Fickle wind continues to frustrate fleet
It’s been another frustrating day for the ten-strong fleet of ocean racing yachts taking part in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race. Today’s skipper reports to the Race Office are filled with curses to the wind gods as well as a number of tactical gambles as each team looks to outdo its closest rivals.
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Marine Insurance Warranties and their Attenuation
2. Charterers’ Interest in the Use of a Vessel and Rule B
3. ABS Connect Launched
4. Chauncy Maples Malawi Trust
5. Nautical Friday Corporate Challenge
6. People and Places
Barcelona International Sailing Centre, Barcelona, 10-19 May 2012
On the penultimate day of racing at the 2012 470 World Championships, Mat Belcher and Malcolm Page (AUS) secured their third successive World Championship title, with their win in race 12 sealing victory for the pair.
18th May 2012 – Cowes, UK – The weather may have been grey and murky on the Solent today, but the quality of racing at the opening day of the 2012 Vice Admiral’s Cup was spectacularly vibrant. For the 71 teams in six classes the day brought light to moderate shifty winds of circa 6-12 knots combined with a strong ebb tide, giving tacticians and navigators plenty to think about.
The artist’s concept depicts a comet-like tail of a possible disintegrating super Mercury-size planet candidate as it transits its parent star named KIC 12557548. At an orbital distance of only twice the diameter of its star, the surface temperature of the potential planet is estimated to be a sweltering 3,300 degrees Fahrenheit. At such a high temperature, the surface would melt and evaporate. The energy from the resulting wind would be enough to allow dust and gas to escape into space creating a trailing dusty effluence that intermittently blocks the starlight.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Astronomers may have detected evidence of a possible planet disintegrating under the searing heat of its host star located 1,500 light-years from Earth. Similar to a debris-trailing comet, the super Mercury-size planet candidate is theorized to fashion a dusty tail. But the tail won’t last for long. Scientists calculate that, at the current rate of evaporation, the dusty world could be completely vaporized within 200 million years.
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that UTair of Russia has recently been certified as an AW139 helicopter operator and is set to operate ten AW139s for passenger, corporate and VVIP transport missions in Russia. The first aircraft is expected to be handed over this summer with deliveries planned to be completed by summer 2013. The aircraft will be deployed in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Sochi and at additional bases located in Siberia. Additionally UTair is set to become an authorized service centre for the AW139. Initial training of UTair staff has started with plans for approximately 60 pilots and 40 technicians to be qualified to fly and maintain the AW139.
The Japan aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) completed the critical operation
period for the Global Change Observation Mission 1st – Water “SHIZUKU”
(GCOM-W1) after we successfully performed essential events including the
scheduled orbit insertion and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2
(AMSR2) initial run-up(*1).
The satellite is currently in good health.
EVERETT, Wash., May 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The Boeing (NYSE: BA) 787 Dream Tour will draw to a close with a seventh leg of international trips. During the tour, a refurbished flight test airplane has demonstrated the Dreamliner’s capabilities to more than 59,000 guests with an estimated 6,000 more to see it during the upcoming stops.
Delivery of additional airlifter comes 2 months after contract signing
RAF C-17 fleet has surpassed 74,000 flight hours
LONG BEACH, Calif., May 18, 2012 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] delivered the United Kingdom’s eighth C-17 Globemaster III to the Royal Air Force (RAF) today during a ceremony at the company’s final assembly facility in Long Beach.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — More than 50 teams of undergraduate and graduate students from eight countries will come to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida May 21-26 to take part in the third annual Lunabotics Mining Competition.