Latest news with #Clipper
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Man to sail around the world with no prior experience
A man is taking on an endurance challenge like no other, spending the best part of a year on a yacht, despite no previous sailing experience. Kevin Lynch, 42, from Wokingham, Berkshire is preparing to take part in a 40,000-mile nautical race around the globe, starting in Portsmouth, Hampshire on 31 August. At its most remote points, those competing in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race will be closer to astronauts on the International Space Station than people on Earth. Mr Lynch, who previously worked in IT, said he "didn't even have an interest in sailing" before signing up for the challenge. The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, crewed mainly by non-professional sailors, was founded 30 years ago by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in March 1995. Participants will complete four weeks of training ahead of the 11-month route through treacherous seas. Taking part in all of the different legs of the race costs around £50,000. The global race will also take in Cape Town, Qingdao, Tongyeong City, Seattle and Oban. Mr Lynch told BBC Berkshire he loves being outdoors and taking on challenges, having previously undertaken a running trip in Borneo. He said: "If I'm not outdoors and doing challenges then I'm indoors, doing rock climbing and hot yoga." He said in many ways, he is "not the right man for the job". He explained how he saw an advert on social media last year and thought it looked "pretty cool". He then made a "spontaneous" application after taking voluntary redundancy in December. He said: "I'm not sure I even know what I'm doing, I've had no experience in sailing and no interest which is strange. "The high end training that they put you through is seriously intense. "There's people from all walks of life and all levels of sailing. "There could be people who have done their yacht masters who actually teach people like me, who have no sailing experience and people who sailed when they were young and want to get back into it." He said he is "physically prepared" and looking forward to getting to know his race team. He added: "I'm going to be cold, I'm probably going to get seasick and be tired, but that's okay, I will deal with it - I know it's going to happen." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Yacht race takes amateur sailors round the world Derry to miss out on 2024 clipper world yacht race Clipper yacht arriving in Londonderry Clipper Round the World Yacht Race
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
ASU camera checks temps on Mars, but its real mission is a search for life above Jupiter
It's a long way from Tempe to Jupiter, but a thermal camera built at Arizona State University is on its way. First though, it made a crucial detour at Mars, millions of miles from the quiet lab where it started. A team of ASU scientists built the camera to measure temperatures in some of the coldest places in the solar system. The Europa Clipper mission tested its E-THEMIS instrument on March 1 during a Martian practice run before it reaches its final destination in a few years: Jupiter's moon Europa. E-THEMIS is a key instrument for testing the chances for life on Europa. Phil Christensen, an ASU Regents Professor and principal investigator for E-THEMIS, wanted to take advantage of the Europa Clipper's flyby of Mars to test the instrument. 'We know Mars really well,' Christensen said. 'So I said if we can take measurements from Clipper, we can compare them to what we know about temperature on Mars and check our calibration to make sure we get the temperatures right.' E-THEMIS uses infrared imaging to test planetary surface temperatures and will measure temperatures on Europa's icy crust. Before Clipper reaches Europa in 2030, Christensen turned to Mars to ensure the technology is accurate. 'It wasn't to learn anything new about Mars,' he said. 'It was to acquire some data that is extraordinarily helpful for us as we get ready for the real work when we get to Europa.' After launching on Oct. 14, 2024, Europa Clipper is on an odyssey to Europa, Jupiter's icy, fourth-largest moon. It is NASA's first mission to Europa to determine if the moon has conditions suitable to support life. Clipper will orbit Jupiter when it arrives in 2030, conducting 49 flybys of Europa. ASU's E-THEMIS is one of nine instruments that will collect important data during the mission. The mission's three main objectives are to determine the thickness of the icy shell, investigate its composition and characterize its geology. 'We're pretty sure underneath Europa's thick ice crust there's a liquid, warm water ocean,' Christensen said. 'If you look at the surface of Europa, it looks like it's fractured. We think that ocean is convecting, kind of like a boiling pot of water.' As warm water rises and the ocean comes closer to the moon's surface, it pulls the upper icy crust apart. E-THEMIS will measure temperatures along the icy surface. If temperatures are a few degrees warmer in certain areas, they can confirm that the ocean is closer to the surface and that convective activity is happening. 'In order to say how close those oceans are, I need to know the exact temperatures of those fractures,' Christensen said. 'The warmer they are, the closer the warm water is to the surface. The colder they are, the deeper the ocean is.' That's where the Mars practice run comes in. E-THEMIS needs to accurately measure surface temperatures to predict the ocean's depth beneath Europa's fractures. E-THEMIS captured over 1,000 infrared images of Mars in 18 minutes and detected temperature variations to validate the instrument's accuracy. They used data from Mars Odyssey, which also has a THEMIS instrument developed at ASU, which has been operational since 2001. 'We verified it works by looking at Mars, because we have other instruments measuring temperatures on Mars, so we know what the truth is,' he said. Europa's surface temperatures could hold the key to one of the most compelling scientific questions of modern times: whether life exists beyond Earth. Researchers believe that beneath the surface of this frozen moon, a massive ocean exists that could contain extraterrestrial life. Christenson hopes Clipper and E-THEMIS will help answer two key questions. 'We know Europa is active and the crust is pulling apart, but we don't know whether that activity happened within the last decade or a few hundred, or thousands of years ago,' he said. They want to know when Europa was active. If the surface temperatures are cold, then they know Europa's warming may have happened thousands or even millions of years ago. But if there are warmer spots, they could revisit for further study to discover whether life exists in Europa's ocean. 'Someday, we'd like to land on Europa, drill through the ice, put a submarine down there and find out if there's life in that ocean,' Christensen said. Scientists need to pinpoint areas where the ice is thinnest, or the warmest places on Europa. Those areas will be ideal for drilling and dropping submarines for further exploration. While the Europa Clipper mission is led by NASA, a major piece was built in Tempe. ASU developed E-THEMIS in a lab just off University Drive, and now it's headed millions of miles into space to explore one of the most promising places in the solar system for life. 'People are always surprised — they don't realize this kind of work is happening right here,' Christensen said. 'Down the street on the ASU campus, we're building hardware that's going to Jupiter. It's pretty cool.' Christensen has worked on space missions since he was in college. For him, the thrill of discovery and contributing to something bigger than himself is the real reward. He hopes ASU will continue contributing to NASA's deep space missions and exploring the solar system. 'One hundred years from now, nobody will remember our names,' he said. 'But they'll remember Europa Clipper. That's the kind of mission that adds to human knowledge.' Hayleigh Evans writes about extreme weather and related topics for The Arizona Republic and Email her with story tips at This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU camera seeks life on Europa, one of Jupiter's moons
Irish Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Stylish two-bed apartment in beautifully renovated period building in Dún Laoghaire for €850,000
Address : The Clipper, 8 Anglesea, Crofton Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin Price : €850,000 Agent : Sherry FitzGerald View this property on You may be thinking of downsizing from a sprawling Georgian pile to somewhere smaller and more manageable, but you may baulk at the idea of giving up the elegant style of living that comes with owning a period home. But what if you could move to an apartment that retained all the period features you love, including high ceilings, intricate cornicing and coving, and large sash windows with working shutters? The Clipper is a two-bedroom apartment measuring 82sq m (882sq ft) and is one of just 13 units in a beautifully renovated building on Crofton Road in Dún Laoghaire . It's Ber-exempt and is for sale through Sherry Fitzgerald, asking €850,000. It's easy to see why the owner of this first-floor apartment in the former Anglesea Arms Hotel was immediately entranced by apartment 8. With its four large sash windows looking out over Dún Laoghaire harbour and across to Dublin Bay and Howth, the Clipper (each apartment in the building has a maritime name) boasts an enviable view, and its large living/dining/kitchen area has room for both relaxing and entertaining. The two large bedrooms have fine en suites, and the long hallway leading down to the bedrooms and guest toilet has attractive custom-designed panelling. Having lived in period houses most of her life, the owner found the move to the Clipper an easy transition, giving her comfort and elegance without the hassle of maintaining a big property. READ MORE Communal entrance hall to Anglesea Hallway Tall sash window overlooking Dún Laoghaire harbour with working shutters Livingroom/kitchen/dining area Kitchen/dining area Livingroom area The building's renovation work was done by Bourke Builders in 2019, and they meticulously restored the many period features in the former hotel, including the original fireplaces and tiled inserts. The Old Mould Company brought the coving and ceiling roses back to their original glory, and interiors expert Emer Bourke sourced antique furnishings from far and wide for the show apartments (of which the Clipper was one) and communal areas of the building. The residents of Anglesea share a superb, wide entrance hall with access from both front and rear, with a large, welcoming marble fireplace and a sweeping staircase with wooden balustrades that leads to the upper-floor units. There is also a lift. Residents have access to their own storage unit in the basement and a designated underground car parking space. The Clipper is laid in oak parquet flooring, and the living/dining/kitchen area has ceiling heights of more than 12ft, with restored plasterwork throughout, tall skirting boards and feature marble fireplace with gas coal-effect fire. Two tall sash windows reach almost all the way up to the ceiling, bringing in lots of light and giving great views. What appears to be a box encroaching on the centre of the living area is actually part of the hallway and a small utility cupboard housing the washing machine and dryer. It's been built to a lower height to leave the entire ceiling visible, with its intricate cornicing. Although it looks somewhat incongruous, it does provide a natural division between the living area and the kitchen/dining area, and is tastefully decorated in antique graphic wallpaper. Bedroom 1 Guest WC Anglesea has views of Dún Laoghaire harbour and Dublin Bay out to Howth The kitchen has wall- and floor-mounted white timber units, granite countertops, an attractive antiqued mirror splashback, and is fitted with Neff appliances. Off the hallway is a handy cloak cupboard, and the guest toilet at the end of the hall has a tiled floor, ceiling coving, heated towel rail and part-panelled walls. [ Five homes on view this week in Dublin and Wexford from €275,000 to €1.25m Opens in new window ] The two bedrooms have tall sash windows with working shutters looking out over the harbour, ceiling cornicing, centre roses and fitted wardrobes. The second bedroom has an en suite shower room, with fully tiled shower cubicle and bi-fold glass door. The main bedroom has an elegant en suite bathroom with monochrome tiled floor, antique-style slipper bath, ceiling cornicing and a centre rose. Dún Laoghaire has excellent public transport options, with the Dart station and bus stops close by. The Clipper is conveniently located for walks along the west and east piers and on down to Sandycove, and close to the Pavilion arts centre and DLR Lexicon library. The boutiques and restaurants of Monkstown and Glasthule are also within easy reach.
Epoch Times
28-04-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Treasury Sanctions Vessels Supplying Oil Derivatives to Houthis
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Monday announced new sanctions targeting vessels and companies accused of delivering oil derivatives to Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen and thereby helping to fund the group's attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. The action blocks the property of three shipping companies and their associated vessels for providing material support to the Houthis, who the U.S. government recently re-designated as a specially designated global terrorist group and a foreign terrorist organization. 'Today's action underscores our commitment to disrupt the Houthis' efforts to fund their dangerous and destabilizing attacks in the region,' said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender. 'Treasury will continue to leverage our tools and authorities to target those who seek to enable the Houthis' ability to exploit the people of Yemen and continue their campaign of violence.' The Houthis, who control key Red Sea ports including Hudaydah, Ras Isa, and Al-Salif, generate millions of dollars by taxing and selling goods brought through these areas, according to the Treasury. The group has deployed missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and naval mines to attack commercial shipping interests in the Red Sea, threatening global freedom of navigation and the integrity of international commerce, according to Treasury officials. Refined petroleum products, in particular, are sold at inflated prices on Yemen's black market, providing revenue to purchase military equipment while creating artificial shortages for civilians, according to Treasury officials. Related Stories 4/28/2025 4/28/2025 The vessels targeted in Monday's action discharged cargo at Houthi-controlled ports after the expiration of a U.S. general license on April 4, 2025, which had previously allowed certain transactions involving refined petroleum products. In addition to the newly sanctioned entities, Treasury cited previously designated vessels that continue to operate in support of Houthi activities, including the Clipper and the Akoya Gas, both linked to Iranian oil networks. The sanctions come as U.S. military forces As a result of the designations, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned parties within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving them. Treasury officials also warned that providing support to the Houthis carries not only sanctions risks but also serious safety risks, exposing vessels and crews to potential attacks. The Treasury warned that violations could result in civil or criminal penalties and that foreign financial institutions risk secondary sanctions for conducting significant transactions on behalf of designated parties. The agency emphasized that its goal is not just to punish, but to encourage changes in behavior through economic pressure. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
CBS News
26-04-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Leonard and Harden lead Clippers to easy 117-83 win over Jokic and Nuggets for a 2-1 series lead
After two close games to open the playoffs, the Los Angeles Clippers came home and had their way with the Denver Nuggets. Kawhi Leonard had 21 points and 11 rebounds in a 117-83 victory Thursday night that gave the Clippers a 2-1 lead in the first-round series. "It ain't over because we had a blowout," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. "We got to come and validate that." James Harden and Norman Powell added 20 points apiece in the first playoff game at the new Intuit Dome, where Clippers superfans sitting in The Wall section closest to Denver's bench wore horse hats mocking Jokic's love of the animal. "It was crackin,' it was loud. Just how I expected it to be," Harden said. "That's one of the reasons why we jumped out to a huge lead." After the teams split the first two games in Denver — a pair of nail-biters decided by a combined five points — this one wasn't close after the first quarter. Both teams cleared their benches in the final 4 1/2 minutes. "The first two games were very competitive. This game was not," interim Nuggets coach David Adelman said. "But you can come back Saturday and you can right a lot of wrongs." Game 4 is Saturday at the flashy and tech-heavy Inglewood arena, the dream creation of Clippers billionaire owner Steve Ballmer. He animatedly clapped his hands and pumped his fist from his seat near his team's bench. Jokic led the Nuggets with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for his second triple-double of the series. Jamal Murray also had 23 points. "Bottom line, this was not good enough. This was not our standard in any way," Adelman said. "Defensively, we have to meet them much better than we did tonight and I expect we will." Denver led by seven early before the Clippers took a 20-point lead in the second quarter and tightened up their defense. The Clippers outscored the Nuggets 23-2 over the end of the first quarter and start of the second, with Harden scoring 11 points. Murray and Jokic combined to score 16 points in the third, when the Nuggets trailed 90-70. The Clippers hit 18 3-pointers to seven for Denver. They controlled the boards, 48-38, and their bench outscored the Nuggets' reserves, 31-6. "Everybody contributed. It was a great game for us all," Leonard said. "Denver's a great team. They've bene here before. We got to still stay focused and play together and come out with a great mindset Saturday." Denver's Russell Westbrook, who missed 4 of 5 from long range, left the game with left foot inflammation in the second half. Michael Porter Jr., who sprained his left shoulder in Game 2, was limited to seven points and six rebounds. There were reminders of the Clippers' old Lob City era in their new building. Former Clipper Chris Paul was in the stands along with Patrick Beverley wearing a Zubac jersey, while DeAndre Jordan played five minutes for the Nuggets.
