Ponza and Gavi are the remains of a caldera rim of an extinct volcano, with a surface area of 7.3 square kilometers. Ponza is approximately 5.5 Miles long by 1.5 miles (2.4 km) at its widest. It is a crescent shaped island with one large beach called Spiaggia di Chiaia di Luna (Half Moon Beach) and a few small beaches and has a mostly rocky coast made of kaolin and tuff rock.
The island has layers of Kaolinite and Bentonite which used to be mined. It has many odd natural rock formations, one looks like a monk, another looks like a giant pair of work pants, Spaccapurpo (Arco Naturale O Spaccapolpi), another looks like a patch of flowers and another one looks like mushrooms, another looks like a horseman. It has the Fantasy Rock Castle and several natural bridges and arches.

It also has Faragliones or giant sea stacks made of solid rock. It has several small villages, among them are Commune di Ponza, Santa Maria and Le Forna. Ponza is often confused with nearby islands like Ischia and Capri, except Ponza has no active volcanism.

The island was inhabited from neolithic through Roman times. According to local legends, Ponza was named after Pontius Pilate, Roman governor of Judea who tried Jesus of Nazareth for heresy. Pontius Pilate’s family owned a grotto on Ponza, which is still named after him.
The Pontius Pilate legend of Ponza’s name has recently come into dispute amongst historians, because the name “Pontia” appears in Strabo’s Geography. This pre-dates the birth of Pilate. It is not known if this is the same name as Ponza or a similar name. “Pontia” means “Land of Bridges” in Latin and Ponza has many natural arches and natural bridges, so that may be the origin of the name Pontia.

found on wikipedia.org

Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island off the Eastern coast of Australia is said to be the whitest beach in the world. The sand is made almost entirely of silica which provides the incredibly white color. The sand is so pure, NASA has used it to make special telescope lenses. Whitehaven beach stretches for over 7 km (4 miles) along the largest of the Whitsunday Islands. Trips leaving from mainland Australia to visit the beach leave multiple times a day, and there is a variety of accommodation on Whitsunday Island. Visitors shouldn’t miss a trip to the nearby outer Great Barrier Reef, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

found on beautifulplacestovisit.com

The Maxi Dolphin boatyard was established in 1987 in Erbusco, near Brescia, thanks to businessman Vittorio Moretti’s passion for the sea, nature and racing.
The first boat launched was the Carmen di Bellavista, a 73-foot maxi-yacht designed by Bruce Farr for racing in the demanding ICAYA circuit – a one-off design of great prestige designed for Vittorio Moretti himself.
Maxi Dolphin went on to develop numerous one-offs that were very different, yet all featuring indisputable excellence in terms of technology and personality, including the 118’ Viriella designed by German Frers, five 65-footers designed by Luca Brenta and the 75’ Bella Pita designed by Bill Tripp.

In over two decades of activity – and more than 300 boats – in parallel with the one-offs Maxi Dolphin has been involved in one-design yachts, strictly standard mono-types governed by class rules – enthusiasts will undoubtedly recall Joker and Dolphin 81.

In 2007 the boatyard launched the production of powerboats, a different way to experience the sea, while still enjoying the same freedom and a ifestyle with a difference. Thus came about the MD 51’ Power, a megatender that capitalized on Maxi Dolphin’s expertise with sailing boats.

The hull design is based on the same hydrodynamic principles as the hulls of sailing boats, where the shapes are optimised to achieve the utmost efficiency. Composite materials (the same as those used to make hulls for the America’s Cup) are used in the construction to maximize rigidity, robustness and lightness.

found on maxidolphin.it

Hong Kong glows at night.

On first acquaintance Hong Kong can overwhelm. Navigate its teeming, tightly packed sidewalks and you’re met at every turn with neon signage, steam-filled canteens, molasses-slow traffic and a Babel of chatter.
Once this first sensory wave has rolled over you, though, take a deep breath and start swimming with the current, because you’ll find Hong Kong is a place to delight in.
Utterly safe and fantastically well organised, it offers little moments of perfection. You may find them on a plastic stool enjoying a bargain bowl of beef brisket soup or simply gazing at the thrilling harbour vistas. You’ll find them taking afternoon tea in the cool of a five-star hotel lobby or enjoying balmy open-air beers in the party zones.

Hong Kong can nudge you out of your comfort zone but usually rewards you for it, so try the stinky beancurd, sample the shredded jellyfish, brave the hordes at the city centre horseracing and join in the dawn tai chi. Escape the city limits and other experiences await – watching the sun rise from a remote mountain peak, hiking surf-beaten beaches or exploring deserted islands.

If it’s pampering you’re after, money can buy the ultimate luxuries in a city well used to serving its tiny, moneyed elite. Yet Hong Kong is also a city of simple pleasures. Most often it’s the least pricey experiences – a $2 tram or ferry ride, a whiff of incense curling from temple rafters, savouring fishing-village sundowners and seafood – that are the stuff of priceless memories.

Hong Kong Island beach.

found on lonelyplanet.com

The editorial concerns that feature my work are very diverse. It is due in part to their assistance and encouragement, that I get to travel to the far flung corners of the world or spend such vast amounts of time in watery solitude. When I was slogging my way through school, I spent large chunks of time reading, studying journalism and creative writing.
I went into the study of business and science, leaving behind literature and art not seeing at the time, how I would ever support myself. I find it an amusing source of irony that I am now completely immersed in the creation of art and literature.

I am constantly looking at what was done in art and literary history. It is the basis of my work in editorial to recreate moments in literature and art that inspired me at one time or another, but do it in the context of the times in which we live.

Contained here are a few of my published works; the stories behind many of the photographs in the library, and a testimony to the patience of my editors.

found on davidpuu.com

The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 km².
Depending on measurement, it is the largest or second largest body of water after the five oceans.
The minute South China Sea Islands, collectively an archipelago, number in the hundreds. The sea and its mostly uninhabited islands are subject to competing claims of sovereignty by several countries. These claims are also reflected in the variety of names used for the islands and the sea.

Within the sea, there are over 200 identified islands and reefs, most of them within the Spratly Islands. The Spratly Islands spread over an 810 by 900 km area covering some 175 identified insular features, the largest being Taiping Island (Itu Aba) at just over 1.3 km long and with its highest elevation at 3.8 metres.
The largest singular feature in the area of the Spratly Islands is a 100 km wide seamount called Reed Tablemount, also known as Reed Bank, in the northeast of the group, separated from Palawan Island of the Philippines by the Palawan Trench.
Now completely submerged, with a depth of 20 m, it was an island until it sank about 7,000 years ago due to the increasing sea level after the last ice age. With an area of 8,866 km², it is one of the largest submerged atoll structures of the world.

found on wikipedia.org

Somali pirates continue their attacks against international ships in and around the Gulf of Aden, despite the deterrent of stepped-up international naval escorts and patrols – and the increased failure rate of their attacks. Under agreements with Somalia, the U.N, and each other, ships belonging to fifteen countries now patrol the area. Somali pirates – who have won themselves nearly $200 million in ransom since early 2008 – are being captured more frequently now, and handed over to authorities in Kenya, Yemen and Somalia for trial. Collected here are some recent photos of piracy off the coast of Somalia, and the international efforts to rein it in.

A parachute dropped by a small aircraft is observed by the U.S. Navy as it drops over the MV Sirius Star during an apparent payment via a parachuted container to pirates holding the Sirius Star off the coast of Somalia, January 9, 2009. Somali pirates then freed the Saudi supertanker seized in the world’s biggest ship hijacking for a $3 million ransom – but five drowned when their boat capsized as they were making off with their share. (REUTERS/David B. Hudson/U.S. Navy photo/Handout

found on boston.com

Cave diving is a type of technical diving in which specialized SCUBA equipment is used to enable the exploration of natural or artificial caves which are at least partially filled with water. It is an extension of the more common sport of caving, but is much more rarely practised because of the skills and equipment required, and because of the high potential risks.

Despite these risks, water-filled caves attract cavers and speleologists due to their often unexplored nature, and present divers with a technical diving challenge. Caves often have a wide range of unique physical features, such as stalactites and stalagmites, and can contain unique flora and fauna not found elsewhere.

How do you cave dive?

No, you can’t learn to cave dive simply by reading what you find on the Internet. Even if this website contained all of the academic information presented in a complete Cave Diver course, it would still be no substitute for the guidance and experience provided by a skilled cave diving educator.

Nevertheless, you can begin to get a feel for the kind of information covered during Cave Diver training by reading the following articles on our web site cavediving.com.

Equipment Comparison
The thing that immediately distinguishes recreational divers from cave divers is their equipment. Bear in mind, it takes a lot more than just highly specialized equipment to be a cave diver. Nevertheless, equipment is a significant part of what we do.

found on cavediving.com

Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez is an amazing rendezvous of yachts. First run twenty-six years ago as La Nioulargue, the regatta gathers together the most extraordinary modern sailing boats alongside the most beautiful traditional yachts in the early autumn. A host of racers and sailing enthusiasts come from all the corners of the globe to do battle in the bay of Saint-Tropez. The Trophée Rolex is awarded to the winner of the Classic Division over 16 metres.

found on regattanews.com

Kerguelen, a subantarctic island of volcanic origin, is located in the South Indian Ocean, approximately 3,300 mi. (5,310 km) southeast of the southern tip of Africa (see map). Also known as Desolation Island, it is the largest of the 300 islands, islets and reefs in the Kerguelen Archipelago (total area ca. 2,700 mi2 / 7,000 km2), which lie between 48° to 50°S and 68° to 70°E. The region is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories — Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (TAAF), which also includes Terre Adélie (Antarctica), the Crozet Archipelago, and the tiny islands of Amsterdam/St-Paul.

TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES

Ille Kerguelen, covering an area of 1,318 mi2 (3,414 km2), has a highly irregular coastline with a number of large peninsulas linked to the island by low, narrow isthmuses. These large features are further sub-divided by fjords into smaller peninsulas. Remarkably, despite its total area, no point on the main island is more than 12 mi. (20 km) from the sea.

Mainnland, the main features are the numerous valleys and ridges with the highest point, the glaciated Mount Ross, reaching a height of 6,068 ft. (1,850 m). Mount Ross is the youngest volcanic edifice recognized in the Kerguelen Archipelago. The Kerguelen Islands lie in the Northern part of the Kerguelen-Gaussberg ridge, having been built up by a series of thick lava flows over millions of years (see “Origins of the Kerguelen Plateau”).
Cook Glacier covers nearly one third of the island, and the abundant rainfall combined with glacial meltwater keeps numerous streams and lakes full of water. Peat marshes, lignite, and guano deposits are found on the island.

WEATHER

Kerguelen’s weather is harsh, with rain, sleet or snow falling more than 300 days a year; it is not unusual to get snow at sea level in the middle of the summer. Winds blow continuously from the west, as the islands lie in the path of the “Furious Fifties”. Averaging 68 m.p.h. (110 km/hr) year-round, sustained winds of 93 m.p.h. (150 kph) are commonplace, and gusts of up to 124 m.p.h. (200 kph) have been recorded. Appropriately enough, the lone chapel on the island is called Notre Dame des Vents.

Kerguelen lies on the Antarctic Convergence where upwelling cold water from the Antarctic mixes with the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean, birdlife and marine mammals are abundant. The state of the sea reflects the high wind speeds, with wave heights of 40-50 ft. (12-15m) being common. The sea around Kerguelen is, however, ice free.

found on discoverfrance.net

Audi MedCup – Cagliari

21 September 2010

Today was the first day of the Audi Med Cup – Cagliari. Three races were held in 8-18 knots for the fleet of ten TP52s.

Onboard Artemis our first and second races were good with a 3,6 and we were 2nd overall at that point. Then a bad start and going the wrong way on the first windward leg of the third race put us way behind the fleet. We fought back to battle on the last run with Bribon and Luna Rossa, but we failed to pass them at the finish.

After light to moderate Southeasterly winds for three-quarters of the day the wind really piped up for that last race. The water was very choppy.

Emirates Team New Zealand came out of the day in first, with Matador in second.

photography by Sander van der Borch/Artemis
found on artemisracing.com