Tuesday 20 September 2011

Clipper Round The World - We're supporting team Visit Finland!



Why are we supporting team Visit Finland you may ask? Well the teams skipper Olly Osborne is the brother of Julian Osborne who works in our Chichester Chandlery. And as anybody who uses our Chichester branch will testify Julian's such a nice and knowledgable chap, well we really couldn't support anybody else!

About The Race

For those of you who don't know what the Clipper Round The World Race is, it is essentially 40,000 miles of ocean racing, where the fleet of sailors are in identical 68-foot stripped down racing yachts. Those yachts are provided by the organisers and are then sponsored by either a city, a region or a country. The skippers are all talented sailors who are fully trained, and they lead the crews safely around the world. And anybody can join! Find out about signing up by clicking here.


About team Visit Finland

Total crew: 54 (34 Men & 20 Women)
Average Age: 46 (Oldest 67 & Youngest 19)
Nationalities Represented: 8

The Skipper; South Coast sailor, Olly Osborne, is amongst the ten-strong group of intrepid skippers selected for Clipper 11-12. Olly, 30, from Chichester, is among the line-up of international sailors who have been appointed to the prestigious and challenging position following a rigorous selection process.


As I write this Visit Finland are currently in second place, so the best of luck to Olly and all the other participants.

Happy Boating,

Captain Loz

Monday 19 September 2011

Used Boat Shows local to the Southampton Boat Show



Looking for a second hand Yacht & Motor Boat? Well if you've exhausted the many stands full of brand new yachts & motor boats at the Southampton Boat Show, perhaps you could try one of the Great Used Boat Shows being held in the local to Southampton Marinas. Our picks of the Shows to try are (Plus Deacons & Swanwick are within 200 meters of each other, and Swanwick offer a park & ride to the Southampton Boat Show):

The Deacons Used Boat Show - Open 10.00a.m - 6.00p.m 16th - 25th September

Described as: "A premier showcase for used Sail and Motor Boats."

For Buyers there are over 50 boats for sale, a raised viewing gallery, easy access by road and rail, plus advice on buying your first boat or upgrading.


Plus visit our chandlery which is next door, Deacons chandlery Force 4.

The Swanwick Used Boat Show - 09.00 - 17.00 16th - 25th September

Described as: "Whether you're thinking of buying a new or used yacht or motor boat, Premier's Swanwick Used Boat Show is one of the most established and most successful used boat shows on the south coast and this years event is set to be even bigger and better!
Our Fantastic selection of on-site boat sales companies include; Ancasta, Clipper Marine, Dickies International, Princess Motor Yacht Sales, Sunseeker and Walton Marine. these companies will be available throughout the length of the show to help you find your perfect boat!"


Plus visit our Chandlery which is next door, Swanwick Force 4 Chandlery & Sailing Clothing.

Hamble Point Used Boat Show - 16th - 25th September

Described as: "The yard contains hundreds of new and used boats for sale, most of which are displayed ashore on purpose built walkways that give you easy access to each one."


Plus visit our chandlery which is next door, Hamble Point Marina Force 4 Chandlery.

Happy Boating!

Captain Loz

Southampton Boat Show Daily Deal Update!



Well the first day of the Southampton Boat Show was it's usual fast paced and unpredictable self. The sun made a guest appearance from around mid day onwards and the whole of Southampton was basked in blue skies and glorious heat, which was a very pleasant surprise.
It was lovely and busy on both of our stands B017 & D010, and our 1st daily deal seemed to be a real winner. Click here for more details on Daily Deal Number 1.
What's also great is the fact that we have 5 shops all within 10 miles of the Boat Show, so we're able to get you stock or reserve stock in our shops for you. This service always seems to be an unexpected bonus for some customers, so definitely worth remembering.
Plus on the outside stand every day we've got a rigging and splicing display from one of our Aladdin's Cave Riggers. Monday to Friday will be Craig, and at the weekends will be Chris. Not only will they be happy to give advice and show you how to splice, but any rope bought on the stand will be entitled to a free splice there and then. You can read more about Aladdin's Cave rigging by clicking here.


Plus you'll be kept up to date with our Southampton Boat Show Daily Deals. We sent out details of Daily Deal Number 4 this morning, and for those who haven't seen it, it's a cracker:


For a recap on all of our Daily Deals so far you can click here.

We look forward to seeing you at the show, we're on stands B017 and D010.
Happy Boating!

Captain Loz

Friday 16 September 2011

Southampton Boat Show Daily Deals!



We're very excited that it's the Southampton Boat Show already, we've made a real effort this year to fill our stands (B017 & D010) with the products you want, we've got a great selection of clothing offers, chandlery offers and Rigging demonstrations. We're definitely worth a visit we hope you'll agree.
However we do realise that not everybody can get the opportunity to visit the Southampton Boat Show, so this year we've decided to make 10 fantastic Boat Show Offers available on our website as well. We're calling them the Daily Deals, we'll notify email subscribers every morning the latest deal, and that deal will run until the end of the Boat Show. We'll also post details of the offers on our website, Facebook Page, Twitter stream and Blog.
We hope this gives you the opportunity to grab a "Boat show Bargain".

The first Daily Deal is:


Remember if you want to hear about the Daily Deals first you'll have to sign up to our eNewsletter, you can do that by clicking here.

Happy Boat Showing,

Captain Loz

Thursday 8 September 2011

Southampton Boat Show 2011 - See us on stands B017 & D010


Come and see us at the Southampton Boat Show 16th - 25th September...

"More spectacular than ever, the Show offers people of all ages a fantastic day out,
whatever their marine interest or skill level. Showcasing over 1,000 boats of
all sizes and classes, Europe's largest Show Marina is the heart of the action.
And there are loads of things to see and try free!"


We'll be displaying on two stands again this year.
We'll be inside the Windward Hall on stand number D010 offering a large range of popular chandlery, with some very special offers. Plus we'll also have our outside stand, number B017, which is opposite the Holiday Inn. We'll have a great range of marine sailing clothing on this stand, with some end of line specials and classic Force 4 Special Offers.

You can visit the Official Southampton Boat Show website by clicking here.

And let us know what you're hoping to see at the Southampton Boat Show by either commenting on this blog or on our Facebook Page.

We look forward to seeing you at the Boat Show.
Happy Boating,

Captain Loz

Friday 2 September 2011

The Bursledon Regatta


It's that time of year again, and this year the organisers have come up with the following:

The 'floating city' of Venice is the inspiration for this year's Regatta where once again there will be fun and games both on and off the water. The Elephant Boatyard will play host to a colourful Venetian Carnival which arrives in the River Hamble for what is hoped will be another wonderful day.

Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th September

Dinghy and Yacht Racing
Details of the dinghy races on the River Hamble on the Saturday and the Yacht races on the Solent on the Sunday are contained in the Notice of Race on the Regatta website.

Gig Racing
Now with an established fleet of 17 Gig boats, the Bursledon Regatta hopes to provide an exciting finale race to the series of races that have run this season.

Visit www.bursledonregatta.co.uk for further information on the Regatta.

So if you're in the area it's great entertainment for all the family to enjoy.

Happy Boating,

Captain Loz