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Southwest England News

29 May 2022

Fire Engulfs Superyacht in British Marina

© Vadimsadovski / Adobe Stock

Fire ripped through a superyacht in southwest England on Saturday, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and briefly releasing the burning vessel to drift across its marina.Police and fire officials said the 85 foot (26 meter) yacht in Torquay, Devon, was "well alight" and the fire brigade said the vessel contained about 8,000 liters of diesel fuel, prompting local areas and nearby beaches to be cleared."Due to levels of smoke and fumes we are asking residents in the area to keep their doors and windows shut at this time," Devon & Cornwall police said.

17 Sep 2020

AI- and Solar-powered Autonomous Ship Mayflower Launched

The Mayflower Autonomous Ship is scheduled to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 2021. (Photo: IBM)

A new Mayflower has been launched in Plymouth, 400 years after its historic namesake set sail from southwest England to America.The new vessel won't be carrying pilgrim settlers across the Atlantic. In fact, it won't hold any crew or passengers at all. The sleek AI- and solar-powered trimaran is autonomy level five, meaning it can operate independently with no human intervention. Next year, it will embark on the famous ocean voyage from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, Mass. completely autonomously…

18 Dec 2018

Video: Russian Bulker Aground Off England

(Photo: MCA)

Rescue vessels were heading to assist a Russian bulk cargo ship after it ran aground off beaches in southwest England, Britain's coastguard said on Tuesday.The 180 meter (590 ft) long ship, with 18 Russian crew on board and which the British media said was the Kuzma Minin, dragged its anchor in strong winds and grounded between the Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches near Falmouth in Cornwall."There is no cargo on board. She currently has a list of five degrees but there is no report of any pollution…

18 Dec 2018

Russian Cargo Ship Aground off Southwest England

Rescue vessels were heading to assist a Russian bulk cargo ship after it ran aground off beaches in southwest England, Britain's coastguard said on Tuesday.The 180 metre (590 ft) long ship, with 18 Russian crew on board and which the British media said was the Kuzma Minin, dragged its anchor in strong winds and grounded between the Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches near Falmouth in Cornwall."There is no cargo on board. She currently has a list of five degrees but there is no report of any pollution," the coastguard said in a statement."Tugs are on their way to the vessel and a lifeboat is standing by at the scene. The Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team have cordoned off an area around the ship."The coastguard said the plan was to refloat the ship when the tide rose.Reporting by Michael Holden

07 Dec 2018

British Golden Globe Yachtswoman Rescued by Cargo Ship

British solo round-the-world yachtswoman Susie Goodall was rescued by a cargo ship on Friday after her boat capsized and lost its mast during a violent storm in the southern Pacific Ocean.The 29-year-old, the youngest entrant in the Golden Globe race, had waited two days for the Hong Kong-registered Tian Fu to arrive after sending a distress signal from 2,000 nautical miles west of Cape Horn.The signal was picked up by Falmouth Coastguard in southwest England, with the alert passed on to race control and the Chilean maritime search and rescue authorities."ON THE SHIP!!!," she said on her Twitter feed after the rescue.Race organisers had earlier reported plans to lift the sailor from the deck of her yacht DHL Starlight using one of the cranes on the 38,000 tonne ship, which was heading to A

03 Dec 2014

Robot Fleet Completes Pioneering Mission

The second phase of an ambitious project to gather valuable information on ocean processes and marine life using a fleet of innovative marine robots has just reached its conclusion. Co-ordinated by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), the Exploring Ocean Fronts project took place off southwest England and saw the largest deployment of robotic vehicles ever attempted in UK waters. The marine robots, which are powered by a combination of wave, wind and solar power, are controlled by satellite communications and can cover hundreds of kilometres in a single mission. In the latest phase of the project, three unmanned surface vehicles were used to track fish carrying acoustic ‘pingers’ off the Devon coast.

05 Oct 2014

Austria to Sue if EU Regulator Clears UK Nuclear Plan

Austria will take the European Commission to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) if it approves Britain's plans for a 16 billion-pound ($26 billion) nuclear power plant, a spokesman for the chancellor said on Sunday. The deal to pay a guaranteed price for the power produced in the plant faces opposition from a quarter of EU policymakers, who want to overturn approval from the top European regulator. A vote is expected on Wednesday. The project, to be built by French utility EDF at Hinkley Point in southwest England, is crucial for Britain's plan to replace a fifth of its ageing nuclear power and coal plants over the coming decade while reducing carbon emissions. France sees it as a major export contract that will boost its nuclear industry.

05 Oct 2014

Opposition Builds to UK Nuclear Project in EU Executive

A landmark deal to use British taxpayers' money to build a 16 billion pound ($25.6 billion) nuclear power station has triggered opposition from a quarter of EU policy-makers, who want to overturn approval from the top European regulator, EU sources said. The European Commission, the EU executive, said last month it would approve the British scheme involving French utility EDF , confirming a Reuters report. A copy of the draft decision seen by Reuters shows the Commission has accepted the plan with some changes that would ensure the British government and British taxpayer would get a bigger share of any windfall profits and EDF a smaller take.

23 Jan 2007

Crews To Remove Fuel from Listing Container Ship

Scavengers on the beach in southwest England and carted away motorcycles, wine barrels, car parts and tennis shoes spilling from a container ship damaged in recent storms and listing about a mile off shore. The British cargo ship was deliberately run aground close to the Devonshire resort of Sidmouth, 165 miles southwest of London after it was damaged during a storm Thursday. Its crew of 26 was rescued.French officials said that of the 41,700 tons of merchandise, 1,700 tons were considered dangerous, including battery acid and flammable material. The containers also hold motorcycles, car parts, oak barrels and household possessions being moved to new homes.

22 Jan 2007

Damaged Ship Threatens Pollution

A damaged container ship, off the English coast and listing badly, has started to shed some of its load of cargo containers in heavy winds. Coastguards said they were on alert because the vessel could break up. The stricken MSC Napoli was deliberately run aground in waters close to Sidmouth, southwest England, after it was damaged during a storm on Thursday. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has confirmed two of the containers are carrying dangerous materials, including battery acid and perfume, and that oil has also leaked onto the shore. Navy helicopters rescued the vessel's 26 crew members in rough seas, 45 miles off Lizard Point on England's southwest tip.