SailingNews.tv

SippinWhisky’s Distillery calls its readers’ attentions to SailingNews.tv. If you are stuck in your office or somewhere in the landlocked midwest United States, this is the next best thing to being on the water–or other–found to date. (Note: This site is French, but The Distillery will overlook that.)

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Liquid Logic Kayaks

Let us begin at Liquid Logic Kayaks with a little thing that makes a big difference — mouse-overs that are voice-overs. (Run your cursor over the stream of kayaks.) Next, we see that Liquid Logic knows how to sell kayaking, and provides plenty of video and photos to show just how much fun it can be. For example, have a peek at Shane Benedict on the Chattooga River in the firm’s Pisgah model.

The Distillery’s favorite? Without question, it is the Sojourn 14, of which a closer look can be seen here. Next, point your browser to Liquid Logic’s Manta Ray kayak and the 5 videos found on that page. They even have a dealer locator map that isn’t static and makes noise. In all, an excellent effort for a bunch of guys and gals obviously looking to have as much fun as they can.

Home page: Liquid Logic Kayaks

Rinspeed

I’m almost speechless. Read on…

First, have a look at the Rinspeed zaZen, a Porsche 997 Carrera S-based prototype. It is different, isn’t it?

Want more? Very mo’different? Then prepare to be amazed and have a good look at the Rinspeed Splash. Has even 007 ever driven a car that is also a bona fide hydrofoil? Yes, I said hydrofoil. After turning heads on the highways, this car then skims along the surface of the water! Wow!!!

Next, have a peek at the Rinspeed Senso, what we all thought cars would look like in the 21st century. And if you want even more very different automobiles, then visit Rinspeed itself.

(I guess the saying still applies, “If you have to ask how much it costs, you cannot afford it.”)

Tour the Black Pearl

Life can be very strange. I lived in the mid-west for a while and found all the yacht racing (on large lakes) I could want. I then moved back to the Atlantic coast and now cannot find a spot as crew on a racing yacht anywhere. For those who know little about me, that explains my keeping up with the Volvo Ocean Race.

And for now, it appears the closest I will get anytime soon to placing a racing yacht on its ear is this virtual tour of the Black Pearl, one of the yachts participating in the 2005-2006 Volvo Ocean Race and crewed by The Pirates of the Caribbean Racing Team.

Oh my captain, what I would give to look up and see a spinnaker filled with wind….

The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;

“Poseidon” & “NASCAR 3D” (IMAX)

Without Shelly Winters, can the IMAX remake of The Poseidon Adventure be any better–or worse–than the 1970s original? (At the very least, the clothing should be better.)

4.5 minutes (Windows Media) Poseidon movie trailer

Or, might you prefer your adrenaline rushes in the form of raw high-octane horsepower? If so, then you may wish to catch IMAX’s NASCAR 3D.

M Ship Company (The Stiletto)

M Ship Co. is a maritime design firm currently producing some of the world’s most unique, well-designed, and hi-tech boats — all based on its innovative M-hull technology. The firm produces boats for uses ranging from peaceful sailing on placid lakes to the stealthy military-intended Stiletto. (Note: The video is a news broadcast archived by M Ship Co. at its web site.)

Quinze and Milan

Quinze and Milan knows design.

Distillery Proof Rating = 7 (Come on, tell me what you think. Agree? Disagree?)

Volvo (sailing?)

The thrill factor some may find in a Porche 911 isn’t there, but the Volvo Ocean Race 2005 – 2006 is very involving in that one can take part in the virtual counterpart of a real sailboat race sponsored by Volvo–and it is happening right now! Click on “Latest Multimedia” for audio and video clips. Of greater interest may be the ability to follow the race with the downloadable “Virtual Spectator” designed by Virtual Spectator*, and described for use with this race as follows:

Observe the racing from the deck of Brasil 1, view the rest of the fleet from the top of the mast of The Black Pearl, or follow the movement of the fleet from the outer reaches of earth’s atmosphere as the 6-hourly updates give you the latest positions of the race participants as they move around the globe.

Move backwards in time and view the historical moves of the competitors. Look ahead to the expected weather systems, and anticipate how each of the boats will react.

* Have a look around the Virtual Spectator site for some pretty nifty self-serving 3-D animation advertisements/demonstrations for their own services. Too bad there isn’t any audio. (But then again….)

Multimedia requirements: Virtual Spectator (download available onsite), Windows Media Player, Apple Quicktime, Macromedia Flash