Boating NZ June 2018

I freely admit to being something of a techno-dinosaur – I need my children’s help to view someone’s Facebook post. Even so, I was a little confused by the World Sailing press release that came across my desk recently. It celebrates the launch of the eSailing World Championship – a free online game now available for millions worldwide to play. World Sailing says the Championship “takes sailing into a brave new world, where the core skills of sailing remain, but the constraints of venue and equipment are removed. “Sailing demands constant inputs and an acquired skillset to manage the relationship between the boat and the forces of nature. These unique qualities are all captured accurately in this virtual world and will allow sailors onshore, and fans without access to sailing…

You’ve heard of scotch on the rocks, but cricket on the ice? This impromptu game took place near the North Pole in April when the Royal Navy submarine HMS Trenchant broke through the ice. The hunter-killer sub was training with two US subs – the USS Connecticut and USS Hartford – an exercise co-ordinated by the US Navy’s Arctic Submarine Laboratory. The trials were designed to test submariners’ skills in operating in the frigid climate of the Arctic Circle. They also allowed the crew to test a range of equipment, notably sonar, against live ‘targets’ and to practice tracking and simulating attacks against other submarines. Batting and bowling through freezing temperatures, the team enjoyed the clear blue skies in one of the coldest places on earth.…

In what has been described as history in the making, the global shipping industry has for the first time agreed to help tackle climate change – by halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The new international agreement follows a recent meeting of representatives from more than 170 nations at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London. Countries that voted against the move included Brazil, Saudi Arabia and the US. Like aviation, the global shipping industry has traditionally been excluded from climate change initiatives such as the Paris Agreement because they’re deemed to be an international activity. But shipping is a major pollution problem. The International Council on Clean Transportation estimates that, if treated as a country, shipping would be the world’s sixth largest emitter of carbon dioxide – about…

Organisers say attendance at this year’s event was about 10 percent up on previous shows – which typically attract around 35,000 visitors. The 2018 show also presented more display space than ever before. All good news for the industry. BOAT OF THE SHOW: SUPREME WINNER Extreme 605 Centre Console Best New Model: Extreme 795 Walk Around All Purpose Family Boat Open: Rayglass Legend 2800 All Purpose Family Boat up to 8m: Rayglass Legend 2500 All Purpose Family Boat up to 7m: McLay 701 Gen 2 Extracab All Purpose Family Boat up to 6m: McLay 611 CrossXover Specialist Fishing Boat Open: Marco 950 Souwester Specialist Fishing Boat up to 8m: Extreme 795 Walk Around Specialist Fishing Boat up to 7m: Extreme 605 Centre Console Specialist Fishing Boat up to 6m: Surtees…

The Australian government is to allocate $500m to mitigate the impacts of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef. The funding, confirmed in the May budget, follows a recent study which found that 30 percent of the reef’s coral died in a nine-month marine heatwave in 2016. In partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the funds will tackle crown-of-thorns starfish, reduce pollution and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The Marine Park Authority will also receive an additional $42.7 million for its joint field management program over the next six years. After that, the Marine Park Authority will receive a guaranteed ongoing funding increase of more than $10 million per year for field management – doubling the Australian Government’s contribution to the program in the long-term. Great Barrier Reef…

The world’s first floating nuclear reactor has been launched in Russia, bound for the Arctic. The 21,500-tonne Akademik Lomonosov – equipped with two nuclear reactors – is headed to the port town of Pevek where it will power the town and oil rigs when its reactor shuts down next year. The 144m behemoth has a crew of 69 and provides 70 megawatts of electricity. It will eliminate the need for about 45,000 tons of fuel or diesel oil, says its manufacturer, OKBM Afrikantov. Greenpeace has condemned the project as a ‘floating Chernobyl’ and ‘nuclear Titanic’, but the ship’s owner Rosatom says the design is considered very effective for generating electricity in remote areas and can be moved on if not required or be used to power desalination plants. Russia has…