News

In 2017 adventurer, campaigner and speaker Dhruv Boruah cycled 'ON' the mighty river Thames, unsupported on his handmade Bamboo Bike collecting plastic litter to raise awareness about plastic pollution.

Own a Nimbus motorboat and have a Topsail insurance policy? Then you could be in with the chance of winning £200 off your next insurance renewal. 

This September we are exhibiting at TheYachtmarket.com Southapmton Boat Show and we have a special ticket offer for you to come along for a great day out.

After this year's Round the Island Race the RNLI conducted several checks of sailors lifejackets which resulted in some staggering findings.

Avid sailor and Topsail Insurance Account Executive, Charlotte spent the day with MS Amlin at this year's Round the Island yacht race. In her latest blog Charlotte tells us how the race went.

The ever-popular and fourth annual Topsail Charity Golf Day is back and taking place at the 18-hole East Brighton golf course.

This Father's Day the Topsail team spent the day together, on the water, tackling some new sailing skills onboard the stunning Ocean Youth Trust's (OYT) BM ketch.

A brand-new sailing regatta has been launched this week and will run alongside the UK’s biggest Boat Show, from 17 - 19 September.

This year marks the 50th birthday of TheYachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show’s and is set to be the biggest celebration of all things marine. The Show will celebrate the lifestyle, fun and excitement that being on the water has to offer.

The four home nations – Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland – have joined forces to take injured rugby players aboard the tall ship STS Lord Nelson, to participate in an extraordinary sailing experience with the Jubilee Sailing Trust.

We are pleased to announce that we have teamed up with Reid Briggs & Co Ltd to offer a wide range of non-marine related insurance products.

The Topsail Insurance team is always looking for ways to raise awareness and funds for our company chairty, Sail 4 Cancer.

During April, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) ran a special event to test the use of drones in a variety of real- life search and rescue scenarios.

Announced at World Sailing's 2017 Annual Conference in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico the very first World Sailing Offshore World Championship will be held in 2019 and aims to be a powerful platform to accelerate the interest and growth of offshore one-design sailing amongst the sailing community.

Topsail Insurance 2018 company charity, Sail 4 Cancer has launched an exciting range of bags made from recycled sail cloth.

As of the end of March, Yachting Monthly covered the announcement that Entrepreneur Richard Hadida had bought Oyster Yachts and all of its subsidiaries.

Topsail Insurance is really pleased to announce that their chosen company charity for 2018 is to be the specialist respite provider, Sail 4 Cancer, who fund day trips and short breaks for British families affected by cancer.

A cold Tuesday evening in March saw Topsail Insurance MD, Robert Stevens and Operations Manager Laura Clothier attend their first Little Ship Club members club night, albeit as guest speakers.

Fantastic news for the Cruising Association (CA) who have reached the first target of gaining 10,000 signatures for their lobster pot petition to Government.

Over 7 millions tonnes of litter enter our oceans each year. The global movement, 4Ocean is on a mission to stop it and are dedicated to making our seas and coastlines trash free.

We Do Mean To Go To Sea is an exciting new format for a sailing event. The conference takes place over a day and during the day, there will be a series of inspiring keynote lectures and various workshops.

Nearly four months ago two women and their dogs were rescued from their damaged yacht, Sea Nymph by the US Navy after almost 100 days at sea.

Southampton-based boatbuilders, Oyster Yachts has announced this week that it has failed to secure financial support and are unable to continue to trade at this time.

During 2017 Topsail Insurance announced their company charity, chosen with the help of customers, clients and followers, was to be the Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST).

After thousands of votes cast by readers of the Yachts & Yachting magazine, the 2018 Yachts & Yachting Awards were presented during the London Boat Show.

Topsail sponsored Hellingly RFC are having a great season so far and along with the Club’s success they are experiencing increased player and participation numbers.

We’re excited to have partnered with yacht management and charter company, diYachting to offer you all an great new competition to win £50 worth of travel insurance for your next sailing holiday.

The Topsail Insurance UK team are making a trip to Germany after Christmas as they will be exhibiting at the Boot Dusseldorf Boat Show from 20 – 28 January 2018.

The Trustees of Sail Aid UK, the organisation that is uniting the UK sailing community in a long-term fundraising drive to help the victims of the Caribbean Islands most severely impacted by the September hurricanes, are overjoyed with the results of their first big fundraising event.

We are kicking off December with an afternoon of festive Christmas treats in the heart of Brighton Marina.

One of our Partners and this year’s Topsail company charity, Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST) is delighted to invite you to join their Chairman and CEO for a private viewing of Gladwell & Patterson's Winter Collection. 

One of four new downloadable eBooks, 20 things to consider when choosing a marina was created by Darren Vaux, Director of Empire Marina who has a wealth of marine industry experience and knowledge as Chairman of the Maritime Advisory Council in New South Wales, Director of the Boating Industry Association, founding Chairman of the Boating Industries Alliance Australia and Vice Chair of the Marina Industries Association.

Last month (September) the third annual Topsail Charity Golf Day was held at one of the best all year-round playing experiences in Sussex, the East Brighton Golf Course.

During theyachtmarket.com Southampton Boat Show up to 50 keen sailors, blue water cruisers and enthusiasts gathered at the 14th Century Dancing Man Brewery for this year’s annual Topsail Seminar.

Topsail Insurance, the established Brighton-based marine insurance company, is pleased to announce that from October 2017 a brand-new insurance policy will be added to their broad offering to UK and European boat owners.

It is getting to be a nicely busy office in Brighton Marina with another new addition to the UK team. Charlotte Fenn, Account Executive from Brighton has swopped teaching outdoors to join Topsail.

On Sunday 17^th September 2017, Operations Manager Laura and Account Executive Charlotte were invited on board the Ocean Youth Trust’s “Prolific”. Both team members had a fantastic day, which Charlotte has provided an account of below.

The Sail Aid UK (SAUK) Hurricane Irma Relief Fundraising Dinner will take place on the evening of Saturday 11th November  on the 'Flight Deck' at Land Rover BAR, the home of the British America's Cup Team, in Old Portsmouth, Hampshire.

One of our upcoming Seminar speakers, accomplished yachtsman and successful bestselling author Jimmy Cornell is about to launch his most recent book; 200,000 Miles: A Life of Adventure.

Topsail Insurance, now in its 26th year, is expanding both globally and in the UK. The newest team member to join the Brighton Marina office team is Reina Hawkes from Portslade.

We pride ourselves on the fact that the majority of our new clients come through existing client referral, a great indicator that people are happy with the premiums, policies and service we provide at Topsail Insurance and want to let their family, friends and fellow cruisers know.

The annual Topsail charity golf day is coming up soon and 16 players have already signed up to take part on the 18-hole East Brighton golf course.

This September, during the YachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show, we will be hosting a special seminar. Join us for a day of sailing through the ages and exploring the very best routes across the oceans.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency announces VHF Channel changes coming in September 2017.

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) has recently received a report from a boater who has been fined €500 for having traces of red diesel in his yacht’s fuel tank following an inspection by Belgian Customs in Nieuwpoort.

British Marine Boat Shows has announced a partnership deal with TheYachtMarket.com for the world-class Southampton Boat Show. The two-year deal will see the 2017 and 2018 editions of the event be known as TheYachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show.

At the recent Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) AGM and awards dinner, Topsail Insurance Director, Rob Stevens not only spoke to delegates on marine insurance and boating matters but launched the brand-new Topsail kite.

I get by with a little help from my friends! Time to get a little more from your insurance policy.

Topsail customers Steve and Trish Brown and their Dutch built, schooner Bestevaer 60C Novara have sailed thousands of ocean miles together.

The Northern Boat Show this year will be hosted in a new, bigger location on new dates to coincide with the International Mersey River Festival.

This year’s winners of the Classic Boat Magazine Awards, in association with Classic Marine, have been revealed during a Champagne reception at the Royal Thames Yacht Club.

British Marine Boat Shows, organiser of the London Boat Show, has announced plans for a re-defined event for next year. The 2018 Show will draw on its rich heritage, whilst firmly setting a new course to inspire and excite visitors for years to come.

The clocks have changed, the evenings are longer and we are seeing more sunshine, all of this has made us feel generous and so this month we are offering you a great discount on boat and travel insurance.

Members of the Topsail team have been on a personal fundraising mission since February tackling some brave and demanding challenges. 

South African big wave surfer and adventurer Chris Bertish has paddled his way into the records books and everyone’s hearts by completing his monumental SUP challenge to cross the Atlantic solo and unassisted.

Topsail Insurance, the established Brighton-based marine insurance company, is pleased to announce that their chosen company charity of 2017 is to be the international charity, Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST), who promote integration through the challenge and adventure of tall ship sailing.

Thanks to our partners at the Cruising Association who have highlighted this important information from the UK Coastguard.

For the second time, Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko was dealing with a lawsuit regarding one of his vessels. Last week his £360million Superyacht A was seized by Gibraltar Port Authority after a lawsuit was filed by German shipbuilder, Nobiskrug.

Congratulations go to our Senior Account Executives Mollie Magrath and Laura Clothier who have both passed their recent Foundation Insurance Test (FIT) with flying colours.

Last September, during our 20th anniversary, we held our inaugural company Charity Golf Day at the East Brighton Golf Club. While we had a fun day out on the golf course, we also raised a great amount of money that we donated to the RNLI Brighton Lifeboat Station.

So far, the first month of the year has been a great showcase for the marine industry both in the UK and across the globe with many businesses and individuals being recognised with awards.

Late night Thursday at the London Boat Show was a hive of activity not just at the stands with live music and entertainment but at the show stage where this year’s Yachts and Yachting Awards were announced.

This month the 61st Yachting Journalists’ Association (YJA) Yachtsman of the Year Award will be announced and awarded to one of the three shortlisted finalists. After its introduction in 1993, the 24th YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award will also be announced on Tuesday 10 January at the YJA gala lunch at Trinity House, London.

This year Merseyside Adventure Sail Training (MAST) is celebrating 50 years since the very first Sail Training Voyage out of the River Mersey.

We are proud to be supporting the 2017 Yachts and Yachting Awards. The awards aim to highlight the best performances, products, clubs and events of the last 12 months. 

During the Southampton Boat Show this year Topsail Insurance’s Director, Robert Stevens was interviewed by yachtsandyachting.com’s Mark Jardine.

Our Accounts Manager Karen, has recently completed a new personal challenge that took her to the lofty heights of 17,600ft at Everest Base Camp.

Many of us are looking forward to Christmas and then New Year’s Eve but it doesn’t stop there, just six days into the new year the London Boat Show opens at ExCeL London.

After six years sailing together Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark have achieved two consecutive Olympic medals, a World Championship title and they can now add Rolex World Sailor of the Year to their list of achievements.

While the Topsail team has been celebrating 20 years as a specialist international yacht and motorboat insurance comapny this year, it has also been an opportunity for the company to make some internal changes and upgrade the office tech equipment.

Next month’s Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) in Amsterdam is the world’s largest marine equipment trade show welcoming thousands of guests and exhibitors every year.

Since 1991 coffee mornings have been taking place across the nation not only to eat cake and drink tea but to raise funds and awareness for the essential work done by Macmillan Cancer Support.

Winterising your craft might be time consuming but it's necessary to keep her protected during the cold season. We've put together a list of guidelines and asked surveyor and former boat builder Ben Sutcliffe-Davies to share his best tips for a safe and thorough job.

For those cruising the Caribbean and / or the East Coast of the United States, the result of Hurricane Matthew on Haiti and now progressing through the Caribbean chain is devastating and it’s apparent path will be towards Florida and up the Eastern Seaboard.

A recent article in Insurance Business this month covered the story of a British tourist who sadly bled to death in Iceland because he was worried about nullifying his travel insurance.

At this year’s Southampton Boat Show Topsail hosted the very first speaker-led coffee morning in the British Marine Members Lounge.

On Friday the 16^th of September, Topsail Insurance hosted a charity golf day at East Brighton Golf to raise funds for RNLI Brighton Lifeboat Station. Proud sponsors of the 18^th hole, Topsail Insurance hailed the event as a huge success. 

We are hosting the Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) and Cruising Association (CA) members and friendsat aspeaker-led coffee morning at the Southampton Boat Show nextweek.

The morning will include illustrated lectures from authors and raconteurs, Rev. Bob Shepton and Liza Copeland. 

Hellingly 1^st XV welcomed Seaford to Horsebridge Rec on Saturday in front of a packed crowd. The game started with Hellingly dominating possession and territory only to be withheld by a strong Seaford defence, however the constant Hellingly attack soon became too much as Number 8 James Grey picked from the back of a dominant scrum to crash over the line from 15m out, with Huw Jones slotting the conversion to make the game 7-0.

The upcoming Topsail charity golf day will welcome 14 golfers to the East Brighton Golf Course on 16 September. 

It is a year of double celebrations for the Topsail team. This year is a special 20^th anniversary milestone for the company and this month sees several staff members achieve promotions and recommendations within the team.

This summer we have been running a fun competition to find the best nautical jokes. Many of you sent in your favourite ocean-inspired jokes for the chance to win a package of prizes.

We are always surprised to hear that people are relying on their bank account, credit card, or ‘off the shelf’ style travel insurance policies whilst on board a boat.

This month, Friday 8 July, marked the beginning of the 20th anniversary celebrations of specialist international yacht and motorboat insurance company, Topsail Insurance.

Last month Brighton Marina Yacht Club (BMYC) hosted the inaugural IRC Sussex Championships. The two-day yacht racing event held six races for 18 boats in the waters of the English Channel. 

If you have ever visited the annual Southampton Boat Show you may have seen our Topsail advertisements in the toilets. 

Topsail Insurance are officially the proud sponsors of Hellingly Rugby Club's post protectors and flags for the next 3 seasons.

If you have ever visited the annual PSP Southampton Boat Show you may well have seen our Topsail advertisements in the toilets, there are 4 different versions, each featuring a nautical joke and cartoon. This year will be no different, except…we are inviting you to submit your favourite nautical joke in the hope that it will be chosen for one of our posters.

It is easy to assume that the waste from one sailing yacht is not substantial enough to have a negative effect on the environment, however the collective impact can cause significant damage. As sailing often takes place all year round and the community is spread all over the globe, the damage is often far worse than other water based activities. There are many simple changes we can make to protect our oceans.

At Topsail we currently run 3 social media accounts and find them a great way of keeping clients, associates, colleagues and friends up to date with any important information, news, promotions and musings.

We are always surprised when we hear that people are relying on their bank account, credit card, or ‘off the shelf’ style travel insurance policies whilst aboard a boat.

Last night was the annual Yachts and Yachting 2016 awards ceremony, held at the London Boat Show. The awards highlight the best performance, clubs, events and products of the last year.

The following is a very interesting article produced by Marine Lawyers Hill Dickinson (http://www.hilldickinson.com/) regarding a marine insurance claim.

Two incidents of armed piracy against sail boats north of Trinidad have been reported within the last 10 days. The attacks took place in daylight and involved 5 or 6 pirates aboard 18ft narrow fishing boats, with powerful engines and barrels of fuel supplies.
 

Please note that the office will be closed from 1.30pm (GMT) on Thursday 24th December 2015 and will re-open at 8am (GMT) on Monday 4th January 2016. Emails will be monitored, however if your enquiry is urgent calls are being diverted to a mobile phone on the 29th, 30th and 31st December 2015 between 11am and 3pm (GMT). Please leave a message if we do not answer immediately and we will come back to you as soon as possible.
We would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.

Have you seen the new Boat Show video? Click here to view.

The 62nd annual London Boat Show runs from the 8th – 17th January 2016 at ExCel London and this year Lucy Watson, star of hit Channel 4 series ‘Made in Chelsea’ is set to open the event.

Since 1953 across the US and many parts of the world the naming of hurricanes and storms has become common practice, however here in the UK we have never named a storm, until now. But why would we give a storm a name? Apparently according to the experts allocating a name to a weather event makes it easier to follow and more simple to reference on social media – Which in turn ensures people protect themselves.

The ARC is on the bucket list of a vast number of sailors, with over 200 boats and 1200 people every year joining to sail from Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia. The event is organised by the World Cruising Club and is one of their many events from all around the world. These rallies are specially designed to help people achieve their offshore cruising goals with the support and assistance of other boats.

Further to our article at the beginning of the month advising of Jimmy Cornell and “Aventura”’s successful transit of the North West Passage, we have now received word from the man himself advising that he has now arrived safely in London, having completed a 24,000 nm voyage.