A closer look at Alex Thomson's Vendée Globe foil-borne Hugo Boss The new Hugo Boss IMOCA Open 60 race yacht skippered by Alex Thomson. Credit: Lloyd Images/ AT Racing The 2016/7 Vendée Globe race will go down as one dominated by two very different sailors, Frenchman Armel Le Cléac'h and Briton Alex Thomson in two critically different yachts. There is no doubt that the foil-borne Hugo Boss is very fast in perhaps a wider range of downwind conditions, and development of this foiling technology will be at the forefront of designers' minds as they work towards designs for the next monohull round the world races. But what exactly are the key features of Thomson's black boat, and how does it work? For the design...

Taking the official UK MCA approved (STCW ISPS) Proficiency in Security Awareness (PSA) Course online is a great way to save potentail crew memebers significant time and money. There is no need to travel to a test centre for training or to sit an exam. This can all be done through Virtual Traning Centre's eLearning platform and is 100% online.  The learner will need to upload current photographic ID and on successful completion of the course with therequired mark the learner can immediately download a proof of completion certificate. Additional official embossed certificates can be purchased for a small additional cost and posted direct http://virtual-training-centre.online/all-courses/mca-approved-stcw-isps-proficiency-in-security-awareness/  Employers ...

In 2017, John Percival Marine Associate celebrates their 20th year in the Superyacht industry. Hoylake Sailing School Ltd was established in 1996, to run RYA shorebased courses, and very shortly afterwards the Principal, Captain John Percival, was approached to run oral preparation for MCA Deck oral exams. JPMA was then formed in 1997, to deal solely with the Superyacht sector and since then the company has gone from strength to strength, providing Deck & Engineering training across a wide range of industries including Workboat and Merchant Navy. JPMA/HSS quickly outgrew their premises and relocated several years later. They now have 9 training rooms, and run almost all of the modules and oral preparation for Deck (OOW and Master) and Engineering (AEC, MEOL, Y4 to Y1) CoCs. Duri...

  Dear Members,   As some of you are aware, in late 2016 Yotspot experienced a number of job fake job posts.  As a company, we would like to offer our sincere apologies for these and any inconvenience caused. Thankfully, we work with some very talented developers who could quickly closed this loophole and protected us from any future issues.  As usual, we always insist you ONLY apply for jobs through www.yotspot.com and NEVER directly via email. This ensures your privacy and personal information is protected at all times. Again, we would also like to thank our members for remaining vigilant and informing us of any suspicious activity they've noticed. So what is a job post scam? Probably most of you already know the answer, but for those who don't, here i...

We're all aware of ensuring personnel working in confined spaces or at heights are trained to a suitable standard and since the Health and Safety Executive have endorsed the Royal Life Saving Societies' 'National Water Safety Management Programme', it appears that water safety training is going the same way.   Here at 'Birmingham & Midland Marine Services', we have been promoting water safety for those personnel working near the water along the inland waterways; our canals, river, reservoirs, brooks, streams and so forth for a number of years, and since 2016 have been running the RLSS NWSMP both at clients venues and from our training centre at Gailey Wharf on the Staffs and Worcester Canal in Staffordshire.   As specialist marine ac...

Are you looking to commence a career in the yachting industry? Want to know where to start? To begin we recommend looking at various websites, doing your research on the industry, understanding the demands and expectations before going any further and seeing which department you would be interested in working in. Once you have decided on your path we would then advise that you acquire your ENG1 Medical Certificate to ensure you do not have a medical condition that may prevent you from finding employment at sea. You can look on the government website to find an approved doctor near to you. They also list the overseas, approved doctors if you are outside the UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mca-approved-doctors-uk-based Next you need to look at training…...

Yes... we know it's still November but with Christmas round the corner we take a look at our top gift ideas for Yacht Crew: 1)  Kannad SafeLink Solo:  The SafeLink SOLO Personal Location Beacon (PLB) gives you direct contact with Search and Rescue services when a life threatening incident occurs anywhere in the world. The SafeLink SOLO 406 MHz GPS Personal Location Beacon (PLB) takes your personal safety to a new level. Whether you enjoy boating, diving or any outdoor pursuit which takes you to remote locations around the world, the SafeLink SOLO PLB gives you direct contact with search and rescue services when a life threatening incident occurs anywhere in the world.The ultra-small SafeLink SOLO is tough and durable, lightweight and compact, designed to be carried with you ...

Prince Harry has begun his Caribbean tour and is currently in Antigua. During his tour the Prince will live on tanker ship "Royal Fleet Auxiliary Wave Knight". Prince Harry will spend 14 days visiting the caribbean on behalf of the queen and Royal Fleet Auxiliary Wave Knight will act as both his transport and accommodation. Many have seen the use of tanker vessel as a clear sign that Britain needs a new Royal Yacht.  Prince Harry will spend a total of six nights on the tanker as he travels between the island nations including Barbados, St Lucia and Grenada. While onboard the vessel could even be called opon as it is part of Operation Martillo, which is an international drug busting operation being carried out across the caribbean. The actual vessel Prince Harry is staying on ...

The Yotspot team are about to head to Antigua for this years Yacht show. We thought we would share some of our favourite things to do while in Antigua.  1. Stingray City: Your Stingray City Antigua Snorkel Adventure will be the highlight of your vacation, and an experience that will live with you forever. The Southern Rays are without doubt "The Brightest Rays" in the Caribbean, very friendly and gentle. Come and enjoy with us this unique experience of interacting and feeding a Stingray, together with snorkelling amongst magnificent coral reefs and colourful tropical fish. For more information: http://www.stingraycityantigua.com/ 2: Shirley Heights. "Our best known and longest running event is our Sunday Barbecue party. Now in its 31st year, we have hosted more than 1,560 ...

Antibes is a beautiful town dating from medieval times, situated on the French Riviera between Nice and Cannes. Antibes is only 16km from Nice airport and easily accessible by bus or train.  The number 250 express bus will take you from the airport into Antibes in approximately half an hour. The marina in Antibes, namely Port Vauban, is the largest yachting port in Europe, and can accommodate vessels over 100meters in length.  A very popular hub for luxury yachts, yacht supplies, yacht training and yacht recruitment agents. Therefore, it's the ideal place to start looking for a position as a crew member. There are a number of crew houses in the area providing reasonably priced accommodation for you to stay in until you're fortunate enough to secure a job....