8 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com NOVEMBER 2017Nominations open for
Yachtsman of the Year
Youngsters complete
UK circumnavigation
No diesel
fines for now
Pubic nominations
sought for sailing’s
premier award
Who is the greatest sailor
of 2017? You can have your
say by nominating someone
for this year’s Yachtsman of
the Year and Young Sailor of
the Year awards. Members
of the Yachting Journalists’
Association vote from a
shortlist and the award is
presented in January.
The current Yachtsman of
the Year title holder Gavin
Reid, 28, made a heroic
mast-top rescue of another
sailor in mid ocean during the
2015-2016 Clipper Round the
World Race. Elliott Kuzyk, 16,
from Poole, Dorset became
the 2016 Young Sailor award
after winning the 2016 Topper125 young people recovering
from cancer have completed
a circumnavigation of the
UK in stages over 126 days,
returning to Largs on the
west coast of Scotland in
September. Organised by
the Ellen MacArthur Cancer
Trust, the voyage covered over
2,200 miles in 17 legs since
May. Along the way, the crews
visited 58 ports, taking in a
dozen hospitals to visit other
young patients still receiving
treatment for cancer.
The voyage aimed to
rebuild the confidence and
independence of those
involved, focusing on the
positive options, which mayYachts with red diesel in their
fuel tanks will not be fined
when visiting Belgium for
the time being. Following a
spate of checks, a number of
yachts were fined over €
each earlier in the year.
The fines were suspended
by the Belgian Ministry of
Finance for the summer
period until a meeting of
the EU Indirect Tax Expert
Group had been held in
September. While the final
report of the group on the
issue of red diesel has not
yet been published, Belgian
authorities have decided not
to reinstate fuel controls in
the immediate future. While
it has argued that the use of
marked fuel in leisure vessels
is inconsistent with EU
law, it has agreed that any
enforcement must be done
in line with other European
countries to avoid damaging
its own marine industry.
The RYA said in a
statement: ‘Our aim is to
ensure lawful use of duty
paid marked diesel for UK
boaters in Europe.’winners include some of the
most famous figures in sailing
history. Eric and Susan Hiscock
were the first recipients
for their voyage in the 30ft
Wanderer III, You can submit
your nominations online at
http://www.yja.co.uk. Nominations
close on 28 October 2017.have been unimaginable
during treatment.
Ryan Campbell, 22 from
Gourock, joined the final leg
having first sailed with the
Trust in 2014 after treatment
for osteosarcoma. ‘I can see
the difference in the other
young people by the end of
the trip. At the beginning,
we’re all quiet and shy and by
the end we’re so vibrant.’
Dame Ellen MacArthur said:
‘It’s been fantastic following
all the adventures of the
young people. It’s amazing to
sail around Britain though for
every young person we can
take sailing, there are nine we
can’t, so please support us.’Like us on Facebook
facebook.com/yachtingmonthlymagFollow us on Twitter
NEWS twitter.com/yachtingmonthly
IN brIEf
Beneteau Figaro 3
foiling monohull
Production has now begun
on the world’s first mass-
produced foiling monohull
yacht. The boats, which are
designed for solo offshore
racing, will be delivered to
owners at the end of 2018.Ocean Village Marina
refurbishment
MDL Marinas is investing
£3.5m in refurbishing
Ocean Village Marina in
Southampton. Plans include
reconfigured pontoons, as
well as a luxury hotel and spaMarine plastic waste
The Marine Conservation
Society has welcomed the
Scottish government’s
plans to introduce a deposit
return scheme for plastic
bottles. The system is under
consultation, but MCS said
the plans had ‘real potential’.Volvo Ocean Race
Mark Turner, has resigned as
CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race,
less than a month before the
race start in Alicante. Having
overseen new race rules and
formats that includes women
on all race boats, Turner cited
a failure to meet deadlines for
the 2019 race for his decision.Boat Show success
The 49th Southampton Boat
Show recorded over 100,
visitors over 10 days. 15,
were able to get out on the
water during the show, and
exhibitors reported year-on-
year sales increases.Shipping Forecast
turns 150
The Met Office shipping
forecast celebrated 150
years in August. Originally
disseminated by newspaper
and telegraph, the forecast
was not broadcast during the
First or Second World Wars.Cruising Association
The Cruising Association now
has over 6,000 members.
The association, which offers
information, resources and
rallies, is over 100 years
old but has enjoyed strong
growth in the last three years.Gareth Reid won the award
in 2016 for his mid-ocean,
mast-top rescuePhoto: YJAWorld championship.
A new award has also
been launched for aspiring
young writers. The YJA
Young Bloggers Competition
will give young bloggers,
journalists, videographers and
photographers a chance to get
their first break in yachting
journalism. Entries are open to
those under the age of 21, with
exciting prizes on offer.
YJA Chairman Barry
Pickthall said: ‘Our awards
represent the pinnacle of
sailing achievement and are
a measure of prowess among
established yachtsmen and
women and future stars.’
The Yachtsman of the
Year was set up in 1955 by
newspaper proprietor and
yachtsman Max Aitken. TheMoonspray and her cheering crew cross the finish linePhoto: onEdition