Live from China – The Kenny Read show / SOLD OUT

01/29/09
01/29/09 Newport RI, Sail Newport treated a capacity crowd to a fun and interesting evening with Kenny Read and Company at the Jane Pickens. Kenny was brought to the event live via video link live from China. The high tech hook-up enabled Kenny to speak directly to the audience, take questions, and chat with his brother Brad and team mate Jerry Kirby who were actually there.

The timing was perfect as PUMA just completed the crazy passage from Singapore – finishing 2nd. Big seas, big winds and heading north in January scattered and broke the fleet. PUMA snapped their boom, other boats were force to retire and there was the finger drama.

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It’s Official – The start of the 2009 Rhode Island Boating season

01/29/09
01/29/09 Governor Donald Carcieri opened the 2009 Providence Boat Show and the Rhode Island 2009 boating season with the ceremonial ribbon cutting. Picture from left to right are: Ken Kubic, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Nancy Piffard, Governor Donald Carcieri and Chris Ruhling.

Image courtesy of Bob Sharkey / New England Boat Works.

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Goetz calls back boat builders

01/28/09
BRISTOL – Goetz Custom Boats, although still in receivership, has reopened and called back about two-thirds of its 75-person staff. “We’re not up to full capacity but we have brought back a number of people,” a company spokeswoman said. Story – Providence Business News

riy Calendar – upcoming events

Quonset developer drops shipbuilding plans

The Florida developer that had planned to construct a $150-million complex in North Kingstown to build and repair mammoth yachts has canceled the project, The Providence Journal has learned. Story projo.com

Fast Sailing Foundation eyes Fort Getty location and gets closer to a deal

01/22/09
FAST (not an acronym) is working with Jamestown Town Planner Lisa Bryer on a project to develop a new sailing center at Fort Getty. FAST Sailing Foundation is a competitive sailing team for kids in New England that’s currently based at Fort Adams in Newport.

The team is composed of hard core dinghy sailors who want to continue sailing during the fall and spring to keep pace with their competitors who live in southern climates and sail year round. The team regularly brings in national level coaching for weekend training sessions and travels to national events with the same high level support. The athletes are from RI, MA, CT and other northeast states and typically sail with their local clubs in the summer. Since FAST would be most active at the Jamestown location from March – June and September – November, the town or another group could utilize the facility for teaching or other events during the rest of the year.

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Roundtable Discussion

As part of the Providence Boat Show at the Convention Center, the RI Marine Trades Association will present a discussion with The RI Economic Development Corp and local marine professionals. (more…)

Career building effort to be unveiled by RIMTA at Providence Boat Show

01/22/09
A new program will be presented in a huge pavilion on the top floor of the Providence Boat Show, January 29 – February 1 and include how-to demonstrations by workers and students in the industry. RIMTA (RI Marine Trades Association) is launching the outreach effort under the brand: “BOATS WORK for Rhode Island

Demonstrations such as Outboard Maintenance, Sterndrive Maintenance, Basic Fiberglass Repair and Electronic Installation will be offered at selected hours of the show. The pavilion will be shared with three post-secondary marine trades schools — the International Yacht Restoration School, MotoRing Technical Training Institute and New England Institute of Technology.

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GMT Composites delivers carbon rudder for 147′ sloop

01/20/09
Bristol, RI, USA – GMT Composites, recently shipped this extraordinary rudder to Vitters Shipyard in The Netherlands for installation in a 44.7 meter (147-foot) sloop under construction there. The GMT rudder is 6.1 meters (20 feet) in height, has a chord depth of 1.4 meters (4 feet 6 inches) and including the carbon stock, weights only 421 kg (926 pounds). The sloop Lady B. is a flush-deck mega-sailer with cutting-edge styling and state-of-the-art technology in construction, materials as well as gear and equipment. Lady B will cruise at over 20 knots, subjecting this rudder to extreme loads.

Image – GMT President David Schwartz stands between GMT-built carbon composite rudders for a Farr 44 (white) and the 147-foot Lady B (grey),

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Hard Water

01/17/09
01/17/09 Lake Wattuppa in Fall River is frozen shore to shore and the ice is pretty good. Saturday there were about 15 ice boats out sailing. Most were DN’s but there were a few home made designs and a couple of hand held kites. The crew reportedly started by checking the conditions at the Ninigret salt pond but is was soft and Worden Pond in South Kingston has snow on it. Wattuppa has a pressure ridge on the east end that isn’t passable but the rest is smooth / little bumpy with some patchy snow. Wind was south 5-10 knots. images Update 01/19/09, it’s now covered in deep snow.

Like this? – Sail Newport has even better video coming to the BIG screen!

01/16/09

Sail Newport, Rhode Island public sailing center is bringing never before seen footage of PUMA’s il mostro, to the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport. The show starts at 6:30 – Thursday – Jan 29. You’ll be treated to special (taped) commentary buy Rhode Island Puma team members Ken Read and Jerry Kirby and some of the correspondence with the students taking part in the globallearning-sailnewport.org school program. Peter Craig from Premiere Racing will be there to present details about the upcoming Boston Stopover in April / May. All proceeds to benefit Sail Newport’s Public Sailing Programs. Tickets and details are available online at: sailnewport.org

KVH hedges its bets – thriving in a volatile economy

It doesn’t take long for a visitor with a wireless Internet connection to figure out KVH’s roots when stepping into the company’s giant, marble-lined foyer at 50 Enterprise Way. The firm has three wireless networks named, appropriately enough, “Intrepid,” “Aurora” and “Courageous. EastBayRI.com

Hot Socks

01/11/09
Meet Katie Miller. University student, adventurer and English ocean racer headed our way. On May 25th Katie will be leaving Plymouth England in the 2009 OSTAR. (Original Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race). The race crosses about 3000 miles of the North Atlantic and more because it will be upwind. The finish line is in Newport. Katie is currently both the youngest and the only female entrant. And she will be doing this in a 30′ boat.

The OSTAR is hosted by The Royal Western Yacht Club of Plymouth and the Newport Yacht Club. The 2009 race is limited to boats between 30′-50′ but open to monohulls and multihulls. It’s been raced in Open 60′s in the past. Katie’s entry (Hot Socks) is a Bénéteau Figaro ll. The Figaro is a 10.10m ‘one design’ class for offshore yacht racing and a fast little boat. Katie checks in:

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Laser fleet 413- winter series week 1

Newport Laser fleet 413 scores_010409

Hall of Fame – John Longley and the late Thomas Ratsey

01/10/09
(BRISTOL, RI) – The America’s Cup Hall of Fame, located in Bristol Rhode Island, is pleased to announce the induction of John Longley and the late Thomas Ratsey at a black-tie dinner on April 30, 2009. The 16th Induction Ceremony, presented by Rolex Watch USA and hosted at the New York Yacht Club in New York City, will also honor the late John Biddle for his 2008 induction into the Hall of Fame.

Details