MB Quart has its outstanding range of technically advanced yet easy to use marine audio visual equipment on display at this year's METS 2008.

Specifically developed to meet the requirements of the marine environment, each product line of the Nautic Audio range undergoes stringent testing to ensure it can withstand rain, saltwater and even extreme temperatures, offering boaters highly reliable equipment that provides brilliant clarity and sound quality.

The owner of Boatshed Cowes, Frank Gelder, will be opening a new office in Yarmouth on 20th December.

This second office, which will run in conjunction with his existing business in Clarence Boatyard, will offer boat owners in the west of the Island more choice when it comes to yacht brokerage.

C A Clase, the official European distributor for the MB Quart Nautic Audio range has further strengthened its position on the continent with the appointment of regional distributors to represent key markets in Belgium, France, Holland, Luxembourg and Spain.

"The demand for the MB Quart product line in Europe has consistently grown since our appointment as the exclusive European distributor in 2007. Having established a reputation for high quality, easy-to-use products, MB Quart has been well received, which led us to appoint a distributor for Germany and Austria, Nord West Funk Gmbh just over a year ago. The success of this partnership, has led us to extend our distributor network into other European countries.

Gunmen attacked an oil supply vessel contracted to Royal Dutch Shell off Cameroon near the border with Nigeria on Saturday, kidnapping one Ukrainian and three Filipino crew, security sources said.

Two security contractors said some 30 suspected Nigerian militants in speedboats attacked the MV Sil Tide on Saturday morning around 14 kilometres from the coast of Bakassi, on the Nigeria-Cameroon border.

"Around five shots were fired. One person was injured and they got the three Filipinos and the Ukrainian," one of the security sources, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.

Last Wednesday, as the local Fort Lauderdale, Florida, press noted, it was not an April Fool’s joke when Mr Madoff's 55ft yacht Bull was boarded and confiscated by US Marshalls.

The yacht, a 1969 Rybovich, is valued at around $2m and was towed away while surrounded by federal law enforcement.

Another boat, a 24ft Pathfinder named Little Bull was also seized in Florida and both boats were taken to the National Liquidators salvage yard.

Nexus Marine AB, the Swedish-based marine electronics specialists, are proud and delighted to announce that Diverse Yachts, from the Hamble, UK, have been appointed as the exclusive UK and Ireland distributors of the Nexus NXR grand-prix electronics range with immediate effect.

This specialist focus on NXR underpins the seriousness with which Nexus takes the grand-prix racing scene. On making the announcement from their new Stockholm headquarters, Jonas Magnér, Sales & Marketing Manager, said, “With our NXR System, in particular, we are in no doubt whatsoever that Nexus provides the best designed and best quality range for racing sailors. At this level of product development and manufacture we need to work with a distributor who is tried and trusted and one who knows and understands the requirements of those owners and skippers racing at the highest level. With Diverse Yachts we will get all this and more.”

Making its UK debut at Seawork will be the triumphant N67 560, which is now available for commercial applications in the UK Market.

The N67 560 is the outcome of extensive testing carried out in the field during two of the longest and most prestigious powerboat races, the Round Britain Race and Cowes – Torquay – Cowes race held in 2008, eventually winning both events.

With its performance, reliability, robustness, reduced size and low weight this engine is not only a winning product in racing applications, but will also prove to be popular in standard production pleasure craft, light duty commercial craft and patrol boats.

Seawork International returns to its familiar quayside location in the working Port of Southampton for a 2009 edition which promises to surpass all the successful Seaworks which have gone before.

World Marine Market Worth £2 Trillion
A research report by Marine South East valued the total marine market at £2 trillion in February this year.  Now in its 12th successive year, Seawork is once again set to be the scene of successful deals between exhibitors and visitors converging on Southampton from all over the world for three days in June.  With over 450 exhibitors and 35+ vessels, attracting 6,500 visitors all professionally involved in the commercial market, this is the one event you really can’t afford to miss.

A new web-based marine weather forecasting service will be on show at Seawork this year: www.PortCast.co.uk is MeteoGroup’s weather forecasting service for nearshore and shoreside operations.

PortCast provides accurate site-specific weather and marine forecasts for any UK coastal or near-shore site. With hourly updated forecast data, marine charts, lightning strike maps and 5 minute rainfall radar, users get a comprehensive picture of forthcoming conditions. Real-time alerts warn of high sea, swell or gusting winds.
 
Product Manager, Richard Hogg also highlights the flexibility of the service. ‘Due to its modular nature, PortCast is suited to any size operation with clients able to build a service according to operational and budgetary requirements’.

VIAREGGIO - TELEMAR YACHTING, www.telemar-yachting.com  the Viareggio-based Integrated Marine Electronics Specialists providing Navigation, Communication, Audio/Video Entertainment systems, Computer Integration, Security Systems and Airtime to the world's superyacht industry has signed two projects for Italian builder Codecasa.

The two 65-metre yachts, projects C118 and F71, will have the most comprehensive electronics, navigation and audio visual packages to date.   TELEMAR YACHTING will install all of the electronics including VSAT and as a result the Audio Visual System could be integrated with the yacht's computer network and navigation system. 

First to market, first to 5000 - SAILOR® shows FleetBroadband pedigree

Thrane & Thrane is proud to announce the September 2009 shipping of the 5000th SAILOR FleetBroadband terminal since deliveries started in December 2007. The 5000th terminal, a SAILOR 500 FleetBroadband, is a major milestone for Thrane & Thrane and was delivered to a UK based Master Distributor, well-known satcoms solutions provider NSSL Ltd.

"Reaching this milestone in such a short space of time reflects how quickly FleetBroadband has been accepted and also how end-users appreciate the quality and reliability of SAILOR products," comments Walther Thygesen, CEO, Thrane & Thrane.

Spitbank Fort has been bought by a bedding tycoon for just over £1m - just days before it was due to be auctioned at a price of around £800,000.

The iconic Solent fort has been snapped up by Clarenco, an investment firm run by entrepreneur Mike Clare, the founder of bedding chain Dreams.

Neale Brickwood, 44, bought the fort in 2005 for £500,000 alongside two co-investors.

Since then they have been carrying out a major refurbishment to encourage nightclubbers and partygoers to the venue.

Today at its UK Dealer Conference, Zodiac Marine & Pool (ZMP) group announced a change to the distribution of its three major recreational brands Zodiac, Avon and Bombard, which brings the UK into line with other global operations. All personnel and operations of ZMP's UK Company (Avon Inflatables Ltd) remain the same.

Zodiac Marine & Pool also announced the consolidation of its appointed UK dealer network and the launch of a strategic model range review across its three core boat brands. 

Ships Electronics Services (SES), one of the UK's leading suppliers and service agents for the commercial and leisure marine industry, has been appointed by SeaView Europe as the exclusive UK distributor of its Radar and Communications mounting brackets.

SeaView is the largest manufacturer of mounting brackets in the world.

The company provides a full range of mounts for all types and brands of antennas, domes and night vision cameras, which in turn supply the heart of a ships communication and navigation systems.

Clements Marine are key propeller suppliers to Ocean Yacht Systems (OYS) for their bow and stern thruster range, and suppliers of propellers for most of their unique primary drives.

OYS were displaying a large thruster with Clements produced propellers on their stand at the METS exhibition 2009.

Produced onsite at the Clements Marine foundry in Bedfordshire, the special geometry propellers for the thrusters are made from nickel aluminium bronze.

UK-based Genus Marine – Europe’s leading marina berth broker – has issued a stark warning to berth buyers about the proliferation of bogus operators in the marine real estate market and the potential cost of doing business with them

“It seems that the recent downturn in land-based real estate sales has had an unexpected impact in the marine berth market,” explains John Brewster, Director of Genus Marine & Leisure. “Displaced real estate agents from the once lucrative second home and holiday rental markets have had their commissions decimated and are looking for greener pastures – some of them have ended-up in the comparatively upbeat marine berth market.”

The powered trimaran Ady Gil, known as Earthrace during her biofuelled circumnavigation, has had 8ft of its bow sliced off by Japanese whaling vessel the Shonan Maru II. Five of her crew, one with cracked ribs, have been airlifted off but recent reports suggest her skipper, Kiwi Pete Bethune, is staying onboard to salvage either the boat or some equipment.

Paul Watson, head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, new owners of the Ady Gil, told Kyodo News the Shonan Maru II, a vessel sent by Japan to ensure the security of its whaling fleet, deliberately rammed his group's US$1.8 million vessel Ady Gil and ''sheared the bow right off.''

The 12th annual Seawork International exhibition and conference was up all round. 
• UP! 479 exhibitors – 10% up on last year
• UP!  7049 visitors – 8% up on last year
• UP!  789 overseas visitors – 11.2% up on last year

Overseas visitors showed a strong increase and were enhanced by naval attachés from South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Chile.  Captain Oscar Vargas, Head of the Chilean Naval mission was so impressed with his first visit to Seawork that he intends to return next year with members of his London team. 

UK-based Genus Marine – Europe’s leading berth broker – reports the first real signs of recovery with its latest figures from boating hotspots around Europe

“Summer is usually the quietest time of the year for marina real estate,” explains John Brewster, Director of Genus Marine & Leisure. “This summer, however, we have seen a marked increase in sales activity in the Mediterranean with enquiries in the month of July outstripping all of the 2008 summer months combined.”

“The majority of berth sales occur in the off-season between late autumn and spring and, after a pretty gloomy start to 2009, we were all expecting a very quiet summer period.

A South West-based leader in marine engineering has signed an agreement to build new premises at Osprey Quay on Portland enabling the business to grow, potentially creating up to 20 new jobs.

Specialised Technologies Group Limited, which is currently located in Weymouth, has agreed terms with the South West Regional Development Agency (RDA) to build 25,000sq ft of commercial engineering and office space.

The company has been working with South West RDA and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council for some time and detailed plans for the new facilities have already been approved by the Borough Council. Construction is due to begin in September and completed by Christmas 2010.

Nine Chinese seamen were missing as fire crews battled a blaze aboard a Taiwanese oil tanker carrying 58,000 tonnes of naphtha fuel in the Malacca Strait after it was in collision with another ship.

"The MT Formosa Product Brick is on fire and is now listing on its left side. We fear it may sink," said Rizal Ramli, a Malaysian marine police chief.

The tanker and a Greek-managed bulk carrier collided off Port Dickson, about 100 kilometers south of Kuala Lumpur, in clear weather on Tuesday night. Sixteen crew members, mainly Chinese, were rescued.

Following a month working alongside retiring CEO Rod Carr, new CEO Sarah Treseder now fully takes the helm and is looking forward to the challenges the role will bring.

“Coming to the RYA is a great opportunity for me to combine my passion for business and my passion for being on the water and to make a lasting contribution to the RYA and all it represents. It is exciting and it will be demanding, but I am looking forward to the challenge”, commented Sarah.

Sarah brings with her a wealth of experience and expertise from the business world, from newspapers, international business and most recently luxury events, as well as a passion and lifelong involvement in boating from, learning to sail with her family at a very early age, to enjoying weekends on canal boats and cruising on board friend’s powerboats.

Tides Marine has been chosen to supply the Shaft Seals and Smart Seal Alarm System to Falmouth Harbour Commissioners for their 16m Pilot Vessel “Arrow”. This is the first commercial working vessel to be fitted with the new Smart Seal Alarm System.

The pilot boats in Falmouth Harbour regularly achieve in excess of 2,600 working hours per year and down time can be detrimental to the efficient working of the harbour. Will Davies, Assistant Harbour Master explained “We had experienced some problems with vibration and water in the stern seals.

Tides Marine offered us the dry, dripless solution. With their experience and knowledge of the systems used, they were able to help resolve the tail gear problems we were facing”.

From 2010 Blakes Paints is going to be rebranded under the name of Hempel with an official rebrand launch set to take place at the London Boat Show, 8th-17th January 2010.

Hempel, one of the largest privately owned paint companies in the world, purchased Blakes in 1993 and the rebranding exercise is designed to take Blakes from being a UK only brand and put it firmly into the Hempel fold which caters for a modern global market.
 
Blakes Paints is one of the most familiar brands on chandlers’ shelves in the UK. The Blakes’ brand is highly regarded and has a loyal but ageing customer base. It is the need to bring in new, younger customers which has prompted the rebranding with the aim of expanding the product range and giving it a more modern, youthful appeal.

The board of Hatteland Display has employed Trond K. Johannessen as its new President & CEO, starting 1st Feb 2009.

The appointment follows a strong growth period where the company has increased revenue from NOK 64 million in 2000 to NOK 330 million in 2007.

In this period Hatteland Display has positioned itself as the leading player within the maritime display and computer sector.

Dehler Yachts, Germany's third-largest boatbuilder, went into administration today.

A recent bank guarantee by the government of the state of North Rhine-Westfalia did not succeed in preventing the company from going under.

One of the UK's leading distributors of marine electronics for leisure and commercial users, C A Clase, has received a prestigious award from KVH for selling the most TracPhone V7 systems in Europe.

"We are delighted to have out sold all other KVH distributors to win the award for the highest sales in Europe," comments Andrew Bush, Managing Director, C A Clase (UK) Ltd. "The V7 is a compact mini V-SAT satellite communication system which is significantly lighter and smaller than standard antennas.

Ten people have been ferried by helicopter from a stricken Royal Navy Antarctic patrol ship after it lost power off the tip of south America, the MoD said.

HMS Endurance was in the Straits of Magellan, the narrow channel separating the tip of south America from the islands of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, when its engine room flooded just after 3pm 16th Dec (7pm GMT).

A Norwegian shipping company has been fined nearly £500,000 after eight people, including a 14-year-old boy and his father, were killed when one of its vessels capsized off Shetland.

The Bourbon Dolphin tipped over as it towed an oil rig's anchor and chain during a routine manoeuvre about 75 miles north-west of Shetland in April 2007.

The 330-tonne chain, one of eight anchoring the Transocean Rather drilling rig to the ocean floor near the Rosebank oil field, suddenly began sliding across the new vessel's deck, pulling it over.

The company’s round the world yacht race is a global success but its shares are struggling to stay afloat.

Getting people to give up their jobs and pay up to £32,000 to spend months on a cramped boat, risking life and limb in force nine winds, is the easy part for William Ward.

Securing sponsors for the Clipper round the world yacht race is also fairly straightforward, such is the kudos and marketing potential associated with the biennial event.

What’s less straightforward for the chief executive of the Gosport-based Aim-listed business, is understanding why the 13-year-old firm’s share price is in a slump.