Meet Team MAPFRE
MAPFRE wins leg 8 Newport, Rhode Island MAPFRE return to the Volvo Ocean Race and their goal could not be clearer – to win the Volvo Ocean Race trophy for the first time in Spain’s history. Skipper Xabi Fernández has built a mixed and multinational squad brimming with honours – from Olympic gold medallists and America’s Cup winners, to some of the most highly regarded offshore sailors on the planet. After finishing in fourth place last time out, it’s fair to say that MAPFRE look stronger than ever before in 2017-18. Skipper: Xabi Fernández Date of Birth: 19 October 1976 In: Ibarra,…
Team Brunel keep upper hand – but it’s not over yet
Will Carson Team Brunel were on the brink of Leg 8 victory on Monday as they led the seven-strong Volvo Ocean Race fleet towards Newport, USA, with a 14-mile advantage. The Dutch crew, skippered by esteemed round the world yachtsman Bouwe Bekking, were speeding up after making it through a light wind patch lying 200 miles from the finish line ahead of their rivals. At 0700 UTC their lead had been reduced to just seven miles, pressed hard by Franco-Chinese outfit Dongfeng Race Team, but by 1300 the new breeze had allowed them to double that. Brunel had just miles…
All change as fleet hits speed bump
On what should be the last night at sea for most of the fleet, the Volvo Ocean Race crews enjoyed extremely fast downwind sailing, with winds upwards of 35 knots, and speeds regularly exceeding 25 knots. At least that was the case until Team Brunel became the first to hit the speed bump - sailing out of the pressure into light winds and a big right-hand windshift at about 0500 UTC. Wind speed went from 30 knots to between 6-8 knots. And within an hour, a 12-mile lead over Dongfeng Race Team had all but disappeared. As of 0650 UTC, the…
Closing the game on the final approach to Newport
The final 36 hours of Leg 8 will be decisive with the teams set to choose their final approach line into the finish in Newport, Rhode Team Brunel continue to hold the lead although Bouwe Bekking’s team have an advantage of less than nine miles on second-placed Dongfeng Race Team. What’s more, the top five boats are only 36 miles apart after 14 days at sea and with just over 500-miles of race track still remaining. The positions are so close as the fleet draws level with Bermuda that it would be a bold call to make as to which…
New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman resigns effective Sept. 2
By Juliemar Ortiz, New Haven Register NEW HAVEN - Embattled Police Chief Dean Esserman Tuesday resigned from his position as top cop, effective Sept. 2, Mayor Toni N. Harp announced in a release. Esserman has been being away from the department for nearly six weeks, after he was placed on administrative leave following an incident during which he allegedly berated wait staff at a city eatery, then went on sick leave. “It has been a privilege to serve Mayor Harp and work alongside the remarkable men and women of the New Haven Department of Police Service, who no doubt have…
Final Farewell to Mayor James Doyle
Former Mayor James E. Doyle died Friday night. He was 78. PAWTUCKET - Honorable James E. Doyle, 78, former Mayor of the City of Pawtucket (1998-2011), passed away peacefully at home with family by his side on Friday, August 26th, 2016. He was the beloved husband of Joan C. (Richer) Doyle for 52 years. A lifelong resident of Pawtucket, he was a son of the late Vincent J., Sr. and Loretta C. (Tessier) Doyle. James devoted his life to his family and the City of Pawtucket. He was a 1960 graduate of Providence College, and began his service to the…
Alejandro González Iñárritu hace historia en los Oscar
Por María Carolina Piña RFI El director mexicano se llevó la estatuilla dorada como Mejor director por su cinta “El renacido”, convirtiéndose en el tercer director en la historia en ganar dos veces consecutivas este galardón. De su lado, el actor Leonardo Di Caprio se alzó con el primer Oscar de su carrera. "Spotlight" fue la Mejor película. “Gracias a la Academia, no puedo creer que esto esté ocurriendo”, expresó Alejandro González Iñárritu después de recibir el domingo en la noche el segundo Oscar de su carrera como Mejor director. El mexicano, quien confirmó todos los pronósticos, entró en la…
Today in History: February 14 1929
Sir Alexander Fleming on this day in 1929 left a plate of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered, and he noticed that a mold that had fallen on the culture had killed many of the bacteria. He identified the mold as penicillium notatum, similar to the kind found on bread. Fleming introduced his mold by-product called penicillin to cure bacterial infections which was undoubtedly one of the greatest developments in health and medicine.
Today In History: February 13 2001
Based on the traditional Chinese martial-arts genre known as wuxia, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon starred Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh as warriors in 19th-century China, during the Qing dynasty. Kept apart by honor, the two yearn for each other even as they become involved with a heated drama surrounding two younger lovers, played by Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen. The film went on to earn 10 Oscar nomination and become the first Asian film and only the seventh foreign-language film to be nominated for Best Picture. It became director Ang Lee's biggest film.
Today In History: February 12 1912
On February 12, 1912, Hsian-T’ung, the last emperor of China, is forced to abdicate following Sun Yat-sen’s republican revolution. A provisional government was established in his place, ending 267 years of Manchu rule in China and 2,000 years of imperial rule. The former emperor, only six years old, was allowed to keep up his residence in Beijing’s Forbidden City, and he took the name of Henry Pu Yi.