UK Fastnet 650 mini race

The Royal Western Yacht Club is pleased to welcome back the Classe Mini sailors for 2012. 


This year the Classe Mini yachts have raced from the West coast of France and the Solent to Plymouth. The competitors will set off on Sunday 13th May on a 561 mile course that will take them from Plymouth to Fastnet Rock via Eddystone Rock and Bishop Rock, then on to the Coningbeg Light before returning to Plymouth. The Classe Mini yachts will race in two classes, Series and Proto. The Series yachts are production models, whereas the Protos are one off designs. 


These exciting 6.50m yachts though offering little comfort to their sailors, are capable of high speeds particularly off the wind and offer close and exciting racing. The class rules limit the communication equipment that can be carried by each yacht, but Yellowbrick will again be supplying the trackers that will enable an hour by hour update on the progress of these intrepid sailors. Those racing from the Solent and La Trinite Sur Mer had excellent races and have been enjoying the club. 

Watch the start of the UK Mini Fastnet 2012 at 1200 (BST) on Sunday 13th May 2012. Courtesy of SoloSails.

Friends

IFCA in action.

With the sun finally beating the endless banks of rain cloud into submission, the IFCA patrol boat St Piran sets sail for a weekend outing.

Saturday morning.

 There's some strangle looking beasts growing in Penzance this time of year......

 let's hope so........

 hot tax topic.......

 story of Deb's life........

 chique silk on show........

 a chance to stock up on local fish and give one of Nathan Outlaw's new recipes a go.......

what possible use could these be down the quay?.........

 now we know.........

 neat little fast punt fully rigged for mackerel and bass........

 not long before the Algrie is back in action by the looks of things........

 anyone want to buy a grading machine?........

 but what are we looking at?.........

 fill her up!, the Cornishman takes her 10 tonnes of ice.........

 Mission under way........

 don't ask.........

 Battery Rocks swimmers take advantage of the fine weather........

nothing does like a few bubbles in the sun.

World Fisheries Congress - Common Fisheries Policy - 6 th World Fisheries Congress in Edinburgh

Reducing discards at sea ‘vital’ for success of CFP reform CFP proposals tackled by international experts at World Fisheries Congress Panels comprising international industry experts and politicians have debated Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform at the 6 th World Fisheries Congress in Edinburgh. 


Debate was fuelled specifically by regionalisation and the potential for devolving certain powers to member states; subsidies; Transferable Fishing Concessions and discards. Contributors reached the unanimous view that reducing unwanted catches and discards is vital for the success of fisheries reform. The ‘Question Time’ style debate, facilitated by WWF and SeaWeb, addressed proposed policy reforms and examined imminent challenges and opportunities for the industry. 


Contributors including UK Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon MP; Scottish Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead MSP; Tony Long from WWF; and Lowri Evans, DirectorateGeneral for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries for the European Commission, took part in the session. Emily Howgate, Programme Manager at SeaWeb, facilitated the panel debate. She said: “The year ahead will be a decisive one for CFP reform. “The debate held at the World Fisheries Congress brought together leading figures from European politics and the fishing industry to examine policy issues and delve into the challenges and opportunities for science and supply chain operators. 


The session confirmed that collaboration between government and industry will be crucial to ensure positive implementation of the reform, with fishermen and other stakeholders assisting to inform policy.”

Maggie's gone nautical

Window dressing in Causewayhead, Penzance.

Cod questionnaire - your chance to put a case for quota change.

Cod from Cornwall on Newlyn market this morning from the beam trawler Aaltje Adriaante

As talked about before on TtG, Cornish cod make for poor PR with regard to sustainability and quotas. For many years cod have been caught and tagged - and never once has a tagged cod been returned from any area other than the waters in which it was tagged - 'Cornish' cod are home-loving, unadventurous bottom dwellers who like nothing more than gorging themselves on small crab and langoustine if they can get them. They are not part of the cold water crew that inhabit the North Sea and beyond - they are southern softies who enjoy basking in the warmer climes of the Gulf Stream. So when the hue-and-cry over depleted cod stocks hits the headlines all those catchers of locally caught cod are tarred with the same brush - foul we cry!


Today, the Countryside Commission are asking for all hands to complete a short questionnaire - step up guys and complete the paperwork and tell 'em how it is!


Take the survey here: CCRI Cod Survey


See below:


The Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) has been commissioned to undertake some research for the North Sea Regional Advisory Council (NSRAC) to explore the impact of different management approaches on fishing activity and to explore the ways in which vessel operators might
adjust to the different management measures.

The cod's little goatee beard lets him keep his chin from touching the bottom and  stops him getting a sore lip as he scours the sea bed hunting for his shellfish supper.

As part of the review process, the CCRI has been asked to contact vessel operators to explore their experiences of the Cod Recovery plan, and their views on a small range of alternative management approaches for fisheries.


Take the survey here: CCRI Cod Survey