RNLI Paul GlatzelNEWSFULLTANK
JIM DAVIDSON
‘NICKS’ A PRINCESS
Jim ‘nick nick’
Davidson has just
taken delivery
of a Princess
61 from James
Barke, MD of
Boats.co.uk. The comedian used
to own a Princess 55 called
Afghan Plains, which he stayed
on in Torquay during summer
seasons at the appropriately
named Princess Theatre.JERSEY BOAT SHOW SUCCESS
The 11th annual
Jersey Boat Show
was one of the
most successful
stagings yet.
Glorious bank
holiday weather encouraged
an estimated 35,000 people
to visit the free show over
the three days it was open,
with exhibitors on and off
the pontoons reporting
‘buoyant sales’.TRAGIC BOATYARD INCIDENT
A 56-year-old man was killed when
his fin-keeled yacht fell on him
at Weymouth Yacht Club. Kevin
Keeler was working on his 29ft
Westerly GK29 when it toppled
over and crushed him. He was
pronounced dead at the scene.MAY BANK HOLIDAY RESCUES
Poole RNLI had a busy May bank
holiday with three ‘shouts’ in
a single day. A sinking 40ft yacht
was successfully rescued and
a further two motor boats had
to be recovered following engine
failures, one after a nearby jetski
rider alerted the RNLI.Inshore racing returns to London
Formula 1 powerboats to race in the capital
EMPTYTA N K
E FE FBavaria seeks new investment
Production will continue
as normal until July 2018The race is on to find a new investor
for one of Europe’s biggest boat
builders after Bavaria Yachts went
into self-administration last month.
According to Bavaria’s UK and
Spanish importer, Clipper Marine,
the administrators have already
received multiple expressions of
interest from potential investors.
The decision to call in administrators
caught dealers and customers by
surprise. Bavaria Yachts put on a
bullish performance at the Düsseldorf
boat show in January, launching
four new boats and reporting strong
sales of both motor and sailing yachts.
The trigger for this sudden turn
of events seems to have been the
refusal of its current backers to put
any more money into the business,
causing a cash-flow shortage that
threatened to halt production.
The self-administration process
means the firm’s 600 workers will
have their wages and salaries paid
by German insolvency compensation
while the management team look
for a new investor. The original time
frame of the end of June has alreadyUK NEWS
Flagship bows out
Last Fairline Squadron
78 leaves Oundle PWORLD NEWS
Belgium accepts red
No fi nes for Brit boats
using red diesel PTHE TRUTH ABOUT
On-board security
A closer look at the new
risk to boat owners PAll of the 17 boats it has on order for British
customers will be completed before the deadlinePowerboat racing is returning to
London for the first time in 33 years.
The British leg of the inshore Formula
1 powerboat racing series – the
UIM F1H2O Grand Prix of London –
will be held at east London’s Royal
Victoria Dock from June 15-17.Ten teams are expected to race
in the F1H2O World Championship
event, with a further nine teams
competing in the Formula 4-S class,
contested by up-and-coming drivers.
After a free practice session
on Friday, qualifying will take placeon Saturday with racing getting
underway on Sunday afternoon.
Spectators will also be able to
enjoy demonstrations from several
classic racing boats, jetskis and
a V12 Class 1 offshore powerboat.
F1H2O powerboats are tunnel-
hulled 6m lightweight catamarans
built out of carbon fibre and Kevlar.
Powered by two-stroke Mercury
outboard engines that rev to
10,500rpm and produce almost
400hp, they can accelerate to 60mph
in four seconds and reach top speeds
close to 140mph. Cornering speeds
of up to 90mph submit drivers to
lateral forces of 4.5g. Bulletproof
windscreens, HANS safety devices
and even an airbag help keep the
drivers safe in what traditionally
has been a very dangerous sport.The German yard launched
four new models at the
Düsseldorf boat showF1 boats reach 140mph
and pull up to 4.5g
during corneringbeen extended to the end of July to
help fulfil existing orders.
Clipper Marine has confirmed that
all of the 17 boats it has on order for
British customers will be completed
before the deadline.
“Our customers have been very
understanding,” said Clipper director
Matt Attree. “We’ve even sold four
new boats since the news broke.”The company’s French subsidiary,
Bavaria Catamarans SAS, formed
after Bavaria bought Nautitech
Catamarans in 2014, is not affected.
Bavaria claims to have one of the
most modern boatbuilding facilities in
Europe, with state-of the-art vacuum
infusion of its hulls and modular
interiors that are built outside the
boat and then slotted into place.