Sharm El Sheikh

Iarrived in Sharm el Sheikh in 1992, when Sharm was fairly undeveloped as a dive destination as the Egyptians hadn’t yet caught onto the enormous tourist income that can be generated from diving. The Israelis, who held the Sinai desert until 1982 after the 6-day war, were not so slow and had started development before they were forced to give it back. Once Egypt had the area back, they were a tad confused by the small buildings with water tanks and compressors and it took a German friend of mine, Ralph Schmidt to arrive and explain what was going on. Ralph convinced them to let him have a crack at opening dive tourism and launched Sinai Divers the next year and, as they say, the rest is history.

Sharm rapidly became one of the premier dive sites in the world and upon my arrival in 1992, there were less than 700 tourist beds available - when l left five years later there were over 43,000.

Sharm is an incredible location, situated at the very tip of the Sinai Peninsular with the Red Sea lapping its shores. The Red Sea is famous amongst divers for its remarkable array of marine life and, after the Sea of Cortez (featured last month) is the second finest diving sea on the

GREY WHALE

planet. Permanent sunshine, crystal clear water, over 200 different types of hard and soft corals, walls, dramatic drop off’s and hundreds of species of fish all go to make this a superb dive and holiday destination.

The region first came to fame when Jacques Cousteau used it as the location for Conshelf ll in 1962, an exciting project to see if it were possible for humans to actually live underwater. He developed a revolutionary underwater habitat in which five divers lived for a month and proved the point. Amazingly, remnants of the site are still there and, ironically, it has become a dive site.

From the airport, it is a short drive through one of the most beautiful deserts in the world to Naama Bay, the centre of the town and my home for many years. From here, divers have easy access to hundreds of stunning dive sites, from beginner to expert and everything in between. To the north, you have the Straits of Tiran where you find three islands named after famous 19th century British cartographers - Jackson, Gordon, Thomas and Woodhouse.

Reserved really for advanced divers, here you find Hammerhead Sharks, huge rays, turtles, stunning schools of fish, massive hump head Parrot fish and the elusive Tiger Shark. I could bore you for hours about the dives done here but suffice to say, it is stunning. No one is allowed onto the islands themselves as they were recently sold to Saudi Arabia and in my day, they tended to shoot at you if you stepped foot on the islands and that always tends to mess up your day!

Along the coast during the hour boat trip, you pass countless dive sites all framed by the backdrop of the rolling sands of the Sinai Desert and, be there at

A FRIENDLY WHALE SHARK

sunset, and you will see one of the most magical views of your entire life.

There are too many dives sites to mention but l will feature two of the best in the world - the drop off at Shark Reef and wreck diving on the SS Thistlegorm.

Shark Reef is literally the very tip of the Sinai and sits within the Ras Mohamed Nature Reserve, a desert location awash with wildlife but it is underwater that the action really gets going. The dive is a 1,000 metre wall that plunges into the depths and with the entire Red Sea laid out before you, there are mass upwellings of currents that drive nutrients up from the sea floor and, in turn, attract some of the largest schools of fish l have ever seen. The wall itself is also teeming with fish with every nook and cranny packed with life but it is the blue that really turns me on.

Put the wall behind you and swim out into the blue with 1,000 metres of sea water beneath you and wow - the largest school of Snapper l have ever seen, surely numbering into the thousands, and in l go. To get lost in a school of large fish like this is truly memorable until they suddenly part and you realise they are running away from something - something big. And indeed, when this happened to me it was indeed a

BROTHER ISLANDS

NAAMA BAY

5m Oceanic White Tip shark shot in, in an attempt to grab a Snapper and very nearly got me. I am not sure who was most surprised - l would vote for me and once l changed my wetsuit, we carried on!

You just don’t know where to look as there is so much going on in every direction, To my left, two Leatherback turtles, straight ahead a massive school of Blue Tang, behind me the wall with giant Moray Eels poking out and to the right, a 15 mt Whale Shark cruises in to see what all the fuss is about. Then a pod of the resident Risso Dolphins sweep in with a few black tips sharks off in the distance - and it is still only 11am!!!! I implore you to dive Shark Reef before you die.

The second of my favourite dives is the wreck of the SS Thistlegorm, an armed British merchant ship that was sunk in 1941 by 2.5 tonnes of high explosives dropped by two German Heinkel He 111 aircraft. The ship was packed to the gunnels with military equipment destined for the British Army’s Western Desert Force - it never arrived.

Discovered by Cousteau in 1956, it was untouched since its demise and packed with BSA Motorcycles, crates of Bren guns, thousands of cases of ammo and shells, army trucks, Lee Enfield rifles, aircraft parts and two LMS Stanier Class steam locomotives.

Sitting at only 30m, it is one of the finest wreck dives in the world. Removal of anything is strictly prohibited and this was a lesson l learnt the hard way. On one dive with fellow Instructors, whilst sea trialling a new live-aboard dive boat we commissioned built in the Suez, we decided that a few of these items would look great mounted outside our dive club, so we set about bringing up two motorcycles and a crate of rifles, which resulted in two nights in jail for gun running. Seriously, they arrested us for gun running as we had brought up the rifles - rifles l might add that were coral encrusted and would never fire again but it was the only charge they could think of. All charges were dropped when a few friends turned up with ten cartons of Marlboro cigarettes.

ST CATHERINE'S MONASTERY

Dropping down from the boat brings the wreck slowly into view and with anti-aircraft guns still positioned for firing and the holds open, revealing row upon row of weapons and motorbikes, it is a sight you will never forget. Then it is an hour in and out of holds, sitting in the driving seat of army trucks and exploring the weird find of two steam locomotives blown clear and laying next to the hull. All the while, you are studied by schools of Tuna, Barracuda and Snapper with Moray Eels, Lionfish, and Scorpion fish weaving around the wreck - no wonder The Times noted this as one of the top three wreck dives in the world. Care should be taken though as there are still thousands of rounds of live ammo and shells littering the site. I must have done over 100 dives on this site and there is always something new to see.

In addition to the shore based dive sites, there is of course the rest of the Red Sea to explore and this is best done by liveaboard dive boat. One of the best is to the Brother Islands, around 200km south of Sharm and noted for the lighthouse on Little Brother, built by the British in 1883. The islands are really only for experienced divers due to their isolated position, strong currents and large pelagics.

Sadly the islands are currently closed to divers due to a few attacks by Oceanic White Tips, which are very large and aggressive sharks but not normally any trouble for divers unless, as in this case, a few blithering idiots think it’s a good idea to try and shark feed, therefore teaching the sharks to come in close and get a free snack - of course, they don’t know where the snack ends and the diver's arm starts..

Stunning diving and voted by CNN as one of the top ten dive destinations in the world and forget the sharks - you have more chance of being hit by lightening - twice. In a red hat. On a Tuesday

There is so much more aside from diving, such as the desert. I spent several weeks in the desert with a nomadic Bedouin tribe who were the family of a good friend and l can honestly say that is was one of the most remarkable and eye-opening periods of my life.

Then there are wadis, oasis and St Catherine's Monastery. In the middle of absolutely nowhere, and dating back to AD330, this is the oldest continuously inhabited Christian Monastery in the world and is the site where God appeared to Moses in the Burning Bush. Never destroyed during its long history, it is original, unique and a site of holy pilgrimage for many.

I have a long love affair with the Sinai, with the Red Sea and, of course, the diving and as this world-class location is only 5 hours by direct flight from the UK, it is almost in our back garden.

Unfortunately, since the 2015 explosion that downed a Russian passenger plane, direct flights have been suspended as the bomb was, allegedly, placed on board at Sharm airport but you can still get there via Cairo. The upside of fewer divers is that the corals are healthier. All the fish that were scared away by flocks of tourists have returned, there are cheaper hotel rates and no crowds.

Go, you will never ever regret it.

McLaren marks Le Mans

Motoring news by Maarten Hoffmann

McLaren Automotive is celebrating one of McLaren’s greatest motorsport achievements – victory on its first attempt in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – with a special edition 720S coupé. Just 16 of this Le Mans edition will be available in Europe, from a total of 50 worldwide. I spent a week with the 720S last year and it immediately gained a place as one of the my top 5 favourite cars of all time.

The 720S Le Mans has been created to mark 25 years since McLaren F1 GTR #59 won the world-famous endurance race. Driven by JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya, the car took the chequered flag on June 18th, 1995.

Three other McLaren F1 GTRs finished in the top five, with victory at Le Mans also ensuring McLaren a place in motorsport history as winners of the French 24-hour classic, the Formula 1 World Championship and the Indianapolis 500.

Taking the 720S supercar to a new level of exclusivity, each of the Le Mans edition cars carries a dedication plate featuring a ‘McLaren 25 Anniversary Le Mans’ logo. The VIN of each car will begin with 298, in recognition of the number of laps completed by the race-winning F1 GTR – one more than its closest rival.

The fully-functional roof scoop channels air to provide additional cooling for the powertrain and helps to drive heat evacuation – ideal for the additional demands of circuit driving. The carbon fibre louvred front fenders reduce aerodynamic lift generated by the rotation of the front wheels, as well as reducing vehicle weight. 720S Le Mans owners will be able to experience the astonishing performance delivered by the mid-mounted, 720PS M840T 4.0-litre McLaren engine. The twin-turbocharged V8 propels the car from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 2.9 seconds, 0-200 km/h (0- 124 mph) in 7.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 341 km/h (212 mph).

A carbon fibre Monocage II central structure and Proactive Chassis Control II suspension system help to ensure that the 720S is the lightest car in its class, with an unparalleled breadth of dynamic ability.

The McLaren 720S Le Mans is available to purchase now, from £254,500, with first deliveries in September. Prospective owners should contact their nearest McLaren retailer for more information or to place an order.

Concours of Elegance

The Concours of Elegance will go ahead in the spectacular gardens of Hampton Court Palace this September. The rare car show will grace the palace gardens in late Summer, following their re-opening this week. The Concours of Elegance 2020 – September 4th/6th – will be the first major international concours d’elegance event since Amelia Island in March Liz Young, Head of Events for Historic Royal Palaces said ‘We are thrilled to be re-opening our gardens this week, and very excited that this means the Concours of Elegance can go ahead in September. It is always a brilliant event, with the palace gardens making a spectacular backdrop for the cars on show. We look forward to working with the event organisers to ensure that all of our guests can have a safe and enjoyable visit.’

The Concours of Elegance takes place within the 60-acre Fountain Gardens of the palace, measuring ¾ of a mile in length. From its very inception, the event has sought to avoid feeling crowded, allowing the cars the space they deserve. James Brooks-Ward, Thorough Events CEO, said: “Clearly, above anything else, we want to ensure that we’re hosting our event responsibly. As September nears, we’ve become confident that all the pent-up demand we’ve seen from visitors, commercial partners, car clubs and car owners can be satisfied, with the approval of our friends at Historic Royal Palaces. We’re incredibly grateful for their support, and that of our presenting partner A. Lange & Söhne, in allowing us to develop our event into something we feel isn’t just safer than ever, but more exciting than ever too.”

Tickets to the Concours of Elegance are available to buy now, and should government guidance change to negate the running of the event, all tickets will be refunded or deferred to 2021. The limited number of tickets can be bought from: www.concoursofelegance.co.uk/tickets

Established in 2012, the inaugural Concours of Elegance was held within Windsor Castle to mark the diamond jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen’s reign. Organised by Thorough Events, the first Concours of Elegance set a new global benchmark for a classic car concours; winning prestigious awards in the process; unheard of for a ‘start-up’ event in its first year. The second Concours of Elegance was held in 2013 to equal fanfare at the historic Royal Palace of St James in London, with the widely acclaimed third Concours set in the stunning grounds of Hampton Court Palace in September 2014, before heading to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in 2015. Only cars of the highest calibre are invited to the Concours of Elegance, from all over the world, painstakingly selected by the Concours Steering Committee; a respected team of authoritative historic car experts. A key objective of the annual Concours of Elegance is to raise significant sums for charity. www.concoursofelegance.co.uk

'The most famous car in the world'

Dubbed ‘the most famous car in the world’ and renowned as being among the most desirable and sought-after classic Aston Martin models, the DB5 has become a byword for timeless style and sports car desirability.

Fewer than 900 saloon examples were built by the brand between 1963 and 1965, with by far the most famous of the original owners being the world’s best-known secret agent – James Bond – who first drove the car that is today inextricably linked with him in the 1964 film, Goldfinger. Now, 55 years after the last new DB5 rolled elegantly off the production line at Aston Martin’s global manufacturing base in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, work is once again under way there on a strictly limited number of new DB5 models.

Created in association with the producers of the James Bond films, EON Productions, and featuring a broad suite of working gadgets first seen on screen in the 1964 film, the Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation cars are history in the making.

The latest in Aston Martin’s phenomenally successful Continuation car programme which began in 2017 with the DB4 GT Continuation the new DB5 models represent among the most valuable new cars yet brought to market by the British luxury brand.

Each DB5 Goldfinger continuation car is priced at £2.75m, plus taxes.

• Rear smoke screen delivery system • Rear simulated oil slick delivery system • Revolving number plates front and rear (triple plates) • Simulated twin front machine guns • Bullet resistant rear shield • Battering rams front and rear • Simulated tyre slasher • Removable passenger seat roof panel (optional equipment) • Simulated radar screen tracker map • Telephone in driver’s door • Gear knob actuator button • Armrest and centre console-mounted switchgear • Under-seat hidden weapons/storage tray • Remote control for gadget activation

The Bulli Concept

The new VW e-BULLI is a crossover of high-end classic and high-tech electric vehicle. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles unveils the e-BULLI as a concept vehicle – a 1966 classic with 2020 electric drive.

Equipped with the drive system components of the latest Volkswagen electric vehicles, the concept vehicle is based on a T1 Samba Bus produced in 1966 and comprehensively restored. Volkswagen Transporter marks the world’s longest production run with the 70th anniversary

The Transporter – also known as Bulli, Kombi, VW bus or Microbus – first rolled off the Wolfsburg production line on March 8th 1950, and since then 13 million have been sold. The record-breaking Volkswagen Transporter has celebrated its 70th birthday, making it the world’s longest production run for a commercial vehicle.

Roadster Restore

One of Britain’s leading E-type restoration specialists, E-Type UK, has recently completed a complete period restoration on a glorious 1972 Series 3 V12 Roadster.

Residing with a private owner in Middlesex, South East England, this vehicle was once owned by Liverpool and England Legend, Kevin Keegan OBE.

Finished in period with a factory correct Jaguar Willow Green exterior and matching biscuit leather interior and

hood, the car retained the same charm as when it rolled off the production line in 1972.

The vehicle’s current owner approached E-Type UK to restore the vehicle to its former glory after suffering an unfortunate accident, which left the 70s classic battered and bruised.

This once loved E-Type arrived at E-Type UK’s Kent-based facility for bodywork crash repair and a full respray in its original colour.

1. Finance offer based on a Mercedes-Benz Agility agreement. Vehicle condition, excess mileage and oth er charges may be payable. 2. Payable if you exercise the option to purchase the car. 3. Includes optional purchase payment, purchase activation fee and retailer deposit contribution (where applicable). *Orders/ credit approvals on selected E-Class Saloon models between 1 July and 30 September 2019, registered by 31 December excluding Mercedes-AMG models. Guarantees may be required. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Some combinations of features/options may not be available. Subject to availability. Over 18s only. Finance is subject to status and provided by Mercedes-Benz Finance, MK15 8BA. Sandown Group is a credit broker and not a lender. Sandown Group is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of regulated consumer credit activity. All New and Approved Used cars sold by any Sandown Mercedes-Benz Retailer is subject to a purchase fee of £129 inc VAT. Prices correct at time of going to press 07/19. Images for illustrative purposes.ww

The Sandown Group

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Our dedicated team are here to assist with your every need. Whether you’re looking for your next new model, or need a little help maintaining your current pride and joy, we are committed to providing you with the best service possible. We are just as passionate about your vehicle as you are, so when you choose to visit a Sandown retailer, you can rest assured that your experience will be nothing short of first-class.

We have seven retailers throughout Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire located in Basingstoke, Dorchester, Farnborough, Guildford, Hindhead, Salisbury and Poole, each equipped with a friendly and knowledgeable team. So if you’re in need of a service, are searching for your latest vehicle upgrade, or are on the hunt for a fleet of business cars, we’re the people to visit.

We look forward to welcoming you with a smile at your local Sandown Mercedes-Benz retailer soon!

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