Musto Adventure Outdoor Clothing: Global Recession has Little Effect on Sailing Habits

The economy may be struggling to find its way out of a recession, but sailors have been finding upside during hard times.

According to a survey by the performance clothing brand Musto, 82 per cent of sailors said their sailing habits had been largely unaffected by the recession. In fact, some respondents said the recession had led to them sailing more often, as they had more time on their hands due to slow business, etc.

Just under half of those surveyed said they try to sail at least once a week, with 27 per cent doing most of their sailing during the summer months. When it comes to keeping warm and dry on their boats, over two thirds of participants named Musto as their favourite clothing brand.

It is no surprise to see Musto top the sailing clothing poll, as they are the world’s leading sailing clothing brand, and the official clothing partners of British sailing team Skandia Team GBR.

All of Musto’s clothing is made using the best technology that allows them to withstand the elements. A number of jackets in the outdoor range are made from GORE-TEX and Windstopper material, making them water and wind-proof, as well as highly breathable. Fleece products are made using Polartec fabric, which keeps the body warm and dries quickly, while jackets with Primaloft use a patented microfiber structure to help the body retain warmth and conserve energy.

John Clementson, Sailing Product Manager for Musto, said: “Musto prides itself on working closely with athletes to produce the best technical sailing clothing available on the market.

“We test our technical products on athletes in extreme conditions to get fit, waterproofing, wind-proofing and breathability right for the sport.”

The survey was conducted amongst both professional and amateur sailors, and the results provided an interesting profile of the typical British sailor.

60 per cent of participants in the survey said they had been sailing regularly for over ten years. When hitting the waters, over 63 per cent of sailors do so in their own boat, and 56 per cent said they competed regularly in sailing competitions.

Sailing can be very time-consuming, both as a hobby and as a profession, but it seems that many enthusiasts cannot shake off the sailing bug, even when on holiday. Around a quarter of participants said sailing was their favourite holiday activity.

One cannot become a true sailor without a love of the outdoors and keeping active, so it is no surprise that the most popular non-sailing activities amongst participants included skiing, hiking, cycling and contact sports such as football and rugby.

When asked who they admired most in the sailing world, many top sailing names were cited, but by far the most popular answers were legendary solo yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur, and Ben Ainslie, Britain’s most successful Olympic sailor.

For more information about Musto and their various clothing and equipment lines, visit the Musto sailing clothing website.

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Zenos IT Training Academies: Zenos Graduate wins £1000 for Referring A Friend

IT training provider Zenos has awarded one of its previous students, Tyson Blackstock, a cash prize of £1000 for recommending the company to one of his friends.

The ‘Refer-a-Friend’ prize draw encourages both graduates and current students to recommend potential students to Zenos. They receive a cash reward of £100 for every person they introduce who is then awarded a place on a Zenos training scheme, as well as being entered into the £1000 prize draw.

Tyson graduated from the Zenos Academy in High Wycombe in 2007, gaining a range of internationally recognised qualifications, including an NVQ and a Microsoft Vendor accreditation. Within weeks of graduating, Tyson had landed a 12-month contract at events company Live Nation as 1^st line support. He now works at anti-virus software company Kaspersky as a 1st Line Support Technician.

Tyson enjoyed his time at Zenos so much that he recommended the Training Academies to his cousin, Caylun Phillips. Caylun was about to leave school, and he was unsure of what to do next. He wanted to gain vital qualifications, and experience of the working world, without committing to a two/three year course. Tyson recommended Zenos’ five-month Academy training programme to his cousin, and Caylun will graduate from his programme at the Oxford Academy in February 2010.

Tyson received his £1000 cheque earlier this month from Zenos chairman George Anderson. George commented: “There are many options available to young people leaving full-time education, and we want as many as possible to be aware of the unique opportunity that Zenos offers them.

“We have an extremely successful record in helping our learners gain a wide range of qualifications and also in preparing them for interview and helping them secure a great start in their IT careers.

“It is great to see young people like Tyson build on that start and make real progress in a relatively short space of time. I am delighted that Tyson won our national Refer a Friend scheme and hope that he enjoys the £1,000.”

Zenos is the UK’s leading provider of ICT training for 16 to 18 year olds, and the largest Microsoft Training Academy in Europe. Now in its eighth year, its first Academy opened in 2006, its roll out across the country has been phenomenal and there are now 23 Academies that stretch from Newcastle in the North to Southampton on the south coast.

More than 80 per cent of Zenos Academy graduates will obtain full-time employment within the IT industry, and will typically earn up to 40 per cent more per year than others in their age group.

The training provided by Zenos is of no cost to the learner, as it is funded by the Government’s Learning and Skills Council. Zenos students also receive travel expenses, and may qualify for an Education Maintenance Allowance.

For more information on Zenos and its Academy programmes, visit the Zenos Training Academies website.

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Increasing Use of Groupage Operators Opens Up Freight Market

Shippers have been using more groupage operators this month in an attempt to reduce spending on deliveries.

Groupage providers, who tend to deliver a group of parcels in one load, operate more cheaply and economically than express operators whose primary objective is accelerated delivery.This reduces costs for large companies who do not necessarily need to rely on courier and express networks for their shipping requirements.

Providing an equally reliable service at a slightly slower transit time, groupage operators have risen to the challenge of competing against express companies by offering comparable options and further driving down prices.

Daniel Parry, Managing Director of Delivery Quote Compare, a price comparison website for shipping, transportation and courier services, said: “This is great news for the freight market, increasing healthy competition and providing more choice for end-users.

“We have certainly noticed an increase in visitors to the site, hence a trend in shippers looking for the more economical and cost-effective options, which can be expected in times of tough credit conditions.

“The groupage operators themselves have really upped their game in the last few years, and have done a great job of encouraging new business.”

One such groupage operator, Starlight International Shipping Limited, agree that there has been changes in the market.

Managing Director John Papworth said: “Whereas before there were a lot of express operators around, there are now much more groupage providers, and recently we have seen an increase in requirements for groupage services.

“I think this is because the economy has forced people to look much more closely at their costs than before.”

For hundreds of live requests for delivery services, or for quotes for all your shipping, transportation and courier services, visit the Delivery Quote Compare website.

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Road Haulage Industry Helping the Environment with Walking Floor Trailers

Road haulage companies are doing their bit for the environment as more operators are investing in walking floor trailers to transport recyclable materials.

The trailers have only recently been introduced to the UK, and are attracting more attention from haulage firms as the demand for transport of recyclable materials increases due to taxation on landfill.

Replacing the traditional tipper trailer in its ability to carry a large volume of materials efficiently, the walking floor trailer is essential for transporting recyclable materials, which can be expensive to move in small quantities.

Andrew Smith, Managing Director of UK firm Newton Trailers, said: “Though they’ve been around in Europe for some time, walking floor trailers remain fairly new to the UK.

“They are an efficient way to carry recyclable goods as they can carry a greater amount of materials safely, and as much as 30 per cent more than your average tipper trailer.

“We have certainly seen more and more interest in walking floor trailers, with a slow growth in sales despite an economic downturn.”

Daniel Parry, Managing Director of Delivery Quote Compare, a price comparison site for transport operators, said he was pleased to see the transport sector doing its bit to implement green initiatives.

He said: “An increase in the use of walking floor trailers in the UK demonstrates how the transport sector, particularly road haulage companies, can help implement green initiatives.

“In assisting companies to recycle, the industry is playing a massive part in creating a more eco-friendly society.

“As a referral site, our company, deliveryquotecompare.com itself operates within a green framework by offering opportunities for transport operators to schedule deliveries in with existing jobs. In turn, this allows transport companies to run at full capacity.

“We hope to see more of this kind of activity within the transport sector in the future.”

For hundreds of live requests for delivery services, or for quotes for all your shipping, transportation and courier services, visit the Delivery Quote Compare website.

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Trunki: Smarter Products Announces Range of Children’s Toys in Time for Christmas

With Christmas just around the corner, parents up and down the country will be dashing around the high street, trying to grab the hottest toys for their kids this festive season. High demand and limited stock could mean you missing out on some of the more popular brands. Online retailers such as Smarter Products can eliminate all the hassle and disappointment from Christmas shopping, and ensure you don’t miss out on your kids’ dream toys.

And to make your festive shopping a little bit easier, Smarter Products aim to deliver your order within two to three days, with free delivery on all orders over £100.

Here are just some of the latest items available from Smarter Products this season;

Scuttle Bug - £24.95
The Scuttle Bug foot-to-floor trike is a simple yet genius design that is suitable for indoor and outdoor play. Relying totally on toddler power, the trike has specially designed gel wheels that ensure a quiet and smooth ride for your little one. Scuttle Bug folds away in three easy stages, which makes it both portable and easy to store. The Scuttle Bug is available in a number of designs; Red Ladybird, Blue Dragonfly, Pink Flower Bug and Yellow Bumble Bee.

Trunki – from £28.95
These award-winning ride-on suitcases are perfect for keeping your kids entertained on long journeys. Hand luggage approved for air travel, each Trunki comes with internal seat belts for your child’s favourite teddy bear, as well as a carry handle so you can give them an easy ride through the terminal. The Trunki family includes Terrence, Trixi, Towgo, Tipu the Tiger and Harley the Ladybug. And new for Christmas 2009, Trunki have released the limited edition Gruffalo Trunki, to tie in with a feature film of the popular animated series, due to be screened on TV this Christmas.

Sprig Toys – from £8.65
New to the UK this year, these construction-themed toys from Canada are perfect for kids of the pre-school age. Sprig toys are battery-free, relying on kinetic energy to generate lights and sounds to keep your kids occupied for hours. The Sprig range includes Sidekick Rally Racers, Eco-Trucks and Diggers, with story books and play sets to be launched in the new year.

Wallace and Gromit Cracking Contraptions – from £4.95
This exciting new Wallace and Gromit range comes on the back of the first feature film from the beloved pair for several years. The Cracking Alarm Clock will make sure they’re up and ready for school on time, while the Fidgit Pen Pop will keep them entertained when they get there. The highlight of the range is the Inventors Kit, an ideal gift for all the little Wallaces out there. The kit also comes with the opportunity to enter their best inventions into a competition to be judged by the makers of Wallace and Gromit, Aardman Animations.

Triker – from £204.30
Having won several awards for their design and function, including the prestigious Hamleys Toy of the Year Award, the Triker Toy and Triker Pro Collections are the most fun a kid can have on three wheels. Triker Toy is aimed at the five-to-12 year old market, with four trikes in the range; Rocker, Lady Rocker, Viper and ZigZag. Triker Pro, for seven-to-16 year olds, includes Triker Pro 50 and Triker Pro 100.

For more information on any of these products, or to browse the entire Smarter Products directory, visit the Smarter Products website.

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Want to look your best this Christmas? Book a Facial Rejuvenation treatment at Linia

Christmas is just around the corner, and we all like to look our best for the festive season. Why not treat yourself to an early Christmas present with a Facial Rejuvenation treatment at Linia? Most of Linia’s minimal access facelift techniques take just up to two weeks to heal, so there’s still plenty of time if you’re planning to look your best for Christmas.

An effective facial rejuvenation package uses a selection of “short-scar” techniques and non-surgical procedures to provide a balanced, natural result. Linia’s minimal access procedures involve making small incisions in the skin, which enables a more efficient and successful procedure for the surgeon, and there is minimal scarring for the patient.

A number of minimal access lifts are available at Linia such as:

• S-LIFT: Lifts lower half of face, upper and lower part of neck.

• N-LIFT: Treats whole neck as well as the jowls.

• MACS LIFT: Lifts mid-face and upper jowls, scars hidden in upper part of ear and hairline.

• C-LIFT: Lifts cheeks through small incisions on outer sides of eyes or temple.

• I-LIFT: Uses threads with tiny hooks to lift and tighten underlying muscles.

• LATERAL BROWPEXY: Lifts sagging brows and outside eye areas through small incisions in hairline.

With these treatments, the results are more natural-looking than the traditional full-face lift, and usually last for a similar amount of time (around ten years). But the main benefit of these minimal access procedures is that they require such a short recovery time – you can book your own procedure for as late as mid-December, and wake up on Christmas morning looking youthful and naturally refreshed!

Consultations at Linia are free and are always held with their specialist cosmetic surgeons.

For more information on facial rejuvenation, or any of the procedures Linia offer, visit the Linia Cosmetic Surgery website.

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