This Is It: perhaps the coolest catamaran ever built?
Well this story, or should I say photo, certainly stopped me dead in my tracks and This Is It. No, that’s actually the name of the vessel!
The Italian Sea Group and Tecnomar have partnered up to build This Is It, one of the most futuristic catamarans you are likely to see anywhere in the world today. In a press release, Giovanni Costantino, Founder and CEO of The Italian Sea Group, said: “The realization of this extraordinary project challenges the ‘conventional’ perceptions, driving us to completely recreate the boundaries of aesthetic Continue reading “What caught my eye: October 2023”
At the Conference dinner, held at Chilworth Manor, Southampton on Tuesday 6th June, IIMS chose this occasion to publicly recognise two people who have made a big contribution to Institute life, but in very different ways. Here is a transcript from Mike Schwarz’s dinner speech announcing the presentations, which were presented by Peter Broad, IIMS President.
It fascinates me when two industry sectors combine, and it is great to know that an older OSV can be put to good use as a new spaceport. Recently I read an article about a former offshore supply vessel that is reportedly destined to become the world’s first marine spaceport for human spaceflight. Classification society ABS has reported it is supporting the planned reactivation and modifications to the 25-year-old vessel, which is expected to be operational later this year as part of test flights in advance of an anticipated 2024 commercial launch. 
Now here’s a strange tale indeed. Smuggling the ‘white stuff’ usually has a very different connotation, but in this instance, it refers to nothing more harmful than sugar! Apparently, on Friday 17th February, the Philippines Agricultural Department charged 15 crew members of a cargo ship for smuggling sugar. The sugar cargo with a value of P400 million led authorities to charge the captain of MV Sunward and the rest of the crew with smuggling.
