Another Sunny Day At Bibra Lake
Beeliar Regional Park, Bibra Lake, western australia.
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Team Lotus buys Caterham as dispute over iconic name takes new twist
The row over the Lotus name in Formula One took an interesting twist on Wednesday with confirmation that Team Lotus has bought the niche British sports car manufacturer Caterham.
Main man: Tony Fernandes, the boss of Team Lotus, at the Malaysian GP Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Tom Cary, F1 Correspondent 6:41PM BST 27 Apr 2011
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Malaysian entrepreneur and Team Lotus owner Tony Fernandes announced the tie-up, which had been widely predicted after he and his business partner were named as Caterham directors on Companies House documents earlier this month, at a media event at Duxford Airfield.
It is an interesting move by Fernandes, who originally wanted to enter the automotive market with Group Lotus and indeed raced last year under licence from the British car maker.
However, that relationship turned sour with Group Lotus eventually deciding to sponsor the Renault F1 team, a decision which prompted Fernandes to snap up the iconic Team Lotus name instead to protect his investment.
Last month the increasingly bitter dispute over the rights to the Lotus name in Formula One went to the High Court with the judge expected to hand down his ruling within the next few weeks.
Fernandes now has a back-up should he lose, although the Malaysian was adamant that was not the rationale.
"This isn't being done... just in case we lose the case," he said. "We've invested a lot in bringing Lotus back into racing. We've acquired Team Lotus, have spent a lot of money building this brand up, and it's not something we want to give up.
"We always wanted to be a manufacturer. Now we are a tiny manufacturer. But at least now we've got the genesis and a strategy of what we are trying to put together."
The Air Asia boss added that he had no immediate plans to rebrand his F1 team - assuming the High Court ruling goes his way, which it is expected to - but the Caterham name is expected to appear on the car and the company will eventually contribute to the Lotus budget as a sponsor.
In a blatant swipe at Group Lotus chief executive Dany Bahar, who is planning to introduce five new luxury models to the market in a direct challenge to Porsche and Ferrari, Fernandes said that the partnership with Caterham “reunited” his team with late Lotus founder Colin Chapman and his goal of making lightweight, affordable sportscars.
Chapman sold Caterham the rights to the famed Seven model, which is still raced around the world, in 1973.
“Lotus is all about lightweight, more is less,” Fernandes said. “That is all the terminology we like, and it fits with F1. We feel there is a huge opportunity for Caterham in a market no one is really looking at right now."
Telegraph.feedsportal.com
Schalke v Manchester United: England's south coast helped hone skills of Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick
With its chugging power stations, industrial decay and miles of graffiti-splattered walls, Gelsenkirchen would appear to have little in common with the charming west Sussex parish town of Southwick. But had it not been for his stay on the south coast, Schalke manager Ralf Rangnick might today be standing in a classroom talking about verbs.
English education: Schalke manager Ralf Rangnick's outlook on football was partly shaped by his early experiences in England Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Jonathan Liew 12:08AM BST 26 Apr 2011
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It was in Southwick in the early 1980s where Rangnick honed his love of the game, while studying English at the University of Sussex with the intention of becoming a teacher.
He stayed with an English family in Brighton and sought a trial at the local football club, then playing in the Sussex County league.
“When I got introduced to him, I was trying to be funny,” remembers Southwick manager Jimmy Collins, who was a member of Tottenham's 1960-61 Double-winning squad.
“It was obviously going above his head.
"I remember telling him he couldn’t trap a bag of cement. He liked a bit of mickey-taking. And after a while, he could give it back. But we weren’t allowed to mention the war. That was an order.”
In Rangnick’s third appearance, he broke three ribs and punctured a lung, and only ended up turning out a handful of times for the club. But by all accounts, Rangnick was not much of a player anyway.
“He was a midfield player,” Collins says.
“Fetch-and-carry. A typical German grafter, but that was the only way he was going to get in the team. He wasn’t going to get in on his skill.
"I used to feel sorry for him, because I would take him out to do one-on-ones, get him to dribble the ball towards me, try and beat me. Being a nice Scottish guy, I let him pass me two or three times. And then kicked him.”
But Rangnick’s thirst for football was unquenchable.
While he was injured, he would travel to London to watch First Division games at Highbury, and he remembers seeing Arsenal play West Ham in the FA Cup final at Wembley in 1980.
Back at Southwick, he was noted for his diligence and dedication, staying behind after training to work on his ball skills, always keen to discuss tactics and systems.
For his first game, he turned up two hours before kick-off, and was bemused to see his team-mates strolling in at half past two and lighting up cigarettes.
Within four months of arriving in England, he was fluent in the language.
“He was an intelligent boy,” Collins says. “Better than average. I think he had something inside him wanting to get out.
"He obviously had some organising skills inside him, and you could see he was keen to get on in the game, but obviously he wasn’t a very good player.
“But,” he adds, “I never saw him as managerial material. He was still young, he wanted to be one of the boys, and managers normally stand out.”
So when did Collins find out that one of his former players was about to manage in a Champions League semi-final against Manchester United? “Yesterday,” he chuckles. “I never knew. But good on him.”
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. and . and . and
Sunday was Worldwide pinhole photography day. I spent an hour in my hood with my tripod and a new pinhole made from a brass shim by Michael.
Happy pinhole photography day everyone!
Berkeley, CA
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Дедушка упал
Я потом ему помог встать и довёл до дома.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Fulham 1: match report
Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham at Molineux on Saturday April 23, 2011.
PREVIEW
LIVE
REPORT
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
1 - 1
FT
FULHAM
Saturday, April 23 15:00
Premier League
Molineux
Fletcher (22)
(HT 1-0)
ATT: 28,825
Andrew Johnson (80)
Flying arrow: Steven Fletcher, the Wolverhampton Wanderers forward, leaped high above the Fulham defence to head his side into the lead at Molineux on Saturday Photo: PA
By Ian Bayley at Molineux 5:00PM BST 23 Apr 2011
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Fulham manager Mark Hughes was involved in a colourful touchline cameo that had him banished to the stands for the final half-hour of a feisty encounter at Molineux. But Hughes still had more reason to smile than counterpart Mick McCarthy, who had victory snatched from his grasp.
Hughes had the satisfaction of watching his third and final substitution, striker Andy Johnson, equalise 10 minutes from time with his first touch of the ball and less than a minute after replacing Clint Dempsey.
By then the manager had been in the stand for 20 minutes after a fit of pique in keeping with a confrontational contest. Hughes, angered when referee Michael Oliver cautioned defender Brede Hangeland for a foul on Steven Fletcher, lashed out at a water bottle. Surprisingly for someone who scored 179 goals in his playing career, Hughes missed his target twice before making partial contact at the third attempt.
He was then dismissed by referee Michael Oliver after speaking out of turn to the fourth official. Hughes was able to joke about the incident, his anger doubtless sated by Johnson’s equaliser.
“I was disappointed because I felt Brede had won the ball. The referee interpreted it in a different way and saw fit to book my player,” Hughes said. “That’s why I reacted. The fourth official played a part in my dismissal, probably for missing the bottle three times. So it was poor play from my point of view.”
Johnson had no such problems with his aim. The striker drilled home from 15 yards after Hangeland’s long punt forward fell neatly into the forward’s path.
It was a blow for Wolves, who were on course to climb out of the bottom three thanks to Steven Fletcher’s first-half header, his eighth goal of the season.
They remain deep in relegation trouble, though at least McCarthy had the consolation of seeing his side shore up defensively after conceding 11 goals in their previous four games. “Ten minutes is a long time in football,” he said. “We defended well but I was disappointed with the way we conceded.
“Every point is important. There were other sides who would have been beaten in that game having conceded, and we didn’t. We have now got five huge, great games to play.”
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Walk in the park
Just having a wander in the park, light was too good to miss!
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Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier unlikely to return to full-time managerial duties this season
Gérard Houllier is unlikely to resume full-time managerial duties at Aston Villa this season after being admitted to hospital complaining of chest pains.
Chest pains: Aston Villa manager Grd Houllier is unlikely to return to full-time managerial duties this season after being admitted to hospital Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Sandy Macaskill 10:54PM BST 21 Apr 2011
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Villa, who are seven points clear of the relegation zone, will not be rushed into making a decision over his future, but they have conceded that the 63 year-old needs rest in the wake of a serious health scare.
Houllier was being examined at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham on Thursday night, where he was described as “comfortable” and “very positive”. However, medical staff have been unable to give any definitive prognosis on his condition and he is expected to remain under observation for a few days while further tests take place.
In the meantime, Gary McAllister, his assistant, has been given control of team affairs. The Scotsman took charge of training Thursday and will be accompanied by Gordan Cowans in the technical area for the club’s home fixture against Stoke City Saturday. The club will bring in new personnel only in the unlikely event that McAllister requests assistance.
McAllister visited Houllier Thursday afternoon, as did Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner, and was said to be in good spirits, and with plenty of colour in his face.
He is understood to have quizzed McAllister about the morning’s training session, and issued instructions for Villa’s preparation ahead of Saturday’s game. Nevertheless, there remains genuine concern for his wellbeing.
The Frenchman began feeling unwell at around 7pm on Wednesday, before chest pains forced him to visit the hospital, scenes all too reminiscent of the heart problems he experienced in October 2001.
Houllier and his family are thought to be encouraged by the fact that he was not taken into surgery immediately on being admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
When Houllier, then 54, suffered a condition known as dissection of the aorta at half-time during Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Leeds in 2001, he was taken straight to surgery for an 11-hour open-heart operation. Surgeons repaired the main aortic valve with a synthetic material called Dacron — an operation with a success rate of just 30 per cent. Houllier later admitted that he was fortunate to be alive.
Houllier arrived at Villa Park seven months ago to succeed Martin O’Neill looking bronzed and healthy, and insisting that he was fit for the task ahead.
“When you go into this job there is pressure, hard work, you won’t sleep every night, so you need to make sure that your body is ready to sustain the challenge,” he said at the time. “But I would say I’m even fitter than when I was at Lyon.”
Houllier was referring to his two years, from 2005-07, at Lyon, who hired him to turn domestic dominance into European success after winning their fourth successive championship. “I would say that this was very demanding,” he said.
However, even a decade on from his operation, the Villa manager still meets regularly with his specialist, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital’s Dr Abbas Rashid, “on a friendly basis”. Rashid has even attended games at Villa.
Houllier is understood to have hesitated over accepting Villa’s offer of employment in September because of his wife Isabelle’s fears about what a return to the rigours of Premier League management might mean to his health.
There have been private concerns in recent weeks over Houllier’s ability to withstand the strains of modern management, and especially being embroiled in a relegation battle.
Although he has looked in good spirits at the training ground even when supporters have been calling for his departure, on match days he has looked increasingly fatigued, walking slowly from the technical area to the tunnel at the final whistle, and often arriving at his post-match press conferences out of breath.
What this means for his future at Villa remains uncertain. The club’s American owner, Randy Lerner, will fly to Birmingham for the Stoke game this weekend, and will visit Houllier, but they will not discuss the Frenchman’s future until his condition is made clearer by medical staff.
Until then, the message last night was that the future remains Houllier’s decision, and that he is still the club’s manager.
The players were informed of Houllier’s condition on Thursday morning. Stewart Downing, the England international midfielder, said: “Obviously, everyone at the club is concerned for the manager, but the news is that he’s going to be all right and that’s pleasing and reassuring.
Darren Bent, who Houllier signed for £24 million, said: “If we can win against Stoke, that will be one less thing for the manager to have to worry about. We want him to be able to concentrate just on his recovery.”
Pressure is all part of the job: it's how you deal with it
Steve Kean (Blackburn)
"It becomes more stressful if things aren’t going your way. I’m a big believer in making notes and looking at what is effective and what wasn’t effective. I don’t think you ever get away from it. It’s always been there [even as a non-manager]. I’ve always taken my work home with me."
Ian Holloway (Blackpool)
"It’s easy to label a football manager ill, but he is a human being and people must remember that. I don’t want to think football has done this to him. He is over 60. Lots of people get ill, and they are not football managers. I hope management has not played any part in all of this."
Mark Hughes (Fulham)
"This time of year stress comes to the fore. It’s a difficult job and we have to accept that. There’s a focus on managers and how their teams are doing. That demand falls on the shoulders of the managers. The LMA make sure we are regularly checked so we are strong enough to do the job."
Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool)
"The manager’s health is more important than anything else. There’s pressure on everybody in every walk of life. Different people deal with pressure in different ways. Each one is an individual and each one will find their own niche to combat it and it’s up to the individual to try and find a release for yourself."
Roberto Mancini (Manchester City)
"It is not easy. When you are under pressure you can have some problems. But I hope Gerard can get out of hospital quickly because he is a big person, a big manager and my friend. I hope he can be on the bench for the next game."
Alan Pardew (Newcastle)
"Comparing my earlier time in the Premier League to now, the emphasis seems to be much more on the manager and I don’t think that’s healthy or right. It’s about the clubs and the players, they’re the ones that should be discussed and it needs to be levelled out by the media I’ve not suffered too badly with stress."
Tony Pulis (Stoke City)
"Pressure is part of the job. Irrespective of what medical care you get, nothing stops you from getting excited on the touchline or carrying the pressure on your shoulders if things aren’t going well. Gary McAllister works closely with Gerard so there shouldn’t be too much disruption."
Steve Bruce (Sunderland)
"Pressure is only what you put on yourself. The only thing I’m scared of in my life is failure. That’s what keeps me going – the fear of failure. I’m used to pressure. I’ve been managing at this level for 10 years. It’s how you respond and react and get out of it. Only your team can do that for you."
Telegraph.feedsportal.com
Chaucer shuns Terra Firma for #313m takeover by Hanover
Chaucer has ended more than two years of speculation about its future by accepting a £313m cash offer from US general insurer The Hanover.
By Jamie Dunkley 11:15PM BST 20 Apr 2011
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The Lloyd’s of London insurance group recommended the 53.3p-a-share offer after rejecting a rival bid from Guy Hands’ private equity firm Terra Firma. Over the past two years, Chaucer has also rebuffed interest from Brit Insurance and Novae.
Chaucer Holdings
Bob Stuchbery, Chaucer chief executive, said a deal would enhance the company’s presence in the US market. Frederick H. Eppinger, president and chief executive of The Hanover, added: “The combined organisation would provide both companies with the benefits of greater scale, earnings diversification, and expanded market presence.”
Chaucer said it already had the backing of 21.28pc of its shareholders, including Aberdeen Asset Management, which is run by its own chairman, Martin Gilbert.
However, in a separate statement, Pamplona Capital, the company’s largest investor with a 9.9pc holding, said it would not back the deal. “We believe the price is inadequate and have no current intention of accepting this offer,” it added.
Chaucer expects to incur claims of up to £35m from March’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan, based on industry claims of up to $30bn (£18.2bn).
Earlier this year, the group saw pre-tax profits dip to £32.9m, from £42m in 2009, following heavy catastrophe claims in 2010.
The news is the latest wave of merger and acquisition activity in the Lloyd’s markets. Other companies tipped for deals include Omega Insurance, which received a bid approach from Canopius in January.
Chaucer shares rose 1¼ to 55¼p.
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- solo le pido a dios -
- solo le pido a dios -
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i left 'silhouette mode' on and i think that it improved this dull photo
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Motacilla cinerea - Grey Wagtail - Bergeronnette des ruisseaux - Ar gannerez-dour - Avril 09
Motacilla cinerea - Grey Wagtail - Bergeronnette des ruisseaux - Ar gannerez-dour - frANCE - Bretagne
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Ta' Pinu eliza, Gozo uhartea - Malta
Iglesia Ta' Pinu, isla de Gozo - Malta.
Ta' Pinu church, Gozo island - Malta.
Canon 7D; 2,5 seg.; f/13; ISO 100; ND 64x
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Libya: William Hague calls on more powerful strike force
Britain wants Nato to have a more powerful strike force in Libya but whether the alliance steps up attacks will depend on what Muammar Gaddafi's forces do, William Hague has said.
Image 1 of 2
Foreign Secretary William Hague Photo: PA
Image 1 of 2
Moussa Koussa, a former Libyan foreign minister travelled to Doha to meet Libyan rebels Photo: PA
11:16AM BST 13 Apr 2011
Mr Hague, on his way to Qatar, called for intensified sanctions on the Libyan government and for a clear statement that Gaddafi must go.
The Doha meeting also will discuss ways for countries to give money to meet essential needs in opposition-held areas of Libya, Hague said on board a Doha-bound plane late on Tuesday.
"We have sent more ground strike aircraft in order to protect civilians. We do look to other countries to do the same, if necessary, over time," Mr Hague said.
"We would like a continued increase in our (NATO's) capability to protect civilians in Libya," he added.
Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, said on Tuesday that NATO should do more to destroy Gaddafi's heavy weapons. Libyan rebels also have said the alliance is not doing enough.
The United States, which initially played a leading role in enforcing the no-fly zone, has withdrawn from ground strikes on Gaddafi's forces while several European allies, such as Italy, put restrictions on the use of their warplanes in Libya.
Britain would like more NATO countries involved to be able to strike targets on the ground, a government source said.
Whether NATO ratcheted up operations depended on what happened on the ground, Hague said.
"These air strikes are a response to movements of, or attacks from, regime forces so what happens will be dependent on that," he said.
Whether the Americans could again be asked to step up their role would also "depend on the circumstances", he added.
Moussa Koussa, a former Libyan foreign minister who fled to Britain last month, also travelled to Doha to meet Libyan rebels on the sidelines of the meeting of the international contact group on Libya.
Scottish police questioned the former spy chief over the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing, which killed 270 people, but Britain said on Tuesday he was free to travel, drawing criticism from Pamela Dix, whose brother Peter died in the blast.
Mr Hague defended the move, saying "if someone is not under arrest then of course they are free to move around".
He said there was "every possibility" of Mr Koussa returning to Britain after the Doha meeting.
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A Spring Day
On the hot days we've had recently its nice to cruise around with your arm out the window, the guy in front seems to need a bit of training.
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LONDON—E. Stanley Kroenke, a U.S. real-estate and sports investor, has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Arsenal Football Club in a deal that values the renowned English soccer team at roughly £731 million ($1.2 billion).
In a move that would place the Premier League's top four clubs under foreign ownership, Kroenke Sports Enterprises agreed Monday to raise its holding in Arsenal from 29.9% to 62.89%, exceeding the threshold that gives Mr. Kroenke full control, the club said in a statement.
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Reuters
U.S. billionaire E. Stan Kroenke
By aquiring the 16% stakes held by board members Danny Fiszman and Nina Bracewell-Smith, KSE is now obliged under British takeover rules to launch a full bid for the remaining shares in the team.
"We are excited about the opportunity to increase our involvement with and commitment to Arsenal," Mr. Kroenke said in the statement. "Arsenal is a fantastic club with a special history and tradition and a wonderful manager in Arsène Wenger. We intend to build on this rich heritage and take the club to new success."
Mr. Kroenke, who owns the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche in the National Hockey League, and the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, is already Arsenal's single largest shareholder, with close to a 30% stake, and a member of the club's board.
He has painstakingly built up his shareholding in the Premier League team since first buying a 9.99% stake in April 2007. Alisher Usmanov, a Russian steel magnate, is Arsenal's other major shareholder, holding a 27% stake through his Red & White Holdings. KSE has offered to buy the remaining stock at a cost of £11,750 a share.
KSE said the cost of the takeover would not be placed on the club, unlike the highly leveraged buyouts of Manchester United and Liverpool in the past decade.
"The offer will not be funded by way of any debt finance (banks loans, payment in kind loans or other debt or quasi-debt interest bearing obligations) for which the payment of interest on, repayment of or security for any liability (contingent or otherwise) will depend on the business of Arsenal," the statement said.
According to Deloitte's Football Money League 2010 report, Arsenal is the world's fifth-largest soccer team by revenue and the second richest in England behind Manchester United, with €274.1 million ($396.4 million) during the 2009-10 season.
Mr. Kroenke's takeover of the club would place half of the Premier League's 20 teams under foreign ownership, including the league's top four clubs. Manchester United is owned by the family of U.S. businessman Malcolm Glazer, Chelsea by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and Manchester City by Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, welcomed the takeover by KSE. "I have worked with Stan Kroenke at board meetings over the past couple of years and I believe he has the best interests of Arsenal at heart," Mr. Wenger said in a statement. "He understands the club's heritage and traditions and our ambition to run the club in a way which protects our long-term future."
On the field, Arsenal is chasing its first trophy since the 2005 FA Cup. The team is currently seven points behind Manchester United with seven matches remaining, including one in hand over the league leader.
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Stan Kroenke and key figures in Arsenal takeover: profile
With Stan Kroenke set to take 62 per cent shareholding in Arsenal, Telegraph Sport looks at who the American is and the club's other stakeholders.
Majority: Stan Kroenke is estimated to be worth $3 billion Photo: GETTY IMAGES
7:11AM BST 11 Apr 2011
Stan Kroenke
A 63-year-old businessman whose sporting empire already includes the Denver Nuggets (basketball), Colorado Avalanche (ice hockey), Colorado Mammoth (lacrosse), Colorado Rapids (football) and St Louis Rams (American football). His estimated worth is $3 billion and both Kroenke and wife Ann, a Wal-Mart heiress, feature independently on the Forbes list of the world’s 250 richest people. Has never sold a share in any of his sports investments and is now arguably the most influential owner of sports teams in the world.
Had 29.9: per cent
Will have: 62 per cent
Danny Fiszman
A hugely influential director who played a major part in the historic move from Highbury to the Emirates. Fiszman made his fortune as a diamond trader and acquired more than 25 per cent of Arsenal. He formed a strong alliance with Kroenke and has previously already sold around nine per cent of his shares to the American businessman. He is now seriously ill with cancer and has agreed to sell his remaining 10,025 shares to Kroenke for around £115 million.
Had 16.1: per cent
Will have: 0 per cent
Alisher Usmanov
With business partner Farhd Moshiri, Red and White Holdings initially became involved in Arsenal in August 2007 after buying the stake of former vice-chairman David Dein. An Uzbek billionaire and Arsenal fan, Usmanov previously proposed a rights issue for the club to generate further revenue for Arsène Wenger, who he calls a genius. Despite owning more than a quarter of a the club, he has never been invited on to the board. He could retain his blocking stake and so could prevent Arsenal from becoming a private company and being delisted from the stock exchange.
Had 27.1: per cent
Will have: ?
Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith
Owns 15.9 per cent of the shares and was an Arsenal director from 2005 until 2008 when she was ousted from the board. Bracewell-Smith’s shares have been in her family for the past three generations, but she was deeply hurt at her treatment by the directors and they subsequently went up for sale via Blackstone, a global financial services company. It is understood that she initially wanted around £150 million but has now settled for their market value of £114 million.
Had: 15.9 per cent
Will have: 0 per cent
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About Cherry Blossom
A walk in downtown Vancouver in springtime can be soooooooo comfortable and relaxing, especially when we slow down and take a break under the cherry blossom! lol...
Details are better shown when View On Black, or...
View my most interesting stream ON BLACK if you have some spare time!
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Downtown, Vancouver, Canada
- manually blended with two bracketing exposures
- ISO 50, F32, 3.2 & 5 sec, 70mm
- Canon 5D Mark II with EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L lens with 3-stop ND
© copyright 2011 Hsiang Wei Chao
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By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK
DEAR WHYS GUY:
Why do men sit with their legs splayed at a 100-degree angle?
DEAR REDBOOK READER:
It's very hard to explain how uncomfortable it is to keep your legs closed to a group of people who don't have penises.
Related: Is Faking it Ever Okay? (This Guy Says Yes)
<< Read more from Aaron Traister's Whys Guy Q&A Blog >>
Need help decoding odd male behavior? Redbook columnist Aaron Traister, who lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two kids, is our resident male who is happy to answer any questions you might have about the mind of a man. Either leave your questions in the comments or email him at redbook@hearst.comwith Whys Guy in the subject. Letters, emails, and comments may be edited for clarity and length.
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Through the forest
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British sailor, 85, crosses Atlantic on a raft
An 85-year-old British has crossed the Atlantic on a raft with three friends.
The crew wanted to raise awareness about the environment Photo: ANTHONY SMITH
7:00AM BST 07 Apr 2011
The crossing to the Caribbean island of St Maarten, led by Anthony Smith of London, took about two months and was generally smooth except for damage to two rudders on the large, sail-powered raft.
"Some people say it was mad," Mr Smith said. "But it wasn't mad. What else do you do when you get on in years?"
The jovial crew said they wanted to raise awareness about the environment and to prove the elderly are capable of embarking on adventures that are mistakenly considered dangerous. They also aimed to raise money for the British nonprofit group WaterAid, which provides potable water to impoverished communities.
A stroke of bad luck paid for the trip, courtesy of Mr Smith, who was hit by a van and broke his hip.
"I got some compensation money," he said. "So what do you blow the compensation money on? You blow it on a raft."
The crew departed from the Canary Islands after bad weather delayed their trip for about a month.
The raft was loaded with food including oranges, avocados, potatoes, cabbages and a pumpkin. Once the store-bought bread was consumed, sailing master David Hildred began making more loaves from scratch in a small oven.
Mr Hildred, a civil engineer who lives in the British Virgin Islands, also was summoned to help fix the rudders that broke three days into the trip.
The raft was built with four water supply pipes nearly 40 feet long, and 14 cross pipes. Seven pipes held the crew's fresh water supply. The raft also had a nearly 40-foot long mast and a 400-square-foot sail. Twin rudders provided the steering, along with centerboards and two oars.
It travelled at an average speed of 4 knots, with the crew taking turns to keep watch when they were not reading or playing cards.
"I think all of us enjoyed our night watches when it was just oneself for company," Mr Smith said. "Not an awful lot to see, but it was great."
A whale played alongside the raft one day, and a school of mahi-mahi followed the raft almost the entire journey, said crew member John Russell, 61.
"The wildlife was just fantastic," he said. "There is nothing to be scared of. We were all old men."
Halfway across the Atlantic, Mr Smith celebrated his 85th birthday with a chocolate cake that his doctor, Andrew Bainbridge, cooked on board.
The crew intended to end their trip in the Bahamas, but strong winds and currents forced them to the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Maarten.
"Yes, of course it's a success," Mr Smith said with a smile. "How many people do you know who have rafted across the Atlantic? ... The word mutiny was only spoken about two or three times a day."
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India's World Cup hero MS Dhoni sets the standard of behaviour for Manchester United's Wayne Rooney
Pasty white, squinting, chest out, shoulders back, face contorted in what — anger? Scorn? The Wayne Rooney of Saturday was not a comely vision, either for little hero-worshippers in red shirts or the Manchester United commercial department.
F-word rant: Wayne Rooney at his very worst Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Tanya Aldred 6:27PM BST 05 Apr 2011
His was the aggression of the “what are you looking at” variety that casts a wretched shadow over someone’s walk to school. He didn’t seem to have been provoked, he wasn’t muttering into his shirt, he couldn’t claim to have been caught behind the scenes –the plonker strutted up to a television camera and swore repeatedly into it.
Footballers don’t ask to be role models (though they are generally happy to take the endorsements that thrust them further into the public eye) and they should be cut a bit of slack in their personal lives.
They should be as free to jiggle lovers, drink flamboyant cocktails and generally make fools of themselves as the rest of us — and live with the consequences.
But they are paid such a grossly distorted amount of money — Rooney earns a basic £160,000 a week just from Manchester United — that they can be expected to do two things while on the pitch: play beautifully and behave like a decent human being.
A two-match ban handed out to Rooney seems fair enough, lax even. Any teacher who swore at her pupils would be swiftly suspended, as would a broadcaster daft enough to tell their audience to get lost or a shop assistant who squared up behind the counter and shouted at the people leaning over the freezer cabinet.
Of course, a shop assistant is not surrounded by 34,546 fans at Upton Park, many of them shouting vile abuse themselves. But from my recollections of working in a bakery, nor are you likely to be rewarded with mass adulation – though you do get the odd bun.
Testosterone can take you a long way, but it doesn’t defend you from looking like a thug. Especially if you are earning not far short of £42million over five years rather than £5.93 an hour (the minimum wage).
It doesn’t have to be this way. On the same Saturday, over on the other side of the world, another man was under more pressure than even Rooney could imagine.
A small town-boy, sturdy, stubbly and with a most magnificent nose, MS Dhoni was leading India in their pursuit of the cricket World Cup against Sri Lanka. India expected, the astrologers had predicted, it was now up to Dhoni to orchestrate victory.
This victory, it was said, would unite the nation, Hindu and Muslim, rich and poor and give Sachin Tendulkar his first World Cup trophy at probably his last tournament.
There was not a seat in the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, tickets had sold for 12 times the asking price, 67.6 million were watching on television in India alone. The din was transcendental, the weight on Dhoni’s shoulders oppressive. Yet there he was, ridiculously, unbelievably, calm.
He promoted himself up the order, above Yuvraj Singh, and from a run of poor form produced one of the greatest innings in World Cup history. That six that won the Cup, high into the exploding Mumbai sky, was icing so pink and delicious it was almost sickly.
Never will he play a more rewarding shot. And yet, though he gave himself perhaps a fraction of a second too long to admire the ball sailing into the night, there were no foul-mouthed celebrations to camera. Just embraces with team-mates and worthy handshakes with opponents. It is rumoured that he celebrated that night by watching the final repeated on television.
Dhoni is no puritan, he is paid handsomely for his endorsements, and has a fleet of steely motorbikes and an array of cars in his garage.
His rewards are many and varied — the village where he was born, Lwali in the Almora district, is now to have a new road because of his exploits. But in the pressure-cooker of Indian cricket, which can be as vituperative as any football-fan site in the UK, he has managed to keep his head.
Could Rooney learn from him? Who knows, but in the end his biggest punishment will be in how he is remembered. Only he can decide whether he wants his legacy to be that of a brilliant footballer who fulfilled his youthful promise or as a talent tarnished by his inability to control his temper.
And although he is only 25, time is running out.
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Johnny Spillane, left, and Bill Demong during the cross country portion of the men's Nordic combined
WHISTLER, British Columbia -- With 600 meters to go, Billy Demong decided it was time once and for all to make the U.S. takeover of Nordic combined official.
With four quick strokes of his poles on a nasty uphill stretch at Whistler Olympic Park, Mr. Demong surged into the lead in the 10-kilometer cross country race that marks the culmination of Nordic combined.
The surge marked the end of the challenge for Austria's Bernhard Gruber, who had started the race in the lead after winning the morning jumping competition and skied gallantly with Mr. Demong and his teammate, Johnny Spillane, throughout the race. But within seconds, Mr. Gruber was drifting backwards and Messrs. Demong and Spillane were searing along the final downhill into the stadium for a historic gold-and-silver finish to the roars of fans from nations that once scorned American efforts to compete in Nordic sports.
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AFP/Getty Images
Bill Demong of the U.S. competes in the Nordic Combined individual large hill.
"When you go there is only one way to go," Mr. Demong said minutes after the race. "We show up on days like today with the expectation to do well and knowing that results like this are a realistic possibility."
Mr. Demong finished the race in 25:32.9 after finishing sixth in a jumping competition marred by wind and poor weather. That relegated him to a start 46 seconds behind Mr. Gruber. Mr. Spillane finished four seconds after Mr. Demong after starting 36 seconds behind Mr. Gruber.
The two medals, combined with a silver in the team competition and another silver in the normal hill-10 kilometer event, gave the U.S. 44% of the medals in the discipline, one of its best showings in any sport at the Winter Games. And with Germany nipping at Team USA's heels in the overall medal count, if the U.S. prevails, Nordic combined will have played a major role.
Suggesting such an outcome 10 or 15 years ago to anyone with a scintilla of knowledge of this sport's history would have seemed at best silly and more likely absurd. In 1988, when Nordic combined first became an Olympic sport, the U.S. finished at the bottom of the heap, and the team operated on a shoestring budget for years after that.
But former coach Tom Steitz started focusing on developing a few promising athletes, and among the first were Messrs. Demong and Spillane, along with Todd Lodwick, who finished 13th Thursday and in the ultimate team-first move, spent much of the race holding off the chase-pack, giving his teammates the comfort of knowing they were skiing only against Mr. Gruber for position on the podium.
"Everyone always said for the U.S. to win the Winter Games the Nordic sports would have to step up," Mr. Lodwick said. "We can't step up any more than we did."
At World Cup events in the 1990s, organizers would make the Americans change and prep their skis in the parking lot. European competitors would conspire to give them only a few shots at training on the ski jumps. Shortly after Mr. Demong crossed the finish line he grabbed Mr. Steitz and reminded him of the training trip 15 years ago when they spent the night in an East German mental institution because it offered a bed and a meal for $14.
"That's what we had to do back then," Mr. Steitz said Thursday. "We didn't have any choice."
But Thursday's win was a long way from those grubby beginnings.
Thursday the only choice left for Messrs. Demong and Spillane was when to put away Mr. Gruber. The teammates talked to each other throughout the race, taking turns in the lead, speeding up and slowing down the pace, teasing Mr. Gruber along. Then came the final hill and Mr. Demong's last surge, one final message that this was his team's event.
"We wanted to be alone, just the two of us," Mr. Demong said. "I don't think either of us even cared who finished first, just as long as we were one-two."
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