Hollywood film stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have ordered a 240ft Privilege Motor Yacht according to boat builder Mario La Via. The yacht will have 6 en-suite cabins with marble and gold bathroom fittings, a swimming pool, gym and helicopter pad. The three deck mega yacht will be built in Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy. The price tag is £ 70 according to The Sun newspaper. Apparently the yard has several large orders. Angelina and Brad have 4 children, so they can use the space. Angelina recently adopted the second son, Pax Thien, from Vietnam. Angelina and Brad are keen flyers. Now they are turning their attention to water. They spend a lot of money and time on charity. I guess they have decided to do something for themselves this time.

Affectionately known as ‘Freddie’, ‘Fredrikstad’ often visits Antigua and berths at The Catamaran Club. She is a real sweet looking boat with a charming history. The crew are a nice bunch too and I have shared a few beers with them in the past. Kim Kavin from CharterWave.com has written a good article on ‘Fredrikstad’ and it’s well worth a read. ‘Fredrikstad’ started life as Rescue Ship 77 commissioned by the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue. After 20 years of service, 600 rescues and 11 lives saved, ‘Fredrikstad’ was decommissioned. Peter de Savary, of America’s Cup fame, has been one the owners and was responsible for turning her into a gentleman’s club before selling her to the current owners.

The Tall Ships Youth Trust have announced that special bursaries are available for young people aged 16-25 to take part in the ASTA Tall Ships Challenge Atlantic Coast Series along the east coast of the USA. Giles Pritchard Gordon, Tall Ships Youth Trust Trustee, has generously donated a limited number of bursaries of up to £500 (US $ 1,000) per person for young people aged 16-25 to take part in the Voyages detailed below. This means that on some voyages, young people may only need to find the cost of the flight! What a great opportunity to take part in the American Tall Ships Challenge!

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA (April 9, 2007):  Island Global Yachting (IGY), one of the world’s premier owners, developers and managers of luxury marinas and yachting lifestyle destinations, has acquired the historic Montauk Yacht Club Resort & Marina on New York’s Long Island.  Acclaimed as one of the United States’ top resort marina facilities, the Montauk Yacht Club encompasses over 35 acres and includes a 232-slip full-service marina which accommodates vessels up to 175 feet.  In addition, the property features 107 deluxe guestrooms and villa suites, restaurants and lounges, the La Bella Vita spa, private beach and extensive recreational offerings.

’Sailrocket’, the radically designed sail boat attempting to break the outright world speed sailing record in Namibia has reached 38.3 knots. And that’s with a flat tire! Paul Larsen, the pilot, had the following to say on his blog from the container HQ after a long hard day: ” We went for it today in winds averaging around 18 knots. Plenty of spectators and all cameras rolling. Everything was working. Everything was in place. I could feel the extra load on the knot as I slipped from the restraining anchor. Once into the wind Sailrocket lifted out and the next moments were perhaps the scariest I’ve ever had. Once again she headed for the beach like a horse to the barn. I knew from our first run that rounding up wasn’t an option so I sheeted on hard and stomped on the rudder to bear away. And I mean stomped. I tried to put it through the bloody bulkhead! I was heading for the beach doing over 30 knots. Something had thumped in the rudder setup and I feared a breakage… somewhere. Everything still felt tight at my end. It was already shallow and I felt that the big crash had already begun. I new that the only way out was left and if I couldn’t get there I would have to go down trying.