Freshly Social

Every year in September the edges of London’s River come alive with the annual Thames Festival, and 2011 looks to be no different from years before. Usually only used by the locals for Christmas party boats or for a place to run along in the mornings, the Thames River comes alight with a myriad of international food flavours, fireworks and theatre attractions in celebration of London and its iconic river.  It is free to all attending the Thames Festival and is the biggest festival of arts and hosted by the mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

Looking for something to do in London this summer holiday? We always talk about some of the best live events, restaurants to attend and once off happenings going on in London, but to my surprise, today I realized that we’ve never mentioned the idea of taking a cruise on the River Thames. Yes, it’s not a huge event, but it definitely is something you need to check out if you live in London or if you’re simply just visiting.

Thames river cruises have been in operation in London for over 300 years now. Starting off as basic cruises, taxi’s etc, the Thames river cruise industry has grown into a flourishing industry that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every summer. One can now arrange a Thames river cruise as a romantic setting for a quiet date or perhaps enjoy a nice quiet cruise on the Thames whereby you have lunch or dinner with family or friends. People have weddings that take place on Thames river cruise boats and all sorts of other functions.

The sea is one of the most powerful and dangerous forces not yet tamed by man. Most believe it never will be, yet since our earliest days we have sailed the seas with crafts of various design; all in order to tame the savage beast. This spirit of adventure still lives on in us today, but we have since learned to treat the sea with a healthy dose of respect. Over the years we have gathered invaluable tips and tricks in order to charter yachts of ever-increasing sophistication and design. However, the yacht itself is only as safe as the skipper who charters it, and for this reason our modern skippers belong to sailing schools and boast various certificates of competence like the one earned after completing the RYA Day Skipper Course, for instance.

The Volvo Ocean Race is the most highly anticipated event on the sailing calendar. It’s also the most gruelling, which is why it’s only held every three years. The 2008/2009 race lasted about 8 months and covered an epic 37,000 nautical miles. It was also the first race to include stopovers in the Middle East and Asia. When the even first began in 1972 it was sponsored by Whitebread (and was known as the Whitebread Ocean Race) and boasted 17 yachts. In 2008/09 there were only 8 teams but that doesn’t make the race any easier.

The winner is the team that wins the most legs of the race, and this year that racing team was Ericsson 4, skippered by Brazil’s Torben Grael. Grael has an established reputation as one of the world’s sailing greats with five Olympic sailing medals and six world titles, and now he has the Volvo Ocean Race to add to his resume.  Proving their mettle amongst the other racing teams, team Ericsson 4 won the first two legs of the race, as well as three of the last four legs and also achieved a couple of podium finishes in other legs.

The Solent, the little bit of sea between England and the Isle of Wight, is a yachtsman’s dream with a variety of coves, harbours and inlets to explore. A weekend on the Solent, sailing from port to port is a worthwhile experience for any serious sea lover and many of the sailing clubs and hotels along the coast cater to corporate sailing weekends which make for outstanding team building.

Cowes Week

Some of the most recommended sailing destinations situated on the Solent can be found on the Isle of Wight. Cowes, for instance, is considered by many to be the yachting centre in the UK. The port, which is formed by a natural harbour, is host to a number of sailing events such as the annual Cowes Week in August. And while the town is sailing obsessed, there are a handful of activities that don’t require the presence of a large body of salt water. Northwood House and Park built in 1837 and given to the town in 1929, provide residents and guests with public tennis courts, bowling greens and a playground for children. The mansion and park cover 26 acres and with a magnificent view of the Solent and the sailing boats anchored in the harbour.

Knot-tying is an important aspect of sailing and the basics are easy to learn and are usually taught on an RYA course. The Figure of 8 knot and Bowline knots are some of the most basic, and yet most useful knots to know.

In boating, it’s important to know that there is a different name for each end of the rope. The loose end in your hand is called ‘the bitter end’, which originates from the name for the posts onto which you secure your boat while docking, called the bitts. The other end, which takes the strain, is called the standing end.  The middle part or loop of the rope also has its unique name in knot-tying terminology and is known as the bight.