The number of yachts calling at Gibraltar has dropped in recent years, but long term prospects for the sector are bullish.

The Rock is well established in the yachting world but has lagged behind the sharp growth witnessed in neighbouring marinas.

According to the Department of Trade, Industry and Telecommunications, yacht calls have hovered between a high of 4623 in 2003, to a low of 3619 in 2005.

The main reason is the temporary loss of berths as major new developments including Ocean Village, on the site of the old Sheppard’s Marina, start to take shape.

There has also been a trend toward longer occupancy, with visiting yachtsmen extending their stays here.

But with new expanded and improved marina capacity due to come on stream in the coming years, investors believe Gibraltar can expand its share of this lucrative market.

The new luxury marinas planned for both sides of the Rock will help achieve this. They include Ocean Village, a re-vamping of the existing Marina Bay, new berths at The Island in Queensway Quay and, in the longer term, major new facilities as part of the East Side Development.

Gibraltar’s solid reputation in the provision of ancillary services - from the provisions of stores and spares, to yacht registration – will also help.

So too will plans announced earlier this year to re-vamp the local shipyard and re-focus it to target the super yacht repair market.

The idea is to turn the yard into a premier repair centre for these luxurious vessels. Gibraltar’s strategic location means the yard is well placed to tap this market as yachts move from summer in the Mediterranean to winter in the Caribbean.

Minister for Heritage, Culture, Youth and Sport, the Hon Fabian Vinet, combined his heritage brief with his role as Chairman of Gibtelecom when he formally buried a sealed steel chest containing early 21st century relics-to-be, including telecommunications equipment, Gibtelecom corporate records and Company publications, in the floor of the John Mackintosh Square building.

An engraved plaque will be placed over the floor of what is to be the new Customer Service Centre, to mark the time capsule’s location.
The ceremony was attended by Gibtelecom’s CEO, Tim Bristow, along with Verizon Communications’ Vice President (Europe) Mr Rahul Saxena and other Gibtelecom board members. Verizon are joint owners of Gibtelecom along with the Government of Gibraltar.

Fabian Vinet paid tribute to Gibtelecom for what he described as an innovative initiative to preserve part of Gibraltar’s history. He added, ‘The capsule will provide future generations with a glimpse of the way telecommunications has developed over the last century or so.’

Much of this history will be expressed in Malcolm Beanland’s book ‘Gibraltar Calling’, part of the time capsule, which traces the origins of Gibtelecom back to the mid 1880s and the Eastern Telegraph Company. It also covers the history of the company up to the merger of Gibraltar Nynex with Gibtel.

Gibraltar Nynex Communications Ltd was formed in 1990 when the former government Gibraltar Telephone Department was privatised.

The new offices at John Mackintosh Square are partly the reconstruction of the existing building, which dates back to 1801 or earlier. The new construction rests on piles, or legs, some of which penetrate a full 20 metres down to the bedrock below.

Tarik Shipping has taken delivery of a new vessel that will enable it to expand the services if offers to merchant ships calling in to Gibraltar. The vessel, Red Wolf is a twin-engine 18 metre steel workboat and is licensed to carry up to seventeen passengers as well as three crew.

Red Wolf has the benefits of speed and the ability to operate in zone B off port limits which extend up to 6 miles from the Rock.

Currently only tugs are licensed for zone B operations, but they lack the speed of Tarik’s new arrival. Harbour launches, which operate in zones A and C, are restricted to carrying only 12 passengers.

The new addition can also carry between 10-15 pallets of stores and general provisions for visiting merchantmen.

Red Wolf will join Tarik’s fleet of three other vessels, Lady Grandy, Texas, an ex-Swedish minelayer and Aiakos a bunker barge used for supplying gasoil and general stores.

Ernest Morillo, Manager of Tarik Shipping said “Our business is going well although we have worked hard to continue our growth. The environment remains very competitive, but our service levels ensure we maintain good relationships with our clients. This new addition to our fleet will enable us to offer clients an extended and more comprehensive service.”

The new Audi Q7 sets new standards in the sport utility vehicle (SUV) sector. It ingeniously combines sportiness and versatility, sophisticated technology and the luxury of a premium-class vehicle. On the road it excels with sporty driving performance and dynamism; off-road its uncompromising propulsion is dazzling. The Audi Q7 is a performance 4×4 from the creators of quattro.

The very design epitomises the character of the Audi Q7. The broad, fluent curve of the roof and the distinctive high lateral body surface in relation to the flat window area reflect the characteristic dynamism of the brand. The pronounced tapering of the front section and the powerful rear end with its sharply sloping D-posts fashion a coupe-like silhouette.

Body design
The Audi Q7 measures 5,086 millimetres in length and has a wheelbase of 3,002mm. These dimensions give it the lead in the SUV contest. Some 1,983mm wide and 1,737mm high, it provides incomparable spaciousness for its passengers. It also offers a new dimension in versatility: no less than 28 seating and loading configurations are possible in the Audi Q7.

Space
Up to seven people can be accommodated in three rows of seats. The seats in the second row can be individually adjusted for fore/aft movement if desired; here passengers will find the longest legroom in this class.

Engine range
The Audi Q7 has a choice of two powerful engines: the new 4.2-litre V8.

Price
The basic price of the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI in Germany is 48,900 euros; the list price of the Audi Q7 4.2 FSI is 64,900 euros.

Sir Robert succeeds Sir Francis Richards KCMG CVO and takes up his new post this month.

His appointment marks a return to the tradition of military governors at a time of change within the Ministry of Defence in Gibraltar.

Born in 1948 and educated at Eton College and the University of East Anglia, he has had a long and distinguished military career spanning 30 years.

Sir Robert joined the Royal Marines in 1972 and served in 40 and 42 Commandos, eventually rising through the ranks to become Commandant General Royal Marines from 1998 to 2001.

In 2001 he moved to the MoD as an Equipment Capability Manager and on June 3rd 2003 was promoted to Lieutenant General on appointment as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff for Equipment Capability.

Sir Robert is married to Midge and they have two sons aged 27 and 25.
His interests are primarily sporting, though they include military history, the theatre and music.

He plays golf sporadically and is President of the Royal Navy Cricket Club, the RM Cricket Club, RM Rugby League and the RN & RM Sport Parachuting Association, as well as being a Vice President of RN Rugby Union.

Royal Bank of Scotland International has boosted its local online banking team with the recent appointments of Kiara Lopez and Vicki Coxe as Electronic Banking Consultants. Both have experience of working in the bank’s Corporate Services Team and they are looking forward to bringing their client-focus know-how to the online banking area.

RBS introduced eQ, its online banking product for local businesses, both big and small, five years ago. It has become widely used not only by local corporate and intermediary businesses, but by many international companies as well. The number of client sign ups has almost doubled in the last year alone and is now hovering around 200 clients.

Kiara Lopez, eQ’s service manager says. “The absolute number of clients is a little misleading as a single client such as a lawyer or a company manager may have more than 300 separate accounts. The system is highly scalable and it is easy for a client to add new accounts as and when they need.”

“One of the big benefits for our corporate clients is that they can see the state of any of their accounts in real time. This has been a huge benefit for local businesses and has enabled them to be much more efficient with managing their cash,” says Lopez.

Costs of the system vary but will be based on a number of parameters such as level of use, number of accounts and what other business the client does with the bank.

RBS developed the system in partnership with IBM and it has undergone several further developments since its introduction. A few prospective clients have expressed some initial reservation about online security. However, the system’s architecture has been thoroughly tested by a number of third party security specialists to ensure that it is totally secure. In addition to online monitoring and specialist software aimed at detecting wrongful intrusion, the bank’s security compliance team run ongoing checks to ensure no part of the system is breached.