The placement of the
wind turbines was a
matter of fierce debateThe new breakwater is 350
metres long and contains
45,000 tonnes of rockVector Martini storms up a
spray on Coniston WaterWindfarm plan withdrawn
EDF and Eneco have opted not to
appeal against the Planning
Inspectorate’s decision to reject plans
to build the Navitus Bay windfarm.
The offshore windfarm would have
been the largest of its kind in the UK,
but after a widespread consultation
process the plans were officially
rejected last month. The developers
had a six-week window to launch a
judicial review to challenge the way the
decision was made, but have opted
against taking this course of action.
Stuart Grant, project director at
Navitus Bay, said: “After careful
consideration, we have chosen not to
challenge the decision by the Secretary
of State to refuse consent for the
proposed wind park.” Mr Grant also
hailed the “courteous team” at the RYA,
despite their objections to the plans.Navitus Bay
off the table
Vector conquers Coniston
Cowes project complete
Three speed records broken in a week by Peter Dredge and company
Cowes Harbour will have much
better tidal protection this winter,
after contractors Boksalis
Westminster announced that it has
completed the rock armouring on
the new Cowes breakwater.
What’s more, the steel docking
piles have been removed and five
navigation beacons have been
installed to help skippers spot the
new 350-metre long obstacle, which
is built from 45,000 tonnes of rock.
The project will now be reviewed
and examined against ABPmer’s
modelling programme to develop a
new sustainable dredging
management plan for the Medina
Estuary. The construction of the
Cowes breakwater will allow further
development of the harbour, with a
new marina due to be built in EastCowes in 2016/17.
Harbourmaster Stuart McIntosh
said: “This new breakwater, along
with the next phases of our harbour
infrastructure, the extension to
the Shrape and new Eastern
Channel, are the key elements toachieving the Commission’s primary
objective of providing a sheltered
harbour environment.”
Boat owners are reminded that
the Cowes breakwater exclusion
zone is still in force while the testing
is carried out.Vector Martini blitzed the competition
at last month’s Coniston Powerboat
Record Week and emerged with three
new records under its belt.
Mal Crease, Peter Dredge, Shelley
Jory-Leigh and Simon Powell all
tasted victory in the Lake District over
the course of the five-day event. Firstto break a record was Vector CEO Mal
Crease, who reached a top speed of
113mph to shatter the previous best
of 107.94mph in the British National
Immersed Propeller class.
However, his record wasn’t to last
long, with BBC presenter and team-
mate Shelley Jory-Leigh going one55,
THE MONTH
IN NUMBERSThe total number of visitors to the
recent Barcelona Boat Show.
Organisers hailed the 10% rise in
attendance as a sign of the Spanish
market’s continued recovery.£50,
£31,
Prize money won by Wet Wheels
founder Geoff Holt for his disabled
boating charity. The 40-year-old
recently won the Stelios Award for
disabled entrepreneur of the year.Funds raised so far by an upcoming
attempt to row across the Atlantic.
OceanReunion.co.uk hopes to raise
£100,000 for The Teenage Cancer
Trust and The Cystic Fibrosis Trust.better by clocking a top speed of
114.5mph in the Vector V40R.
What’s more, Simon Powell capped
off a fine week by breaking the APBA
Marathon A Class Record with a top
speed of 120.46mph. All three record
runs were co-piloted by Vector
co-founder Peter Dredge, who
remarked afterwards that the location
made these records extra-special:
“I have broken many records in my
25 years of racing, but this is a special
moment for the team to be breaking
records on Lake Coniston. It is the lake
where Donald Campbell CBE, an
inspiration to all powerboat racing
enthusiasts, made his final record
attempts nearly 50 years ago.”
The Vector Martini V40R raceboat
is powered by 1,100hp Mercury
engines and has a maximum range
of 400nm.17-month breakwater build paves way for new Isle of Wight developments
UKNEWS