A regatta in Portofino on Wally yachts : what else ?

Next month will see the launch of the Nespresso Cup , a new international regatta gathering for the very first time exclusively the Wally Class.

This first edition of this sailing competition will be held from 7 to 9 May 2010 off the coast of Portofino in Italy. In all, 15 competitors will compete for three days (two races per day) with the participation of famous racers such as Loïck Peyron, Francesco de Angelis and Paul Cayard...

Peyron commented: "I've always found Wally Yachts very seductive, and am looking forward to finally experiencing them first hand on the race course during the Event. The spectacular venue of Portofino will be the perfect location for such an event."

I can figure out.

In 1989, I met Mr Luca Bassani Antivari, founder of Wally Yachts onboard of a custom Baltic yacht which he christened 'Wallygator' for the cartoon character his children loved, just before he decides to build (with Luca Brenta yacht designer) a brand-new Wallygator, an innovative 83-foot carbon fast sailing composite sloop in a 'Wally style' (now named Mr Gecko).

This first Wally yacht proved to be fast and easy to sail, the 'flush deck' was as cleared as the one of an aircraft carrier, and Luca Bassani got a yacht on which he could cruise shorthanded with his family, but also allows him to compete around the buoys in maxi races or in transatlantic events.

Sailing aircraft or flying yacht ?

Some aircraft called S4-sail-6P, convertible in sailboat has been designed by Octuri (aka Yelken Octuri), who usually works in aeronautic industry in Toulouse (France) and wanted a four-seat aircraft that can be transformed into sailing at will.

The wings of the aircraft become the sails of the boat, they are indeed able to stand up and bow at different angles to follow the wind direction.

The aircraft has two propellers, which are arranged on the tail of the plane, one behind the other. The cockpit can be opened during the boat trips through a sliding glass canopy and finally, both located under the glass roof panels can be arranged in a horizontal position for the amphibious boat mode, in order to enlarge the living space cockpit.

Futurist concepts for the pleasure to dream.

Links :

• Octuri design agency / Trimaran sailing yacht convertible to seaplane
• N.Z. Inventor creates Flying Hovercraft
• Transaquatis Wing In Ground-effect (WIG) ship
• Ekranoplan WIG flying ship
• Talspace Seagull trimaran-type WIG craft
• SeaPhantom, speed boat based on NASA's Lifting-Body Airfoil design

French National Library online exhibition : the Unknown Sea

The French National library (BnF) presents a major online exhibition issued from a real exhibition which occurs from October 2004 to January 2005 at the BnF on the subject of the sea, entitled "La Mer, terreur et fascination" together with a pool of documentation and research centers on oceanology from Brest (Brittany, France).

The online exhibition presents the sea element through a scientific, artistic and imaginary approach.

Exhibition materials include manuscripts, illuminations, engraving, maps, literary and scientific texts, paintings, musical works, audiovisual workstations and films.

The time span ranges from the 13th century to present-day materials.

The Maps section contains pictures and short historical and cartographical descriptions of European and Arabic mappamundi, T-O maps, portolans, Ptolemy's Cosmographia and the Catalan Atlas.

The Island section shows and describes the depiction of islands in several historical documents like Medieval manuscripts, Ortelius' Parergon and the sea atlas of Bellin.

Links :

• Magnificent maps (The Guardian article)

Ocean acidification : the other CO2 issue

ACID TEST, a film produced by NRDC, was made to raise awareness about the largely unknown problem of ocean acidification, which poses a fundamental challenge to life in the seas and the health of the entire planet. Like global warming, ocean acidification stems from the increase of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere since the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Leading scientific experts on the problem, many of whom appear in the film and the outtakes below, believe that it's possible to cut back on global warming pollution, improve the overall health and durability of our oceans, and prevent serious harm to our world, but only if action is taken quickly and decisively.

Our oceans feed the world, provide jobs, and generate most of the planet's oxygen. Oceans cover 71 percent of the earth and contain more than 97 percent of the world's water. Our survival literally depends on their health. And yet few people realize that the oceans are suffering from a grave affliction caused by increased carbon pollution.

More than one quarter of the carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels enters our oceans, where it makes the water more acidic. Scientists have just recently discovered that this rising acidity is threatening ocean life as we know it.

This documentary give our lawmakers - those with the power to limit carbon dioxide pollution - the opportunity to better understand what is happening to our seas due to our dependence on fossil fuels. It vividly illustrates what is happening to our oceans, and offers solutions to revitalize them.

Excess carbon dioxide is making marine waters more acidic, which causes a drop in carbonate, the key component in shells. When carbonate levels fall, it is more difficult for organisms to make their shells, which become thinner and more brittle.

Ocean acidity has increased an average of 30 percent since the industrial revolution. If we continue to dump carbon dioxide into our seas, ocean acidification could result in a "global osteoporosis", harming not only commercially important shellfish, such as lobster, crabs, and mussels, but also key species in marine food webs such as corals and plankton. That could send shock-waves up the food chain, threatening fish, birds, and mammals.

Rising ocean acidity will also hit our economy hard. In the United States alone, ocean-related tourism, recreation and fishing are responsible for over 2 million jobs. Indeed, the U.S. ocean economy creates two and a half times the economic output as the agricultural sector, contributing more than $230 billion to the nation's GDP annually.

We don't have to watch these economic opportunities evaporate in the face of acidification.

We can take steps to turn back the tide.

Links :

• Jean-Pierre Gattuso blog about European Project on Ocean acidification (EPOCA)
• NOAA PMEL Ocean acidification homepage
• BBC news
• An ominous warning on the effects of Ocean Acidification (Carl Zimmer)
• What's the worst that could happen? (Greg Craven)

Image of the week : Dutch Wadden Sea

location in Marine GeoGarage

This Spot-4 image captures the dynamic landscape of the Wadden Sea, a tidal wetlands area in the southeastern part of the North Sea that extends some 450 km along the coasts of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.

The Wadden Sea is a shallow coastal region shaped by the constant flow of low and hide tides that alternate approximately every six hours. The area is characterised by mud flats, salt marshes and low-lying islands.

Due to its varied landscape, the area provides habitat for more than 10 000 plant and animal species and an estimated 1,5 million migrating birds.

Joining other natural wonders around the world, the Wadden Sea was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in June 2009.

The chain of islands seen stretching from the Netherlands to Denmark is the Frisian Islands, which shield the mud flat areas of the Wadden Sea from the North Sea.

Inland from the Dutch Wadden Sea (left of centre), the Texel island is visible and Vlieland and Terschelling to the northwest.

This satellite image shows the ever-moving sandbanks in the shallow Wadden Sea, one of the largest wetlands in the world.

Link :

• more on the ESA website