Hantsweb Award 2008
The Grassy website has been nominated for the Hantsweb Award 2008. This means someone thinks that our website is as cool as we intended it to be...
The award celebrates excellence in website design, accessibility and service. The Grassy south coast hub, (where all the marketing and PR is coordinated from) is based on the south coast so that Abi remains close to the beach at all times: "We have had such positive and lively feed back from people about the website, it really reflects the creativity and thought process behind the business. I am pleased that it has been recognised by Hantsweb and look forward to seeing if Grassy can win a prize!"
Grasshopper has bracing swim!
Grasshopper Porridge fuelled up the Team Grassy swimmers for the annual Bournemouth ‘Pier to Pier’ swim on Sunday. Abi, Ed and Russ all took to the challenge of swimming the 1.4 miles from Bournemouth Pier to Boscombe Pier. There were 1200 people doing the swim, some in their Orca triathlon suits, some in their Asda swimming costumes but everyone wearing a bright red swimming hat to represent the cause: British Heart Foundation.
At Midday, everyone swarmed into the sea. Some power-crawled off to get a good spot away from the beach, others went off in groups doing breaststroke and enjoying the ambience.
AE: "The first 5 minutes were a struggle to get my breath as I was not wearing a wetsuit and the water was bracing, but then the sun came out and I found a spot amoung a few hundred red swimming caps, managing to only get run over twice by other swimmers. Ed beat me by the usual 5 minutes and was on the beach waiting at the end."
Amazing dive expedition discovery for Jim.
Team Grasshopper diver Jim Standing has made an amazing discovery: he is part of the dive team that have been out in Newfoundland and Labrador exploring uncharted sites and free floating icebergs. The team hit the news this week when they discovered the wreckage of a Canadian military plane that crashed in 1942 off Battle Harbour, Labrador.
It's the first time anyone has laid eyes on the Catalina seaplane (a submarine patrol aircraft in WWII.) for 64 years. In 1942, the plane, believed to be carrying around eight crewmembers, was coming into Battle Harbour when an explosive device on the wing went off. Local folklore says the crash sent water 17 meters into the air.
There are amazing photos of the discovery on the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18734257961. The water is very clear and the photos are beautiful.
Chatting with Jim about the experience, he said, "We could have done with some porridge - the water temp was minus 2 degrees..."
During the dive they were also visited by a young humpback whale (estimated 40 tonnes) that was curious to see what the fuss was about...
Well-done Jim!
You can also read more about the expedition on the Fourth Element website: www.fourthelement.com www.fourthelement.com
Team grassy sponser kitesurfer Josie Robinson
Team Grasshopper have an elite team of honed athletes that feed on grassy porridge to sustain their energy levels, and keep them one step ahead of the game. Take the recent battle of endurance between John Hibbard and Neal Gent. They were racing each other on a long distance stand up paddle surfing event. Both streaked ahead of the other surfers like superheroes because they had scoffed porridge before going on the water (our dad always told us that we had to wait at least 30 minutes after lunch before we were allowed back in the water, but I think they waived this safety rule).
Team grassy has great guys on board (like Jem Hall, John Hibbard and Neal Gent), so it is stoked to add a girl to the crowd. Josie Robinson is as full of beans as any person you will ever meet. She is crazy about kitesurfing and is working her way to the top of the amateur league with plans to go pro next year. Grasshopper will make sure she is fully porridged up for this transition. Miss Robinson lives on the IOW and is living the dream on the beach every day after work. She is no stranger to extreme sports; her list of hobbies includes kitesurfing, mountain biking, wakeboarding, bodyboarding, waveskiing, swimming, snowboarding, and diving. Its a good job that she now has a cupboard full of porridge to keep her going!
This year, Josie has been touring with the BKSA (British Kitesurfing Association) Freestyle Tour, 7 events around the UK. She recently came 2nd after round 2 at Cumbria. She is training on the water whenever it is windy, and caning it in the gym to keep her GI Jane fitness levels up. With 5 more events to do for this tour, grassy will follow her progress and let you know how she gets on!
You can follow Josie's blog on her website: www.josierobinson.com
Round Gotland Race 2008
Grasshopper will be supporting Babylon, a Grand Soleil 40 competing in The Round Gotland Yacht Race 2008. The race is arranged by KSSS, the Royal Swedish Yacht Club. It has been run every summer since 1937 and is a popular race in Nordic waters.
The race starts at Sandhamn in the outer part of the Stockholm archipelago and the main courses takes the yachts round the large island of Gotland in the middle of the Baltic Sea. There are several courses depending on the type of boat. Babylon will be racing about 450 (ish) miles. Each course is designed to keep the boats at sea for about 48-72 hours.
Grasshopper will be transported out in crew kit bags to provide early morning breakfasts and late night on-watch treats. The Babylon crew are no stranger to long offshore races - many of them raced the very windy Fastnet last year and were one of a handful of yachts that managed to complete the race. They leave for Sweden tomorrow and the race starts on Sunday.
Grasshopper will let you know how they get on...
Grasshopper on sale in London's newest hippest food store
Dominic Ford, the creator of Harvey Nichols food halls has done it again...Occupying all the central spaces in Whiteley's shopping centre, newly opened Food Inc is the most perfect food shop I have ever seen. It's luxurious, it's shiny and it's calling out to me. Take me to your leader. Grassy are very pleased to be on sale in Food Inc.
www.food-inc.com
Fleur's Friday thought
www.myspace.com/theirresistibleforce
This week's Rob Da Bank and Friends on Radio 1 featured Mixmaster Morris
the Godfather of CHILL. He's still got the magic and after all these years is getting The Irresistible Force back on the Festival circuit this summer. If you are in clubbing retirement and remember when The Ministry of Sound looked like an NCP car park or if even if you are doing your GCSEs and don't know what I am talking about then do yourself a favour and tune in to the hologram trousered one laying down his astral beats. Respec.
Surf trip report by Abi
I have just returned from the first grasshopper surf trip this year. One of the team grasshopper guys is professional surfer Chris Thompson. If you go to his new surf lodge, La Hosteria in Northern Spain, you will find lots of grasshopper porridge there. I used the excuse of going to check stock levels to give me 5 days out of the office and on the beach.
La Hosteria is lovely - very peaceful. The beach is 5 minutes walk away, in a wetsuit with a board under your arm. I confess that I am not the greatest surfer in the world, but with my trusty 7'6" Mini Mal I was intrepid, and managed my first proper wave (as opposed to riding the white horses). Shouts of joy from instructor Damian left me like a cat with ten tails. Of course, when I got bolder, I had one of those moments similar to being in a very wet tumble drier. I lived to tell the tale (in which the wave got bigger and bigger with me under the water for ages and ages).
Dave the cook (amazing food) has Wednesdays off, so all staff and guests had grasshopper porridge for breakfast, including Dylan - Errant Surf's smallest member (Chris' 2 year old son), who demolished a Coconut & Date pot in minutes. The girls that were doing a surfing/pilates week homed in on the chocolate flavour (and rightly so - a chocolate fix with only 2g fat is a gift from above!). I even got the thumbs up from instructor Damian on finishing his first pot (and he is not a porridge guy).
I had some great surfing, improved the tan, and watched with satisfaction as all the surfers ate grassy porridge. I know we tell everyone that it is great for surfing, but to be out there and see people scoffing it and asking for more is amazing. Of course it looks likely that I will need to go out to check the stock numbers again in August...
Check out the Errant webste:
www.errantsurf.com
To see the photos join Errant's facebook group:
www.facebook.com/group
John Hibbard reports from the BSUPS Nat Champs
Grasshopper Team Riders, Neal Gent and John Hibbard, showed the opposition the back of their board-shorts at the first round of the BSUPA National Championships, held at West Wittering last weekend.
Neal took the victory in the Distance Paddling event, John coming in 2nd, over a gruelling set of 3 races. Conditions were almost ideal, except for a nagging breeze that meant they had to work extra hard for their positions. Their efforts paid off, and they have set themselves up as the ones to beat in the following rounds this year. (Oh great, say John and Neal collectively!)
Neal says:
“I should stop doing endurance races against John; I've lost count of the amount of times we've clashed in various races over the years in all kinds of sports. It's all good fun, though, especially when you're leading!!"
The surf was too small to run any official surfing competition, but there was enough to run a set of Expression Session Heats that saw John take 2nd and Neal 5th place. The winner was Patrice Guenole from France who has competed on the European Longboard circuit.
John says:
"I beat Patrice in the semis, but just couldn't find the waves in the final. There was only one good set of small waves and Patrice bagged the best one. 2nd is cool though and I'm looking forward to the next round of the BSUPA champs down in Cornwall. Hope we see some solid swell."
A local windsrufer said: "The competition between Neal Gent and John Hibbard was unbelievable, with both of them miles ahead of everyone else in almost every race!"
It just goes to show the level of friendly competitiveness that exists inside the Grasshopper camp! Keep your eye on www.standuppaddlesurf.co.uk for more updates and news from the official BSUPA Championships.
Stand Up Paddle Surfing is a fun sport and very easy to get into. The championships are also a great place to find out more and have a go for free.
Regards
John Hibbard
Grasshopper Team Rider Press Service.com.org.plc.hop
Grasshopper surf trip
Grasshopper is off to Northern Spain to visit the Errant Surf Crew. Grassy supports La Hosteria (one of Errant’s many global surf lodges, based in Loredo) with lots of porridge for hungry surfers. Marketing Director Abi sees it as her personal responsibility to go and make sure that the porridge is stacked the correct way in the cupboards, and states clearly that the trip has nothing to do with 5 days surfing at one of Europe's very best surfing zones (from the legendary lefts of Mundaka, to the perfect curls of Somo beach).
Grasshopper began an alliance with Errant Surf when Chris Thompson (Founder of Errant and professional long-boarder, plus Fat Face Team Rider) received a pot of porridge in his Fat Face Christmas parcel. He contacted Grasshopper to say thank you, and since then grassy has supported Errant in the UK, and further afield on the beaches of Spain.
To see where Grasshopper is off to, plus all the other amazing places to go surfing with Errant: http://www.errantsurf.com/loredo_overview.php.
Of course Grasshopper will send a postcard...
BSUPA (British Stand Up Paddle Surfing Assoociation) Round I.
It's the BSUPA (British Stand Up Paddle Surfing Association) Round 1 Event at West Wittering this weekend (17th and 18th May). The events will be sponsored by Gong, 2XS, Prosport Sunscreen, Reef, X-Train SUP Training and Atan.
Grasshopper will be there (in spirit because Abi is off surfing in Spain) supporting the SUP Surfers with free porridge over the weekend.
Team grassy guys, John Hibbard and Neal Gent, will be there giving coaching on Saturday. The forecast looks offshore, so this means no waves for the weekend, and 2XS suggest that the event will have more distance racing. You can keep up to date on changes on the 2XS website (www.2xs.co.uk).
Sunday is a day for the riders to show their skills in the expression session, and their stamina in a longer distance paddle race. Let’s see if all those who have been eating their Grasshopper Porridge last longer, like the Duracel bunny...
Patrice Guenole from Gong will be attending the event. Here is some footage of him making with the moves on flat water. If you are going this weekend have a look and pick up some tips: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s_wmxh5LOM.
Grasshopper supports National Windsurfing Week
The first ever UK National Windsurfing Week is being held between the 3rd and 11th May. Grasshopper is keen to be involved and get down to the beach to support Team Grasshopper’s Jem Hall. Jem will be giving free tuition at West Wittering beach on Saturday 3rd May, at Boardwise in Cannock in Staffs on Thursday 8th May and then back to West Wittering on Saturday 10th May. Jem will have lots of porridge for the hungry windsurfers as he puts them through their paces.
Grassy will also make sure that everyone who is on West Wittering beach taking part in National Windsurfing Week will get a free feed of porridge to warm them up after a cold water session. The boys at 2XS beach hut (www.2xs.co.uk) will have plenty to share.
Check out the official National Windsurfing Week website: www.nationalwindsurfingweek.org
A trip back to our old school to inspire the pupils...
Abi & I left school 17 years ago. When were invited back to give a talk about Grassy we wondered if going there would be like getting sucked down a wormhole and landing in the mid 80s (if you’re thinking ‘what was so bad about the 80s?’ then you weren’t there). The reality was a fabulous surprise…Our favourite teachers were perfectly preserved as if they had been sleeping in the next pod to Sigourney Weaver in Alien (Mr Campbell is still quietly subversive and Miss Hunter more glamorous) The building was the same but better (Miss Newton’s art-room has mutated into something resembling the Great Court at The British Museum) and PHS girls were just the same except much much trendier. When I was a 6th former we modelled our look on Lady Diana (before she met Charles) and now they all look like the pretty one in Skins. Lunch in the staff room was pretty weird, as was being invited to call the teachers by their first names (I didn’t ever realise they had them). Mrs Spender gave us such a warm welcome and a lovely day that we can’t wait to go back. PHS…Grasshopper loves you.
Grasshopper's trip to the beeb
Grasshopper had an awesome field trip this week filming as guests on ‘Ready Steady Cook’. We were asked to go on by the Beeb and of course we said yeah. The chefs were going to use our chosen ingredients for the ‘quickie bag’ (if you haven’t seen the show since Dale Winton presented ‘Supermarket Sweep’…times have changes)
Ainsley came and gave us a hug and a luvvie mwaa mwaa on the cheeks, then went off to make up and Fleur got wired up with a microphone. I was relieved that she would do the talking and I had to just smile and nod in an enthusiastic manner (my forte). Before us, the stars had their 20 minute cook slot. The stars were Kate Garraway (the TV presenter from ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ who won the nation’s hearts through her endearing lack of skill
Questions:
Did it all happen in 20 minutes?
Nope, they cut and the chefs get pots/pans/plates ready, more makeup, some swearing etc. They did all the cooking in the 20 minutes though.
Is the voting for real?
Yeah! They take shots of you voting, and shots of you clapping and looking round at the scores in anticipation (remember to sit up, smile and look very interested)
Did Fleur’s microphone work when we were mucking around in the green room and impersonating Ainsley?
We really hope not.
Fleur was like a TV pro, and had the chefs chatting with her as they made some bits and bobs out of oats, apples, and rhubarb. Ainsley had a chat with her and she was great, and then she went down to the chefs and tried the food and said constructive things like “it's good…but not as good as mums.”
When we were waiting for the studio cameras to perfect a food shot I spoke with Anton (Strictly Come dancer) and mentioned (on purpose) that Fleur could do the Foxtrot and the Cha Cha Cha (we both can). He swept over to her and did the Cha Cha Cha with her. She didn’t put a foot wrong!
We had a great Grasshopper day out, our first TV appearance. Next stop Richard and Judy...
Maui, Hawaii...
Most of the UK saw some snow at the weekend. Our brother, Johnny got married in the drizzle on Saturday and then we woke in Esher on Sunday to find the hotel grounds looking like Narnia. There were still a few stray snow flakes floating past the office window this morning as I Skyped Maui, Hawaii. John Hibbard, one of our Team Grasshopper guys, had sent grasshopper some photos of his grassy porridge pot from the beachfront of Maui. I asked him about the weather and he said it was changeable at the moment, but I have no doubt he was wearing his boardies when he said this, so I had no sympathy for him.
A big thank you to John. He has been a great support to Grasshopper and his van may always be rammed full of windsurfing and SUPS gear but you will always find some Grassy pots squirreled away there too! Between him and his girlfriend Gill (who took Grasshopper up Everest last year and got an amazing photo) they are scoring high on the great-photo-ometer. If you reckon you can do better then you know what you have to do: find a part of the globe that Grasshopper has not infiltrated and take some good photos. Email them to me at abigail@teamgrasshopper.co.uk.
Fleur talks about Grasshopper on BBC Radio London
Today I was Vanessa Feltz's guest on BBC London radio.
My cup runneth over.
Am I self-promoting? Yes
Did mum take a photograph of Vanessa Feltz on the BBC webcam with my hand in the corner of the shot to show nana? Yes
Am I hungry for more? You bet.
Ainsley Harriott...check
Vanessa Feltz...check
Who should be our next celebrity target?...you decide:
A: Judy Finnegan
B: Sir Robert Winston or
C: Terry Nutkins
Soil Association Organic Fortnight
This weekend is the start of the Soil Association Organic Fortnight. Grasshopper will be joining in with the launch jubilations at the Organic Food Festival in Bristol this weekend: www.soilassociation.org/festival.
During the two week period (6-21 September) people across Britain will be celebrating all things organic. Individuals, businesses, and communities will be hosting events to raise awareness of the environmental, health, and social benefits of organic production. Not only that, but the campaign gives everyone a chance to enjoy organic products from delicious food and drink to beauty and textiles.
If you would like to get involved and see what organic celebrations are going on in your area, have a look on the Soil Association website:
www.soilassociation.org/organicfortnight
Soil Association Food Festival
Grasshopper have loaded up the van with tons of porridge, and finished sewing the bunting (thanks mum) for the stand in preparation for the Soil Association Organic Food Festival.
The festival runs this weekend (6/7 September) at Bristol's famous harbourside. Grassy has a great spot near the entrance (Anchor Square, 21b) so come and say hello if you are there! It is Europe's largest celebration of all things organic and incorporates bustling food markets, the very best organic food, drink, fashion, skincare and homeware products, a green planet pavilion, demonstration kitchen, talks programme, food cruises around the harbour, and an arts and entertainment fringe!
www.soilassociation.org/festival
Soily show round up
Despite hell being unleashed in the form of torrential rain, Grasshopper had a great time at the Soil Association Organic Food Fair in Bristol at the weekend. The Fair attracted a huge number of Organic families and individuals, all there to see what was new and absorb the organic vibes.
The Grassy stand had a steady stream of visitors, and it was great to have so much encouragement from everyone. One girl (and I quote) said "I wish my jaw was still broken because then I would have an excuse to eat your porridge all the time..." Now that is dedication!
Grassy lands in Waitrose!
Grasshopper Porridge is now available for you to buy in Waitrose.
You can now pop to you local branch for all your Grasshopper supplies.
Waitrose have stocked up 140 stores throughout the UK with grassy porridge so chances are it will be in one near you (if you cannot find it, ask for it and they should stock it for you). http://www.waitrose.com/branches
You can also purchase grassy porridge from Waitrose online shopping:
http://www.waitrose.com/shopping
The Gin Lady Interview
The Gin Lady is an upbeat, fun and cosy online glossy under the influence of green, independent & natural lifestyle brands.
Fleur and Abi (team grassy) were asked to do a Q&A session with this online magazine, resulting in the following article:
http://www.theginlady.com
Grasshopper is on the London Airwaves again!
Grasshopper founder, Fleur, once again chatted live in the BBC London Radio studios yesterday. She was invited in to talk about Grasshopper, and starting your own business.
It is a great interview. You can listen to it again using the link below. The interview begins about 1hr 30mins into the show, so you can forward wind to the good bit (there is a Nora Jones song near to when she starts talking).
Fleur is getting a bit of a pro when it comes to the radio! This interview was the second one for Radio London, having previously been a guest on Vanessa Feltz' daily programme. Next stop Philip and Fern?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/noscript.shtml?/radio/aod/london_aod.shtml?london/robertelms_tue
O2 X Awards: London's most innovative small business.
Grasshopper are very pleased to announce that we will be attending the National finals of the O2 X Awards in London next week. Now in their 5th year, the O2 X Awards are a celebration of entrepreneurial talent across the UK, and aim to recognise and reward the men and women who are responsible for doing business in a creative and innovative way.
Last month Grasshopper won the regional final of this prestigious award, having been selected from hundreds of entries and identified as the most innovative and exciting of the region’s new generation of small businesses in the food sector.
As well as being crowned most excellent in the food category, one business / business leader will scoop the top accolade of the O2 X Entrepreneur of the Year Award and a £10,000 prize fund to help take their business to the next level, so keep your fingers crossed for Grassy!
Grasshopper is going to the Southern Ocean
Fleur and I are lucky, the school that we both went to has produced some great minds and athletes, like Olympic swimmer Gemma Spofforth and world class yachtswoman Sam Davies.
Sam is very bright, very pretty and an experienced solo yachtswoman. Her sailing CV is enormous, with many of the toughest yacht races completed, plus several record breaking achievements. To see them all check out her website: www.samdavies.com and also the Roxy Sailing Website: www.roxysailing.com.
Sam's next challenge begins in November 2008: The Vendee Globe Race.
The Vendee Globe is more than just a race, it is said to be a voyage of a lifetime and is dubbed the Everest of sailing. The course is as follows: start in France, race non-stop around the world, rounding the three great Capes (Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leewin and Cape Horn), crossing the dangers of the Southern Ocean (icebergs, roaring forties and screaming fifties) and the high-risk North Atlantic in mid-winter. This circumnavigation is the race in which Ellen MacArthur made her name.
On the 9th of November, Sam, one of the only two women of the 30 skippers entered, will cross the start line of this single-handed, round the world race, non-stop and without assistance. Total distance: 23,680 miles...yowzer.
Sam has been doing lots of practice and preparation, including the single-handed Artemis Transat race (Plymouth UK to Boston USA). She will be at sea for 3 or 4 months and, of course, taking Grasshopper porridge with her. A nice warm treat in the Southern Ocean! We will keep you updated with her racing progress online throughout this tough race.
GOOD LUCK SAM!
Information about the Vendee Globe Race 2008:
www.vendeeglobe.org
A clip to inspire future racers:www.dailymotion.comvendee-globe
Grassy is voted No.I on TV
Grassy porridge appeared on TV programme 'Market Food' this morning, as one of the contenders for BEST PORRIDGE PRODUCT. High flying cereal gladiators such as Rude Health and Dorset Cereals were also hoping for this crowning glory. The panel of general public judges and professional foody people voted Grasshopper porridge as number one. yey!
Letter from HRH Prince Charles.
Grassy were delighted to receive another letter from HRH Prince Charles recently. The letter read that he was delighted to know how successful Grasshopper had been over the last year. His Royal Highness sent his warmest wishes, and wishes us to know how much he ADMIRES what we are doing.
Obviously Grassy was very pleased with this letter. It will be framed and placed next to their first royal letter received last year from HRH (which said how enormously impressed he was at this venture....)
You can catch a better look at the letters (which we are rather proud of) on our facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/groups.
Grassy is a popular Vendee snack!
Grassy had a call a few weeks ago from Brian Thompson. He had been chatting to Grassy friend Sam Davies (ROXY) about her food supplies for the Vendee Globe Yacht Race. Sam told him to get some Grassy porridge!
Now Brian is in the final preparations for the start of this famously tough solo yacht race, with a load of Grassy porridge on board to see him through and keep him FUERTE.
The press and sailing world say that Brian is a chameleon and can adapt to any circumstance with exceptional ability. He has a wealth of racing experience on big boats and knows how to get the most out of everything that floats. He has sailed a lot in recent years with compadre Mike Golding (now his rival for this race), and is considered one of the most experienced sailors on the International scene.
Brian's boat is pretty amazing; the 60 foot Pindar (named King Hamad) is without any doubt the most powerful boat in the fleet. It is wider and heavier than many of the other yachts, so should be more stable in the windy conditions. Her performance in the forthcoming Vendée Globe may well influence many future projects, as the boat is based on some radical choices.
You can listen to Brian talking about his yacht by clicking on this link and scrolling down to his name: www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/sailing/the-vendee
We will keep you abreast with how Brian is doing.
2 days to go...
With only 2 days to go until the start of the Vendee Globe Yacht Race on Sunday 9th November, 2 of the skippers, Brian Thompson and Sam Davies have stashed away supplies of Grasshopper porridge on board their yachts for the race.
Grassy will be following the progress of the race avidly and keeping you updated as the skippers sail through 4 oceans. You can watch the start live on Sunday: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/
Enterprise Week 2008
On Monday 17 November 2008, former Portsmouth High School pupils Fleur and Abigail Emery will be returning to school to launch Enterprise Week and tell the whole school about Grasshopper.
Enterprise Week (17-23 November) is a national celebration of enterprise with thousands of events and activities occuring across the UK. Last year there were over 5,000 events and more than half a million people took part!
This year will be the first ever Global Entrepreneurship Week, a worldwide celebration which aims to unleash young people’s enterprising ideas which address some of society’s biggest issues. Portsmouth High School will be joining thousands of organisations across the world in inspiring young people to develop their ideas on a global scale.
Fleur and Abi returned to school earlier this year to talk to the 6th form business students about how they created Grasshopper Ltd. Their entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen means that Grasshopper is a finalists in the Chamber of Commerce 'Mentor Magic' competition which takes place this Thursday.
Fleur and Abi will be setting their own competition for PHS pupils to take part in during Enterprise Week, inspiring pupils to think of their own business ideas, and unlock their own entrepreneurial and creative potential.
www.enterpriseweek.org.uk
Vendee Globe: Day 4
Grassy has been following the Vendee Globe since it started on Sunday, paying special attention to Sam Davies (Roxy) and Brian Thompson (Pndar) as they are carrying Grasshopper Porridge.
The race has seen some very strong winds and large seas already, and several boats have been damaged and returned to port for repair. One dismasted yacht has retired. This level of damage so soon into the race shows why this race has a nickname of the 'Everest' of yacht races.
Sam and Brian have so far had no major problems to contend with and are getting into the rhythm of racing. They have been at sea for 4 days and are approaching/passing Madeira on a southern track down the Atlantic.
“I am starting to feel half-human again, after a night "rest", compared to the first three days of this race. Yesterday was the transition between the storm and the "Portuguese Trade Winds". The wind slowly dropped, and the waves became less aggressive. I was able to do a complete check over ROXY to make sure there was no damage during the storm; inside and out. When the wind and waves had dropped enough, I managed to find enough energy to hoist the big gennaker, and by the end of the day ROXY was surfing down the Atlantic swell! A nice surprise, just before sunset, I saw a little sail out towards the West - it was Aviva! So I managed to call Dee on the VHF and we had a little chat. It was nice to find out that she was OK too, and to hear the voice of someone who is close by.
Last night I concentrated on getting some sleep - real sleep of more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time. I had several long (40 minute) sleeps and a few 20 minute ones. This morning, I have been starting my little jobs - as we surf along. I have repaired one of my runners, and after my porridge, I will get going on the other side......"
Sam has about 22,790 miles to go.....
Grasshopper wins business award!
Grassy had a late evening last night at Portsmouth Football Club, which hosted the final of the South East Chamber of Commerce Business awards 'Mentor Magic'.
After an excellent black tie dinner, the finalists presented their businesses to the judges and audience. Grasshopper was declared joint winner of this 'Mentor Magic' award, alongside JP consulting.
The Grasshopper girls have won a year of free business consulting with Deloitte, and membership to the Chamber of Commerce.
It was a great evening spent meeting lots of new contacts, but the highlight of the night was touching football's holy grail the FA Cup (and explaining to Fleur what it was...).
