Artemis Transat Fleet Prepares for Sunday Departure

PLYMOUTH, UK, May 9, 2008 (The Boating Channel)

The clock is ticking down in the Barbican, the medieval center of Plymouth where 23 skippers prepare for the start of the Artemis Transat 2008. The single-hand race across the Atlantic leaves from Pylmouth on Sunday, May 11. The Class 40 fleet will head for Marblehead, Massachusetts, 2,739 miles away, while the IMOCA fleet will travel 2,743 miles to finish in Boston harbor.

The course includes gates (obligatory points of passage), in a zone where ice floes represent a huge danger. Four years ago, the skippers set themselves a waypoint to avoid the icebergs and growlers, and for this thirteenth edition ice has already been spotted to the South of the banks of Newfoundland (41°30 North). [More... ]

5 U.S. Teams to Compete in Qingdao International Disabled Sailors Regatta

Ten members of the US Disabled Sailing Team AlphaGraphics have landed in Qingdao, China, and are preparing for five days of racing at the International Association For Disabled Sailing (IFDS) Qingdao International Regatta.

The U.S. has sent five of its top-ranked teams to this May 11-15 event. Although it is not an official test event, the IFDS Qingdao International Regatta will serve as the most realistic training the teams and the organizers will see before the Paralympic Games in the fall. Head Coach Betsy Alison (Newport, R.I.) says in an email from China, “There is no substitute for practicing at the venue in preparation for the big show.” [More... ]

Coast Guard Reports Hazardous Spill in Richmond, California

RICHMOND, CA, May 6, 2008 (The Boating Channel)

A spill of toluenediamine, a flammable substance that can cause irritation by inhalation, at the Reaction Products facility in Richmond, California, has brought out the U.S. Coast Guard along with the California Office of Emergency Services, the Department of Fish and Game and Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Team.

The chemical spill occurred at an unconfirmed time this past weekend. The spill has been fully contained by booms and absorbent pads. The spilled chemical is not believed to have reached the San Francisco Bay. A safety zone was established and enforced by the Coast Guard Monday afternoon and has since been lifted. [More...]