Friday, October 30, 2009

UK couple asleep as Somali pirates hijacked yacht - Yahoo! News

"MOGADISHU, Somalia – A British man kidnapped by Somali pirates while vacationing on a yacht with his wife said in an interview released Thursday that the sea bandits had crept aboard with guns while he was asleep and demanded money.

Paul Chandler told Britain's ITV News that he and his wife were being held aboard a container ship anchored about a mile from the Somali coast. A fisherman told The Associated Press he saw two boats carrying eight pirates and a white couple that had arrived in the village of Ceel Huur."

Arrrgh!

AFP: Albanian steals French boat for epic voyage to Britain: "LYON, France — Forget about the Somalian pirates for a minute...A young Albanian has been jailed for stealing a boat in the inland French city of Lyon and embarking on a bid to sail it down the Rhone and through the Mediterranean and Atlantic to England.

The 20-year-old was arrested Sunday after police spotted him unsuccessfully trying to manoeuvre the 30-metre (100-foot) vessel -- a launch operated by the national waterways authority -- on the river in the heart of the city.

Had he made good his escape he would still have faced a 300 kilometre (180 mile) voyage to the open sea and another 3,000 kilometres through the Med to the Straits of Gibraltar and then north across the Bay of Biscay."

Images from San Diego: You gotta love a Beamer!

I always like "Beamers"..This adds new meaning to the term. BMW Oracle Racing took their America's Cup Challenger, BOR90 out for her first sail after around five weeks of modifications were undertaken in the builder's shed in San Diego.

The major changes which are confirmed in these photos include a new mast (with a hard wing believed to be on its way); the centreboard has been removed, as has the main rudder; an engine has been fitted to provide power for the hydraulic systems which now power the winches instead of an eight strong grinding team."

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Marine scientists from around the world meet in Biloxi

"Marine scientists and researchers from around the world are meeting in Biloxi this week. More than 1,300 are attending the Oceans '09 conference at the coliseum convention center.

They're sharing information about ongoing projects and networking with colleagues.

South Mississippi is a logical choice to host such a conference since we have such an abundance of marine science interests. There's plenty of oceanography work happening at Stennis, USM has a world class marine science program and we have a commercial fishing fleet that depends on the health of the oceans."

Sailing into middle age


"The Chandlers are among a growing group of people in their 50s and above who are opting to sail the world in middle age rather than remain at home.

'It's quite common and it's growing,' said Stuart Bradley of the Cruising Association, which represents the interests of cruising sailors worldwide. 'There's been an increase in the number of people taking early retirement or early redundancy, particularly among people in their 50s, and it's increasing year on year.'"

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The Future of Yacht Design: 10 Cutting Edge Nautical Masterpieces


"Ever notice that just about every yacht you see in a local marina look the same? Sure, they vary in size, but the design elements are all uniform. There are some boats, however, that push the design envelope far forward. To celebrate true ingenuity in boating design, here is a list of 10 Cutting Edge Nautical Masterpieces that are changing the way people think about luxury yachts. Full list at TheCoolist.com."

Seafarers set sail for swell ride


"It's an escape from gray cubicle walls for Megan Buechler, a reprieve from pancreatic cancer chemotherapy treatments for Thomas Christensen, a medical school graduation present to themselves for Seth Strattan and Sophie Candille.

To others, it's a retirement party, a family trip, a line on a bucket list.

It is the Baja Ha-Ha, the mostly relaxed but potentially hazardous two-week sailing rally with the ridiculously perfect – or is perfectly ridiculous? – name. On Monday, smiles washed over sailors' faces in waves.

Nearly 200 boats, hundreds of sailors and a few dogs in life preservers paraded along the glassy water off Shelter Island on Monday morning at the start of the 16th running of one of the world's most popular sailing events."

Malin Burnham’s seven virtues of sailing

Dedication, Hard Work, Teamwork, Follow Through, Playing by the Rules, Planning Ahead.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Sailrocket enters battle for the speed sailing record in Walvis Bay

"The competition to be the world’s fastest wind-powered craft heated up this month, and all eyes are on Namibia. The UK based sailboat, Vestas Sailrocket, is currently doing speed trials in Walvis Bay, the largest port city in the country, in an attempt to break the current outright speed sailing record.

Sailrocket and its crew have been in Namibia since October 2 and plan to stay there until October 29, determined to leave with a new world record, seizing it back from the French yacht team, l’Hydropt�re.

Just over a month ago this sophisticated hydrofoil trimaran set a new world outright speed sailing record of 51.36 knots, taking the crown of ‘world’s fastest’ away from the kiteboarding community and establishing a new standard for all wind powered crafts, especially sail boats, which have not held the title since 1993 when it was taken by windsurfers for the next fifteen years."

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Last Titanic survivor's ashes scattered at sea

"LONDON — Friends and relatives of the last survivor of the Titanic gathered on Saturday to scatter her ashes at the point where the ill-starred ocean liner set sail in April 1912.

Elizabeth Gladys Dean -- who died on May 31, aged 97 -- was only nine weeks old when the 'unsinkable' liner hit an iceberg on its maiden transatlantic voyage, drowning 1,517 of its passengers and crew."

Couple plans to circle eastern US by boat

"DECATUR -- Carlton and Becky Moore will have their 40-foot boat, SeaMoore, all to themselves when they embark on their 6,000-mile trip next year.

But they'll hardly be alone.

The Decatur couple will be one of more than 100 boaters cruising around the eastern United States on a route known as America's Great Loop. They'll motor along the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, the Intracoastal Waterways of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts and through several Great Lakes."

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Mission Control - Plastiki Part I


Mission Control - Plastiki Part I: "With a rise in attention to the 'Garbage Patch, ' also known as The North Pacific Gyre, The Plastiki is setting sail during the perfect storm. A product of brainchild David de Rothschild principal at Adventure Ecology, the Plastiki is a sea craft made from almost entirely from reclaimed, post-consumer and soda bottles with reinforced PET. It will set sail at the end of 2009 with a crew of six scientist and explorers, departing from San Francico bay and navigating over 100 days in the Pacific Ocean through regions that are environmentally threatened, finishing their journey in Sydney."

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

A journey for the ages


"In 1982, Ray and Patricia Vellinga hopped aboard their 41-foot Formosa Ketch sailboat and set out on a voyage through the Mediterranean. The couple, true DINKS — double income, no kids — wanted to spend 1 1/2 years exploring the sea, the ports and the people of the region.

That was their plan.

What they didn’t realize was just how entrenched they would become in that part of the world. What started out as an 18-month voyage turned into 19 years."

Malibu Boat Screensaver


"The World’s No. 1 selling water sports boat manufacturer captures and receives amazing photography. These images are featured in the Malibu Boats brochure, posted on the web site and uploaded to Malibu’s flickr.com channel. "

Annapolis lands major sailing regatta

"The Melges 24 is a relatively new but increasingly popular class of fast lightweight yachts. Though the city is home to several prestigious regattas, Annapolis has never hosted this event."

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Youngest 41 Year Old To Solo Circumnavigate Boca Ciega Bay

"Tampa bay sailing can be challenging, but RumHead is pushing the limits of his endurance, even risking his life, by taking on the most hostile body of water in the area. Dangers include sharks, pirates and a yacht club with full liquor bar middlemost of the bay. “I was unsure at first, but how can you say no to a lifetime supply of anti-diarrheal?” said RumHead when asked why he wanted to go. “Circumnavigating Boca Ciega Bay is a lucrative achievement that has tons of P.R. potential. More people have ventured into Pasco County, than sailed Boca Ciega alone"

Anchor Workout For Sailors - Staying Ship Shape

"Sailing can be very taxing and requires considerable strength and balance. Ever tried pulling in a fouled sail while standing on the bow in 8 ft. seas? A few minutes of getting thrashed can really wear a sailor out. This simple routine will build strength and improve your balance. It’s easy and utilizes a common item found on any boat – your anchor. Try to use the heaviest possible, and keep your eyes covered."

Marina del Rey Body Not a Halloween Display

"The next time you go by something you think may be a Halloween display, it could be the real thing instead, as was discovered recently when a man’s body sat on a balcony for several days. Passers by who could see the body there thought it was part of a Halloween display. Nearby balconies included Halloween decorations, so there was nothing unusual about this creative display, some thought. In what authorities believe may have been a suicide with a gunshot wound, the lifeless corpse, neighbors nearby said, didn’t give any signs of being a decomposed body, but instead, appeared to be a dummy display for Halloween."

Monday, October 19, 2009

Abby Sunderland hopes to leave soon


"How appropriate. Abby Sunderland, whose older brother, Zac, recently completed a solo circumnavigation when he was 17, must be envious of Jessica. Abby is definitely supportive.

The Thousand Oaks adventurer, who turned 16 today, is planning a late-November departure but has yet to secure an Open 40 sailboat designed for Southern Ocean travel.

However, Abby and her father, Laurence, are in Rhode Island awaiting a surveyor's report on a vessel they might purchase later today.

So it's likely that soon there will be two 16-year-old girls trying to sail by themselves around the world. Both are seeking to fulfill a dream and become the youngest to accomplish such a feat, and it's remarkable that they're even trying and that their parents are letting them try.

Even critics must admire the courageous spirit these girls possess. Here's hoping that 20 years from now both will recall fond memories of their explorations, their dreams and their discoveries. You only live once."

Andrew Short Lived Twice As Hard

"Sailing veteran Andrew Short has been remembered as a brave adventurer, a keen businessman and a devoted father at his funeral in Sydney.

More than 2,500 people gathered at the service at St Mary's Cathedral to farewell the 48-year-old sailing veteran, who was killed when his yacht ran aground during a night race on the New South Wales south coast 10 days ago.

His navigator Sally Gordon also died in the crash.

Matt Short told how his brother started sailing at eight to become internationally known as a brave adventurer and a successful boat entrepreneur.

'This is the abridged version of how to fit 96 years of living into 48 great years of life on Earth - by living twice as hard as everyone else,' he said."

Robotic Hull Cleaning

"As harmless as barnacles on hulls might seem to landlubbers, these crustaceans generate 'increased drag as these ships move from port to port across the world's oceans,' explained Office of Naval Research program officer Steve McElvany.

Barnacles can reduce vessel speed by up to 10 percent, thus requiring ships to raise fuel consumption by as much as 40 percent to counter the added drag. Altogether, gunk stuck on hulls of navy ships translate into roughly $500 million annually in extra maintenance and fuel costs to keep vessels clean."

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Edwin Delaat, 13, sails into record books


"He has already stolen the hearts of the close-knit Auckland yachting community.

And later this week Edwin Delaat will write his name in the sport's history books by becoming the youngest owner and skipper in the iconic yacht race, the HSBC Coastal Classic.

Delaat is just 13 but the Henderson schoolboy can legitimately claim to be a genuine sea dog and owner of an already impressive sailing resume."

Donut-Shaped Party Boat


Looking startlingly like a flying saucer, the Interactive Recreational Entertainment Vessel (iREV) is in fact a luxury party-boat, in the shape of a donut.

The bobbing boat seats ten people and has a charcoal grill in the center and optional 500 Watt music system with satellite radio. To putt-putt out to the center of the lake you have an electric outboard motor which will run for around 8-10 hours, and a giant umbrella stops you from getting sunburned."

New law will finally require training for boaters

The State of Florida has finally taken steps to make boating safer. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1988 and who purchases a boat will have 90 days from the purchase date to obtain a boating safety identification card. This isn't a license, but it's the next best thing. Licensing would require on-water skills testing, and it might still come to that, but at least this is a step in the right direction."

She's off!


I'm with this guy - Jon Sanders, who single-handedly sailed three times around the globe non-stop in the 1980s, spending more than 650 days at sea, said age shouldn't be viewed as a barrier.

"I have found that if something goes wrong then it is usually a teenager who is first to go up the mast," the 70- year-old yachtsman said in a telephone interview from the western Australian city of Perth, which lies on the Indian Ocean. "I have no worry about a 16-year-old taking that voyage."

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Going Going Gone!

Somehow the idea of an auctioneer's machine gun patter before the crash of the gavel just doesn't seem to mesh with superyachts, but that's just what the Sacks Group Yachting Professionals plans to do on the last day of FLIBS (the Ft Lauderdale International Boat Show) should the 37m (121 foot) motoryacht JAVA not have been sold privately by 1500 local on 2 November.

Just a bit undignified wouldn't one say, but hey, if it helps pay the rent....

But then Sacks also credits their Try-Before-You-Buy program with their sale of
112‐foot Westport Raised Pilothouse Motor Yacht MILK MONEY (ex‐RAINMAKER). It does beg the question though, who in their right mind would not try a superyacht before they went, so to speak.

Whatever it takes!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

WANTED: Father, daughter sailing pair missing

Unfortuneately, this adds new meaning to the term "Harbor Watch"...still, I'm compelled to pass it on. What a mystery 13 years later. You think a 64 foot boat would be hard to hide so everybody expects the worst, I'm sure

"Father, daughter sailors

Wilmington. Herold Bock and his daughter, Jeannie Chavez, set sail from a Wilmington marina for Sitka, Alaska, on Nov. 9, 1997, aboard a 64-foot schooner named Connie B.

The boat was black with yellow trim and a white sail.

Bock estimated the trip would last 30 days. But they never reached their destination and have never been heard from since.

The last contact with either Bock or Chavez took place on the day of their departure from California.

Bock would be 80 years old if alive today."

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

WaterCar Python



"On land, the Python is a custom-built hot rod that looks like a cross between a Chevy Avalanche and a Corvette. Out on Lake Havasu, where you just know one of these will show up, it’s a 20 foot luxury boat appointed with a polished wood dashboard and a leather wraparound bench seat — just like the Chris Craft you keep at your house in the Hamptons. Sadly, air conditioning, an automatic transmission and a hardtop are not currently available."

Happy Birthday US Navy



The Chief of Naval Operations has stated that the Navy Birthday is one of the two Navy-wide dates to be celebrated annually. This page provides historical information on the birth and early years of the Navy, including bibliographies, lists of the ships, and information on the first officers of the Continental Navy, as well as texts of original documents relating to Congress and the Continental Navy, 1775-1783.

Greedy dogfish blamed for Mass. fishery's problems


"CHATHAM, Mass. — The sea air isn't all that's salty when fishermen in the Cape Cod town of Chatham talk about the hated spiny dogfish.

Fishermen consider the small shark, renowned for its stunning appetite, the vermin of the ocean. They say the once-threatened dogfish has rebounded under federal protections to an insatiable mass that's devouring more valuable and scarce fish that regulators are trying to restore, such as cod, while it destroys nets, steals bait and eats catch right off their hooks."

50 schooners to race down the Chesapeake Bay

"The Chesapeake will be filled with ships of sail this week when a flotilla of schooners departs from Baltimore in the 20th Annual Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race.

Fifty schooners are entered in the race to Portsmouth, Va., that is designed to promote awareness of the bay's maritime heritage and encourage preservation and improvement of its natural resources.

More information at schoonerrace.org

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Dolphin Submarine/Boat


"The Innerspace Dolphin and Seabreacher and water vessels designed to look and behave like actual dolphins. They're powered by a little engine in the back and you can do all sorts of fun stuff like barrel rolls, jumps, dives and drownings. I want one pretty bad. The Seabreacher just became available for sale this spring, unfortunately I couldn't find a price. Allegedly the smaller Dolphin model went for around $50,000, but I couldn't find any verification of this figure. Anybody know? Also, do you think they'll come out with a Dolphinbreacher model in the future?"

Double the distance? Steer clear from orcas.

"The National Marine Fisheries Service is proposing to double the distance boats must steer clear of orcas in Puget Sound. During a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 30, people voiced their opinions on the proposal."

Friday, October 9, 2009

A sailing family comes home

"At home, life is so easy: running water, electricity, everything at your fingertips. “There’s water to take a shower; there’s the washing machine and dryer,” Klironomos says. “There’s also the lesson learned on the boat, that you just have to live in the present, to give yourself fully to what you’re doing.”

“Our most important accomplishment is that we realized our dream,” Forlini says. “Before, I would sit on the porch and think about my dream. Now I sit there and relish these memories.”"

You Can Reach Me and Adam Sandler On My New Yacht


"One day, I’m a total nobody, a has been who never was.

The next day, completely unexpectedly, I’m practically famous, hanging out with Adam on the Internet, thinking about our new screenplay and movie, mentally preparing some wijavascript:void(0)tty anecdotes for David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, wondering if Will Ferrell and Judd Apatow are as funny in real life as they are on film, and shopping for a yacht to anchor off the coast of my new home in Malibu. You know what? I’ll put in a pool. My wife and kids would love that. And I’ll get the latest X-box for the home theater. We’ll have loads of fun playing Halo together. And everybody gets a new cell phone with unlimited texting so we can Tweet about how wonderful our new lives are. I love Twitter and the opportunities it’s brought me!"

Ft. Meyers Pirate Festival


"Avast all ye scallywags and winches, it's time once again for Estero Island to be taken over by the pirates who long ago laid claim to our emerald shores. The invasion begins this weekend when the 4th Annual Pirate Festival begins on Friday, October 9th. The Festival is being held in downtown Fort Myers Beach along Old San Carlos Boulevard, promising landlubbers and salty dogs alike a veritable bevy of pirate pleasures - from an invasion battle to live entertainment and a pirate ship. The event is put on by the Greater Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce, so we called Chamber President John Albion to get the skinny on these bucolic buccaneers before they invade our town."

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Tacoma man's dream may finally see life afloat


"The 50-foot dream boat that George De Shon spent nearly 25 years building has never floated, but on Wednesday it flew.

De Shon wasn’t there to see it. He died last March at age 82.

A few dozen neighbors came by to watch as the yacht that had been part of their Tacoma neighborhood for decades was gently lifted from the backyard of De Shon’s home off South Jackson Street. It sailed over the house and onto a waiting boat trailer.

Merna, De Shon’s wife of more than 50 years, was there. Her family said she was too overcome by the boat’s leaving to want to talk about the dream her husband crafted in their backyard.

Diana Wells who lives a street away said she never thought the boat would leave. It had been there so long. She knew about it even before she moved to the neighborhood.

“It’s like history here,” she said. “It was like this thing out of a legend. How did it get back there?”"

America's Cup yachts to sail off Greenwich Thursday - Greenwich Time

"A splash of sailing history is in town as six 12-meter America's Cup yachts are scheduled to race off the coast of Greenwich Thursday in Connecticut Maritime Association 12-meter Regatta.

The yachts, which were designed to race in the world-famous America's Cup, arrived at the Delamar Hotel's docks late Tuesday just ahead of the windy weather that swept through the area Wednesday."

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Billionaires Buy Bragging Rights With Giant Super Yachts - Bloomberg.com

"There might be a load of statistics to prove the global economy is floundering on the shoals of catastrophe. Just don’t come spouting them aboard the 118-foot Musa, where all countertops are fossilized Carrera marble and the main salon is trimmed in snakeskin leather.

The only number that matters here is a top speed of 100 miles per hour, allowing thermo-billionaires to breakfast in Italy, lunch in Corsica and order supper in Monte Carlo."

whale watching tv - Whale Watching


"This is THE premier whale watching and dolphin watching website in the world! A virtual 'whale watching' classroom on the water taught by whale watching experts. Produced by a whale watching captain and award winning film maker David Anderson.

Streaming live from what may be the worlds most hi- tech commercial whale watching boat, Manute'a - and broadcasting live from the open ocean from one of the best year round whale watching and dolphin watching destinations in the world, Dana Point California"

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Boat Crashes Attempting Speed Sailing Record


"Namibia - Formerly the fastest sailboat in the world, SailRocket is making her final attempts at the outright speed sailing record this month, trying to steal the title from the big hydrofoil sailboat l’Hydroptere. One of these attempts ended in a dramatic boat crash today, catapulting the little boat and her skipper into the air in a stunning flip, while the support team watched in horror from the sidelines."

WITNESS: Learning to sail with an Olympic champion | Sports | Reuters

"Being hit in the head with the boom is one of the most common sailboat injuries. Perhaps I should have read Sailing for Dummies before asking an Olympic champion to give me a crash course in sailing a dinghy."

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Solo sailing teaches life’s bare essentials

"Long distance, non-stop solo sailing is the supreme teacher when it comes to learning about life’s bare essentials. Making it to the end in one piece means looking far ahead and wasting nothing. But it was only on coming ashore to take a two month break on the remote South Atlantic isle of South Georgia that she realised the lessons she’d learnt within the tiny fibreglass walls of her boat’s hull also applied to the planet.

Having sailed around the world many times, MacArthur knows exactly how big — or small — it really is. South Georgia’s grim whaling stations, abandoned only when the whales had been all but wiped out, presented her with a stark vision of our inability to use resources sustainably."

Yachting Goes Green | Newsweek The Good Life | Newsweek.com

Yachting Goes Green | Newsweek The Good Life | Newsweek.com: "As a sport, yachting may be all about harnessing the power of the wind, but for most superyachts, that's where ecofriendliness ends. Typically, these 45-meter-plus boats guzzle huge amounts of fuel while their owners host lavish parties that require high-powered amenities like air conditioning and fancy sound systems. But the green agenda has begun to reach even these behemoths of the sea, with marine architects and designers seeking ever more innovative ways to apply conservation technologies to their vessels."

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Whipping!


All about rope - Part II, Cordage care: "The correct practice is to properly whip the line, which will ensure the core and covering are properly held together.

If you don’t feel up to this, and insist on doing the cheap and nasty way (match or hot knife), first slide the covering back so about 25 mm of core is showing. Cut off the exposed core, then work the covering back over the end. Now when you melt the cover, at least it will shrink and seal around the core.

However, whipping the end remains the best long-term solution; it's easy and doesn't take long."

Fisherman fined for trying to disentangle gear from whale

Upon learning of the trapped cetacean, Eldridge attempted to free it himself rather than calling the toll-free Marine Animal Disentanglement Hotline -- the number for which he had posted on his boat -- to bring in licensed marine mammal rescue workers.

Unable to disentangle the whale, he eventually cut the gear from the boat, leaving about 30-feet of line on the marine mammal.

Friday, October 2, 2009

SailBlogs | Sailing Blog Hosting

SailBlogs | Sailing Blog Hosting & Social Network: "Have an adventure to share? An on-line SailBlog and map can keep you connected from around the world!
SailBlogs is the leading provider of blogging and map tracking solutions for the sailing community. From weekend sailors to ocean racers and cruisers, SailBlogs provides members with web-based journals (blogs), photo and video galleries and map tracking for their adventures"

From the Deck: New mate

From the Deck: New mate: "After a few elementary instructions, the new mate learns by experience. For instance, never tie up the peapod painter with a slippery hitch. Having her go adrift once is sufficient experience.

We were beating out of the harbor with a full load of six passengers in our Friendship sloop. The mate was on the foredeck coiling down the jib halyard. From the wheel, I called, 'Jon, clear the weather sheet.' Jon looked puzzled. What was the weather sheet and to what? 'Jon, the weather sheet!' The jib was backing and forcing the bow away from the wind so I could not tack as we approached the shore. Jon quickly saw that the windward jib sheet was fouled around the bit and cleared it in time. 'Windward' he knew, 'weather' was not yet in his vocabulary. Let the topsail sheet go aloft and it will soon be in your vocabulary."

These boats got vrooom! Festival coming to Clearwater

These boats got vrooom! Festival coming to Clearwater: "The Super Boat International Racing Series is bringing its national championship to Clearwater starting Friday. It's an offshore racing event involving exceedingly high-powered speedboats.

'It's probably the scariest sport you could ever do in your life, and I'm just proud to be part of it,' said John Haggin, team owner of Miss Geico Racing. The Geico boat is a 2,000-horsepower beast that can do up to 200 mph."

Sailing Mega Yacht Athena


"At over 295 feet (90 meters) the mega yacht Athena is not only a huge three masted schooner, she is one of the largest privately owned sailboats in the world. Built by the Royal Huisman boat yard, this enormous boat was designed by Pieter Beeldsnijder to combine traditional schooner style with modern sailboat technologies. Although weighing in at 1,126 tons, this gargantuan yacht regularly travels at an impressive speed of 18 knots under sail."

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Richard Branson's new Belle



"After spending the last two years undergoing an extensive refit, following her former years as Lady Barbaretta, Necker Belle was introduced to Sir Richard Branson in her spectacular new form. Setting foot aboard the catamaran, Sir Richard commented: 'I was thrilled to be able to jump onboard and see Necker Belle in all her true glory. She really is a stunner and certainly turned my head, especially knowing the speeds that she can get up to. I have no doubt she will do the same to everyone else!'"