People's Boat Limited

With thanks to Mark Hendy, we have now filed the 'new company' application with Companies House to make People's Boat a limited company.

We have decided to do this for two reasons;

Firstly we wanted to portray a professional image to potential sponsors and make the campaign more bona fide,

Secondly we wanted to open up a completely separate business bank account for the People's Boat, again we want to show that we are a serious, professional campaign.

I'll keep you up to date with how this progresses and let everyone know the new bank details in case you want to BACS sponsorship rather than use Paypal.

Tenth entry announced

There are now 10 confirmed entries in the 2011/12 Global Ocean race with the addition of South African Lenjohn van der Wel.

The competition is hotting up now and the race organisers have announced that the race will be for 2 handed entries only - there will be no singlehanded division.

The hunt is now on for a COMPETITIVE class 40 boat and there are several on the shopping list.

Will let you all know as soon as something comes along.

And the winner is.......

Congratulations to 'Jen and Chalky' (Colin Rotchell) as the first winners of the day out on the People's Boat. Now they have to decide which one of them is going to go sailing.

Both have been RNLI crew on the Thames so know their way around a boat and I look forward to a day out on the yacht with either one of them, let's just hope we don't need the services of their colleagues.

We will be having a draw on the first of the month for the next 5 months and we will then have a day out with the six lucky winners. By sponsoring the People's Boat you will automatically be entered into the draw as well as helping the campaign and Cancer Research.

Competition

Win a day sailing with Alex on the People's Boat Class 40

We will be making regular prize draws from all the sponsors of the People's Boat. Each square = 1 entry in the draw, so the more squares you have, the better your odds (www.peoplesboat.com). Also as we are still in the early days of the campaign, the odds of winning are also greater.

We will make the draw on the first of each month for the next six months and the lucky winners will be announced and notified by email.

The sailing day will take place in the Solent during the Summer.

An opportunity to join the campaign, help Cancer Research and have the chance of a blast out on the boat.

Good Luck

Radio Show Podcast

You can listen to the Radio Show 'Yacht Blast' which interviewed Alex on Sunday 29/11/09.

Click on the link to listen - Radio Show

Press Release - David Thomson

PRESS RELEASE 25 Nov. 09
British yachtsman, Alex Alley, was the sixth entry to sign-up for the Global Ocean Race 2011-12 and while the total number of confirmed entries now stands at nine Class40s, Alex is the second team to formally announce a co-skipper for the circumnavigation. Earlier this week, he verified that Gosport based, offshore sailor, David Thomson, will be co-skipper in The People’s Boat campaign (http://www.peoplesboat.com/).
Thomson competed in the Portimão Global Ocean Race 2008-09 taking third place in the double-handed class with Jeremy Salvesen, an adventurer and entrepreneur, on the Akilaria Class40, Team Mowgli. “David has just got back to me and said ‘Let’s do it’,” explained Alex on Tuesday. There were two potential co-skippers, but the choice of Thomson was fairly straightforward. “The reason I chose David was due to his immense Class40 experience,” explains Alex. “He’s also like me and he’s in it to get a result and do very well. We’re not planning to cruise around,” assures Alley.
Thomson – aged 34, five years younger than Alley – has very broad experience as a professional racer, sailing teacher and project manager. He has broken several world speed records as crew on the maxi-catamaran Playstation, competed in the America's Cup and Classic British Yacht Regattas and has also sailed on many of the latest generation IMOCA Open 60s, including Hugo Boss currently being campaigned by his brother, Alex. Added to the enormous number of offshore miles logged in the Portimão Global Ocean Race, this accumulated knowledge will be invaluable on board the duo’s Class40. “David has all the right experience and I’m happy to go to sleep and let him drive the boat and I know that he’ll make the right decisions while I’m asleep and I’m certain he feels the same way about me,” confirms Alley.
For Thomson, the partnership with a sailor who has extensive and diverse experience racing Global Challenge yachts, Mini 6.50s and Class40s presents a second opportunity to race around the planet. "The Portimão Ocean Race was challenging, but fun and exhilarating,” says Thomson, who is currently based in the USA working with David de Rothschild’s conservation campaign on board the recycled plastic catamaran, Plastiki (http://www.theplastiki.com/). “I am looking forward to repeating this experience in the Global Ocean Race and working in a competitive team,” he adds. “Alex has proven successful as an offshore sailor and enjoys the adventure that racing a Class40 brings as much as I do."
Race Director, Josh Hall is particularly pleased to welcome Thomson back for the second edition of the race. “David is a fantastic offshore sailor with a wealth of experience and this duo will be a formidable entry in the race. It is very rewarding for us all that we have yet another sailor from the 2008-09 event returning for the next race,” he said. “On a personal note, David is a close friend and I am delighted that he will be competing again as we will get to spend some more time with an exceptionally good guy!”

Radio Show

Just been interviewed by Gary Brown from Island 92 FM.

Yacht Blast is broadcast online at Island 92. It goes out on Sundays and afterwards will be available as a podcast.

There will also be a copy on the People's Boat website.

Thanks very much Gary