chirac, Jean Paul Gautier and Bruce Willis among its customer

2 - The Port: 800 boats. Cost per day of a 20 mt. boat on the old port 270 euros, 125 on the new one. 30mt. 500/230 euros. 40 mt. 780/360 euros. 50mt 1280/514 euros. 60mt. 1500 euros per day.

3 - Vip Room: usual guest star Paris Hilton.

4- Place aux Herbes: the market, go there if you want catch the boat people shopping fish and vegetables for their lunch onboard.

5 - Les Caves du Roi: so renowned that once Kathy Holmes and Tom Cruise weren't able to get in because of the overcrowded vip area

6 - Papagayo: Corti is waiting for you with two bars, a big dancefloor, a VIP room booked for international Jet Set

(Pampelonne map, aside)
13 - Tahiti: Known more for its restaurant than the beach, it takes its name from a movie whose scenes are still there.
14- Le Voile Rouge: both you've arrived on big yacht, there's a pier, and on board of a helicopter, there's also that convenience, you'll have to pay cash. Sly has appreciated it a lot.
15 - Club55: a lot of time ago there was a beautiful girl (Brigitte Bardot) and a good director (Roger Vadim) they made the fortune of this place. It must be that: nothing has changed from then.
16 - Nikki Beach: it's not easy to explain

Silver path- ARTISTIC TOUR
Not so edonistic like the golden path, it has been thought for people looking for smooth and refined sensations, relax, and a scenic site: the perfume of a coffee at sunrise, the bliss to be in the place where Picasso painted the "Odalisque"

(on the main map)
7 - Senequier: cafe au lait and croissants at sunrise and on the first raw on the port
8 - Hotel Sube: coffee house on the first floor and a view on the port
9 - Le Gorille: give a chance to their Tartare

10 - Rondini: a master shoemaker . Here you can find the Tropezienne sandals

11 - Cafe des Arts: vegetables and fruit of Provence on Places des Lices (tuesday and saturday), a cafe where men play cards, the favourite of Alain Delon, the place where, May 12 1971, Mick Jagger and Bianca Perez Morena had their wedding party.
12 - La Ponche : the fishermen neighbourhood. Pablo Picasso, housed at the poet Paul Eluard's house drew the fomous L'Odalisque here.

Bronze path- Fanatic TOUR
Roger Vadim is buried in the Maritime cemetary and Brigitte Bardot his a well known resident. Existentialists elected the town as their Summer retreat and a master Pointillist like Paul Signac bought there a house that he named La Hune. There's enough stuff to make any manic tourist happy.

13 - Maritime Cemetery: In front of the sea. The graves of Roger Vadim and Edd Barkley are only two of the many celebrities to visit.
14 - La Citadel: the Musée de la Marine et de l'Histoire Locale (Museum of Shipping and Local History), good the reproduction of a Greek galley. From the battlements there is a good view of the Gulf of St-Tropez and the Massif des Maures.
15 -Musée de l'Annonciade: permanent exhibition of artists like Signac, Derain, van Dongen, Rouault, Braque, Bonnard, Matisse and Maillol.

La Madrague: Brigitte Bardot moved from here leaving her properties to the Brigitte Bardot Fundation, a society for the defence of animals, still you could hear the echoes of the 70's faboulous parties.

Grande Bravade: The event honors Saint Tropes, and includes a parade in which his statue is carried through the streets. (mid May).

Holidays guided tour - Saint Tropez France, the opencast vip party and more

No. In Saint Tropez we couldn't find anymore the naked Brigitte Bardot after the cameras on the Saint Tropez's beach, but Bono Vox has a reserved table at the Club 55, named, due to the frequent visits paid by the singer, the "Irish Embassy". That hut on the Pampelonne Beach, where Roger Vadim and his young wife Brigitte Bardot had meals during the shot of Et Dieu Crea la Femme, is now a well renowned club and one of the most exclusive nightclub all over the World. There you could came across tycoons, movie and music stars and anything that comes after that kind of fauna, vips in general. They come by their yachts mooring at the club's private dock or having landed on one of the many bases for helicopter built near the vineyards or in the villas just outside the town of Saint Tropez.

In France Saint Tropez is known as Saint Trop (a joke that translated sounds like "Saint too much") and there's a good reason

But the Club55 is not alone on the 3 miles hot beach of Saint Tropez (the Times sets it in the number of the 10 most trendy beaches all over the World), there are more than 30 private clubs: The Key West with Sushi Bar, the Voile Rouge with its Russians and Arabs literally bathing in thousands of Euros worth champagne, the Nikki Beach: pumping music, showers of cocktails and never ending topless display.
If the busy beach of Pampelonne is good for lunch and can do your afternoon, in the morning and at night it's better you move to the harbour and have a look to the boats berthed: every night there's at least a private party on board of one of the many luxury yachts. In fact the port is the hearth of the life of Saint Tropez and what a life! In France Saint Tropez is known as Saint Trop (a joke that translated sounds like "Saint too much") and there's a good reason: you can find there historical coffee houses like Senequier, le Gorille, the Sube; discos like le Papagayo and the Vip Room, go there and I bet you'll meet Paris Hilton. Go to Le Caves du Roi and dance all night long with George Clooney, Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas, Jennifer Lopez, Helton John and David Furnish, his husband. Most of the photo on gossip magazines were shot in Saint Tropez.
But Saint Tropez is not only Vip watching, or the place to meet and be pictured close to a big star, it's a chapter of the entertainment history, too: La Madrague, the former residence of Brigitte Bardot, is the flag of a 60's changing Europe. The tv serial Sous Le Soleil and many other movies were shot here and many tourist are coming only to see the movie sets. But Saint Tropez it's fashion, too; many craftmen, nautical sports. Do you want some more?: vineyards, ulive trees, art, folk tradition and good food. It's a splendid spot on Mediterranean, and Tropeziens have been able to transform it preserving reasonably intact Nature and wildlife till now.
Have a look to the three ways to enjoy your staying in Saint Tropez.

Holidays guided tour - Saint Tropez France, 3 different ways to enjoy it

Summer showdown - Luxury Yacht Charter and its Designer Swimsuit

Charters and charters
swimsuit: Lovable
sunglasses: Marc Jacobs

Every now and then we are talking about Abramovic's fleet. I have done it already in 5 yachts you will dream of : Boat People with Abramovic's Eclipse which will soon take the place of Pelorus a 114 m ship. Pelorus, here seen in St.Petersburg, Russia, technically is not a charter yacht. To be admitted on her either you are a guest or a so called "escort" - have a look to the Wiki page about it if you are wondering what it is - in which case you would be the very charter into the bargain. To think that one person, female or male, could be chartered makes me shiver. Call it puritanism, maybe I'm a bit calvinist, but I don't like it. Nevertheless Pelorus is a wonderful boat and for a passionate it's difficult not to notice or mention her and neither to associate her to a wonderful girl wearing the simple, but stylish, designer swimsuit with square neckline and silk ribbon (by Lovable). Sun glasses by Marc Jacobs.





The perfect honeymoon's nest
swimsuit: Calzedonia (Beach is chic)

Haida is a magnificent motor yacht. Formerly known, as Rosenkavalier, completelyand wisely restored is one of the most beautiful charter yachts in the world. Don't miss her presentation on Ocean Independence. So positive, she could make magic and be the ideal nest for a honeymoon cruise. In such a paradise I couldn't wear anything else than a pure bridal white swimsuit with a shower of small and big crystals (Calzedonia: Beach is chic)



Incredible fitness, smartness and fun
swimsuit: Moschino
sunglasses: Philippe Matignon

A friend on Reddit commenting my Personal Fitness Sheet noted down that If you're sailing you need to be, either incredibly fit, or incredibly brilliant. With Aglaya, presented by BCR Yachts things could be different: her husband and wife owners alone (no crew) were able to handle her easily from the UK to the Caribbean, then to Auckland, New Zealand via Panama and across the Pacific. From there she went to the Barrier Reef, Darwin, Cape Town South Africa, Horta and back to the UK... Let me go on... I'm not saying that the two owners were fat and retard, but only that with that sailboat you now could have a skipper and a crew enough trained and smart to sail at your side the Ocean. What you could not do, if overweight, (but if you are it's the right time for a weight loss and fitness) is to wear a swimsuit like the one I've chosen: small blue hearts and ruche frou frou, round neckline and pinces (Moschino), designer sun glasses by Philippe Matignon.

ABC for a wedding in the time of Recession

I am not too late. Only two years to go. What? Too much? I don't think so, neither Carley Roney does think that way. In her book (The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner: Worksheets, Checklists, Etiquette, Calendars, and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions) she describes and dictate the steps for planning a perfect wedding or something very close to your wedding vision. And my wedding has to be the most cool, funny, formal and informal at the same time, easy but elaborate, expensive yet cheap, with a lot of guests, on time to come and understanding when it's time to go. And since I grew up sailing, I'd love to incorporate the water, and salt and sand into my wedding. That means a hot beach, a pier and a boat - a charter boat - maybe a yacht - a luxury boat, but an icebreaker, a fishing boat or a pontoon could do as well.
Pippo, my fi, thinks different. I'm afraid he's right this time, but one could dream of a fantabolous wedding, couldn't she?
Right now I've already got an avatar and a blog on The Knot.com and a wedding range of colors on dyw (dress your wedding) on Davids Bridal.com, as you can see aside. Still I'm a bit confused by now. Shall we start from the basics?.

The ABC for a wedding in the time of Recession:

• A... Art: Wedding Light 1.0
• B... Body: the Body of the bride
  
• C... Check list: Check, Cheques, what the Heck?
  

A. Art: Wedding Light 1.0

The ABC for a wedding in the time of Recession

A like Art

THE ART OF WEDDING
Think big. Dreams don't cost much. Ask yourself what will be memorable in your wedding. The location, your bride gown, the jewels, the food and beverages, the printings, too, the boat you rent, the music played, a group of cool bride maids and your groom's friends. I'd say anything could do in a day like that. But believe it or not a fantastic wedding it's not a matter of money but only of time, and time somehow is money. In the book The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner: Worksheets, Checklists, Etiquette, Calendars, and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Carley Roney traces in a wedding vision worksheet the series of steps to take in one year, while Carley Roney again in The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World: The Ultimate Source of Ideas, Advice, and Relief for the Bride and Groom and Those Who Love Them. teaches you how and where you could save money. But you shouldn't go that far buying all those books, maybe you could have a look at the Amazon's smart feature "Look inside the Book", I myself am abusing it, but it's worth of. Listen to what Denise Fields is saying in Bridal Bargains, 9th Edition: Secrets to Throwing a Fantastic Wedding on a Realistic Budget, it's brilliant: "The wedding industry isn't as innocent as it looks. You might think that the wedding industry is a collection of sweet old ladies whose only desire is to help young couples in love, but the reality is quite opposite. Instead think of the bridal biz as a group of cut-throat merchants, who in some cases would anything for a sale...". To be wise it's easier today with internet and if you search Google with this phrase: "wedding gown forum" you'll found a big support from real people on the best way to save with your dress, but specialized sites like The knot could give you a lot of support on themeing your wedding and for free.
The more time you will devote to the personal organization of the event, the more your dreams would get real, no matter how big they are, and have the wow effect you are longing to. There's only a case which will make things very expensive and it is when you want someone else to do it for you, when you put your dreams in the hand of a professional. In fact, in that case, you are doing anything else but hiring someone else's time and experience, that at certain extent it's a matter of time as well. In such a case you'll pay a really a big amount of money and, on my experience, you'll get a 20 per cent of what you have on your mind. So, start to plan, look at other's wedding, research internet the keyword is "cheap" followed by anything you want: linen centerpieces, receptions, dishes, chairs and get what you need at the best price, there's not sense on wasting money. and you can do great things with your creativity and a reasonable amount of money.

• B... Body: The Body of the Bride
• C... Check list: Check, Cheques, what the Heck?
  

B. Body : The body of the bride

The ABC for a wedding in the time of Recession

B like Body

In fact it's fitness and athletics, or better how to fit in a size 6 bride gown and ability to run on a beach, but we can't miss it only for a matter of the starting letter. It's vital and you can't miss it to take it in serious consideration, especially when all the day long you'll have to climb on the boat, jump down the boat, run happily on the beach, hug and be lifted high by the groom. Remember to get to a shape you'll consider appropriate for the photo to show from here to 20 years in the future and off course do it before you start shopping for the bride gown. Notice that now the trend in wedding photography is TTD which stands for Trash The Dress or better since doesn't make sense to have a bulky wedding dress in the armchair for a life, it's better to put in the bin the day after the wedding. I know, that sounds like a scandal, but it's not if you look at the results. At least it will push you not to waste that much money buying it. Trash the dress or not I would like to see you climbing on a greasy truck or running on the shore with 10 kgs more. Nevertheless try not to get killed by a diet too drastic, it's unadvisable to go less than your actual Basal Metabolic Rate - the amount of calories you need in a day -. Instead give you enough time to loose weight naturally with a sport activity: Carley Roney on her book The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner sets the final wedding dress fitting one month before. And that's plenty of time if you start preparing at least one year before. Try to save money and cut down the expenses for the Gym and the personal trainer, jogging three times a week could give you a 1500 calories cut.Think of preparing for a special sport event, plan your training sessions and you won't fail.

The ABC for a wedding in the time of Recession:

• A... Art: Wedding Light 1.0
• C... Check list: Check, Cheques, what the Heck?
  

C. Check, Cheque, what the Heck?

The ABC for a wedding in the time of Recession

C like Check List

The wedding checklist puts you on the road to your wedding day. Complete a detailed plan and be sure not to leave behind anything. And more, a detailed checklist will keep you safe from hidden expenses, a plague that strikes on many wedding couples, and your foot glued to the ground and careful to avoid any oddity.

Now, you don't want to buy books like Priceless Weddings for Under $5,000, never mind. I hope you won't bother to run a research on the Web, there are many sites that offers costs-free accounts and provide full check-lists very helpful in organizing a wedding and helping you not to go beyond your budget. I did both reading books and researching the Web but what is still taking me wide-awaken at night is how much the voice “occurrence”, will affect my budget. Are you smiling?. Don't. Don't underevaluate the extra expenses; they could be some more of a surprise and you'd better taking apart some of the money for any occurrence, a lot, be sure: from the extras for overtime to caterers and photographers, to tips and other a thousand costs that you wouldn't have ever thought about. Any oddity could be a "nice" surprise chunk of cash. And, listening to the just married women crowding forums around the web, that experience is quite common . Now if you let professionals to help and advice you on evaluating how much an item could affect the entire budget, since the average cost of a 150-person wedding is 25,000 $, more in an urban area, a basic breakdown of what you can expect to pay is:

• Reception: 48%-50%

• Ceremony: 2%-3%

• Attire: 8%-10%

• Flowers: 8%-10%

• Entertainment/Music: 8%-10%

• Photography/Videography: 10%-12%

• Stationery: 2%-3%

• Wedding Rings: 2%-3%

• Parking/Transportation: 2%-3%

• Gifts: 2%-3%

• Miscellaneous: 8%

• "just-in-case" fund 5%.

(data from The Knot.com)

If you can't afford it, Pippo, my loved FI, a true professional expedients maker, has his recipe for our Wedding in the Time of recession.

Pippo's low-cost wedding budget:

• Reception: refectory of the local Church, the same where we'll have the ceremony, flowers, using what the preceding couple left, catering from parents at the chant: “we eat what we can deliver”; rings offered by mum and dad, tips to volunteer cleaners and music from the church's PC: 2%;

• Gifts, if we are referring to the favours, Pippo and I have a 10 years old collection almost in mint condition: 0%;

• Stationery, we don't need it, with the account online and blog he subscribed from the work's computer: 0%;

• Photography/Videography, that's smart of him, he thinks to distribute some disposable cameras and everybody will shoot us all the day long: 2%;

• Attire, second hand market or Chinese ebayers: 3%.(note I am to get into an extra small to increase the choice on the second hand market)
  

That stands for 1,750$!.

In two years I'm still in time either to convince him, to leave him or to love him more.

The ABC for a wedding in the time of Recession:

• A... Art: Wedding Light 1.0
• B... Body: The Body of the Bride

3 Golden Rules for cruising beauties

Have you been invited to a cruising holiday on a yacht?, are you sailing for the first time?. Are you a beauty?. A first time cruising Beauty?. Follow some rules and everything will go for the best:


#1: How many of you?

A - Are you the only girl? Be prepared to work hard: You should be strong, face the life with spirit.....


... but never overdo




B - Case of a couple of females. Two is the perfect number on a yacht: no competition, no quarrels, enough room on mattresses for sunbathing:



C - Three girls. Everything comes to be uneasy: Photographers will often ask you to hug your mates, the space on a boat is so tight and they are worried not to show what is considered to be a negative quality. Laugh, always laugh.











D - Four... what a mess: queues to undress or to the toilet, the war for the bedroom, the struggle for sunbathing: everything will get harder and harder as the time on the yacht goes by. The more you are far from the port the higher rage and hysteria rise. With a number of participant like that, you should do better to have at least a friend, an ally, otherwise the chance to be outcast will get very high.








E - More than four: then you are the member of the yacht crew, you have a niche and are busy enough to forget about the tight space onto the boat. Now you have a role and a proper uniform



or something the like. But never forget to ask what you are supposed to do during the cruise.




#2: Are you well equipped?

on a boat things could go bad if you are not properly dressed:
Ellen MacArthur never forgets it


Yet, Samantha Davies, another sailing veteran, told in an interview that sometimes she sails completely naked. Promotional apart, the truth is that on a boat is better to protect, skin and toes, hands and head and ...









... Life. If you do think that the life-jacket make you awkward, the inflatable bikini will save your life and look in many occasions. Then, it is only a concept at this point, but it certainly has mounds of potential and cruising would never be the same







Ok you are on vacation, and you wouldn't get rid of your stiletto heels shoes, but then don't forget how much could be difficult to get on board of an inflatable during transfers from port to the big boat























#3 - Toilet is Neverland

How many times you've red on a brochure the words "full comfort on board". We know, now: the comfort they hint to doesn't include toilets.
Always a stinky place 6 cases out 10 the toilet on a boat either doesn't work properly or it doesn't work at all.
Everybody has his theory, but nobody got a comfortable technique. Try the "PEE PEE at SEA" a registered mark.

This girl shows you how.









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• Esther Williams the star of Bathing Beauty (1944): her swimsuits bordered on scandal in US's Forties.
• Our sailing goddess Samantha Davies is the winner of the Vendome Ocean Race 2001 and 2005.
• Azimut Yachts is a famed brand. Its line of motor boats is now everywhere.
  
• Victoria's Secret is the most famous lingerie line all over the world. Here the crew of its models is in Miami.
• Boob Cruise: what it is explains by itself.
• from Splash Vision my image fount
• Hellen McArthur, the decade's outstanding competitive sailor

Yacht Show at National Harbor: antidepressive practice

The 2009 Yacht Show opens May 29, 2009 and runs through Sunday, May 31 at the spectacular National Harbor waterfront resort on the Banks of the Potomac River. My friends, the economy's disaster of this age could do nothing against the natural breath of the Ocean. That's what The historical Miss Ann, the silent witness of last century to the present day, through the depression, World War II and beyond, seems to confirm. And truly a vessel which has witnessed a great deal of our US's history seems to give the direction everybody has got to move to. So why don't you enjoy a day out and have a look at the wonderfull boats anchored at the pier.


The second annual production of this exciting event will be located on the Awakening Plaza in the center of continuous activity. Boating equipment, accessories, electronics, clothing, jewelry and much more will be displayed in covered booths extending along the full 600 feet of the main pier. The marina will be full of fine yachts for sale and tour and a waterside cocktail and snack lounge with continuous entertainment will be the frame for a joyous day out.

Are you interested on yacht? One of the yachts on display will be the 85’ Azimut, presented by Marine Max of Baltimore, MD. The 85 (I've posted the video of the 82) is a Yacht of peerless elegance in its exterior design whilst also offering exceptional livability. And, more look for the Sea Ray 55 a yacht that unites the latest technological advances with the maniacally scrupolous craftsmanship that Sea Ray has always provided to its client. Quite simply, these yachts reign as the most sought-after boats on the water.
Luxurious living comes standard on every Sea Ray Yacht, including their newest addition…the 52 Sundancer.. if you don't believe me go and see yourself.

If then you could still shut your jaws up, enjoy and demo the new AERE’ 3.7 Inflatable catamaran. This new innovative Catamaran allows anyone to enjoy a fun and relaxing time on the water. Great for day sailing, the state-of-the-art, 12’ inflatable catamaran sailboat provides easy handling and set up for novice and experienced sailors alike.

SHOW DATES & TIMES Friday, May 29th 12 pm - 9 pm Saturday, May 30th 12 pm - 9 pm Sunday, May 31st 12 pm - 6 pm Adult Regular Admission - Friday - Sunday - $16 Child Regular Admission (ages 7 - 12)* - Friday - Sunday - $8 *Children 6 and under are FREE

3 fantaboulous Sailboats Shows

Volvo Ocean Race in Galway (IRL), Ostar in Plymouth (UK), Vendee Globe in Les Sables d'Olonne (FRA) three great events moving at least 500.000 "sailing" people next weekend:





44 skippers from around the world have signed up for the world's oldest solo ocean challenge - OSTAR (Original Single handed Trans-Atlantic Race) 2009. the participants' sailboats will be leaving Plymouth on May 25th, the OSTAR, which dates back to 1960, has received entries from many countries: Britain, Austria, France, Holland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and the USA. With a well established reputation for producing the sailors of the future, two young novices seek to further their reputaions in this race. Rob Cumming, is 19 years old and from Plymouth. Oscar Mead who will be just 18 years of age making him the youngest competitor to have ever taken part.
Also attracting much attention is Katie Miller who, at the tender age of 21 years old, has already been tipped as the next Ellen MacArthur and is the youngest female competitor to have entered this prestigious race.
French sailor Anne Caseneuve will skipper the same 50 foot trimaran which she raced in OSTAR 2005 when she unfortunately damaged her knee and was forced to withdraw. With her sailing experience and 50 foot sailboat she stands a very good chance of line honours, thus becoming the first ever female winner.
The Yacht club has organized some spectator boats to see the start on the water monday 25th may. Mv Plymouth Sound & Silvert Crest leave new pontoon The Barbican at 10:30 returning at 1400. Tickets for seats' rental must be purchased in advance from RWYC (tel 01752 660077) (adults £12 children under 16 £6).



The 2008-2009 Vendée Globe prize-giving ceremony will be taking place on Saturday 23rd May on the main beach in Les Sables d’Olonne. It will offer another opportunity to applaud the thirty sailors, who tackled the Everest of the Seas last winter.

The ceremony will begin at 10 p.m. This event, completely free of charge will be a great popular occasion just like the Vendée Globe itself and will correspond to the achievements of the skippers. Alongside the presentation of the thirty participants and the handing over of the Vendée Globe trophies, there will also be a pyrotechnic display, a light show projected on to giant screens and a film summarising the sixth edition of the Vendée Globe and the 30 sailboats running. A large firework display will bring the ceremony to an end. This will be the moment to applaud for one final time the skippers, who took part in this edition, before looking forward to the next Vendée Globe in 2012-2013, the start date of which will be announced during the ceremony by Philippe de Villiers, the President of the Vendée Globe.


When the Volvo Ocean Race comes to Galway and the seven sailboats berth in the harbour of Galway, a quarter of a million people are expected to watch the in-port race and the pro-am event in the Bay.
It's a great coup for Ireland, and particularly for the ancient west coast city of Galway, following their successful bid as a stopover port in the Volvo Ocean Race. The event will make its first-ever Irish stopover in the fabled waters of Galway Bay. The first sailboats arrival are expected on May 23rd and the participants to the Volvo Ocean race will stay in Galway for two weeks. Usually Galway during the spring and summer attracts visitors to several different music festivals, an International Festival of Literature, the Galway Arts Festival (Ireland’s largest), the Oyster Festival and the Galway Races, which attracts 200,000 people over seven days. So that we shall have plenty of entertainments during the two weeks of the Galway's Leg, included the In Port Race on 30th may and the major events held in the Trade And Expo Arena along the entire period.