UK Marine News Inaugural Plymouth boating festival a hit
Glorious sunshine and a packed schedule of maritime fun helped make the inaugural Plymouth Boat Fest a huge success, as thousands of visitors gathered at Plymouth Yacht Haven; the city’s largest and busiest marina, to celebrate the region’s rich marine heritage and industry.
With over 50 exhibitors and more than 30 boats on display, the event showcased the broad spectrum of the marine industry, ranging from leisure boating to commercial vessels and state-of-the-art marine technology.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better day for the inaugural event”, commented Steve Cox, marina manager at Plymouth Yacht Haven, the event organiser. “It has been fantastic to see so many families, boating enthusiasts, and newcomers on-site, discovering everything our marine industry has to offer. Plymouth Boat Fest truly brought Britain’s Ocean City together.”
Association of Sail Training Organisations names new president
The Association of Sail Training Organisations (ASTO) has announced the appointment of Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Kyd KBE, Lieutenant-Governor of Jersey, as its new president.
ASTO is the membership body for UK-based sail training charities. In 2024, more than 11,000 young people and individuals with disabilities or additional needs sailed with its 31 member organisations.
SailGP opens new $10m innovation facility in Southampton SailGP has officially opened SailGP
Technologies, its new innovation, design and engineering centre in Southampton, UK. The site, which will serve as the technical base for the global championship, currently employs over 100 designers, engineers, boat builders and specialists across areas including composites, hydraulics and aerodynamics.
The global racing league says the US$10m (£7.4m) facility has been established to support the ongoing development and maintenance of the league’s F50 catamarans and accelerate the construction of additional boats. The site replaces SailGP’s previous technical base in New Zealand and is situated near the championship’s London headquarters. SailGP says the move is intended to streamline operations in line with the global racing calendar.
“The opening of SailGP Technologies represents a major step forward in our continued ability to support a truly global championship. This facility gives us greater control and resilience across the fleet, enabling faster turnaround of repairs, more consistent performance, and a reliable supply of spares while on tour. It’s a key step in future- proofing SailGP – ensuring we can deliver uncompromised high-performance racing, anywhere in the world,” says Joel Marginson, director, SailGP Technologies.
16 | ISSUE 113 | SEP 2025 | THE REPORT Image credit: SailGP
Kyd is a Royal Yachting Association Yachtmaster and a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron. He is also a Younger Brother of Trinity House and a Distinguished Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute. His previous roles include president of Royal Navy boxing and Navy Ice Sports. He has also served as a volunteer skipper, taking young naval personnel on sailing trips around the Solent and the Channel.
Kyd says of his new role: “I am delighted and honoured to be taking over as the President of ASTO. As a lifelong sailor myself, I know the amazing work done by ASTO and all the sail training organisations up and down the country.
“Outdoor education, conducted in a safe and stimulating environment, including sail training, is a highly effective tool to improve young peoples’ lives; it builds their confidence, introduces them to new friends, as well as learning life skills and having some fun! I am looking forward to meeting as many sail trainers as possible and helping continue the wonderful work done by ASTO and all the UK sail training organisations, which do so much for the benefit of our young people.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136
