Sponsoring

Annual Awards Ceremony at the Perth Game Fishing Club

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The Perth Game Fishing Club, based in Fremantle, Western Australia had its annual awards ceremony on October 18th. MaxSea is a proud sponsor of the club and our Regional Sales Manager Thibault Hua attended the event. 

The awards were held at the recently-refurbished Fremantle Sailing Club function room, overlooking the marina and Indian Ocean with truly stunningly beautiful views.

Fremantle sailing club
Fremantle Sailing Club

Thibault was hosted by President Ben Weston, Vice President Tim Carson and Rhyss Whittred – life member, whose boat has a full suite of electronics that include MaxSea and Furuno, and was one of the big winners in the awards.

Members of the Club got to spend time with Thibault and trade tips on sport fishing.

Award Winners

Rhyss’s vessel “Ashram” has already been featured on our blog after qualifying for the 2015 world championships in Costa Rica. He didn’t let his team of anglers down with some impressive awards:

  • Champion Boat – Ashram
  • Champion Male Angler – Rhyss Whittred
  • Champion Female – Sangeeta Menon
  • Champion Junior – Drew Ziepe
  • Most species tagged and released – Sangeeta Menon
  • Most fish tagged and released – Rhyss Whittred
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Thibault Hua, MaxSea RSM, with winners at the awards ceremony
Rhyss Whittred, Sales Manager WA, SA & NT at Taylor Marine
Rhyss Whittred, Sales Manager WA, SA & NT at Taylor Marine

PGFC enjoys a continued relationship with MaxSea, and has witnessed the increase of club members using MaxSea TimeZero PLOT software. The majority of the awards on the night went to boats running MaxSea software.

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How to Anchor a Boat with MaxSea TimeZero

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Experienced sailors often say that mooring is the most difficult part of sailing. This week, MaxSea partner Leon Schulz talks to us about how to anchor a boat, using MaxSea TimeZero.

Leon outlines the steps to take for a perfect mooring. His boat is equipped with a fully-integrated system: MaxSea TimeZero PLOT, a Furuno BBDS1 sounder, and a Furuno NavNet TZtouch.

How to Anchor a Boat
Leon Schulz’ boat the Regina Laska
  • Understand the sea-floor. Navigate around the anchorage area many times. This is done to record bathymetric information so you know what kind of sea-floor you’re dealing with. To record this data, I use my MaxSea TimeZero PLOT, integrated with a Furuno BBDS1 Sounder.

Anchoring a boat with Furuno BBDS1

The BBDS1 sounder collects and sends bottom classification data to MaxSea TimeZero software. I can also share this new data-rich bathy chart with the integrated Furuno NavNet TZtouch system. Sand or clay is best for anchoring.

  • Check tidal range by displaying tidal data in MaxSea TimeZero. This is a really important step to know how much your boat will be raised or lowered by the tide, or vice versa.

How to anchor a boat with tidal data

You don’t want the boat’s keel to hit the ground during the night, just because the water has disappeared from under the boat. You must also avoid having the boat’s anchor break loose because the boat is suddenly 3 or more meters higher water than when it arrived!

  •  Calculate your desired minimum depth based on my boat’s draught + safety distance under the keel + allowance for tidal changes. Try to find a spot where the boat can swing freely in all directions according to changes in the wind or the tidal current.
  • Take a last look at the Furuno BBDS1 sounder to check the depth and soil conditions and to see if the boat is in the tidal flow or in an area of strong wind and bring the boat to a complete standstill.
  • Lower your anchor slowly until it reaches the ground. You can check the markings on the chain or just listen to how the anchor runs more smoothly when it has reached the bottom.
  • Give the signal to the helmsman to reverse the boat slowly while letting out the chain. At a ratio of 1:4 to 1:5 (from the highest tides expected), stop the windlass.
  • Wait until the anchor sets and the boat turns into the wind. Then it’s time to stretch the chain by reversing the gear carefully. Do so cautiously, so that there is no residue in the chain.
  • Once the engine is stopped, set the snubber. This is the piece of rope that is hung with a claw hook into the chain and relieved with the help of a jerk. This also makes the disturbing noise disappear from the chain rubbing against the bow roller.
  • In windy conditions, put a mooring sail aft, so the bow always points into the wind.

The advantage of MaxSea TimeZero is that you can so easily switch charts. So I often use raster maps at anchor, because there is a lot more information that are interesting for the anchors located. For example, the underwater cable at Iona (see image below).

Anchoring a boat with raster charts
Anchoring the boat off Iona, Scotland

Even small anchors are located on the raster maps. In comparison, the vector charts give less information about the anchorage.

Now it’s done, you can sleep soundly, even if the wind should freshen up in the night or the wind direction changes.

Leon Schulz is a MaxSea partner and is a RYA Yachtmaster Ocean instructor. His yacht, the Regina Laska is also available for charter. Learn more about his services on the Regina Sailing website.

 

10 point safety checklist

Diary of IMERPOL’s Polar Navigation

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Joëlle & Janusz Kurbiel are members of the polar navigation expedition group IMERPOL and use MaxSea TimeZero software on board. They are currently in Newfoundland, heading northwards. Here is an update of their polar experiences:

Waiting for the ice to melt:

We are still in Newfoundland but can not go further north because we are currently blocked by ice. The icebergs are unusually large for the season in this specific location! We are therefore taking this opportunity to sail between the islands of the north coast to perform various tests.

Cold Weather Sailing Guide

Carpet in the propellers!

Everything is going well except for one incident we experienced when launching: the port staff had used pieces of  carpet on top of the lift straps to avoid damaging the hull as it was being lowered into the water. However, these pieces of carpet were not securely attached and ended up getting caught in the propellers! This is how they looked:

Polar navigation Carpet stuck in PropellersThis stopped the engine instantly. We needed to lift the boat out of the water again and painstakingly cut out all the stuff that was caught so tightly in the blades.

Polar navigation IMERPOL

Since then, Janusz has been hearing a strange noise from the engine. Hopefully the shaft and propeller were not distorted, this would make us totally ineffective… we’ll have to wait and see.

Polar navigation Newfoundland Map

Moving on

A storm from the southwest is forecast in a few days. This should clear the ice away allowing us to move a little further.

Thanks Joelle and Janusz! We wish you the best of luck for the rest of your expedition.

We will keep you updated on their travels.

Catch up on IMERPOL’s other MaxSea blog posts here:

Team Ashram Qualifies for World Marlin Championships in Costa Rica!

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MaxSea is proud to be a partner of The Ashram Fishing Team. This Australian-based team recently participated in the “Seasport Charters Marlin Cup,” using MaxSea TimeZero PLOT on board. Here is their account of how the tournament went.

The team is made up of Sangeeta Menon, Andy Ziepe, Mark Jarrett and Rhyss Whittred. The Seasport Charters Marlin Cup was hosted by the Perth Game Fishing Club in Jurien Bay, and ran from February 20-23rd.

Jurien Bay is approx. 400km north of Team Ashram’s home port and boasts some excellent game fishing species. The winner of this tournament receives an invite to compete in the Offshore World Championships in Costa Rica for 2015.

Rhyss Whittred gives us his account of the tournament:

Team Ashram's boat“For our team this was the first major tournament we had competed in since I purchased my Wellcraft 270 and revamped the electronics to include Maxsea TimeZero PLOT and Furuno’s latest technology. I can’t say how keen we were to compete and in fact one of the teams there had the reigning world champion angler on board Valkoista (Craig White).

It was a 3 day tournament with your 2 best days fishing score counting towards overall championship points. The night before the tournament commenced I downloaded the latest Maxsea weather file and carefully worked out our fishing plan in line with sea surface temp, currents and plankton.

We headed out and had a cracker of a day. The Maxsea oceanic data was spot on and my team was fantastic with their art of angling and we managed Southern Blue Fin, Striped and Yellowfin Tuna to give us some great points of 2,850 points and our nearest competitors were on 375 points.

Saturday dawned and I planned to go to the same area north where we had done so well Team Ashramthe day before. Alas, the water temperature was down 2 degrees, with no bait and no birds. We could hear others on the radio with great fishing results. Unfortunately I had left my mobile phone at the hotel and couldn’t download a current weather file. We were now at a complete low and did not turn a reel for the day.

The next morning I was up very early and downloaded the weather file and made a plan of attack. In fact the good water and temperature breaks we had 2 days before where now 40kms south of Jurien and we needed to get among it. With the early start we got down there in time for lines in at 6am and once again we tagged our limit of tuna and returned to port.

The scoring by other teams was very good and it was an absolute pleasure to have revealed that the Ashram Team picked up Champion Boat, Champion Female Angler, Runner Up Male Angler and Champion Tag and Release.

So my friends at Maxsea, I thank you all for your cutting edge technology and how it all worked in so well with my Furuno equipment and helping us to win this tournament.”

– Rhyss Whittred

Thanks Rhys! And best of luck for the World Marlin Championships in Costa Rica!

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Boat Racing for Dummies!

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Henri Antoine is an International Race Officer at the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). This week, he tells us about a recent boat racing training session that was organised for newcomers to sailing racing: Racing for Dummies!

The first ‘Racing for Dummies’ training session was held in Dunkerque, Northen France on Saturday, April 5, 2014, on the premises of the North Sea Yacht Club.

Boat racing for Dummies
A poster advertising “Racing for Dummies” training session

This event was designed to encourage boaters to take part in boat races. Boaters often want to race but are apprehensive about beginning. It is a fear of not understanding how it is done, or looking ridiculous in comparison to more seasoned competitors.

Thierry Maurick, Chairman of YCMN, (the North Sea Yacht Club) immediately found the idea interesting and fun. It was a way to bring a new audience to boat racing without any pressure in a relaxed setting. Hence the idea of the event title “For Dummies”.

The goal: to demystify and “play down” boat racing, which many people believe to be more complicated than it is.

Participants in this Dunkirk training session really enjoyed it and the event was very successful. To make it as accessible as possible, many concrete examples, diagrams and pictures were used.

MaxSea TimeZero Navigator weather forecast service explained during the boat racing training session
GRIB weather files overlaid on the chart in MaxSea TimeZero

MaxSea TimeZero was used to demonstrate how coastal routes can be easily viewed. In coastal routes in areas where marine navigation is tricky, this helped participants to quickly understand how to approach this type of race. They learned how to read and understand nautical charts in a practical way.

The participants really liked how easy it was to integrate wind information (using GRIB files in TimeZero) and tidal current data. These types of information are of course, very important for boat racing.

There was positive feedback from participants, and another session in mid-May is planned.

This was a great initiative – thanks Henri!

For more information about ISAF, please click here.

To find out more about the North Sea Yachting Club in Dunkerque, France, see their website.

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Under the Pole – Underwater Polar Expeditions

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We are very happy to announce that MaxSea has recently developed a new partnership with French expedition ‘Under the Pole‘. By providing our navigation software to this great organization, we are able to contribute in some way to the fantastic research that they carry out.

What is Under the Pole?

Under the Pole carries out a series of underwater polar expeditions to explore the polar environment. Their aim is to increase scientific knowledge of the poles.

Each time they carry out a new expedition, they build up more knowledge that is added to the existing data base. Each expedition is also considered a preparation for the next one.

Lucas Santucci - Under The Pole - 2014
Lucas Santucci of Under The Pole, using MaxSea TimeZero software in 2014

What have they done so far?

From March to May, 2010, Under the Pole carried out an expedition to the North Pole, which lasted for 45 days.

Cold Weather Sailing Guide

During this trip, they studied the icecap in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, and led a unique submarine exploration under extreme conditions.

Exploring the North Pole in 2010
Exploring the North Pole in 2010

In January 2014, Under the Pole have began an expedition to West and North Greenland, which will last for 22 months altogether, and is being dubbed “Part II”.

This is a continuation of the study carried out at the North Pole. This time they will focus on the submarine environment between the pole and the polar circle.

Greenland Expedition
Greenland Expedition

What’s next?

In 2016, they will move to the other hemisphere and will lead an expedition to Antarctica.

We wish Under the Pole all the best in these exciting and enlightening expeditions!

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The Arctic is a victim of climate warming.

A fascinating world is disappearing.

Some species living there are threatened of extinction.

Many of them have not yet been observed.

 

Download the free MaxSea guide: Cold Weather Sailing

Team Jolokia on TV: Sailors like no Others!

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On February 1st, the French TV channel TF1 broadcast a special report named “Sailors like no others”*. The show was presented by well-known French television personality Claire Chazal and gives us a recap of the 2013 season for Team Jolokia: their crew selections and the Rolex Fastnet Race.

*Original title: “Des marins pas comme les autres”

Team Jolokia is a MaxSea partner, and this sailing team has recently been receiving increased media attention. This is due in part to the fact that this successful team comprises twenty-five people from different backgrounds, including seniors, young people, men, women, able-bodied or disabled.

For more than 30 minutes, the camera recounts an intense year of emotion: Tour de Belle -Ile, Armen Race, Record SNSM, and finally the race of the year: the Rolex Fastnet Race! We are shown several moments experienced by the crew of novices, for better or for worse!

The report also immerses us in the personal lives of these amateurs: envy, challenge or discovery, they reveal why they signed up for this unique adventure.
We also see beautiful landscapes at sea and ashore. The crew shows us their desire to excel to achieve a common goal.

This TV show can be viewed in French by clicking here.

A report by Aurélie Saillard and Robert Iséni
Production: GEDEON Programmes
Editing: Manuel Odinet

gedeonLOGO_TF1_RVB

Well done, Team Jolokia on this great TV report!

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Get on Board! Crew Selections for Team Jolokia 2014

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MaxSea’s partner Team Jolokia is committed to promoting diversity in their racing crew and they have enjoyed huge success over the last few years. This winter, Jolokia team’s big events are taking place primarily on land. Selections are being made for the 2014 crew and a TV report was broadcast on the French channel TF1 on Saturday February 1st.

Team Jolokia is definitely continuing its momentum and starting the New Year with a bang!

The first steps in the crew selection process took place in Paris on January 27th and more will be run on February 6th and 7th, followed by Lorient which is the home port of their vessel, in late February and early March.

Team Jolokia

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Tests on land and Seine – Three Selection Phases

Phase 1

In the previous try-outs 130 candidates sent in applications during the 6 months following Jolokia’s ad. However, in the 2014 try-outs, between October and November 2013, they received 190 applications to be considered in the first phase of selection.

The number of applications was a great success for the Team, as it continues to receive more and more support. Among all of these diverse and highly-motivated profiles, 45 were selected to participate in the second phase of selection.

.Phase 2

This group included 27 men and 18 women from all backgrounds, aged between 18 and 64, from all over France and into Germany, Poland and Spain. They all wanted to join the adventure of diversity that Team Jolokia offers.

Sailing skills, team spirit, ability to share and commitment are all criteria used by Team Jolokia to make these selections. These qualities are desirable as they help enrich the whole team.

Candidates met on January 27 at the premises of the Navy in Saint -Lazare. There, they took written tests on various topics such as weather, hydrodynamics, aerodynamics  etc. This was followed by written psychological tests. The Navy is a loyal partner of our Team, and we use the expertise of their psychologists in the recruitment for extreme trades.

On February 6th and 7th, the Nautical club of Sèvres will welcome Team Jolokia for the second consecutive year.

On the Programme: dinghy regattas between barges on the Seine and indoor physical and sports tests.

To complete the day, motivational talks will be given by the organisers as well as psychological interviews with the Navy.

Team Jolokia Mosaic

.Phase 3

The third phase of selections will be held in Lorient, home port of Team Jolokia’s boat: 3 days of navigating aboard the Volvo Ocean 60. Two sessions are planned to welcome the future teammates in late February and mid-March.

At the end of the third phase, the crew will have 25 teammates in 2014: 17 new candidates and 8 of the 2013 crew will continue the adventure.

.The Team Jolokia Adventure on Television!

The report “Des Marins Pas Comme Les Autres” (“Sailors Like No Others”) recounts the 2013 season, selections of the crew leading up to the Rolex Fastnet Race. It was co-produced by GEDEON Programmes, Ushuaia TV and TF1, and runs for 32 mins.

It was broadcast on French TV channel TF1 on Saturday, February 1 at 1:20pm, just after the news, in the magazine show “Reportages” presented by Claire Chazal.

A great year for Team Jolokia begins under the sign of diversity and living together!

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20 years of the Transat Jacques Vabre Race!

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The Transat Jacques Vabre is a yachting race that follows the historic routes followed for coffee trading between France and Brazil. It has become one of the most well-known races in the world since it began in 1993 and it takes place every second year.

The race’s starting point is Le Havre in France, and the end point is in Itajaí, Brazil. The route measures a total of 5,400 miles. There are no imposed waypoints, so the racers must choose what they consider to be the fastest route to their destination.

The route for the 2013 Transat Jacques Vabre race
The route for the 2013 Transat Jacques Vabre race

Le Havre has traditionally been, and remains to this day the leading coffee importing port in France.  This year, about 40 boats are expected to take part across all categories.

The Transat is a two-handed race, meaning that there are two sailors on each team. For the pair to be successful, they must have a complementary set of skills, and it’s also important that they get along well together too.

Both multihulls and monohulls from the following classes may participate in this race: ORMA, IMOCA, Class 2 Monohulls, Open 50 Class and Class40.

All kinds of navigational aids are allowed in particular for routing, except for the Class40 boats (as this is forbidden in their own rules). MaxSea’s advanced routing module is a very effective tool for calculating the fastest route from one point to another. It takes into account various factors such as wind speed/strength, waves and currents and has been used very successfully by famous racers such as Michel Desjoyeaux.

Racing vs Cruise Boat CTA

Important dates for the 2013 race:

  • October 26: Grand opening of public village Le Havre
  • October 26-27: Exhibition race in the basin of the Eure
  • November 3: Start of the Transat Jacques Vabre
  • November 18: Grand opening of village public Itajai
  • 3rd week of Nov: Estimated finish date of the first boats
  • November 30: Postlogue and first prizegiving in Itajai
  • December 7: Official Prizegiving in Itajai

Here are the current title defenders, who were successful in 2011:

Monohull 60′
Virbac-Paprec
Jean-Pierre DICK & Jérémie BEYOU
15days 18h 15min 54sec

Multihull 50′
Actual
Yves LE BLEVEC & Samuel MANUARD
17days 17h 7min 43sec

Class 40′
Aquarelle.com
Yannick BESTAVEN & Éric DROUGLAZET
21days 17h 59min 8sec

MaxSea proudly supports the Jacques Vabre Transat race by acting as a technical partner.

This video gives a nice overview of the race:

MaxSea teams up with online sailing community Vogavecmoi

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Vogavecmoi is a French website dedicated to helping sailors find non professional crew or boardings. 

Online sailing community VogavecmoiLaunched in 2010, vogavecmoi is a virtual Yacht Club dedicated to help boat owners meet people who want to sail (mainly in France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Caribbean islands). Since then, 10.500 members have joined the club. This huge quantity of boaters makes the website very efficient even during the cold seasons. Vogavecmoi has made possible several thousand of various sailing projects: daily navigation, weekend, cruise, or atlantic ocean crossing.

A word from Vogavecmoi’s Team:

Vogavecmoi Profile Settings
Profile Settings – Vogavecmoi

“We know that boarding with a stranger can be unpleasant or unsafe. This is why we propose appropriate tools to our members to help them find their dream crew.

Thanks to the sailor profile of each member which describes his/her navigation skills, his/her favorite way to sail and his/her main human qualities, you can choose the person you decide to contact, meet and sail with.

For keeping in touch with every member, we propose a weekly newsletter which recapitulates the new members and the new sailing projects published. You can suscribe to our website for free before becoming a club member.

We are proud of being a MaxSea partner and are looking very forward to your visit.

Vogavecmoi.com is in French but you can use it easily if you use google translate http://translate.google.com/. Be sure that we are doing our best to offer an English version as soon as possible!”