IYRS lecture series to start Oct 27th

Beginning in late October, the International Yacht Restoration School will host a five-part lecture series that will explore the great yachts of today and yesterday. On five Tuesday nights from October to mid-December, experts will give lecture-goers a look at a series of magnificent yachts and the people behind them-including newly restored classics such as the stunning 104-foot Trumpy design Freedom, the majestic J-Class sloops and the largest Herreshoff schooners ever built, steam yachts that today stand as the megayachts of old, and the historic 1885 Coronet now being restored on the IYRS campus.

The lectures in the series include: (more…)

Accountant: Swain got $630K after death

wpri.com - TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands (AP) – David Swain , a Rhode Island man accused of killing his wife during a 1999 scuba diving trip inherited more than half a million dollars after her death, a forensic accountant testifed Friday.

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Local Sailors raise $20,000 to help Rhode Islanders

Sail Newport announced that over $20,000 was raised at the 2009 Sail for Hope to help fellow Rhode Islanders. Despite a rainy morning and forecast, fifty-two boats with determined sailors turned out for the 19-plus mile course around Conanicut Island.

Sail Newport will distribute proceeds to the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) and to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank (RICFB) to help with food and housing programs.

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Outside the box

You have to love Wally for breaking the rules and doing it in style again and again.

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NYYC Invitational Cup to air Sunday Oct. 25 at 7pm on ESPN2

A one-hour special on the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup is scheduled to air on Sunday, October 25 at 7:00pm on ESPN2. Presented by Rolex, the program is produced by Emmy award-winning producer Gary Jobson and features highlights from racing among 19 teams from 14 nations as well as interviews and side stories about Newport, Rhode Island, where the New York Yacht Club hosted the event.

More about the Charles W. Morgan

Corporate Connecticut Magazine – Connecticut’s Mystic Seaport plans to use centuries-old live oaks from Galveston, Texas to restore the Charles W. Morgan, an 1841 whaling ship. The Mystic Seaport Board of Trustees recently authorized the restoration of the historic whaling vessel Charles W. Morgan to sailing condition. Mystic Seaport was founded in 1929 and is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Morgan. Read on.

The oak in the picture looks dead to me so I checked Wikipedia and the term live oak comes from the fact that evergreen oaks remain green and “live” throughout winter, when other oaks are dormant, leafless and “dead”-looking. Who knew?

Rhode Island Canoe / Kayak Association

Expert: Swain behind wife’s scuba death

Read more details at wpri.com

These guys are cool

The VESTAS SAILROCKET team is back to Walvis Bay in Namibia for another assault on the speed sailing record. This crash video was taken last week. They were back in action yesterday. You can check in at their blog where you’ll find fun details like this one posted this morning.

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Team USA

The URI World Cup Team shows us their sponsors in this Sail for Hope shot. Go Rams!

New trailer from Mike Laptew, “The Diving Fisherman,”

The message here is to the point!

NEW RULE

independent.co.uk - Friday Oct 9, Fast boats, less gear, sometimes less people, and less opportunity to buy success was the recipe for the world’s best round the world racers today as a raft of measures to cut costs, but no overall budget cap, was announced by Volvo Ocean Race chief executive Knut Frostad.

Image – ericnorth/botincarkeek.com

For the next event, starting again in Spain in 2011, the number of sails which can be made at all has been considerably reduced and is down to 17 for the race itself. No two-boat campaigns, or even two-boat testing, will be allowed. There will be plenty of grumbles from syndicate bosses with fat cheque books. Read on here.

Annapolis vs. Newport

Your vote counted! As of 4pm Monday, Newport was way ahead with 2533 votes and Annapolis trailing at 348. It all started here.

From the Crazy Boat category

It’s surprising how fast this thing is on land but I’m not going to buy one until I see it in the waves.

amphibian velomobile from Jan Jan on Vimeo.

Open House in Melville

You’re invited to BOATS WORK for RHODE ISLAND, an initiative of the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association on Saturday, October 17 from 9 AM to 12 Noon. Ten firms – including Hinckley Yachts, New England Boat Works and Hunt Yachts — will be giving tours to introduce the boating industry to local and State officials, neighbors, business partners and associates, people interested in marine industry careers including those looking for training opportunities, and the general public.

The boat business is a major industry on Aquidneck Island and is one of four cluster industries recently recognized by the Governor’s Workforce Board as industries targeted for growth in the Ocean State. Open House participants include a wide range of companies representing every area of the marine industry…designers, sail makers, boat builders, machinists, electronics repair and installation companies, boat dealers, carpenters, service and repair facilities and specialty products companies. Although many other marine businesses are located in Portsmouth, the firms participating in the event are all located at the Melville Marine Complex off West Main Road for the convenience of attendees. (more…)