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Regional News

SOUTH

Rick Tomlinson

RNLI Alan Hoskin

CHANNEL ISLANDS

MARINA PLANS AXED

A multi-million-pound proposal to

redevelop Alderney’s harbour area

and create a marina has been

dropped. Alderney Developments

Ltd, the company behind the

scheme at Maggie’s Bay, has cited

uncertainty over the future of the

breakwater as the reason.

The fate of the breakwater

remains in doubt, as Guernsey

States – responsible for its

maintenance – has yet to decide

whether to continue its current

maintenance programme or shorten

the existing breakwater and build a

new limb to ensure that a sheltered

harbour remains. Guernsey States

says that the breakwater, built on a

rubble mound, has a finite life as it is.

SOUTH-WEST

TRANSAT PREPARATIONS

Preparations are in full swing in

Plymouth to host the start of the

14th edition of the world’s oldest

solo transatlantic race – the Transat.

Plymouth was the first city to play

host to the race, and the fleet will race

3,000 miles to Brooklyn in New York,

where the Transat first finished 56

years ago. From 24 April, a week of

events will include a new Ocean City

Blues Festival, an air show and a

fireworks display, before the

40-strong fleet set sail on 2 May.

DEVASTATING BLAZE

A large accidental fire at Medina

Village industrial estate, Cowes

destroyed 30 boats – including

two classic yachts whose

restorations were nearing

completion. The explosive blaze

started in a car repair workshop

and swept through industrial and

storage units on 25 January.

Among the yachts lost were

the Dunkirk Little Ship Vere,

15 Etchell keelboats, seven

XOD One Designs, five Dragon

keelboats, the Mylne yacht

Fedoa, which was being

restored by Moreton Marine,

and the Sibbick yacht Witch

that was being restored by

Martin Nott on the same

premises. Site owner, the

Harrison Trust, said Medina

Village has reopened, and

demolition work is under

way to make the site safe.

This year’s race has attracted

Vendée Globe competitors

Sébastien Josse and Armel Le

Cléac’h in the IMOCA60, Transat

Jacques Vabre winner Erwan Le

Roux and Route du Rhum winner

Thomas Coville on the flying

multihulls and seasoned offshore

competitors Miranda Merron and

Thibaut Vauchel in the Class40.

http://www.visitplymouth.co.uk

DRIFTING CARGO SHIP

A Dutch warship joined RNLI lifeboat

volunteers to rescue a stricken 300ft

cargo vessel that was drifting close to

the North Devon coast amid rough

seas and Force 8 gales. The stricken

cargo ship, Verity, was carrying

3,000 tonnes of scrap metal. The

ship’s engine failed four miles off

Hartland Point. With support from

the Appledore RNLI crew, Padstow

lifeboat established a tow to the

ship, which later parted, but the

crew managed to reattach it. The

tow was maintained until the Dutch

frigate HNLMS De Ruyter arrived

on scene. The Dutch warship then

began the slow tow towards Lundy

Island to await a tugboat. Verity was

later towed to Swansea for repairs.

WALES

TIDAL LAGOON SWANSEA

BAY SCHEME DELAY

Plans to generate energy from

Swansea Bay lagoon face further

delays as the UK energy minister

has announced a six-month review

of the sector.

Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay

has welcomed the launch of a

government review into the potential

for tidal lagoon energy across the

UK, but expressed concern about

delays to the scheme. Mark Shorrock,

chief executive, said: ‘We have built a

team, secured planning permission,

secured equity sponsors, prepared

a delivery team and a supply

chain. We have received

overwhelming support for this project

locally, nationally and internationally. If

tidal lagoon power at scale is to be

a real option for the longer term, we

need to start work now, otherwise

the opportunity will be lost and the

review will be all for nothing.’

IRELAND

ROS AN MHÍL

IMPROVEMENTS

Major improvements are being

carried out to Ros an Mhíl Harbour

in Connemara. The r3.5million

project includes the creation of a

new small craft harbour, the design

and construction of a new slipway,

and the design, evaluation,

consultation and preparation works

for development of the harbour’s

existing quay. Funding is being

provided by the Irish Local Authority

Fund for Harbours and Piers.

NI MCZ CONSULTATION

A consultation is under way for four

new Marine Conservation Zones

in Northern Irish waters. The four

proposed sites (pMCZs) are

Rathlin, Waterfoot, Outer Belfast

and Carlingford Lough. Potential

management measures to protect the

marine habitats in these areas include

limits on anchoring and mooring, and

at Rathlin a speed restriction zone

and proposals to limit expansion of

the existing marina facilities.

The Royal Yachting Association

(RYA) and the Royal Yachting

Association Northern Ireland (RYANI)

have been working closely with the

Department of the Environment

Northern Ireland (DOENI) to ensure

that the views of recreational boaters

are considered in the plans. The

RYA and RYANI will now consider

whether the proposed management

measures are proportionate,

enforceable and effective.

The consultation closes on 11

March 2016. Visit http://www.doeni.gov.uk/

consultations/marine-conservation-

zones-consultation.

NORTH-WEST

WHITEHAVEN MARINA

SEA LOCK CLOSURE

Whitehaven Marina in Cumbria has

confirmed that its two-week annual

lock closure takes place between

Monday 22 February and Monday

7 March 2016. The sea lock at

Whitehaven Marina, and the

265-year-old breakwaters, form

an integral part of the marina and

town’s sea defences. Mark Bowden,

operations director for Whitehaven

Marina, said: ‘We will be spending

in excess of £35,000 to ensure all

aspects of the sea lock are serviced

and checked. Having seen the

increase in frequency of powerful

storms and tidal surges in recent

years, this work will ensure that the

marina and town will be kept safe.’

TALENT PROGRAMME

The British America’s Cup challenger

and its partner Land Rover have

launched a talent programme to find

and support young British sailors,

and create a pathway into the

America’s Cup. The first intake into

the academy will see a squad of 12

sailors competing in the Extreme

Sailing Series, which takes high-

speed catamaran sailing close to city

centres all over the world and uses

a foiling multihull, the GC32.

Chosen from an ongoing selection

policy, the academy sailors will have

regatta costs paid for, access to

expertise and facilities at Land Rover

BAR’s Portsmouth headquarters,

mentoring and support. Applicants

need to be aged between 19 and

24 on 31 December 2017.

http://www.landroverbar.com/academy

This fire at an industrial estate

in Cowes destroyed 30 boats

@BenBoard

Cargo ship Verity under tow from

Padstow Lifeboat