In the Elements have launched another high quality Live streaming webcam at hayling Island!! Its in a awesome location overlooking all sections of the sand bar. They have other webcams in Poole and Calshot.

http://www.intheelements.co.uk/webcams/Hayling-Island-webcam/

http://www.intheelements.co.uk/webcams/Poole-Harbour-Webcam/

http://www.intheelements.co.uk/webcams/solent-and-calshot/


The webcam streams unrivalled live footage of weather and water conditions, with the camera located at The Inn on the Beach.

Overlooking all sections of the sand bar, the webcam also pans from east to west with close ups on various parts of the bar to gain perspective of sea state and wind speed.

Check the webcams out at www.intheelements.com.'

If you want any further info please dont hesitate to contact  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The ban on kitesurfing at the Hayle estuary has been lifted on a trial basis from June 1^st.   Kitesurfers will have to adhere to a code of conduct, have suitable insurance and pay for an annual permit.  The partial lifting of the ban is a result of fresh discussion between the new harbour master Mark Capon, the Kernow Kitesurfing Club (KKC) the BKSA and other harbour users.  The ban was imposed 3 years ago when the activity was deemed to be hazardous to boats navigating the narrow harbour entrance.

 Steve Townsend of KKC said “this is a significant step forward and we are delighted that the new harbour master has reviewed the previously unsatisfactory situation. Although the new code of conduct is a compromise it does give the kitesurfing community an opportunity to prove that the sport can take place happily alongside other commercial and recreational activities.”

Hayle is recognised as one of the finest kitesurfing spots in the country.  Five times world champion Aaron Hadlow began his astonishing career practicing on the tidal pools here.  Steve said “we are hopeful in the future we will be able to have a longer activity window.  For now we just need to prove that this licensing agreement can work and we really need a few more people to represent the club at Hayle to make sure everything is running smoothly.  We would like to hear from local kiters who can represent the club on the beach and in doing so will be helping to secure our long term future at this great venue”

The key elements of the agreement are: 

• Any person kitesurfing within the jurisdiction of the Hayle Harbour Authority must be a member of the British Kite Surfing  Association (BKSA) and must wear a valid Bluff permit tag on their harness.
• All kitesurfers MUST keep at least 100m away from AND turn away from all vessels using the channel.
• No kitesurfing within 3 hours of High Water (as given by the UKHO for St Ives).
• No kitesurfing at any time south of Chapel Anjou where there is a large 5 knot speed restriction sign.
• All kitesurfers must be at intermediate level or above; no learning or teaching.

The permits will cost £5 for members of the KKC, £10 for non-members, and run from 1^st April each year.  These will be available from Lodey Sails in Long Rock, RB Sails in Hayle and West Country Watersports in Truro.

Lee Harvey   (KKC Chairman) 07814501920

KKC website   www.kernowkitesurfclub.co.uk

Hayle Harbour Management Ltd  01736 754043

All photos thanks

http://www.jacobcockle.com/

CORONA PLEDGE TO SAVE ONE BEACH IN EUROPE EVERY YEAR FROM POLUTION. MAKE IT A BRITISH ONE. MAKE IT YOURS.

The Corona Save The Beach project started in 2008 to raise awareness around the need to protect Europe’s coastlines. We have pledged to save one European beach every year. Last year it was Italy’s Capocotta beach. This year it could be a British one but it needs your help.

By showing your support and clicking “Like” on the Facebook group (linked here) http://www.facebook.com/savethebeach you can find out how to make it happen.

As if that wasn’t already enough this year we are going one step further and have set out to build the first and only hotel in the world made partly from trash collected on European beaches.

And why build a Hotel? Because, it’s a symbol of our coasts and we believe it’s the best way to illustrate the future of our vacations it we don’t start protecting our coastlines: Surrounded by trash. Living with it as part of our own environment. Since designing a Trash Hotel is not an easy task, we called the best in class. The prestigious German artist HA Schult, famous for his work “Trash Men” and known for his strong environmental commitment and whose works are all made entirely from trash.

With this initiative we hope to alert and educate the world about the alarming deterioration of our beaches.

By hitting the Facebook ‘Like’ button and joining in with the voting process for your favourite beach to be cleaned you also get the chance of sharing a night with a Hollywood star in that first ever trash Hotel. To enter the competition check out the Facebook page for more information.

We can't stand by while our beaches are being destroyed every day from natural causes or by the impact of human activities.

So take the first step with Save the Beach and help us enjoy beautiful tidy beaches.

About Corona

Corona is the number one Mexican beer and the fourth most powerful in the world according to Millward Brown. Born in 1925, in Mexican city Cervecerías Modelo . Today is commercialized in more than 150 countries, in the 5 continents. Every single bottle is produced in Mexico. Corona, premium beer brand has being award several times with the best imported beer in EEUU

For more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it on behalf of Corona.

Construction Update 14th August 2009

Final phase of reef construction gets underway

The final construction phase of Boscombe’s artificial surf reef gets underway next week (w/c 17/08/09).

ASR’s Boscombe team, led by Rex Pollock and Andrew Moores, is focussing efforts on the continuing underwater activity.  Now that the reef is in place, this work involves fine tuning of the underwater structure, including topping up all the bags and checks to ensure the reef is constructed exactly according to the design requirements.  ASR will also remove temporary anchors and red buoys, and, crucially, undertake the final bathymetric survey of the completed reef.

Shaw Mead, ASR’s Technical Director said, “Like any major construction project, there are extensive checks to be undertaken before we can say the project is complete.  We are now starting to make all those checks thoroughly and according to the agreed specification, and I remain confident that we will finish in September as scheduled.”

Cllr Beverley Dunlop, Cabinet Member for Leisure & Tourism said, “I am very pleased that the construction of Europe’s innovative first artificial surf reef is progressing according to plan.  I look forward to hearing that the project can be officially declared complete next month – that’s when I’ll be booking my surf lessons.”

The Team has also begun to shut down the land-based construction site, dismantling their pipelines and equipment into containers, removing containers from the beach and flattening the surplus sand stockpile.  This means that much of the beach area used for construction should be back in use, in readiness for next week’s Air Festival.

www.thesurfreef.co.uk

For media enquiries contact:

Jo O’Connell                                                                 Toby Margetts
Surf Reef PR Manager                                                   PR Support 
Bournemouth Tourism                                                   Bournemouth Tourism
T: 01202 451 750                                                          T:   01202 456 537
E: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it                            This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

IMPORTANT IF YOU USE PAGHAM HARBOUR ENTRANCE / BEACH

IF YOU DO NOT COOPERATE YOU MAY LOOSE THIS LOCATION OR FACE A FINE .

Pagham harbour Local Nature Reserve, West Sussex holds most top national and international designations and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, being protected by various wildlife legislation. It is especially famous for birdlife.

In recent years it has become attractive to Kitesurfers who use the sea at the harbour entrance, but often access the Reserve via a private unadopted road (Harbour Rd) and then park in the free car park owned by West Sussex County Council (WSCC) who manage the reserve.

Windsurfers also use this, but there seems to now be an increasing problem with Kitesurfers. Whilst not objecting to their use of the car park, recently some problems have become apparent, which I will explain:-

1. The Kitesurfers often set up their equipment in the car park (instead of on the shoreline) and then drag their equipment across an expanse of vegetated shingle (specially protected habitat) causing some damage/disruption - this is worse when the users also test out the equipment on the shingle before heading for the beach.
2. When using the beach to test the Kite, or when using it on the sea in the harbourmouth, the large Kites could cause panic to some roosting or breeding birds. This is particularly critical at this time of year - see point 3.
3. In the last few years, a few pairs of a rare and declining seabird, the Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) have started to nest on the shingle around the harbourmouth entrance. By law these birds are specially protected and wilful disturbance can attract a very large fine. There are also bylaws which prevent disturbance to wildlife, and also prohibit the flying of Kites within the reserve.

My role includes the enforcement of legislation in these circumstances; however as I indicated I am hoping that we can reach a reasonable understanding without the need for legal action, now that the situation has been made clear. I would there ask you to contact your membership as soon as possible to advise. Whilst I understand the reasons for the use of the site, I would request the following:-

i) Kitesurfers stay well out to sea in this area and do not approach the harbour mouth during the breeding season (the young birds should fledge by about late July). Under no circumstances should surfers land on Church Norton spit (except emergency) or enter the protected zone.
ii) Kitesurfers do not drag their assembled equipment across the shingle, but set up at the shoreline.
iii) Surfers must bear in mind that their Kites are a disturbance factor, often visually threatening to birdlife, and so should do all possible to minimise this by staying further out to sea.

I wish to be realistic and so seek co-operation on all sides at this important time in the Reserve year. I would be grateful for your assistance,and in case of query I can be contacted at the reserve Visitor centre - tel 01243 641508 (or leave a message). In my absence the Reserve managers Rob Carver or Ivan Lang, can assist.
I thank you in anticipation,

Owen Mitchell (WSCC enforcement/liaison).

The world’s biggest wind farm, with 370 turbines towering 150m (492ft) above the waves, is planned for the Bristol Channel.

The turbines would cover an area the size of the Isle of Wight and generate 1,500 megawatts, more than half the energy needs of the West Country and enough to power 1.1 million homes.

The farm’s 350 sq mile (906 sq km) area would be in an arrow-shaped box between Ilfracombe in North Devon and Swansea in South Wales. The nearest turbine to land would be 13 miles off shore.

The £3 billion scheme, called the Atlantic Array, would bring green energy from the fringes of power generation into the mainstream. Farm Energy, the company behind the project, claims that it would reduce Britain’s carbon emissions by 2.3 million tonnes a year.

Farm Energy, which announced the project yesterday, already runs onshore plants and is behind a planned offshore wind farm, the London Array, in the Thames Estuary.

Before work can begin the scheme will need the approval of the Government and the company will face questions over its impact on wildlife and busy shipping lanes.

The waters of the Bristol Channel were previously considered too deep for a wind farm, but recent developments in technology have made it possible to erect the giant turbines at depths of up to 50m.

Power cables would bring the electricity generated ashore at Ilfracombe and on to a plant near Barnstaple, where up to 150 permanent jobs would be created.

Peter Crone, a Farm Energy director, said: “Atlantic Array would be a landmark project that would see the South West taking a significant step towards a more environmentally sustainable future.”

He added: “We have carried out studies into ecology, shipping and grid connection to ensure the proposal is feasible.” He admitted that the plan was still in its early stages. “It will be several years before we are in a position to submit a planning application,” he said. “As yet we have no consents or permits to develop the site and no agreement with the Crown Estate to lease the seabed.

“We are keen to consult as widely as possible and make sure the local community benefits from these proposals.”

Farm Energy hopes to raise the money privately, without having to resort to public subsidy. The London Array scheme for 270 wind turbines, which received government approval five months ago and will cost £1.5 billion, is backed by Shell and E.ON Energy.

The Atlantic Array project would be twice as expensive because of its size and the depth of the water. If all goes well building will start in 2013 and take at least five years.

Such schemes are expected to receive a boost next week when the Government’s energy White Paper is published. It is expected to allow power companies to charge more for electricity from renewable sources to encourage their development.

Matthew Spencer, of the government-backed Regen SW, which was set up to encourage alternative sources of energy, confirmeed that no public subsidy would be needed for the Atlantic Array.

“It will be funded entirely from private sources, as the Thames Array is,” he said. “The investors will hope to get a special price for energy generated offshore and we will be looking to see what is in the energy White Paper next week.

“The idea is to give an enhanced price for renewable energy to pay for the costs of producing it and Farm Energy is hoping there will be an additional uplift for offshore wind power.”

He said that the Government would carry out a strategic environmental assessment before deciding if the area was suitable for the scheme.

The go-ahead decision would then rest with the Department of Trade and Industry, which would in effect grant planning permission.

Engineers do not believe that the project would have any effect on tidal patterns, so would create no problems for a Severn barrage tidal energy scheme.

By Simon de Bruxelles
http://www.timesonline.co.uk