·

Diane Reid presents an interesting UK Circumnavigation

Diane Reid UK Circumnavigation

 

Jan 11, 2018

Diane is second from left standing

At this year’s Toronto Boat Show then again on March 8 at Ashbridges Bay Yacht Club Toronto sailor/adventurer Diane Reid will present her experience circumnavigating the UK as the skipper of A Plastic Voyage.

The adventure took a crew of women on an ambitious sailing expedition around the UK to raise awareness of ocean plastic and sample the water to see what damage is being done.

The women were mostly inexperienced on boats so it was up to Diane and a small crew to manage the circumnavigation. The weather didn’t fully cooperate, so many of the novices faced challenges – seasickness, panic – that they had never anticipated. Diane managed that plus some unexpected technical issue (an eel in the engine’s intake manifold!) to make the voyage a success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_xZ77JGDOs&t=1s
Credit: Sky News

Diane At The Helm Diane at the helm

When not on the ocean Diane lives in Toronto and is a member of ABYC. She is a well-known professional skipper, racer and instructor. and is a Royal Yachting Association accredited OceanYachtmaster commercially endorsed, a Sail Canada Instructor in Cruising, Racing, VHF and Navigation and a World Sailing Offshore Personal Survival Instructor.

Diane’s career has spanned over 70,000 miles throughout Lake Ontario, the Atlantic and Southern Ocean, Irish Sea, Bay of Biscay, Caribbean Islands and East coast of the United States. , Diane has taught or raced on a Mini 650, a Clipper 70 or a Volvo 60 and even a Thunderbird 26!

Holly And The Ell this unfortunate eel got sucked into the cooling system

Her students and race teams have varied from single-handed, double-handed to fully crewed teams. When Diane is not on the water, she can often be found volunteering with various committees on Lake Ontario and with Sail Canada endeavouring to drive the sport of sailing to great new levels.

Catch Diane and her terrific presentation at TIBS on January 16 and 18 or in March at ABYC and watch CYOB for updates on her next voyages.

Video Gallery

Neptunus 650F Review

Neptunus 650F 400

By Andy Adams

Over the years Canadian Yachting has had the pleasure of doing several boat review articles on new Neptunus models and we are familiar with the qualities that Neptunus is famous for. They have all been exceptional yachts, but this is the one I would most want to own myself. It’s a personal choice and a matter of taste as to whether you would prefer to have a sedan express model or a flybridge but in my opinion, the flybridge layout offers some wonderful attributes.

We met with Neptunus Managing Director Jan Willem De Jong this past fall to take the new Neptunus 650F out in Lake Ontario. 

Read More

Destinations

The Other Virgin Islands

Sunset off St John

By Mark Stevens

I was first seduced by the United States Virgin Islands during a ferry ride from St. Thomas to Tortola to begin one of our earliest British Virgin Islands charters nearly twenty years ago.

A perfect sunset off St. John with St. Thomas views for backdrop.

Clearing Pillsbury Sound, surrounded by voluptuous emerald mountains as the ferry sliced through royal blue waters, I was struck by the unspoiled ambiance of St. John, the island gliding past our starboard beam and the irresistible charm of a village called Cruz Bay visible from our quarter stern.

Read More

Lifestyle