1 Degree Magazine Issue 6

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©

Racing neptune all about the journey...

Threads counT luxton – the most prestigious cotton in the world

Contents

7.Threads Count

52.Air Kisses

The story of the world's finest yarns

You'll never forget your first negative g loop

10.Racing Neptune

56.Par Fr ançais

The Everest of Sailing

Four days, four courses, in the South of France

14.Just Add Water

58.Much To Sea And Doo

Dame Ellen MacArthur

The jet ski of champions

18.Zero To Powerboat Hero

60.Surf Tribe

Powerboat racing off the Suffolk coast

Big waves and board shorts

26.A Taste Of The Country

64.The Elixir of life

32.Commitment

66.Review

A Land Rover adventure

Lotus Exige S

40.Time For TT

The world's most famous motorcycle race

You could look 20 years younger…

68.Dining 74.Billion Dollar Hotel Turkey's first five star hotel

44.Life Cycle The lost art of cycling

78.Hide Away Relax in style

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ContRIBUtoRs

neil Davey After 11 years in private banking, neil Davey realised that he hated it, that the bubble was about to burst and decided to do something different. having been proved right about the recession some, er, 12 years later, he's now a freelance journalist specialising in food, drink, travel, films and video games. Anything you can sit down and do, basically. in the meantime, he's also been a cheesemonger, an advisor to a project importing chinese wines to the uk, attempted to assist a famous socialite launch a lifestyle website (with predictable results) and did a stint writing showbiz gossip for a famous lad's mag. Accordingly, he now knows more about kerry katona than any 41 year old man really should.

greg hardes greg hardes graduated from nuSAD with a view to adventure, so he decided to cycle from canada to costa Rica. upon his return, his legs needed a rest, and he is currently focusing his energies on surfing and waterskiing, in between chasing his dream of becoming a world-renowned photographer/ journalist/designer/footballer. greg is a big believer in living simply and refuses to be caught up in the materialistic mentality of our society. greg would one day like to purchase his very own Aston Martin DB9 and is currently saving for one of those new iPhones.

Damian harty he's been very keen on motorcycles since his mother told him they were 'weapons of the devil', but has yet to see any evidence of that assertion. he has another life as engineering contractor to Prodrive, and in that role has worked for Triumph, harley-Davidson, Suzuki, Subaru, Porsche and BMw among others. he has a rich history of breaking and crashing cars, but strangely this does not seem to extend to motorcycles.

I

don’t know about your summer, but ours, and, mine in particular, has been so hectic that I’m in dire need of a holiday. Although I’m conscious that once you’ve read the following pages, you’ll probably think life is one long holiday!

By a holiday, however, I mean being able to stow away my phone and computer for a month, so that I can spend unhindered time with my girls (dogs!!) and hours riding my fabulous Bianchi bicycle, as despite not having a V8 engine, it is surprising just how great it feels to be back out on a bike, especially a superb one like the 928!

Cheers,

suzannah sorrell

editor and chief

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True Character

True characters are a rare breed that stand out from the crowd. Just like the new Lotus Evora, they lead, not follow.

An exclusive proposition, the Evora uses unique and innovative aluminium chassis technology wrapped in iconic Lotus styling. Its character traits of sophistication, agility and dynamism are clearly portrayed, backed up by legendary Lotus ride and handling.

Inside, bold shapes and beautiful materials are linked in unison, offering a virtuous combination of simplicity,

comfort and style using exquisite detailing and handbuilt craftmanship. A unique mid-engined 2+2 layout offers striking levels of everyday practicality without compromising the characteristics of a true sportscar.

An extraordinary combination of performance and economy confirm the Evora as the 21st century sportscar, a true Lotus, worthy of the name.

Stratton Motor Company (Norfolk) Ltd. Ipswich Road, Long Stratton, Norfolk, NR15 2XJ Please contact Guy Munday for further information Tel: 01508 530491 • Web: www.strattonmotorcompany.com

Fuel consumption in mpg (l/100km): Urban 22.8 (12.4), Extra Urban 43.5 (6.5), Combined 32.5 (8.7) CO2 emissions: 205g/km 6 . www.1degreeonline.co.uk

Threads Count Egypt's nile delta, Luxton’s most precious cotton, Maiestas, and the world’s most expensive shirt.

1º learns more about the art of producing the world’s most luxurious yarns.

Writer: Hugo Stephenson Photography: luxton / eton

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J

ust as Champagne can only be produced in the Champagne region of France, the finest cotton in the world, Giza 45, is a controlled appellation that can only be cultivated in a single 3000-acre area off Damietta, east of Egypt’s Nile Delta, in limited yearly yields.

The Nile Delta is one of the world’s largest deltas, the point at which the Nile and Mediterranean Sea merge and, with them, two cultures. Extending to the north of Cairo, between Lake Mareotis in the west and the Suez Canal in the east, it forms a 240km wide arc along the Mediterranean coast. Formed over millions of years by deposits of mud brought down by the regular annual inundation of the Nile, it marks the end of the river’s long journey from central Africa, where it breaks up into separate arms towards the sea – the two main distributaries being Rosetta (west) and Damietta (northeast).

With a rich history, the region of Damietta benefits from a yearround Mediterranean microclimate; nutrient-rich soil, which when combined with the area’s traditional farming methods, provides the perfect growing conditions for the raw cotton Giza 45, which cannot be mass-produced.

The Dom Perignon of cotton is produced by Luxton. Respected throughout the world, Luxton’s exquisite yarns are transformed into some of the worlds most beautiful and unique cotton fabrics.

Yet it is their most exclusive superfine yarn - Maiestas - and in particular their vintage ‘Maiestas Reserve label’, produced from the top bales of the rarest and highest-grade Giza 45 cotton, that is so alluring to the most prestigious brands and their discerning customers from royalty and movie stars to captains of industry and sportsmen.

Eton, the Swedish shirt-maker, used Luxton’s Maiestas yarn– woven by the renowned Italian weavers Atelier Romentino – to create the world’s most expensive ‘diamond’ shirt, worth an estimated £25,000, to commemorate the company’s 80th anniversary; which is surely the ultimate accolade. The 1920’s Art Deco inspired garment was then auctioned off at Eton’s Diamond Party, to help raise vital funds for the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

So what is it that makes Luxton Maiestas so special?

As with all true luxury marques it is an intricate story of many chapters – a celebration of traditional techniques and craftsmanship passed down over generations.

It is here that the Maiestas story begins.

After being sown by hand, cotton seeds are left to grow and after around two months flower buds appear – the blossom blooming white, changing to yellow, then pink, and finally dark red – a truly majestic sight! Once the blossom falls only the green pods, known as bolls, remain; it is inside these bolls that moist fibres grow, expanding under the warm sun until the boll splits into an eruption of fluffy cotton. The fibres are then harvested by hand rather than machinery – a painstakingly slow and laborious harvesting method, but one which allows Luxton to only garner fibres that are at their peak.

Once harvested, the raw fibres are ginned (short for engine) – a machine that converts seed cotton fibres into lint. As with picking, there are different techniques to this, but Luxton use a roller ginning process which gently teases the cotton between rollers to separate the seeds from the fibres, rather than saw-ginning, a far more destructive method. Whilst the roller technique is considerably slower, none of the cotton’s silken

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character is sacrificed, which is vital in giving Luxton yarns their unique characteristics.

Once transformed into lint, the highest-grade Giza 45 cotton is baled up for selection and testing. Sampled one by one, every bale is painstakingly examined and graded according to its staple, strength, micronaire, colour and purity.

The cream of the limited premium Giza 45 crop, from the best year’s harvest, is classified as ‘vintage’; for just as vintage denotes the provenance and taste of the finest Champagne, the Luxton Maiestas Reserve label denotes its quality, strength and silken properties.

Of course only the ripest, intensely flavoured pinot noir, pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay grapes, grown in ‘above average’ weather and soil conditions, are chosen for use in the production of vintage Champagne; similarly only the purest Giza 45 cotton is selected, before undergoing rigorous tests by a master of cotton, to ascertain the length of fibre, its solidity, colour, sheen and purity, before it can be classified as a ‘top bale’ and used in the vintage Maiestas Reserve label.

It is worth noting that Luxton has owned the largest amount of Giza 45 harvests since 1998 and through their ‘Reserve Bales Program’ have been carefully selecting and classifying a very limited number of bales, known as ‘top bales’ ever since.

This year Luxton is offering the top bales of Maiestas Reserve 2005 for sale. Shirts made from this limited quantity of bales will probably be the most exclusive ever to go on sale to the world’s most discerning and affluent customers.

At this point the bales go to Luxton’s state-of-the-art spinning mill where they undergo further preparation before moving onto the carding process, to be further purified and separated until they become ‘sliver’ – loose strands. This sliver is then produced to a specific twist and count, before being wound onto cones. The speed at which this happens depends on the desired quality of the end product: for a medium-count range a spinning machine will produce more than 300kg of yarn each day, but for fine counts like Maiestas, only a few kilos, perhaps less than 5kg in a day. Slow perhaps, but who said perfection had a timescale?

After being dyed or bleached depending on the desired colour, the yarn goes to looms to be woven into fabrics, in much the same way as the first weaving machines did hundreds of years ago. The looms create a vast range of styles, with collections being added to every season, but only the best of weavers will use the luxurious Maiestas yarns in their products, as Luxton’s exclusive label can’t be bought by just anyone. Instead, it is reserved for the most distinguished designers and textile manufacturers throughout the world, such as renowned Italian shirt fabric weaving mills: Grandi & Rubinelli and, Testa, who choose Maiestas for their luxury line – Atelier Romentino.

The final chapter in this yarn is that expert tailors will cut their patterns out of Maiestas fabric, according to the practices of their art. With each exclusive shirt costing from £300 and taking anything upwards of 16 hours to make; all on behalf of the world’s most renowned shirt brands and discerning loyal customers worldwide, who know and appreciate the luxurious tactile sensation and timeless quality that only Luxton knows how to deliver.

www.luxtonworld.com

‘…just as vintage denotes the provenance and taste of the finest champagne, the Luxton Maiestas Reserve label denotes its quality, strength and silken properties…’

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sailing

R acing Neptune SAILING AROUND THE WORLD, WHAT A ROMANTIC IDEA...OR PERHAPS NOT! Writer: Suzannah sorrell

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sailing

pHotograpH: Dave Kneale / volvo ocean race.

e

ver found yourself wondering what it would be like to take part in a round the world yacht race? if so, this is what you would be signing up to‌ gale force winds, waves so high you can't see the top of them, freezing temperatures and icy waters pummelling you with such force that it feels like thousands of tiny needles are puncturing your skin. not to mention sleep deprivation and hunger, of course!

The volvo ocean Race is the toughest global sailing event bar none.

The 'Everest' of sailing! Staged every four years and over nine months, sailors pit their skills, physical endurance and competitive spirit against mother nature, as they race day and night often for more than 30 days at a time, over a ten leg course.

This year's race, which came to a thrilling climax back in June in St Petersburg, Russia, followed the most demanding course in the history of the race, which dates back to 1973. conceived and organised by the Royal naval Sailing Association, as the whitbread Round the world Race – rebadged in 2001-02, as the volvo ocean Race - it was the first ever attempt at a global, crewed yacht race. with a mixture of excitement and trepidation 17 race yachts, carrying 167 crew from seven countries, hoisted their spinnakers as they embarked on a trip of a lifetime from Portsmouth for the first leg of the unchartered 27,500 nautical miles course.

Back then yachts ranged from the 1936-built Peter von Danzig of

germany, to the uk's Burton cutter, which was still being finished during the race, and was no different to many of the 3,000 spectator boats that turned out en masse to witness the historic start. nowadays, they race exceptionally powerful volvo open 70's. when the first iterations were introduced for the 2005-06 race, they irrevocably raised the bar for offshore racing.

For the 2008-09 race, seven teams used an even more powerful version of the open 70, representing the most extreme yachts ever used in the 36 years since the race began. with their high freeboards, voluminous angular hull sections, towering rigs and canting keels, capable of canting transversely up to an angle of 40 degrees, they cut an impressive yet aggressive and intimidating profile in both the harbour and at sea.

"These boats are scary. Things can spiral out of control quickly. They're stronger this race, but that just means we'll push harder" said wouter verbraak, Delta Lloyd's navigator and meterologist.

The yachts needed to be more reliable and more powerful than ever before to deal with the introduction of the event's longest and most gruelling course. The 37,000 nautical miles course takes in some of the world's most treacherous seas, across five continents and, for the first time, includes the Middle East and Asia.

Beginning on the 4th october in Alicante, Spain, the teams stopped over in cape Town, South Africa; cochin, india; Singapore; Qingdao; china; Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; Boston, uSA. From galway, ireland to goteborg/

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Photograph: Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race

Photograph: Gustav Morin/Ericsson 3/Volvo Ocean Race

Photograph: Gabriele Olivo / Telefonica Blue / Volvo Ocean Race.

sailing

Photograph: Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.

Marstrand, Sweden is a particularly difficult body of water and is one of hardest sections of the race to sail on, due to the unpredictable nature of the Irish Sea. This is followed by an incredibly short, but challenging run to Stockholm, Sweden before a final gruelling dash for the finish line in St Petersburg, Russia.

In the early days crews were mostly adventure-seeking novices, with limited experience of offshore sailing and absolutely no idea what lay ahead over the coming 27,500 nautical miles.

This probably goes someway to explaining why, sadly, some of the crews never returned.

By contrast, most of the skippers had thousands of sea miles under their belts. Skippers like Chay Blyth, a pugnacious sergeant of the British Army, who first achieved notoriety in 1966 when he rowed the Atlantic with Captain John Ridgeway in a six metre dory.

Two years before the start of the Whitbread, he became the first person to sail non-stop westwards around the world aboard the 21metre ketch British Steel, a feat which made him a household name.

In that first race of the Whitbread, on board Great Britain II, funded

by Bahamian philanthropist 'Union' Jack Hayward, Blyth had a crew of 'Red Berets' from the parachute regiment - all of them supremely fit

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and renowned for withstanding the toughest of challenges, but not for their sailing skills!

These days the ubër yachts are crewed by highly skilled and experienced, all professional crews. This year's race included ten of the world's leading sailors, who pushed their high-tech Volvo Open 70 class yachts to the limit, reaching speeds of 40 knots (74 kmh) in a bid to cross the finish line first.

With this firmly in mind, we expected to see some battered and bruised sea dogs when we caught up with the seventy seven crew members on the car-free island of Marstrand, Sweden (leg nine stopover), but were surprised to find them looking calm, relaxed and, of course, tanned.

The race organisers couldn't have picked a more welcoming place than Marstrand for the enforced stopover, during which the teams can repair both the boat and themselves.

Wandering around the charming and peaceful island, a favourite amongst the sailing fraternity and jet set for many years, it is easy to understand why they were so chilled, despite the relentless hive of activity surrounding them and Marstrand's quayside.

Being the first time an event of this magnitude had been staged on

Photograph: Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.

Sailing

the beautiful island, Marstrand had pulled out all the stops to welcome these brave men and their boats. It didn't go unnoticed by the crews, who appeared grateful for the warm welcome and for the use of such a prestigious and elegant address.

It was interesting to observe them at close quarters. Some were obviously happy to take advantage of the remaining time before they set sail towards Stockholm to cuddle up to their wives and girlfriends, whilst others looked keen to get going, to return to the job that they'd started around eight months earlier. Some were embarking on the course for the first time, after taking the place of various crewmembers who for reasons of injury or whatever, were unable to continue.

Like boxers coming into the ring, each team gets their favourite song played out as they sail away to the start of the next leg. Ericsson 3's song of choice was 'Hey Boy' by the Teddybears Sthlm; Telefonica Black requested 'Black is Black' by Los Bravos; Delta Lloyd's pick was the very apt, 'Lets Get It Started' by the Black Eyed Peas; Telefonica Blue got the crowds rocking to 'Around the World' by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers; and Green Dragon, who have earned the reputation as the 'friendliest team,' chose Elevation by U2; Puma Ocean Racing, who had the best presented yacht, by far, chose 'Shipping up to Boston' by the

Dropkick Murphys.

As they made their way to the start, we headed through Roselund nature reserve towards the lighthouse, with what seemed like most of Sweden. Climbing the rocks until we had a spectacular vantage point, from which to watch the yachts disappear off into the sunset.

Well, apart from Telefonica Blue, who ran aground almost straightaway and in doing so, blowing their chances of a second place finish to Ericsson 4, who took overall victory at Marstrand.

The participating teams and crew numbers maybe considerably down on the maiden Whitbread race back in '73, but the price of entry has risen considerably. "Everyone paid £3,000 each, and the entire project cost £40,000," recalled Roddy Ainslie, a keen sailor from Macclesfield, who had put together the Second Life syndicate with his brother-in-law Ian Butterworth and found 12 paying passengers to take their Ocean 71 around the course. What a difference thirty odd years makes; the Open 70 boats alone, cost upwards of £3.5m!

Still game?

Unfortunately, you'll have to wait, as the next race isn't until 2011/12.

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SAiling

Just add water Name five sailors – I'll bet your list starts with Ellen MacArthur!… conummodiate Writer: suzannah sorrelL Photography: th Martinez

W

ith an interview granted and just a few hours to research one of the most famous sailors of the 21st century, I was bemused to find that every conceivable question I could think to ask Dame Ellen MacArthur, had, in fact, already been answered.

More importantly, very well documented.

Turning to a few salty sea dogs for inspiration, it struck me as odd that all they seemingly wanted to know about Ellen, was her sexual preference. I listened intently as, individually, they debated, often at some length and in graphic detail, whether she was straight or gay.

Unbelievable, given her vast achievements and successes, resulting in numerous accolades, including her Dame-ship, but still the burning question of who she prefers to go to bed with remains.

It’s sad. I mean, really, who gives a damn? What difference would it make to yours or my life if her sexuality were confirmed either way. It certainly wouldn’t make me sleep any better, or you?

They aren’t the only ones concerned with such matters. At a recent hotel press conference, an outwardly gay journalist from a national Irish newspaper, asked both Richard Gere and Sharon Stone, ‘Don’t you think celebrities should be more open and honest about their sexuality?’

Afterwards, you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife, but it wasn’t just the celebrities who were close to walking out; half the 200 or so international journalists felt it was a completely inappropriate question for the launch of a luxury hotel.

I guess the trouble is two-fold. They are in the limelight due to their profession and are interviewed, written about and scrutinised by the media on a near daily basis; the world at large thinks they know them and, because of the celebrity-obsessed culture now adopted, we now feel it’s our right to know every single last detail about their lives, which extends to all things personal.

As humans, we are inherently nosy. Ellen’s forebears explored the world to see what was over the horizon. The history books called them explorers, but they could just as easily have been called ‘nosy’. We’re not so different, we want to see and want to know everything about everything, and everyone, but it’s still a fairly slim excuse for invading someone’s privacy obssessively.

Jeffrey Ross, a racing/sports journalist for nigh on 40 years, thinks many journalists have lost all morality, empathy and humanity, especially where sports personalities are concerned. “Winning consistently, at a highest level, is incredibly difficult and if they fail to perform, as expected, they know about it.

Their job isn’t made easier by the media’s obsession with all aspects of their personal life; When Leicester Piggott was around, I didn’t care what he did with his whip after a race...”

Right: Ellen in her uniform.

Left: The entire BT Team Ellen line up.

I’m convinced that we’d all be happier if public figures were forced to have permanent web cams installed into their domains – big brotherstyle – for our entertainment. That way, we’d know, once and for all, whether or not Brad and Angelina were happily married and who does the washing up...!

As someone who has found the constant scrutiny difficult at times, which include various spoofs of her emotional ‘at sea’ videos, I’m sure Ellen would be horrified at this thought. “Losing your anonymity is a huge thing. It is one of the most precious things that you ever have, but you don’t realise it until you lose it!"

One of the strongest memories I have of the Vendee Globe is of getting off my boat into a life that wasn’t my own anymore and I had to make it my life again.”

Ellen first shot across the bows, into public conscious, in the winter of 2001, having finished second in the fiercely competitive Vendee Globe; a solo round-the-world sailing race, that doesn’t allow participants the luxury of stopovers or assistance. She was the tender age of 24, making her the youngest ever participant in the history of the race.

“I loved it! It was challenging, it was hard and all those things, but I loved it. I had dreamt of sailing around the world all my life and with the Vendee, I did it, but I didn’t just do it, I came second, so it was an amazing experience.”

Ellen completed the 24,000 mile course in just 94 days, and in doing so, set the record for the fastest female solo ‘round the world’ circumnavigation in a yacht with just one hull; in 2004 Ellen went one better, sailing her 75ft Trimaran B&Q around the world, establishing a new outright record for the fastest solo circumnavigation ever!

This record stood until last year when Frenchman, Francis Joyon, reclaimed the record after smashing her time by almost two weeks.

All is not lost, however, as she still retains the record of the fastest ever solo circumnavigation, by a woman.

sailing

Although an awesome title to hold, i’d like to bet, having gleaned some small insight into Ellen’s psyche, that she’s itching to reclaim the record, because being the ‘fastest woman’ just won’t cut it in her eyes. having asked whether she feels her efforts have encouraged other women like Samantha Davies and Dee caffari, who finished 4th and 6th respectively in the 2008/09 vendee globe, she seemed frustrated as she responded, “if you are going to do it, you’re going to do it, i don’t know if i’ve had anything to do with it. They are both my friends, so i’m not going to sit here and say, yes i encouraged them to take part, as they were already into sailing. My ambition isn’t to get women into the sport. i love sailing, it’s the most incredible sport, so i’d encourage anyone to take part, it’s not just about women!”

After being exposed to the schizophrenic nature of the sea, whilst powerboating, albeit just a few metres off-shore, i can’t begin to imagine how terrifying yet exhilarating it must be to sail the South Pacific, alone, even with the benefits of modern technologies, such as satellite phones and internet. Although full of admiration, Ellen, Samantha and Dee obviously have bigger 'balls' than i, which considering Ellen is a diminutive 5ft 2” tall compared to my 6ft 1” stature, just goes to prove that size isn’t all!

Does she worry about pirates? “when you sail in the vendee, you generally don’t see land. You are out there in the middle of nowhere, so your only risk would be down the Brazilian coast, but that’s not an area particularly known for pirates. we did an Asia Tour with the Trimaran in 2006 and there we were concerned about pirates as pirate activity had been reported along the stretch of water that we were sailing.” Do you make contingencies for them? "we just had a massive bag of cash and if they came on board, we were going to give it to them”, she said laughing before adding, in a more serious tone, “rather than be kidnapped or shot! we knew all the bits of the boat, every bit of technology and anything of value that we could take off and give to them. we even stored additional navigational devices and equipment at the back of the boat, so that we could get back if we had everything taken.”

You say ‘we’, recently you have been sailing more and more as part of a team, especially since the birth of BT Team Ellen, which incorporates several of the world’s top sailors and two open 60’s, which are the type of boat used in the vendee globe. what made you decide to join forces? “well, i’ve always sailed as part of a team. Just because you see a solo sailor everyone assumes they have only ever sailed solo, but that isn’t really the truth. i have done a huge amount of sailing with teams and always loved the team aspect of sailing, so BT Team Ellen is a continuation of that really. To keep up the teamwork, to keep sailing and keep doing projects, like the sustainability project i’ve been involved with down in South georgia. This is really important to me.

The way we live our lives, the fact that it is not sustainable and although we all say it, no one actually does anything about it. A few years ago i didn’t get it, but after three years of research in South georgia, it really changed the way i saw life and now i understand what it all means, so a large part of what i do within the project, including with our sponsors, is about that.”

And, i guess, this is where the loss of anonymity and ‘celebrity’ status finally starts to balance out. we all know it requires enormous sums of money to take part in any kind of professional sport, let alone global sailing, hence the need for sponsorship. Since Ellen sailed into the history books, she can now attract huge sponsors who are keen to use her status to bring subjects and products to the fore, which is great because she gets to do what she loves, but means an inordinate amount of her time has to be dedicated to singing their tune to journalists like myself, who, in turn, are hungry for more than just

Right: Seb Josse (FRA) training on 'BT' Open 60' for 2008 Vendee Globe.

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sponsors messages, because, of course, however much her sponsors try to portray how environmentally responsible they are, it doesn’t keep readers riveted! how far they are prepared to go is down to their own personal values, but rather than cashing in, by getting her breasts out for the lads mags, etc, Ellen has chosen to jump on the green bandwagon. ordinarily nothing drives me up the wall faster than a ‘celebrity or sports star’ ramming their ‘convenient’ idealism down my throat from lofty ivory towers, but to be fair to Ellen, despite bordering on preachy, she has designed and built her own sustainable ivory tower on the isle of wight, and does a considerable amount of charity work for sick children through the Ellen MacArthur Trust.

And to her credit, after driving herself to the top of the Top gear – celebrity in a reasonably priced car – ‘score board’, she turned down the opportunity to take a seat in a competitive Dakar Rally team, as she didn’t feel comfortable given it contradicted her ecological stand point...”it was two things really, although i went and tried out a rally car and had the opportunity to take part in the Dakar Rally, having just returned from South georgia, from a sustainability prospective, it felt it just wasn’t necessary, if i’m brutally honest. And, i also thought i don’t deserve it. i felt it would be unfair to take away an opportunity for someone else. it’s not my dream, i’ve not spent all my life dreaming of it, i’ve not spent all my life training to do it, whereas i have with sailing and that’s the difference. i’ve worked like mad for years and years to find funding and travelled all over the place, so it just didn’t feel it was fair to do it...” given her negative feelings towards motorsport, it’s surprising she even considered taking part in the Top gear show, which is hardly known for its green credentials. “i never thought for one minute that i’d got the top time, but like you say, i am competitive, so wanted to give it my best shot. i had a feeling from the Stig that i was getting towards the top of the leader board because he kept saying ‘i know you can do better’ and i found that a little frustrating really, (laughter) so i kept trying to have another go to put in a better time, as they only let you have so many laps and then that’s it. They then take the best time and you go in. So because he’d been saying that and i didn’t think i’d done a better lap time, i was really determined to have another go and they eventually had to say ‘Look Ellen, just get out of the car...' 'its getting dark' i was absolutely shocked when Jeremy said i’d got to the top. i’m absolutely certain it won’t be the last accolade this incredibly talented and determined dame will lay claim to.

“We just had a massive bag of cash and if they came on board, we were going to give it to them.�

watersport

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watersport

Zero to Powerboat Hero NEVER ONE TO TURN DOWN A CHALLENGE… HAS THE EDITOR BITTEN OFF MORE THAN SHE CAN CHEW? Writer: Suzannah Sorrell Photography: Jarowan Power

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waterSPoRT

I

t all started with a telephone call, which went something like this: “Fancy doing some powerboat racing,” “Are you serious?”

“Yes!” “well, of course i do. when is it and where?” “it’s in two weeks time at Lowestoft.” “great, i’m up for that!” “ok, i’ll come back to you.” click.

And with that, i went off to the goodwood Festival of Speed without giving it another thought. well, there were Ferraris to drive and i figured nothing was likely to come of it, given the time frame. on Monday of the following week, i received the following email on my iPhone, as i was sitting in a service station, close to the M25: 'Suz, Your honda race boat has arrived! This boat won both races in Liverpool 2008 - so no excuses!

You will need to spend as much time in the boat as possible if you’re going to win. i also have a few little ‘tweaks’ that will be done. i will be putting the boat in the water tonight so that it will be ready whenever you are. Please can you let me know some days/times you will be able to come down, so i can start your training.

Your navigator, Jeff weake will be arriving from new Zealand on the 15th July. once the race instructions have arrived i will forward on to you. Basically this is what will happen over the weekend.

Friday morning: Signing in / Scrutineering / Boat Launching.

Afternoon: Testing / Drivers Briefing / Drinks Reception.

Saturday morning: Signing in / weather Briefing.

Afternoon: Racing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! / Podium / Party time!

Regards, Dave'

Top: Temperamental coastal weather made practise a choppy business.

Above left: Course layout.

Above right: The Ed's ID bangle.

Right: Weather conditions, surprsingly calm for the first race of the day.

no pressure then!

Later that day i met David cowle – former 150hp champion and current driver of the 225hp boat, ‘Miss Toft ii’ for Lings honda, in the highly competitive honda Formula Four Stroke off-Shore Powerboat Series (F4SA). we met at Lowestoft haven Marina, with a view to checking out the boat and planning my training schedule. on Friday of that same week, training commenced. This would be the first time i’d ever driven a boat!

16-days later, i walked into Lings honda dealership ready for my first race, only to find my navigator lying on the sofa in their café, still half cut from the night before...

The good news; it was sunny and the sea was flat calm. “Are you nervous yet? inquired David, “not yet” i responded, “but if you keep asking, you’ll make me nervous." Although it would be helpful if my navigator could talk, what on earth did you do to him?”

Thankful that i didn’t indulge in the night out, i made my way over to the Marina, where ‘Suzi ii’ (h20), our hugely capable honda-powered 150hp boat was moored up. closely followed by kiwi Jeff, who was feeling a little more human, having eaten a couple of bacon rolls. with just under 45 minutes to go until the start of the race, we changed into our race overalls and settled ourselves in the boat, only for me to have to take mine off again, as i needed the toilet. The nerves had

tr aining journal After getting to grips with powerboat basics in the class room and at Lowestoft Haven Marina, Powerboat Champion, David Cowley, and Editor, Suzannah Sorrell, headed out to sea, just as a large black cloud emptied its entire contents of freezing cold rain and hailstones on top of them… We tried in vain to shield our faces from the onslaught; akin to a thousand tiny acupuncture needles all

20 . www.1DEgREEonLinE.co.uk

puncturing your skin at once, but it was no use.

We turned the boat around and headed back to the marina, sodden!

Once the rain had subsided, we ventured back out.

A couple of demo runs by David, who is a genius behind the wheel of Honda’s 150's. “Right, happy with that?” Asked David, “It’s your turn! Sit here, get yourself comfortable behind the wheel, attach the safety cut-off cord to your leg and then floor it!”

‘I walked into Lings Honda dealership ready for my first r ace, only to find my navigator lying on the sofa in their café, still half cut from the night before…’

Within seconds I was pelting down the coast, riding the waves like a thing possessed; whooping and wailing as I went along, once the nerves had subsided and I realised I was enjoying it. (Unlike when I’m in the navigator's seat!)

Suddenly David’s comments about making the boat become part of you began to make sense.

Approaching every wave was like preparing to jump a fence at the Grand National, except I had

to throttle off slightly, as the boat started to mount a wave (if it was a big one) and power on when we hit its crest, if I were to avoid the rear of the boat crashing down, destroying our backs and kidneys, but as importantly, retain my speed. A few more runs produced a straight line speed of 48 miles per hour. Not bad for a beginner, apparently! But, I had the feeling there was much more to learn than just point and squirt...

www.1DEgREEonLinE.co.uk . 21

watersport

Top Left: The Ed and Navigator Jeff Weake both looking a bit battle weary after race one.

Above: The Ed's 'Knox' spinal protection.

Above Right: Team 1 Degree NZ (H20) in full flight...

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started! Ordinarily no problem, but it meant taking off my Knox back protector and slam pad too – I wasn’t taking any chances, it’s brutal at sea!

Eventually, we bade our farewells to David and the rest of the crew (the Lings Honda team), who had been complete stars over the past two weeks, and set off with a mixture of excitement and trepidation, along with our fellow competitors, towards Lowestoft’s outer harbour; a painfully slow process, one that I’d done countless times before. So, I reflected on my training – all four days of it – and hoped it would be enough.

As we approached the main bridge in the town, I looked up to see many families who had been patiently waiting for us to pass under the bridge; all thirteen boats. Small faces lit up on sight, probably thinking, “When I grow up, I want to be a powerboat racer!” We waved, or rather I waved, as Jeff was power napping! They waved back. I guess it’s not every day you get to see this kind of spectacle, except when David is shaking down ‘Miss Toft II’, that is, Lowestoft being his patch.

It’s thanks to Lings Honda that the F4SA include Lowestoft in the race schedule and it is one of the most challenging circuits in the championship.

After receiving the call from the radio tower for us to proceed

watersport

out to sea, we turned on the video camera, (see video footage www.1degreeonline.co.uk/1degreetv.html), took some deep breaths and ventured past the sea wall. Following ‘drivers orders’, we drove half a lap in front of the crowds, before finally taking up our position in the outside lane (effectively the back of the grid as we were a guest boat), along the back straight.

What a difference a day makes. During a break in the famed Lowestoft Air Show schedule, the day before, we had bravely battled against crazy conditions, which was actually great fun. Although the waves were huge, they were readable, so I could judge when to power on and power off, to avoid the back end crashing down and punishing our coccyx and kidneys.

And then we were off!

Getting a good start, staying in the outside lane, Team 1º NZ (H20) headed to the first buoy, along with the rest of the crews. “You’re doing great, stay on it,” squawked Jeff, through the intercom. I’d previously been worrying about how my weedy arms would hold up during the race, but needn’t have. The adrenaline surging through my veins, had given me wings. I felt great!

Three laps down. “Right, you’ve got a boat coming up on the left.”

With that I pulled on the steering wheel and cut in front of them

“What the hell are you doing? Keep away from the boat.” Yelled Jeff.

“I’m not letting them past!” I screamed. As the chicane loomed, they changed course to our starboard side. (Right, to you and me) “Stay away from the boat”, reiterated Jeff, as I pulled the boat back to the right, cutting them off in the process whilst heading to the first buoy of the chicane and on towards the exit buoy. “Oh they’ll be p***ed at that, you’ve just given them a shower!” said Jeff. “I thought we were here to race?” I cried. “We are” said Jeff “That’s ok then. If you’re not worried, I’m not worried,” I said, “I don’t care, I’d have done the same!” said Jeff.

That settled, we continued, pleased that Team Delmar hadn’t got past us. Much to our surprise, along the back straight, they suddenly came storming past us. But, before I could whine, Jeff called out, “It’s ok, they’ll be disqualified as they are missing their engine cover!”

That was to be the only real excitement of the race, as it was just a case of bringing the boat home safely, which was relatively straightforward in the unusually, for the area, calm waters.

The remaining laps were all about thinking ahead and refining my style.

As a beginner, the temptation is to cut corners rather than taking them smoothly, so I spent the remaining laps perfecting my technique.

We finished a respectable 9th out of 13. Certainly a better performance

www.1degreeonline.co.uk . 23

Powerboat

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waterSPoRT

Left: The Ed forces the competition wide.

Right: The Ed delivers a fl ying finish.

than Ferrari F1 stand-in, Luca Badoer, managed at valencia! not a bad debut.

Lulled into a false sense of security, i was on a high; looking forward to the second race. But, by the time we got back out; late because we’d forgotten to fuel up in the hour between races, the weather had taken a change for the worse. with winds building and seas growing, we headed to the start area.

After a farcical start, resulting in a restart, Team 1º nZ (h20) finally got away to another great start. once again starting from the outside grid, we headed to the first mark, again with the leading boats. “Right, take it easy around the first buoy, there’s a lot of swell and the boats are all over the place. we don’t want to make any mistakes, let them make them.” Said my tetchy navigator, who was now convinced he had food poisoning.

Lap one down and sitting in the middle of the pack, things were going exceptionally well considering the conditions, until my helmet worked its way loose. in the rush to get out, i hadn’t checked whether it was done up, (or at least that’s the conclusion i’ve come to with the benefit of hindsight) so with every crash landing, it covered my eyes, which was most of the time. with the sea ridiculously rough and difficult to read, it was the last thing i needed, not to mention, dangerous!

To say i was frustrated was an understatement. having discovered my competitive streak, i’d gone out with every intention of bettering my previous performance. As i settled into a reasonable consistent pace, focused on chasing down the all-female crew, Team Eclipse, we caught a wave badly, hooking the nose of the boat. The boat attempted to throw me port side into the water, clashing heads with Jeff, as i was

rudely ejected from my own seat.

Prompted by a smack in the head, the only way to wake him up, Jeff’s lightning reactions saved the day. catching me by my legs (thank god they are long!) before shoving me back into the driver’s seat.

Just as i was thinking, “i think we should pull off now, i’m not enjoying this,” The kiwi’s voice boomed, “get your foot down! is your foot down?” After getting my shaking foot back on the gas, i shouted, “it’s down! it’s down!” helped by another surge of adrenaline, i was determined to carry on. having made up lost ground, i decided to resume my pursuit of Team Eclipse. “Left, go left,” shouted Jeff as he tried to navigate me away from their spray, “i can’t see where i’m going!’ ‘Just keep going left and get into their wake.” As tempers flared, we continued to negotiate the testing conditions before finally overtaking Team Eclipse (h7) to finish in eighth position.

All in all, it was a fantastic, if occasionally terrifying experience. Despite being as sick as a dog, kiwi Jeff did a fantastic job of navigating a novice around the circuit and handled the testing conditions of around two metres swell, admirably. i’ll be forever in his debt for catching me...!

And that’s how i became a powerboat racer, albeit temporarily. unless anyone out there fancies sponsoring a powerboat next season! i know where to locate a navigator and can guarantee coverage…

It’s a sad state of affairs when you can hardly lift a pint of lager... Not that I’m generally a pint drinker, I might add, but after my second practise session, I was in serious need of liquor.

Getting to grips with how to trim the boat was the most difficult task. A switch next to the steering wheel controls the angle of the engine, which effects whether the nose of the boat is up or down.

Reading the water seemed to come naturally, although i'm a world away from the Jedi-like skills

of my instructor David.

The day before Friday's practise, was my first opportunity to impress my Navigator, Kiwi, Jeff Weake. During my fourth practise session I managed to deliver consistent 51 mph straightline speeds, which was apparently good enough for Jeff to call a halt to the proceedings for a bit of sunbathing and plane spotting, as the Lowestoft Airshow was by now in full swing.

www.1DEgREEonLinE.co.uk . 25

A Taste of the Country from coast to coast, it was a landie adventure!

Writer: suzannah sorrell Photography: jarowan power

www.1degreeonline.co.uk . 27

motoring

T

he all-consuming fascination, or should that be fanaticism, that Landrover owners have for their beloved Landies has always perplexed me.

Some spend hours tinkering, tuning and pimping, with huge rims and acres of checker plate. Others even go so far as adding snorkels, despite the fact they will probably never take them anywhere near deep water, let alone in it, for fear of rust. Meanwhile, others prefer to keep them au-natural, coating them in mud at every available opportunity.

All however, wax lyrically about them to anyone who will listen. There are even organised events where they can compare differentials, drive ratios and mud, one assumes, much to their partner’s dismay!

Take a close friend, who recently lost the battle with his wife to keep his limited edition Challenge T5 90. With a second child on the way, the need for a more practical ‘family friendly’ car far outweighed his alleged self-indulgent fantasies of playing farmer. The question on the table was, ‘did he really need a vehicle that had previously crossed deserts and jungles to deliver him eight miles to work and back, albeit along country roads?’

Although I could see the practicalities of its fully wipe-clean surfaces, and the appeal of a bouncy ride, especially where children were concerned, it was incredibly noisy and utilitarian so I initially found myself siding with his wife.

My Discovery-driving friend, whose first car was a 110, was quick to put me to rights though, declaring, “She’s being utterly ridiculous. Landie’s are the best vehicles in the world!” Before adding, “He shouldn’t get rid of it under any circumstances.” Well, she did name her 110 Edith, and when forced to sell it, placed an advert in Horse and Hound saying something along the lines of… ‘A loving home needed for Edith, my 110 Defender!’ Despite her familys protestations that she’d gone

‘completely insane’, she had the last laugh, as the day after the advert ran she received a call from a couple saying, “We just have to buy Edith as you are obviously a true Landie person!” The deal done, they proceeded to send her regular ‘update’ letters containing photographs of them with Edith. She even got Christmas cards...!

As I said, it all starts to get somewhat mystifying, but never one to make ill-informed judgements, I thought I’d better give Landrover a call and take one for a long drive...

I needed to visit the Isle of Wight to interiew a sailor, so it seemed an appropriate vehicle to take across the Solent and trundle around a small island. Besides, the 300 mile six hour journey from Norfolk would provide the perfect opportunity to take it on a variety of roads, as that’s where most of them end up.

“Are you sure you want to drive a Defender that far? They aren’t the most comfortable of vehicles over long distances…” said the press officer. With that I nearly changed my mind, opting instead for the more comfortable Range Rover, but then thought ‘where’s my sense of adventure?’ Had my bottom gotten so accustomed to the finest hides of the world’s super cars that it was unwilling to rough it anymore? Before I could answer my inner voice, someone from the other side of the office noticed my hesitation and yelled, ‘get the Defender, it will be fun.’

I was in London when it was delivered so it was left to our fabulous photographer, JP, to drive it into the city. From the moment I spotted Larry the Landie, as it will now be known, circumnavigating Sloane Square, a big grin appeared from nowhere. Although completely out of its intended environment, it looked very cool indeed. “Don’t tell me what you think of it. Let me get behind the wheel and I’ll see how I get on,” were my first comments to JP, having never driven anything quite so organic.

Navigating our way through the city was surprisingly easy. A new lower ratio first gear means the Landie can pull away better, which together with its 360 nm of torque, aids off-road and towing performance. The clutch action is light, and it can be manoeuvred out of tight spots with ease, thanks to its short wheelbase. Bus drivers were looked in the eye and cabbies figured they'd met their match, despite probably thinking we were some young toffs from the countryside, lost in the big smoke.

So far, so good.

Making our way out to the ever-congested M25 at a slow crawl, we headed south towards Southampton and our hotel. Hotel TerraVina is situated on the edge of the beautiful New Forest, but crucially just a few miles from the Red Funnel ferry terminal.

I’d discovered the hotel during a frantic Internet search a few days prior, but at the time of booking hadn’t appreciated the calibre of our hosts; it turns out that owners Gerard and Nina Basset are effectively ‘hotel royalty’, having co-founded the Hotel de Vin hotel group, along with the Ecole du Vin (School of Wine).

And what a warm welcome we received from the amiable French owner and his English wife.

Right top: A rubber duck in everyroom!

Bottom far right: Yarmouth Pier, Isle of Wight.

Bottom right: Larry crossing the Solent with Red Funnel Ferries.

Left: The Ed tests out the Defender's handling.

motoring

‘as we began to embark, the maximum height 6ft 6” restriction sign loomed’

‘The only thing marring the experience was a particularly dreadful freestyle jazz band, dressed as clowns and playing to match.’

Being presented with a glass of chilled bubbly, as you arrive at their stylish bar, ranks high, but then you discover it isn't your typical hotel bar. With wine being the heart of the hotel, the bar features not one but two Enomatic machines; preservation systems that ensure that wine remains in perfect condition for over three weeks, meaning you and I get to try some of the premium wines by the glass, rather than just by the bottle – incredibly important to someone like Gerard whose passion is wine.

After retiring to the adjacent Californian-inspired open plan kitchen/ diner, and conscious that we had an internationally renowned Master of Wine and Sommelier at our disposal, we decided not to make fools of ourselves by ordering our own, opting instead to let Gerard match our wine to our choice of food. Let’s just say it was a night of beautiful concoctions and discoveries, which thankfully didn’t result in a hangover the morning after, even though I sampled perhaps a little too much!

Next day, it was during our first meal of the day that I spotted the hotel’s events list, enlightening me to the fact that Gerard is also a Chevalier Sabrage – an expert in the art of opening a Champagne bottle using a Sabre backsword – and I was welcome to attend a lavish sounding evening to teach me how it’s done…

After a pleasant ten-minute journey through the sunlight forest to the port, we reflected that, like fine wine, the Defender has improved with age. Although you couldn’t call the interior luxurious, it is certainly more car like than ever before.

Soon enough we were ushered onto our ferry, but as we began to embark, the maximum height 6ft 6” restriction sign loomed ahead. A quick check with the Red Funnel chap told me I had at least a foot between my roof and the sign, although strangely this didn’t allay my fears of having to call Landrover to say I’d just converted their 90 into a soft top! Proceeding gingerly, we found ourselves ducking, but thankfully made it safely onboard to be whisked across the water.

During the short journey, flicking through their onboard magazine, I noticed a review on The Hambrough Hotel & Restaurant, where we would be staying for the night. After reading about the 26-year-old chef patron, Robert Thompson, who in 2006 became the UK’s youngest Michelin-starred chef, and his intriguing ‘signature dish – Smoked eel terrine with fois gras, pork belly and caramelised granny smiths’, I was keen to disembark to make my way over to the sunniest side of the Island, the south – and the coastal town of Ventnor – as it appeared I’d found another gem.

Promising luxury accommodation and fine gourmet dining by the sea, the Hambrough is the only Michelin-starred establishment on the island, and is a credit to the young chef's vision. The only slight downside is that it doesn’t have its own car park, leaving ‘Larry’ to languish on the side street. The local police station is, however, at the back of the hotel so not much harm was likely to befall him – provided you can get a space. That said, it is a situation that car fan Robert is very conscious of and actively trying to remedy.

Top Right: Larry on a Ventnor side street outside The Hambrough.

Left: View from one of The Hambrough's six terraces, all overlooking Ventnor Bay.

Having checked into our respective elegant and well proportioned rooms, I promptly asked if we could order some food before turning my attention to the in-room cappuccino maker, this being the latest trend in premium accommodation.

Although well into the afternoon, word came back from the kitchen that they would happily rustle up some cauliflower and truffle soup and a Red Snapper Salad, to tide us over until dinner. As we sat out on the terrace overlooking Ventnor Bay, life couldn’t have been sweeter. The only thing marring the experience was a particularly dreadful freestyle jazz band along the way, dressed as clowns and playing to match. If they could have hit any more bum notes...

Still I was happy, having discovered that cauliflower soup, if created by Robert Thompson, is a grand experience!

With a few hours to go before the finest dinner I’ve ever eaten, and the possibility of a stunning sunset, we decided to check out our locale.

Firing up Larry it suddenly dawned on us that we hadn’t filled him up with diesel since he was dropped off in Norfolk which, considering he’d spent a fair bit of time at 70 odd miles per hour between the M25 and Southampton, was fairly astonishing really. It just shows that efforts made by Landrover, to make their vehicles more efficient, is paying off and the governments taxing of all 4x4’s, regardless of how economical they are or where they happen to reside, is completely outrageous!

Finding ourselves winding down many single-track lanes, we decided we couldn’t have picked a better vehicle to visit one of the top sailing destinations, which is a cross between Wales and Norfolk. The pace of life is slow, with roads calmed to mostly 30 miles per hour – which suits the Defender’s laid back character, perfectly. That said, the performance is surprisingly sprightly when it needs to be, thanks to an astonishingly refined 2.4 litre common rail diesel engine, producing 122hp.

As we rolled on, with views of the sea never far from sight, I found myself declaring, “I finally understand what is so appealing about the whole Landie thing. They have a unique quality that makes you want to name them and streak across the nearest field. They create adventures out of mundane journeys. Sure they have their faults, but in our sterile, ‘everything must be perfect’ world, you love them all the more for them.

They have a soul.” Before adding, “We should call your friend, tell him not to sell his Landie. Try to make his wife understand that to sell his Landie is more than just selling any old car. It would be like selling your soul – something you’ll always regret and can never get back."

It was too late, however, the Landie had gone!

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motoring

Commitment As the lotus exige approaches its 10th birthday, Dr sorrell explores its dual personality on both road and track.

Writer: suzannah sorrell Photography: jarowan power

N

umerous ideas spring to mind for putting the 2010 Lotus Exige S through its paces. Take it to the Isle of Man and blast it around the extremely quick and twisty mountain stretch, which forms part of the legendary 37.73 mile TT circuit that just happens to be de-restricted. Head to the notorious ‘Ring’, pay a fiver and see what lap times it could achieve, or take it to Reims, France, and let it sniff out the old Formula One circuit, nestled amidst the stunning Champagne region.

Either way, taking it away from its home soil, and the chance to abscond from the office, was preferable.

All this indecisiveness was, however, driving our long-suffering photographer round the bend. Everytime he thought he’d worked out the photographs to illustrate this feature I’d change my mind, driving off in a huff when he suggested photographing it next to some wind turbines. “Wind Turbines! What on earth have they got to do with it, it’s not the Bioethanol Exige!” I exclaimed, before he could counter with, “Aside from the fact it would make for a strong static shot, with the wind turbines providing the back drop, it is positively eco-friendly when compared to other sportscars, given its massive performance output from such a tiny engine.”

You’d never guess he used to work for them!

As I drove down the road with Muse Hysteria blaring out of the stereo, via my iPod, I thought about his logic. He was right to a point.

The latest Exige S, although not what the ‘greenies’ would deem officially ‘green’, still has a puny supercharged 1.8 engine which, when combined with its lightweight composite aluminium chassis and body, delivers an impressive 240 bhp; making it much more environmentally friendly than, say, Porsches’s 911 GT3RS. And, Lotus has managed to reduce the CO2 emissions to only 199g/km, whilst also increasing fuel economy.

Still, after commencing my powerboat challenge, it occurred to me that we didn’t actually need to take it very far at all because, a few days into the training, it became apparent that the Exige S was an incredibly similar proposition to that of my Honda-powered Cougar powerboat.

Both have been designed with enough creature comforts (in the Exige, air conditioning is a necessity, due to heat produced from the engine sitting just behind your head) to make them useable enough on a day-to-day basis and, more importantly, with enough potential performance to be demons on their particular circuit.

So in theory, after spending your Saturday perfecting lap times, you could take your partner for a Sunday blast. Perhaps with a picnic and some sparkling apple juice, as you couldn’t possibly drink because then you'd have to hand over the keys, and where’s the fun in that! Provided, that is, your ever-supportive partner doesn’t mind their insides being jerked about and isn’t bothered that the carefully prepared picnic would probably be a mushy mess at the end of the journey!

Yes, the Exige S and the powerboat had much in common: a headon collision of two great Japanese powerhouses – Honda and Toyota.

Since Lotus ditched the Rover engine back in 2004, as it no longer met strict new EU emission tests, they have gone from strength to strength.

Furthermore, after finding the magic formula – the supercharger – they’ve been able to drastically increase horsepower, making the latest version a world away from the mark I Exige in both performance and looks; its restyled front end and new larger, rear ‘drag reducing’ wing (181mm wider) makes it look even more like a radio-controlled car than ever before.

You have to hand it to Lotus. Unlike others, they’ve steadfastly stuck to producing small, neat little packages, that deliver an incredibly focused, low slung, go-kart-style drive, which has earned them the reputation of being arguably THE ‘best driver’s cars in the world.’

Left: The Exige's restyled front adds to it's aggressive racer for the road appearance.

www.1degreeonline.co.uk . 33

‘there’s so much feel through the steering wheel, that if I ran over a newspaper I could tell you what the headlines were!’

motoring

Top: The Exige's Probax seats are supportive, but not perfect.

Above: Instrument are clear and concise if a little bit boring, can't have everything!

Right: The Exige makes rapid progress on any road.

36 . www.1degreeonline.co.uk

And so far, they’ve resisted the temptation, whether it is for cost purposes or tradition, to ditch the much-loved manual in favour of flappy paddles, which says one thing to me: people who choose to own and drive a Lotus can, for the most part, drive and therefore adding transmission gizmos to protect the car from overzealous owners isn’t necessary.

During the Exige's two-hour journey back and forth to powerboat training, it was evident that the ride is still taut, akin to the powerboat crashing down after mounting an enormous wave. It was also apparent that driving the Exige for any extended period of time, is just as exhuasting as powering through rough seas for thirty minutes or so.

Steering is much the same; there’s so much feel through the steering wheel, that if I ran over a newspaper I could tell you what the headlines were! It’s beautifully progressive, particularly at low speeds, meaning you can just as easily pootle around at 50, as you can 100 plus (on a track, of course!!) So you have to hand it to the Lotus boys, they really have got the ride and handling nailed. And thanks to the low down torque from the supercharger, its throttle delivery is silky smooth, further emphasising just how far the Exige has evolved since the mark I. The experience was only marred by an annoyingly loud creaky dash, which didn’t endear me to its cheap-looking plastic proportions. I realise they’ve had to accommodate safety airbags, but nasty black plastic…?

Come on guys, lets have carbon fibre, aluminium or, at the very least, cover it in Alcantara, for a more tactile aesthetic. The most annoying thing for me, however, was the positioning of the horn buttons on either side of the steering wheel. Just as you’re nice and committed into a corner, or blistering around a track, you find yourself leaning on the horn, which just isn't cool. You even find yourself doing it when you're hoisting yourself out of the car (depending on your technique!) which, given it's difficult to look elegant at the best of times, isn't ideal.

Despite these minor irritations. And that it is still an absolute b**** to get in and out of, (more so the older I get!) once in, the overall experience is 100% worth it.

Take the boat. In choppy seas, you find yourself leaning into the waves, just as I imagine Tony McCoy does when approaching Becher's Brook during the Grand National. The same goes for the car. Step on the gas and soon the car becomes an extension of your body. As you drive through the gears, you feel part of the process rather than a passenger. In the dry, you can take corners at breathtaking speeds.

And, believe me when I say, you will bottle out way before the car loses grip, especially with the traction control turned off. During my fourth hot lap around the famed Hethel test track, I unconsciously lifted off, resulting in a spectacular spin on the exit of Clark corner! Check out www.1degreeonline.co.uk to view the footage.

Back on the road, if you happen to be driving in a monsoon as I was, with semi-slick Yokohama’s on, stay focused because you don’t want to be digging your pride and joy out of the nearest hedge.

Actually, that’s not entirely fair; unless you really over cook it, the variable traction control system will catch most errors, instantaneously, without fuss. Want a bit more slack? Dial it in or out as your taste and skill dictates and the back will step out willingly.

So you haven’t got a great engine note! Who cares? Stick the Prodigy or the Foo Fighters on and enjoy the ride, preferably on your own.

It’s really not an experience you’ll want to share…

My advice: save weight by ditching the rear view mirror, unless you want a reflection of your own hand. Have the trim shop swathe the

motoring

“…you’ll have the last laugh every time some pub bore says something stupid like, ‘but aren’t they unreliable and made out of a shed in Norfolk!’”

www.1degreeonline.co.uk . 37

Below: The Exige's compact proportions make it ideal for twisty country roads.

dreadful dash in black Alcantara, which banishes reflection in the windscreen, or better still get a carbon version and grab yourself a boot net, otherwise the cornering 'g' will unpack your bags for you!

Upgrade to race seats, as despite being fitted with Probax seats, they aren’t perfect, particularly if you are tall.

Then, go for a life enhancing blast around a track.

Still need convincing? The hand-built Exige S, limited to just 5,000 cars worldwide per year, might just be a good investment.

Let me explain. A friend recently took advantage of the drop in car prices by buying himself an '09 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 S, which he snapped up for around £30k less than book. Not bad considering it only had 2,000 miles on the clock! This makes the 10 year old Mark I Exige, one of the best investments ever. Originally £29,995 back in 2000, today, you would struggle to find a decent one for much less than 20k. So if this latest iteration holds onto its values as well as the mark I, and there is no reason to think it won’t, you’ll have the last laugh every time some pub bore says something stupid like, “but aren’t they unreliable and made in a shed in Norfolk!”

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Time For TT

The TT and the New TTXGP is an Electrifying Experience!

Writer: Jarowan Power

Photography: Jarowan Power

Motorsport

T

he Isle of Man Tourist Trophy or the TT, as most of us know it, is the most unique and extreme motorcycle race on the planet.

A mix of tradition and technology, skill and bravery – the riders who compete in the event are a breed apart!

In 1907, the first TT was won by Charlie Collier, riding a Matchless motorcycle, in a time of 4 hours 8 minutes and 8 seconds, at an average race speed of 38.21mph.

As we arrived on the island to experience our first TT race, Relentless TAS Suzuki rider and 2008 TT winner, Cameron Donald, had just set a new TT lap record, crossing the line with a time of 17 minutes and 13.25 seconds at an average speed of 131.457mph.

Later beaten by TT veteran John McGuiness, who posted a time of 131.578mph.

To put this in perspective, the best average speed for a Formula One car around the Monaco Grand Prix circuit is just 101.17mph.

The demands on the riders are immense. The concentration and precision involved in guiding a 200-plus miles per hour motorcycle around the sinuous 37.75 mile circuit is unimaginable.

Due to the nature of the course, the TT is run as a time trial race, with riders released at ten-second intervals, rather than a conventional mass grid start race.

They cover 226 miles, over 6 laps of the course, passing through towns and villages and past numerous pubs, countless lamp posts, road signs, make shift crash barriers (small straw bales) and other roadside detritus. If all goes well, they will only stop for fuel, a new rear tyre and a clean visor.

The 1000cc Superbikes running slick tyres, such as the one Donald rode, will reach speeds of 200mph, as they come down the mountain section of the legendary road circuit.

Riders will brush walls, fly over crests and use the kerbs

to help stop two wheel drifts, in a bid to shave valuable seconds off their lap times. Rider aids, like traction control, won’t save you here. Make even the tiniest of mistakes and you pay, big time! A fact highlighted by Cameron Donald only a few hours after setting his record breaking lap. “On my first lap out, riding my superstock bike, all was going well until I entered a down hill right hand bend leaving the mountain section. Missing a down shift gear change caused me to run wide. Although I think I could have made the turn alright, there was an option to 'escape' to the safety of an empty field on the outside of the bend. As I left the course and entered the field, there was a large ditch in the grass I couldn’t see and that was enough to unload me from my GSXR1000 and put me on my side.

The impact dislocated my shoulder and hurt my lower back, so TT 2009 over for me!”

It's not just the immense speeds and potential dangers that make the TT one of the world's greatest motorsport events, it’s the eccentricities too. Take for instance the gigantic wooden score board, which is almost as long as the entire pit lane. The board displays riders lap times, average speeds and, of course, overall times, but more interesting perhaps, is that it is operated by a troop of eager Boy Scouts and Cubs. As if to emphasise the crowd-pulling power of Moto GP rider Valentino Rossi, who attended this year’s TT, the organisers had unprecedented requests from countless Scouts and Cubs offering to man the boards this year, so that they could catch a rare glimpse of their Italian hero.

Boy Scouts? Isn’t that a bit archaic in our technological times, I hear you cry. I prefer to think of it as continuing a grand tradition, one

‘To put this in perspective, the best aver age speed for a Formula One car around the Monaco Gr and Prix circuit is 101.17mph.’

motorsport

which exposes the young to something as historic and unique as the TT, however dangerous it maybe.

Whether this tradition continues, however, is anyone’s guess because the organisers have recently changed, which may explain why this year’s TT had a more 'electric' atmosphere than normal.

At the end of the TT fortnight, fifteen all-electric motorbikes from around the world took part in the world’s first zeroemissions race called the TTXGP. Who knew you could get extension cables 37.75 miles long!

Global entries from the US, India, Germany and Austria, together with those from the UK and the Isle of Man comprised the competitors; a combination of commercial and university-based teams put the bikes they had designed and built to the test in a bid to showcase the future of green motorbike technology. Nevermind that they’d just racked up no end of air miles to get to the motorcycle friendly Isle of Man, but we won’t go into all that.

The state-of-the-art battery-powered machines raced over a single lap of the mountain circuit in the TTX Grand Prix Triumphant British-Indian team, Agni, took the top step of the podium, with a time of 25:53 seconds, with an average speed of 87mph. Second place, with a time of 29:04 seconds, went to the German XXL Racing team, with US team Brammo coming third with a time of 30:02 seconds.

Mission One, the fastest production electric motorbike, capable of 150 mph and designed and built from scratch as a zero-emissions vehicle, by Californian based Mission Motors, was one of the 15 bikes to take part in the clean emissions Grand Prix.

Mission Motors’ founder, Forrest North, who just happens to be a former Tesla employee, said: “It’s great to have a credible race to create a milestone to bring everything together. Its also great to have your team experience a

race and put the bike through it's paces.”

Speaking after the qualification rides, TTX Grand Prix founder, Azhar Hussain, said, “The teams taking part in the TTXGP... have demonstrated it is possible to build a zero-emissions race bike capable of competing on the Isle of Man Mountain Circuit.

Being the first event of its kind, anywhere in the world, many have naturally had doubts as to whether available technology is capable of such a demanding challenge, but clean emission motorsport has become reality!”

One of the major objectives of the ‘green’ race was to show how bikes of the future can reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and also be built more sustainably. North said,”Our bike could have been made from materials such as carbon fibre, making it as light as possible for racing, but our designers rejected the idea,” before adding, “one of our goals as a company is to be as green as possible. Our ultimate goal is a completely sustainably bike - no heavy metals, no brominated flame retardant plastics. We want to push electric vehicles to be as green and as sustainable as possible.”

Plans are already under way for next year, where the bikes will race for two laps with a pit stop to allow for a battery change.

The TT organisers have also taken an unprecedented decision by announcing that there will be a category for electric cars. This has already attracted the interest of companies such as Tesla. Having experienced the Tesla and watched them being built, I’d like to be the one driving the Roadster around the mountain, especially from the off, as the torque snapping your neck back is astonishing!

So after 102 years in existence, the TT isn’t sitting on its laurels and is still as popular and relevant as ever, and with one eye on the future, just imagine what the lap times could be in another 100 years.

Far left: Bikers and car drivers alike enjoy Mad Sunday when the one-way TT circuit is open to the public.

Right: Tas Suzuki rider signs an autoraph for one of the thousands of bike fans who attend the TT each year.

Below right: One of the Relentless Tas Suzuki bikes ready to race.

Below: Cameron Donald literally on a flying lap.

CYCLING

Life Cycle

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE COME FOR FREE, WELL, APART FROM THE BIKES, THE SHORTS...

Writer: suzannah sorrelL Photography: Jarowan power / Suzannah Sorrell

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CYCLING

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CYCLING

L

ife's funny when you think about it. You're born, you learn to walk and, just as you've mastered that, your parents complicate matters by perching you on two-wheels.

Initially petrified, you're soon whizzing around like a whirling dervish. Hour upon hour, year upon year of happy pedalling

ensues.

How free did we feel? How uncomplicated were our lives back then?

Then you hit 17 and all you can think about are four wheels; your bike banished to the garage for a long rest.

Many years later, during your morning ablutions, you discover a tyre in place of your six-pack. What the hell happened...?

You try dieting, but fail miserably. Damn those twin-packed chocolate bars!

Eventually, you'll reach the same point as we did in January.

"We need to do something. Something quick, otherwise, the food section will have to go, and no one wants that!" We moaned. It wasn't just our excess girths; our bodies were literally seizing up, rebelling against too much sitting down in front of computers, in cars or cramped up in planes.

But what to do? Join a gym? Been there, done that. "What you need is a challenge, something to aim for to keep you motivated, otherwise you won't stick to anything," said our marathon running friend. "How about taking on the London Marathon?" Are you kidding! Running is far too much like hard work and, besides, our snapper has a 'get out of running note', thanks to a war wound on his leg.

The eureka moment came during a conversation with Superbike rider, Leon Camier, "You should get a pushy! That'll sort you out. Cycling is great for fitness..." He should know; when Leon isn't dominating the British Superbike Championship (After posting 14 wins, he's just broken Niall Mackenzie's record for the most BSB wins in a season and there's still eight races to go!) he can be found racing his 'pushy' around his local cycling club circuit. In fact, you'll find most motorsport stars worth their salt, use cycling as part of their training.

It's probably got something to do with how far bike technology has moved on since the days of the Raleigh Chopper. With the cycling industry keen to capitalise on human-power, there's never been a better time to get back in the saddle. And remember, once learned, you never forget, so there's no excuse!

Big-barrelled Sturmey-Archer 3 speed gears of old give way to lightweight precision-engineered Japanese or Italian components, offering upwards of 20 gears.

Since Lotus burst onto the cycling scene, with it's unique carbon fibre monocoque frame which, when powered by Chris Boardman, enabled the pairing to win Britain's first cycling Gold Medal in 72 years at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, carbon fibre has become the material de rigueur.

Most wheels are constructed from carbon fibre, aluminum alloy or a combination of both, as are seat posts, handle bars, you name it. If they can utilise its lightweight properties, they will. Then you've got disc brakes, wired or disc spokes, shock absorbers, the list goes on and on.

Not since the 80's automotive scene – GTI, SRI, RS, XR3i, Twin-Cam, 16 v – have we seen so many acronyms; an achievement in itself, given the space available on a bike.

But, what of our goal?

Trawling through the Internet, we found scores of organised cycling events to choose from, making it apparent that whilst we'd ditched our two-wheels in favour of four and an engine, many hadn't.

Spoilt for choice, we eventually chose the London to Cambridge 60-miler, on the 26th July, in aid of Breast Cancer and the Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford, Ireland, in aid of the Irish Cancer Society, on the 30th August.

Perfect! Two races, two great causes and enough time to get some training in, problem solved.

Now all we needed was a couple of decent bikes...

After a bit of research; another phone call to Leon, we were straight on the phone to Bianchi.

"What you need is a 928 road bike," said the obliging press officer.

"They will be perfect for what you're intending to do. I'll put you in touch with Ed, a great guy over at Colchester (5312.co.uk), that's near you isn't it?" Well, kind of... "He'll sort you out, take measurements etc and order the bikes you need."

And sure enough, a couple of weeks later, we were being fitted out with two brand new full carbon (with a sprinkling of Kevlar) framed 928's or, 928 C2C Veloce to be precise, which translates as Coast to Coast and 'fast' in Italian.

Designed with long distances in mind, these competition-standard road bikes benefit from BAT (Bianchi Active technology), a system designed to balance out torsional rigidity, affecting the frame during pedaling, and vertical vibration by using Kevlar to dampen the front folks and rear stays; increasing comfort whilst reducing rider fatigue. Which in English means, longer, more comfortable rides that don't leave you completely knackered at the end.

Two weeks on, we picked up our bikes. Jumping on them for the first time was incredible; so obviously light and reactive and we'd only ridden three miles! Three of the most painful miles ever travelled, I might add! Bike design may be more technologically advanced, but the saddles are still incredibly uncomfortable. It should be noted we were both wearing jeans... as you did back in the old days!

Time to get some fetching skin tight lycra with padded bits!

Walking into a cycling shop is a minefield. There's longs, bibs, half bibs, (think German male porn star with braces and you'll be on the right

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CYCLING

lines!) some with chamois padding, others with technically advanced spongy materials designed to wick away moisture. Then there's gloves, micro-mesh polyester shirts, cleated shoes, helmets, again the list is endless.

So endless you could easily get carried away and spend a small fortune when taking up cycling nowadays.

Keen to look the part, we opted for the latest in compression clothing from cool Aussie brand, Skins. Having just launched its first cyclingspecific range and been given the thumbs up by Team ColombiaHighroad that counts Mark Cavendish amongst its team, the gear promised to aid training and recovery. Crucially, it came with padding to preserve our nether regions from the onslaught. Using EIT (Elastic Interface Technology) no less, designed to distribute weight evenly across the saddle and breathability, which when combined with KY Jelly, baby oil, Sudocrem or Vaseline (a great tip by Leon!) makes for much more comfortable rides.

Our first proper ride was around 10 or 15 miles and boy it felt good to be riding again. The same sense of freedom experienced as a child came flooding back. Although limited to mountain biking, the difference between a dedicated road bike, and one of those, is astounding.

It's like going from a Range Rover to a Lotus Elise. The ride is seriously taut. Every nuance of the road is felt through your hands and bottom.

As our training progressed, with rides as long as 40 miles, we learned to avoid stones, road grates and potholes like the plague, because if your rear didn't suffer, your tyres did. Going down hill became an exhilarating event, reaching speeds of between 30 – 40 miles per hour.

And that's in the flat county of Norfolk!

What surprised us was how quickly we made progress. Loops that initially took us an hour to complete soon took 45 minutes and we rarely felt tired afterwards, presumably due to the combination of the bike and Skins outfits. And having a goal was definitely keeping us motivated.

So with the Superbikes coming to Snetterton and us feeling moderately fit, we made a date with Mr Camier, with the aim of learning some road craft.

Looking too cool for school and sickeningly fit, Leon is a walking advert for the sport; emphasising we had a long way to go, and that the vigorous chocolate eating would have to be dropped from our 'carb loading' regime!

"That's a nice bike you've got there, I don't suppose it's in my size is it!" joked Leon, as I pulled my bike out of my car. He wasn't the first to comment on our bikes, which guarantee admiring, if not jealous, glances wherever you take them.

Out on the track, Leon explained his motto: "Steady away" "You don't want to go off like a rocket and risk pulling hamstrings. You want to get your legs spinning to get some warmth into them and take it easy for the first few laps." Ah that's where I've been going wrong. That'll please the snapper who'd had to cry off due to work commitments, but was always moaning that I'm like a racehorse out of the stalls!

During the next hour I learnt about pelotons – where cyclists travel as an integrated unit, much like birds fly in formation – each taking turns at the front to lessen the effects of fatigue and maintain a higher average speed than they would individually. I also learnt the art of slipstreaming, "Get up close to my rear wheel and you'll feel it pull you along. Its really effective during a race, as you can relax, while I do all the work" Sounded good to me, particularly as the view was good!

"When I've had enough, I'll push out my right elbow, pull left, you go past and ride upfront, I'll slot in behind and ride your slipstream."

After peddling furiously around the circuit for just over an hour, obeying racing lines, of course, I got into the swing of things. It felt great riding on smooth tarmac. Why can't all roads be like that? As we crossed the finish line for the last time, heart rates pounding, (mine at least!) we checked our lap times – just over 3 minutes.

I then asked, but immediately wished I hadn't, what kind of speeds he usually does, "I average around 27 miles per hour."

"That's your average speed! Crikey.

We have a long way to go...!

To be continued…

48 . www.1degreeonline.co.uk

First page: Sunset at the Lotus Test Track.

Previous page: Ed, owner of 5312 Ltd, tweaks a seat post.

Previous page: Superbike Rider, Leon Camier and Suzannah Sorrell (Ed) racing one another around Snetterton Race Circuit.

Right: Photographer Jarowan's first punctured tyre.

Far Right: Suzannah and Jarowan getting ready for training, stylish in their new Skins gear. The Mercedes Vito Dual Liner; the perfect vehicle for transporting our 'pushies'.

‘It's like going from a R ange Rover to a Lotus Elise.

The ride is seriously taut.

Every nuance of the road is felt through your hands and bottom.’

CYCLING

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motoring

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motoring

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Aviation

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Aviation

Air Kisses

Imagine being able to have your first kiss again, with all you know now, and with someone much hotter!

Writer: Damian Harty Photography: supplied & damian harty

A

s a 15-year-old spotty air cadet, I had my first ‘air experience’ flight in a DeHavilland Chipmunk – it replacing the Tiger Moth, yes, that Tiger Moth – awestruck as we nosed into a gentle dive to garner the 175 knots it needed to complete a loop.

Experiencing 2g for the first time, and seeing the ground above and sky below, was too much for my adolescent brain to comprehend.

I let the stick go and learnt that Gypsy Major engines don’t run upside down!

In flying terms it was definitely my first kiss. It was also longer ago than I care to admit. At 17, a failed medical put paid to aspirations of becoming a pilot, but I’ve never forgotten that time in the Chipmunk.

In the intervening years I’ve indulged my fantasies with a Tiger Moth flight at Duxford, before the Eurocrats judged that people having a nostalgic bimble presented a clear and present danger to society. The Tiger Moth was an exceptionally gentle thing, although I confess to being completely rubbish at flying it; leaving the pilot in the back to have a whale of a time chasing his mate around the sky in an accompanying Moth, and whilst very agreeable, it was no first kiss revisited.

I’ve done hundreds of thousands of miles in commercial jets; functionally whisking me all over the world in safety, style and comfort, but

in kiss terms they are kisses from your auntie.

Not one of them looped the loop, although there is a video of a Boeing 707 doing a roll on the 1º website. (www.1degreeonline.co.uk/video) Recently, thanks to the editor’s squeamishness over such things, she effectively put me in the front seat of an Extra 300. The cute little thing weighs a quarter of a Spitfire, sounds like a Porsche and is the preferred mount of aerobatic pilots like Gerry Cooper, one of the members of Team GB, who will form a collective assault on the World Aerobatic Championships, to be held at Silverstone in August 2009.

As my co-pilot, Andy Bickmore, ran the engine up against the brakes everything flexed, straining and coiling itself in readiness for take-off. After no distance at all, the tailwheel was off the floor and we were pulling up into a climb at what seemed about the same rate as a commercial jet – pretty impressive considering it was only doing half the speed.

A purpose-built aerobatic plane, it has symmetrical wings, so it doesn’t matter which way up it flies; a fixed tailwheel undercarriage rather than a retractable one, to save weight, and ailerons that span the full length of the wings to give it high rolling rate and excellent maneouverability. The inboard portion of the ailerons sit in the wash of the propeller,

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Aviation

‘The pilots have no sissy g-suits – a weight issue again – and rely on physical fitness and pr actice to clench themselves with each manoeuvre and stave off the point of vision loss to over 7g.’

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Aviation

so when the plane is performing a technical manoeuvre like falling out of the sky, the pilot can still steer it. In fact, when they drop backwards off the top of a vertical climb, the controls still work. Yes, backwards!

On the ground I was convinced my harnesses were tight, having been strapped in by exmilitary pilot ‘Smokey’ Young, but by the fourth half three-quarter Cuban thingy, I was beginning to wish they were tighter. That moment of falling towards the canopy was ever so slightly disconcerting; the briefing on the use of the parachute not far from my mind.

I was totally fascinated by how much grip the little Extra had on thin air. From level flight it can hurl itself onto a wingtip in less than a quarter of a second. It does a full revolution in under a second, and even when Bickmore prepared me by saying “going for a roll now” it was still pretty astonishing watching the world rotate that fast. When I asked whether that was maximum roll rate or whether he was just being kind to me, he showed me a ‘snap roll – a sort of combined stall and roll that is analogous to a Scandinavian Flick in a rally car. It was so fast I couldn’t really understand what was happening to the plane – it was just surreal. It was my first kiss all over again, but with Claudia Schiffer, and she was really into me!

The Extra is stressed for plus and minus 10g.

That means it can wind itself into a turn so tight that it feels like there are another nine people sitting on my lap! While one or two people on my lap feels sounds agreeable – although it does hinge on who they are and whether any of them resemble Sandra Bullock – nine is an awful lot! At that point the liquids (principally blood) start sloshing about inside the body and then start to get pulled down, down until it leaves one’s head towards ones toes! The seats in the Extra are canted back a little (it resembles a birthing chair when you first climb in) to help with this, but there is no getting away from the fact that we are not designed to be drained of blood like that. The pilots have no sissy g-suits – a weight issue again – and rely on physical fitness and practice to clench themselves with each manoeuvre and stave off the point of vision loss to over 7g. Formula 1 cars? Around 3.5g. The Space Shuttle? Roughly 3.5g at launch. Even the Apollo rockets that went to the moon only pulled 7g or so. Eurofighter Typhoon? 9g. You get the picture of the sort of territory we’re in.

It’s extreme with a capital E. In terms of speed the little chap can reach over 400kph (240mph), but interestingly, aerobatics is more about the lack of speed than excess of it. “Lower speed means you can fit more manoeuvres in a given space”, explained Mark

Damien prepares to re–aquaint himself with his first love.

Jeffries. “Aerobatics is all about flying for the judges. If you lighten the plane it can do the same things with less airspeed, and that means you stay nearer the judges. You always have to fly the plane from the judges’ point of view.” My mind is in a spin as tight as the Extra in inexpert hands. You’re doing all this stuff and you’re imagining you’re somewhere else! I could barely remember my name while it was cavorting about the sky; the idea of tracking the motion of the plane, imagining it from someone else’s point of view and actually flying the plane too, made me even more awestruck. “With some of the hesitation manoeuvres we are marked on accuracy; we lose points for being five degrees out. At 400 degrees a second that’s a 1/80th of a second window to stop the roll in the right place.” Crikey!

It’s easy to see why the pilots do it – it is inexpressibly astounding to be in the plane.

To be at the controls and winning events must be life affirming in a way that Valentino Rossi might understand but I just can’t imagine.

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Playing Away

Par Fr ançais Four days, four courses, the South of France, I didn't need to be asked twice...!

Writer: Simon Skeffington

T

he blazing sun was beating down and I had just rolled a potential birdie putt from the fringe of the green to within a couple of inches of the cup.

As I sank a satisfying par putt I wondered if I’d ever spent a more blissful Friday afternoon at work. Probably not! But not every Friday afternoon is spent playing a round at one of the most historical golf courses in the world.

I was on the first hole at Pau Golf Club, situated in a beautiful corner of France – the Aquitaine region. If you’ve never heard of Pau, nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees, then you really need to swot up on your ‘history of golf’ knowledge. Founded in 1856 by Scotsmen (officers from the Duke of Wellington’s regiments, no less), it is the oldest golf course in the world, outside of Blighty. If anyone needed reminding of that, the clubhouse, built in 1880, transports visitors back in time – a genuine museum. It is stocked with a host of paintings, clubs and trophies dating back through the generations.

The beauty of the course has not diminished over time – Pau is green and luscious and, on a hot spring or summer’s day, certainly one of the places to be. The par-5 10th was, for me, the pick of the holes. At 475 metres (I was in France remember – it’s 520 yards to you and me!) off the back tee, you have to drive over a babbling brook, an off-shoot of the Gave de Pau river that borders the course, before a dogleg left takes you back over the water a little further up.

One slight downfall may lie in the distance of the course. At just 5,314 metres (5,811 yards) off the white tees, big hitters may find it less of a challenge – unlike yours truly, a 28 handicapper, who certainly appreciated the short par-4s that cropped up.

Pau was the first round in what was to be a busy weekend touring that particular pocket of south-west France, playing some of the best

courses the Aquitaine region had to offer. And they don’t come much finer than Seignosse, in the department of Les Landes.

Designed by American architect Robert von Hagge in 1989, it has been deemed the best golf course in the country by the Association of British Tour Operators to France.

If you wanted further proof of its pedigree, it’s a regular haunt of Spanish ace José María Olazábal, who uses Seignosse to practise his irons in the run-up to the US Masters. Seeing as he’s won this Major twice, it’s obviously a winning combination!

It’s not uncommon to bump into Jean Van de Velde either – although I’m guessing it’s unlikely you’ll spot him with trousers rolled up, ankledeep in any of the water hazards!

You’d be well advised to invest in a buggy if playing at Seignosse.

Measuring 6,129 metres (6,703 yards), the par-72 wooded, parklandstyle course winds its way up and down what feels like every hill the area has to offer.Most holes are lined with immense pines and cork oaks – although, sadly, not as many as just a few months before my trip, when a hurricane-strength storm devastated the area. The woodland, through which the course is carved, still bears the scars of that night, with hundreds of trees ripped up and many more bent at angles, denoting just how powerful the wind was.

With narrow, undulating fairways to aim at, accuracy is an absolute must. But even getting a ball in prime position from your drive is no guarantee of scoring well, as contoured greens make putting one hell of a challenge.

The par-5 11th has to be seen – and played – to be believed! An elevated and multi-tiered tee (529 metres/578 yards from the back), it has a near-100ft drop to the fairway below. Catch your drive right, and you can proudly stand back to admire one of the most majestic golf

Above: 8th Green Ilbarritz

Playing Away

‘If you’re travelling with your sticks – and want to brush up on your game – the ilbarritz training centre is where you need to be headed’

shots you’re ever likely to hit. The fun doesn’t end there either. At the other end, there is a steep incline up to the green, as well as sand and water, making you think about what approach to play.

Staying in Les Landes, a short drive up the Atlantic coast, is Golf de Moliets – a course that carries the European Challenge Tour label and is deemed by Golf Digest magazine to be one of the top 100 courses in the world, excluding the USA. Not bad when you consider the magazine evaluates around 15,000 courses across the globe for its biennial rankings.

Designed by the gifted architect Robert Trent Jones, it has two distinct personalities. 14 of the 18 holes are carved out of the pine forests while the other four provided me with my first ever taste of links golf – over in the sand dunes which buffer the course from the sea. The links are not what I will remember most about Moliets – that tag is reserved for what might prove to be the closest I ever get to a hole-in-one.

It came on the 12th, a 104-metre (114-yard) downhill par-3. After a beautifully swung nine-iron (if I say so myself!), there was a brief second of heart-stopping excitement as my tee shot pitched on the green and headed directly for the flag – before agonisingly stopping a foot or two shy of the cup. The less said about the birdie putt the better, though. Yes, you’ve guessed it; I carded a three on that hole. Curses!

Biarritz in the heart of the Basque Country was next on the agenda.

Sitting on the Bay of Biscay, just over 10 miles from the Spanish border, the town is a tourist hotspot.

If you’re travelling with your sticks – and want to brush up on your game – the ilbarritz training centre is where you need to be headed. A unique concept in Europe, the idea of the school is to re-create, around

a circular range, the different situations you might encounter on a golf course. So there are all manner of areas to practice your long game, chipping, bunker play or putting – playing off mats or grass, on flat or sloping lies.

Then it’s time to put theory and practice to the test, on the nine-hole, par-32 course. Don’t go thinking it’s some easy pitch and putt, though, because it’s anything but and is quite a technical challenge.

Club selection is crucial as you have to take into consideration the gusts whipping in off the Atlantic coast – just ask the two balls I spanked into the lake that fronts the 8th green with a seven-iron that should have more than comfortably cleared the water.

So there you have it. While I was lucky enough to play a handful of courses during my whistle-stop weekend, there are in fact some 60 to choose from – meaning you’re incredibly spoilt for choice.

With the climate in the south-west of France being somewhat better than we’re used to back home, it’s also an area where realistically you can play all year round.

Throw in the beauty of the surrounding countryside, historical towns to explore, not forgetting some fine local wine – it would be rude to go all that way and not sample it – and Aquitaine truly is a place for creating some memorable golfing experiences.

Pau:

www.paugolfclub.com

Seignosse:

www.bluegreen.com/seignosse

Moliets:

www.golfmoliets.com

ilbiarritz:

www.golfbiarritz.com

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This page: 3x World Champion jet-ski racer, James Bushell watches on...

Bottom right: James showing Greg how it should be done!

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Watersport

Much to Sea and Doo Greg Hardes gets to grips with a couple of watery beasts...

Writer: Greg Hardes

“S

Photography: Greg Hardes

omeone once said it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on", remarks Mark, the BRP Sea-Doo representative, as we sit on the bank discussing the crafts many and varied attributes. I keep quiet and nod along politely as I still want a go on that cool-looking silver one. However, the little voices in my head begin to discuss the validity of this claim, coming to the conclusion that there were at least three equally, fun things that can be partaken of in full attire: snowboarding, sky-diving, and… actually, I do believe the Sea-Doo has just snuck it's way into the top three.

The Sea-Doo RXP–X 255 watercraft (or 'really fast jet–ski' to you and me) is certainly nippy. Capable of a top speed of 70mph, it can beat a Ferrari F430 to 50mph (to clarify; that's with the two vehicles driving on their respective surfaces. A Sea-Doo would definitely lose to a Ferrari – or a Ford Orion for that matter – on tarmac, largely due to its lack of wheels!) This is not the sort of machine that you would hire on a family holiday to lope around with the kids on the back. This thing means business; a point exemplified by the presence of James Bushell, 3 times World Champion jet-ski racer and team rider for Sea-Doo. Another representative gave me a demonstration of the vehicle's extensive capabilities, thrashing it from side to side and seemingly breaking the sound barrier, before handing it over to the irritable 'health and safety' guy whose job it was to individually talk us through the controls. "Now, press the throttle gently", he instructs, sitting behind me on the craft. As is often the case, the risk assessment part of my brain is spectacularly overpowered by the part that wants to go really, really fast, and I am immediately scolded for pressing too hard on the throttle, narrowly avoiding a date with the trees.

Initially, I am pretty terrible at controlling this watery beast. The steering is counter-intuitive, requiring acceleration into the turn. Slowing down, whilst tentatively turning the handlebars, is about as effective as politely suggesting to a great white shark that maybe he shouldn't try and eat the baby seal that's flapping away naively mere meters away on the water's surface; or trying to convince Kim Jong-Il to make love, not war! However, I soon realize the Sea-Doo's unlimited turning capabilities, aided by a special stepped hull design that reduces drag and keeps the craft glued to the water. One moment the RXTiS (the first craft I had the pleasure of testing) is twisting and turning with more poise and balance than a ballerina, the next, it transforms into Usain Bolt as it cuts through the air with an effortless eruption of power.

There are two main vehicle types to choose from: 'luxury performance' and 'performance'. The crème de la crème of the latter is the RXP-X 255 RS. It's engine boasts 255 hp, reaching 0-50mph in 2.9 seconds.

The X, added to the already unnecessarily long name, represents some performance-enhancing additions, or Xtras as I like to call them. Ooh, I feel so dirty with my X-Handlebar, X-Finger Throttle and X-Traction Carpets and Seat. The carpets are so obscene they should be censored! Lazy marketing ploys aside, this thing really is Xtremely fast (ok I'll stop that now). What impresses me perhaps above all else is the unexpectedly discreet engine. Gone are the obnoxiously loud, anti-social, oil-spitting hooligans of the water – a reputation I have always seen as synonymous with jet-skis. These days engines are so

much more refined, to the point where a Sea-Doo would struggle to disgruntle a retired couple.

As for the luxury range, I am not so enthralled. The GTX Limited iS 255, which, from the front reminds me of Kryten, the humanoid/robot from Red Dwarf, is, according to BRP, 'simply the best there is'. For the luxurious and refined GTX, they have decided that using X as a prefix to the craft's special features is too lewd for such a sophisticated vehicle, opting instead for the most impressive and intelligent letter in the alphabet – i. Featuring an intelligent suspension system and throttle control, the GTX is incredibly intuitive, almost predicting your actions before you make them. While there is a certain raw, untamed feel to the RXT, the GTX is unmatchable in comfort and control, cushioning each and every inconsistency in the water's surface and providing an incredibly smooth ride.

The trouble is I don't need – no – I don't want my jet ski to be a genius.

Nor do I want it to have the intelligence of a PhD student, and I don't want it to mollycoddle me like an over-bearing mother. I want to thrash it around aggressively, maybe even give it an occasional spank, asking it who its daddy is, and if I cross the line then it punishes me for my bad behavior by catapulting me into the water. On the GTX I never once felt like this was going to happen. The suspension is just so good that it constantly makes allowances for overly aggressive, shoddy driving, which sums up my style, but where's the fun in that?

Never mind 'most fun you can have with your clothes on!' The RXP makes me want to ride it naked, accompanied by two bikini-clad playboy bunnies. The GTX however, makes me feel underdressed in anything less than a dinner suit, so perfect for the James Bond of old!

surF'suP

surf tribes

ThEY RiDE ThE wAvES in BoARD ShoRTS oR ThE LATEST Skin TighT nEoPREnE. huDDLE ARounD AnciEnT cAMPER vAnS AnD BoB ABouT on ThE hoRiZon wAiTing FoR A DEcEnT SET oF wAvES. gREg hARDES TRAcES ThiER TRiBAL oRiginS. Writer: greg HarDeS.

pHotograpHy: greg HarDeS.

Corporate Cool Guy Andy, after working his way up the corporate ladder, is now earning a six-figure salary. Although he enjoys the finer things in life – expensive convertibles, a swanky studio apartment in west kensington, and breast enhancements for his wife Susan – Andy sees himself as something of a free spirit. After taking a few surfing lessons in oz with a guy called koby, a tanned dude with long blonde hair that Andy really felt he connected with on so many levels, Andy now regularly relives the transcendental experience of being at one with nature to his young secretary.

Andy is arranging a team-building weekend in newquay, where he will pay large sums of money for him and his beer-bellied colleagues to wear neoprene and flounder around on large florescent foam boards.

The Geared-up Grom Simon is 15 and has recently had his hair cut in exactly the same style as his favourite surfer, Andy irons, including expensive highlights to recreate that sun-bleached look. To date, his parents have bought Simon seven high-performance surfboards, all of which are completely covered in various surf stickers from Quiksilver to Billabong. This, along with his branded hoody and baggy jeans, gives people the impression that he is sponsored by at least a handful of major surf brands. Simon plays the cool dude around his friends but gets grounded if he doesn’t practice piano every evening.

The Thrasher Jack is sick of all these idiot beginners crowding his favorite surf-spots and getting in his way all the time. Don’t they realize he’s been coming to this spot for years? way before surfing became so damned popular!

These crowds are like a virus, and Jack chooses to remedy this particular virus with aggression – effing and blinding at anyone who dares cross his path. he of course has priority on any wave he chooses, regardless of the order of the line-up, and everyone else should automatically know and acknowledge that fact. After all, he’s lived here all his life and this is a local spot for locals only.

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Surf'sUP

Super Gramps Richard is much older than his toned figure and excellent posture lead you to believe. After turning seventy this year, Richard still feels like a child inside – a fact he accredits to morning yoga sessions, healthy eating, regular sex with his wife Gene, and above all else, surfing.

Richard thinks that conventional education is irrelevant, believing surfing to be the only true education.

The Jock On average, Brad uses the word ‘stoked’ in every other sentence, regardless of context. When he’s not surfing, Brad is lifting weights in his garage or buying t-shirts that are one size too small in order to accentuate his buff figure. He will gladly challenge anyone who thinks they can drink him under the table or beat him in an arm-wrestle, and tends to become quite aggressive after a few too many pints.

This underlying aggression is most prevalent in the water, where he tears through each wave as if it had just insulted his mother, while simultaneously insulting any fellow surfer’s mother at the top of his booming voice. Brad thinks he is God’s gift to surfing.

Soul Surfer Dylan is a sixties child, brought up on a diet of Magic Roundabout and, apart from the crows feet around his eyes, has not changed one bit since the flower power era of peace and love. Dylan divides the majority of his time between smoking doobies while listening to The Grateful Dead, and surfing on his vintage longboard, a custom-made 1967 Greg Noll. Too much LSD back in the day contributes towards Dylan’s monotone drawl, each syllable taking about as long as it takes for the moon to orbit the Earth, and each sentence ending in either “man” or “dude”. Dylan believes surfing to be the ultimate spiritual experience.

The Hodad Harry owns the biggest collection of surf movies of anyone he knows.

He has a clock that’s the shape of a surfboard, a similarly themed rug, bed-sheet, lampshade and fridge magnets – not to mention the three old boards dotted around the flat. Harry only wears surf brands (preferably Quiksilver or O’Neill) and owns seventeen pairs of boardies and eight pairs of flip-flops. He lives in Middlesex. A few months ago Harry took a trip to Cornwall and you can now check out all the pictures from the trip on Facebook. Ninety percent of these photographs show Harry holding a surfboard.

The thing is, no one’s ever actually seen Harry surf…

The Quiet Type Bill lives a quiet and contented life. He has a quaint home by the coast where he presides with his wife and two Springer Spaniels. Every morning before work Bill drives to his favorite beach with his two dogs, and if the waves look promising he will pull on his super-warm wetsuit and go for a surf. Bill doesn’t know any famous surfers or who is the current World champion. He doesn’t know which particular brand is in fashion at the moment or what new board technology the pros are using these days. He just likes the feeling of that first duck-dive into the icy cold water. Or the sensation of utter weightlessness as he rides a long, peeling left hander for what seems like an eternity, as the warm early morning light reflects off the crest. If he’s lucky, he’ll spot a seal curiously poking his head up just beyond the brake to check what the fuss is all about. Bill was never one for football and is happiest when floating in solitude, waiting for the next wave.

The Carpenter Terry lives to surf. After eventually coming to the realization that he does, in fact, need some sort of job in order to live, he chooses to work with his friend as a carpenter. He neither loves nor hates his

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Surf'sup

profession. What is important is the flexibility it affords him. At various times in his working day he will call one of his crew of fellow surfers (all of whose livelihoods are similarly flexible) for an update on the wave situation. If there is but a mere hint of a swell on the horizon, Terry will drop whatever he is doing, regardless of it’s importance, and get his backside down to the beach, riding whatever the sea has to offer within ten minutes of the call.

The Natural Craig is cool. There’s no other way of describing him. Girls love him and guys want to be him. He is a talented surfer with an aggressive yet smooth style that reflects his personality. Craig is a creative individual, enjoying painting and photographing coastal scenes, and believes that art, music and surfing are inherently linked Craig also plays the acoustic guitar which always seems to be around whenever there is a campfire at the beach. In these situations, he will continue to melt girls hearts with his soothing vocal tones and excellent rendition of Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson.

www.1degreeonline.co.uk . 63

Vanity

the elixir of life? hoPE coMES in MAnY ShAPES AnD SiZES, BuT couLD iT coME in A LiTTLE goLD BoTTLE?

F

ilm stars fight over it; the public are willing to pay an arm and a leg for it; but just how good is the latest anti-aging cream that everyone wants? open the simple white box and hiding inside is a single gold bottle of liquid age reducer.

Judged by the fact then the box is absent of pretty pictures or funky graphics that the product inside is the real deal; forget the box, it's the cream you're after!

Leonardo Dicaprio, can't live without it, allegedly! And Jennifer Lopez and Dame helen Mirren have both been seen spied with the simply designed box nestling in their shopping baskets.

3Lab's Super 'h' Serum is unique. For unlike any other anti-aging cream on the market today, it contains synthetic human growth hormone, (hgh) which studies have shown can roll back the clock by 10 or even 20 years.

The protein like substance occurs naturally in the body, but as we age we produce less and less, a 20 year old will have twice as much hgh as a 60 year old. Low levels of hgh is associated with lack of lean muscle tissue and wrinkles.

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Vanity

Cleaning Up

The history of hgh is controversial. The substance was originally cultivated by taking extracts from the brains of dead corpse, which unfortunately lead to some samples being contaminated with cJD – the human form of mad cow disease (BSE). Researchers, however, managed to develop a synthetic version of hgh back in 1985. hgh has since been used by doctors to treat conditions such as stunted growth, and Multiple Sclerosis.

3Labs age-reducing serum has been in the works for almost two decades and, engineered to target the hair follicles, where the most growth hormone receptors are located. if all the claims are true; you will need to order a new passport, once you've tried it, as the photo in your old one won't be an accurate representation any longer. in a highly scientific experiment a brave 1º guinea pig will be putting their wrinkles to the test, during an 8-week age busting test, to discover if America's new wonder cream will make them look 10 years younger! check our website www.1degreeonline.co.uk for more details.

I

t’s been around for a long time, but Eve Lom’s cleanser is one of those ‘wonder’ products you can't live without.

A thick, dissolvable substance that contains a unique blend of four aromatic oils, known for their cleansing, decongesting and soothing properties. when used in combination with the provided muslin cloth, it gives an incredibly deep clean that should, after time, reveal a glowing complexion, free of blemishes.

The best bit is it lasts for ages and you can share it with your partner. www.evelom.com

www.1DEgREEonLinE.co.uk . 65

BOOKReview

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Extraordinary Automobiles.

Written by: Giles Chapman Published by: Dorling Kindersley

 Gauntlet

Written by: Richard Aaron Published by: Glass House Press

 Blood Law

Written by: Steven Hague Published by: Mira Books

Under Review Gauntlet

By Richard Aaron If you like the TV series 24, then you'll love Richard Aaron's debut novel.

An exhilarating action adventure with a clever plot, real-life characters, and enough acronyms to fill a scrabble board.

It takes a brave author to make the hero of a an action adventure novel an autistic savant.

But Richard Aaron, whose son is autistic, does, and in doing so turns what can be a predictable genre on its head. Add to this heady mix a drug baron or two, international terrorists and some suitably slick high-end technology and you have a book that can make the hairs on your neck stand on end!

The Illustr ated Encyclopedia of Extr aordinary Automobiles

By Giles Chapman Did you know that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Delorean DMC-12? For those that aren’t familiar with their automobiles, the Delorean DMC-12 became famous as the ‘Docs’ car in the Back to the Future movies.

This, along with 150 of the most incredible cars in motoring history are featured in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Extraordinary Automobiles.

66 . www.1degreeonline.co.uk

 Out of Steppe

Written by: Daniel Metcalfe Published by: Hutchinson

Out of steppe

By Daniel Metcalfe

Blood Law

By Steven Hague

From the dreamy spires of Oxford to the sandy scrubs of Turkmenistan.

A passionate traveller and scholar in Classics, Daniel Metcalfe roams Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

Central Asia is the huge landmass crossed since antiquity, by the famed Silk Road. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Tamerlane and Stalin are just some of the invaders who have redrawn its shifting borders. Daniels’ experiences are told with wit, warmth and great insight, as he travels through Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and some of least known, but most fascinating areas of the world. This was no, namby pamby gap year down under. This is hardcore travelling! Knowledge of Persian is optional...

In this breakneck sequel to his first novel 'Justice for All', Steven Hague's character, ex-LAPD detective Zac Hunter receives a cry for help from an old snitch, gangbanger Angel Cortez. Angel’s daughter Gracie has been kidnapped and her boyfriend knows more than he’s letting on.

Discovering that a rival gang has taken Gracie from an East Los Angeles park, Hunter agrees to do what he can to find the missing girl.

As two rival gangs wage war on one another, only Hunter and the mysterious vigilante Stone will be able to save Gracie – and prevent a city from going up in flames.

motoring

Just imagine, everything audio that you could need…

Integrated amplifier, CD player, DAB/FM/internet radio, iPod interface, digital to analogue conversion, music file and network stream player… all in one place.

Combine all this with legendary Naim musical quality and design sophistication… and you have the new NaimUniti, the ultimate audio hub - just add speakers and enjoy.

Experience the NaimUniti for yourself at Basically Sound & Vision.

Demonstrations can be arranged by appointment. t 01362 820800

e enquiries@basicallysound.co.uk

www.1degreeonline.co.uk . 67 www.basicallysound.co.uk

Dining

The Hambrough Moti Mahal

Left: Robert's signature dish; smoked eel, fois gras, pork and apple terrine.

During a hearty breakfast, you’ll find a card with a tiny sprig of fresh flowers on your table inscribed with the words ROBERT THOMPSON, THE HAMBROUGH, and a quote from American journalist and author John Gunther, “All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.”

Checking in at reception for the 26-seater restaurant or one of the seven bedrooms, you’ll note the expensive ‘reservation book’, also personalised with the chef patron’s name.

Little details perhaps, but fine ones at that.

Robert Thompson is a man with vision and one who understands what it takes to deliver a high-end product, for the Hambrough is an exceptionally well-executed restaurant with rooms. He is also incredibly talented. Forget foul-mouthed Ramsey or mad scientist Blumenthal, Thompson is THE chef de jour.

Not heard of him?

His biography has more stars than Russell Grant’s Astrological Chart.

Starting at the age of 13 in his brother’s restaurant, he was regional finalist in the Gordon Ramsey scholarship and national finalist in the Roux scholarship; Voted Young Chef of the Year in 2004; Achieved 4 out of 5 Rosettes in the AA Guide for 2006/07; Awarded an unprecedented 9 out of 10 in the Good Food Guide for 2006/07; Awarded his first Michelin-star in 2006 at the tender age of 23, making him Britain’s youngest ever chef to achieve a star.

The Bedfordshire boy has done a stint at the Michelin-starred L’Ortolan restaurant, worked his way up to head chef at the former two-Michelin-starred Winteringham Fields restaurant until the owner sold up, leaving Thompson in charge, which is when he achieved his first Michelin-star in his own right. He then headed up Waldo’s at the luxury Cliveden hotel before going solo eight months later - his dream of owning his own place finally coming true when an opportunity, too good to miss, presented itself and he acquired The Hambrough and nearby Pond Café.

Within just six months of opening, The Hambrough was awarded its first Michelin-star.

These are outstanding achievements for anyone, let alone someone of 26! Heaven only knows what he’ll achieve by the time he’s 30. Don’t expect to see him with his own television series anytime soon, however, as Robert has been quoted as saying, “he respects chefs who stay in their kitchens and bring on the young ones.”

So what’s so special about his food that makes us, and many judges before, salivate like Pavlov’s dog?

Well, it comes down to the finer details, which is obviously what Michelin-starred food is all about. He’s a master at combining ingredients that you or I probably wouldn’t consider - like his signature dish: a terrine of lightly smoked eel, fois gras, roast pork and caramelised granny smiths, with a bit of liquorice thrown in. Then there’s his roasted Tournado of locally caught cod served with a cauliflower puree, truffle and small apple salad.

I could tell you how each of Roberts dishes burst with individual yet complementary flavours. How surprisingly light they are. That he was partially inspired by Anton Mosimann and Gary Rhodes. And, of course, his brother, Patrick. I could also tell you that the atmosphere at the Hambrough is refreshingly relaxed and unstuffy, given its Michelin status, but what I want to do is encourage you to go and discover for yourself how simply stratospheric his talents are.

There are one or two minor issues; like the positioning of the bar, which is small and awkward, and the lack of a car park, but these are things that Robert knows about and has plans to rectify. Remember, Robert has vision. He wants to be to Ventnor Bay in the Isle of Wight what Rick Stein is to Padstow!

68 . www.1degreeonline.co.uk

Follow the Grand Trunk Road...

Moti Mahal, a chic Indian restaurant in the heart of Covent Garden, is celebrating India’s culinary roots with the launch of a new menu, one that resurrects time-honoured dishes from rural India.

The new menu introduces a culinary narrative highlighting long-forgotten recipes from along the Grand Trunk Road.

The main artery that pumps life through India, spanning some 2500km, it was built in the 16th Century by Emperor Sher Shah Suri, to connect Agra with his hometown of Sasaram. The road was soon extended westward to include Multan and then east to Sonargoan.

Today, the Grand Trunk Road starts at Kolkata (Calcutta) in far-east India, navigating the breadth of the country through Varanasi, Delhi and Amritsar before entering Pakistan.

In a quest to understand India’s history and its influence on its cuisine, Moti Mahal’s Head Chef, Anirudh Arora, travelled the length and breadth of the ancient road, taking in the shores of Bay of Bengal and covering the expanses of the Indus and Gangetic plains. In what became a hugely personal journey, he spent time interacting with families, villagers, vendors and experts, to rediscover the origins of traditional Indian cuisine.

Inspired by his experiences, Anirudh has since returned to London with the aim of connecting ingredients, spices, scents and practices of the cities and rural villages he found along the road, to create a menu that encompasses the very essence of Indian cuisine.

The generations-old recipes found on the menu include the delicious Bhalla Papadi Chaat, a tea-time favourite discovered in the “gallis” streets of North India, with crisp fried pastry and chick peas; and the sublime Qabali Seviyan, a vermicelli and Masala chicken supreme tossed with pine nuts and baked with egg custard.

True to Indian custom, dishes are served in fluid succession as and when they are ready to be served.

The hugely successful menu is a celebration of the rural bounty of India, which accentuates new tastes and unique flavours from India’s richly woven history.

The Grand Trunk Road menu is definately a feast for the senses and comes highly recommended!

Dining

Roast

Ardeonaig North of the border much is made of the ‘Scottish larder’, that catch-all expression to describe the edible riches the country has to offer.

For a while though, even the less-than-impressive English reputation for catering had the edge over a country most famous for a short raspberry season, minced sheep innards and deep fried everything!

The Scots might have had a decent larder, you see, but the contents were mostly exported. That is no longer the case however and Scotland’s dining opportunities are now, frankly, amongst the best I’ve experienced, from the simple – Glasgow’s excellent Cafezique – to the more elaborate. Of the latter, Peter Gottgens’ Ardeonaig Hotel and Restaurant deserves every superlative thrown at it.

You may recall Peter as the man behind Fish Hoek in Chiswick. Armed with a desire to use the best quality ingredients – and inspired by a love of salmon fishing – Peter headed north and took over this charming 16th Century Inn back in 2003. Since then, he’s pushed the culinary envelope in some straightforward ways – he keeps his own bees, grows his own herbs, salad and spuds – and some rather more unlikely ones too: Scottish lemons, for example, and has probably the northernmost vineyard in the world. As this likeable South African explains, “Best case scenario, I’ll make some wine or Eiswein from it. Worst case, I’ll get some interesting vinegars to play around with.”

Much is made these days about local ingredients: Peter takes this philosophy to its best extremes.

“I could take you up to that hill there,” he says, pointing at the peak behind the hotel, “and point out where I get my venison, hare, the lamb, the salmon...” Mind you, none of that would matter if the kitchen didn’t know what it was doing, but under Peter’s calm and watchful eye, they clearly do: The tasting menu is an absolute cracker.

From the sweet, fat, Orkney Island scallops to the selection of desserts (including estate-grown apple sorbet and lemon tart), it’s hard to pick a highlight, but the Auchnafree Estate venison is amongst the best I’ve eaten; the Scrabster-landed Monkfish – with mushrooms from the shores of Loch Tay – is jaw-dropping, and the hare... words almost fail me, possibly because it’s the single best meat dish I’ve eaten this year. All expertly matched by a wine list that, like the chef/owner, is 100 per cent South African.

Aside from the food, the accommodation, particularly the colonial-style “rondawels”, is delightful and comfortable (and refreshingly free of TV, radio and internet) so Ardeonaig is already highly recommended. But, even better, word’s just reached me that they’ve switched their draught beer to the incredible St Mungo, from the awardwinning Bavarian-via-Glasgow brewery WEST. I tell you, it’s like someone’s playing “Fantasy Hotel”.

If I could, I’d move in...!

Left: The Roast Burger, all 10oz of it!

The problem with calling a restaurant Roast, as a famous critic once pointed out to founder Iqbal Wahhab, is grandmothers. Everyone who visits will automatically compare the food on offer – classically British as the name suggests albeit with some canny twists – to the sort of roast dinners their grandmothers produced.

“At the moment,” says Iqbal, “about 50 per cent of the correspondence tells us our food isn’t as good as their grandmothers. And the other 50% tells us it’s better.” He smiles. “I’ll take that.” Personally – and sorry Grandma and Nana – I’m in the latter camp. While both could rustle up a fantastic roast meal, they didn’t have access to the “larder” that Iqbal and his chef, Saturday Kitchen regular Lawrence Keogh, have.

Not many places do because Roast is situated at the middle of Borough Market, and overlooks the bustle of this foodie Mecca from what must be the best restaurant location in London.

As you can imagine, the sourcing of ingredients at Roast is thus exceptional and seasonal. Many places now make a big thing about their seasonality - to the extent it’s become a cliche - but Roast has always done it, with a menu that changes monthly and daily specials. You also have to love a place that hosts “Rare Breed Mondays”. While there’s a certain irony in eating rare breeds to help them survive, without restaurants such as Roast – and diners such as, ooh, I don’t know, me – many of these fabulous varieties of pig, sheep and cow could die out. Eating your supported beast! Now there’s a charitable vision I can get behind...

The space is superb – airy, open, and beautifully lit. If the front looks vaguely familiar it’s because it’s the old portico from Covent Garden, a charming architectural throwback to London’s strong market scene. It also provides levels of natural light that are rare in London eateries. Look this way, and you’ll see the market. That way, the trains going into London Bridge station, the suited and booted clientele of The Market Porter and Neal’s Yard Dairy. Over there, well, that’s St Paul’s Cathedral...

If you ever wanted to show someone a scene that screamed London, this is it.

All this would mean nothing though if the food wasn’t good. And it’s excellent, mixing traditional with the modern as well as keeping the punters happy from breakfast through to dinner. The breakfasts – particularly the smoked trout and perfectly scrambled eggs or Ramsay of Carluke haggis – have won acclaim from many guides and national papers and understandably so. The Full Borough is simply a thing of meaty beauty. It may just be my favourite time to visit Roast... But then lunch is pretty good too. Actually, Friday lunch is a cracker with some serious fish and chips on offer. The chips, as well as being triple cooked perfection, are amusingly served in pages from the FT and in a miniature frying basket.

Then again, Saturday and the brunch menu may be the best time to visit. That, you see, is when the Roast Burger is available. Having recently investigated many of London’s “new” burger offerings, I would have to say that the Roast burger is the best out there. It’s 10oz of Welsh Black, on a bun that passes muster - sweet, crunchy, seriously absorbent - and topped with a generous slab of Ogleshield cheese, a Montgomery Cheddar variation designed for melting. It’s unbelievably good and just writing about it has prompted me to book a table this Saturday.

Then again, dinner’s pretty damn fine too. My tip? Pre-book the Rib of Beef – 24 hours notice – and salivate over the best roast you’ll have eaten for many a year.

Then take the remains home for the best cold cut sandwich you’ll have ever had.

There may be more fashionable places in London, there are no doubt fancier, more adept places. But look around the tables as you tuck in. Business meetings, family groups, work dinners, romantic dates, mums out for a treat... the crowd is as varied as it gets. Proof, surely, that Roast is doing something very, very right.

Writer: Neil Davey www.1degreeonline.co.uk . 69

Drinks

 Ketel One Vodka Ketel One vodka may not be as smooth to drink naked as our favourite, Belvedere, but it is still nice enough for creating classic cocktails. www.ketelone.com

 Caorunn Gin Forget a slice of lemon, Caorunn, the new gold medal winning 'Super Premium Category' Gin, is best served with tonic and a fresh slice of apple. www.caorunngin.com

 Smokehead Extra Black Calling discerning and adventurous drinkers... the latest issue of Smokehead's multi-award winning Single Malt – Extra Black – is outrageously mellow and smokey... and, as we like it, limited! www.smokehead.co.uk

Bottoms Up!  Champagne Laurent-Perrier Although not vintage, LP's Brut embodies the House style. www.laurent-perrier.co.uk

70 . www.1degreeonline.co.uk

TRAVEL

Phoenix House EVERYONE NEEDS A STYLISH PAD IN TOWN! Writer: Simon Skeffington

M

any years ago, if I knew I was in town for a long time, I’d stay at Dolphin Square opposite the old Battersea power station. It represented excellent value, offered all the benefits of a hotel but was more flexible and discreet. Its spacious apartments also contained a kitchenette, which meant I could rustle up some toast when I returned after a long heavy night…

Although there were undoubtedly better places to stay, if I’m honest, the real reason I liked staying there was to indulge at Gary Rhodes concession within the building. His Lobster Thermidor omelette, fillet of beef with a good dollop of the creamiest, most delicious mashed potato, followed by bread and butter pudding were the best I’ve ever tasted – outrageously fattening I know, but delicious all the same!

Now I’ve come to Phoenix House; a five-star property situated in a stunning five-star location, a stones throw from Sloane Square, the Kings Road and Knightsbridge, with all its enticing shops, bars and restaurants.

Behind its Victorian façade lie 33 contemporary-styled high ceiling apartments, including eight duplexes and a small Life Fitness-equipped fitness suite, designed by the same team that presented us with One Aldwych and The Grove.

The one bedroom duplex I stayed in featured a comfortable sofa, table and chairs, all-in-one fax scanner and printer, and a Bang and Olufsen TV with built-in DVD and CD player, which kept me amused

for hours from the moment it spun into life on its motorised stand.

A well equipped kitchenette with full-size fridge and De Dietrich hob, although I had no intention of using the latter until I saw the bacon and eggs in the fridge and the brown bread in the bread bin - part of my ‘welcome’ organic food and drink hamper. Well, it would have been rude not to have a fry up, given they had gone to the trouble of shopping for me!

Upstairs the bathroom is a reasonable size, but has no separate walkin shower, which is a shame. King-sized beds made for a comfortable nights sleep, and there’s plenty of wardrobe space for longer stays.

Superbly trained concierges, on call 24/7, were gracious and keen to please. As many clients are returning guests they very quickly get to know you by name, which produces a home-from-home atmosphere, especially important if you are alone in a strange city.

The only downside was a lack of view from my fifth floor apartment, which meant I started to feel like a caged animal after just a few hours, so make sure you request the second floor apartments which have full length windows, especially if you are planning to work from the apartment. My only other bugbear would be the £55 additional charge for broadband. I thought hoteliers had got the message that it should be complimentary!

Grumbles aside, it is a superb place to base oneself for a week or two or three. www.chevalgroup.com

www.1degreeonline.co.uk . 71

SANCTUM

Innerplace Want to go to a club tonight?

Then Innerplace, the definitive Club-Concierge service, is the people you should be calling.

A members only service, they providing their members with priority access to exclusive bars, restaurants and members’ only venues and clubs in London and internationally.

From last minute reservations and complimentary champagne at the most sought after restaurants to booking the best tables and priority guest lists (with complimentary entry) at the most fashionable nightclubs and members’ lounges; Innerplace provides a uniquely bespoke and personal service. www.innerplace.co.uk

72 . www.1degreeonline.co.uk

St. James's hotel & club Sensitive-skin types and those who like to sleep naked, will be rewarded at St James’s with 500 thread-count Italian cotton sheets, which are as soft as a fairy with a feather duster.

Tucked away along a quiet cul-de-sac, just off St. James’s Street, in the heart of Mayfair, you’ll find this discrete nineteenth-century townhouse; a welcome retreat for distinguished gentlemen, although not exclusively, following an 18-month renovation programme.

Offering sophisticated and luxuriously decorated rooms and suites, including two on the top-floor with large roof terraces, all are packed full of the latest technology; flat-screen TV’s in the bathroom, WiFi, iPod docking stations and multi media systems.

All great, except the night 1º stayed, the bathroom TV wouldn't turn off when it was time to get comfy between the sheets. A quick call down to reception didn't help us as the concierge couldn't phathom it out either, when he popped up to take a look, leaving us with a glow through the glass bathroom door. The only godsend was the sound was turned off!

That grumble aside, art lovers will be rewarded with an outstanding collection of 20th-century paintings to muse over. The Rosenstein Collection, dating from the 1920s–1950s, includes fine examples of Impressionist, Expressionist and Cubist work from all over Europe, which can be enjoyed throughout the hotel’s public rooms and in the privacy of the suites.

SANCTUM

Left : Cotton sheets to cosy up to.

Bath Spa Bath has always been considered the height of sophistication; a spa town, it is a great place to visit, and live, apparently. There is, however, only one place to reside when in Bath and that is the Royal Crescent. A residential road of 30 houses, laid out in a crescent, and one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the United Kingdom. It is here you’ll find the glorious Bath Crescent Hotel or perhaps not!

After driving for five hours, we couldn’t locate the small luxury hotel. In fact, we had to pop into a museum at the end of the crescent to ask for directions. We weren’t the first! It transpires that due to the listed nature of the buildings, no signage is permitted along the prestigious crescent and that extends to the Bath Crescent Hotel.

Once you’ve become familiar with this charming historic hideaway,

however, you’ll be able to differentiate it from the other houses by the resident black Range Rover and the ever present, but discrete concierge.

The hotel offers a variety of rooms and suites - the original rooms being far grandiose than the new, more contemporary ones.

The spa is the hidden gem. Despite being designed ten years ago, it is one of the most inviting we’ve come across in years and, unlike most that are sterile and unwelcoming, its rustic charm is most appealing. www.royalcrescent.co.uk

In the distinctive bar, expert ‘mixologist’, Joel Lawrence, is on hand to whip up a cocktail or two. Be warned, however, his Althoff Champagne cocktail is lethal, but delicious!

When we met Joel, he was in jubilant mood having received word that he’d won a distinguished award for his fantastic cocktails.

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a mover and a shaker, you can join Joel’s cocktail master class – the best cocktail of the evening wins a bottle of whisky, as if you won’t be lubricated enough!

There is also a small yet dramatically decorated restaurant (think bumble bees and you’ll be on the right lines...), serving delicious European cuisine.

Also on site, behind the restaurant, you’ll find the St. James’s Club, which features cashmere-lined walls – now where else will you be able to wear the walls? www.stjamesclubandhotel.co.uk

www.1degreeonline.co.uk . 73

Billion Dollar Hotel A five star reception for a five star hotel.

Writer: Suzannah Sorrell

Photography: Supplied

W

hat is left to say that hasn’t already been said about Turkey’s first proper five-star resort or, if Turkey were totally part of Europe, Europe’s most expensive hotel, other than that it is immense in every sense.

One thing is certain. In Paris Hilton’s own words, “It ain’t no Hilton!”

Along with Sharon Stone, Italian temptress Monica Bellucci, Richard Gere; singers Seal and Tom Jones and, finally, the biggest diva of them all, Mariah Carey, (excuse the name dropping!) Paris provided the glitterati for the opening launch ceremony.

Staged over three fabulously decadent days, it was as elaborate as the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony and as entertaining as E4’s Dirty Sexy Money thanks to eccentric A-list behaviour. The antics were led

by Hollywood veteran Miss Stone, who seemingly has a penchant for ‘healing rituals’, in the lobby, on the dance floor and anywhere else her strung-out manager happened to be. I was always under the impression it was the job of the manager to keep the celebrity calm, not the other way around, but what do I know?

After flying into Antalya’s airport, where staff in the stylish VIP lounge are incredibly welcoming, a 15 minute drive ensues before you enter the vast Versailles-style gates protecting the inner sanctum of the über resort. Once through, untouched woodland on the left will ultimately be transformed into a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course by the end of 2010. Further along, on the right, you’ll see a gazillion steps with overflowing water, dominated by Turkey’s highly anticipated new palace in all its bleach white glory, with lashings of elaborately painted gold.

Travel

As Sharon Stone commented during the farcical press conference the following day, “It’ll age well.” This would be the only time one could agree with her, given that she dedicated most of her hosting time to her favourite hobbyhorse – securing world peace… A worthy cause indeed, but there’s a time and a place and a lavish three-day party to beat all parties, at enormous cost, isn’t it!

The first hotel to be built by Telman Ishmailov, a Moscow-based property tycoon, is in part a response to his butler’s question, ‘Why don’t you just build a holiday home, given the amount of money you spend on renting accommodation in the Turkish Riviera?’ Although one suspects the Butler didn’t have Mardan Palace or Telman’s adjacent private residence in mind when he made the suggestion.

Acknowledging traditional Turkish architecture, his aim was to pay homage to the opulence of the Ottoman era; to create a fusion of European and Asian styles for which nearby Istanbul is renowned. One of Telman's favorite cities.

Situated along the beautiful Antalyan coast, and flanked by the stunning Taurus mountain range, Mardan Palace is a world away from the neighbouring Kremlin Hotel, which as its name suggests, is an exact replica of the Russian seat of government. It is also a tribute to Telman’s father, Mardan. Born in 1906, he was part of a small Jewish community that has inhabited Azerbaijan for 1,500 years; he would have been 103 years old on Saturday, 23rd May 2009, the date of the official star-studded red carpet event.

The eclectic mix of A-listers did what they do best, after being ushered from a side door of the hotel into a fleet of waiting Maybachs, only to be driven around to the front – that’s showbiz!

The belle of the ‘carpet’ was Paris, who performed for the cameras with all the elegance of a ballroom-dancer, in an elegant cerise pink Turkish dress, until she spoke. The old saying ‘be seen but not heard’ springs to mind…

Taking the term ‘fashionably late’ to the extreme, Mariah tottered down the carpet, all teeth and breasts, some two hours after the others, who had long since joined the party along with most of the guests! I guess she has a reputation to uphold! Her diva-like behaviour continued throughout her show, with her complaining on stage about the smoky atmosphere and the ‘tornado-style’ wind machine, which meant her pitch-perfect performance was punctuated by excursions off stage to have her ‘do’ redone. The legend that is Tom Jones surpassed expectation, commanding the kind of attention that whips you up into a frenzy on the dance floor.

Acts were interspersed with a captivating show from the same team, which launched the Beijing Olympics. Beginning with Cirque de Soleilstyle acrobats on invisible tightropes, combined with a laser light show and sporadic pyrotechnics that threw out enough heat to melt the earth, all combined with filmic music, produced an electric atmosphere.

The pace was slowed momentarily as giant orbs containing dancers glided across the swimming pool, propelled by divers. And if that wasn’t moving enough, the overwhelming experience was brought to

a crescendo with a firework display like no other. Not since Australia Day, during their pre-Olympic warm up, have I witnessed such a noexpense-spared spectacle. And there was still the Sunday night beach party to follow.

So what can you expect from one of the world’s most expensive resorts, all $1.4 billion of it?

A lobby, based on Istanbul’s 19th century Dolmabahce Palace – one of the most glamorous palaces in the world – complete with crystal staircase, (an acquired taste) and a simply magnificent hand-painted glass roof, is large enough to park several private jets. Initially overwhelming, but after a day or so you'll find yourself appreciating its titanic proportions, as it delivers space to lose oneself in, whilst providing a window to observe the many intriguing guests that mill around.

For a building of this magnitude, over 107,000sq.ft. of gold leaf, enough Italian marble to cover three football pitches together with c.500,000 crystals sparkling from ceilings, chandeliers and lifts is not nearly as 'Liberace' as it may sound. There’s a super smart bowling alley, a zoo, cinemas, and, the pièce de résistance for me, the swimming pool, all five acres of it to be precise; designed to allow 1,000 people to swim at the same time without feeling like sardines in a tin! And, if you don’t feel like getting wet, a gondola service will transport you from one end to the other in 30 minutes. The Scorpion bar, one of 17 bars and cafés dotted around the resort, is the epitomy of understated elegance.

There’s an enormous spa, naturally one of the biggest in Europe which includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool and gymnasium, countless steam rooms, Turkish baths... For the ultimate indulgence, £1,500 per hour buys you exclusive use of the VIP spa; accessible only through a waterfall with a swipe card, it contains a bedroom for your harem(!?), a snow room, a pool and a champagne bar.

Mardan also boasts 10 restaurants. Each one offers a distinct, individual country or region's cuisine, with a Head Chef to match! For the 'exclusive access' weekend the international menus were condensed into a grand banquet held within one of the four ballrooms. Endless stalls of the freshest seafood, Italian pasta, Indian curries, together with authentic breads, desserts, chocolates and Turkish delights, which wouldn’t have looked out of place in Fortnum and Mason’s food hall let alone in a Turkish resort, were there to temp you. There was even a stall serving the freshest kebabs, tasted the morning after the heavy night before. Yes, you read right – I had a kebab for breakfast! Although it has to be said that some were craving kebabs a few hours earlier after leaving the onsite Jungle nightclub. They were no doubt exhausted after watching the resident pole dancers perform. Unfortunately for them the vast ballroom doors were firmly shut as obviously staff hadn’t been briefed on the peculiarities of the Englishman’s penchant for a kebab after too much liquor!

The glitz and glamour of the launch aside, Telman and his team have delivered an outstanding grand palace that is faithful to Turkish architecture and its heritage. Whether it is to your taste or not, he has created a truly world-class resort which will ensure guests have the space to relax and rejuvenate. And that, at the end of the day, is all anyone wants from a holiday. There is one sting in the tail, however, which you may expect from a hotel that boasts a Scorpion for a logo, (which also happens to be Telman's birth sign) – it's expensive for Turkey, but then anywhere worth going to always is!

Left: The spectacular firework finale.

Above Right:The plush Grand Hamam suite.

Centre Right: Stars on parade, Paris Hilton and Seal keep everyone entertained.

Bottom Right: Mardan Palace in all its floodlit glory.

Travel

motoring

78 . www.1degreeonline.co.uk

Travel

Left: Entrance to the remodelled 1950's La Reserve Ramatuelle.

Middle Left: Lounge area of suite 15.

Middle Right: Super comfortable poolside loungers.

Bottom: The impressively large and relaxing terrace of suite 15.

Hide Away

The month of June bore witness to the unveiling of one the worlds most refined and elegant spa hotels.

Writer: suzannah sorrelL

P

erched on the side of a rock, on the outskirts of the quintessentially Provencal village of Ramatuelle and just 8 kms from the razzmatazz of St Tropez, La Réserve Ramatuelle is the epitome of calm; a tranquil haven from the stresses and strains of modern life.

With emphasis firmly on guests ‘future quality of life’, the ultra exclusive 23-room Ramatuelle is a world away from the ‘treadmill-style spas and so called retreats we’re accustomed to in this country; whose primary concern is so often more about bottom-line profits than wellbeing.

That said La Reserve Ramatuelle is not a not-for-profit charity. Its signature offering: a six-day residential programme, focusing on stress reduction, well-being and age-prevention.

Walking through its vast doors, into a large reception area, you’re immediately engulfed by unhindered views of the Côte d’Azur. A common theme throughout, for no matter where you are in the hotel, views of the ocean are guaranteed; further emphasising it's credentials as a sanctuary of relaxation.

And it’s in this elegant expanse where you’ll spend much of your time. Actually, a vast long room, with ocean views the entire length; skillfully designed to blend a lounge, restaurant and bar, seamlessly, into one fluid area, producing a home-from-home atmosphere.

Here, sophisticated low-calorie food is created and served, which includes the tastiest and most exquisitely presented breakfasts we’ve ever experienced.

After fuelling up, head to the impressive 1,000 sq ft spa complex - the heart of La Reserve Ramatuelle - where you’ll find a truly unique gymnasium carved out of the area’s rock, which remains exposed to dramatic effect.

Full of the latest Techno Gym equipment, it includes the revolutionary KINESIS system, for improving balance,

strength and flexibility. This is in addition to a small indoor pool with jet lane, steam bath, sauna and various light therapy showers, which flow outside to where sun loungers are positioned towards the sea and also where you’ll find a decent sized outdoor pool.

The other side of the spa is dedicated to 13 treatment rooms, offering everything from Crème La Mer facials to slimming treatments to the best sports massage you’ll ever receive, from their fantastic male masseur. Ordinarily, I’m left frustrated by masseurs not easing my sciatic nerve issue because they seem worried about touching my bottom. Not here! No knot or kink in my body was missed and all ‘energy lines’ were restored, leaving me full of energy and supple.

So to the best room in the house – number 15.

Decorated in soothing neutral tones, which along with stone floors, acres of white linen drapes and cool designer furniture makes best use of the 100 metres of perfectly executed space. Set on a corner, great thought has gone into harnessing every inch of its views of the nature reserve below. This beautiful natural habit, which shuns motorised ‘gin palaces’, can be reached on foot from the hotel. Be warned, however, although fine going down, its tiring coming back up, but well worth the effort!

So whether you’re lying in bed, topping up your tan on the huge terrace, which is large enough to host a small party or, like me, enjoying the Jacuzzi first and last thing at night with the floor to ceiling doors wide open and linen drapes billowing, calming sounds of the sea are never far away, making it difficult to leave!

An exceptional retreat designed for pure relaxation.

Nearest private airport: La Mole www.lareserve-ramatuelle.com

www.1degreeonline.co.uk . 79

Directory St benedicts restaurant

S

t. Benedict’s restaurant, small but beautifully formed! Owned for 16 years by Jayne and Nigel Raffles, St Benedicts really is the flagship restaurant for the three other sites; Pinocchio’s, Pulse Café Bar and the wow factor Library Bar and Grill. All are located in Norwich city centre but manage to cater for many different styles of customers. St Benedict’s strengths are easy to see with fine food cooked by former Tom Atkins Chef Stuart Duffield, who concentrates on flavour and quality whilst not compromising excellent value for money. Jayne and restaurant manager Tom look after customers with friendly welcoming service and a well-chosen wine list. Not just for special occasions with lunch prices just £8.95

for two courses, St Benedicts is testament to a well-run establishment with people that really care.

St Benedicts Restaurant, St Benedicts Street, Norwich.

Open Tuesday - Saturday for lunch & dinner 01603 765377 www.rafflesrestaurants.co.uk

tuddenham mill

A

stylish and luxurious boutique bolthole in an idyllic, rural Suffolk setting.

Combining years of history with a chic yet sympathetic refurbishment, this traditional watermill brings together an exceptional environment, a genuine passion for great food and wine, the ultimate in bedroom comforts and discrete yet attentive service.

With fifteen rooms featuring Italian designer furniture, over-sized beds, Bose sound systems and Loewe flat screen TVs, walk-in showers and Jo Malone toiletries, the hotel offers the ultimate in comfort and luxury.

In the restaurant, Head Chef Gordon McNeill and his team have created exciting, contemporary menus reflecting their passion for fresh food and local produce.

Whether a light snack by the mill pond, a traditional Sunday lunch with a twist or a romantic dinner in the elegant restaurant each dish is expertly and carefully prepared on the premises.

From £175 per night for a double room inclusive of breakfast and VAT. Tuddenham Mill, High Street, Tuddenham, Nr Newmarket, Suffolk, IP28 6SQ 01638 713552 info@tuddenhammill.co.uk www.tuddenhammill.co.uk

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Directory JOhn OliVerS hairdreSSinG

JarOWan POWer PhOtOGraPhic

F

ormer staff photographer for group Lotus, Jarowan has photographed some of the world’s fastest and most beautiful cars. his work has taken him all over the world and is published internationally in books, advertisements and many magazines, including this one! For the first time, Jarowan is taking private commissions. This exclusive service allows collectors the opportunity to commission ’brochure quality’ images.

Please visit: www.jp-photo.co.uk To enquire, please email: info@jp-photo.co.uk

J

ohn olivers hairdressing group, 3 times winner of the East Anglian hairdresser of the Year. Five star rating in the good Salon guide. Featured in the national hairdressing Association hall of Fame. Fantastic offers and promotions from ghD, Redken and wella. Summer saw the launch of our brand new Loyalty card with 20% off Salon Services. contact us now to discuss your requirements and book a free consultation.

30b Elm hill – 01603 621275 / 01603 621232 13 Red Lion Street – 01603 626125 / 01603 625906 For a full list of Salons and contact details please visit: www.johnolivers.com or email us at enquiries@johnolivers.com

Where doing nothing is never a waste of time...

broadhousehotel.co.uk

01603 783567

info@broadhousehotel.co.uk

www.1DEgREEonLinE.co.uk . 81

acknowledgements

Autumn 2009 Issue 6 1 Degree M agazine

To our readers we hope that you have enjoyed the fifth issue of 1 Degree. Below you will find the contact details for the products, companies and services we have mentioned within the issue.

Issue 6 WWW.1deGreeonLIne.co.uK

We at Big Dog Consultancy would like to extend our sincerest thanks and appreciation to everyone who has contributed in whatever way to this issue of 1 Degree.

©

FRONT COVER

Photographer: Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race All About the jour ney

Racing neptune all about the journey...

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Air kisses www.wac2009.com

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Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the information in this publication is accurate, Big Dog Consultancy does not accept, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of the publisher. All material has been published in good faith as having been supplied for publication. Information correct at time of going to press. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Big Dog Consultancy does not offically endorse any advertising material or editorials for third party products included within this publication. Care is taken to ensure advertisers follow advertising codes of practice and are of good standing, but the publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors.

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Products with a Mixed Sources label support the development of responsible forest management worldwide. The wood comes from FSC certified well-managed forests, company controlled sources and/or post-consumer reclaimed material.

Controlled wood is not FSC certified, but is controlled by the company to exclude: a) Wood from forest areas where traditional or civil rights are violated. b) Wood from forests where high conservation values are threatened. c) Wood from genetically modified (GM) trees. d) Illegally harvested wood. e) Wood from natural forests which have been harvested for the purpose of converting the land to plantations or other non – forest use.

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