Thank you for your thoughtful comments regarding "Below Deck" this week ["Stained pillow, guest antics push me over the reality edge," page A25, October issue]. We watched the Tuesday episode (S:2 E:7) as a crew and were universally embarrassed and appalled by the content. The comments made by the "Below Deck" crew about their current group of guests were inappropriate and beyond unprofessional. Our crew all believe that the show has now crossed the line of being bad for yachting, and especially bad for charter yachts. We can joke about all this with the owner of our boat, but imagine the reaction of a potential charterer or purchaser viewing the show? Does this kind of behavior actually go on aboard yachts? Absolutely. It also occurs in every hotel...

If you haven't already registered with us and made your Yotspot profile, WHY NOT? It takes a matter of moments and unlocks a host of jobs and opportunities. We have been a successful online tool for Captains and crew since 2010 and are a fully MLC 2006 certified agency. We currently have over 6500 registered crew members, 600 Employer accounts and are growing every day!   If you need a reason to join, here's 10:   1. Create your Yotspot profile.   The Yotspot profile has been designed with the Captain in mind. It makes sure you don't miss out on the vital information you need to have on your CV. It provides you with a place to store your references, files, certificates and CV all in one place that is accessible from any computer world wide.   2...

The tail end of Hurricane Gonzalo provides a testing afternoon for the Princess 43 We've done it, we have finally tested the Princess 43. It's been on the hit list for some time and with our colleagues in the marine press showering it with praise, we thought it was about time we had a go.The one we tested was a bit special, too. Princess now offers the 43 with a pair of Cummins 6.7-litre 550hp engines, our test boat being one of the first to have this option. This gives you 230 extra horsepower over the standard Volvo Penta D6 435s but, more importantly, around 1,000lb/ft more torque in total. The Cummins 550s provide mountains of torqueIn the sloppy sea conditions we had in the wake of Hurricane Gonzalo that torque was very welcome indeed. The big swell and f...

Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC) has today launched its first online consultation aimed at assisting a major review of plans and policies for Cowes Harbour on the Isle of Wight. The consultation, designed to give stakeholders the chance to have their say on the future of the harbour, can be accessed via: surveymonkey.com/s/CowesHarbourStrategicReview. Captain Stuart McIntosh, Cowes Harbour Master, said: 'My Commissioners and I would like to invite and encourage input to our e-survey from as many stakeholders and harbour users as possible and indeed from all those who are interested in creating a widely supported and sustainable long-term vision for Cowes Harbour. 'The key question we are asking at this point is, what do you want Cowes Harbour to look like in 2020 and bey...

How will Yann Guichard handle a 131ft trimaran alone across the Atlantic? Matthew Sheahan went to find out This coming Sunday (2 Nov) Yann Guichard plans to start the Route du Rhum, the singlehanded 3,500nm race from St Malo to Guadeloupe aboard the world's biggest trimaran Spindrift 2. At 131ft (40m) LOA with a beam of 77ft (23m) she is the combined size of three tennis courts and dwarfs every other competitor in the 88 boat fleet. She's holds nine world records and is easily the fastest offshore racing boat in the world. But she's a boat that has been fully crewed for all of these records and when you see her up close it is easy to see why. There are no powered winches and when it comes to her sail plan there is nothing you can lift on your own. So how on...

  Are all yacht jobs exciting?    You may read that all yacht jobs are exciting and full of fun but you have to be realistic in your expectations. Not all yacht jobs are exciting as you may hope. When looking at working on a superyacht you have to realise that every job is different. Whether you are a Captain, a Stewardess or a day worker, all yacht jobs are different.    Every position on board will have highs and lows. The rewards are there to be had when working on a superyacht but you have to take the rough with the smooth. You have to be prepared to work hard, long hours as crew. Owners and guests can be demanding. One thing that all yacht jobs have in common when starting work in the superyacht industry is that your role will involve a lot of clea...

Discover how to nagivate coral reefs in the second installment of our Bluewater Sailing Techniques series  

A 100-footer built for no other purpose than record breaking has been launched in the US. Wow! A new superfast 100ft yacht specially designed for record breaking has been launched in Maine for serial big yacht owner Dr Jim Clark, and is in Newport getting her keel and rig installed ready for sail trials. The yacht, named Comanche, is a full-on ocean speedster. Designers VPLP and Verdier were liberated from the shackles of handicap rules and tasked with creating a yacht capable ofvpure speed to smash ocean records. Dr Clark, the Silicon Valley magnate and founder of Netscape, has had a number of high profile yachts: the 47.4m Frers-designed sloop Hyperion in the late Nineties and the groundbreaking 90m Dykstra schooner Athena in 2004, and since 2009 Hanuman,...

Why the announcement of the 1851 Trust was more than just another America's Cup press conference From 107m up you get a great perspective on Britain's current America's Cup campaign. Rising high above the country's famous naval city, Portsmouth's distinctive Spinnaker Tower was the venue for Ben Ainslie Racing's (BAR) latest announcement, but it also provided a superb view of the current state of the team's new base at Camber Quay. Set to the east side of the harbour entrance in the historic part of the city you are left in no doubt as to the scale of this project. This is no slab sided industrial unit with a flashy team sign hung above a pair of painted sliding doors, this will be a building and a programme designed to last well beyond the next Cup. A ...

'Access Interdit,' says the sign on the Quai des Milliardaires in Antibes. Behind a barrier the superyachts rise like a skyline in white and royal blue. This is the smartest address in a smart town. Riff-raff are discouraged. Still, nobody pays much attention as I wander up to the first of these beasts, the motor yacht Katara. Owned by the Emir of Qatar, it is thought to have cost around $300 million. Crew in white shirts and khaki shorts swarm over its decks, making final preparations to the scene. Everything is immaculate. Glasses and cutlery are laid on tables. Sun-loungers are set out on the teak transom, towels rolled in tight cylinders. On the top deck a helicopter waits. It all gleams in the sunshine. Scroll down for video    +6 The promise of a pe...