British sailor Alex Thomson has set sail in the Barcelona World Race 2014 – 2015. Alex Thomson and his co-Skipper Pepe Ribes will sail HUGO BOSS, an IMOCA 60 racing yacht, the 26,000 nautical miles, non-stop, unassisted around the globe. It is expected to take up to 90 days to complete.

Thompson has history with this race having finished second with co-skipper Andrew Cape in 2007 – 2008. However, since then Thomson has successfully completed the gruelling Vendee Globe - a solo, unassisted round-the-world race - breaking a British record along the way.

RS AERO - UK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015

29-31^st August (Bank holiday) - Weymouth (WPNSA), Dorset
Racing for three days over the Bank Holiday weekend requires no precious annual leave to be taken and the fast growing Aero5 youth fleet will be able to join the adults.

In 2015, Poole will host its own dedicated boat show on the weekend of May 9 and 10 organised and operated by Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC).

The free public event will take place on Poole Quay, and at PHC’s award-wining marina Poole Quay Boat Haven, and will incorporate a variety of marine-related businesses, family focused entertainment and other elements associated with a regional boat show. Inspired by other boat shows in areas such as Jersey, PHC believe Poole is a perfect location for an all-encompassing boat show celebrating the rich and varied boating business present in the town.

Jim Stewart, Poole Harbour Commissioner’s chief executive is pleased to announce the new event for 2015. He says: “From local chandlers to rig makers and other marine-focused suppliers, we hope the Poole Harbour Boat Show will become a staple date on the regional maritime calendar. It is an opportunity for all Poole marine operators to come together and showcase the extent of work going on across the Harbour.

“As we head towards 2017 and Poole’s hosting of European Maritime Day, the new boat show enables us to highlight the many varied businesses within the marine sector here. We aim for it to grow year on year and to maintain its full inclusivity to all.”

Businesses in the marine sector are invited to take stands at the show, which has the full support and backing of the British Marine Federation (BMF) and organisations such as the RNLI will be playing a key role across the weekend. The event is also supported by Poole Tourism which will include the show in its annual events programme and has scheduled the dates in May to co-ordinate around other summer events.

Bryony Shaw capped off a dominant week and secured a winning end to her 2014 season with gold at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi. Shaw admitted it had been a difficult year, with a number of near misses in the medal stakes, but she was delighted to have ended the year as she had begun it – with a gold medal to add to her victory at the Miami World Cup regatta.

The Beijing bronze medallist led the women’s RS:X windsurfing event from the outset of the four day Final showcase – the first of its kind under the revamped ISAF World Cup series – with her gold topping the British Sailing Team’s tally of four medals, with victory also going to British kiteboard racer Ollie Bridge in the invitational event held alongside the Olympic Classes.

Shaw went into Sunday’s final 10-board double points medal race with a comfortable 16 point margin over the second-placed World Champion Charline Picon.  Knowing that she could finish no worse than silver, the Weymouth-based sailor controlled her French rival to finish the medal race in second place and take the overall event victory.