Fiercest Super Yacht in the World..

What a sleek-looking yacht! Adastra was born after five years of design and discussion between a Hong Kong couple and West Sussex-based John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs. Very experienced at voyaging the ocean, the couple wanted to create a trimaran that was designed for efficient long range cruising. The super yacht boasts a maximum speed of 22.5 knots and can cover 4000 miles at a range of 17 knots. It also provides a level of comfort and style that would be expected in a yacht of this class and size.
Every part of the boat is custom built to make it light weight. The superstructure is made of carbon fiber and the hull from Glass/Kevlar foam. The vessel has a fully automated fuel management system, including an Alfa Laval system that cleans the fuel for efficient performance.
A saloon area is located on the main deck, which offers superb panoramic views and accommodates a lounge area, dining table and navigation station. The master’s cabin is located toward the stern, while two guest cabins, and accommodation for the crew are located below the deck. Adastra offers comfortable accommodation for nine guests and up to six crew members.

Hunters turn protectors in Manas reserve

 

Hunters turn protectors in Manas reserve

Manas National Park, once demoted in status to a World Heritage Site in Danger, has been resurrected, thanks to former poachers and militants who now guard the forest. Prasanta Mazumdar visits Manas to see firsthand how this remarkable transformation came about

The world has acknowledged Kaziranga as one of the most successful conservation stories in the last 100 years, despite the occasional poaching. Some 400 km west of Kaziranga is Manas national park and reserve, perhaps richer and more diverse, but overshadowed by Kaziranga's glamour and tainted by its insurgency. Straddling the Himalayan and sub-Himalayan terrains, 500 sq km of Manas is in India and 1,000 sq km in Bhutan. Declared a Project Tiger reserve in 1973, it is also an elephant reserve and biosphere reserve. Apart from tigers and elephants, leopards, clouded leopards, golden cats, leopard cats, pangolins, rhinoceros, water buffalos, gaurs, swamp deer and pygmy hogs call this place home. In 1985, the UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site. But the late eighties and early nineties saw its wildlife and forest wealth being plundered. Tribal Bodo militants used the reserve as a safe haven, felling trees and killing wildlife to buy weapons. In 1992, the UNESCO demoted it to World Heritage Site in Danger for the 'severe damages to the ecosystem'. Manas faced the prospect of being removed completely from the list of world heritage sites, says Vivek Menon, South Asia regional director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Just in time, however, around 2003 the situation began to improve. Finally, last month, at the 35th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in Paris, the 'danger' tag over Manas was lifted. This augurs well for conservation efforts in India, when relatively prosperous countries like Germany and Oman failed to revive their heritage sites. Germany's Dresden Elbe Valley and Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary were deleted from the World Heritage Site list altogether in 2009 and 2007 respectively. Manas, on the other hand, can now approach world bodies to support its conservation, on the back of the restoration of its status. The Bodo peace accord UNESCO acknowledged that Manas' resurrection was possible because of the synergy between the government, wildlife activists and people living around the reserve. "The turnaround began in 2003 after the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) gave up their weapons," says Aninda Swargowari, field director of Manas. This was after the signing of the Bodo Peace Accord, leading to the creation of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). Now the locals had a stake in protecting the reserve, which falls under the BTC. "It dawned on them that Manas is their property and then came the role-reversal. The rebels, who once ravaged the reserve, took to protecting it," says Swargowari. "Our financial state was precarious. It was difficult to live even from hand to mouth. It was sheer poverty that made me a poacher," says 33-year-old Rabiram, a father of two, who is now a forest guard at Manas, adding that now he will lay down his life if required to protect the wildlife there. The poachers used to kill animals with hand-made guns called Gajimara, using gun powder to make Sisha (bullets). They were all sharpshooters, an equally useful skill to have once they turned into guards. Rabiram gets a collective monthly remuneration of around Rs3,300 from the forest department and the BTC, apart from subsidised rations. "I know it's not much but it has given me peace of mind," he says. The tales of Baneswar Boro, 35, and Kanchan Kherkatari, 31, both ex-poachers, follow a similar pattern. "My father died when I was five years old. I saw my mother slog to run the family of four. When I grew up I took to poaching because that was at hand. My mother never objected to it as it brought us some money which was desperately needed," says Kanchan, who has three children of his own now. "I will never kill them [the animals] again because our sustenance depends on their survival," he adds. "Had we been better off, we would have never killed the animals," agrees Baneswar. "I have two kids and a wife at home. We go home once in a fortnight on rotation," he adds. NGO showed the way The poachers-turned-guards are all locals, some 40 of them. Ten others are working with the Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society (MMES), an NGO. The role of the MMES has perhaps been the most significant in the conservation story. "The brainchild of the All Bodo Students' Union, MMES came into being in 2003 with the express purpose of reviving Manas which had been ravaged during the two movements of the Bodos. "Former BLT militants, ex-poachers, wildlife activists and locals came forward to help. We moved around villages in the fringe areas of Manas to create awareness. Today, it gives us immense pleasure to see the destroyers turned into protectors," says MMES secretary Phwjwngsar Narzari. "Our vision is to bring about the socio-economic and educational development of the community living on the fringe areas of Manas through sustainable conservation and responsible tourism," he adds. MMES pays all its members engaged in conservation, generating funds by selling handicraft items, books, and souvenirs. It also gets funds from the government and donations from wildlife lovers. Life is not easy at the camps inside Manas. "Our camp is yet to be electrified and so we have to be careful when night falls. We live on rice and vegetables. Sometimes there won't be any salt, but we don't make it an issue," the ex-poachers say. "We want Manas to shine on the world map. We believe the efforts of so many people engaged in conservation cannot go in vain," they add.

  

The Singapore company starts preparation of the salvage operation scheduled for Saturday at Juhu beachThe Singapore company starts preparation of the salvage operation scheduled for Saturday at Juhu beach

The Singapore company starts preparation of the salvage operation scheduled for Saturday at Juhu beach Ship MV Wisdom

Tsonga stuns Federer in Wimbledon quarters

SENSATIONAL RESULT 3-6, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 HISTORIC WIN FRANCE'S JO-WILFRIED TSONGA (above) bludgeoned Roger Federer (right) to an historic defeat to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals on Wednesday, as the Swiss star suffered his first ever Grand Slam loss after being two sets up THE LOSS WAS SIX-TIME champion Federer's second successive quarterfinal defeat at the All England Club THE LOSS WILL CAST a shadow over Federer's bid to match Pete Sampras's record of 7 Wimbledon titlesRoger Federer's dreams of a seventh Wimbledon title were shattered by an extraordinary comeback from Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who won an epic quarter-final 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday.
It was the first time the third seed has lost a Grand Slam match having been two sets up and it condemned the 16-times major champion to a second Wimbledon quarter-final exit in a row.
“It was just amazing today, I played unbelievable, everything was in,“ Tsonga said.
“That's crazy, he is the biggest champion in my sport, he champion in my spo achieved a lot of thing He is the best player in the world and I'm just so happy to beat him, especially on grass as it is one of his best surfaces.“ GOOD START Federer, bidding for a recordequalling seventh title, glided through the first set and never looked in danger in the second set or tiebreak as Tsonga showed few signs that he was capable of making a scrap of it.
However, the 12th seed soon found his groove with his immense energy and athleticism suddenly worrying Federer, who was dumped out by Tomas Berdych at the same stage last year.
Tsonga broke for 2-1 in the third and fourth sets and held out thanks to some rasping groundstrokes and trademark volleys.
His raw power threatened to completely stifle Federer, who failed to raise his game and slipped a break down at the start of the fifth set when he netted.
Federer could do nothing to halt Tsonga's momentum with the Frenchman piling into every stroke with all his might to reach a third Grand Slam semi and set up a meeting with Novak Djokovic on Friday.
“I think Jo played great from start to finish, I don't remember a break point after the first game,“ Federer told a news conference.
“Except the score, many, many things went right. I'm pretty pleased with my performance, it's hard going out of the tournament that way. I think he played an amazing match, he didn't give me many chances.“
One of the keys to Federer's incredible success over the years has been his coolness under pressure but it was his very lack of emotion as the match began to slip away which seemed to slip away which seemed to be his undoing.
When other players would have slammed the racket against the ground or screamed at themselves to snap out of their malaise, the 29of their malaise, the 29year-old passively continued to play the same way despite desperately needing a break.
In contrast, Tsonga looked a beaten man at the end of the second set but somehow found a second wind with the Centre Court crowd urging him on despite their attachment to Federer.
The Frenchman loves to dive around on the grass and his entertainment value meant the fans, including golf great Jack Nicklaus, were enthralled by his stunning comeback.
DJOKOVIC KEEPS COOL A subdued Djokovic ended the dream run of 18-year-old Australian Bernard Tomic with a 6-2 3-6 6-3 7-5 victory.
“I'm delighted to be through it's a great result but was a very even match,“ Djokovic said.
“I played very well to start with but I played one very bad service game and he got back into the match and from that moment on he was the better player.“
The Serbian second seed, bidding for his first Wimbledon title and the world number one ranking, cruised through the opening set. WHAT THEY ARE SAYING I played unbelievable, everything was in. That's crazy, he is the biggest champion in my sport, he achieved a lot of things. He is the best player in the world and I'm just so happy to beat him, especially on grass as it is one of his best surfaces.
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA I think Jo played great from start to finish. Except the score, many, many things went right. I'm pretty pleased with my performance, it's hard going out of the tournament that way. I think he played an amazing match, he didn't give me many chances.
ROGER FEDERER If you break down his game and what he's been able to do on all surfaces, he's only 24 and he's got 10 majors, you do the math. Obviously, I think he's going to pass me at some stage.
P E T E S A M P R A S , believes Rafael Nadal will beat his 14-title haul