2006 BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival

2006 BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival
By Alex Padilla

Presented by Nanny Cay, the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing festival is an expanded seven-day format that takes avid and novice participants on an exciting multi-class, multi-course event throughout the beautiful British Virgin Islands.

This year the boats were split into fifteen classes and ranged in size from the 75' Reichel Pugh, Titan XII, supporting a crew of twenty, to the one man Lasers and windsurfers.

Since its inception in 1973, the BVIs Spring Regatta has witnessed tremendous growth in both size and competition with continuing support from racing enthusiasts around the globe. This past weekend 154 boats helped mark the 35th anniversary of the BVI Spring Regatta as the event's biggest year ever!

The 2006 Sailing Festival which serves as a three-day warm up for the regatta - kicked off on Monday, March 27 with a welcome party at Nanny Cay. Afterwards participants were able to experience three days of destination cruising, racing, diving and Lay day fun including the Nation's Challenge Cup, all which led up to the main three-day Spring Regatta that started on Friday, March 31. The four racecourses of the BVI Spring Regatta were held on the south side of Tortola - the sailing stronghold of the Caribbean - and the backbone of the protected Sir Frances Drake Channel.

This year the boats were split into fifteen classes and ranged in size from the 75' Reichel Pugh, Titan XII, supporting a crew of twenty, to the one man Lasers and windsurfers.

The Racing and Racer/Cruiser classes sailed in the Copper Island course area with back-to-back racing on windward-leeward courses. The multi-start, multi-race format first introduced by the BVI Spring Regatta ensures that time on the water is spent racing.

Performance/Cruiser, Multihull, Bareboat, Jib & Main classes sailed on the Norman Island course area. Such is the geological/topographical nature of the BVI, that many of the marks from the previous regattas have been replaced by islands. On this race area - previously known as the non-spinnaker course spinnakers were permitted and let those sailors that didn't want to race back to back, windward-leeward courses, the chance to fly a spinnaker, perhaps with a less practiced or short-handed crew.

Each day of the regatta the weather conditions improved and finally on Sunday, sailors (and photographers) were able to enjoy a picture perfect day with wonderful sunshine and 10-12 knots of breeze.

For additional information, please visit ==>http://www.catamarans.com

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That Sinking Feeling

That Sinking Feeling
By Casey Quinlan

I have a confession to make. Im a recovering boatasexual. You dont know what that is? Thats when your most significant other is a boat. Trust me, folks - this is a toxic relationship!

It is said that the happiest days of a boat owners life are the day she buys a boat, and the day she sells it. Truer words were never spoken. It has also been said that owning a boat is like standing in a cold shower tearing up $20 bills. This is not true. Youre tearing up $100 bills, at least.

All my friends were shopping madly, all over town, buying clothes, shoes, furniture. I was at Home Depot melting my Visa card on stuff like stainless steel piano hinge. Wood plugs. Router bits. I do have every power tool known to God and Bob Vila, so Tim Allen, kiss mykeel. I was committed to this relationship. Committed? I was certifiable I lived on my boat. And what a harsh house-mother she was, too.

As you read this, raise your arms so your hands are close together, right over your head. Keep them there for four hours. Every spring, I was forced to do this for days at a time. Holding a ten pound grinder. Carpal tunnel? I had the entire carpal subway system.

Every task I undertook involved a toxic chemical. My life became an EPA Superfund site. Most of the containers had a warning label that said A brain tumor in every can now thats what I call a warning label!

The first summer I had the boat I was determined to practice safe boating I wore a TyVek suit when I was painting her. Have you ever worn a TyVek suit? When it was 100 degrees? Its like being locked in a sauna for hours at a time. I did lose 10 pounds that summer, though - in addition to about a billion brain cells from the paint fumes.

The entire relationship was co-dependent. The boat wanted to dissolve like an aspirin, and I had to prevent it from dissolving like an aspirin. Bit by bit, the boat was winning. The teak decks leaked no matter how many times I re-caulked them. The engine developed multiple personality disorder. The lines would fray even if they were coiled up in the rope locker. The fenders deflated. Then she tried to throw me overboard the lifeline stanchions on the starboard side all broke at the same time.

This was a fight to the finish.

It was that old relationship conundrum - divorce? Never! Murder? Quite possibly. The boat did have reason to wish me harm I HAD grounded her within fifteen minutes of our first voyage together. And there were the groundings in the Piankatank River, Boston Harbor, Rockaway Bay, and Sandy Hook.

She harbored a grudge.

And after everything I did for her, too.

I gave her a complete makeover from top to bottom I rewired and painted her mast, I replaced her batteries and rewired the cabin, I completely redid her hull with the BEST isophthalic polyester-resin (say that three times fast) I gave her all of my spare time and more than all of my spare cash. I even bought her jewelry new rudder fittings made of silicon bronze that cost over $2,000. Ive never spent that much on jewelry for myself!

We had wonderful adventures together trips to Marthas Vineyard, Nantucket and Cape Cod. We sailed up the Hudson River and down the coast to Cape May.

But it was never enough. She always needed, demanded more.

The end finally came one day in November of 2000 Id given all I could give. Id reached the end of my rope, and my checkbook.

Id reached the second happiest day of my life I sold her to a family that fell in love with her at first sight.

The poor slobs.

As I watched her sail away, I felt a twinge of sadness. Then I thought of my checkbook, which now had a positive balance. A VERY positive balance!

Ive heard that my former significant other is still up to her old tricks it took her new owners almost a month to get her from Long Island Sound to Gaylesville, Maryland. The engines multiple personality disorder kicked in, and the mainsail did its look at me! Im shredding! trick - but her new owners are determined to keep her happy. I hope they have a fat checkbook shes a hungry old girl.

So Im single again but Im a hopeless romantic. Im eyeing charter boats in the Caribbean.

When Casey Quinlan was a little girl, she didn't dream of becoming a doctor, or a teacher - she dreamed of adventure. She's lived several lives already, and is only half-way through average life expectancy. Performer, network broadcaster, sailboat liveaboard for twelve years, scuba instructor, stepmom - she's taken on some of the tough stuff and lived to tell about it. Casey's company, Mighty Casey Media, a communication consultancy that works to bridge communication gaps, can be visited on the web at http://www.mightycasey.com

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Cheap Airline Tickets and Low Cost Airline Tickets

Cheap Airline Tickets and Low Cost Airline Tickets
By Jason Montag

People love to travel around the world and would do it a lot more often if it was affordable. Actually the hotels are no the bad part of a trip across the ocean, the major expense is the airline tickets. Most people spend more time finding cheap airline tickets than they do choosing all of the rest of the details of their vacation. The airline industry has always inflated their prices for some reason or other but the bottom line is that it is possible to get cheaper tickets than the website would advertise or the travel agent will tell you about. The airlines are able to offer deals to you but you have to go through the right steps to find them. The internet is the best place to find cheap airline tickets and low cost airline tickets. Actually the absolute best place to go is to the places that will show you the cost of cheap last minute airline tickets. How can they do this? Well the concept is simple. The flight that the airline is taking will cost them a certain amount of money whether it is full or empty so the more passengers they have the more they can offset the cost. If the flight is approaching and there are a lot of empty seats the airline will offer cheap airline ticket deals to last minute customers in an attempt to recover some of their possible loss. If they sell a discount or low cost airline ticket it is better than no sale at all.

The key is to keep your eyes open and continue searching until you find what you are looking for on the last minute deal sites. One word of advice is that you should book your flight with the airline directly once you know what the last minute deals are and get them to give the price to you instead of going through one of these possibly fly by night websites. Use the website for the information they can provide you and nothing more as the airline can usually be trusted more than some other internet sites.

In my opinion, paying advertised cost for an airline ticket is as bad as paying sticker price for a car, you should not do it. If you look you will find the cheap and low cost, and sometimes last minute airline tickets deals. Best of luck in your searches.

For more information about cheap airline tickets or get cheap last minute airline tickets, some recommended airlines are Southwestairlines,and Quantas Airlines

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Finding the Best Backpacking Tents

Finding the Best Backpacking Tents
By Morgan Hamilton

Do you like to spend your time in the wild outdoors? If you do, then you probably know that backpacking tents can be a backpacker's best friend. Of course, there are alternative ways of spending a night in the woods. For instance, many fast and light hikers rely on bags to keep themselves warm. They do this by nesting in their sleeping bags and eschewing a tent all together. The problem is that these weight watchers often wake up in sleeping bags soaked with condensation, even if the sky was clear all night. Hikers who spend the night under ultra light tarps or in hammocks can find themselves flooded out when it starts to rain.

Modern backpacking tents are different from the heavy, leaking, cumbersome shelters of the past. The latest types are constructed from nylon shells and fiberglass or carbon-fiber poles. This means that today's backpacking tents are smaller and lighter than ever before. There will be no more hassling with mismatched tent poles in the middle of the night because most manufacturers now string their break-down poles with bungee cords which allow the pieces to snap together quickly. Most tents can be set up by one person in minutes with the help of these poles and the color-coded snaps on the tent body.

You can be assured of a dry night once you set the tent up. Modern backpacking tents have waterproof and seam-sealed rain flies, so you won't wake up at 3am to that tell-tale drip-drip-drip of a leaking seam. They also allow the moisture and condensation from your breath to carry outside because these backpacking tents are ventilated. This means that you can avoid wet tent walls in the morning. The vestibule is another handy, common feature that allows you to leave your muddy boots and pack outside your tent but still out of the rain.

Backpacking tents may also be equipped with gear lofts, utilizing the extra space at the top of the tent's dome for storage of small items and bags. Some tents have attachment points for flashlights or lanterns. However, you should make sure to keep sources of flame or heat away from the synthetic materials. The small pouches that are sewn into the inside of the tent serve as handy places for pocket change or eyeglasses.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Backpacking Tents. Visit our site for more helpful information about Backpacking Water Filtration Systems and other similar topics.

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2 Great Ways to Discover Florida

2 Great Ways to Discover Florida
By Tim Burton

Ways to Discover Florida

For fun and adventure and culture, yes culture! Read on

Here are Some Great Ways to Discover Florida.

# 1. Fun and Adventure

With over 34 million visitors each year, Orlando is the undisputed theme park capital of the world. But if you are after more fun and adventure after visiting the theme parks at Disneyworld, Universal Orlando Resort and Seaworld, you should try the sensational Busch Gardens in Tampa, the world famous Daytona International Speedway and exploring the Everglades national park.

Dont Miss a Space Shuttle launch

Cape Canaveral on Floridas Space Coast is the only place in the West where people are launched into space. Being there when the Space Shuttle blasts into space is a truly incredible experience.

Dont Miss Floridas largest and fastest roller coaster

Is Busch Gardens, Tampa

Prepare for the thrill of your life on Sheikra, Floridas tallest roller coaster and the worlds tallest dive coaster. 70mph of pure adrenaline-pumping excitement. Travel 200 feet up and then plunge to the depths of an underground tunnel, with water!

Dont Miss Bush Gardens ZooWith over 2600 animals, the zoo at Busch Gardens is one of Americas top zoos

# 2. Culture

Look beyond the more obvious tourist attractions and you will be surprised at what you find.There is an abundance of architecture, museums, forts, art galleries.

Dont Miss Historic Wrecks

Pensacola has fascinating wrecks to explore. This includes the 500-foot World War 1 battleship USS Massachusetts, the Russian freighter San Pablo and an A-7 Corsair aircraft that fell off the deck of the USS Lexington.

Dont Miss Art Deco Buildings

Take a stroll down Ocean Drive, Miami, and enjoy South Beachs Art deco buildings. Painted pink, lavender and turquoise, they line the palm-fringed walkway.

Dont Miss a Driving Tour

If you have a car whilst visiting Miami, do yourself a favour, and take a driving tour of Coral gables. Coral Gables Driving Tour isnt just one of the countrys richest neighbourhoods, its a separate city within Greater Miami. Known as The City Beautiful for good reason, its elegant homes line winding avenues shaded by banyans and live oaks. This driving tour winds its way along the lush peaceful lanes and is both relaxing and cultural.

Along the tour are these beautiful sights:

1.The Granada Entrance a replica of the gate to Granada in Spain.

2.The Country Club Prado Entrance complete with ornamental pillars.

3.Alhambra water Tower built in 1925.

4.Coral Way lined by live oaks and Spanish-style houses.

5.Venetian Pool a beautiful public swimming pool.

6.Coral Gables Congregational Church built in Spanish Baroque style.

7.Biltmore Hotel one of the most stunning hotels in the country, beautifully restored to its 1920s century grandeur.

8.The Lowe Art Museum contains European and Native American Art.

9.French City Village one of several international villages built to add variety to the city.

10.Dutch South African Village.

11.French Country Village.

12.Chinese Village.

13.French Normandy Village.

14.Coral Gables City Hall

15.Miracle Mile the districts most important shopping street.

Other Bits of Culture:

- Hemingways House in Key West, where the novelist lived from 1931-1940.

- Little Havana in Miami 3.5 square miles of Cuban culture and life.

- The Ringling Museum of Art and Ringling Museum (Sarasota).

- Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island a charming Victorian resort.

- Salvador Dali Museum, St Petersburg.

About The Author:

Tim Burton writes travel articles for the popularOrlando Villas Florida website at http://www.milkriver.co.uk andVacation Rentals Worldwide website

Copyright 2006 by Tim Burton

Article may be reprinted but must include the all the author information.

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14 Lanzarote Beaches San Bartholme

14 Lanzarote Beaches - San Bartholme
By John Plumb

San Bartholme is the most central of the islands seven municipalities separating the two contrasting landscapes of the north and south of the island. There are relatively few beaches in this area, although we did have visited three on our many trips to the area.

The first beach is known as Guacimeta. This 1,050m stretch of beach of toasted sand and calm waters is quite exceptional as beaches go, except that its a bit too close to the airport for my liking. Parking was good and it can be accessed via guaguas (autobus). There are Shops, Bar/Restaurants, Public telephones and a pleasant promenade so its nevertheless a beach worth a visit.

The second beach is in a semi-developed area beside the airport and the Guacimeta beach and is known as Playa Honda. At 1,900m.long and 85m wide it is the biggest in this area and consists of medium grained golden sand and calm waters making it ideals for families and creating good conditions for windsurfing. It is about 5 minutes drive from the airport, so the noise from aircrafts will not spoil your fun and its easy to park.

We call it our Last Day beach !

Do you have to be out of your accommodation early ?
Are you on a late afternoon or evening flight ?
Are you to do something with the children without them getting too worked up on the last day ?
Are you stressed at the thought of spending hours at the airport before you fly home ?

Then, trust me when I say, this beach and Playa Honda generally is a great place to visit en-route home.

Here are my views of it :

* The Beach is fantastic ;
* The whole area of Playa Honda is not directly aimed at us tourists, so you leave Lanzarote having experienced the canarian side of it ;
* There are a great selection of restaurants along the beach front serving traditional Spanish Tapas and the Spanish Omelette in to die for. There is other quality canarian food available as well as things for the children (if they the fussy type) ; and
* It has a range of other shops on hand to keep you well occupied (duty free goods, gifts etc).

Finally, we have La Concha, 250m Long and 10m wide, Fine golden sand, and calm waters.La Concha beach is next to the development of the same name just on the outskirts of the capaital, Arrecife. Good parking again and accessible via guaguas (autobus) and a small promenade of shops and bar/restaurants.

John Plumb, frequent visitor to Lanzarote, a place that is now my 'home from home' having taken the plunge into villa ownership on the island - See http://www.villa-rochelle.co.uk

John is also the administrator of the Lanzarote Villa Owners Club @ http://www.lanzvillaowners.com

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13 Lanzarote Beaches Tinajo

13 Lanzarote Beaches - Tinajo
By John Plumb

Tinajo is located in the central north part of Lanzarote and considered by many to have the best surfing conditions in Europe.

Elements of the coastline have become synonymous with the term The Hawaii of Europe.

The first of two beaches takes us to La Santa, in a village by the same name and developed around a natural lagoon that borders a little peninsula. This relatively quiet area is dominated by the internationally famous hotel and sports complex, known as Club La Santa, a winter training ground for international sports stars.

If you are into active sports or simply want to maintain your fitness regime whilst on holiday or if you want to pamper yourself whilst your partner does his own thing, then this is the place to go. Club La Santa offers just about everything you could want in terms of active sports and everything youd find in the very best gyms or fitness centres at home.

Another article Ive written 31 Lanzarote Sports Club La Santa provides detailed information that might help you decide whether this is the place to stay, so I will only briefly cover it in this article.Activities include Tennis (10 courts), Squash (5 Courts), Badminton (6 Courts), Beach Volleyball (2 courts), Indoor & Outdoor Basketball courts, Golf (Mini Golf and short game training), 5-a-side football, Full sized Football, Aerobics, Leisure Pool, Olympic size Swimming Pool, Childrens Swimming Pool, Boxing, Weight Lifting and a fully equipped fitness centre with 6 Rowing Machines.

There are lots of beach/water sports on a beach measuring 910m long and consisting of fine white sand.

If you are an experienced diver and want to go on a snorkel safari, an intermediate or simply a beginner keen to learn then checkout the diving centre programme (by the leisure pool) as it caters for all three levels. Equally, if you are into surfing then youve come to surfers paradise as this areas has some of the best surfing waves in Europe.

If youre more into the pampering side of a sports centre at home, then why not consider the Hydrotherapy bath/ Jacuzzi, Cold Dip and Shower, Steam bath/ Saunas, Hydro-massage bath with essential oils, in private room (additional payment required), Hydro-jet massage, in private room (additional payment required), Manual treatments (additional/ seperate payment required), Physiotherapy, Massage (Sports-, Relax-, Lymphatic Drainage-, Shiatsu Massage and Foot Reflexology).

After a hectic day, there is a range of entertainment on hand from Karaoke to guest appearances from semi-professional artists. As youd expect, there is excellent parking on site, although it can be accessed just as easily by guaguas (autobus) and most equipment can be hired on the day at the club.

Our second beach in this area is the neighbouring beach known as Tenaza (it is actually 2km. away from Tenaza itself), located in a rural area and measuring 90m long by 6m wide and consisting of sand mixed with fine grained black gravel. There is a parking available locally.

John Plumb, frequent visitor to Lanzarote, a place that is now my 'home from home' having taken the plunge into villa ownership on the island - See http://www.villa-rochelle.co.uk

John is also the administrator of the Lanzarote Villa Owners Club @ http://www.lanzvillaowners.com

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