Adventure sailing, new gizmos, sailors needed to track climate change

by Nancy Knudsen, Editor on 24 May 2013

TRIMARAN IDEC / FRANCIS JOYON - STANDBY IN NEW YORK CITY PHOTO: VINCENT CURUTCHET / DARK FRAME / DPPI / IDEC © V. Curutchet / DPPI / IDEC http://www.trimaran-idec.com/

The adventure sailors are making news again. French sailor Francis Joyon, probably the world's fastest and best known solo speed sailor, is making news in New York even before he begins his latest challenge, to beat the Trans-Atlantic record in his giant trimaran, IDEC. Then there's British solo sailor Jeanne Socrates, who after more than 200 continuous days at sea has passed her last big milestone on her quest to be the oldest female to circumnavigate solo, non-stop and unassisted. Just a few thousand miles to go in warm waters riddled with obstacles and the record will be hers!

It's hard for the modern non-tech-savvy sailor to keep up with all the new aids available. But at Sail-World Cruising we're trying! This week there is a really interesting invention, the yacht track library. This shows you the previous tracks of other yachts, so that, if the chart is 'wrong', the yacht track across the middle of an island or a reef will alert you to the issue – brilliant, see example below.

PIC 2 © .. .

Featured this week is Digital Media Locker with Blue Tooth. It is a great way to keep your iPhone or iPad secure while you use the myriad Apps available for sailing.

If you are concerned, like many sailors, about the effects of overpopulation and climate change on our oceans, now there is a vital way you can help, by tracking the water purity in your region. The call is out to all leisure sailors – read the details and volunteer, please!

Many other interesting articles as well, a featured book for those near Vancouver, the really delightful 'Memoirs of a Cruising Dog', a great guide to how to install your own inverter, a wonderful sailing tale about a voyage to one of the most remote islands in the world, Maug in the Marianas, opportunities to sail with a tall ship for east coast Canadians and news of the 10th Tahiti Pearl Regatta.

Maug as seen from a satellite © .. .

It's warming up for those in northerly climates, so in the US the Coast Guard is offering eight vital safety tips to check before starting spring sailing.

Read on, enjoy, and

Sweet spring sailing!
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