Watersports blog

Marine consultancy ASR Ltd faces harsh criticisms after its latest venture in building an artificial reef to turn an English beachside town into a top surfing destination did not meet expectations.

The company landed a lucrative contract with the Bournemouth council to spearhead the project at Boscombe beach. The aim of this undertaking is to make the area a top surfing destination.

However, there had been budget overflows and delays in the creation of the project. The funding reached more than $5 million. The result was a disaster.
The artificial reef would have aided in creating larger waves in the beach – about two to three times the normal size in order to entice surfers to flock the area and enjoy the adventure.

The waves were said to be too short which did not attract the expected number of visitors in the area. The council is currently conducting the investigation on this matter.

The Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the global policymaker on water sports, has laid out its plans for the near future. UIM President Raffaele Chiulli revealed these developments after the conclusion of the SportAccord International Convention in Dubai.

Part of the future projects includes youth development, alternate fuel and energy and proper marketing strategy. The officials also stated that it will enforce stricter anti-doping policies. Chiulli said that this ensures the longevity of the sport.

The Italian official said that the recognition they got from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was a signal that they can continue developing water sports.

Chiulli secured an agreement with World Professional Powerboat Association (WPPA), a Dubai-based organization, to create the Offshore Professional Committee (OPC) for the development of the X-Cat and Class One World Powerboat Championships.

Water sports have been taken into consideration for inclusion in the Olympic Games. The decision will be made by 2013 in Buenos Aires.

So get your swimwear out and lets get practicing for the Olympic games

Three-time diving world champion Alexandre Despatie of Quebec added another accolade in his long list of achievements after winning the three-meter springboard gold medal at the Canada Cup FINA Grand Prix diving competition held last Sunday.

Despatie earned 9 and 9.5 scores in the final round to secure the top spot among fierce competitors. Shixin Li of China settled for silver after getting 8s and 8.5s in his score. Despite the 3.9 degree of difficulty, the Chinese sensation failed to interpret the dive to earn lower scores. Australia’s Scott Robertson settled for third.

In a statement, the Canadian diver said that his last dive basically sealed the victory. He said that he always wants to make a strong impressive in the last dive because anything can happen in the standings especially if the scores are close.

Despatie also won another gold last weekend on the three-meter synchronized diving event.