Los Angeles, California – After over a year of careful planning, tremendous uncertainty, yet dogged determination to run this race, the Transpacific Yacht Club today unleashed the first wave of entries on their long westward journey to Honolulu in the 51st running of the Transpac. This biennial 2225-mile race from LA-Honolulu, first run in 1906, is an ocean racing classic. Seven entries ranging from 37 to 57 feet in length were on the start line today, set one mile south of San Pedro’s Point Fermin lighthouse. Weather conditions early this morning were uncertain, with local thunderstorms in the area, but…
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Petaluma, Calif. – Spectra Watermakers, specialists in energy-efficient desalination systems designed for open ocean vessels, offshore oil platforms, military, disaster relief, emergency preparedness and distributed infrastructure, and part of the Katadyn Group, announced today the launch of a new line of controllers for their compact and ultra-efficient desalination products – the Ventura 150, Ventura 200 and Catalina 340 Remote Manual watermakers. Featuring a simplified Remote Manual controller, the new devices can be easily mounted in convenient locations and offer basic control of the watermaker without the automation and real-time diagnostics offered by the more advanced Spectra Connect controller. This makes the…
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Tampa, FL – The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) announced today that registration is now open for the 30th Anniversary of IBEX, to be held September 28-30, 2021, in the Tampa Convention Center. North America’s largest trade event for recreational marine industry professionals, IBEX is owned and produced by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and RAI Amsterdam. More than 570 exhibitors have already confirmed for this year’s IBEX, including 48 new exhibiting companies with more signing up each week. Limited exhibit space is still available and expected to sell out in the coming weeks. The IBEX docks are…
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Benjamin B. Whitcomb III, known fondly as Benji, died after a long illness on April 23, 2021. He was 72 years old. Benji came up through the ranks in the early days of the schooner Harvey Gamage, becoming skipper of that vessel. He was a consummate sail handler, often sailing Gamage off the hook in crowded Charlotte Amalie Harbor in St. Thomas. Backing the big main sail, he’d spin off the hook handling Gamage as if it were a dinghy. Whitcomb was a calm, resolute, even-tempered, soft-spoken mentor to a generation of schooner sailors who learned by watching him at…
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In the past 20 years satellite communications has grown from a novelty item for voyagers to something more like standard equipment for the voyaging boat. Between fixed terminal satcom options and handheld satphones, there are a variety of choices and combination products. And now companies like SpaceX and OneWeb are launching fleets of thousands of low earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft that will provide Internet connectivity to every point on the globe. While these LEO-based systems are primarily intended for land-based users, there will likely be options for mobile and marine users as well.  We asked Dave Brengelmann, an avid sailor…
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A hole or break in your boat’s hull is among the worst situations you can face offshore. If your boat is sinking, sort out what to do immediately and what can wait. The first priority is to determine how much water is coming in the hole. Flooding means water is coming in faster than the bilge pump(s) can pump it out. Any lesser amount is leakage, not flooding. Though the difference may seem obvious, it is an important distinction. Leaks can be controlled by pumping alone — no other immediate action is required. Flooding, on the other hand, must be…
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Newport, R.I. – The Sailing Museum (TSM) announced today a unique opportunity for the sailing community to create a film exhibit to be featured in the museum. Scheduled to open in May of 2022, TSM will offer an innovative multi-media experience dedicated to celebrating sailing’s heritage, showcasing its heroes and inspiring new generations of sailors and innovators. TSM will feature themed areas, beginning with Wind & Water where visitors will be introduced to some of the basic principles of sailing. One of the exhibits in this area will be focused on the importance of caring for the places we sail. “As sailors, we have…
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Newport, R.I. – Newport Exhibition Group, owners and producers of the Newport International Boat Show, announced today its distinguished line-up of sponsors for this year’s show. Offering visitors everything from product samples to on-site financing for boat purchases, the list of companies that have committed is one of the most extensive and diverse to date, providing attendees with a completely unique boat show experience. “The Newport International Boat Show offers a unique venue for corporate brands and industry leaders to showcase their products and services,” said Gail Alofsin, director of corporate partnerships. “We are grateful for the support of our partners, allowing us…
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KIRKLAND, Wash. (June 2021) – The newest member of Icom’s all-star lineup of marine products is the M510, a Class-D DSC VHF marine transceiver with wireless capabilities. You can command and control the M510 from your smart device using the RS-M500 app. The M510 fixed-mount marine transceiver is a powerhouse tough enough for the commercial market yet refined for the recreational boater. With the ability to receive AIS signals (AIS version only), you can see surrounding vessel traffic in real-time and directly make individual DSC calls to selected targets. At nearly half the depth of the M506, installation location options are…
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Auckland, New Zealand – Vesper Marine, a leading manufacturer of innovative marine electronics, announced today the release of remote MMSI programming capability and improved “Stealth Mode” for Cortex Hubs when upgraded to software version 1.6. Remote MMSI Programming is the latest in a series of updates that improve functionality of existing and new Cortex Hubs. Software version 1.6 uses a patented technology for remotely validating and setting vessel data, such as the MMSI. Installers and re-sellers can now enter the relevant vessel details via a secure login to the Support Portal. VesperMarine will validate that the information is entered correctly and send it…
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