Final plans are in place for two milebuilding trips from Tenerife to Madeira and Madeira to Huelva (near Cadiz).

Two of our Club class yachts, Stan (a Prima 38) and Agi (a Hanse 400e), are sailing together up to southern Spain.   The first leg leaves Tenerife on Friday 26th June for Madeira.  After a short sail to get your sea legs, we will make the 300+ mile passage in one go—aiming to arrive in Madeira on the Wednesday.

Madeira is a located in the mid Atlantic ocean.  It is one of the remote islands of Portugal with maderia island and Poto Santo Island being the only inhabited islands.

We will have a day to explore other harbours and anchorages on Madeira, before you leave us on the Friday (why not stay the weekend?) or take your berth for the next leg.

The second leg from Madeira to Huelva is planned to leave on Friday 3rd July and cover the 500+ miles to Huelva in about 5-6 days

Huelva is a maritime town between the rivers Anas and Baetis, it was seated on the estuary of the river Luxia, and on the road from the mouth of the Anas to Augusta Emerita.

Christopher Columbus started his voyages to the new world from Huelva – and we will be racing in late August here to La Gomera, in the Canary Islands, in celebration of these voyages.

Our final destination will be a marina adjacent to the Doñana National Park located in the Spanish province of Andalusia, in the provinces of Huelva and Seville, and covers 543 km², of which 135 km² are a protected area. The park is an area of marsh, shallow streams, and sand dunes and a river delta flowing into the Atlantic ocean. The original area was established in 1963 by the World Wildlife Fund  and the Spanish government.

With a day to explore the area by sea we will ask you to  be ready to leave the yacht on Saturday 11th July.

Both legs include breakfast, lunch and dinner on board the yacht and cost €800 per week.  If you book both legs the cost is €1400.

Contact us at info@clubsail.com for more details

Carlos Boozer ended his slump with 27 points and 14 rebounds and the Utah Jazz snapped a two-game losing skid by beating the San Antonio Spurs 113-99 on Thursday night.

Deron Williams also scored 27 and had nine assists in Utah’s first win over San Antonio since April 2008. Andrei Kirilenko added 12 points and six assists and rookie Wesley Matthews scored a career high 12 points for Utah, which improved to 2-3.

Tim Duncan had 15 points and 13 rebounds. Tony Parker had 21 points but scored just four in the second half as the Spurs couldn’t overcome the Jazz’s shooting.

Boozer finished 12 for 20 and the Jazz went 44 for 83.

COWBOYS-WOEBEGONE WILLIAMS Cowboys WR Williams repeating frustrating refrain

IRVING, Texas (AP) — While Cowboys receiver Miles Austin breaks records, Roy Williams sounds like a broken record:

The player who cost Dallas three draft picks and a $45 million contract extension has offered the same refrain for weeks now. He’s frustrated, he can’t get on the same page with Tony Romo, and he doesn’t know why.

Williams added a twist this week by declaring himself the No. 1 receiver. He said “things are just doing No. 2′s way,” referring to Austin.

Austin has more yards and touchdowns in the past three games than Williams has in his first 16 with the Cowboys.

Austin set an NFL record with 482 yards in his first three starts. Williams has 447 yards for the equivalent of a full season in Dallas.

TEXANS-DEFENSIVE SWAGGER Houston’s defense has new edge

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s defense has a new attitude. Some might call it confidence, but the Texans prefer to call it swagger.

It’s a feeling that’s growing each week as this group improves and Houston keeps winning. On Sunday they’ll see if their newfound swagger can help at Indianapolis, a place where they’ve never won.

Cornerback Dunta Robinson says Sunday is the time for the defense to make a statement. The unit has been bolstered by the emergence of rookie linebacker Brian Cushing. He leads the team and all rookies with 66 tackles.

T25-TEXAS-SECURITY High-tech eyes of Texas security are watching

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The high-tech eyes of Texas see all at Longhorns home games.

University officials have installed 43 surveillance cameras that watch the crowd from all angles in and outside of Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The stadium used to have four cameras.

The cameras can focus close enough to see facial expressions or catch someone sticking a bottle of alcohol under the bleachers.

The upgrade cost about $400,000 and was done as part of a $175 million stadium expansion and renovation in recent years.

No. 2 Texas (8-0) plays Central Florida (5-3) at home Saturday.

MAVERICKS-D-LEAGUE-LIEBERMAN Lieberman breaks another basketball gender barrier

DALLAS (AP) — The first woman to play pro basketball with guys is also the first hired to coach them.

Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman was introduced Thursday as the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks’ affiliate in the NBA Development League, which will tip off next November.

Lieberman is excited about the chance to help prepare players for the NBA and, of course, about breaking another gender barrier. She broke through as a player with the United States Basketball League in 1986.

Mavericks president Donnie Nelson is among the owners of the D-League team and it was his idea to hire her. This is no publicity stunt — she’s been a coach before and has run camps in the Dallas area for 26 years.

BKC–TEXAS TECH PREVIEW Knight’s focus is improving Texas Tech’s defense

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech coach Pat Knight is keeping his expectations for the basketball team to himself — though he knows the Red Raiders can’t fall much farther.

Tech finished 11th in the Big 12 (14-19) last year, the school’s worst season since 2000. That was the year before his dad, Bob Knight, took over the program and led the Red Raiders to four consecutive seasons of at least 20 wins.

Pat Knight’s team won just three Big 12 games last season — one was against No. 9 Kansas — and he openly criticized officiating twice in a three-week span. The Big 12 slapped him with a public reprimand and a one-game suspension.

The younger Knight blamed himself for last year’s abysmal record, saying he focused on the wrong aspect — letting defense slip.

The Red Raiders will rely on man-to-man defense — the mainstay of Bob Knight’s teams.

RANGERS-HURDLE Hurdle named new Rangers hitting coach

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle is the new hitting coach for the Texas Rangers.

Hurdle was hired Thursday, taking over the job that Rudy Jaramillo held for 15 years before turning down a one-year deal at the end of the season. Jaramillo then got a three-year contract to become hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs.

The Rangers plan to emphasize situational hitting over slugging next season. Texas hit .260 last season, 11th in the AL, but was second with 224 homers.

Hurdle was the Rockies manager for seven-plus seasons before being fired in May, and led Colorado to the 2007 World Series. Before being manager, he was the team’s hitting coach for five-plus seasons.

If you’re a parent considering summer camp opportunities for your child, you might consider a day camp rather than (or in addition to) a sleepaway camp experience.

Parents often view sending their kids to day camps as a “stepping stone” to overnight camp. They might think day camps are for “younger kids” and sleepaway camps are for older ones. In some cases this is might be true, but not always.

In fact, some day camps actually specialize in meeting the unique needs of older kids who don’t want to go to sleepaway camp, but who still require worthwhile activities and adult supervision during the summer.

Activities at such day camps are often designed for the teen or “tween” age group.

One of the advantages you have as a parent when comparing day camps to overnight camps (or even day camps to day camps) is that a day camp’s customer base is generally restricted to its local geographical area. This makes things easier for you to learn more about the camp.

For example, you can contact the camp’s current or former customers for references, and you can even visit the camp before making a decision.

So how do you know you’re picking the right day camp for your child? We’ve indirectly touched on a few points above. In particular, though, we recommend following 4-point checklist to help ensure the day camp you choose is the right one for your child.

1. Make sure the day camp is ACA accredited

If the day camp you’re considering is accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), then you are assured it meets or exceeds up to 300 best-practice industry standards relating to camper health and safety, program quality, camper supervision, activity planning, transportation and more. If the day camp you’re considering is not ACA-accredited, ask the camp director why not.

2. Check references

Since day camps primarily serve local customers, it should not be difficult to find a few families who’ve attended the camp before. Talk to them about their impressions of the program. If you hear good things, you might have a winner. Mixed reviews, on the other hand, could be a “red flag” alerting you to research the camp further. But if everyone you speak with has only negative things to say, then rule that day camp out, pat yourself on the back for taking the time to conduct a thorough investigation, and keep looking for a different camp.

3. Involve your child in the decision making process

Research shows that kids enjoy camp more when they’re included in the decision-making process. Since there are so many different types of day camps to choose from, it’s important to match your child’s interests and personality with the activities the day camp offers. Accordingly, it’s advisable to take a tour of the camp and/or attend an open house together with your child. After you’ve toured the camp, ask for your child’s opinion. This can be a much better approach than unilaterally deciding which day camp your child will attend without consulting them ahead of time, as asking for their input means they’ll probably have a more positive camp experience in the end.

4. Tour the camp and meet the staff

Most day camps hold open houses or organized facility tours during the prime camp enrollment season (generally springtime). These events are great opportunities for you to meet the staff, ask questions and see how the camp operates on a day-to-day basis. You might even decide to attend several camps’ open houses for a point of comparison and to see where you get the best “vibe.” In this author’s opinion, attending a day camp open house or touring the facility is the single BEST way to see what you’re getting into ahead of time.

Camp is such a personal experience. You want your child to connect with his or her counselors on a personal level and admire them as leaders and role models. You owe it to yourself and your child to pick a day camp that your child will look back on later in life and say, “I remember that camp, and it was the best experience of my life!”

Your child deserves the best. It’s your responsibility as a parent to put him or her in an environment where they can thrive, and choosing the right day camp can make this happen for you.

Happy day camping!

Copyright Eric Naftulin and Aloha Beach Camp. All rights reserved.