Daily Archives: March 2, 2017

Starting this week, Royal Caribbean will become the second major cruise line in the world to employ lifeguards on deck.

The cruise company is implementing a new water safety program that will station at least one full-time lifeguard at every pool during open hours.

The lifeguards will all be licensed and trained through StarGuard Elite, a consulting company in Florida.

In addition to the lifeguards, Royal Caribbean will also roll out updates specifically aimed at younger passengers. Although the cruise line has offered childrens swim vests for the past few years, they are now implementing signage to remind parents of the option.

Children who are part of the Adventure Ocean kids program will also participate in a water safety presentation during their orientation.

The entire fleet will be up to Royal Caribbeans new water safety standards by June.

Royal Caribbean says the new program is meant to raise awareness amongst our guests about the importance of vigilance while enjoying water features on our ships.

Most cruise lines have a policy where guests swim in pools at their own risk. The only other cruise line with onboard lifeguards is Disney, who only began employing lifeguards in 2013, after a near-drowning on one of their ships.

Excerpt from:

Royal Caribbean becomes second cruise line to add lifeguards - Fox News

The Rolex Swan Cup has been attracting fleets of Nautor's Swan boats to the iconic yachting haven of Porto Cervo, Sardinia since 1980. Although the Caribbean version of the event has just reached its third edition, it is already a firm fixture on the Caribbean racing calendar and has been gathering ever-more impressive fleets to the tropical sailing paradise of Virgin Gorda every two years since its institution. Eighteen yachts from around the globe are lined up at YCCS Marina for an event renowned for its unique combination of family atmosphere, thrilling racing and superb social events - a blend that organizers the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda have honed to perfection in over 30 years of collaboration with Nautor's Swan and title sponsor Rolex.

The variegated fleet bears testament to the Finnish shipyard's long history and to their commitment to both tradition and innovation. The models entered range from two of the latest Clubswan 50 one-design racer-cruiser models penned by Juan Kouyoumidjian to classic Sparkman and Stephens designs, and from two of the flagship Swan 115 superyachts to the dainty Best Buddies, a classic Swan 44 with a crew of friends and family that have travelled here from German especially for the event.

Each of the boats and crews here have their own story and their own special reason for participating, which is what sets the Rolex Swan Cup events in both Porto Cervo and Virgin Gorda apart from other regattas. Without doubt one of the most fascinating backstories of this particular edition is the participation of the historic Swan 65 Sayula. The surprise winner, in 1974, of the very first edition of the Whitbread Round the World Race - today known as the Volvo Ocean Race and still recognised as the most gruelling sailing challenge in existence - Sayula and her helmsman the late Ramon Carln were the subject of an award-winning 2016 documentary. Helmed now by Ramon's son Enrique, who was on board for the extraordinary victory in 1974, the Mexican boat sailed a journey over 3,000 nautical miles specifically to attend the Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean and boasts several generations of the Carln family among the crew.

"We came from Mexico specially just for the event." explained Enrique Carln. "We went from Puerto Vallarta, all the way down to the Panama Canal and we got here in about 20 days. We came to bring Sayula back together with the Swan family, to support this special brand, it's really a good brand, very strong. My two sons are on board and my grandchildren have already been at the helm of Sayula, so four generations of my family have helmed her."

Equally excited to participate, but with a decidedly more competitive spirit is Hendrik Brandis, owner of Earlybird, the latest Clubswan 50 hull which was christened at the YCCS Marina in Virgin Gorda just days ago. Together with Leonardo Ferragamo's Courdileone, these futuristic one-design yachts are sure to provide an electrifying spectacle in the easterly 20 knot breezes that are forecast for the coming days.

Brandis intends to enjoy becoming acquainted with his new yacht during its regatta debut: "We'll be getting to know the boat and as always with sailing, having a lot of fun. I must say the first days of sailing here in Virgin Gorda were impressive. This is the next generation, it's a planing boat and the downwind speed is just so much higher, it's a different kind of sailing. It's a great racer, it's one-design and it can even be used with the family for day sailing."

Racing is scheduled to get underway today, Thursday 2nd March at 11 a.m. with a coastal course planned for the fleet which will be divided into two separate classes.

In addition to exciting action on the water, the Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean also brings a host of happenings ashore. Owners and crews will attend an opening reception on the YCCS lawn this evening while a cocktail competition will have crews battling once again on Thursday evening. The elegant Rolex Dinner for owners at the YCCS Clubhouse and a relaxed Caribbean Barbecue at Bitter End Yacht Club will also take place before the final prize giving on Sunday March 5th.

Read more here:

Swans Flock to Caribbean - Sailing World

Womens participation in the global workforce has fallen 2 percent since 1990. But its a different case in Latin America and the Caribbean, where its jumped 14 points. The region saw women join the workforce at a faster pace than anywhere else in the world, adding up to 80 million more working women since the 1960s.

More women joining the labor force can also translate to billions more in a countrys GDP. For example, UK-based auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that Chiles GDP could see an increase of 19 percentor $80 billionif it were to match Swedens female employment rate, which stands at about 75 percent.

Getting women into the workforce, however, and into top decision-making roles in companies is another story. Latin America lags behind other regions with only 6.4 percent of board seats held by women. At that pace, itll take until 2042 for women to make up 30 percent of board seatsa general threshold companies and governments consider when drafting legislation or goals. U.S. and Canadian businesses, on the other hand, are expected to get there by 2021.

Ahead of International Womens Day 2017 on March 8, we look at how the region fares.

See the original post here:

Weekly Chart: Women in the Workforce in Latin America and the ... - AS/COA Online

Alex Young dinks one over the keeper. Photograph: Colorsport/Rex Shutterstock

1) Earlier this week, Alex Young, the Golden Vision, died. Heres Ken Loachs 1968 documentary about him and Everton; heres the trailer for Alex The Great; heres an interview with the great man from 2008; and here he is finishing a lovely move in clinical fashion, away to Wolves in October 1962.

2) Englands one-day cricketers are in the Caribbean, and the ODI series begins on Friday; heres an all-time great innings from Graham Gooch, 129 not out in Port of Spain, 1985-86. In the early era of pyjama cricket, West Indies could call upon the wonderful fielding of Roger Harper; in the Perth Challenge of 1986-87, he snaffled a jazzer to remove Allan Lamb, and heres a compilation of other interventions. More recently, Chris Gayle has had his way with England, so here he is tickling 80 off 43 balls at Barbados in 2009.

3) Apparently, David Haye will fight Tony Bellew this weekend. Heres Carl Thompson stopping Haye in 2004, and here are Adonis Stevenson and Tony Bellew exchanging pre-fight pleasantries in 2013, before Stevenson bombed him out in the sixth.

4) Once upon a time, Dunfermline were a force in European football. In 1962, under Jock Stein, they eliminated Evertons School of Science from the Fairs Cup; in the next round, they lost 4-0 in Valencia before thrashing them 6-2 in the return. And here they are in 1968, now managed by George Farm, beating Hearts 3-1 to win the Scottish Cup.

5) Venezuelas Adrian Solano chose a tough place to ski on snow for the first time, making a memorable appearance at the Nordic world championships in Lahti, Finland last week. Solano had only ever practiced on wheeled skis, and to be honest, it showed:

1) This is mad, and perhaps what GoPros were made for. Jumping, flying, snaking and sneaking through the beautiful streets of Valparaso in Chile makes for an exhilarating, dizzying ride whether its actually you doing it or youre just watching. Tomas Slavik and Bernardo Cruz are your guides and the best thing about it is that its Slavik commentating; the increasingly fraught pants as they get closer to the end are a joy to behold. Strap in.

2) Inspired by that man Roger Harper, and riffing on the theme of cricket fielding here are some of the very best ever, and its a very good watch. At the other end of the spectrum there was less fielding brilliance required because, well, Inzamam-ul-Haq is a roly-poly sort of fellow who isnt always the quickest between the wickets. So here are his 23 funniest run outs. Twenty-three! While were at it, more cricket: Jack Iverson, who took 21 wickets in five Tests to spin Australia to a 4-1 victory in the 1950-51 Ashes, before promptly retiring to take over his old mans real estate business. Strange old grip, but boy it worked.

3) Nadezhda Olizarenko died last month, so here she is smashing the 800m world record to take gold at the Moscow Olympics in 1980. As has been mentioned BTL, that record has only been bettered by 0.15s in the 37 years since.

4) From leftfield, heres the cyclist Peter Sagan cooking beef. And quinoa and tuna. Even a chia pudding! Why, we hear you wail? Why? Well, he rides for Bora and they make kitchen kit. So obviously hes a chef now ... Ropey trilby hes rocking.

5) To round things off, last week there was a bit of patter about gaffers taking things into their own hands. So over to you, Kevin Muscat, to put them in their place ... Oh wait, John Kosminas grabbed his neck. Decent ding-dong.

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Read the original:

The Golden Vision, Caribbean cricket and European force Dunfermline - The Guardian (blog)