Carnet de campagne d’un candidat para-commando.

Nous sommes dans notre huitième semaine de formation !

Pas mal de mes collègues ont abandonné la formation suite à diverses blessures.

Au programme cette semaine : progression tactique et réaction contact ainsi qu’un parcours d’orientation de nuit que nous appelons « Dropping ».

Départ au point de drop (largage) à 20 h et arrivée au bivouac le lendemain à 6 h, je dormirai vite et fort si j’ai de la chance !

Un parcours très technique en orientation et très physique de par son dénivelé dans la région d’Arlon.

Pour ce dropping, nous emportons tout notre matériel comme en opération, ce qui correspond à 30 kilos de charge opérationnelle sur l’homme.

Vers 03 heures du matin, sous la pluie battante, le sac est de plus en plus lourd, je le remonte en permanence sur mes épaules et je pense à mes amis et proches qui, à cette heure dorment au chaud, je me pose plusieurs questions….mais qu’est ce que je fous là ?

Mais rien non je ne plierai pas, je continue à avancer, je veux être Para-Commando !

La formation Para-Commando c’est aussi une formation du caractère où la rusticité, l’adversité, la rigueur, le dépassement de soi en sont les clés.

Translation

Notebook of campaign of a candidate para - commando.

We are in our eighth week of training!

Many of my colleagues have abandoned the training following various injuries.

In the program this week: Progression and tactical response contact and a course orientation night that we call ' dropping '.

Departure to the point of drop ( dropping ) at 20 a.m. and arrived in bivouac on the next day at 6 h, i'll sleep hard and fast if i am lucky!

A journey very technical in orientation and very physics of by his grade separated in the region of arlon.

For this dropping, we have all our equipment as in operation, which corresponds to 30 Kilos of operational workload on the man.

Around 03 hours of the morning, in the rain warrior, the bag is increasingly Heavy, i the dates back permanently on my shoulders and i think of my friends and relatives who, At this hour sleep warm, i ask myself several issues.... But that is what i am doing here?

But nothing i will not bend over, i continue to move forward, i want to be para commando!

The training para commando it is also a character education where the rusticité, adversity , rigour, the exceedance oneself in are the keys.

Chassis n° 2071GT

Engine n° 2071GT

Bonhams : the Zoute Sale

Estimated : € 1.200.000 - 1.600.000

Zoute Grand Prix 2019

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2019

By the early 1960s, road car production had ceased to be a sideline for Ferrari and was seen as vitally important to the company's future stability. Thus the 250, Ferrari's first volume-produced model, can be seen as critically important, though production of the first of the line - the 250 Europa, built from 1953 to '54 - amounted to fewer than 20. Before the advent of the Europa, Ferrari had built road-going coupés and convertibles in small numbers, usually to special customer order using a sports-racing chassis as the basis. Ghia and Vignale of Turin and Touring of Milan were responsible for bodying many of these but there was no attempt at standardisation for series production and no two cars were alike.

The introduction of the 250 Europa heralded a significant change in Ferrari's preferred coachbuilder; whereas previously Vignale had been the most popular carrozzeria among Maranello's customers, from now on Pinin Farina (later 'Pininfarina') would be Ferrari's number one choice, bodying no fewer than 48 out of the 53 Europa/Europa GTs built. Pinin Farina's experiments eventually crystallised in a new Ferrari 250 GT road car that was first displayed publicly at the Geneva Salon in March 1956. However, the Torinese Carrozzeria was not yet in a position to cope with the increased workload, resulting in production being entrusted to Carrozzeria Boano after Pinin Farina had completed a handful of prototypes.

The 250 GT featured the lighter and more compact Colombo-designed 3.0-litre V12 in place of its predecessor's bulkier Lampredi unit. Power output of the single-overhead-camshaft all-aluminium engine was 220bhp at 7,000rpm. Shorter in the wheelbase (by 200mm) than that of the Europa, the 250 GT chassis followed Ferrari's established practice, being a multi-tubular frame tied together by oval main tubes, though the independent front suspension now employed coil springs instead of the previous transverse leaf type. A four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox transmitted power to the live rear axle, while braking was looked after by hydraulic drums all round.

True series production began with the arrival of Pininfarina's 'notch back' Coupé on the 250 GT chassis, some 353 of which were built between 1958 and 1960 within the sequence '0841' to '2081'. However, the relatively small scale of production meant that cars could still be ordered with subtle variations according to customer choice, as well as enabling a handful of show cars and 'specials' to be constructed on the 250 GT chassis.

A number of prominent European coachbuilders offered a variety of body styles on the 250 GT chassis, with Scaglietti and Pininfarina producing elegant open-top spyder and cabriolet models. Exhibited at the 1957 Geneva Salon, the latter's first 250 GT Cabriolet, which, unusually, featured a Vintage-style cut-down driver's door, was snapped up by Ferrari works driver Peter Collins, who later had the car converted to disc brakes. After a handful of alternative versions had been built, series production began in July 1957, around 40 Series I Pininfarina Cabriolets being completed before the introduction of the Series II in 1959. Effectively an open-top version of the Pininfarina-built 250 GT Coupé, whose chassis and mechanicals it shared, the Cabriolet was built alongside its closed cousin until 1962. Overall design followed that of the Coupé, with short nose and long rear overhang, while a more-vertical windscreen provided greater headroom in the generously sized cockpit. As well as the aforementioned improvements to brakes and transmission, the Series II cars benefited from the latest, 240bhp V12 with outside sparkplugs, coil valve springs, and 12-port cylinder heads. The 250 GT was the most successful Ferrari of its time, production of all types exceeding 900 units, of which 200 were Series II Cabriolets like that offered here.

A number of important developments occurred during 250 GT production: the original 128C 3.0-litre engine being superseded by the twin-distributor 128D, which in turn was supplanted in 1960 by the outside-plug 128F engine which did away with its predecessor's Siamesed inlets in favour of six separate ports. On the chassis side, four-wheel disc brakes arrived late in 1959 and a four-speeds-plus-overdrive gearbox the following year, the former at last providing the 250 GT with stopping power to match its speed. More refined and practical than any previous road-going Ferrari, yet retaining the sporting heritage of its predecessors, the 250 GT is a landmark model of immense historical significance. Despite this, original survivors are relatively few, as many have been modified and converted into replicas of more exotic Ferraris such as the 250 GTO, Testarossa, etc.

According to the accompanying Massini Report, chassis number '2071' is the 66th of the 200 units built, and as a Series II car has the added advantage of disc brakes all round. Originally finished in the handsome combination of Grigio Argento with Nero interior, the Ferrari was sold new in 1960 via Jacques Swaters' Garage Francorchamps, the official Ferrari importer for Belgium, to its first owner, Jean Blaton. A wealthy Belgian industrialist, Ferrari aficionado and gentleman racing driver, who raced under the name 'Beurlys', Jean Blaton had an excellent taste and was a personal friend of Jacques Swaters, from whom he bought numerous Ferraris over the years.

Blaton is best remembered for his daring exploits in the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in which he drove a succession of Ferraris over a 10-year period between 1958 and 1967, finishing on the podium on nearly every outing. On many occasions he drove his own Ferraris, including a 250 GT MM, 250 GT Testarossa, 250 GT LWB Tour de France, 250 GT SWB, 250 GTO, 250 LM, and 330 P3/P4. He secured his best result at Le Mans in 1963 when he finished 2nd overall with co-driver Langlois van Ophen at the wheel of a Ferrari 250 GTO, winning the GT Class for Swaters' racing team, Écurie Francorchamps.

Jean Blaton was also a friend of Enzo Ferrari, who was only too happy to accommodate his highly regarded customer's special requests. In the case of his 250 GT Cabriolet, Blaton specified that the car should have large side vents in the front wings, similar to those of the Series III 410 Superamerica, which were incorporated by Pinin Farina on Mr Ferrari's instruction. These vents not only make the car appear more sporting, they also serve to break up its lengthy flanks to good effect. Blaton's car, with its special features, was prominently displayed in Ferrari's 1960 yearbook.

In 1964, Blaton sold '2071' to Luigi Chinetti, another gentleman racing driver and sole importer of Ferraris into the USA. The car was then sold to a Mr Gilbertson from Vista, California. Following Mr Gilbertson's death, the Ferrari was acquired from his widow in 1978 by Mr Ken Gerber of San Diego, California, who kept it for the next 32 years. A member of the Ferrari Owners' Club, Mr Gerber enjoyed the car throughout the 1980s, attending various events.

During Mr Gerber's ownership (in 1992-1994) a fastidious restoration was carried out, the precision machining work on the engine and mechanical systems being entrusted to recognised specialist Bob Wallace of Phoenix, Arizona. Original parts were retained wherever possible and the few that were not saveable were either replaced with originals or perfect reproductions. The car was refinished in Rosso Rubino and completed in time for the 1994 International Ferrari Concours in Monterey.

Ken Gerber sold the Ferrari in 2010 and the following year the car moved to the UK having been bought by DK Engineering. The car was sold to Belgium in 2012, since when it has belonged to the current lady owner. Carrying the very suitable registration, '250 – GTS', the car has been enjoyed by its owner on numerous occasions and at prestigious events including the Zoute Rally. Now presented in excellent condition after recent cosmetic re-commissioning, it affords the prospect of comfortable open-top cruising in unparalleled style. Possessing links to Belgian and excellent provenance, this unique Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet is worthy of the closest inspection.

Epilogue

The aim of this book is: to create a serious, monumental work, worthy of its great subject, both in content and appearance. If it were made by an individual, it would be afflicted with the defects that come with the impossibility of mastering a vast material about which an infinite amount has been written and argued. The dark sides could only be avoided if fresh forces were brought in for the various sections, who not only appeared to be ideally suited for them, but who also lived through them for a good part, and in a position that enabled an overview and judgment. In this way, the result could become a memorial book and a work of remembrance at the same time.

Of course, there was a danger that it would grow together from a bunch of loosely juxtaposed treatises, while one that complemented the others would have to belong to it. For better or worse, the editor's activity was necessary: he had to bring the particular into harmony with the whole so that, despite fundamentally different forces, it still appeared unified as a real whole. From the same point of view he also took care of the maps and illustrations, although this increased the workload and responsibility and did so with limited time. There was no other way to create something that was well-balanced and well thought out.

The editor has had the idea of an important war work in terms of text and features for years; At that time, however, I was only met with pious wishes, shrugging my shoulders or even the opinion that such a thing was impossible in Germany. When he presented the plan to the Schall & Grund publishing house in April last year, to his delight they were inclined to take on the costly risk, but were then held up by things outside their area of expertise, so that production did not begin until January of this year could finally be included. However, the nine months lost could no longer be recovered; The haste in which work now had to be carried out often had a detrimental effect, all the more so as the conditions had become less favorable, especially in the equipment sector with its never-ending difficulties. Especially in the anniversary year, the artists and art institutions in question are very busy, and yet each of the hundreds of illustrations would have to be arranged, executed, checked, transferred to solder or metal, compared and ranked. In addition, the size of the work increased and the number of pages guaranteed by the publisher's bookstore was exceeded.

In order not to come too late and have to increase the price of 6 marks, which had also been determined, the publisher felt compelled to publish the actual warlike material first and leave out the more cultural material, but in such a way that this too would soon be available to buyers for a cheap price can be provided. It will contain treatises by: Bishop Dr. Aßmann, Lieutenant Colonel v. Bernhardi, war writer K. Bleibtreu, postal inspector Erbe, senior seminar teacher Frehtag, consistorial councilor Dr. Frommel, General of the Infantry von Kretschmann, Chief Medical Officer 1st Class Dr. Krocker, Professor Dr. C. Meyer, Major General Pirscher, Dr. v. Pflugk-Garttung, Professor L. Pietsch, Chamber Judge G. Wichert, Major General Wille. The addendum will also contain registers and corrections.

It should be noted that the majority of the papers published here were written between January and April, meaning that more recent publications could no longer be used.

I am grateful to many men who have assisted me with advice and support, especially to His Excellency the General of the Infantry, Mr. Kretschmann, His Excellency the General of the Infantry Mr. v. Holleben, Professor Director A. v. Werner and Professor and court painter C. Frehberg.

May this beautiful work, which required such unusual forces to bring about, present to the German people at home and abroad the faithful, diverse and yet unified image of a great past, and be received by them in the pure spirit in which it was created.

Berlin, on Sedantage 1895.

Addendum

In the pursuit of brevity, I did not address in my opening essay the many controversial issues that arose over the outbreak of war. However, to be more precise, I would like to note the following: Bismarck did not seek war in any way, nor did he fear it. The Ems events were brought about exclusively by France. When Gramont made it to the rejection of Benedetti, i.e. H. had pushed it to the point of breaking, only then did Bismarck step in; but then completely, because he had to protect the reputation and honor of his state. His well-known dispatch does not make any changes to the royal telegram before him, it is only cleverly edited for the purpose of writing, actually only shortened. The undoubted fact that they had suffered a diplomatic defeat, that Europe was fearlessly informed of it, increased the sensitivity of the French to red-hot heat. It was Bismarck's duty to assert his rights and wrongs at sea and abroad, to exploit the favorable position that French politics had forced upon him. The brutal clumsiness of this policy, the outbursts and priorities of the Parisians in Germany gave rise to the national backlash in politics, the press and popular sentiment that brought North and South together.

The editor. 3234 Sieg Krieg und Sieg 1870-71 Herausgeber Julius von Pflugk-Harttung

Nachwort

Das Ziel dieses Buches ist: ein ernstes, monumentales Werk zu schaffen, seines großen Gegenstandes würdig, sowohl inhaltlich als äußerlich. Wäre es von einem Einzelnen hergestellt, so würde es mit den Mängeln behaftet sein, welche die Unmöglichkeit der Beherrschung eines gewaltigen Stoffes mit sich bringt, über den unendlich viel geschrieben und gestritten ist. Die Schattenseiten ließen sich nur vermeiden, wenn für die verschiedenen Abschnitte je frische Kräfte eintraten, die nicht bloß hervorragend für sie geeignet erschienen, sondern sie guten Teils mit durchlebt haben, und zwar in einer Stellung, welche Überblick und Urteil ermöglichte. Auf diese Art konnte das Ergebnis ein Gedenkbuch und ein Erinnerungswerk zugleich werden.

Freilich drohte die Gefahr, dass es zusammenwüchse aus einem Bündel lose nebeneinander stehender Abhandlungen, während eine, die andere ergänzen, zu ihr gehören müsste. Wohl oder übel war da die Tätigkeit des Herausgebers erforderlich: Er hatte das Besondere in Einklang zum Ganzen zu bringen, damit es trotz grundverschiedener Kräfte doch einheitlich als wirkliches Ganzes erscheine. Aus demselben Gesichtspunkte besorgte er auch das Karten und Illustrationswesen, obwohl die Arbeitslast und Verantwortung sich dadurch steigerte, und das bei beschränkter Zeit. Nicht anders war es möglich, etwas überall Abgewogenes, fest Durchdachtes zu schaffen.

Der Herausgeber hat den Gedanken eines in Text und Ausstattung bedeutenden Kriegswerkes bereits seit Jahren gehabt; begegnete damals jedoch nur frommen Wünschen, Achsel zücken oder gar der Ansicht: in Deutschland sei so etwas unmöglich. Als er den Plan im April vorigen Jahres der Verlagsbuchhandlung Schall & Grund vorlegte, zeigte sie sich zu seiner Freude geneigt, das kostspielige Wagnis auf sich zu nehmen, wurde dann jedoch durch außerhalb ihres Bereiches liegende Dinge hingehalten, sodass die Herstellung erst im Januar dieses Jahres endgültig aufgenommen werden konnte. Die verlorenen neun Monate ließen sich aber nicht mehr einholen; die Eile, in der jetzt gearbeitet werden musste, hat vielfach nachteilig gewirkt, um so mehr, als sich inzwischen die Verhältnisse ungünstiger gestaltet hatten, besonders im Ausstattungswesen mit seinen nicht endenden Schwierigkeiten. Gerade im Jubiläumsjahre sind die in Betracht kommenden Künstler und Kunstanstalten stark beschäftigt, und doch müsste jede die Hunderte von Abbildungen angeordnet, ausgeführt, nachgesehen, auf Solz oder Metall übertragen, verglichen und eingereiht werden. Hinzu kam, dass sich der Umfang des Werkes vergrößerte und die von der Verlagsbuchhandlung gewährleistete Seitenzahl überschritten wurde.

Um nicht zu spät zu kommen und den ebenfalls festgestellten Preis von 6 Mark notwendig erhöhen zu müssen, sah sich der Verlag genötigt, das eigentlich Kriegerische zunächst herauszugeben und das mehr Kulturelle fortzulassen, jedoch so, dass auch dies den Käufern bald für billiges Entgelt zur Verfügung gestellt werden kann. Es wird Abhandlungen enthalten von: Bischof Dr. Aßmann, Oberstleutnant v. Bernhardi, Kriegsschriftsteller K. Bleibtreu, Postinspektor Erbe, Seminaroberlehrer Frehtag, Konsistorialrat Dr. Frommel, General der Infanterie von Kretschmann, Oberstabsarzt I. Klasse Dr. Krocker, Professor Dr. C. Meyer, Generalmajor Pirscher, Dr. v. Pflugk-Garttung, Professor L. Pietsch, Kammergerichtsrat G. Wichert, Generalmajor Wille. Der Nachtrag wird zugleich mit Registern und Berichtigungen versehen sein.

Zu beachten ist, dass die Mehrzahl der hier veröffentlichten Abhandlungen bereits in der Zeit vom Januar bis April geschrieben wurde, dass also neuere Veröffentlichungen nicht mehr benutzt werden konnten.

Vielen Männern weiß ich Dank, welche mir mit Rat und That zur Seite gestanden haben, im besonderen Seiner Exzellenz dem Generale der Infanterie Herrn v. Kretschmann, Seiner Exzellenz dem Generale der Infanterie Herrn v. Holleben, Herrn Professor Direktor A. v. Werner und Herrn Professor und Hofmaler C. Frehberg.

Möge dieses schöne Werk, für dessen Zustandekommen sich so ungewöhnliche Kräfte bereinigt haben, dem deutschen Volke des In und Auslandes das treue, vielgestaltige und doch einheitliche Bild einer großen Vergangenheit vergegenwärtigen, und von ihm in der reinen Gesinnung aufgenommen werden, in der es entstanden ist.

Berlin, am Sedantage 1895. Der Herausgeber.

Nachtrag

In dem Streben nach Kürze bin ich in meiner Anfangs-Abhandlung nicht auf die vielen Streitfragen eingegangen, welche gerade über den Ausbruch des Krieges entstanden sind. Um jedoch Messgerät zu beugen, bemerke ich hier noch Folgendes: Bismarck suchte den Krieg in keiner Weise, fürchtete ihn nicht. Die Emser Vorgänge wurden ausschließlich durch Frankreich bewirkt. Als Gramont es bis zur Abweisung Benedetti's, d. h. also bis zum Brüche getrieben hatte, erst da trat Bismarck ein; dann aber ganz, denn er hatte Ansehen und Ehre seines Staates zu wahren. Seine bekannte Depesche e keine Veränderungen des ihm vorliegenden königlichen Telegramme, sie ist nur geschickt für die redigiert, eigentlich nur verkürzt. Die unzweifelhafte Tatsache, dass sie eine diplomatische Niederlage hätten, die, dass Europa davon furchtlos unterrichtet wurde, steigerte die Empfindlichkeit und der Franzosen zur Glühhitze. Es war Bismarcks Pflicht, sein Recht und das Unrecht des See und Ausland zur Geltung zu bringen, die günstige Stellung, die ihm die französische Politik aufgedrängt hatte, auszunutzen. Die brutale Täppigkeit dieser Politik, die Ausbrüche und Prioritäten der Pariser in Deutschland jenen nationalen Gegenschlag in Politik, Presse und Volksstimmung hervor, der Turmessgange Nord und Süd zusammenführte.

Autor/in: Pflugk-Harttung, Julius von (Hg.)

Titel: Krieg und Sieg 1870-71. Ein Gedenkbuch.

Gewicht: 1550 g

Verlag: Berlin: Schall & Grund

Erschienen: 1895.

Sprache: Deutsch

Epilog

Cilj je ove knjige: stvoriti ozbiljno, monumentalno djelo, sadržajem i izgledom dostojno svoje velike teme. Da ga je izradio pojedinac, bio bi pogođen nedostacima koji dolaze s nemogućnošću svladavanja ogromnog materijala o kojem je beskonačno puno napisano i raspravljano. Mračne strane mogle bi se izbjeći samo ako bi se za različite dionice dovele svježe snage, koje ne samo da su im se činile idealne, nego su ih dobrim dijelom i proživjele, i to na poziciji koja je omogućavala pregled i prosudbu. . Na taj bi način rezultat mogao postati spomen knjiga i djelo sjećanja u isto vrijeme.

Naravno, postojala je opasnost da će izrasti iz hrpe labavo postavljenih traktata, dok će mu jedan koji nadopunjuje ostale morati pripadati. U dobru i zlu, urednikova je aktivnost bila nužna: morao je pojedinačno uskladiti s cjelinom kako bi ono, unatoč bitno različitim silama, ipak izgledalo jedinstveno kao stvarna cjelina. S istog gledišta također se brinuo o kartama i ilustracijama, iako je to povećalo opterećenje i odgovornost i to uz ograničeno vrijeme. Nije bilo drugog načina da se stvori nešto što je dobro uravnoteženo i promišljeno.

Urednik je godinama imao ideju o tekstualno i tematski važnom ratnom djelu; Tada sam se, međutim, susretao samo s pobožnim željama, slijeganjem ramenima ili čak s mišljenjem da je tako nešto u Njemačkoj nemoguće. Kada je u travnju prošle godine predstavio plan izdavačkoj kući Schall & Grund, na njegovo oduševljenje bili su skloni preuzeti skupi rizik, ali su ih tada zaustavile stvari izvan njihovog područja stručnosti, tako da produkcija nije započeti do siječnja ove godine konačno bi se moglo uključiti. Međutim, devet izgubljenih mjeseci više se nije moglo nadoknaditi; Žurba u kojoj se sada moralo izvoditi radove često je imala štetan učinak, tim više što su uvjeti postali nepovoljniji, posebno u sektoru opreme s njegovim neprestanim poteškoćama. Osobito u obljetničkoj godini, umjetnici i umjetničke institucije o kojima je riječ, vrlo su zaposleni, a ipak bi svaku od stotine ilustracija trebalo posložiti, izvesti, provjeriti, prenijeti na lem ili metal, usporediti i rangirati. Osim toga, povećala se veličina djela i premašio je broj stranica zajamčen u knjižari nakladnika.

Da ne bi zakasnili i morali povisiti cijenu od 6 maraka, koja je također bila određena, nakladnik se osjećao ponukanim prvo objaviti stvarni ratni materijal, a izostaviti kulturniji, ali tako da i ovaj uskoro će biti dostupan kupcima po povoljnoj cijeni. Sadržat će rasprave: biskupa Dr. Aßmann, potpukovnik v. Bernhardi, ratni pisac K. Bleibtreu, poštanski inspektor Erbe, viši seminarski učitelj Frehtag, konzistorijalni savjetnik Dr. Frommel, general pješaštva von Kretschmann, glavni sanitetski časnik 1. klase Dr. Krocker, profesor dr. C. Meyer, general bojnik Pirscher, Dr. v. Pflugk-Garttung, profesor L. Pietsch, sudac vijeća G. Wichert, general bojnik Wille. Dodatak će također sadržavati registre i ispravke.

Treba napomenuti da je većina ovdje objavljenih radova napisana između siječnja i travnja, što znači da se novije publikacije više nisu mogle koristiti.

Zahvalan sam mnogim ljudima koji su mi pomogli savjetima i podrškom, a posebno Njegovoj Preuzvišenosti generalu pješaštva gosp. Kretschmann, njegova preuzvišenost general pješaštva g. v. Holleben, profesor ravnatelj A. v. Werner te profesor i dvorski slikar C. Frehberg.

Neka ovo prekrasno djelo, za čije su ostvarenje bile potrebne tako neobične sile, njemačkom narodu u zemlji i inozemstvu predstavi vjernu, raznoliku, a ipak jedinstvenu sliku velike prošlosti, i neka ga oni prime u čistom duhu u kojem je stvoreno .

Berlin, na Sedantage 1895. Urednik.

Dodatak

U potrazi za sažetošću, u svom uvodnom eseju nisam se bavio mnogim kontroverznim pitanjima koja su se pojavila nakon izbijanja rata. No, da budem precizniji, želio bih primijetiti sljedeće: Bismarck nije ni na koji način tražio rat, niti ga se bojao. Događaje u Emsu donijela je isključivo Francuska. Kada je Gramont uspio odbiti Benedettija, tj. H. gurnuo ga do točke sloma, tek je tada uskočio Bismarck; ali onda posve, jer je morao štititi ugled i čast svoje države. Njegova poznata depeša ne unosi nikakve izmjene u kraljevski telegram prije njega, samo je vješto uređen za potrebe pisanja, zapravo samo skraćen. Nedvojbena činjenica da su pretrpjeli diplomatski poraz, da je Europa o tome neustrašivo obaviještena, povećala je osjetljivost Francuza na užarenu vrelinu. Bismarckova je dužnost bila potvrditi svoja prava i zla na moru iu inozemstvu, iskoristiti povoljan položaj koji mu je francuska politika nametnula. Brutalna nespretnost ove politike, ispadi i prioriteti Parižana u Njemačkoj doveli su do nacionalne reakcije u politici, tisku i popularnom sentimentu koji je spojio Sjever i Jug.

Julius Albert Georg Harttung, ab 1876 von Pflugk-Harttung, preußische Adelsanerkennung 1893 (* 8. November 1848 in Wernikow bei Wittstock/Dosse; † 5. November 1919 in Berlin) war ein deutscher Urkundenforscher; Historiker und Archivar.

XI, 690 S. plus 1 Bl. Beilage. Originalleinen.

Einband berieben und bestossen, papierbedingt gebräunt. - J. v. Pflugk-Harttung, Der Ursprung des Krieges -- A. v. Boguslawski, Die Heere und Kriegsmittel -- A. Pfister, Der Aufmarsch, Weißenburg, Wörth -- H. v. Kretschman, Von Spicheren bis Vionville -- Freiherr von der Goltz-Pascha, St. Private-la-Montagne und Metz -- M. Exner, Die Maasarmee und Sedan -- A. v. Holleben, Die Einschließung von Paris -- W. Bigge, Der Feldzug der ersten Armee im Norden Frankreichs -- A. v. Heinleth, K. Endres, Orleans -- H. v. Kretschman, Von Vendôme bis Le Mans -- F. Oberhoffer, Straßburg, Belfort, Pontarlier -- G. Cardinal v. Widdern, Der kleine Krieg im Rücken der deutschen Heere -- A. Stenzel, Flotte und Küste -- Th. Flathe, Die politischen Ereignisse -- A. v. Werner, Versailles und die Hauptquartiere -- J. v. Pflugk-Harttung, Die Heimkehr.

My garden has gotten 5.8 inches of much needed rain in the last four days, and now the forecast again is for sun for the foreseeable future, so soon on my permitted three days a week I'll be out trying to keep it alive by being out with my hose and mosquito repellant between 8 pm and 5 am.

-----------------------------------------

Please, no notes and no photos in comments. Thanks.

Because of the intermittent storms the last four days, I've had to shut down the computer frequently, so now I must redouble my efforts to make a dent in my workload. I probably won't be visiting you much, alas.

© All rights reserved. No usage allowed in any form without the written consent of Mim Eisenberg.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The Latvian Air Force was first founded during the Latvian War of Independence in 1919. In 1939, the Aviation Regiment consisted of three fighter squadrons, armed with 24 Gloster Gladiator and 6 Bristol Bulldog (a fourth squadron was in organization), three reconnaissance squadrons, armed with up to 12 Letov Š-16LS, 2 Hawker Hind and 10 Stampe SV.5, and a naval reconnaissance squadron with 4 Fairey Seal and two other planes. The Soviet occupation in 1940 ended the activities of the Air Force. At that time there were almost 130 aircraft in service.

By end of 2009, the LAF’s Fighter Squadron moved to Lielvārde Air Base, in an attempt to ensure centralization of Air Force units and to establish an efficient command and control system, which will result in a reduction of the Air Force units’ maintenance costs. With the Fighter Squadron the Air Force carries out Latvian airspace surveillance, control and defense and provides air defense support to the Land Forces units.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 47 ft 4¾ in (14.45 m)

Wingspan: 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m)

Height: 13 ft 4½ in (4.08 m)

Wing area: 186 ft² (17.28 m²)

Airfoil: NACA 65A004.8 root, NACA 64A004.8 tip

Empty weight: 9,558 lb (4,349 kg)

Loaded weight: 15,745 lb (7,157 kg)

Max. take-off weight: 24,722 lb (11,214 kg)

Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.02

Drag area: 3.4 ft² (0.32 m²)

Aspect ratio: 3.82

Internal fuel: 677 U.S. gal (2,563 L)

External fuel: up to 3× 275 U.S. gal (1,040 L) drop tanks

Powerplant:

2× General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet with 3,500 lbf (15.5 kN) dry thrust

and 5,000 lbf (22.2 kN) thrust with afterburner each

Performance:

Maximum speed: 917 kn (Mach 1.6, 1,060 mph, 1,700 km/h) at altitude

Range: 760 nmi (870 mi, 1,405 km)

Ferry range: 2,010 nmi (2,310 mi, 3,700 km)

Service ceiling: 51,800 ft (15,800 m)

Rate of climb: 34,400 ft/min (175 m/s)

Lift-to-drag ratio: 10.0

Armament:

1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M39A2 Revolver cannon in the nose with 280 rounds

7 hardpoints (2× wing-tip AAM launch rails, 4× under-wing & 1× under-fuselage pylon stations,

only pylon stations 3, 4 and 5 are wet-plumbed) with a capacity of 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg)

The kit and its assembly:

A relatively simple build, originally inspired by a Blue Rider decal sheet for Latvian Air Force aircraft that I had bought some time ago, as part of a vague plan to build a modern what-if aircraft for each of the young and small Baltic states’ air forces. The first one had been a Lithuanian MiG-21, Estonia is still pending (even though there’s a vague idea), and the Lithuanian interceptor was recently spawned when I bought an Italeri F-5E as part of a kit lot, even though it lacked box, decals and instructions and had a slight damage.

The Tiger II was built mostly OOB, the only changes I made are replaced wing tip launch rails (they were damaged beyond repair), I omitted port side cannon and created a modified “shark nose” radome, which was sculpted with putty; in real life, the enlarged radome for the upgraded radar is 33cm deeper than the original F-5E radome, even though the aircraft’s overall length remained the same, as well as the nose profile. In order to make the model look a little less static I slightly lowered the slats and the flaps – easy to realize on this model. The leftover cannon received a better barrel, made from a hollow steel needle. The pair of AIM-120s and their respective launch rails come from a Hasegawa air-to-air weapons set. The ventral drop tank came from the kit.

The Italeri F-5E is a simple affair and goes together well, even though the section ahead of the air intakes called for considerable PSR work – not certain if that’s my fault or an innate flaw of the kit (which comes with an upper and lower fuselage half)? The raised panel lines are another weak point – the kit cannot conceal its age, and there are certainly better options today (e .g. from Hobby Boss).

Painting and markings:

I wanted something that would neither look too Western, nor a typical Soviet-style livery. The resulting paint scheme is purely fictional and was inspired by a grey North Korean MiG-21 and USAF aggressor schemes for F-5Es – both reminiscent of the Soviet “Pumpkin” paint scheme for export MiG-21s. For the choice of colors, the complex “Norm 81” scheme from German Luftwaffe F-4Fs had an influence.

The result became a primarily grey air superiority scheme with uniform light grey undersides (FS 36495, Humbrol 147) and light Ghost Grey (FS 36375, Humbrol 127) fuselage and fin. The wings’ upper surfaces became mostly Dark Gull Grey (FS 36231, Testors 1740) and patches of the same tone were applied to the fuselage and the fin, too. On the wings’ upper surfaces, some patches in a dull, greenish grey (Humbrol 111, Uniform Grey) were finally added in order to break the aircraft’s outlines from above. The result somewhat reminds of German WWII camouflage, even though unintentionally.

The radome was painted in Revell 75 (Light Grey, with a brownish hue) to set it apart from the rest of the aircraft. Humbrol 140 was used for the cockpit interior. The landing gear became classic glossy white, while the air intake interior was painted in Humbrol 127, matching the aircraft’s flanks. Only subtle post-shading and weathering was done.

As mentioned above, the Latvian air force markings came from a Blue Rider decal sheet. The tactical codes and the matching serial number come from a Begemot MiG-21sheet. Other fictional elements are the NATO emblem on the fin and a small squadron emblem on the nose, which is a vintage Polish air force motif.

Most stencils had to be salvaged from secondary sources, since the kit came without a decal sheet. Fortunately, I had a spare F-5E sheet left over from a Hobby Boss kit. As a final step, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).

A rather simple project, but re-sculpting the nose was a tedious task. However, I am happy with the outcome and how the fictional paint scheme works. Together with the exotic Latvian roundels, this creates an interesting, if not plausible, look.

This image is excerpted from a U.S. GAO report:

www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-470

INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAVELERS: CBP Collaborates with Stakeholders to Facilitate the Arrivals Process, but Could Strengthen Reporting of Airport Wait Times

40 hours later, The Forge is finally finished! So, what is The Forge? The Forge is a mobile asteroid mining and processing facility. It uses six tugs to collect asteroids and bring them to one of the six mining platforms near the front of the ship. The asteroids are then put through grinding drums that break them into smaller pieces. Next, any desired ore, minerals, etc. are removed from the fragments and the waste is jettisoned from the ship. The ore, minerals, etc. are sorted into seperate containers. Eight huge reinforced plates protect the shipping containers from rogue asteroids and open to allow a transport to collect them.

The two bridges share the workload of the ship. The rear bridge is in charge of piloting, navigation and shipping. The forward bridge handles the mining and processing operations.

Alright, time for some tech specs!

The forge measures in at a whopping 156 studs in length (The biggest SHIP I've ever built). She's 62 studs at the widest (26 at the thinnest) and 38 studs tall. I did have two big landing gears built into it but it got WAY too heavy for them, thus the stand. It also has motor-driven grinding drums in the mining platforms and the big grey button in the middle of the ship opens and closes the armored plates. The plates where also supposed to be motor-driven but I could get them working for the life of me. Oh well!

I hope you all enjoyed watching this beast going together as I had building it (even if I did shout some horrific profanities from time to time)! Thanks for watching and for all the support!

Chassis n° 2071GT

Engine n° 2071GT

Bonhams : the Zoute Sale

Estimated : € 1.200.000 - 1.600.000

Zoute Grand Prix 2019

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2019

By the early 1960s, road car production had ceased to be a sideline for Ferrari and was seen as vitally important to the company's future stability. Thus the 250, Ferrari's first volume-produced model, can be seen as critically important, though production of the first of the line - the 250 Europa, built from 1953 to '54 - amounted to fewer than 20. Before the advent of the Europa, Ferrari had built road-going coupés and convertibles in small numbers, usually to special customer order using a sports-racing chassis as the basis. Ghia and Vignale of Turin and Touring of Milan were responsible for bodying many of these but there was no attempt at standardisation for series production and no two cars were alike.

The introduction of the 250 Europa heralded a significant change in Ferrari's preferred coachbuilder; whereas previously Vignale had been the most popular carrozzeria among Maranello's customers, from now on Pinin Farina (later 'Pininfarina') would be Ferrari's number one choice, bodying no fewer than 48 out of the 53 Europa/Europa GTs built. Pinin Farina's experiments eventually crystallised in a new Ferrari 250 GT road car that was first displayed publicly at the Geneva Salon in March 1956. However, the Torinese Carrozzeria was not yet in a position to cope with the increased workload, resulting in production being entrusted to Carrozzeria Boano after Pinin Farina had completed a handful of prototypes.

The 250 GT featured the lighter and more compact Colombo-designed 3.0-litre V12 in place of its predecessor's bulkier Lampredi unit. Power output of the single-overhead-camshaft all-aluminium engine was 220bhp at 7,000rpm. Shorter in the wheelbase (by 200mm) than that of the Europa, the 250 GT chassis followed Ferrari's established practice, being a multi-tubular frame tied together by oval main tubes, though the independent front suspension now employed coil springs instead of the previous transverse leaf type. A four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox transmitted power to the live rear axle, while braking was looked after by hydraulic drums all round.

True series production began with the arrival of Pininfarina's 'notch back' Coupé on the 250 GT chassis, some 353 of which were built between 1958 and 1960 within the sequence '0841' to '2081'. However, the relatively small scale of production meant that cars could still be ordered with subtle variations according to customer choice, as well as enabling a handful of show cars and 'specials' to be constructed on the 250 GT chassis.

A number of prominent European coachbuilders offered a variety of body styles on the 250 GT chassis, with Scaglietti and Pininfarina producing elegant open-top spyder and cabriolet models. Exhibited at the 1957 Geneva Salon, the latter's first 250 GT Cabriolet, which, unusually, featured a Vintage-style cut-down driver's door, was snapped up by Ferrari works driver Peter Collins, who later had the car converted to disc brakes. After a handful of alternative versions had been built, series production began in July 1957, around 40 Series I Pininfarina Cabriolets being completed before the introduction of the Series II in 1959. Effectively an open-top version of the Pininfarina-built 250 GT Coupé, whose chassis and mechanicals it shared, the Cabriolet was built alongside its closed cousin until 1962. Overall design followed that of the Coupé, with short nose and long rear overhang, while a more-vertical windscreen provided greater headroom in the generously sized cockpit. As well as the aforementioned improvements to brakes and transmission, the Series II cars benefited from the latest, 240bhp V12 with outside sparkplugs, coil valve springs, and 12-port cylinder heads. The 250 GT was the most successful Ferrari of its time, production of all types exceeding 900 units, of which 200 were Series II Cabriolets like that offered here.

A number of important developments occurred during 250 GT production: the original 128C 3.0-litre engine being superseded by the twin-distributor 128D, which in turn was supplanted in 1960 by the outside-plug 128F engine which did away with its predecessor's Siamesed inlets in favour of six separate ports. On the chassis side, four-wheel disc brakes arrived late in 1959 and a four-speeds-plus-overdrive gearbox the following year, the former at last providing the 250 GT with stopping power to match its speed. More refined and practical than any previous road-going Ferrari, yet retaining the sporting heritage of its predecessors, the 250 GT is a landmark model of immense historical significance. Despite this, original survivors are relatively few, as many have been modified and converted into replicas of more exotic Ferraris such as the 250 GTO, Testarossa, etc.

According to the accompanying Massini Report, chassis number '2071' is the 66th of the 200 units built, and as a Series II car has the added advantage of disc brakes all round. Originally finished in the handsome combination of Grigio Argento with Nero interior, the Ferrari was sold new in 1960 via Jacques Swaters' Garage Francorchamps, the official Ferrari importer for Belgium, to its first owner, Jean Blaton. A wealthy Belgian industrialist, Ferrari aficionado and gentleman racing driver, who raced under the name 'Beurlys', Jean Blaton had an excellent taste and was a personal friend of Jacques Swaters, from whom he bought numerous Ferraris over the years.

Blaton is best remembered for his daring exploits in the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in which he drove a succession of Ferraris over a 10-year period between 1958 and 1967, finishing on the podium on nearly every outing. On many occasions he drove his own Ferraris, including a 250 GT MM, 250 GT Testarossa, 250 GT LWB Tour de France, 250 GT SWB, 250 GTO, 250 LM, and 330 P3/P4. He secured his best result at Le Mans in 1963 when he finished 2nd overall with co-driver Langlois van Ophen at the wheel of a Ferrari 250 GTO, winning the GT Class for Swaters' racing team, Écurie Francorchamps.

Jean Blaton was also a friend of Enzo Ferrari, who was only too happy to accommodate his highly regarded customer's special requests. In the case of his 250 GT Cabriolet, Blaton specified that the car should have large side vents in the front wings, similar to those of the Series III 410 Superamerica, which were incorporated by Pinin Farina on Mr Ferrari's instruction. These vents not only make the car appear more sporting, they also serve to break up its lengthy flanks to good effect. Blaton's car, with its special features, was prominently displayed in Ferrari's 1960 yearbook.

In 1964, Blaton sold '2071' to Luigi Chinetti, another gentleman racing driver and sole importer of Ferraris into the USA. The car was then sold to a Mr Gilbertson from Vista, California. Following Mr Gilbertson's death, the Ferrari was acquired from his widow in 1978 by Mr Ken Gerber of San Diego, California, who kept it for the next 32 years. A member of the Ferrari Owners' Club, Mr Gerber enjoyed the car throughout the 1980s, attending various events.

During Mr Gerber's ownership (in 1992-1994) a fastidious restoration was carried out, the precision machining work on the engine and mechanical systems being entrusted to recognised specialist Bob Wallace of Phoenix, Arizona. Original parts were retained wherever possible and the few that were not saveable were either replaced with originals or perfect reproductions. The car was refinished in Rosso Rubino and completed in time for the 1994 International Ferrari Concours in Monterey.

Ken Gerber sold the Ferrari in 2010 and the following year the car moved to the UK having been bought by DK Engineering. The car was sold to Belgium in 2012, since when it has belonged to the current lady owner. Carrying the very suitable registration, '250 – GTS', the car has been enjoyed by its owner on numerous occasions and at prestigious events including the Zoute Rally. Now presented in excellent condition after recent cosmetic re-commissioning, it affords the prospect of comfortable open-top cruising in unparalleled style. Possessing links to Belgian and excellent provenance, this unique Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet is worthy of the closest inspection.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The Latvian Air Force was first founded during the Latvian War of Independence in 1919. In 1939, the Aviation Regiment consisted of three fighter squadrons, armed with 24 Gloster Gladiator and 6 Bristol Bulldog (a fourth squadron was in organization), three reconnaissance squadrons, armed with up to 12 Letov Š-16LS, 2 Hawker Hind and 10 Stampe SV.5, and a naval reconnaissance squadron with 4 Fairey Seal and two other planes. The Soviet occupation in 1940 ended the activities of the Air Force. At that time there were almost 130 aircraft in service.

By end of 2009, the LAF’s Fighter Squadron moved to Lielvārde Air Base, in an attempt to ensure centralization of Air Force units and to establish an efficient command and control system, which will result in a reduction of the Air Force units’ maintenance costs. With the Fighter Squadron the Air Force carries out Latvian airspace surveillance, control and defense and provides air defense support to the Land Forces units.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 47 ft 4¾ in (14.45 m)

Wingspan: 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m)

Height: 13 ft 4½ in (4.08 m)

Wing area: 186 ft² (17.28 m²)

Airfoil: NACA 65A004.8 root, NACA 64A004.8 tip

Empty weight: 9,558 lb (4,349 kg)

Loaded weight: 15,745 lb (7,157 kg)

Max. take-off weight: 24,722 lb (11,214 kg)

Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.02

Drag area: 3.4 ft² (0.32 m²)

Aspect ratio: 3.82

Internal fuel: 677 U.S. gal (2,563 L)

External fuel: up to 3× 275 U.S. gal (1,040 L) drop tanks

Powerplant:

2× General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet with 3,500 lbf (15.5 kN) dry thrust

and 5,000 lbf (22.2 kN) thrust with afterburner each

Performance:

Maximum speed: 917 kn (Mach 1.6, 1,060 mph, 1,700 km/h) at altitude

Range: 760 nmi (870 mi, 1,405 km)

Ferry range: 2,010 nmi (2,310 mi, 3,700 km)

Service ceiling: 51,800 ft (15,800 m)

Rate of climb: 34,400 ft/min (175 m/s)

Lift-to-drag ratio: 10.0

Armament:

1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M39A2 Revolver cannon in the nose with 280 rounds

7 hardpoints (2× wing-tip AAM launch rails, 4× under-wing & 1× under-fuselage pylon stations,

only pylon stations 3, 4 and 5 are wet-plumbed) with a capacity of 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg)

The kit and its assembly:

A relatively simple build, originally inspired by a Blue Rider decal sheet for Latvian Air Force aircraft that I had bought some time ago, as part of a vague plan to build a modern what-if aircraft for each of the young and small Baltic states’ air forces. The first one had been a Lithuanian MiG-21, Estonia is still pending (even though there’s a vague idea), and the Lithuanian interceptor was recently spawned when I bought an Italeri F-5E as part of a kit lot, even though it lacked box, decals and instructions and had a slight damage.

The Tiger II was built mostly OOB, the only changes I made are replaced wing tip launch rails (they were damaged beyond repair), I omitted port side cannon and created a modified “shark nose” radome, which was sculpted with putty; in real life, the enlarged radome for the upgraded radar is 33cm deeper than the original F-5E radome, even though the aircraft’s overall length remained the same, as well as the nose profile. In order to make the model look a little less static I slightly lowered the slats and the flaps – easy to realize on this model. The leftover cannon received a better barrel, made from a hollow steel needle. The pair of AIM-120s and their respective launch rails come from a Hasegawa air-to-air weapons set. The ventral drop tank came from the kit.

The Italeri F-5E is a simple affair and goes together well, even though the section ahead of the air intakes called for considerable PSR work – not certain if that’s my fault or an innate flaw of the kit (which comes with an upper and lower fuselage half)? The raised panel lines are another weak point – the kit cannot conceal its age, and there are certainly better options today (e .g. from Hobby Boss).

Painting and markings:

I wanted something that would neither look too Western, nor a typical Soviet-style livery. The resulting paint scheme is purely fictional and was inspired by a grey North Korean MiG-21 and USAF aggressor schemes for F-5Es – both reminiscent of the Soviet “Pumpkin” paint scheme for export MiG-21s. For the choice of colors, the complex “Norm 81” scheme from German Luftwaffe F-4Fs had an influence.

The result became a primarily grey air superiority scheme with uniform light grey undersides (FS 36495, Humbrol 147) and light Ghost Grey (FS 36375, Humbrol 127) fuselage and fin. The wings’ upper surfaces became mostly Dark Gull Grey (FS 36231, Testors 1740) and patches of the same tone were applied to the fuselage and the fin, too. On the wings’ upper surfaces, some patches in a dull, greenish grey (Humbrol 111, Uniform Grey) were finally added in order to break the aircraft’s outlines from above. The result somewhat reminds of German WWII camouflage, even though unintentionally.

The radome was painted in Revell 75 (Light Grey, with a brownish hue) to set it apart from the rest of the aircraft. Humbrol 140 was used for the cockpit interior. The landing gear became classic glossy white, while the air intake interior was painted in Humbrol 127, matching the aircraft’s flanks. Only subtle post-shading and weathering was done.

As mentioned above, the Latvian air force markings came from a Blue Rider decal sheet. The tactical codes and the matching serial number come from a Begemot MiG-21sheet. Other fictional elements are the NATO emblem on the fin and a small squadron emblem on the nose, which is a vintage Polish air force motif.

Most stencils had to be salvaged from secondary sources, since the kit came without a decal sheet. Fortunately, I had a spare F-5E sheet left over from a Hobby Boss kit. As a final step, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).

A rather simple project, but re-sculpting the nose was a tedious task. However, I am happy with the outcome and how the fictional paint scheme works. Together with the exotic Latvian roundels, this creates an interesting, if not plausible, look.

Le HSBC PARIS SEVENS (8 au 10 juin 2018 au Stade Jean-Bouin) a officiellement été lancé aujourd’hui à Paris à la Région Île-de-France.

A cette occasion les 16 capitaines hommes et 12 capitaines femmes des équipes participantes au tournoi ont pris la pose autour du trophée de la compétition dans les jardins du Musée Rodin, Paris (Crédit Photo : I.PICAREL/FFR). Ils ont ensuite rejoint les locaux de la Région Île-de-France, partenaire de cette étape parisienne, situés dans le 7ème arrondissement.

Le HSBC Paris Sevens

Ultime étape du circuit mondial de rugby à 7, le HSBC Paris Sevens se déroulera au stade Jean-Bouin à Paris, du vendredi 8 au dimanche 10 juin 2018. Tournoi mixte pour la première fois de son histoire, le HSBC Paris Sevens 2018 accueille les meilleures équipes masculines et féminines du monde.

Avec 79 matches entre 28 équipes en 3 jours, le spectacle sera non-stop sur la pelouse du Stade Jean-Bouin. Dernier tournoi de la saison, les titres des circuits mondiaux masculin et féminin se joueront donc au HSBC Paris Sevens. Les tribunes et le Village des Supporteurs seront également en ébullition pendant 3 jours, avec de nombreuses animations « CRAZY RUGBY » qui seront proposées à tous les spectateurs !

Le programme :

• Vendredi 8 juin de 14h à 21h40 > tournoi Féminin (ouverture des portes au public à 13h30)

• Samedi 9 juin de 9h à 23h > tournoi mixte (ouverture des portes au public à 8h30)

• Dimanche 10 juin de 8h45 à 19h40 > phases finales féminines et masculines (ouverture des portes au public à 8h15)

Le World Rugby Sevens Series 2017-2018 est la 19e édition de la compétition la plus importante du monde de rugby à sept. Elle se déroule du 1er décembre 2017 au 10 juin 2018. L'Afrique du Sud est tenante du titre et l'Espagne est l'équipe promue de la saison.

Au mois d'avril se déroulent les Jeux du Commonwealth 2018 où dix équipes des World Rugby Sevens Series participent. La compétition enchaine ensuite avec la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept en juillet 2018.

Chaque étape est un tournoi se déroulant sur deux ou trois jours, entre le vendredi et le dimanche. À chaque étape est convié une équipe qui ne possède pas le statut d'équipe permanente, portant le nombre total d'équipes à seize.

En fonction du résultat du tournoi précédent, ou du classement de la saison passée pour le premier tournoi de la saison à Dubaï, les équipes sont réparties en chapeaux avant tirage au sort pour former quatre poules de quatre équipes. Chaque équipe joue les trois autres membres de sa poule et un classement est établi, tout d'abord sur le nombre de points (victoire 3 points, nul 2 points, défaite 1 point) puis sur le goal-average général. Les deux premiers de chaque poule passent en quart de finale de la Cup ou tournoi principal et les deux derniers passent en quart de finale du Challenge Trophy. Les équipes vaincues en quart de finale sont alors reversées en demi-finales de classement, respectivement pour la cinquième et treizième place. Les équipes battues en demi-finales ne disputent pas de petite finale de classement et remportent le même nombre de point, sauf pour les équipes battues en demi finales de Cup qui disputeront un dernier match de classement pour la troisième place.

Chaque rencontre, y compris la finale depuis l'édition 2016-2017, se dispute en deux fois sept minutes.

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne de rugby à 7 rassemble, de ce vendredi à dimanche, les meilleures nations mondiales pour décider du vainqueur du circuit mondial. Une belle vitrine pour la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV.

Dixième étape de la saison, le Paris Sevens clôture ce week-end le circuit mondial de rugby à 7, réunissant les 16 meilleures nations du monde aux quatre coins de la planète. De vendredi à dimanche, dans l’enceinte du Stade Jean Bouin, les équipes masculines feront le spectacle à travers une discipline méconnue en France mais très appréciée dans de nombreux pays. Et, pour la première fois cette année, les équipes féminines ouvriront les festivités.

Une véritable fête du rugby à 7, discipline olympique depuis 2016 et en plein boom grâce à la vitrine que lui ont offert offert les Jeux de Rio. Chez les hommes, outre les nations majeures de l’Ovale comme la Nouvelle-Zélande, l’Australie, l’Angleterre ou les Fidji, le Kenya, le Canada ou encore l’Espagne font leur trou et voient dans cette discipline une chance de développer un sport mineur dans leur pays. Chez les femmes, la Chine, le Japon ou la Russie figurent dans le top 12.

Le crazy rugby à la fête

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne est également l’occasion pour la France de développer la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV. «Nous sommes fiers de soutenir financièrement ce tournoi et de permettre qu’il existe», a tenu à rappeler le vice-président de la région Île-de-France, Patrick Karam. Et de poursuivre. «La région est également présente dans la sensibilisation. Vendredi, 360 lycéens pourront découvrir la discipline grâce à de nombreuses animations. Il est important pour nous de tout faire pour développer cette pratique, en vue de Paris 2024», a-t-il poursuivi, alors que la conférence de presse de présentation se tenait dans les locaux de la région, dans le 7e arrondissement parisien.

Dernière étape de la saison, le tournoi parisien représente en tout cas une belle vitrine pour la discipline, dans une ville au rayonnement mondial. «C’est formidable de pouvoir clôturer la saison dans une ville aussi magnifique, chez un hôte comme la France», ajoute de son côté Douglas Langley, directeur du tournoi et membre de World Rugby. «Nous nous réjouissons d’avance de ce week-end de ‘crazy rugby’», conclut-il. Et c’est bien là l’atout majeur de la discipline. Spectaculaire, chaque rencontre offre de nombreux essais et des sprints permanents.

Les Bleues veulent briller

Le public parisien, qui vient en nombre à chaque édition, est adepte de cette discipline. Le Stade Jean Bouin était plein en 2016 et 2017, et l’édition 2018, même s’il reste encore des places à vendre, ne dérogera certainement pas à la règle. Pourtant, ce ne sont pas les résultats des Bleus qui font venir les supporters. Malgré une 3e place en 2016, et une 5e en 2017, l’équipe masculine connaît une saison compliquée. 12e sur 16 au classement, les Bleus n’ont pas fait mieux que 7e cette année lors des neuf précédents tournois du circuit.

«Même si nos chances sont moindres, on rentre dans ce tournoi pour le gagner, et on a la chance d’avoir le soutien du public avec nous», déclare Manoël Dall’igna, capitaine de France 7. «Ces deux dernières années on a eu des supers résultats ici et on compte sur le 8e homme pour faire aussi bien», termine-t-il. Cette période de creux, due en partie à de nombreux départs en retraite en 2016, ne touche pas les féminines. 3e du circuit mondial, les coéquipières de Fanny Horta visent le podium à Paris. «On a reçu beaucoup de messages de soutien de la jeune génération, et on veut vraiment profiter de ce soutien pour garder la dynamique de la saison et faire un nouveau podium», confie la capitaine.

Mises en valeur ce week-end, les Bleues représentent «la véritable locomotive du 7 en France avec une très belle réussite sportive», estime Christophe Reigt, manager des équipes de France à 7. Suffisant pour développer la discipline en France ? Quoiqu’il en soit, avec cette étape parisienne, la Fédération se démène pour populariser le 7 dans l’Hexagone, avec un objectif majeur en ligne de mire : les Jeux olympiques de Paris en 2024.

The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2018 Awards in Paris brought a fitting end to an enthralling season which saw South Africa and Australia crowned men’s and women’s series champions respectively.

It’s been one of the most competitive seasons on record as both the women’s and men’s series were decided by just two-point differences.

South Africa fought an incredible battle with Fiji in the men’s series to retain their title with victory at the final round in Paris, while Olympic champions Australia won their second overall title ahead of rivals New Zealand on the women’s series after reaching the podium at every one of the five rounds.

The end of season awards provided a chance to celebrate the men’s and women’s sevens players, coaches and teams that are the stars, ambassadors and role models of the sport.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “It has been another tremendous year for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, which continues to go from strength to strength.

“I hugely admire the skill and physicality of rugby sevens and thank the players for their outstanding commitment which makes the series such a success. It is great to see the series capturing the imagination on and off the field with year-on-year increases in attendances, broadcast and fan-engagement figures, and that is a great testament to the players, coaches, host unions and everyone involved with the events.

“Rugby sevens took a quantum leap when it joined the Olympic programme in 2016 and now we look forward to a Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco in just 40 days time in an iconic city and a market with great potential. It promises to be a thrilling and spectacular event.”

the workload. It is a blessing for me to be standing here.”

Rookies of the Year

Eroni Sau is the second Fijian to be named Rookie of the Year for the men’s series after being a clear winner in the fan vote ahead of his compatriot Alosio Naduva and Australia’s Ben O’Donnell. The 28-year-old featured in all 10 rounds in his debut season, using his powerful physique to score 37 tries.

France’s Coralie Bertrand, meanwhile, claimed the women’s accolade, having featured in all five rounds and helped Les Bleues enjoy their best season, reaching a first-ever Cup final in Kitakyushu and semi-finals in Langford and Paris to clinch the series bronze medal.

Fair Play Award

This award, selected by the match officials, recognises the teams who showcase rugby’s values of integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect. Japan were awarded the women’s accolade after an event that saw them lose their core team status on the series, with Kenya the men’s recipients following an exciting season which saw them reach the final in both Vancouver and Hong Kong.

Roche’s kick with the final play of the match against England to snatch the bronze medal for invitational team Ireland at the HSBC London Sevens was a clear winner of the men’s award, beating Fijian Alosio Naduva’s last-gasp winning try against Australia in the Singapore Cup final and Matias Osadczuk’s break and calm head to send Renzo Barbier over for the winning try in Argentina’s Cup semi-final against South Africa in Las Vegas.

Capgemini Coach of the Series

Another inaugural category, selected by the series’ global innovation partner Capgemini, was won by New Zealand women’s coach Alan Bunting after successive victories in the last three rounds of the series in Japan, Canada and France as well as the Commonwealth Games title in April.

South Africa coach Neil Powell, who guided the Blitzboks to retaining their series title, picked up the men’s coach of the series award and paid tribute to his victorious team: “The mental focus and composure they showed was fantastic, all credit to the boys for believing in their success. We had everything to play for and the team did an incredible job, not just today but over the whole season.

“I also want to congratulate Fiji on an amazing season, they were phenomenal.”

DHL Impact Player

The race to be named DHL Impact Player of the Year in both the men’s and women’s series went right down to the final matches. In total 16 players from 12 nations won tournament awards during this season’s series.

New Zealand’s Michaela Blyde was delighted to win the women’s award: “This is pretty special. I’m shocked and truly grateful. I put this down to my teammates who create the opportunities for me and I thank them.”

La Fédération française de rugby organise, du 8 au 10 juin au stade Jean-Bouin, à Paris 16e, un tournoi international de rugby à 7 masculin et féminin, étape du HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Cette manifestation sportive, soutenue par la Région à hauteur de 170.000€, va rassembler 28 équipes internationales, qui s'affronteront au cours de 45 matchs masculins et 34 matchs féminins.

Le public pourra découvrir à cette occasion, jusque dans sa pratique féminine, une discipline largement méconnue.

Quant au stade Jean-Bouin, qui est l'un des sites retenus pour les JO Paris 2024, il pourra mettre en avant sa capacité d’accueil de 20.000 spectateurs.

Ce tournoi constituant la 10e et dernière étape du circuit mondial, il s'achèvera avec la remise des titres de champion et championne du monde de rugby à 7.

En soutenant l'organisation de tels grands événements sportifs franciliens, la Région Île-de-France renforce chaque fois un peu plus l'attractivité de ses territoires tout en assurant son rayonnement à l'échelle internationale.

Le titre HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series a été décidé de façon spectaculaire après que l'Afrique du Sud a battu l'Angleterre 24-14 en finale du HSBC Paris Sevens pour décrocher la médaille d'or et conserver son titre de série.

Au cours d'une des années les plus compétitives de l'histoire de la série, le titre est allé jusqu'au tout dernier match puisque l'Afrique du Sud avait besoin d'une victoire en tournoi pour dépasser les Fidji dans le classement de la série.

L'Afrique du Sud a terminé la série en tête avec 182 points, suivie des Fidji qui ont remporté l'argent avec 180 points et la Nouvelle-Zélande avec 150 points après avoir remporté la médaille de bronze à Paris avec une victoire de 38-5 contre le Canada dans la troisième place

Les champions de la série de l'année dernière, l'Afrique du Sud, ont devancé l'Espagne 15-10 en quart de finale avec un essai à la cinquième minute de Justin Deguld, après que les pointages aient été 10-10 à la fin du temps réglementaire. Les Blitzboks sud-africains ont ensuite trouvé leur rythme en demi-finale avec une victoire complète de 24-12 contre la Nouvelle-Zélande grâce à deux essais de l'impressionnant Dewald Human, 23 ans, qui a fait ses débuts il y a deux mois à Hong Kong .

Humain était de nouveau en forme de but en finale et était ravi d'être élu Joueur de la Finale: "Ca a été une expérience fantastique ici à Paris, je me suis appuyé sur moi et j'ai apprécié chaque minute sur le terrain. sommes très heureux de la victoire. "

Le capitaine de l'équipe sud-africaine, Philip Snyman, a ajouté: "Nous voulions aller jouer au rugby et nous concentrer sur ce que nous pouvions contrôler: les gars ont joué un rugby phénoménal et ont fait honneur à l'équipe. C'est un sentiment incroyable de représenter un pays si merveilleux et les gens de chez nous n'ont jamais cessé de croire en nous et de nous soutenir. "

Fidjiens ont raté l'occasion de remporter le titre plus tôt dans la journée alors qu'ils ont été vaincus 19-17 par une équipe d'Angleterre pleine d'entrain dans un quart de finale à couper le souffle. Le capitaine de l'équipe d'Angleterre, Tom Mitchell, a complété un mouvement de 26 passes pour marquer dans les dernières secondes du match et mettre un terme à la récente domination des Fidji qui les avait vaincus lors des quatre dernières manches de la série.

Les Fidjiens se sont rétablis pour battre l'Irlande 38-5 et les États-Unis 28-7 pour terminer cinquième à Paris et mettre la pression sur l'Afrique du Sud pour la finale mais finalement ce n'était pas suffisant et les Fidjiens ont été obligés de se contenter des dix tours.

L'Angleterre a produit une autre performance puissante en demi-finale avec une victoire convaincante de 26-12 contre le Canada pour atteindre sa première finale de la série 2017-18, mais ils ont été incapables de faire face aux Blitzboks en finale alors que les hommes d'Afrique du Sud couraient vainqueurs devant une foule parisienne bruyante.

Équipe Invitational L'Irlande a battu 19-5 du quart en quarts de finale, mais après sa médaille de bronze à Londres la semaine dernière, les Irlandais se sont montrés assez prometteurs au cours des deux derniers tours un brillant avenir dans le rugby à sept.

L'Argentine a remporté le Challenge Trophy, décerné à l'équipe terminant en neuvième position, après avoir vaincu le Pays de Galles 33-26.

Toute l'attention se tourne maintenant vers la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept 2018 à San Francisco du 20 au 22 juillet, où 24 équipes masculines et 16 équipes féminines s'affronteront pour devenir championnes du monde au cours de trois journées d'action excitantes.

1. L'AFRIQUE DU SUD : UN TOURNOI À L'IMAGE DE LEUR SAISON

« C'est un tournoi à l'image de leur saison. L'Afrique du Sud gagne le premier tournoi et se retrouve à des moments compliqués. A Paris, elle était en délicatesse en poule, perd contre l'Ecosse (12-14), se met en danger contre l'Espagne en quart de finale (15-10 dans les prolongations, ndlr). Ce n'était pas évident car l'équipe avait dans un coin de la tête que c'était fini par rapport à la saison. Et derrière ça, ils arrivent à se remobiliser après la défaite des Fidji. La défense, c'est la clé des Sud-Africains avec 85% de plaquages réussis et surtout un trio qui a été magique avec Philip Snyman, Ruhan Neil et Werner Kok : 60 plaquages à eux trois. Ce sont les joueurs qui ont été majeurs sur l'ensemble du tournoi. Ils ont un jeu de passes assez nul : 172 passes en six matches, soit 28 en moyenne par match (le Canada en a 307 en six matches, soit 51 en moyenne par rencontre, ndlr). »

2. LES FIDJI À DEUX POINTS DU LEADER

« Ils manquent un peu le tournoi. Ils avaient la possibilité de passer, mais ils ont laissé beaucoup d'énergie dans la poule. La défaite contre le Kenya (19-22) leur fait du mal, ils ont du faire un match plein face à la Nouvelle-Zélande. Ils sont plutôt adeptes à gérer les phases de poule et à accélérer sur les play-offs, donc c'était un peu dur pour eux de retrouver l'énergie nécessaire et de trouver en quart de finale une équipe anglaise qui a été assez incroyable sur la possession de balle. Malgré leur 5e place à Paris, les Fidji ont le titre qui leur passe sous le nez par pas grand chose (deux points derrière l'Afrique du Sud, ndlr).

« Il y a eu de grosses lacunes sur les coups d'envoi : 16% des coups d'envoi récupérés, ce qui est très faible quand on connait la capacité des Fidji (22% en moyenne sur la saison, ndlr). Et alors qu'ils sont les maîtres à jouer dans les turnovers, là ils n'ont récupéré que cinq ballons dans le tournoi de Paris (et en ont perdu six, ndlr). En comparaison, l'Afrique du Sud en a récupéré 14. Les Fidjiens sont très forts sur la récupération de ballon, mais les équipes adverses ont été assez lucides et leur ont donné que peu de ballons. Du coup, les Fidjiens n'avaient pas beaucoup de munitions pour scorer car les équipes en face ont su s'adapter. »

3. L'ANGLETERRE, TOUJOURS PRÉSENTE DANS LES GRANDS MOMENTS

« L'Angleterre fait un très bon tournoi. Sans être exceptionnels, ils ont réussi à passer la phase de poule. Derrière, ils font un exploit contre les Fidji (17-19 en quart de finale, ndlr), puis une défaite en finale contre l'Afrique du Sud 14-24). Ils doivent leur tournoi grâce à un réalisme incroyable : 20 possessions de balle sur 23 dans les 22 mètres ; 87% de réalisme dans les 22 m adverses. Norton, Bibby, Mitchell ont su actionner le jeu anglais. Défensivement, Harry Glover a été l'un des meilleurs joueurs du tournoi. Il n'a que 20 ans et est en train d'exploser et de devenir un joueur majeur sur le système anglais (22 plaquages). Il a supporté l'équipe d'Angleterre sur ce tournoi.

« Ils sont toujours là dans les grands moments : finaliste aux JO, médaille de bronze aux Commonwealth... Ils étaient 9e mondial et ils terminent à la 5e place du classement mondial, sur le fil, à un point de l'Australie (à un point d'écart). Le prochain objectif c'est la Coupe du Monde et en 2019 la quatrième place. Leur saison est parfaitement maîtrisée du point de vue gestion, même s'ils n'ont pas démarré très fort. »

4. L'IRLANDE A SA PLACE SUR LE WORLD SERIES

« Encore une fois elle a montré ses capacités de performance sur le World Series. Elle a été pragmatique. Le rugby à 7, c'est de l'endurance et du cardio. Ils montrent des atouts dignes d'un top 3 du Worl Series. Ils font plus de points que la Russie en deux tournois et sont 15e au classement, juste derrière le Pays de Galles. Défensivement ils sont en tête du classement et Harry McNulty est leur leader défensif (18 plaquages).

« Ils n'ont pas fait le World series en entier, mais c'est une équipe qui est très rigoureuse défensivement. Ils ont étouffé en phase de poule (14-5 sur l'Espagne, 19-19 sur le Pays de Galles et 24-14 sur l'Australie, ndlr). Et même en changeant cinq joueurs de l'effectif initial, ils arrivent toujours à être au haut niveau et à passer le cap et à être performant. L'Irlande a fait une très grosse performance à Paris et sera très dangereuse à la Coupe du Monde.

« Leur objectif numéro 1, c'est l'Europe Series ; le Paris Sevens n'était pas ciblé et pourtant ils y arrivent. Ils battent tout le monde en poule. »

5. L'ESPAGNE : DANGER EN DEVENIR

« Ils gagnent l'Australie (17-10), puis le Pays de Galles (21-14) et font surtout un match monumental contre l'Afrique du Sud en quart de finale où ils perdent à la dernière seconde (15-10). Ils ont encore fait une très belle saison, malgré le manque de réalisme : 45% de réalisme, elle score 10 fois sur 22 (45%). C'est dire tout le potentiel offensif qu'elle a !

« C'est une équipe qui a beaucoup le ballon. Le jour où elle va être efficace offensivement, elle va être dangereuse. »

6. LE CANADA A RÉUSSI À PASSER LE CUT DES DEMI-FINALES

« Le Canada s'est qualifié encore une fois en demi-finale sur le World Series où elle s'incline 26-12 face à l'Angleterre. C'est une quatrième place au Paris Sevens après avoir été impressionnante en phase de poule. Elle n'a eu que 11 pénalités dans le tournoi. Elle a une justesse technique incroyable avec seulement 12 fautes de main sur l'ensemble du tournoi, soit deux par match, ce qui est très propre.

« C'est un jeu de quinziste. Le Canada fonctionne en mode quinziste, mais score derrière. Hirayama a été le meilleur joueur en offload, Douglas a cassé la ligne huit fois, Connor Braid ballon porté... « Le Canada a réussi à passer ce cut pour les demi-finales. »

7. LA FRANCE EN PANNE

« Elle avait réussi à réunir son effectif au complet malgré la blessure de Manoël Dall'Igna. Elle attendait depuis longtemps le tournoi de Paris. Au premier jour, elle est à sa place et a du mal à performer face à l'Angleterre (21-28), aux USA 12-26) et à l'Argentine 28-26) qui sont au-dessus. Elle a réussi à débloquer son compteur de victoires en battant l'Argentine.

« Elle a montré beaucoup de faiblesse défensive, avec 5,4 plaquages manqués par match, contre 3,4 pour l'Espagne. C'est le chantier numéro un pour que la France puisse repasser en Cup.

« En attaque, elle est efficace, même si le point noir est le coup d'envoi : trois manqués contre le Pays de Galles. Quand on n'a pas les ballons en conquête, c'est très compliqué de pouvoir rivaliser. C'est l'équipe qui a été le plus pénalisée du tournoi : 18 pénalités.

« Malgré tout, l'équipe de France a réussi à contenir et n'a pas pris 40-0 comme sur d'autres tournois. La ferveur populaire a permis à la France de rester concentrée à chaque match. Elle a joué avec ses armes et s'est faite contrer par meilleur que soit. »

THE HISTORY OF TITANIC

The Royal Mail Ship TITANIC was the last grand dream of the Gilded Age. It was designed to be the greatest achievement of an era of prosperity, confidence and propriety. Although no one knew it, the world was about to change drastically. Radio had been invented in 1901. The Wright Brothers' first successful flight was in 1903. The old presumptions about class, morals, and gender-roles were about to be shattered. If the concept of Titanic was the climax of the age, then perhaps its sinking was the curtain that marked the end of the old drama, and the start of a new one.

The intensely competitive transatlantic steamship business had seen recent major advances in ship design, size and speed. White Star Line, one of the leaders, determined to focus on size and elegance rather than pure speed. In 1907, White Star Line's managing director J. Bruce Ismay and Lord James Pirrie, a partner in Harland & Wolff (White Star Line's ship-builder since its founding in 1869) conceived of three magnificent steam ships which would set a new standard for comfort, elegance, and safety. The first two were to be named Olympic and Titanic, the latter name chosen by Ismay to convey a sense of overwhelming size and strength.

It took a year to design the two ships. Construction of Olympic started in December, 1908, followed by Titanic in March 1909. The Belfast shipyards of Harland & Wolff had to be re-designed to accommodate the immense projects while White Star's pier in New York had to be lengthened to enable the ships to dock. During the two years it took to complete Titanic's hull, the press was primed with publicity about the ship's magnificence, making Titanic virtually a legend before her launch. The "launch" of the completed steel in May, 1911, was a heavily publicized spectacle. Tickets were sold to benefit a local children's hospital.

She was then taken for "fitting out" which involved the construction of the ship's many facilities and systems, her elaborate woodwork and fine decor. As the date of her maiden voyage approached, the completed Olympic suffered a collision and required extensive repairs, increasing the workload at Harland & Wolff, which was already struggling to complete Titanic on schedule. Titanic's maiden voyage was delayed from March 20 to April 10.

Titanic was 883 feet long (1/6 of a mile), 92 feet wide and weighed 46,328 tons. She was 104 feet tall from keel to bridge, almost 35 feet of which were below the waterline... even so, she stood taller above the water than most urban buildings of the time. There were three real smoke-stacks; a fourth, dummy stack was added largely to increase the impression of her gargantuan size and power and to vent smoke from her numerous kitchens and galleys. She was the largest movable object ever made by man. The ship's immense size and complexity is illustrated by an incident recalled by Second Officer Lightoller. There was a gangway door on the starboard side aft "large enough to drive a horse and cart through." Yet three officers who joined the ship during her preparations spent a whole day simply trying to find their way to it.

Moreover, she was designed to be a marvel of modern safety technology. She had a double-hull of 1-inch thick steel plates and a (heavily publicized) system of 16 water-tight compartments, sealed by massive doors which could be instantly triggered by a single electric switch on the bridge, or even automatically by electric water-sensors. The press began to call her "unsinkable."

Her accommodations were the most modern and luxurious on any ocean, and included electric light and heat in every room, electric elevators, a swimming pool, a squash court (considered terribly modern), a Turkish Bath, a gymnasium with a mechanical horse and mechanical camel to keep riders fit, and staterooms and first class facilities to rival the best hotels on the Continent. First class passengers would glide down a six-story, glass-domed grand staircase to enjoy haute cuisine in the sumptuous first class dining saloon that filled the width of the ship on D Deck. For those who desired a more intimate atmosphere, Titanic also offered a stately à la carte restaurant, the chic Palm Court and Verandah restaurant, and the festive Cafe Parisien. She offered two musical ensembles (rather than the standard one) of the best musicians on the Atlantic, many of them lured from rival liners. There were two libraries, first- and second-class. Even the third class (steerage) cabins were more luxurious than the first class cabins on some lesser steamships, and boasted amenities (like indoor toilet facilities) that some of Titanic's emigrant passengers had not enjoyed in their own homes.

The original design called for 32 lifeboats. However, White Star management felt that the boat-deck would look cluttered, and reduced the number to 20, for a total life-boat capacity of 1178. This actually exceeded the regulations of the time, even though Titanic was capable of carrying over 3500 people (passengers and crew).

The maiden voyage lured the "very best people:" British nobility, American industrialists, the very cream of New York and Philadelphia society. It also attracted many poor emigrants, hoping to start a new life in America or Canada.

The journey began at Southampton on Wednesday April 10, 1912 at Noon. By sundown, Titanic had stopped in Cherbourg, France to pick up additional passengers. That evening she sailed for Queenstown, Ireland, and at 1:30 PM on Thursday, April 11, she headed out into the Atlantic.

The seasoned transatlantic passengers were deeply impressed by the new ship. She was so massive that they barely felt the movement of the sea at all. Her huge, powerful engines produced almost none of the annoying vibration common on other steamers, and their noise was barely perceptible. And she achieved this extraordinary level of comfort while traveling at 22 knots, not the fastest boat on the route, but certainly one of the top five.

Weather was pleasant and clear, and the water temperature was about 55 degrees. The winter of 1912 had been unusually mild, and unprecedented amounts of ice had broken loose from the arctic regions. Titanic was equipped with Marconi's new wireless telegraph system and her two Marconi operators kept the wireless room running 24 hours a day. On Sunday, April 14, the fifth day at sea, Titanic received five different ice-warnings, but the captain was not overly concerned. The ship steamed ahead at 22 knots, and the line's Managing Director J. Bruce Ismay relished the idea of arriving in New York a day ahead of schedule.

On the night of April 14, wireless operator Phillips was very busy sending chatty passenger's messages to Cape Race, Newfoundland, whence they could be relayed inland to friends and relatives. He received a sixth ice-warning that night, but didn't realize how close Titanic was to the position of the warning, and put that message under a paperweight at his elbow. It never reached Captain Smith or the officer on the bridge.

By all accounts, the night was uncommonly clear and dark, moonless but faintly glowing with an incredible sky full of stars. The stars were so bright that one officer mistook the planet Jupiter (then rising just above the horizon) for a steamship light.

The sea was, likewise, unusually calm and flat, "like glass" said many survivors. The lack of waves made it even more difficult to spot icebergs, since there was no telltale white water breaking at the edges of the bergs.

At 11:40, a lookout in the crow's nest spotted an iceberg dead ahead. He notified the bridge and First Officer Murdoch ordered the ship turned hard to port. He signaled the engine room to reverse direction, full astern. The ship turned slightly, but it was much too large, moving much too fast, and the iceberg was much too close. 37 seconds later, the greatest maritime disaster in history began. During that night of heroism, terror and tragedy, 705 lives were saved, 1502 lives were lost, and many legends were born.

There are many books and online sources available for further information on the Titanic. It is worth noting that even the factual information about Titanic varies widely between the different sources. For all that is known and theorized about Titanic, it is in many ways still a mystery. Among the books are:

TITANIC, An Illustrated History, by Don Lynch and Ken Marschall, 1992

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER by Walter Lord, 1955

THE NIGHT LIVES ON by Walter Lord, 1986

THE STORY OF THE TITANIC AS TOLD BY ITS SURVIVORS edited by Jack Winocur, 1960 (containing "The Loss of the SS Titanic, Its Story and Its Lessons" by Lawrence Beesley, 1912, "The Truth about the Titanic" by Col. Archibald Gracie, 1913, relevant chapters from "Titanic and Other Ships" by Commander Charles Lightoller, 1935 and Asst. Marconi Operator Harold Bride's account as published in the New York Times of April 28, 1912.)

TITANIC - TRIUMPH & TRAGEDY by John P. Eaton and Charles Haas 1988 (second edition 1994)

Visit by Duane Land, Director of Air Force Programs, L3Harris Technologies, Bryant Thorne, Program Manager, United States Air Force, and friends for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Jun 16 for the MQ-9 Reaper workload.

The event was born from Tobyhanna's partnership with L3Harris Technologies - a collaboration that will ensure warfighters across the world have access to this critical Air Force equipment.

Carnet de campagne d’un candidat para-commando.

Nous sommes dans notre huitième semaine de formation !

Pas mal de mes collègues ont abandonné la formation suite à diverses blessures.

Au programme cette semaine : progression tactique et réaction contact ainsi qu’un parcours d’orientation de nuit que nous appelons « Dropping ».

Départ au point de drop (largage) à 20 h et arrivée au bivouac le lendemain à 6 h, je dormirai vite et fort si j’ai de la chance !

Un parcours très technique en orientation et très physique de par son dénivelé dans la région d’Arlon.

Pour ce dropping, nous emportons tout notre matériel comme en opération, ce qui correspond à 30 kilos de charge opérationnelle sur l’homme.

Vers 03 heures du matin, sous la pluie battante, le sac est de plus en plus lourd, je le remonte en permanence sur mes épaules et je pense à mes amis et proches qui, à cette heure dorment au chaud, je me pose plusieurs questions….mais qu’est ce que je fous là ?

Mais rien non je ne plierai pas, je continue à avancer, je veux être Para-Commando !

La formation Para-Commando c’est aussi une formation du caractère où la rusticité, l’adversité, la rigueur, le dépassement de soi en sont les clés.

Translation

Notebook of campaign of a candidate para - commando.

We are in our eighth week of training!

Many of my colleagues have abandoned the training following various injuries.

In the program this week: Progression and tactical response contact and a course orientation night that we call ' dropping '.

Departure to the point of drop ( dropping ) at 20 a.m. and arrived in bivouac on the next day at 6 h, i'll sleep hard and fast if i am lucky!

A journey very technical in orientation and very physics of by his grade separated in the region of arlon.

For this dropping, we have all our equipment as in operation, which corresponds to 30 Kilos of operational workload on the man.

Around 03 hours of the morning, in the rain warrior, the bag is increasingly Heavy, i the dates back permanently on my shoulders and i think of my friends and relatives who, At this hour sleep warm, i ask myself several issues.... But that is what i am doing here?

But nothing i will not bend over, i continue to move forward, i want to be para commando!

The training para commando it is also a character education where the rusticité, adversity , rigour, the exceedance oneself in are the keys.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The Latvian Air Force was first founded during the Latvian War of Independence in 1919. In 1939, the Aviation Regiment consisted of three fighter squadrons, armed with 24 Gloster Gladiator and 6 Bristol Bulldog (a fourth squadron was in organization), three reconnaissance squadrons, armed with up to 12 Letov Š-16LS, 2 Hawker Hind and 10 Stampe SV.5, and a naval reconnaissance squadron with 4 Fairey Seal and two other planes. The Soviet occupation in 1940 ended the activities of the Air Force. At that time there were almost 130 aircraft in service.

By end of 2009, the LAF’s Fighter Squadron moved to Lielvārde Air Base, in an attempt to ensure centralization of Air Force units and to establish an efficient command and control system, which will result in a reduction of the Air Force units’ maintenance costs. With the Fighter Squadron the Air Force carries out Latvian airspace surveillance, control and defense and provides air defense support to the Land Forces units.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 47 ft 4¾ in (14.45 m)

Wingspan: 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m)

Height: 13 ft 4½ in (4.08 m)

Wing area: 186 ft² (17.28 m²)

Airfoil: NACA 65A004.8 root, NACA 64A004.8 tip

Empty weight: 9,558 lb (4,349 kg)

Loaded weight: 15,745 lb (7,157 kg)

Max. take-off weight: 24,722 lb (11,214 kg)

Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.02

Drag area: 3.4 ft² (0.32 m²)

Aspect ratio: 3.82

Internal fuel: 677 U.S. gal (2,563 L)

External fuel: up to 3× 275 U.S. gal (1,040 L) drop tanks

Powerplant:

2× General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet with 3,500 lbf (15.5 kN) dry thrust

and 5,000 lbf (22.2 kN) thrust with afterburner each

Performance:

Maximum speed: 917 kn (Mach 1.6, 1,060 mph, 1,700 km/h) at altitude

Range: 760 nmi (870 mi, 1,405 km)

Ferry range: 2,010 nmi (2,310 mi, 3,700 km)

Service ceiling: 51,800 ft (15,800 m)

Rate of climb: 34,400 ft/min (175 m/s)

Lift-to-drag ratio: 10.0

Armament:

1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M39A2 Revolver cannon in the nose with 280 rounds

7 hardpoints (2× wing-tip AAM launch rails, 4× under-wing & 1× under-fuselage pylon stations,

only pylon stations 3, 4 and 5 are wet-plumbed) with a capacity of 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg)

The kit and its assembly:

A relatively simple build, originally inspired by a Blue Rider decal sheet for Latvian Air Force aircraft that I had bought some time ago, as part of a vague plan to build a modern what-if aircraft for each of the young and small Baltic states’ air forces. The first one had been a Lithuanian MiG-21, Estonia is still pending (even though there’s a vague idea), and the Lithuanian interceptor was recently spawned when I bought an Italeri F-5E as part of a kit lot, even though it lacked box, decals and instructions and had a slight damage.

The Tiger II was built mostly OOB, the only changes I made are replaced wing tip launch rails (they were damaged beyond repair), I omitted port side cannon and created a modified “shark nose” radome, which was sculpted with putty; in real life, the enlarged radome for the upgraded radar is 33cm deeper than the original F-5E radome, even though the aircraft’s overall length remained the same, as well as the nose profile. In order to make the model look a little less static I slightly lowered the slats and the flaps – easy to realize on this model. The leftover cannon received a better barrel, made from a hollow steel needle. The pair of AIM-120s and their respective launch rails come from a Hasegawa air-to-air weapons set. The ventral drop tank came from the kit.

The Italeri F-5E is a simple affair and goes together well, even though the section ahead of the air intakes called for considerable PSR work – not certain if that’s my fault or an innate flaw of the kit (which comes with an upper and lower fuselage half)? The raised panel lines are another weak point – the kit cannot conceal its age, and there are certainly better options today (e .g. from Hobby Boss).

Painting and markings:

I wanted something that would neither look too Western, nor a typical Soviet-style livery. The resulting paint scheme is purely fictional and was inspired by a grey North Korean MiG-21 and USAF aggressor schemes for F-5Es – both reminiscent of the Soviet “Pumpkin” paint scheme for export MiG-21s. For the choice of colors, the complex “Norm 81” scheme from German Luftwaffe F-4Fs had an influence.

The result became a primarily grey air superiority scheme with uniform light grey undersides (FS 36495, Humbrol 147) and light Ghost Grey (FS 36375, Humbrol 127) fuselage and fin. The wings’ upper surfaces became mostly Dark Gull Grey (FS 36231, Testors 1740) and patches of the same tone were applied to the fuselage and the fin, too. On the wings’ upper surfaces, some patches in a dull, greenish grey (Humbrol 111, Uniform Grey) were finally added in order to break the aircraft’s outlines from above. The result somewhat reminds of German WWII camouflage, even though unintentionally.

The radome was painted in Revell 75 (Light Grey, with a brownish hue) to set it apart from the rest of the aircraft. Humbrol 140 was used for the cockpit interior. The landing gear became classic glossy white, while the air intake interior was painted in Humbrol 127, matching the aircraft’s flanks. Only subtle post-shading and weathering was done.

As mentioned above, the Latvian air force markings came from a Blue Rider decal sheet. The tactical codes and the matching serial number come from a Begemot MiG-21sheet. Other fictional elements are the NATO emblem on the fin and a small squadron emblem on the nose, which is a vintage Polish air force motif.

Most stencils had to be salvaged from secondary sources, since the kit came without a decal sheet. Fortunately, I had a spare F-5E sheet left over from a Hobby Boss kit. As a final step, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).

A rather simple project, but re-sculpting the nose was a tedious task. However, I am happy with the outcome and how the fictional paint scheme works. Together with the exotic Latvian roundels, this creates an interesting, if not plausible, look.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The Latvian Air Force was first founded during the Latvian War of Independence in 1919. In 1939, the Aviation Regiment consisted of three fighter squadrons, armed with 24 Gloster Gladiator and 6 Bristol Bulldog (a fourth squadron was in organization), three reconnaissance squadrons, armed with up to 12 Letov Š-16LS, 2 Hawker Hind and 10 Stampe SV.5, and a naval reconnaissance squadron with 4 Fairey Seal and two other planes. The Soviet occupation in 1940 ended the activities of the Air Force. At that time there were almost 130 aircraft in service.

By end of 2009, the LAF’s Fighter Squadron moved to Lielvārde Air Base, in an attempt to ensure centralization of Air Force units and to establish an efficient command and control system, which will result in a reduction of the Air Force units’ maintenance costs. With the Fighter Squadron the Air Force carries out Latvian airspace surveillance, control and defense and provides air defense support to the Land Forces units.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 47 ft 4¾ in (14.45 m)

Wingspan: 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m)

Height: 13 ft 4½ in (4.08 m)

Wing area: 186 ft² (17.28 m²)

Airfoil: NACA 65A004.8 root, NACA 64A004.8 tip

Empty weight: 9,558 lb (4,349 kg)

Loaded weight: 15,745 lb (7,157 kg)

Max. take-off weight: 24,722 lb (11,214 kg)

Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.02

Drag area: 3.4 ft² (0.32 m²)

Aspect ratio: 3.82

Internal fuel: 677 U.S. gal (2,563 L)

External fuel: up to 3× 275 U.S. gal (1,040 L) drop tanks

Powerplant:

2× General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet with 3,500 lbf (15.5 kN) dry thrust

and 5,000 lbf (22.2 kN) thrust with afterburner each

Performance:

Maximum speed: 917 kn (Mach 1.6, 1,060 mph, 1,700 km/h) at altitude

Range: 760 nmi (870 mi, 1,405 km)

Ferry range: 2,010 nmi (2,310 mi, 3,700 km)

Service ceiling: 51,800 ft (15,800 m)

Rate of climb: 34,400 ft/min (175 m/s)

Lift-to-drag ratio: 10.0

Armament:

1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M39A2 Revolver cannon in the nose with 280 rounds

7 hardpoints (2× wing-tip AAM launch rails, 4× under-wing & 1× under-fuselage pylon stations,

only pylon stations 3, 4 and 5 are wet-plumbed) with a capacity of 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg)

The kit and its assembly:

A relatively simple build, originally inspired by a Blue Rider decal sheet for Latvian Air Force aircraft that I had bought some time ago, as part of a vague plan to build a modern what-if aircraft for each of the young and small Baltic states’ air forces. The first one had been a Lithuanian MiG-21, Estonia is still pending (even though there’s a vague idea), and the Lithuanian interceptor was recently spawned when I bought an Italeri F-5E as part of a kit lot, even though it lacked box, decals and instructions and had a slight damage.

The Tiger II was built mostly OOB, the only changes I made are replaced wing tip launch rails (they were damaged beyond repair), I omitted port side cannon and created a modified “shark nose” radome, which was sculpted with putty; in real life, the enlarged radome for the upgraded radar is 33cm deeper than the original F-5E radome, even though the aircraft’s overall length remained the same, as well as the nose profile. In order to make the model look a little less static I slightly lowered the slats and the flaps – easy to realize on this model. The leftover cannon received a better barrel, made from a hollow steel needle. The pair of AIM-120s and their respective launch rails come from a Hasegawa air-to-air weapons set. The ventral drop tank came from the kit.

The Italeri F-5E is a simple affair and goes together well, even though the section ahead of the air intakes called for considerable PSR work – not certain if that’s my fault or an innate flaw of the kit (which comes with an upper and lower fuselage half)? The raised panel lines are another weak point – the kit cannot conceal its age, and there are certainly better options today (e .g. from Hobby Boss).

Painting and markings:

I wanted something that would neither look too Western, nor a typical Soviet-style livery. The resulting paint scheme is purely fictional and was inspired by a grey North Korean MiG-21 and USAF aggressor schemes for F-5Es – both reminiscent of the Soviet “Pumpkin” paint scheme for export MiG-21s. For the choice of colors, the complex “Norm 81” scheme from German Luftwaffe F-4Fs had an influence.

The result became a primarily grey air superiority scheme with uniform light grey undersides (FS 36495, Humbrol 147) and light Ghost Grey (FS 36375, Humbrol 127) fuselage and fin. The wings’ upper surfaces became mostly Dark Gull Grey (FS 36231, Testors 1740) and patches of the same tone were applied to the fuselage and the fin, too. On the wings’ upper surfaces, some patches in a dull, greenish grey (Humbrol 111, Uniform Grey) were finally added in order to break the aircraft’s outlines from above. The result somewhat reminds of German WWII camouflage, even though unintentionally.

The radome was painted in Revell 75 (Light Grey, with a brownish hue) to set it apart from the rest of the aircraft. Humbrol 140 was used for the cockpit interior. The landing gear became classic glossy white, while the air intake interior was painted in Humbrol 127, matching the aircraft’s flanks. Only subtle post-shading and weathering was done.

As mentioned above, the Latvian air force markings came from a Blue Rider decal sheet. The tactical codes and the matching serial number come from a Begemot MiG-21sheet. Other fictional elements are the NATO emblem on the fin and a small squadron emblem on the nose, which is a vintage Polish air force motif.

Most stencils had to be salvaged from secondary sources, since the kit came without a decal sheet. Fortunately, I had a spare F-5E sheet left over from a Hobby Boss kit. As a final step, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).

A rather simple project, but re-sculpting the nose was a tedious task. However, I am happy with the outcome and how the fictional paint scheme works. Together with the exotic Latvian roundels, this creates an interesting, if not plausible, look.

The Grumman EA-6B Prowler was developed primarily to replace older electronic warfare aircraft in US Navy service, namely the EKA-3B Skywarrior, as well as in response to the growing lethality of Eastern Bloc electronic threats. Initially, the ALQ-99 electronics suite was installed in a standard A-6 Intruder airframe as the EA-6A, but the aircraft was somewhat limited and workload was heavier for a two-man crew, especially in combat. EA-6As did see combat in Vietnam with the US Marine Corps, but something better was clearly needed. The result was the lengthened EA-6B Prowler, which upgraded the electronics suite considerably and also added two more crewmembers to reduce workload and increase effectiveness. The EA-6B first flew in May 1968, and entered US Navy and Marine service in 1971, just too late for service in Vietnam.

The ALQ-99 system is divided between several antennae on the aircraft, including the distinctive “football” antenna at the top of the tail. Most of the noise jammers are in the three or five underwing pods the Prowler almost always carries, though in the case of a three-pod arrangement, often antiradar missiles such as the AGM-88 HARM. It can also be used as an Elint aircraft.

Continually updated over its life, the EA-6B saw action in both Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Kosovo; in service over the Middle East, the Prowler proved effective in jamming IED detonation signals. With the retirement of the USAF’s EF-111 Ravens, the EA-6B is now the sole ECM aircraft in US service, further contributing to the overwork of the aircraft, and has often been the only ECM aircraft available in NATO operations as well. The last of the A-6 family in service, the Prowlers were replaced by the EF-18G Growler, and the last was retired around 2016.

Dad took this picture of 160433, a VAQ-130 ("Zappers") EA-6B off USS Forrestal at the Malmstrom AFB 1977 airshow. This view shows the various antennas and bulges of the ALQ-99 ECM system. At the time, the US Navy was still using the Vietnam-era light gray over white scheme. This aircraft was later transferred to the Marines and served last with VMAQ-1 before it was retired in 2011. The "Pride" hangar in the background was a Malmstrom AFB icon until it was torn down in the late 1990s.

Le HSBC PARIS SEVENS (8 au 10 juin 2018 au Stade Jean-Bouin) a officiellement été lancé aujourd’hui à Paris à la Région Île-de-France.

A cette occasion les 16 capitaines hommes et 12 capitaines femmes des équipes participantes au tournoi ont pris la pose autour du trophée de la compétition dans les jardins du Musée Rodin, Paris (Crédit Photo : I.PICAREL/FFR). Ils ont ensuite rejoint les locaux de la Région Île-de-France, partenaire de cette étape parisienne, situés dans le 7ème arrondissement.

Le HSBC Paris Sevens

Ultime étape du circuit mondial de rugby à 7, le HSBC Paris Sevens se déroulera au stade Jean-Bouin à Paris, du vendredi 8 au dimanche 10 juin 2018. Tournoi mixte pour la première fois de son histoire, le HSBC Paris Sevens 2018 accueille les meilleures équipes masculines et féminines du monde.

Avec 79 matches entre 28 équipes en 3 jours, le spectacle sera non-stop sur la pelouse du Stade Jean-Bouin. Dernier tournoi de la saison, les titres des circuits mondiaux masculin et féminin se joueront donc au HSBC Paris Sevens. Les tribunes et le Village des Supporteurs seront également en ébullition pendant 3 jours, avec de nombreuses animations « CRAZY RUGBY » qui seront proposées à tous les spectateurs !

Le programme :

Vendredi 8 juin de 14h à 21h40 > tournoi Féminin (ouverture des portes au public à 13h30)

Samedi 9 juin de 9h à 23h > tournoi mixte (ouverture des portes au public à 8h30)

Dimanche 10 juin de 8h45 à 19h40 > phases finales féminines et masculines (ouverture des portes au public à 8h15)

Le World Rugby Sevens Series 2017-2018 est la 19e édition de la compétition la plus importante du monde de rugby à sept. Elle se déroule du 1er décembre 2017 au 10 juin 2018. L'Afrique du Sud est tenante du titre et l'Espagne est l'équipe promue de la saison.

Au mois d'avril se déroulent les Jeux du Commonwealth 2018 où dix équipes des World Rugby Sevens Series participent. La compétition enchaine ensuite avec la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept en juillet 2018.

Chaque étape est un tournoi se déroulant sur deux ou trois jours, entre le vendredi et le dimanche. À chaque étape est convié une équipe qui ne possède pas le statut d'équipe permanente, portant le nombre total d'équipes à seize.

En fonction du résultat du tournoi précédent, ou du classement de la saison passée pour le premier tournoi de la saison à Dubaï, les équipes sont réparties en chapeaux avant tirage au sort pour former quatre poules de quatre équipes. Chaque équipe joue les trois autres membres de sa poule et un classement est établi, tout d'abord sur le nombre de points (victoire 3 points, nul 2 points, défaite 1 point) puis sur le goal-average général. Les deux premiers de chaque poule passent en quart de finale de la Cup ou tournoi principal et les deux derniers passent en quart de finale du Challenge Trophy. Les équipes vaincues en quart de finale sont alors reversées en demi-finales de classement, respectivement pour la cinquième et treizième place. Les équipes battues en demi-finales ne disputent pas de petite finale de classement et remportent le même nombre de point, sauf pour les équipes battues en demi finales de Cup qui disputeront un dernier match de classement pour la troisième place.

Chaque rencontre, y compris la finale depuis l'édition 2016-2017, se dispute en deux fois sept minutes.

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne de rugby à 7 rassemble, de ce vendredi à dimanche, les meilleures nations mondiales pour décider du vainqueur du circuit mondial. Une belle vitrine pour la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV.

Dixième étape de la saison, le Paris Sevens clôture ce week-end le circuit mondial de rugby à 7, réunissant les 16 meilleures nations du monde aux quatre coins de la planète. De vendredi à dimanche, dans l’enceinte du Stade Jean Bouin, les équipes masculines feront le spectacle à travers une discipline méconnue en France mais très appréciée dans de nombreux pays. Et, pour la première fois cette année, les équipes féminines ouvriront les festivités.

Une véritable fête du rugby à 7, discipline olympique depuis 2016 et en plein boom grâce à la vitrine que lui ont offert offert les Jeux de Rio. Chez les hommes, outre les nations majeures de l’Ovale comme la Nouvelle-Zélande, l’Australie, l’Angleterre ou les Fidji, le Kenya, le Canada ou encore l’Espagne font leur trou et voient dans cette discipline une chance de développer un sport mineur dans leur pays. Chez les femmes, la Chine, le Japon ou la Russie figurent dans le top 12.

Le crazy rugby à la fête

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne est également l’occasion pour la France de développer la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV. «Nous sommes fiers de soutenir financièrement ce tournoi et de permettre qu’il existe», a tenu à rappeler le vice-président de la région Île-de-France, Patrick Karam. Et de poursuivre. «La région est également présente dans la sensibilisation. Vendredi, 360 lycéens pourront découvrir la discipline grâce à de nombreuses animations. Il est important pour nous de tout faire pour développer cette pratique, en vue de Paris 2024», a-t-il poursuivi, alors que la conférence de presse de présentation se tenait dans les locaux de la région, dans le 7e arrondissement parisien.

Dernière étape de la saison, le tournoi parisien représente en tout cas une belle vitrine pour la discipline, dans une ville au rayonnement mondial. «C’est formidable de pouvoir clôturer la saison dans une ville aussi magnifique, chez un hôte comme la France», ajoute de son côté Douglas Langley, directeur du tournoi et membre de World Rugby. «Nous nous réjouissons d’avance de ce week-end de ‘crazy rugby’», conclut-il. Et c’est bien là l’atout majeur de la discipline. Spectaculaire, chaque rencontre offre de nombreux essais et des sprints permanents.

Les Bleues veulent briller

Le public parisien, qui vient en nombre à chaque édition, est adepte de cette discipline. Le Stade Jean Bouin était plein en 2016 et 2017, et l’édition 2018, même s’il reste encore des places à vendre, ne dérogera certainement pas à la règle. Pourtant, ce ne sont pas les résultats des Bleus qui font venir les supporters. Malgré une 3e place en 2016, et une 5e en 2017, l’équipe masculine connaît une saison compliquée. 12e sur 16 au classement, les Bleus n’ont pas fait mieux que 7e cette année lors des neuf précédents tournois du circuit.

«Même si nos chances sont moindres, on rentre dans ce tournoi pour le gagner, et on a la chance d’avoir le soutien du public avec nous», déclare Manoël Dall’igna, capitaine de France 7. «Ces deux dernières années on a eu des supers résultats ici et on compte sur le 8e homme pour faire aussi bien», termine-t-il. Cette période de creux, due en partie à de nombreux départs en retraite en 2016, ne touche pas les féminines. 3e du circuit mondial, les coéquipières de Fanny Horta visent le podium à Paris. «On a reçu beaucoup de messages de soutien de la jeune génération, et on veut vraiment profiter de ce soutien pour garder la dynamique de la saison et faire un nouveau podium», confie la capitaine.

Mises en valeur ce week-end, les Bleues représentent «la véritable locomotive du 7 en France avec une très belle réussite sportive», estime Christophe Reigt, manager des équipes de France à 7. Suffisant pour développer la discipline en France ? Quoiqu’il en soit, avec cette étape parisienne, la Fédération se démène pour populariser le 7 dans l’Hexagone, avec un objectif majeur en ligne de mire : les Jeux olympiques de Paris en 2024.

The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2018 Awards in Paris brought a fitting end to an enthralling season which saw South Africa and Australia crowned men’s and women’s series champions respectively.

It’s been one of the most competitive seasons on record as both the women’s and men’s series were decided by just two-point differences.

South Africa fought an incredible battle with Fiji in the men’s series to retain their title with victory at the final round in Paris, while Olympic champions Australia won their second overall title ahead of rivals New Zealand on the women’s series after reaching the podium at every one of the five rounds.

The end of season awards provided a chance to celebrate the men’s and women’s sevens players, coaches and teams that are the stars, ambassadors and role models of the sport.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “It has been another tremendous year for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, which continues to go from strength to strength.

“I hugely admire the skill and physicality of rugby sevens and thank the players for their outstanding commitment which makes the series such a success. It is great to see the series capturing the imagination on and off the field with year-on-year increases in attendances, broadcast and fan-engagement figures, and that is a great testament to the players, coaches, host unions and everyone involved with the events.

“Rugby sevens took a quantum leap when it joined the Olympic programme in 2016 and now we look forward to a Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco in just 40 days time in an iconic city and a market with great potential. It promises to be a thrilling and spectacular event.”

the workload. It is a blessing for me to be standing here.”

Rookies of the Year

Eroni Sau is the second Fijian to be named Rookie of the Year for the men’s series after being a clear winner in the fan vote ahead of his compatriot Alosio Naduva and Australia’s Ben O’Donnell. The 28-year-old featured in all 10 rounds in his debut season, using his powerful physique to score 37 tries.

France’s Coralie Bertrand, meanwhile, claimed the women’s accolade, having featured in all five rounds and helped Les Bleues enjoy their best season, reaching a first-ever Cup final in Kitakyushu and semi-finals in Langford and Paris to clinch the series bronze medal.

Fair Play Award

This award, selected by the match officials, recognises the teams who showcase rugby’s values of integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect. Japan were awarded the women’s accolade after an event that saw them lose their core team status on the series, with Kenya the men’s recipients following an exciting season which saw them reach the final in both Vancouver and Hong Kong.

Roche’s kick with the final play of the match against England to snatch the bronze medal for invitational team Ireland at the HSBC London Sevens was a clear winner of the men’s award, beating Fijian Alosio Naduva’s last-gasp winning try against Australia in the Singapore Cup final and Matias Osadczuk’s break and calm head to send Renzo Barbier over for the winning try in Argentina’s Cup semi-final against South Africa in Las Vegas.

Capgemini Coach of the Series

Another inaugural category, selected by the series’ global innovation partner Capgemini, was won by New Zealand women’s coach Alan Bunting after successive victories in the last three rounds of the series in Japan, Canada and France as well as the Commonwealth Games title in April.

South Africa coach Neil Powell, who guided the Blitzboks to retaining their series title, picked up the men’s coach of the series award and paid tribute to his victorious team: “The mental focus and composure they showed was fantastic, all credit to the boys for believing in their success. We had everything to play for and the team did an incredible job, not just today but over the whole season.

“I also want to congratulate Fiji on an amazing season, they were phenomenal.”

DHL Impact Player

The race to be named DHL Impact Player of the Year in both the men’s and women’s series went right down to the final matches. In total 16 players from 12 nations won tournament awards during this season’s series.

New Zealand’s Michaela Blyde was delighted to win the women’s award: “This is pretty special. I’m shocked and truly grateful. I put this down to my teammates who create the opportunities for me and I thank them.”

La Fédération française de rugby organise, du 8 au 10 juin au stade Jean-Bouin, à Paris 16e, un tournoi international de rugby à 7 masculin et féminin, étape du HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Cette manifestation sportive, soutenue par la Région à hauteur de 170.000€, va rassembler 28 équipes internationales, qui s'affronteront au cours de 45 matchs masculins et 34 matchs féminins.

Le public pourra découvrir à cette occasion, jusque dans sa pratique féminine, une discipline largement méconnue.

Quant au stade Jean-Bouin, qui est l'un des sites retenus pour les JO Paris 2024, il pourra mettre en avant sa capacité d’accueil de 20.000 spectateurs.

Ce tournoi constituant la 10e et dernière étape du circuit mondial, il s'achèvera avec la remise des titres de champion et championne du monde de rugby à 7.

En soutenant l'organisation de tels grands événements sportifs franciliens, la Région Île-de-France renforce chaque fois un peu plus l'attractivité de ses territoires tout en assurant son rayonnement à l'échelle internationale.

Le titre HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series a été décidé de façon spectaculaire après que l'Afrique du Sud a battu l'Angleterre 24-14 en finale du HSBC Paris Sevens pour décrocher la médaille d'or et conserver son titre de série.

Au cours d'une des années les plus compétitives de l'histoire de la série, le titre est allé jusqu'au tout dernier match puisque l'Afrique du Sud avait besoin d'une victoire en tournoi pour dépasser les Fidji dans le classement de la série.

L'Afrique du Sud a terminé la série en tête avec 182 points, suivie des Fidji qui ont remporté l'argent avec 180 points et la Nouvelle-Zélande avec 150 points après avoir remporté la médaille de bronze à Paris avec une victoire de 38-5 contre le Canada dans la troisième place

Les champions de la série de l'année dernière, l'Afrique du Sud, ont devancé l'Espagne 15-10 en quart de finale avec un essai à la cinquième minute de Justin Deguld, après que les pointages aient été 10-10 à la fin du temps réglementaire. Les Blitzboks sud-africains ont ensuite trouvé leur rythme en demi-finale avec une victoire complète de 24-12 contre la Nouvelle-Zélande grâce à deux essais de l'impressionnant Dewald Human, 23 ans, qui a fait ses débuts il y a deux mois à Hong Kong .

Humain était de nouveau en forme de but en finale et était ravi d'être élu Joueur de la Finale: "Ca a été une expérience fantastique ici à Paris, je me suis appuyé sur moi et j'ai apprécié chaque minute sur le terrain. sommes très heureux de la victoire. "

Le capitaine de l'équipe sud-africaine, Philip Snyman, a ajouté: "Nous voulions aller jouer au rugby et nous concentrer sur ce que nous pouvions contrôler: les gars ont joué un rugby phénoménal et ont fait honneur à l'équipe. C'est un sentiment incroyable de représenter un pays si merveilleux et les gens de chez nous n'ont jamais cessé de croire en nous et de nous soutenir. "

Fidjiens ont raté l'occasion de remporter le titre plus tôt dans la journée alors qu'ils ont été vaincus 19-17 par une équipe d'Angleterre pleine d'entrain dans un quart de finale à couper le souffle. Le capitaine de l'équipe d'Angleterre, Tom Mitchell, a complété un mouvement de 26 passes pour marquer dans les dernières secondes du match et mettre un terme à la récente domination des Fidji qui les avait vaincus lors des quatre dernières manches de la série.

Les Fidjiens se sont rétablis pour battre l'Irlande 38-5 et les États-Unis 28-7 pour terminer cinquième à Paris et mettre la pression sur l'Afrique du Sud pour la finale mais finalement ce n'était pas suffisant et les Fidjiens ont été obligés de se contenter des dix tours.

L'Angleterre a produit une autre performance puissante en demi-finale avec une victoire convaincante de 26-12 contre le Canada pour atteindre sa première finale de la série 2017-18, mais ils ont été incapables de faire face aux Blitzboks en finale alors que les hommes d'Afrique du Sud couraient vainqueurs devant une foule parisienne bruyante.

Équipe Invitational L'Irlande a battu 19-5 du quart en quarts de finale, mais après sa médaille de bronze à Londres la semaine dernière, les Irlandais se sont montrés assez prometteurs au cours des deux derniers tours un brillant avenir dans le rugby à sept.

L'Argentine a remporté le Challenge Trophy, décerné à l'équipe terminant en neuvième position, après avoir vaincu le Pays de Galles 33-26.

Toute l'attention se tourne maintenant vers la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept 2018 à San Francisco du 20 au 22 juillet, où 24 équipes masculines et 16 équipes féminines s'affronteront pour devenir championnes du monde au cours de trois journées d'action excitantes.

Le HSBC PARIS SEVENS (8 au 10 juin 2018 au Stade Jean-Bouin) a officiellement été lancé aujourd’hui à Paris à la Région Île-de-France.

A cette occasion les 16 capitaines hommes et 12 capitaines femmes des équipes participantes au tournoi ont pris la pose autour du trophée de la compétition dans les jardins du Musée Rodin, Paris (Crédit Photo : I.PICAREL/FFR). Ils ont ensuite rejoint les locaux de la Région Île-de-France, partenaire de cette étape parisienne, situés dans le 7ème arrondissement.

Le HSBC Paris Sevens

Ultime étape du circuit mondial de rugby à 7, le HSBC Paris Sevens se déroulera au stade Jean-Bouin à Paris, du vendredi 8 au dimanche 10 juin 2018. Tournoi mixte pour la première fois de son histoire, le HSBC Paris Sevens 2018 accueille les meilleures équipes masculines et féminines du monde.

Avec 79 matches entre 28 équipes en 3 jours, le spectacle sera non-stop sur la pelouse du Stade Jean-Bouin. Dernier tournoi de la saison, les titres des circuits mondiaux masculin et féminin se joueront donc au HSBC Paris Sevens. Les tribunes et le Village des Supporteurs seront également en ébullition pendant 3 jours, avec de nombreuses animations « CRAZY RUGBY » qui seront proposées à tous les spectateurs !

Le programme :

• Vendredi 8 juin de 14h à 21h40 > tournoi Féminin (ouverture des portes au public à 13h30)

• Samedi 9 juin de 9h à 23h > tournoi mixte (ouverture des portes au public à 8h30)

• Dimanche 10 juin de 8h45 à 19h40 > phases finales féminines et masculines (ouverture des portes au public à 8h15)

Le World Rugby Sevens Series 2017-2018 est la 19e édition de la compétition la plus importante du monde de rugby à sept. Elle se déroule du 1er décembre 2017 au 10 juin 2018. L'Afrique du Sud est tenante du titre et l'Espagne est l'équipe promue de la saison.

Au mois d'avril se déroulent les Jeux du Commonwealth 2018 où dix équipes des World Rugby Sevens Series participent. La compétition enchaine ensuite avec la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept en juillet 2018.

Chaque étape est un tournoi se déroulant sur deux ou trois jours, entre le vendredi et le dimanche. À chaque étape est convié une équipe qui ne possède pas le statut d'équipe permanente, portant le nombre total d'équipes à seize.

En fonction du résultat du tournoi précédent, ou du classement de la saison passée pour le premier tournoi de la saison à Dubaï, les équipes sont réparties en chapeaux avant tirage au sort pour former quatre poules de quatre équipes. Chaque équipe joue les trois autres membres de sa poule et un classement est établi, tout d'abord sur le nombre de points (victoire 3 points, nul 2 points, défaite 1 point) puis sur le goal-average général. Les deux premiers de chaque poule passent en quart de finale de la Cup ou tournoi principal et les deux derniers passent en quart de finale du Challenge Trophy. Les équipes vaincues en quart de finale sont alors reversées en demi-finales de classement, respectivement pour la cinquième et treizième place. Les équipes battues en demi-finales ne disputent pas de petite finale de classement et remportent le même nombre de point, sauf pour les équipes battues en demi finales de Cup qui disputeront un dernier match de classement pour la troisième place.

Chaque rencontre, y compris la finale depuis l'édition 2016-2017, se dispute en deux fois sept minutes.

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne de rugby à 7 rassemble, de ce vendredi à dimanche, les meilleures nations mondiales pour décider du vainqueur du circuit mondial. Une belle vitrine pour la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV.

Dixième étape de la saison, le Paris Sevens clôture ce week-end le circuit mondial de rugby à 7, réunissant les 16 meilleures nations du monde aux quatre coins de la planète. De vendredi à dimanche, dans l’enceinte du Stade Jean Bouin, les équipes masculines feront le spectacle à travers une discipline méconnue en France mais très appréciée dans de nombreux pays. Et, pour la première fois cette année, les équipes féminines ouvriront les festivités.

Une véritable fête du rugby à 7, discipline olympique depuis 2016 et en plein boom grâce à la vitrine que lui ont offert offert les Jeux de Rio. Chez les hommes, outre les nations majeures de l’Ovale comme la Nouvelle-Zélande, l’Australie, l’Angleterre ou les Fidji, le Kenya, le Canada ou encore l’Espagne font leur trou et voient dans cette discipline une chance de développer un sport mineur dans leur pays. Chez les femmes, la Chine, le Japon ou la Russie figurent dans le top 12.

Le crazy rugby à la fête

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne est également l’occasion pour la France de développer la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV. «Nous sommes fiers de soutenir financièrement ce tournoi et de permettre qu’il existe», a tenu à rappeler le vice-président de la région Île-de-France, Patrick Karam. Et de poursuivre. «La région est également présente dans la sensibilisation. Vendredi, 360 lycéens pourront découvrir la discipline grâce à de nombreuses animations. Il est important pour nous de tout faire pour développer cette pratique, en vue de Paris 2024», a-t-il poursuivi, alors que la conférence de presse de présentation se tenait dans les locaux de la région, dans le 7e arrondissement parisien.

Dernière étape de la saison, le tournoi parisien représente en tout cas une belle vitrine pour la discipline, dans une ville au rayonnement mondial. «C’est formidable de pouvoir clôturer la saison dans une ville aussi magnifique, chez un hôte comme la France», ajoute de son côté Douglas Langley, directeur du tournoi et membre de World Rugby. «Nous nous réjouissons d’avance de ce week-end de ‘crazy rugby’», conclut-il. Et c’est bien là l’atout majeur de la discipline. Spectaculaire, chaque rencontre offre de nombreux essais et des sprints permanents.

Les Bleues veulent briller

Le public parisien, qui vient en nombre à chaque édition, est adepte de cette discipline. Le Stade Jean Bouin était plein en 2016 et 2017, et l’édition 2018, même s’il reste encore des places à vendre, ne dérogera certainement pas à la règle. Pourtant, ce ne sont pas les résultats des Bleus qui font venir les supporters. Malgré une 3e place en 2016, et une 5e en 2017, l’équipe masculine connaît une saison compliquée. 12e sur 16 au classement, les Bleus n’ont pas fait mieux que 7e cette année lors des neuf précédents tournois du circuit.

«Même si nos chances sont moindres, on rentre dans ce tournoi pour le gagner, et on a la chance d’avoir le soutien du public avec nous», déclare Manoël Dall’igna, capitaine de France 7. «Ces deux dernières années on a eu des supers résultats ici et on compte sur le 8e homme pour faire aussi bien», termine-t-il. Cette période de creux, due en partie à de nombreux départs en retraite en 2016, ne touche pas les féminines. 3e du circuit mondial, les coéquipières de Fanny Horta visent le podium à Paris. «On a reçu beaucoup de messages de soutien de la jeune génération, et on veut vraiment profiter de ce soutien pour garder la dynamique de la saison et faire un nouveau podium», confie la capitaine.

Mises en valeur ce week-end, les Bleues représentent «la véritable locomotive du 7 en France avec une très belle réussite sportive», estime Christophe Reigt, manager des équipes de France à 7. Suffisant pour développer la discipline en France ? Quoiqu’il en soit, avec cette étape parisienne, la Fédération se démène pour populariser le 7 dans l’Hexagone, avec un objectif majeur en ligne de mire : les Jeux olympiques de Paris en 2024.

The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2018 Awards in Paris brought a fitting end to an enthralling season which saw South Africa and Australia crowned men’s and women’s series champions respectively.

It’s been one of the most competitive seasons on record as both the women’s and men’s series were decided by just two-point differences.

South Africa fought an incredible battle with Fiji in the men’s series to retain their title with victory at the final round in Paris, while Olympic champions Australia won their second overall title ahead of rivals New Zealand on the women’s series after reaching the podium at every one of the five rounds.

The end of season awards provided a chance to celebrate the men’s and women’s sevens players, coaches and teams that are the stars, ambassadors and role models of the sport.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “It has been another tremendous year for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, which continues to go from strength to strength.

“I hugely admire the skill and physicality of rugby sevens and thank the players for their outstanding commitment which makes the series such a success. It is great to see the series capturing the imagination on and off the field with year-on-year increases in attendances, broadcast and fan-engagement figures, and that is a great testament to the players, coaches, host unions and everyone involved with the events.

“Rugby sevens took a quantum leap when it joined the Olympic programme in 2016 and now we look forward to a Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco in just 40 days time in an iconic city and a market with great potential. It promises to be a thrilling and spectacular event.”

the workload. It is a blessing for me to be standing here.”

Rookies of the Year

Eroni Sau is the second Fijian to be named Rookie of the Year for the men’s series after being a clear winner in the fan vote ahead of his compatriot Alosio Naduva and Australia’s Ben O’Donnell. The 28-year-old featured in all 10 rounds in his debut season, using his powerful physique to score 37 tries.

France’s Coralie Bertrand, meanwhile, claimed the women’s accolade, having featured in all five rounds and helped Les Bleues enjoy their best season, reaching a first-ever Cup final in Kitakyushu and semi-finals in Langford and Paris to clinch the series bronze medal.

Fair Play Award

This award, selected by the match officials, recognises the teams who showcase rugby’s values of integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect. Japan were awarded the women’s accolade after an event that saw them lose their core team status on the series, with Kenya the men’s recipients following an exciting season which saw them reach the final in both Vancouver and Hong Kong.

Roche’s kick with the final play of the match against England to snatch the bronze medal for invitational team Ireland at the HSBC London Sevens was a clear winner of the men’s award, beating Fijian Alosio Naduva’s last-gasp winning try against Australia in the Singapore Cup final and Matias Osadczuk’s break and calm head to send Renzo Barbier over for the winning try in Argentina’s Cup semi-final against South Africa in Las Vegas.

Capgemini Coach of the Series

Another inaugural category, selected by the series’ global innovation partner Capgemini, was won by New Zealand women’s coach Alan Bunting after successive victories in the last three rounds of the series in Japan, Canada and France as well as the Commonwealth Games title in April.

South Africa coach Neil Powell, who guided the Blitzboks to retaining their series title, picked up the men’s coach of the series award and paid tribute to his victorious team: “The mental focus and composure they showed was fantastic, all credit to the boys for believing in their success. We had everything to play for and the team did an incredible job, not just today but over the whole season.

“I also want to congratulate Fiji on an amazing season, they were phenomenal.”

DHL Impact Player

The race to be named DHL Impact Player of the Year in both the men’s and women’s series went right down to the final matches. In total 16 players from 12 nations won tournament awards during this season’s series.

New Zealand’s Michaela Blyde was delighted to win the women’s award: “This is pretty special. I’m shocked and truly grateful. I put this down to my teammates who create the opportunities for me and I thank them.”

La Fédération française de rugby organise, du 8 au 10 juin au stade Jean-Bouin, à Paris 16e, un tournoi international de rugby à 7 masculin et féminin, étape du HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Cette manifestation sportive, soutenue par la Région à hauteur de 170.000€, va rassembler 28 équipes internationales, qui s'affronteront au cours de 45 matchs masculins et 34 matchs féminins.

Le public pourra découvrir à cette occasion, jusque dans sa pratique féminine, une discipline largement méconnue.

Quant au stade Jean-Bouin, qui est l'un des sites retenus pour les JO Paris 2024, il pourra mettre en avant sa capacité d’accueil de 20.000 spectateurs.

Ce tournoi constituant la 10e et dernière étape du circuit mondial, il s'achèvera avec la remise des titres de champion et championne du monde de rugby à 7.

En soutenant l'organisation de tels grands événements sportifs franciliens, la Région Île-de-France renforce chaque fois un peu plus l'attractivité de ses territoires tout en assurant son rayonnement à l'échelle internationale.

Le titre HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series a été décidé de façon spectaculaire après que l'Afrique du Sud a battu l'Angleterre 24-14 en finale du HSBC Paris Sevens pour décrocher la médaille d'or et conserver son titre de série.

Au cours d'une des années les plus compétitives de l'histoire de la série, le titre est allé jusqu'au tout dernier match puisque l'Afrique du Sud avait besoin d'une victoire en tournoi pour dépasser les Fidji dans le classement de la série.

L'Afrique du Sud a terminé la série en tête avec 182 points, suivie des Fidji qui ont remporté l'argent avec 180 points et la Nouvelle-Zélande avec 150 points après avoir remporté la médaille de bronze à Paris avec une victoire de 38-5 contre le Canada dans la troisième place

Les champions de la série de l'année dernière, l'Afrique du Sud, ont devancé l'Espagne 15-10 en quart de finale avec un essai à la cinquième minute de Justin Deguld, après que les pointages aient été 10-10 à la fin du temps réglementaire. Les Blitzboks sud-africains ont ensuite trouvé leur rythme en demi-finale avec une victoire complète de 24-12 contre la Nouvelle-Zélande grâce à deux essais de l'impressionnant Dewald Human, 23 ans, qui a fait ses débuts il y a deux mois à Hong Kong .

Humain était de nouveau en forme de but en finale et était ravi d'être élu Joueur de la Finale: "Ca a été une expérience fantastique ici à Paris, je me suis appuyé sur moi et j'ai apprécié chaque minute sur le terrain. sommes très heureux de la victoire. "

Le capitaine de l'équipe sud-africaine, Philip Snyman, a ajouté: "Nous voulions aller jouer au rugby et nous concentrer sur ce que nous pouvions contrôler: les gars ont joué un rugby phénoménal et ont fait honneur à l'équipe. C'est un sentiment incroyable de représenter un pays si merveilleux et les gens de chez nous n'ont jamais cessé de croire en nous et de nous soutenir. "

Fidjiens ont raté l'occasion de remporter le titre plus tôt dans la journée alors qu'ils ont été vaincus 19-17 par une équipe d'Angleterre pleine d'entrain dans un quart de finale à couper le souffle. Le capitaine de l'équipe d'Angleterre, Tom Mitchell, a complété un mouvement de 26 passes pour marquer dans les dernières secondes du match et mettre un terme à la récente domination des Fidji qui les avait vaincus lors des quatre dernières manches de la série.

Les Fidjiens se sont rétablis pour battre l'Irlande 38-5 et les États-Unis 28-7 pour terminer cinquième à Paris et mettre la pression sur l'Afrique du Sud pour la finale mais finalement ce n'était pas suffisant et les Fidjiens ont été obligés de se contenter des dix tours.

L'Angleterre a produit une autre performance puissante en demi-finale avec une victoire convaincante de 26-12 contre le Canada pour atteindre sa première finale de la série 2017-18, mais ils ont été incapables de faire face aux Blitzboks en finale alors que les hommes d'Afrique du Sud couraient vainqueurs devant une foule parisienne bruyante.

Équipe Invitational L'Irlande a battu 19-5 du quart en quarts de finale, mais après sa médaille de bronze à Londres la semaine dernière, les Irlandais se sont montrés assez prometteurs au cours des deux derniers tours un brillant avenir dans le rugby à sept.

L'Argentine a remporté le Challenge Trophy, décerné à l'équipe terminant en neuvième position, après avoir vaincu le Pays de Galles 33-26.

Toute l'attention se tourne maintenant vers la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept 2018 à San Francisco du 20 au 22 juillet, où 24 équipes masculines et 16 équipes féminines s'affronteront pour devenir championnes du monde au cours de trois journées d'action excitantes.

1. L'AFRIQUE DU SUD : UN TOURNOI À L'IMAGE DE LEUR SAISON

« C'est un tournoi à l'image de leur saison. L'Afrique du Sud gagne le premier tournoi et se retrouve à des moments compliqués. A Paris, elle était en délicatesse en poule, perd contre l'Ecosse (12-14), se met en danger contre l'Espagne en quart de finale (15-10 dans les prolongations, ndlr). Ce n'était pas évident car l'équipe avait dans un coin de la tête que c'était fini par rapport à la saison. Et derrière ça, ils arrivent à se remobiliser après la défaite des Fidji. La défense, c'est la clé des Sud-Africains avec 85% de plaquages réussis et surtout un trio qui a été magique avec Philip Snyman, Ruhan Neil et Werner Kok : 60 plaquages à eux trois. Ce sont les joueurs qui ont été majeurs sur l'ensemble du tournoi. Ils ont un jeu de passes assez nul : 172 passes en six matches, soit 28 en moyenne par match (le Canada en a 307 en six matches, soit 51 en moyenne par rencontre, ndlr). »

2. LES FIDJI À DEUX POINTS DU LEADER

« Ils manquent un peu le tournoi. Ils avaient la possibilité de passer, mais ils ont laissé beaucoup d'énergie dans la poule. La défaite contre le Kenya (19-22) leur fait du mal, ils ont du faire un match plein face à la Nouvelle-Zélande. Ils sont plutôt adeptes à gérer les phases de poule et à accélérer sur les play-offs, donc c'était un peu dur pour eux de retrouver l'énergie nécessaire et de trouver en quart de finale une équipe anglaise qui a été assez incroyable sur la possession de balle. Malgré leur 5e place à Paris, les Fidji ont le titre qui leur passe sous le nez par pas grand chose (deux points derrière l'Afrique du Sud, ndlr).

« Il y a eu de grosses lacunes sur les coups d'envoi : 16% des coups d'envoi récupérés, ce qui est très faible quand on connait la capacité des Fidji (22% en moyenne sur la saison, ndlr). Et alors qu'ils sont les maîtres à jouer dans les turnovers, là ils n'ont récupéré que cinq ballons dans le tournoi de Paris (et en ont perdu six, ndlr). En comparaison, l'Afrique du Sud en a récupéré 14. Les Fidjiens sont très forts sur la récupération de ballon, mais les équipes adverses ont été assez lucides et leur ont donné que peu de ballons. Du coup, les Fidjiens n'avaient pas beaucoup de munitions pour scorer car les équipes en face ont su s'adapter. »

3. L'ANGLETERRE, TOUJOURS PRÉSENTE DANS LES GRANDS MOMENTS

« L'Angleterre fait un très bon tournoi. Sans être exceptionnels, ils ont réussi à passer la phase de poule. Derrière, ils font un exploit contre les Fidji (17-19 en quart de finale, ndlr), puis une défaite en finale contre l'Afrique du Sud 14-24). Ils doivent leur tournoi grâce à un réalisme incroyable : 20 possessions de balle sur 23 dans les 22 mètres ; 87% de réalisme dans les 22 m adverses. Norton, Bibby, Mitchell ont su actionner le jeu anglais. Défensivement, Harry Glover a été l'un des meilleurs joueurs du tournoi. Il n'a que 20 ans et est en train d'exploser et de devenir un joueur majeur sur le système anglais (22 plaquages). Il a supporté l'équipe d'Angleterre sur ce tournoi.

« Ils sont toujours là dans les grands moments : finaliste aux JO, médaille de bronze aux Commonwealth... Ils étaient 9e mondial et ils terminent à la 5e place du classement mondial, sur le fil, à un point de l'Australie (à un point d'écart). Le prochain objectif c'est la Coupe du Monde et en 2019 la quatrième place. Leur saison est parfaitement maîtrisée du point de vue gestion, même s'ils n'ont pas démarré très fort. »

4. L'IRLANDE A SA PLACE SUR LE WORLD SERIES

« Encore une fois elle a montré ses capacités de performance sur le World Series. Elle a été pragmatique. Le rugby à 7, c'est de l'endurance et du cardio. Ils montrent des atouts dignes d'un top 3 du Worl Series. Ils font plus de points que la Russie en deux tournois et sont 15e au classement, juste derrière le Pays de Galles. Défensivement ils sont en tête du classement et Harry McNulty est leur leader défensif (18 plaquages).

« Ils n'ont pas fait le World series en entier, mais c'est une équipe qui est très rigoureuse défensivement. Ils ont étouffé en phase de poule (14-5 sur l'Espagne, 19-19 sur le Pays de Galles et 24-14 sur l'Australie, ndlr). Et même en changeant cinq joueurs de l'effectif initial, ils arrivent toujours à être au haut niveau et à passer le cap et à être performant. L'Irlande a fait une très grosse performance à Paris et sera très dangereuse à la Coupe du Monde.

« Leur objectif numéro 1, c'est l'Europe Series ; le Paris Sevens n'était pas ciblé et pourtant ils y arrivent. Ils battent tout le monde en poule. »

5. L'ESPAGNE : DANGER EN DEVENIR

« Ils gagnent l'Australie (17-10), puis le Pays de Galles (21-14) et font surtout un match monumental contre l'Afrique du Sud en quart de finale où ils perdent à la dernière seconde (15-10). Ils ont encore fait une très belle saison, malgré le manque de réalisme : 45% de réalisme, elle score 10 fois sur 22 (45%). C'est dire tout le potentiel offensif qu'elle a !

« C'est une équipe qui a beaucoup le ballon. Le jour où elle va être efficace offensivement, elle va être dangereuse. »

6. LE CANADA A RÉUSSI À PASSER LE CUT DES DEMI-FINALES

« Le Canada s'est qualifié encore une fois en demi-finale sur le World Series où elle s'incline 26-12 face à l'Angleterre. C'est une quatrième place au Paris Sevens après avoir été impressionnante en phase de poule. Elle n'a eu que 11 pénalités dans le tournoi. Elle a une justesse technique incroyable avec seulement 12 fautes de main sur l'ensemble du tournoi, soit deux par match, ce qui est très propre.

« C'est un jeu de quinziste. Le Canada fonctionne en mode quinziste, mais score derrière. Hirayama a été le meilleur joueur en offload, Douglas a cassé la ligne huit fois, Connor Braid ballon porté... « Le Canada a réussi à passer ce cut pour les demi-finales. »

7. LA FRANCE EN PANNE

« Elle avait réussi à réunir son effectif au complet malgré la blessure de Manoël Dall'Igna. Elle attendait depuis longtemps le tournoi de Paris. Au premier jour, elle est à sa place et a du mal à performer face à l'Angleterre (21-28), aux USA 12-26) et à l'Argentine 28-26) qui sont au-dessus. Elle a réussi à débloquer son compteur de victoires en battant l'Argentine.

« Elle a montré beaucoup de faiblesse défensive, avec 5,4 plaquages manqués par match, contre 3,4 pour l'Espagne. C'est le chantier numéro un pour que la France puisse repasser en Cup.

« En attaque, elle est efficace, même si le point noir est le coup d'envoi : trois manqués contre le Pays de Galles. Quand on n'a pas les ballons en conquête, c'est très compliqué de pouvoir rivaliser. C'est l'équipe qui a été le plus pénalisée du tournoi : 18 pénalités.

« Malgré tout, l'équipe de France a réussi à contenir et n'a pas pris 40-0 comme sur d'autres tournois. La ferveur populaire a permis à la France de rester concentrée à chaque match. Elle a joué avec ses armes et s'est faite contrer par meilleur que soit. »

Visit by Duane Land, Director of Air Force Programs, L3Harris Technologies, Bryant Thorne, Program Manager, United States Air Force, and friends for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Jun 16 for the MQ-9 Reaper workload.

The event was born from Tobyhanna's partnership with L3Harris Technologies - a collaboration that will ensure warfighters across the world have access to this critical Air Force equipment.

The Information Technology Senior Leadership Team held a face-to-face meeting, Feb. 25-27, at The Spillway House at Hoover Dam in Boulder City, Nevada.

At the meeting the team discussed WAPA’s Cloud strategy, workload management tools and workforce planning for the Office of the Chief Information Officer.

While there, the ITSLT took a tour of Hoover Dam, led by Bureau of Reclamation Hoover Dam Manager Mark Cook.

Foreman II Electrician Randy Strand hosted the group for a tour of Mead Substation.

The ITSLT also had the opportunity to meet with the Desert Southwest Regional Executive Team—who was also meeting in Henderson, Nevada—to learn about issues affecting their respective lines of business, both now and on the horizon, and identify opportunities to leverage technology solutions.

(Photos provided by Leah Shapiro.)

I shot myself in Amsterdam. Taken with my HTC Desire using the Camera360 Android app.

Lately I sometimes get the feeling that I might actually be growing up to be a responsible Adult, not too often, but sometimes. This is a whole new experience for me and at first I wasn't sure how to respond to this latest challenge life is throwing at me (I mean, c'mon, growing up is soooo boring and completely overrated, lol :) but I somehow managed to overcome the initial fear, frustration and confusion by taking my ATM card and going for some serious shopping in Downtown Amsterdam. I ended up buying these fancy pants, a shiny white shirt, some proper sneakers and other attributes of Adulthood, and when I showed up at work the next Monday morning, all dressed up and mature-looking, my colleagues called Security and had me escorted from the building, as they took me for an Imposter trying to impersonate their favorite team-mate, this wicked, stylish Reflectah. Needless to say, I sneaked back into the building and secretly slaved away my wickedhigh workload of the day...let this be a lesson to you, don't even try being anybody but your very own self, hehehe :)

Have a nice, relaxed weekend, take it easy :)

Amsterdam photos

Wicked reflections

www.amstersam.com

'Like' me on Facebook :)

THE HISTORY OF TITANIC( OCEAN LINER)

The Royal Mail Ship TITANIC was the last grand dream of the Gilded Age. It was designed to be the greatest achievement of an era of prosperity, confidence and propriety. Although no one knew it, the world was about to change drastically. Radio had been invented in 1901. The Wright Brothers' first successful flight was in 1903. The old presumptions about class, morals, and gender-roles were about to be shattered. If the concept of Titanic was the climax of the age, then perhaps its sinking was the curtain that marked the end of the old drama, and the start of a new one.

The intensely competitive transatlantic steamship business had seen recent major advances in ship design, size and speed. White Star Line, one of the leaders, determined to focus on size and elegance rather than pure speed. In 1907, White Star Line's managing director J. Bruce Ismay and Lord James Pirrie, a partner in Harland & Wolff (White Star Line's ship-builder since its founding in 1869) conceived of three magnificent steam ships which would set a new standard for comfort, elegance, and safety. The first two were to be named Olympic and Titanic, the latter name chosen by Ismay to convey a sense of overwhelming size and strength.

It took a year to design the two ships. Construction of Olympic started in December, 1908, followed by Titanic in March 1909. The Belfast shipyards of Harland & Wolff had to be re-designed to accommodate the immense projects while White Star's pier in New York had to be lengthened to enable the ships to dock. During the two years it took to complete Titanic's hull, the press was primed with publicity about the ship's magnificence, making Titanic virtually a legend before her launch. The "launch" of the completed steel in May, 1911, was a heavily publicized spectacle. Tickets were sold to benefit a local children's hospital.

She was then taken for "fitting out" which involved the construction of the ship's many facilities and systems, her elaborate woodwork and fine decor. As the date of her maiden voyage approached, the completed Olympic suffered a collision and required extensive repairs, increasing the workload at Harland & Wolff, which was already struggling to complete Titanic on schedule. Titanic's maiden voyage was delayed from March 20 to April 10.

Titanic was 883 feet long (1/6 of a mile), 92 feet wide and weighed 46,328 tons. She was 104 feet tall from keel to bridge, almost 35 feet of which were below the waterline... even so, she stood taller above the water than most urban buildings of the time. There were three real smoke-stacks; a fourth, dummy stack was added largely to increase the impression of her gargantuan size and power and to vent smoke from her numerous kitchens and galleys. She was the largest movable object ever made by man. The ship's immense size and complexity is illustrated by an incident recalled by Second Officer Lightoller. There was a gangway door on the starboard side aft "large enough to drive a horse and cart through." Yet three officers who joined the ship during her preparations spent a whole day simply trying to find their way to it.

Moreover, she was designed to be a marvel of modern safety technology. She had a double-hull of 1-inch thick steel plates and a (heavily publicized) system of 16 water-tight compartments, sealed by massive doors which could be instantly triggered by a single electric switch on the bridge, or even automatically by electric water-sensors. The press began to call her "unsinkable."

Her accommodations were the most modern and luxurious on any ocean, and included electric light and heat in every room, electric elevators, a swimming pool, a squash court (considered terribly modern), a Turkish Bath, a gymnasium with a mechanical horse and mechanical camel to keep riders fit, and staterooms and first class facilities to rival the best hotels on the Continent. First class passengers would glide down a six-story, glass-domed grand staircase to enjoy haute cuisine in the sumptuous first class dining saloon that filled the width of the ship on D Deck. For those who desired a more intimate atmosphere, Titanic also offered a stately à la carte restaurant, the chic Palm Court and Verandah restaurant, and the festive Cafe Parisien. She offered two musical ensembles (rather than the standard one) of the best musicians on the Atlantic, many of them lured from rival liners. There were two libraries, first- and second-class. Even the third class (steerage) cabins were more luxurious than the first class cabins on some lesser steamships, and boasted amenities (like indoor toilet facilities) that some of Titanic's emigrant passengers had not enjoyed in their own homes.

The original design called for 32 lifeboats. However, White Star management felt that the boat-deck would look cluttered, and reduced the number to 20, for a total life-boat capacity of 1178. This actually exceeded the regulations of the time, even though Titanic was capable of carrying over 3500 people (passengers and crew).

The maiden voyage lured the "very best people:" British nobility, American industrialists, the very cream of New York and Philadelphia society. It also attracted many poor emigrants, hoping to start a new life in America or Canada.

The journey began at Southampton on Wednesday April 10, 1912 at Noon. By sundown, Titanic had stopped in Cherbourg, France to pick up additional passengers. That evening she sailed for Queenstown, Ireland, and at 1:30 PM on Thursday, April 11, she headed out into the Atlantic.

The seasoned transatlantic passengers were deeply impressed by the new ship. She was so massive that they barely felt the movement of the sea at all. Her huge, powerful engines produced almost none of the annoying vibration common on other steamers, and their noise was barely perceptible. And she achieved this extraordinary level of comfort while traveling at 22 knots, not the fastest boat on the route, but certainly one of the top five.

Weather was pleasant and clear, and the water temperature was about 55 degrees. The winter of 1912 had been unusually mild, and unprecedented amounts of ice had broken loose from the arctic regions. Titanic was equipped with Marconi's new wireless telegraph system and her two Marconi operators kept the wireless room running 24 hours a day. On Sunday, April 14, the fifth day at sea, Titanic received five different ice-warnings, but the captain was not overly concerned. The ship steamed ahead at 22 knots, and the line's Managing Director J. Bruce Ismay relished the idea of arriving in New York a day ahead of schedule.

On the night of April 14, wireless operator Phillips was very busy sending chatty passenger's messages to Cape Race, Newfoundland, whence they could be relayed inland to friends and relatives. He received a sixth ice-warning that night, but didn't realize how close Titanic was to the position of the warning, and put that message under a paperweight at his elbow. It never reached Captain Smith or the officer on the bridge.

By all accounts, the night was uncommonly clear and dark, moonless but faintly glowing with an incredible sky full of stars. The stars were so bright that one officer mistook the planet Jupiter (then rising just above the horizon) for a steamship light.

The sea was, likewise, unusually calm and flat, "like glass" said many survivors. The lack of waves made it even more difficult to spot icebergs, since there was no telltale white water breaking at the edges of the bergs.

At 11:40, a lookout in the crow's nest spotted an iceberg dead ahead. He notified the bridge and First Officer Murdoch ordered the ship turned hard to port. He signaled the engine room to reverse direction, full astern. The ship turned slightly, but it was much too large, moving much too fast, and the iceberg was much too close. 37 seconds later, the greatest maritime disaster in history began. During that night of heroism, terror and tragedy, 705 lives were saved, 1502 lives were lost, and many legends were born.

There are many books and online sources available for further information on the Titanic. It is worth noting that even the factual information about Titanic varies widely between the different sources. For all that is known and theorized about Titanic, it is in many ways still a mystery. Among the books are:

TITANIC, An Illustrated History, by Don Lynch and Ken Marschall, 1992

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER by Walter Lord, 1955

THE NIGHT LIVES ON by Walter Lord, 1986

THE STORY OF THE TITANIC AS TOLD BY ITS SURVIVORS edited by Jack Winocur, 1960 (containing "The Loss of the SS Titanic, Its Story and Its Lessons" by Lawrence Beesley, 1912, "The Truth about the Titanic" by Col. Archibald Gracie, 1913, relevant chapters from "Titanic and Other Ships" by Commander Charles Lightoller, 1935 and Asst. Marconi Operator Harold Bride's account as published in the New York Times of April 28, 1912.)

TITANIC - TRIUMPH & TRAGEDY by John P. Eaton and Charles Haas 1988 (second edition 1994)

Le HSBC PARIS SEVENS (8 au 10 juin 2018 au Stade Jean-Bouin) a officiellement été lancé aujourd’hui à Paris à la Région Île-de-France.

A cette occasion les 16 capitaines hommes et 12 capitaines femmes des équipes participantes au tournoi ont pris la pose autour du trophée de la compétition dans les jardins du Musée Rodin, Paris (Crédit Photo : I.PICAREL/FFR). Ils ont ensuite rejoint les locaux de la Région Île-de-France, partenaire de cette étape parisienne, situés dans le 7ème arrondissement.

Le HSBC Paris Sevens

Ultime étape du circuit mondial de rugby à 7, le HSBC Paris Sevens se déroulera au stade Jean-Bouin à Paris, du vendredi 8 au dimanche 10 juin 2018. Tournoi mixte pour la première fois de son histoire, le HSBC Paris Sevens 2018 accueille les meilleures équipes masculines et féminines du monde.

Avec 79 matches entre 28 équipes en 3 jours, le spectacle sera non-stop sur la pelouse du Stade Jean-Bouin. Dernier tournoi de la saison, les titres des circuits mondiaux masculin et féminin se joueront donc au HSBC Paris Sevens. Les tribunes et le Village des Supporteurs seront également en ébullition pendant 3 jours, avec de nombreuses animations « CRAZY RUGBY » qui seront proposées à tous les spectateurs !

Le programme :

• Vendredi 8 juin de 14h à 21h40 > tournoi Féminin (ouverture des portes au public à 13h30)

• Samedi 9 juin de 9h à 23h > tournoi mixte (ouverture des portes au public à 8h30)

• Dimanche 10 juin de 8h45 à 19h40 > phases finales féminines et masculines (ouverture des portes au public à 8h15)

Le World Rugby Sevens Series 2017-2018 est la 19e édition de la compétition la plus importante du monde de rugby à sept. Elle se déroule du 1er décembre 2017 au 10 juin 2018. L'Afrique du Sud est tenante du titre et l'Espagne est l'équipe promue de la saison.

Au mois d'avril se déroulent les Jeux du Commonwealth 2018 où dix équipes des World Rugby Sevens Series participent. La compétition enchaine ensuite avec la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept en juillet 2018.

Chaque étape est un tournoi se déroulant sur deux ou trois jours, entre le vendredi et le dimanche. À chaque étape est convié une équipe qui ne possède pas le statut d'équipe permanente, portant le nombre total d'équipes à seize.

En fonction du résultat du tournoi précédent, ou du classement de la saison passée pour le premier tournoi de la saison à Dubaï, les équipes sont réparties en chapeaux avant tirage au sort pour former quatre poules de quatre équipes. Chaque équipe joue les trois autres membres de sa poule et un classement est établi, tout d'abord sur le nombre de points (victoire 3 points, nul 2 points, défaite 1 point) puis sur le goal-average général. Les deux premiers de chaque poule passent en quart de finale de la Cup ou tournoi principal et les deux derniers passent en quart de finale du Challenge Trophy. Les équipes vaincues en quart de finale sont alors reversées en demi-finales de classement, respectivement pour la cinquième et treizième place. Les équipes battues en demi-finales ne disputent pas de petite finale de classement et remportent le même nombre de point, sauf pour les équipes battues en demi finales de Cup qui disputeront un dernier match de classement pour la troisième place.

Chaque rencontre, y compris la finale depuis l'édition 2016-2017, se dispute en deux fois sept minutes.

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne de rugby à 7 rassemble, de ce vendredi à dimanche, les meilleures nations mondiales pour décider du vainqueur du circuit mondial. Une belle vitrine pour la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV.

Dixième étape de la saison, le Paris Sevens clôture ce week-end le circuit mondial de rugby à 7, réunissant les 16 meilleures nations du monde aux quatre coins de la planète. De vendredi à dimanche, dans l’enceinte du Stade Jean Bouin, les équipes masculines feront le spectacle à travers une discipline méconnue en France mais très appréciée dans de nombreux pays. Et, pour la première fois cette année, les équipes féminines ouvriront les festivités.

Une véritable fête du rugby à 7, discipline olympique depuis 2016 et en plein boom grâce à la vitrine que lui ont offert offert les Jeux de Rio. Chez les hommes, outre les nations majeures de l’Ovale comme la Nouvelle-Zélande, l’Australie, l’Angleterre ou les Fidji, le Kenya, le Canada ou encore l’Espagne font leur trou et voient dans cette discipline une chance de développer un sport mineur dans leur pays. Chez les femmes, la Chine, le Japon ou la Russie figurent dans le top 12.

Le crazy rugby à la fête

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne est également l’occasion pour la France de développer la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV. «Nous sommes fiers de soutenir financièrement ce tournoi et de permettre qu’il existe», a tenu à rappeler le vice-président de la région Île-de-France, Patrick Karam. Et de poursuivre. «La région est également présente dans la sensibilisation. Vendredi, 360 lycéens pourront découvrir la discipline grâce à de nombreuses animations. Il est important pour nous de tout faire pour développer cette pratique, en vue de Paris 2024», a-t-il poursuivi, alors que la conférence de presse de présentation se tenait dans les locaux de la région, dans le 7e arrondissement parisien.

Dernière étape de la saison, le tournoi parisien représente en tout cas une belle vitrine pour la discipline, dans une ville au rayonnement mondial. «C’est formidable de pouvoir clôturer la saison dans une ville aussi magnifique, chez un hôte comme la France», ajoute de son côté Douglas Langley, directeur du tournoi et membre de World Rugby. «Nous nous réjouissons d’avance de ce week-end de ‘crazy rugby’», conclut-il. Et c’est bien là l’atout majeur de la discipline. Spectaculaire, chaque rencontre offre de nombreux essais et des sprints permanents.

Les Bleues veulent briller

Le public parisien, qui vient en nombre à chaque édition, est adepte de cette discipline. Le Stade Jean Bouin était plein en 2016 et 2017, et l’édition 2018, même s’il reste encore des places à vendre, ne dérogera certainement pas à la règle. Pourtant, ce ne sont pas les résultats des Bleus qui font venir les supporters. Malgré une 3e place en 2016, et une 5e en 2017, l’équipe masculine connaît une saison compliquée. 12e sur 16 au classement, les Bleus n’ont pas fait mieux que 7e cette année lors des neuf précédents tournois du circuit.

«Même si nos chances sont moindres, on rentre dans ce tournoi pour le gagner, et on a la chance d’avoir le soutien du public avec nous», déclare Manoël Dall’igna, capitaine de France 7. «Ces deux dernières années on a eu des supers résultats ici et on compte sur le 8e homme pour faire aussi bien», termine-t-il. Cette période de creux, due en partie à de nombreux départs en retraite en 2016, ne touche pas les féminines. 3e du circuit mondial, les coéquipières de Fanny Horta visent le podium à Paris. «On a reçu beaucoup de messages de soutien de la jeune génération, et on veut vraiment profiter de ce soutien pour garder la dynamique de la saison et faire un nouveau podium», confie la capitaine.

Mises en valeur ce week-end, les Bleues représentent «la véritable locomotive du 7 en France avec une très belle réussite sportive», estime Christophe Reigt, manager des équipes de France à 7. Suffisant pour développer la discipline en France ? Quoiqu’il en soit, avec cette étape parisienne, la Fédération se démène pour populariser le 7 dans l’Hexagone, avec un objectif majeur en ligne de mire : les Jeux olympiques de Paris en 2024.

The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2018 Awards in Paris brought a fitting end to an enthralling season which saw South Africa and Australia crowned men’s and women’s series champions respectively.

It’s been one of the most competitive seasons on record as both the women’s and men’s series were decided by just two-point differences.

South Africa fought an incredible battle with Fiji in the men’s series to retain their title with victory at the final round in Paris, while Olympic champions Australia won their second overall title ahead of rivals New Zealand on the women’s series after reaching the podium at every one of the five rounds.

The end of season awards provided a chance to celebrate the men’s and women’s sevens players, coaches and teams that are the stars, ambassadors and role models of the sport.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “It has been another tremendous year for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, which continues to go from strength to strength.

“I hugely admire the skill and physicality of rugby sevens and thank the players for their outstanding commitment which makes the series such a success. It is great to see the series capturing the imagination on and off the field with year-on-year increases in attendances, broadcast and fan-engagement figures, and that is a great testament to the players, coaches, host unions and everyone involved with the events.

“Rugby sevens took a quantum leap when it joined the Olympic programme in 2016 and now we look forward to a Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco in just 40 days time in an iconic city and a market with great potential. It promises to be a thrilling and spectacular event.”

the workload. It is a blessing for me to be standing here.”

Rookies of the Year

Eroni Sau is the second Fijian to be named Rookie of the Year for the men’s series after being a clear winner in the fan vote ahead of his compatriot Alosio Naduva and Australia’s Ben O’Donnell. The 28-year-old featured in all 10 rounds in his debut season, using his powerful physique to score 37 tries.

France’s Coralie Bertrand, meanwhile, claimed the women’s accolade, having featured in all five rounds and helped Les Bleues enjoy their best season, reaching a first-ever Cup final in Kitakyushu and semi-finals in Langford and Paris to clinch the series bronze medal.

Fair Play Award

This award, selected by the match officials, recognises the teams who showcase rugby’s values of integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect. Japan were awarded the women’s accolade after an event that saw them lose their core team status on the series, with Kenya the men’s recipients following an exciting season which saw them reach the final in both Vancouver and Hong Kong.

Roche’s kick with the final play of the match against England to snatch the bronze medal for invitational team Ireland at the HSBC London Sevens was a clear winner of the men’s award, beating Fijian Alosio Naduva’s last-gasp winning try against Australia in the Singapore Cup final and Matias Osadczuk’s break and calm head to send Renzo Barbier over for the winning try in Argentina’s Cup semi-final against South Africa in Las Vegas.

Capgemini Coach of the Series

Another inaugural category, selected by the series’ global innovation partner Capgemini, was won by New Zealand women’s coach Alan Bunting after successive victories in the last three rounds of the series in Japan, Canada and France as well as the Commonwealth Games title in April.

South Africa coach Neil Powell, who guided the Blitzboks to retaining their series title, picked up the men’s coach of the series award and paid tribute to his victorious team: “The mental focus and composure they showed was fantastic, all credit to the boys for believing in their success. We had everything to play for and the team did an incredible job, not just today but over the whole season.

“I also want to congratulate Fiji on an amazing season, they were phenomenal.”

DHL Impact Player

The race to be named DHL Impact Player of the Year in both the men’s and women’s series went right down to the final matches. In total 16 players from 12 nations won tournament awards during this season’s series.

New Zealand’s Michaela Blyde was delighted to win the women’s award: “This is pretty special. I’m shocked and truly grateful. I put this down to my teammates who create the opportunities for me and I thank them.”

La Fédération française de rugby organise, du 8 au 10 juin au stade Jean-Bouin, à Paris 16e, un tournoi international de rugby à 7 masculin et féminin, étape du HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Cette manifestation sportive, soutenue par la Région à hauteur de 170.000€, va rassembler 28 équipes internationales, qui s'affronteront au cours de 45 matchs masculins et 34 matchs féminins.

Le public pourra découvrir à cette occasion, jusque dans sa pratique féminine, une discipline largement méconnue.

Quant au stade Jean-Bouin, qui est l'un des sites retenus pour les JO Paris 2024, il pourra mettre en avant sa capacité d’accueil de 20.000 spectateurs.

Ce tournoi constituant la 10e et dernière étape du circuit mondial, il s'achèvera avec la remise des titres de champion et championne du monde de rugby à 7.

En soutenant l'organisation de tels grands événements sportifs franciliens, la Région Île-de-France renforce chaque fois un peu plus l'attractivité de ses territoires tout en assurant son rayonnement à l'échelle internationale.

Le titre HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series a été décidé de façon spectaculaire après que l'Afrique du Sud a battu l'Angleterre 24-14 en finale du HSBC Paris Sevens pour décrocher la médaille d'or et conserver son titre de série.

Au cours d'une des années les plus compétitives de l'histoire de la série, le titre est allé jusqu'au tout dernier match puisque l'Afrique du Sud avait besoin d'une victoire en tournoi pour dépasser les Fidji dans le classement de la série.

L'Afrique du Sud a terminé la série en tête avec 182 points, suivie des Fidji qui ont remporté l'argent avec 180 points et la Nouvelle-Zélande avec 150 points après avoir remporté la médaille de bronze à Paris avec une victoire de 38-5 contre le Canada dans la troisième place

Les champions de la série de l'année dernière, l'Afrique du Sud, ont devancé l'Espagne 15-10 en quart de finale avec un essai à la cinquième minute de Justin Deguld, après que les pointages aient été 10-10 à la fin du temps réglementaire. Les Blitzboks sud-africains ont ensuite trouvé leur rythme en demi-finale avec une victoire complète de 24-12 contre la Nouvelle-Zélande grâce à deux essais de l'impressionnant Dewald Human, 23 ans, qui a fait ses débuts il y a deux mois à Hong Kong .

Humain était de nouveau en forme de but en finale et était ravi d'être élu Joueur de la Finale: "Ca a été une expérience fantastique ici à Paris, je me suis appuyé sur moi et j'ai apprécié chaque minute sur le terrain. sommes très heureux de la victoire. "

Le capitaine de l'équipe sud-africaine, Philip Snyman, a ajouté: "Nous voulions aller jouer au rugby et nous concentrer sur ce que nous pouvions contrôler: les gars ont joué un rugby phénoménal et ont fait honneur à l'équipe. C'est un sentiment incroyable de représenter un pays si merveilleux et les gens de chez nous n'ont jamais cessé de croire en nous et de nous soutenir. "

Fidjiens ont raté l'occasion de remporter le titre plus tôt dans la journée alors qu'ils ont été vaincus 19-17 par une équipe d'Angleterre pleine d'entrain dans un quart de finale à couper le souffle. Le capitaine de l'équipe d'Angleterre, Tom Mitchell, a complété un mouvement de 26 passes pour marquer dans les dernières secondes du match et mettre un terme à la récente domination des Fidji qui les avait vaincus lors des quatre dernières manches de la série.

Les Fidjiens se sont rétablis pour battre l'Irlande 38-5 et les États-Unis 28-7 pour terminer cinquième à Paris et mettre la pression sur l'Afrique du Sud pour la finale mais finalement ce n'était pas suffisant et les Fidjiens ont été obligés de se contenter des dix tours.

L'Angleterre a produit une autre performance puissante en demi-finale avec une victoire convaincante de 26-12 contre le Canada pour atteindre sa première finale de la série 2017-18, mais ils ont été incapables de faire face aux Blitzboks en finale alors que les hommes d'Afrique du Sud couraient vainqueurs devant une foule parisienne bruyante.

Équipe Invitational L'Irlande a battu 19-5 du quart en quarts de finale, mais après sa médaille de bronze à Londres la semaine dernière, les Irlandais se sont montrés assez prometteurs au cours des deux derniers tours un brillant avenir dans le rugby à sept.

L'Argentine a remporté le Challenge Trophy, décerné à l'équipe terminant en neuvième position, après avoir vaincu le Pays de Galles 33-26.

Toute l'attention se tourne maintenant vers la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept 2018 à San Francisco du 20 au 22 juillet, où 24 équipes masculines et 16 équipes féminines s'affronteront pour devenir championnes du monde au cours de trois journées d'action excitantes.

1. L'AFRIQUE DU SUD : UN TOURNOI À L'IMAGE DE LEUR SAISON

« C'est un tournoi à l'image de leur saison. L'Afrique du Sud gagne le premier tournoi et se retrouve à des moments compliqués. A Paris, elle était en délicatesse en poule, perd contre l'Ecosse (12-14), se met en danger contre l'Espagne en quart de finale (15-10 dans les prolongations, ndlr). Ce n'était pas évident car l'équipe avait dans un coin de la tête que c'était fini par rapport à la saison. Et derrière ça, ils arrivent à se remobiliser après la défaite des Fidji. La défense, c'est la clé des Sud-Africains avec 85% de plaquages réussis et surtout un trio qui a été magique avec Philip Snyman, Ruhan Neil et Werner Kok : 60 plaquages à eux trois. Ce sont les joueurs qui ont été majeurs sur l'ensemble du tournoi. Ils ont un jeu de passes assez nul : 172 passes en six matches, soit 28 en moyenne par match (le Canada en a 307 en six matches, soit 51 en moyenne par rencontre, ndlr). »

2. LES FIDJI À DEUX POINTS DU LEADER

« Ils manquent un peu le tournoi. Ils avaient la possibilité de passer, mais ils ont laissé beaucoup d'énergie dans la poule. La défaite contre le Kenya (19-22) leur fait du mal, ils ont du faire un match plein face à la Nouvelle-Zélande. Ils sont plutôt adeptes à gérer les phases de poule et à accélérer sur les play-offs, donc c'était un peu dur pour eux de retrouver l'énergie nécessaire et de trouver en quart de finale une équipe anglaise qui a été assez incroyable sur la possession de balle. Malgré leur 5e place à Paris, les Fidji ont le titre qui leur passe sous le nez par pas grand chose (deux points derrière l'Afrique du Sud, ndlr).

« Il y a eu de grosses lacunes sur les coups d'envoi : 16% des coups d'envoi récupérés, ce qui est très faible quand on connait la capacité des Fidji (22% en moyenne sur la saison, ndlr). Et alors qu'ils sont les maîtres à jouer dans les turnovers, là ils n'ont récupéré que cinq ballons dans le tournoi de Paris (et en ont perdu six, ndlr). En comparaison, l'Afrique du Sud en a récupéré 14. Les Fidjiens sont très forts sur la récupération de ballon, mais les équipes adverses ont été assez lucides et leur ont donné que peu de ballons. Du coup, les Fidjiens n'avaient pas beaucoup de munitions pour scorer car les équipes en face ont su s'adapter. »

3. L'ANGLETERRE, TOUJOURS PRÉSENTE DANS LES GRANDS MOMENTS

« L'Angleterre fait un très bon tournoi. Sans être exceptionnels, ils ont réussi à passer la phase de poule. Derrière, ils font un exploit contre les Fidji (17-19 en quart de finale, ndlr), puis une défaite en finale contre l'Afrique du Sud 14-24). Ils doivent leur tournoi grâce à un réalisme incroyable : 20 possessions de balle sur 23 dans les 22 mètres ; 87% de réalisme dans les 22 m adverses. Norton, Bibby, Mitchell ont su actionner le jeu anglais. Défensivement, Harry Glover a été l'un des meilleurs joueurs du tournoi. Il n'a que 20 ans et est en train d'exploser et de devenir un joueur majeur sur le système anglais (22 plaquages). Il a supporté l'équipe d'Angleterre sur ce tournoi.

« Ils sont toujours là dans les grands moments : finaliste aux JO, médaille de bronze aux Commonwealth... Ils étaient 9e mondial et ils terminent à la 5e place du classement mondial, sur le fil, à un point de l'Australie (à un point d'écart). Le prochain objectif c'est la Coupe du Monde et en 2019 la quatrième place. Leur saison est parfaitement maîtrisée du point de vue gestion, même s'ils n'ont pas démarré très fort. »

4. L'IRLANDE A SA PLACE SUR LE WORLD SERIES

« Encore une fois elle a montré ses capacités de performance sur le World Series. Elle a été pragmatique. Le rugby à 7, c'est de l'endurance et du cardio. Ils montrent des atouts dignes d'un top 3 du Worl Series. Ils font plus de points que la Russie en deux tournois et sont 15e au classement, juste derrière le Pays de Galles. Défensivement ils sont en tête du classement et Harry McNulty est leur leader défensif (18 plaquages).

« Ils n'ont pas fait le World series en entier, mais c'est une équipe qui est très rigoureuse défensivement. Ils ont étouffé en phase de poule (14-5 sur l'Espagne, 19-19 sur le Pays de Galles et 24-14 sur l'Australie, ndlr). Et même en changeant cinq joueurs de l'effectif initial, ils arrivent toujours à être au haut niveau et à passer le cap et à être performant. L'Irlande a fait une très grosse performance à Paris et sera très dangereuse à la Coupe du Monde.

« Leur objectif numéro 1, c'est l'Europe Series ; le Paris Sevens n'était pas ciblé et pourtant ils y arrivent. Ils battent tout le monde en poule. »

5. L'ESPAGNE : DANGER EN DEVENIR

« Ils gagnent l'Australie (17-10), puis le Pays de Galles (21-14) et font surtout un match monumental contre l'Afrique du Sud en quart de finale où ils perdent à la dernière seconde (15-10). Ils ont encore fait une très belle saison, malgré le manque de réalisme : 45% de réalisme, elle score 10 fois sur 22 (45%). C'est dire tout le potentiel offensif qu'elle a !

« C'est une équipe qui a beaucoup le ballon. Le jour où elle va être efficace offensivement, elle va être dangereuse. »

6. LE CANADA A RÉUSSI À PASSER LE CUT DES DEMI-FINALES

« Le Canada s'est qualifié encore une fois en demi-finale sur le World Series où elle s'incline 26-12 face à l'Angleterre. C'est une quatrième place au Paris Sevens après avoir été impressionnante en phase de poule. Elle n'a eu que 11 pénalités dans le tournoi. Elle a une justesse technique incroyable avec seulement 12 fautes de main sur l'ensemble du tournoi, soit deux par match, ce qui est très propre.

« C'est un jeu de quinziste. Le Canada fonctionne en mode quinziste, mais score derrière. Hirayama a été le meilleur joueur en offload, Douglas a cassé la ligne huit fois, Connor Braid ballon porté... « Le Canada a réussi à passer ce cut pour les demi-finales. »

7. LA FRANCE EN PANNE

« Elle avait réussi à réunir son effectif au complet malgré la blessure de Manoël Dall'Igna. Elle attendait depuis longtemps le tournoi de Paris. Au premier jour, elle est à sa place et a du mal à performer face à l'Angleterre (21-28), aux USA 12-26) et à l'Argentine 28-26) qui sont au-dessus. Elle a réussi à débloquer son compteur de victoires en battant l'Argentine.

« Elle a montré beaucoup de faiblesse défensive, avec 5,4 plaquages manqués par match, contre 3,4 pour l'Espagne. C'est le chantier numéro un pour que la France puisse repasser en Cup.

« En attaque, elle est efficace, même si le point noir est le coup d'envoi : trois manqués contre le Pays de Galles. Quand on n'a pas les ballons en conquête, c'est très compliqué de pouvoir rivaliser. C'est l'équipe qui a été le plus pénalisée du tournoi : 18 pénalités.

« Malgré tout, l'équipe de France a réussi à contenir et n'a pas pris 40-0 comme sur d'autres tournois. La ferveur populaire a permis à la France de rester concentrée à chaque match. Elle a joué avec ses armes et s'est faite contrer par meilleur que soit. »

Laurie Anderson Presents Lou Reed’s Drones With Stewart Hurwood @ Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC on Friday, June 3, 2022

For one night only, Grammy award-winning musician and multimedia artist Laurie Anderson presents a drone-based sonic experience as part of the yearlong celebration of Lou Reed’s 80th birthday. Anderson and special guests will perform live throughout the afternoon alongside an installation of guitars from her late husband’s collection that will be curated by Reed’s former guitar technician Stewart Hurwood. Reed’s instruments are arranged with a group of amplifiers to create an enveloping drone of harmonics that shifts as the sound waves and the audience move through the space.

About The Performers

As A Grammy Award-Winning Musician, Performer, Writer, And Artist, Laurie Anderson Has An International Reputation As An Artist Who Combines The Traditions Of The Avant-Garde With Popular Culture. Anderson’s Theatrical Works Combine A Variety Of Media, Including Performance, Music, Poetry, Sculpture, Opera, Anthropological Investigations, And Linguistic Games, To Elicit Emotional Reactions. As A Visual Artist, Anderson Has Been Shown At The Guggenheim Museum, Soho, And Extensively In Europe, Including The Centre Georges Pompidou In Paris. She Has Also Released Seven Albums For Warner Brothers, Including Big Science, Featuring The Song “O Superman,” Which Rose To No. 2 On The British Pop Charts. She Is Currently Charles Eliot Norton Professor Of Poetry At Harvard University.

Guitar Technician Stewart Hurwood Started Experimenting With Sounds And Building Elaborate Guitar Rigs Early In His Life. After Moving From London To New York City, He Took A Position At A Prominent New York Music Studio. Hurwood’s Technical Skills Were Quickly Noticed And He Began To Work In Many New York Venues And Pretty Soon Found Himself On Tour With Duran Duran. It Wasn’t Long After His Return Home, Hurwood Received The Call To Work With Lou Reed. Reed Too Noticed Hurwood’s Skills And Started To Rely More Upon His Sound Judgement. With Studio Work, One-Off Gigs And A Few Tours Under His Belt, Hurwood Finally Won The Trust Of Mr. Reed And Was Elevated To The Position Of Lou Reed’s Right Hand Man. Over Time, And With An Increasing Workload, Their Relationship Went From Strength To Strength. Much Of Their Work Was Musically Diverse And Included Collaborations With The Killers, Renée Fleming And The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, The Strokes, The Gorillaz, Laurie Anderson, Metal Machine Trio, Metallica And Various Benefit Gigs With Pete Townsend, Martha And Rufus Wainwright, Yoko Ono And Sean Lennon, Jimmy Fallon, Hal Willner, And The List Goes On! Hurwood Worked With Lou Reed Until Lou’s Death On October 27, 2013. Hurwood Continues To Carry The Baton For Reed By Promoting “The Drones.” Initially, The Idea Was The Backbone For Mr. Reed’s 1975 Album “Metal Machine Music.” However, The Idea Was Expanded In Preproduction For “The Metal Machine Trio Live Tour.” Hurwood’s Clientele Reads Like A Veritable Who’s Who In Rock And Roll. This Long, Distinguished List Includes: Duran Duran, Lou Reed, The Cult, Coldplay, Scissor Sisters, Steely Dan And Numerous Others. He Continues To Thrive And Is Sought After By Prominent Private And Public Artists Who Have A Desire To Own Unparalleled Musical Rigs And Explore Their Sonic Palette. Stewart Hurwood Currently Resides In New York City.

Featuring

Acclaimed Composer And Instrumentalist Kaoru Watanabe’s Melodic, Authentic And Engaging Music Focuses On Points Of Connection: The Joints Between Western Jazz And Eastern Traditional, Japanese Theater And Political Action, The Ancient And The All-Too-Contemporary. Born Into A Musical Family, Watanabe Began His Training At A Young Age, Eventually Graduating From The Manhattan School Of Music, Then Devoting A Decade Overseas Performing With And Ultimately Leading The World-Renowned Taiko Drum Performance Group Kodo. His Ten Years In Japan Deeply Influenced Watanabe’s Practice And His Signature Skill Of Infusing Japanese Culture To Disparate Styles Has Made Him A Much In-Demand Collaborator. Watanabe’s Impressive List Of Creative Work Across Different Media Reflects His Ever-Curious Ear And Wandering Eye. He Advised And Contributed To Film Director Wes Anderson’s Oscar-Nominated Score For Isle Of Dogs; Tours Regularly With Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad; Has Supported Numerous Dance Companies And Movement Artists, Including Mikhail Baryshnikov; And Has Composed With And Performed Alongside Jason And Alicia Hall Moran, Eva Yerbabuena, Bando Tamasaburo, Sydney Symphony Orchestra And Zakir Hussain, Among Many Others. As A Composer, Watanabe Writes For Various, Often Unconventional Instrumentation, Utilizing A Wide Variety Of Techniques. Thematically, He Regularly Explores Issues Of Social Justice, History, And Heritage. Watanabe’s Newest Pandemic-Era Creation, Incense, Uses Live-Recorded Sample Loops Of Flute, Drums And Vocals, Providing Him The Technical Means To Perform Ensemble Compositions As A Solo Artist.

THE HISTORY OF TITANIC OCEAN LINER)

The Royal Mail Ship TITANIC was the last grand dream of the Gilded Age. It was designed to be the greatest achievement of an era of prosperity, confidence and propriety. Although no one knew it, the world was about to change drastically. Radio had been invented in 1901. The Wright Brothers' first successful flight was in 1903. The old presumptions about class, morals, and gender-roles were about to be shattered. If the concept of Titanic was the climax of the age, then perhaps its sinking was the curtain that marked the end of the old drama, and the start of a new one.

The intensely competitive transatlantic steamship business had seen recent major advances in ship design, size and speed. White Star Line, one of the leaders, determined to focus on size and elegance rather than pure speed. In 1907, White Star Line's managing director J. Bruce Ismay and Lord James Pirrie, a partner in Harland & Wolff (White Star Line's ship-builder since its founding in 1869) conceived of three magnificent steam ships which would set a new standard for comfort, elegance, and safety. The first two were to be named Olympic and Titanic, the latter name chosen by Ismay to convey a sense of overwhelming size and strength.

It took a year to design the two ships. Construction of Olympic started in December, 1908, followed by Titanic in March 1909. The Belfast shipyards of Harland & Wolff had to be re-designed to accommodate the immense projects while White Star's pier in New York had to be lengthened to enable the ships to dock. During the two years it took to complete Titanic's hull, the press was primed with publicity about the ship's magnificence, making Titanic virtually a legend before her launch. The "launch" of the completed steel in May, 1911, was a heavily publicized spectacle. Tickets were sold to benefit a local children's hospital.

She was then taken for "fitting out" which involved the construction of the ship's many facilities and systems, her elaborate woodwork and fine decor. As the date of her maiden voyage approached, the completed Olympic suffered a collision and required extensive repairs, increasing the workload at Harland & Wolff, which was already struggling to complete Titanic on schedule. Titanic's maiden voyage was delayed from March 20 to April 10.

Titanic was 883 feet long (1/6 of a mile), 92 feet wide and weighed 46,328 tons. She was 104 feet tall from keel to bridge, almost 35 feet of which were below the waterline... even so, she stood taller above the water than most urban buildings of the time. There were three real smoke-stacks; a fourth, dummy stack was added largely to increase the impression of her gargantuan size and power and to vent smoke from her numerous kitchens and galleys. She was the largest movable object ever made by man. The ship's immense size and complexity is illustrated by an incident recalled by Second Officer Lightoller. There was a gangway door on the starboard side aft "large enough to drive a horse and cart through." Yet three officers who joined the ship during her preparations spent a whole day simply trying to find their way to it.

Moreover, she was designed to be a marvel of modern safety technology. She had a double-hull of 1-inch thick steel plates and a (heavily publicized) system of 16 water-tight compartments, sealed by massive doors which could be instantly triggered by a single electric switch on the bridge, or even automatically by electric water-sensors. The press began to call her "unsinkable."

Her accommodations were the most modern and luxurious on any ocean, and included electric light and heat in every room, electric elevators, a swimming pool, a squash court (considered terribly modern), a Turkish Bath, a gymnasium with a mechanical horse and mechanical camel to keep riders fit, and staterooms and first class facilities to rival the best hotels on the Continent. First class passengers would glide down a six-story, glass-domed grand staircase to enjoy haute cuisine in the sumptuous first class dining saloon that filled the width of the ship on D Deck. For those who desired a more intimate atmosphere, Titanic also offered a stately à la carte restaurant, the chic Palm Court and Verandah restaurant, and the festive Cafe Parisien. She offered two musical ensembles (rather than the standard one) of the best musicians on the Atlantic, many of them lured from rival liners. There were two libraries, first- and second-class. Even the third class (steerage) cabins were more luxurious than the first class cabins on some lesser steamships, and boasted amenities (like indoor toilet facilities) that some of Titanic's emigrant passengers had not enjoyed in their own homes.

The original design called for 32 lifeboats. However, White Star management felt that the boat-deck would look cluttered, and reduced the number to 20, for a total life-boat capacity of 1178. This actually exceeded the regulations of the time, even though Titanic was capable of carrying over 3500 people (passengers and crew).

The maiden voyage lured the "very best people:" British nobility, American industrialists, the very cream of New York and Philadelphia society. It also attracted many poor emigrants, hoping to start a new life in America or Canada.

The journey began at Southampton on Wednesday April 10, 1912 at Noon. By sundown, Titanic had stopped in Cherbourg, France to pick up additional passengers. That evening she sailed for Queenstown, Ireland, and at 1:30 PM on Thursday, April 11, she headed out into the Atlantic.

The seasoned transatlantic passengers were deeply impressed by the new ship. She was so massive that they barely felt the movement of the sea at all. Her huge, powerful engines produced almost none of the annoying vibration common on other steamers, and their noise was barely perceptible. And she achieved this extraordinary level of comfort while traveling at 22 knots, not the fastest boat on the route, but certainly one of the top five.

Weather was pleasant and clear, and the water temperature was about 55 degrees. The winter of 1912 had been unusually mild, and unprecedented amounts of ice had broken loose from the arctic regions. Titanic was equipped with Marconi's new wireless telegraph system and her two Marconi operators kept the wireless room running 24 hours a day. On Sunday, April 14, the fifth day at sea, Titanic received five different ice-warnings, but the captain was not overly concerned. The ship steamed ahead at 22 knots, and the line's Managing Director J. Bruce Ismay relished the idea of arriving in New York a day ahead of schedule.

On the night of April 14, wireless operator Phillips was very busy sending chatty passenger's messages to Cape Race, Newfoundland, whence they could be relayed inland to friends and relatives. He received a sixth ice-warning that night, but didn't realize how close Titanic was to the position of the warning, and put that message under a paperweight at his elbow. It never reached Captain Smith or the officer on the bridge.

By all accounts, the night was uncommonly clear and dark, moonless but faintly glowing with an incredible sky full of stars. The stars were so bright that one officer mistook the planet Jupiter (then rising just above the horizon) for a steamship light.

The sea was, likewise, unusually calm and flat, "like glass" said many survivors. The lack of waves made it even more difficult to spot icebergs, since there was no telltale white water breaking at the edges of the bergs.

At 11:40, a lookout in the crow's nest spotted an iceberg dead ahead. He notified the bridge and First Officer Murdoch ordered the ship turned hard to port. He signaled the engine room to reverse direction, full astern. The ship turned slightly, but it was much too large, moving much too fast, and the iceberg was much too close. 37 seconds later, the greatest maritime disaster in history began. During that night of heroism, terror and tragedy, 705 lives were saved, 1502 lives were lost, and many legends were born.

There are many books and online sources available for further information on the Titanic. It is worth noting that even the factual information about Titanic varies widely between the different sources. For all that is known and theorized about Titanic, it is in many ways still a mystery. Among the books are:

TITANIC, An Illustrated History, by Don Lynch and Ken Marschall, 1992

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER by Walter Lord, 1955

THE NIGHT LIVES ON by Walter Lord, 1986

THE STORY OF THE TITANIC AS TOLD BY ITS SURVIVORS edited by Jack Winocur, 1960 (containing "The Loss of the SS Titanic, Its Story and Its Lessons" by Lawrence Beesley, 1912, "The Truth about the Titanic" by Col. Archibald Gracie, 1913, relevant chapters from "Titanic and Other Ships" by Commander Charles Lightoller, 1935 and Asst. Marconi Operator Harold Bride's account as published in the New York Times of April 28, 1912.)

TITANIC - TRIUMPH & TRAGEDY by John P. Eaton and Charles Haas 1988 (second edition 1994)

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See more photos in set.

Starring Walter Brooke, Eric Fleming, Mickey Shaughnessy, Phil Foster, William Redfield, William Hopper, Benson Fong, Ross Martin, Vito Scotti. Directed by Byron Haskin. Producer George Pal gave us the sci-fi landmark Destination Moon in 1950. He then gave us the timeless classic War of the Worlds in '53. This, his third epic, was a grand effort, but fell shy of his earlier triumphs. On paper, it should have been another mega-classic. The team members from the earlier hits were reassembled. Pal as producer, Haskin directing, Lydon on screenplay, O'Hanlon writing. Conquest was also based on a popular book. Yet, despite all this pedigree, something fell short. Conquest would not go on to be remembered as one of the 50s mega-classics. Some of this obscurity may be due to Conquest being in the "serious" science fiction sub-genre, like Destination Moon and Riders to the Stars which tried to depict a plausible space-traveling future. Audiences were becoming much more entranced with saucers and weird aliens.

In some ways,Conquest is a remake of the basic story line from Destination Moon -- a crew are the first to land on a celestial body. They struggle to survive and yet courageously return. This time, instead of the moon, it's Mars. As a remake goes, however, it's worthy. The Technicolor is rich and the sets well done. This is an A-level production which at its release was the 2001: A Space Odyssey of its day. All the melodrama, however, starts to get in the way of the techno-gee-whiz.

Synopsis

Based aboard a rotating wheel space station, workmen prepare a big flying wing of a rocket ship. A group of potential crewmen train for what they think will be a moon landing mission. As the work nears completion, they find out that the real mission will be a landing on Mars instead. While aboard "The Wheel", we're introduced to the phenomenon of "space sickness" -- a mental breakdown due to workload and confinement for long periods. One of the crew candidates is scrubbed because of one such breakdown. Nonetheless, the multinational crew are chosen and embark for the long journey to Mars. After departure, it's found that General Merritt's old friend, Sergeant Mahoney, stowed away. On the way to Mars, a communications antenna is damaged and must be fixed via spacewalking crewmen. Just as the repairs are completed, the customary meteor arrives, threatening to hit the ship. General Merritt manages to fly the ship out of the way, but one of the crewmen on EVA is hit with micrometeoroids (like bullets) and killed. The General is also starting to show odd behavior, doubting whether their mission is proper or is an affront to God. Their evasive action puts them behind schedule, but they arrive at Mars. While attempting to land on Mars, the General has another bout of delusion and tries to abort the landing. His son, Captain Merritt, manages to take control and brings in the flying-wing lander to a rough but successful landing. The others go out to explore, but the General, now fully delusional, is venting rocket fuel in an attempt to blow up the ship. His son discovers this and the two struggle. The General's pistol discharges, killing him. Mahoney comes on the scene just then and accuses Captain Merritt of murdering the General. The rest explore a bit more, but pronounce Mars a dead planet. Despite this, Imoto discovers that his earth flower seed sprouted in martian soil. Earthquakes cause the escape rocket to shift off of perpendicular. They get it righted and blast off. On the way home, Mahoney and Captain Merritt make up and declare that the dead General was a hero, the man who conquered space. The End.

The color, the sets, models and background paintings are very visually rich. The whole image is a great snapshot of the future as people in the mid-50s imagined it would be. More tidbits in the Notes section below.

There is actually a subtle anti-war tone to the movie. No overt talk of nuclear dangers or menacing enemies. It is notable, however, that among the conspicuously international crew candidates, there is no Russian. Americans would "conquer" space with a few other nationals along for the ride, but NO Russians. There is also a poorly explained urgency to the mission. What's the hurry? Back in the Cold War, it was pretty common that WE had to get something before THEY did.

In 1949, Willy Ley wrote the book "The Conquest of Space," which speculated about how mankind might travel to other planets. This book was illustrated by space artist Chesley Bonestell. This book would become the inspiration for the movie.

From 1952 to 1954, Collier's magazine ran a series of stories about mankind conquering space. These were repeats by Ley and Bonestell of their 1949 book, but this time Collier's added material from "rocket scientist" Werner von Braun. Bonestell's new illustrations were clearly the prototype for the look of Conquest. People felt that mankind was on the verge of taking to the stars. The Collier's series expressed that giddy optimism.

The screenplay for Conquest added weak human interest sub-plots which almost negate the gee-whiz optimism that the visuals convey. The screenwriters were all experienced in their craft, so it's puzzling why such amateurish characterizations are so prominent. The comic relief moments are almost cartoonish. The whole leader-gone-mad sub-plot seems out of place.

A possible "message" to Conquest is that man is a fragile creature who may not be ready for the rigors of space travel. Certainly, people wondered about this, and other movies touched on the theme too, such as Riders to the Stars ('54). Our not being mentally ready yet was cited by the aliens in It Came From Outer Space ('53). General Merritt's dementia was foreshadowed in the breakdown of Roy early in the movie.

One thing that strikes the viewer is how much life aboard the space station is presumed to duplicate life aboard a navy ship. It's not overtly stated that the military should (or will) be the agency which "conquers" space, but from the ranks and uniforms and the navy-life scenes, that message comes through. Space ships will be like earthly ships.

On the surface, it seems like Conquest is blasting Christians as dangerous religious fanatics. This notion, that anyone who believes in God simply MUST be wacko, would be much more popular in later decades, but it was uncommon in the 50s. For that reason, the General's dementia deserves a closer look.

Actually, General Merritt was not the stereotypic religious fanatic. His son comments that he had never seen him carrying around and reading the Bible before. Instead of headaches or paralysis, the General's "space sickness" took a paranoid turn. He had rational misgivings about the Mars mission from the start, pre-dementia. His repressed misgivings are expressed in Bible verses dealing with sinners being punished by God. He once quotes from Psalm 38, then later from Psalm 62.

Throughout all this, God is not mocked. Indeed, only the "religious" man had the courage to go outside and give the dead Fodor a proper burial. The other non-relgious crewmen were at a loss for what to do.

The notion of impudent mankind trying to meddle in God's domain, is treated as a credible issue. In this, the pattern of the Tower of Babel is drawn. Prideful mankind thinks they can build their way into God's realm. God foils that plan. General Merritt's dementia seems motivated by a fear that this divine retribution could be coming again.

The writers of Conquest imagine a multinationalism in space. Most notable are two former enemy nations: Imoto is from Japan and Fodor is a German-accented Austrian, (as a stand-in for Germany). Imoto gets to make a little speech about why Japan went to war (lack of resources). Fodor gets to be seen as the cherished son of a classic "mama". By 1955, it was starting to become okay to look beyond World War 2.

At one point, the crew of The Wheel are watching a movie with many scantily clad dancing girls (much like sailors aboard a ship). The movie is a lavish musical number with many gold bikini clad pseudo-harem girls dancing while Rosemary Clooney sings about love "...in the desert sand." This clip is total non-sequetor to the high-tech space environment. What's interesting, is that it's NOT stock footage recycled. Clooney had not done any such movie. This dance number must have been staged and shot just for this scene in Conquest. Random act of musical. Gotta love 'em.

Bottom line? Conquest is an almost-epic. It's definitely an A-grade sci-fi movie, so it's well worth watching. The human story part gets in the way sometimes, but the visuals more than make up for it.

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See more photos in set.

Starring Walter Brooke, Eric Fleming, Mickey Shaughnessy, Phil Foster, William Redfield, William Hopper, Benson Fong, Ross Martin, Vito Scotti. Directed by Byron Haskin. Producer George Pal gave us the sci-fi landmark Destination Moon in 1950. He then gave us the timeless classic War of the Worlds in '53. This, his third epic, was a grand effort, but fell shy of his earlier triumphs. On paper, it should have been another mega-classic. The team members from the earlier hits were reassembled. Pal as producer, Haskin directing, Lydon on screenplay, O'Hanlon writing. Conquest was also based on a popular book. Yet, despite all this pedigree, something fell short. Conquest would not go on to be remembered as one of the 50s mega-classics. Some of this obscurity may be due to Conquest being in the "serious" science fiction sub-genre, like Destination Moon and Riders to the Stars which tried to depict a plausible space-traveling future. Audiences were becoming much more entranced with saucers and weird aliens.

In some ways,Conquest is a remake of the basic story line from Destination Moon -- a crew are the first to land on a celestial body. They struggle to survive and yet courageously return. This time, instead of the moon, it's Mars. As a remake goes, however, it's worthy. The Technicolor is rich and the sets well done. This is an A-level production which at its release was the 2001: A Space Odyssey of its day. All the melodrama, however, starts to get in the way of the techno-gee-whiz.

Synopsis

Based aboard a rotating wheel space station, workmen prepare a big flying wing of a rocket ship. A group of potential crewmen train for what they think will be a moon landing mission. As the work nears completion, they find out that the real mission will be a landing on Mars instead. While aboard "The Wheel", we're introduced to the phenomenon of "space sickness" -- a mental breakdown due to workload and confinement for long periods. One of the crew candidates is scrubbed because of one such breakdown. Nonetheless, the multinational crew are chosen and embark for the long journey to Mars. After departure, it's found that General Merritt's old friend, Sergeant Mahoney, stowed away. On the way to Mars, a communications antenna is damaged and must be fixed via spacewalking crewmen. Just as the repairs are completed, the customary meteor arrives, threatening to hit the ship. General Merritt manages to fly the ship out of the way, but one of the crewmen on EVA is hit with micrometeoroids (like bullets) and killed. The General is also starting to show odd behavior, doubting whether their mission is proper or is an affront to God. Their evasive action puts them behind schedule, but they arrive at Mars. While attempting to land on Mars, the General has another bout of delusion and tries to abort the landing. His son, Captain Merritt, manages to take control and brings in the flying-wing lander to a rough but successful landing. The others go out to explore, but the General, now fully delusional, is venting rocket fuel in an attempt to blow up the ship. His son discovers this and the two struggle. The General's pistol discharges, killing him. Mahoney comes on the scene just then and accuses Captain Merritt of murdering the General. The rest explore a bit more, but pronounce Mars a dead planet. Despite this, Imoto discovers that his earth flower seed sprouted in martian soil. Earthquakes cause the escape rocket to shift off of perpendicular. They get it righted and blast off. On the way home, Mahoney and Captain Merritt make up and declare that the dead General was a hero, the man who conquered space. The End.

The color, the sets, models and background paintings are very visually rich. The whole image is a great snapshot of the future as people in the mid-50s imagined it would be. More tidbits in the Notes section below.

There is actually a subtle anti-war tone to the movie. No overt talk of nuclear dangers or menacing enemies. It is notable, however, that among the conspicuously international crew candidates, there is no Russian. Americans would "conquer" space with a few other nationals along for the ride, but NO Russians. There is also a poorly explained urgency to the mission. What's the hurry? Back in the Cold War, it was pretty common that WE had to get something before THEY did.

In 1949, Willy Ley wrote the book "The Conquest of Space," which speculated about how mankind might travel to other planets. This book was illustrated by space artist Chesley Bonestell. This book would become the inspiration for the movie.

From 1952 to 1954, Collier's magazine ran a series of stories about mankind conquering space. These were repeats by Ley and Bonestell of their 1949 book, but this time Collier's added material from "rocket scientist" Werner von Braun. Bonestell's new illustrations were clearly the prototype for the look of Conquest. People felt that mankind was on the verge of taking to the stars. The Collier's series expressed that giddy optimism.

The screenplay for Conquest added weak human interest sub-plots which almost negate the gee-whiz optimism that the visuals convey. The screenwriters were all experienced in their craft, so it's puzzling why such amateurish characterizations are so prominent. The comic relief moments are almost cartoonish. The whole leader-gone-mad sub-plot seems out of place.

A possible "message" to Conquest is that man is a fragile creature who may not be ready for the rigors of space travel. Certainly, people wondered about this, and other movies touched on the theme too, such as Riders to the Stars ('54). Our not being mentally ready yet was cited by the aliens in It Came From Outer Space ('53). General Merritt's dementia was foreshadowed in the breakdown of Roy early in the movie.

One thing that strikes the viewer is how much life aboard the space station is presumed to duplicate life aboard a navy ship. It's not overtly stated that the military should (or will) be the agency which "conquers" space, but from the ranks and uniforms and the navy-life scenes, that message comes through. Space ships will be like earthly ships.

On the surface, it seems like Conquest is blasting Christians as dangerous religious fanatics. This notion, that anyone who believes in God simply MUST be wacko, would be much more popular in later decades, but it was uncommon in the 50s. For that reason, the General's dementia deserves a closer look.

Actually, General Merritt was not the stereotypic religious fanatic. His son comments that he had never seen him carrying around and reading the Bible before. Instead of headaches or paralysis, the General's "space sickness" took a paranoid turn. He had rational misgivings about the Mars mission from the start, pre-dementia. His repressed misgivings are expressed in Bible verses dealing with sinners being punished by God. He once quotes from Psalm 38, then later from Psalm 62.

Throughout all this, God is not mocked. Indeed, only the "religious" man had the courage to go outside and give the dead Fodor a proper burial. The other non-relgious crewmen were at a loss for what to do.

The notion of impudent mankind trying to meddle in God's domain, is treated as a credible issue. In this, the pattern of the Tower of Babel is drawn. Prideful mankind thinks they can build their way into God's realm. God foils that plan. General Merritt's dementia seems motivated by a fear that this divine retribution could be coming again.

The writers of Conquest imagine a multinationalism in space. Most notable are two former enemy nations: Imoto is from Japan and Fodor is a German-accented Austrian, (as a stand-in for Germany). Imoto gets to make a little speech about why Japan went to war (lack of resources). Fodor gets to be seen as the cherished son of a classic "mama". By 1955, it was starting to become okay to look beyond World War 2.

At one point, the crew of The Wheel are watching a movie with many scantily clad dancing girls (much like sailors aboard a ship). The movie is a lavish musical number with many gold bikini clad pseudo-harem girls dancing while Rosemary Clooney sings about love "...in the desert sand." This clip is total non-sequetor to the high-tech space environment. What's interesting, is that it's NOT stock footage recycled. Clooney had not done any such movie. This dance number must have been staged and shot just for this scene in Conquest. Random act of musical. Gotta love 'em.

Bottom line? Conquest is an almost-epic. It's definitely an A-grade sci-fi movie, so it's well worth watching. The human story part gets in the way sometimes, but the visuals more than make up for it.

ESA astronaut André Kuipers shortly after returning to Earth on Sunday 1 July 2012.

He landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 08:14 GMT after 193 days in space. André conducted many scientific experiments during his six-month PromISSe mission on the International Space Station.

In addition to his scientific workload, André carried out maintenance and operational tasks. Highlights included receiving ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle Edoardo Amaldi cargo ferry and docking the first commercial spacecraft, Dragon.

For further information, please visit: www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMZAO1VW3H_index_0.html

Credits: ESA–S. Corvaja, 2012

A Len Norris editorial cartoon satirizing Vancouver beer parlour/liquor control culture: One glass of beer at a time service.

The British Columbia Government Liquor Act of 1953: In January 1953, as a response to criticism of beer parlours in the commission's report, the attorney general ordered that only one beer at a time be served to a customer. (One glass of beer measured 8 fluid ounces [227 mL].)

"...Parlour workers were unhappy with the order, because it increased their workload and customers objected to it. After meeting with a delegation from the Beverage Dispensers Union, the attorney general agreed to restore the two-glass limit, provided that the customer actually requested the second glass. At the same time he announced that parlours would be required to sell snack foods and soft drinks. He said that these changes would promote moderation."

[Robert A. Campbell, Sit Down and Drink Your Beer: Regulating Vancouver's Beer Parlours, 1925-1954 (University of Toronto Press, 2001)]

(Click on image to enlarge)

Source: 2nd Annual Book of Norris: Cartoons from the Vancouver Sun (1953).

40 hours later, The Forge is finally finished! So, what is The Forge? The Forge is a mobile asteroid mining and processing facility. It uses six tugs to collect asteroids and bring them to one of the six mining platforms near the front of the ship. The asteroids are then put through grinding drums that break them into smaller pieces. Next, any desired ore, minerals, etc. are removed from the fragments and the waste is jettisoned from the ship. The ore, minerals, etc. are sorted into seperate containers. Eight huge reinforced plates protect the shipping containers from rogue asteroids and open to allow a transport to collect them.

The two bridges share the workload of the ship. The rear bridge is in charge of piloting, navigation and shipping. The forward bridge handles the mining and processing operations.

Alright, time for some tech specs!

The forge measures in at a whopping 156 studs in length (The biggest SHIP I've ever built). She's 62 studs at the widest (26 at the thinnest) and 38 studs tall. I did have two big landing gears built into it but it got WAY too heavy for them, thus the stand. It also has motor-driven grinding drums in the mining platforms and the big grey button in the middle of the ship opens and closes the armored plates. The plates where also supposed to be motor-driven but I could get them working for the life of me. Oh well!

I hope you all enjoyed watching this beast going together as I had building it (even if I did shout some horrific profanities from time to time)! Thanks for watching and for all the support!

LOVE SOUP

BBC One

Picture shows: l-r Cleo Martin (SHERIDAN SMITH); Alice Chenery (TAMSIN GREIG) and Milly Russell (MONTSERRAT LOMBARD).

Is it possible that somewhere out there a perfect partner exists for each of us? Alice Chenery thinks so, as she returns for a second series of Love Soup, still unattached and undaunted in search of her perfect partner.

Created by David Renwick, Love Soup, starring Tamsin Greig as Alice, takes an entertaining and provocative look at one woman's search for sanity, sex and a soul-mate, as Alice continues to navigate the treacherous waters of love, in a world where sense and sensitivity seem to have become largely unfashionable.

An account manager for a major French perfume company in a London department store, Alice's daily workload is complicated by the varied, and often bizarre, erotic exploits of her colleagues Cleo and Milly.

In the first episode of the new series, Cleo struggles to cope with a scathing review of her performance in bed, Milly finds she is strangely turned on by a man's shadow and Alice has more to worry about than the amorous intentions of her driving instructor. Her predatory regional manager, Catherine Sumpter, is in town and Alice has been summoned to a mysterious meeting in her hotel room, where a distinctly potent threat of sexual harassment is in the air ...

Cleo is played by Sheridan Smith and Milly by Montserrat Lombard.

WARNING: Use of this copyright image is subject to the terms of use of BBC Pictures’ BBC Digital Picture Service. In particular, this image may only be published in print for editorial use during the publicity period (the weeks immediately leading up to and including the transmission week of the relevant programme or event and three review weeks following) for the purpose of publicising the programme, person or service pictured and provided the BBC and the copyright holder in the caption are credited. Any use of this image on the internet and other online communication services will require a separate prior agreement with BBC Pictures. For any other purpose whatsoever, including advertising and commercial prior written approval from the copyright holder will be required.

Chassis n° 2071GT

Engine n° 2071GT

Bonhams : the Zoute Sale

Estimated : € 1.200.000 - 1.600.000

Zoute Grand Prix 2019

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2019

By the early 1960s, road car production had ceased to be a sideline for Ferrari and was seen as vitally important to the company's future stability. Thus the 250, Ferrari's first volume-produced model, can be seen as critically important, though production of the first of the line - the 250 Europa, built from 1953 to '54 - amounted to fewer than 20. Before the advent of the Europa, Ferrari had built road-going coupés and convertibles in small numbers, usually to special customer order using a sports-racing chassis as the basis. Ghia and Vignale of Turin and Touring of Milan were responsible for bodying many of these but there was no attempt at standardisation for series production and no two cars were alike.

The introduction of the 250 Europa heralded a significant change in Ferrari's preferred coachbuilder; whereas previously Vignale had been the most popular carrozzeria among Maranello's customers, from now on Pinin Farina (later 'Pininfarina') would be Ferrari's number one choice, bodying no fewer than 48 out of the 53 Europa/Europa GTs built. Pinin Farina's experiments eventually crystallised in a new Ferrari 250 GT road car that was first displayed publicly at the Geneva Salon in March 1956. However, the Torinese Carrozzeria was not yet in a position to cope with the increased workload, resulting in production being entrusted to Carrozzeria Boano after Pinin Farina had completed a handful of prototypes.

The 250 GT featured the lighter and more compact Colombo-designed 3.0-litre V12 in place of its predecessor's bulkier Lampredi unit. Power output of the single-overhead-camshaft all-aluminium engine was 220bhp at 7,000rpm. Shorter in the wheelbase (by 200mm) than that of the Europa, the 250 GT chassis followed Ferrari's established practice, being a multi-tubular frame tied together by oval main tubes, though the independent front suspension now employed coil springs instead of the previous transverse leaf type. A four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox transmitted power to the live rear axle, while braking was looked after by hydraulic drums all round.

True series production began with the arrival of Pininfarina's 'notch back' Coupé on the 250 GT chassis, some 353 of which were built between 1958 and 1960 within the sequence '0841' to '2081'. However, the relatively small scale of production meant that cars could still be ordered with subtle variations according to customer choice, as well as enabling a handful of show cars and 'specials' to be constructed on the 250 GT chassis.

A number of prominent European coachbuilders offered a variety of body styles on the 250 GT chassis, with Scaglietti and Pininfarina producing elegant open-top spyder and cabriolet models. Exhibited at the 1957 Geneva Salon, the latter's first 250 GT Cabriolet, which, unusually, featured a Vintage-style cut-down driver's door, was snapped up by Ferrari works driver Peter Collins, who later had the car converted to disc brakes. After a handful of alternative versions had been built, series production began in July 1957, around 40 Series I Pininfarina Cabriolets being completed before the introduction of the Series II in 1959. Effectively an open-top version of the Pininfarina-built 250 GT Coupé, whose chassis and mechanicals it shared, the Cabriolet was built alongside its closed cousin until 1962. Overall design followed that of the Coupé, with short nose and long rear overhang, while a more-vertical windscreen provided greater headroom in the generously sized cockpit. As well as the aforementioned improvements to brakes and transmission, the Series II cars benefited from the latest, 240bhp V12 with outside sparkplugs, coil valve springs, and 12-port cylinder heads. The 250 GT was the most successful Ferrari of its time, production of all types exceeding 900 units, of which 200 were Series II Cabriolets like that offered here.

A number of important developments occurred during 250 GT production: the original 128C 3.0-litre engine being superseded by the twin-distributor 128D, which in turn was supplanted in 1960 by the outside-plug 128F engine which did away with its predecessor's Siamesed inlets in favour of six separate ports. On the chassis side, four-wheel disc brakes arrived late in 1959 and a four-speeds-plus-overdrive gearbox the following year, the former at last providing the 250 GT with stopping power to match its speed. More refined and practical than any previous road-going Ferrari, yet retaining the sporting heritage of its predecessors, the 250 GT is a landmark model of immense historical significance. Despite this, original survivors are relatively few, as many have been modified and converted into replicas of more exotic Ferraris such as the 250 GTO, Testarossa, etc.

According to the accompanying Massini Report, chassis number '2071' is the 66th of the 200 units built, and as a Series II car has the added advantage of disc brakes all round. Originally finished in the handsome combination of Grigio Argento with Nero interior, the Ferrari was sold new in 1960 via Jacques Swaters' Garage Francorchamps, the official Ferrari importer for Belgium, to its first owner, Jean Blaton. A wealthy Belgian industrialist, Ferrari aficionado and gentleman racing driver, who raced under the name 'Beurlys', Jean Blaton had an excellent taste and was a personal friend of Jacques Swaters, from whom he bought numerous Ferraris over the years.

Blaton is best remembered for his daring exploits in the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in which he drove a succession of Ferraris over a 10-year period between 1958 and 1967, finishing on the podium on nearly every outing. On many occasions he drove his own Ferraris, including a 250 GT MM, 250 GT Testarossa, 250 GT LWB Tour de France, 250 GT SWB, 250 GTO, 250 LM, and 330 P3/P4. He secured his best result at Le Mans in 1963 when he finished 2nd overall with co-driver Langlois van Ophen at the wheel of a Ferrari 250 GTO, winning the GT Class for Swaters' racing team, Écurie Francorchamps.

Jean Blaton was also a friend of Enzo Ferrari, who was only too happy to accommodate his highly regarded customer's special requests. In the case of his 250 GT Cabriolet, Blaton specified that the car should have large side vents in the front wings, similar to those of the Series III 410 Superamerica, which were incorporated by Pinin Farina on Mr Ferrari's instruction. These vents not only make the car appear more sporting, they also serve to break up its lengthy flanks to good effect. Blaton's car, with its special features, was prominently displayed in Ferrari's 1960 yearbook.

In 1964, Blaton sold '2071' to Luigi Chinetti, another gentleman racing driver and sole importer of Ferraris into the USA. The car was then sold to a Mr Gilbertson from Vista, California. Following Mr Gilbertson's death, the Ferrari was acquired from his widow in 1978 by Mr Ken Gerber of San Diego, California, who kept it for the next 32 years. A member of the Ferrari Owners' Club, Mr Gerber enjoyed the car throughout the 1980s, attending various events.

During Mr Gerber's ownership (in 1992-1994) a fastidious restoration was carried out, the precision machining work on the engine and mechanical systems being entrusted to recognised specialist Bob Wallace of Phoenix, Arizona. Original parts were retained wherever possible and the few that were not saveable were either replaced with originals or perfect reproductions. The car was refinished in Rosso Rubino and completed in time for the 1994 International Ferrari Concours in Monterey.

Ken Gerber sold the Ferrari in 2010 and the following year the car moved to the UK having been bought by DK Engineering. The car was sold to Belgium in 2012, since when it has belonged to the current lady owner. Carrying the very suitable registration, '250 – GTS', the car has been enjoyed by its owner on numerous occasions and at prestigious events including the Zoute Rally. Now presented in excellent condition after recent cosmetic re-commissioning, it affords the prospect of comfortable open-top cruising in unparalleled style. Possessing links to Belgian and excellent provenance, this unique Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet is worthy of the closest inspection.

Le HSBC PARIS SEVENS (8 au 10 juin 2018 au Stade Jean-Bouin) a officiellement été lancé aujourd’hui à Paris à la Région Île-de-France.

A cette occasion les 16 capitaines hommes et 12 capitaines femmes des équipes participantes au tournoi ont pris la pose autour du trophée de la compétition dans les jardins du Musée Rodin, Paris (Crédit Photo : I.PICAREL/FFR). Ils ont ensuite rejoint les locaux de la Région Île-de-France, partenaire de cette étape parisienne, situés dans le 7ème arrondissement.

Le HSBC Paris Sevens

Ultime étape du circuit mondial de rugby à 7, le HSBC Paris Sevens se déroulera au stade Jean-Bouin à Paris, du vendredi 8 au dimanche 10 juin 2018. Tournoi mixte pour la première fois de son histoire, le HSBC Paris Sevens 2018 accueille les meilleures équipes masculines et féminines du monde.

Avec 79 matches entre 28 équipes en 3 jours, le spectacle sera non-stop sur la pelouse du Stade Jean-Bouin. Dernier tournoi de la saison, les titres des circuits mondiaux masculin et féminin se joueront donc au HSBC Paris Sevens. Les tribunes et le Village des Supporteurs seront également en ébullition pendant 3 jours, avec de nombreuses animations « CRAZY RUGBY » qui seront proposées à tous les spectateurs !

Le programme :

• Vendredi 8 juin de 14h à 21h40 > tournoi Féminin (ouverture des portes au public à 13h30)

• Samedi 9 juin de 9h à 23h > tournoi mixte (ouverture des portes au public à 8h30)

• Dimanche 10 juin de 8h45 à 19h40 > phases finales féminines et masculines (ouverture des portes au public à 8h15)

Le World Rugby Sevens Series 2017-2018 est la 19e édition de la compétition la plus importante du monde de rugby à sept. Elle se déroule du 1er décembre 2017 au 10 juin 2018. L'Afrique du Sud est tenante du titre et l'Espagne est l'équipe promue de la saison.

Au mois d'avril se déroulent les Jeux du Commonwealth 2018 où dix équipes des World Rugby Sevens Series participent. La compétition enchaine ensuite avec la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept en juillet 2018.

Chaque étape est un tournoi se déroulant sur deux ou trois jours, entre le vendredi et le dimanche. À chaque étape est convié une équipe qui ne possède pas le statut d'équipe permanente, portant le nombre total d'équipes à seize.

En fonction du résultat du tournoi précédent, ou du classement de la saison passée pour le premier tournoi de la saison à Dubaï, les équipes sont réparties en chapeaux avant tirage au sort pour former quatre poules de quatre équipes. Chaque équipe joue les trois autres membres de sa poule et un classement est établi, tout d'abord sur le nombre de points (victoire 3 points, nul 2 points, défaite 1 point) puis sur le goal-average général. Les deux premiers de chaque poule passent en quart de finale de la Cup ou tournoi principal et les deux derniers passent en quart de finale du Challenge Trophy. Les équipes vaincues en quart de finale sont alors reversées en demi-finales de classement, respectivement pour la cinquième et treizième place. Les équipes battues en demi-finales ne disputent pas de petite finale de classement et remportent le même nombre de point, sauf pour les équipes battues en demi finales de Cup qui disputeront un dernier match de classement pour la troisième place.

Chaque rencontre, y compris la finale depuis l'édition 2016-2017, se dispute en deux fois sept minutes.

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne de rugby à 7 rassemble, de ce vendredi à dimanche, les meilleures nations mondiales pour décider du vainqueur du circuit mondial. Une belle vitrine pour la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV.

Dixième étape de la saison, le Paris Sevens clôture ce week-end le circuit mondial de rugby à 7, réunissant les 16 meilleures nations du monde aux quatre coins de la planète. De vendredi à dimanche, dans l’enceinte du Stade Jean Bouin, les équipes masculines feront le spectacle à travers une discipline méconnue en France mais très appréciée dans de nombreux pays. Et, pour la première fois cette année, les équipes féminines ouvriront les festivités.

Une véritable fête du rugby à 7, discipline olympique depuis 2016 et en plein boom grâce à la vitrine que lui ont offert offert les Jeux de Rio. Chez les hommes, outre les nations majeures de l’Ovale comme la Nouvelle-Zélande, l’Australie, l’Angleterre ou les Fidji, le Kenya, le Canada ou encore l’Espagne font leur trou et voient dans cette discipline une chance de développer un sport mineur dans leur pays. Chez les femmes, la Chine, le Japon ou la Russie figurent dans le top 12.

Le crazy rugby à la fête

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne est également l’occasion pour la France de développer la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV. «Nous sommes fiers de soutenir financièrement ce tournoi et de permettre qu’il existe», a tenu à rappeler le vice-président de la région Île-de-France, Patrick Karam. Et de poursuivre. «La région est également présente dans la sensibilisation. Vendredi, 360 lycéens pourront découvrir la discipline grâce à de nombreuses animations. Il est important pour nous de tout faire pour développer cette pratique, en vue de Paris 2024», a-t-il poursuivi, alors que la conférence de presse de présentation se tenait dans les locaux de la région, dans le 7e arrondissement parisien.

Dernière étape de la saison, le tournoi parisien représente en tout cas une belle vitrine pour la discipline, dans une ville au rayonnement mondial. «C’est formidable de pouvoir clôturer la saison dans une ville aussi magnifique, chez un hôte comme la France», ajoute de son côté Douglas Langley, directeur du tournoi et membre de World Rugby. «Nous nous réjouissons d’avance de ce week-end de ‘crazy rugby’», conclut-il. Et c’est bien là l’atout majeur de la discipline. Spectaculaire, chaque rencontre offre de nombreux essais et des sprints permanents.

Les Bleues veulent briller

Le public parisien, qui vient en nombre à chaque édition, est adepte de cette discipline. Le Stade Jean Bouin était plein en 2016 et 2017, et l’édition 2018, même s’il reste encore des places à vendre, ne dérogera certainement pas à la règle. Pourtant, ce ne sont pas les résultats des Bleus qui font venir les supporters. Malgré une 3e place en 2016, et une 5e en 2017, l’équipe masculine connaît une saison compliquée. 12e sur 16 au classement, les Bleus n’ont pas fait mieux que 7e cette année lors des neuf précédents tournois du circuit.

«Même si nos chances sont moindres, on rentre dans ce tournoi pour le gagner, et on a la chance d’avoir le soutien du public avec nous», déclare Manoël Dall’igna, capitaine de France 7. «Ces deux dernières années on a eu des supers résultats ici et on compte sur le 8e homme pour faire aussi bien», termine-t-il. Cette période de creux, due en partie à de nombreux départs en retraite en 2016, ne touche pas les féminines. 3e du circuit mondial, les coéquipières de Fanny Horta visent le podium à Paris. «On a reçu beaucoup de messages de soutien de la jeune génération, et on veut vraiment profiter de ce soutien pour garder la dynamique de la saison et faire un nouveau podium», confie la capitaine.

Mises en valeur ce week-end, les Bleues représentent «la véritable locomotive du 7 en France avec une très belle réussite sportive», estime Christophe Reigt, manager des équipes de France à 7. Suffisant pour développer la discipline en France ? Quoiqu’il en soit, avec cette étape parisienne, la Fédération se démène pour populariser le 7 dans l’Hexagone, avec un objectif majeur en ligne de mire : les Jeux olympiques de Paris en 2024.

The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2018 Awards in Paris brought a fitting end to an enthralling season which saw South Africa and Australia crowned men’s and women’s series champions respectively.

It’s been one of the most competitive seasons on record as both the women’s and men’s series were decided by just two-point differences.

South Africa fought an incredible battle with Fiji in the men’s series to retain their title with victory at the final round in Paris, while Olympic champions Australia won their second overall title ahead of rivals New Zealand on the women’s series after reaching the podium at every one of the five rounds.

The end of season awards provided a chance to celebrate the men’s and women’s sevens players, coaches and teams that are the stars, ambassadors and role models of the sport.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “It has been another tremendous year for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, which continues to go from strength to strength.

“I hugely admire the skill and physicality of rugby sevens and thank the players for their outstanding commitment which makes the series such a success. It is great to see the series capturing the imagination on and off the field with year-on-year increases in attendances, broadcast and fan-engagement figures, and that is a great testament to the players, coaches, host unions and everyone involved with the events.

“Rugby sevens took a quantum leap when it joined the Olympic programme in 2016 and now we look forward to a Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco in just 40 days time in an iconic city and a market with great potential. It promises to be a thrilling and spectacular event.”

the workload. It is a blessing for me to be standing here.”

Rookies of the Year

Eroni Sau is the second Fijian to be named Rookie of the Year for the men’s series after being a clear winner in the fan vote ahead of his compatriot Alosio Naduva and Australia’s Ben O’Donnell. The 28-year-old featured in all 10 rounds in his debut season, using his powerful physique to score 37 tries.

France’s Coralie Bertrand, meanwhile, claimed the women’s accolade, having featured in all five rounds and helped Les Bleues enjoy their best season, reaching a first-ever Cup final in Kitakyushu and semi-finals in Langford and Paris to clinch the series bronze medal.

Fair Play Award

This award, selected by the match officials, recognises the teams who showcase rugby’s values of integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect. Japan were awarded the women’s accolade after an event that saw them lose their core team status on the series, with Kenya the men’s recipients following an exciting season which saw them reach the final in both Vancouver and Hong Kong.

Roche’s kick with the final play of the match against England to snatch the bronze medal for invitational team Ireland at the HSBC London Sevens was a clear winner of the men’s award, beating Fijian Alosio Naduva’s last-gasp winning try against Australia in the Singapore Cup final and Matias Osadczuk’s break and calm head to send Renzo Barbier over for the winning try in Argentina’s Cup semi-final against South Africa in Las Vegas.

Capgemini Coach of the Series

Another inaugural category, selected by the series’ global innovation partner Capgemini, was won by New Zealand women’s coach Alan Bunting after successive victories in the last three rounds of the series in Japan, Canada and France as well as the Commonwealth Games title in April.

South Africa coach Neil Powell, who guided the Blitzboks to retaining their series title, picked up the men’s coach of the series award and paid tribute to his victorious team: “The mental focus and composure they showed was fantastic, all credit to the boys for believing in their success. We had everything to play for and the team did an incredible job, not just today but over the whole season.

“I also want to congratulate Fiji on an amazing season, they were phenomenal.”

DHL Impact Player

The race to be named DHL Impact Player of the Year in both the men’s and women’s series went right down to the final matches. In total 16 players from 12 nations won tournament awards during this season’s series.

New Zealand’s Michaela Blyde was delighted to win the women’s award: “This is pretty special. I’m shocked and truly grateful. I put this down to my teammates who create the opportunities for me and I thank them.”

La Fédération française de rugby organise, du 8 au 10 juin au stade Jean-Bouin, à Paris 16e, un tournoi international de rugby à 7 masculin et féminin, étape du HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Cette manifestation sportive, soutenue par la Région à hauteur de 170.000€, va rassembler 28 équipes internationales, qui s'affronteront au cours de 45 matchs masculins et 34 matchs féminins.

Le public pourra découvrir à cette occasion, jusque dans sa pratique féminine, une discipline largement méconnue.

Quant au stade Jean-Bouin, qui est l'un des sites retenus pour les JO Paris 2024, il pourra mettre en avant sa capacité d’accueil de 20.000 spectateurs.

Ce tournoi constituant la 10e et dernière étape du circuit mondial, il s'achèvera avec la remise des titres de champion et championne du monde de rugby à 7.

En soutenant l'organisation de tels grands événements sportifs franciliens, la Région Île-de-France renforce chaque fois un peu plus l'attractivité de ses territoires tout en assurant son rayonnement à l'échelle internationale.

Le titre HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series a été décidé de façon spectaculaire après que l'Afrique du Sud a battu l'Angleterre 24-14 en finale du HSBC Paris Sevens pour décrocher la médaille d'or et conserver son titre de série.

Au cours d'une des années les plus compétitives de l'histoire de la série, le titre est allé jusqu'au tout dernier match puisque l'Afrique du Sud avait besoin d'une victoire en tournoi pour dépasser les Fidji dans le classement de la série.

L'Afrique du Sud a terminé la série en tête avec 182 points, suivie des Fidji qui ont remporté l'argent avec 180 points et la Nouvelle-Zélande avec 150 points après avoir remporté la médaille de bronze à Paris avec une victoire de 38-5 contre le Canada dans la troisième place

Les champions de la série de l'année dernière, l'Afrique du Sud, ont devancé l'Espagne 15-10 en quart de finale avec un essai à la cinquième minute de Justin Deguld, après que les pointages aient été 10-10 à la fin du temps réglementaire. Les Blitzboks sud-africains ont ensuite trouvé leur rythme en demi-finale avec une victoire complète de 24-12 contre la Nouvelle-Zélande grâce à deux essais de l'impressionnant Dewald Human, 23 ans, qui a fait ses débuts il y a deux mois à Hong Kong .

Humain était de nouveau en forme de but en finale et était ravi d'être élu Joueur de la Finale: "Ca a été une expérience fantastique ici à Paris, je me suis appuyé sur moi et j'ai apprécié chaque minute sur le terrain. sommes très heureux de la victoire. "

Le capitaine de l'équipe sud-africaine, Philip Snyman, a ajouté: "Nous voulions aller jouer au rugby et nous concentrer sur ce que nous pouvions contrôler: les gars ont joué un rugby phénoménal et ont fait honneur à l'équipe. C'est un sentiment incroyable de représenter un pays si merveilleux et les gens de chez nous n'ont jamais cessé de croire en nous et de nous soutenir. "

Fidjiens ont raté l'occasion de remporter le titre plus tôt dans la journée alors qu'ils ont été vaincus 19-17 par une équipe d'Angleterre pleine d'entrain dans un quart de finale à couper le souffle. Le capitaine de l'équipe d'Angleterre, Tom Mitchell, a complété un mouvement de 26 passes pour marquer dans les dernières secondes du match et mettre un terme à la récente domination des Fidji qui les avait vaincus lors des quatre dernières manches de la série.

Les Fidjiens se sont rétablis pour battre l'Irlande 38-5 et les États-Unis 28-7 pour terminer cinquième à Paris et mettre la pression sur l'Afrique du Sud pour la finale mais finalement ce n'était pas suffisant et les Fidjiens ont été obligés de se contenter des dix tours.

L'Angleterre a produit une autre performance puissante en demi-finale avec une victoire convaincante de 26-12 contre le Canada pour atteindre sa première finale de la série 2017-18, mais ils ont été incapables de faire face aux Blitzboks en finale alors que les hommes d'Afrique du Sud couraient vainqueurs devant une foule parisienne bruyante.

Équipe Invitational L'Irlande a battu 19-5 du quart en quarts de finale, mais après sa médaille de bronze à Londres la semaine dernière, les Irlandais se sont montrés assez prometteurs au cours des deux derniers tours un brillant avenir dans le rugby à sept.

L'Argentine a remporté le Challenge Trophy, décerné à l'équipe terminant en neuvième position, après avoir vaincu le Pays de Galles 33-26.

Toute l'attention se tourne maintenant vers la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept 2018 à San Francisco du 20 au 22 juillet, où 24 équipes masculines et 16 équipes féminines s'affronteront pour devenir championnes du monde au cours de trois journées d'action excitantes.

1. L'AFRIQUE DU SUD : UN TOURNOI À L'IMAGE DE LEUR SAISON

« C'est un tournoi à l'image de leur saison. L'Afrique du Sud gagne le premier tournoi et se retrouve à des moments compliqués. A Paris, elle était en délicatesse en poule, perd contre l'Ecosse (12-14), se met en danger contre l'Espagne en quart de finale (15-10 dans les prolongations, ndlr). Ce n'était pas évident car l'équipe avait dans un coin de la tête que c'était fini par rapport à la saison. Et derrière ça, ils arrivent à se remobiliser après la défaite des Fidji. La défense, c'est la clé des Sud-Africains avec 85% de plaquages réussis et surtout un trio qui a été magique avec Philip Snyman, Ruhan Neil et Werner Kok : 60 plaquages à eux trois. Ce sont les joueurs qui ont été majeurs sur l'ensemble du tournoi. Ils ont un jeu de passes assez nul : 172 passes en six matches, soit 28 en moyenne par match (le Canada en a 307 en six matches, soit 51 en moyenne par rencontre, ndlr). »

2. LES FIDJI À DEUX POINTS DU LEADER

« Ils manquent un peu le tournoi. Ils avaient la possibilité de passer, mais ils ont laissé beaucoup d'énergie dans la poule. La défaite contre le Kenya (19-22) leur fait du mal, ils ont du faire un match plein face à la Nouvelle-Zélande. Ils sont plutôt adeptes à gérer les phases de poule et à accélérer sur les play-offs, donc c'était un peu dur pour eux de retrouver l'énergie nécessaire et de trouver en quart de finale une équipe anglaise qui a été assez incroyable sur la possession de balle. Malgré leur 5e place à Paris, les Fidji ont le titre qui leur passe sous le nez par pas grand chose (deux points derrière l'Afrique du Sud, ndlr).

« Il y a eu de grosses lacunes sur les coups d'envoi : 16% des coups d'envoi récupérés, ce qui est très faible quand on connait la capacité des Fidji (22% en moyenne sur la saison, ndlr). Et alors qu'ils sont les maîtres à jouer dans les turnovers, là ils n'ont récupéré que cinq ballons dans le tournoi de Paris (et en ont perdu six, ndlr). En comparaison, l'Afrique du Sud en a récupéré 14. Les Fidjiens sont très forts sur la récupération de ballon, mais les équipes adverses ont été assez lucides et leur ont donné que peu de ballons. Du coup, les Fidjiens n'avaient pas beaucoup de munitions pour scorer car les équipes en face ont su s'adapter. »

3. L'ANGLETERRE, TOUJOURS PRÉSENTE DANS LES GRANDS MOMENTS

« L'Angleterre fait un très bon tournoi. Sans être exceptionnels, ils ont réussi à passer la phase de poule. Derrière, ils font un exploit contre les Fidji (17-19 en quart de finale, ndlr), puis une défaite en finale contre l'Afrique du Sud 14-24). Ils doivent leur tournoi grâce à un réalisme incroyable : 20 possessions de balle sur 23 dans les 22 mètres ; 87% de réalisme dans les 22 m adverses. Norton, Bibby, Mitchell ont su actionner le jeu anglais. Défensivement, Harry Glover a été l'un des meilleurs joueurs du tournoi. Il n'a que 20 ans et est en train d'exploser et de devenir un joueur majeur sur le système anglais (22 plaquages). Il a supporté l'équipe d'Angleterre sur ce tournoi.

« Ils sont toujours là dans les grands moments : finaliste aux JO, médaille de bronze aux Commonwealth... Ils étaient 9e mondial et ils terminent à la 5e place du classement mondial, sur le fil, à un point de l'Australie (à un point d'écart). Le prochain objectif c'est la Coupe du Monde et en 2019 la quatrième place. Leur saison est parfaitement maîtrisée du point de vue gestion, même s'ils n'ont pas démarré très fort. »

4. L'IRLANDE A SA PLACE SUR LE WORLD SERIES

« Encore une fois elle a montré ses capacités de performance sur le World Series. Elle a été pragmatique. Le rugby à 7, c'est de l'endurance et du cardio. Ils montrent des atouts dignes d'un top 3 du Worl Series. Ils font plus de points que la Russie en deux tournois et sont 15e au classement, juste derrière le Pays de Galles. Défensivement ils sont en tête du classement et Harry McNulty est leur leader défensif (18 plaquages).

« Ils n'ont pas fait le World series en entier, mais c'est une équipe qui est très rigoureuse défensivement. Ils ont étouffé en phase de poule (14-5 sur l'Espagne, 19-19 sur le Pays de Galles et 24-14 sur l'Australie, ndlr). Et même en changeant cinq joueurs de l'effectif initial, ils arrivent toujours à être au haut niveau et à passer le cap et à être performant. L'Irlande a fait une très grosse performance à Paris et sera très dangereuse à la Coupe du Monde.

« Leur objectif numéro 1, c'est l'Europe Series ; le Paris Sevens n'était pas ciblé et pourtant ils y arrivent. Ils battent tout le monde en poule. »

5. L'ESPAGNE : DANGER EN DEVENIR

« Ils gagnent l'Australie (17-10), puis le Pays de Galles (21-14) et font surtout un match monumental contre l'Afrique du Sud en quart de finale où ils perdent à la dernière seconde (15-10). Ils ont encore fait une très belle saison, malgré le manque de réalisme : 45% de réalisme, elle score 10 fois sur 22 (45%). C'est dire tout le potentiel offensif qu'elle a !

« C'est une équipe qui a beaucoup le ballon. Le jour où elle va être efficace offensivement, elle va être dangereuse. »

6. LE CANADA A RÉUSSI À PASSER LE CUT DES DEMI-FINALES

« Le Canada s'est qualifié encore une fois en demi-finale sur le World Series où elle s'incline 26-12 face à l'Angleterre. C'est une quatrième place au Paris Sevens après avoir été impressionnante en phase de poule. Elle n'a eu que 11 pénalités dans le tournoi. Elle a une justesse technique incroyable avec seulement 12 fautes de main sur l'ensemble du tournoi, soit deux par match, ce qui est très propre.

« C'est un jeu de quinziste. Le Canada fonctionne en mode quinziste, mais score derrière. Hirayama a été le meilleur joueur en offload, Douglas a cassé la ligne huit fois, Connor Braid ballon porté... « Le Canada a réussi à passer ce cut pour les demi-finales. »

7. LA FRANCE EN PANNE

« Elle avait réussi à réunir son effectif au complet malgré la blessure de Manoël Dall'Igna. Elle attendait depuis longtemps le tournoi de Paris. Au premier jour, elle est à sa place et a du mal à performer face à l'Angleterre (21-28), aux USA 12-26) et à l'Argentine 28-26) qui sont au-dessus. Elle a réussi à débloquer son compteur de victoires en battant l'Argentine.

« Elle a montré beaucoup de faiblesse défensive, avec 5,4 plaquages manqués par match, contre 3,4 pour l'Espagne. C'est le chantier numéro un pour que la France puisse repasser en Cup.

« En attaque, elle est efficace, même si le point noir est le coup d'envoi : trois manqués contre le Pays de Galles. Quand on n'a pas les ballons en conquête, c'est très compliqué de pouvoir rivaliser. C'est l'équipe qui a été le plus pénalisée du tournoi : 18 pénalités.

« Malgré tout, l'équipe de France a réussi à contenir et n'a pas pris 40-0 comme sur d'autres tournois. La ferveur populaire a permis à la France de rester concentrée à chaque match. Elle a joué avec ses armes et s'est faite contrer par meilleur que soit. »

A super-tall group of office filing cabinets making for one mountainous set of records. This high quality computer rendering is complete with open drawers of hanging folders and with unfiled papers and folders stacked on top.

Please excuse the watermarks. Since this image is for sale it needs a little extra protection.

View it larger on the stock rendering page of my architectural rendering website.

Still being more or less chained to the computer and a heavy workload,

I have to resort to recycling 'elderly' pictures these days ... :o( :o)

THE HISTORY OF TITANIC( OCEAN LINER)

The Royal Mail Ship TITANIC was the last grand dream of the Gilded Age. It was designed to be the greatest achievement of an era of prosperity, confidence and propriety. Although no one knew it, the world was about to change drastically. Radio had been invented in 1901. The Wright Brothers' first successful flight was in 1903. The old presumptions about class, morals, and gender-roles were about to be shattered. If the concept of Titanic was the climax of the age, then perhaps its sinking was the curtain that marked the end of the old drama, and the start of a new one.

The intensely competitive transatlantic steamship business had seen recent major advances in ship design, size and speed. White Star Line, one of the leaders, determined to focus on size and elegance rather than pure speed. In 1907, White Star Line's managing director J. Bruce Ismay and Lord James Pirrie, a partner in Harland & Wolff (White Star Line's ship-builder since its founding in 1869) conceived of three magnificent steam ships which would set a new standard for comfort, elegance, and safety. The first two were to be named Olympic and Titanic, the latter name chosen by Ismay to convey a sense of overwhelming size and strength.

It took a year to design the two ships. Construction of Olympic started in December, 1908, followed by Titanic in March 1909. The Belfast shipyards of Harland & Wolff had to be re-designed to accommodate the immense projects while White Star's pier in New York had to be lengthened to enable the ships to dock. During the two years it took to complete Titanic's hull, the press was primed with publicity about the ship's magnificence, making Titanic virtually a legend before her launch. The "launch" of the completed steel in May, 1911, was a heavily publicized spectacle. Tickets were sold to benefit a local children's hospital.

She was then taken for "fitting out" which involved the construction of the ship's many facilities and systems, her elaborate woodwork and fine decor. As the date of her maiden voyage approached, the completed Olympic suffered a collision and required extensive repairs, increasing the workload at Harland & Wolff, which was already struggling to complete Titanic on schedule. Titanic's maiden voyage was delayed from March 20 to April 10.

Titanic was 883 feet long (1/6 of a mile), 92 feet wide and weighed 46,328 tons. She was 104 feet tall from keel to bridge, almost 35 feet of which were below the waterline... even so, she stood taller above the water than most urban buildings of the time. There were three real smoke-stacks; a fourth, dummy stack was added largely to increase the impression of her gargantuan size and power and to vent smoke from her numerous kitchens and galleys. She was the largest movable object ever made by man. The ship's immense size and complexity is illustrated by an incident recalled by Second Officer Lightoller. There was a gangway door on the starboard side aft "large enough to drive a horse and cart through." Yet three officers who joined the ship during her preparations spent a whole day simply trying to find their way to it.

Moreover, she was designed to be a marvel of modern safety technology. She had a double-hull of 1-inch thick steel plates and a (heavily publicized) system of 16 water-tight compartments, sealed by massive doors which could be instantly triggered by a single electric switch on the bridge, or even automatically by electric water-sensors. The press began to call her "unsinkable."

Her accommodations were the most modern and luxurious on any ocean, and included electric light and heat in every room, electric elevators, a swimming pool, a squash court (considered terribly modern), a Turkish Bath, a gymnasium with a mechanical horse and mechanical camel to keep riders fit, and staterooms and first class facilities to rival the best hotels on the Continent. First class passengers would glide down a six-story, glass-domed grand staircase to enjoy haute cuisine in the sumptuous first class dining saloon that filled the width of the ship on D Deck. For those who desired a more intimate atmosphere, Titanic also offered a stately à la carte restaurant, the chic Palm Court and Verandah restaurant, and the festive Cafe Parisien. She offered two musical ensembles (rather than the standard one) of the best musicians on the Atlantic, many of them lured from rival liners. There were two libraries, first- and second-class. Even the third class (steerage) cabins were more luxurious than the first class cabins on some lesser steamships, and boasted amenities (like indoor toilet facilities) that some of Titanic's emigrant passengers had not enjoyed in their own homes.

The original design called for 32 lifeboats. However, White Star management felt that the boat-deck would look cluttered, and reduced the number to 20, for a total life-boat capacity of 1178. This actually exceeded the regulations of the time, even though Titanic was capable of carrying over 3500 people (passengers and crew).

The maiden voyage lured the "very best people:" British nobility, American industrialists, the very cream of New York and Philadelphia society. It also attracted many poor emigrants, hoping to start a new life in America or Canada.

The journey began at Southampton on Wednesday April 10, 1912 at Noon. By sundown, Titanic had stopped in Cherbourg, France to pick up additional passengers. That evening she sailed for Queenstown, Ireland, and at 1:30 PM on Thursday, April 11, she headed out into the Atlantic.

The seasoned transatlantic passengers were deeply impressed by the new ship. She was so massive that they barely felt the movement of the sea at all. Her huge, powerful engines produced almost none of the annoying vibration common on other steamers, and their noise was barely perceptible. And she achieved this extraordinary level of comfort while traveling at 22 knots, not the fastest boat on the route, but certainly one of the top five.

Weather was pleasant and clear, and the water temperature was about 55 degrees. The winter of 1912 had been unusually mild, and unprecedented amounts of ice had broken loose from the arctic regions. Titanic was equipped with Marconi's new wireless telegraph system and her two Marconi operators kept the wireless room running 24 hours a day. On Sunday, April 14, the fifth day at sea, Titanic received five different ice-warnings, but the captain was not overly concerned. The ship steamed ahead at 22 knots, and the line's Managing Director J. Bruce Ismay relished the idea of arriving in New York a day ahead of schedule.

On the night of April 14, wireless operator Phillips was very busy sending chatty passenger's messages to Cape Race, Newfoundland, whence they could be relayed inland to friends and relatives. He received a sixth ice-warning that night, but didn't realize how close Titanic was to the position of the warning, and put that message under a paperweight at his elbow. It never reached Captain Smith or the officer on the bridge.

By all accounts, the night was uncommonly clear and dark, moonless but faintly glowing with an incredible sky full of stars. The stars were so bright that one officer mistook the planet Jupiter (then rising just above the horizon) for a steamship light.

The sea was, likewise, unusually calm and flat, "like glass" said many survivors. The lack of waves made it even more difficult to spot icebergs, since there was no telltale white water breaking at the edges of the bergs.

At 11:40, a lookout in the crow's nest spotted an iceberg dead ahead. He notified the bridge and First Officer Murdoch ordered the ship turned hard to port. He signaled the engine room to reverse direction, full astern. The ship turned slightly, but it was much too large, moving much too fast, and the iceberg was much too close. 37 seconds later, the greatest maritime disaster in history began. During that night of heroism, terror and tragedy, 705 lives were saved, 1502 lives were lost, and many legends were born.

There are many books and online sources available for further information on the Titanic. It is worth noting that even the factual information about Titanic varies widely between the different sources. For all that is known and theorized about Titanic, it is in many ways still a mystery. Among the books are:

TITANIC, An Illustrated History, by Don Lynch and Ken Marschall, 1992

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER by Walter Lord, 1955

THE NIGHT LIVES ON by Walter Lord, 1986

THE STORY OF THE TITANIC AS TOLD BY ITS SURVIVORS edited by Jack Winocur, 1960 (containing "The Loss of the SS Titanic, Its Story and Its Lessons" by Lawrence Beesley, 1912, "The Truth about the Titanic" by Col. Archibald Gracie, 1913, relevant chapters from "Titanic and Other Ships" by Commander Charles Lightoller, 1935 and Asst. Marconi Operator Harold Bride's account as published in the New York Times of April 28, 1912.)

TITANIC - TRIUMPH & TRAGEDY by John P. Eaton and Charles Haas 1988 (second edition 1994)

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The Latvian Air Force was first founded during the Latvian War of Independence in 1919. In 1939, the Aviation Regiment consisted of three fighter squadrons, armed with 24 Gloster Gladiator and 6 Bristol Bulldog (a fourth squadron was in organization), three reconnaissance squadrons, armed with up to 12 Letov Š-16LS, 2 Hawker Hind and 10 Stampe SV.5, and a naval reconnaissance squadron with 4 Fairey Seal and two other planes. The Soviet occupation in 1940 ended the activities of the Air Force. At that time there were almost 130 aircraft in service.

By end of 2009, the LAF’s Fighter Squadron moved to Lielvārde Air Base, in an attempt to ensure centralization of Air Force units and to establish an efficient command and control system, which will result in a reduction of the Air Force units’ maintenance costs. With the Fighter Squadron the Air Force carries out Latvian airspace surveillance, control and defense and provides air defense support to the Land Forces units.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 47 ft 4¾ in (14.45 m)

Wingspan: 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m)

Height: 13 ft 4½ in (4.08 m)

Wing area: 186 ft² (17.28 m²)

Airfoil: NACA 65A004.8 root, NACA 64A004.8 tip

Empty weight: 9,558 lb (4,349 kg)

Loaded weight: 15,745 lb (7,157 kg)

Max. take-off weight: 24,722 lb (11,214 kg)

Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.02

Drag area: 3.4 ft² (0.32 m²)

Aspect ratio: 3.82

Internal fuel: 677 U.S. gal (2,563 L)

External fuel: up to 3× 275 U.S. gal (1,040 L) drop tanks

Powerplant:

2× General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet with 3,500 lbf (15.5 kN) dry thrust

and 5,000 lbf (22.2 kN) thrust with afterburner each

Performance:

Maximum speed: 917 kn (Mach 1.6, 1,060 mph, 1,700 km/h) at altitude

Range: 760 nmi (870 mi, 1,405 km)

Ferry range: 2,010 nmi (2,310 mi, 3,700 km)

Service ceiling: 51,800 ft (15,800 m)

Rate of climb: 34,400 ft/min (175 m/s)

Lift-to-drag ratio: 10.0

Armament:

1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M39A2 Revolver cannon in the nose with 280 rounds

7 hardpoints (2× wing-tip AAM launch rails, 4× under-wing & 1× under-fuselage pylon stations,

only pylon stations 3, 4 and 5 are wet-plumbed) with a capacity of 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg)

The kit and its assembly:

A relatively simple build, originally inspired by a Blue Rider decal sheet for Latvian Air Force aircraft that I had bought some time ago, as part of a vague plan to build a modern what-if aircraft for each of the young and small Baltic states’ air forces. The first one had been a Lithuanian MiG-21, Estonia is still pending (even though there’s a vague idea), and the Lithuanian interceptor was recently spawned when I bought an Italeri F-5E as part of a kit lot, even though it lacked box, decals and instructions and had a slight damage.

The Tiger II was built mostly OOB, the only changes I made are replaced wing tip launch rails (they were damaged beyond repair), I omitted port side cannon and created a modified “shark nose” radome, which was sculpted with putty; in real life, the enlarged radome for the upgraded radar is 33cm deeper than the original F-5E radome, even though the aircraft’s overall length remained the same, as well as the nose profile. In order to make the model look a little less static I slightly lowered the slats and the flaps – easy to realize on this model. The leftover cannon received a better barrel, made from a hollow steel needle. The pair of AIM-120s and their respective launch rails come from a Hasegawa air-to-air weapons set. The ventral drop tank came from the kit.

The Italeri F-5E is a simple affair and goes together well, even though the section ahead of the air intakes called for considerable PSR work – not certain if that’s my fault or an innate flaw of the kit (which comes with an upper and lower fuselage half)? The raised panel lines are another weak point – the kit cannot conceal its age, and there are certainly better options today (e .g. from Hobby Boss).

Painting and markings:

I wanted something that would neither look too Western, nor a typical Soviet-style livery. The resulting paint scheme is purely fictional and was inspired by a grey North Korean MiG-21 and USAF aggressor schemes for F-5Es – both reminiscent of the Soviet “Pumpkin” paint scheme for export MiG-21s. For the choice of colors, the complex “Norm 81” scheme from German Luftwaffe F-4Fs had an influence.

The result became a primarily grey air superiority scheme with uniform light grey undersides (FS 36495, Humbrol 147) and light Ghost Grey (FS 36375, Humbrol 127) fuselage and fin. The wings’ upper surfaces became mostly Dark Gull Grey (FS 36231, Testors 1740) and patches of the same tone were applied to the fuselage and the fin, too. On the wings’ upper surfaces, some patches in a dull, greenish grey (Humbrol 111, Uniform Grey) were finally added in order to break the aircraft’s outlines from above. The result somewhat reminds of German WWII camouflage, even though unintentionally.

The radome was painted in Revell 75 (Light Grey, with a brownish hue) to set it apart from the rest of the aircraft. Humbrol 140 was used for the cockpit interior. The landing gear became classic glossy white, while the air intake interior was painted in Humbrol 127, matching the aircraft’s flanks. Only subtle post-shading and weathering was done.

As mentioned above, the Latvian air force markings came from a Blue Rider decal sheet. The tactical codes and the matching serial number come from a Begemot MiG-21sheet. Other fictional elements are the NATO emblem on the fin and a small squadron emblem on the nose, which is a vintage Polish air force motif.

Most stencils had to be salvaged from secondary sources, since the kit came without a decal sheet. Fortunately, I had a spare F-5E sheet left over from a Hobby Boss kit. As a final step, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).

A rather simple project, but re-sculpting the nose was a tedious task. However, I am happy with the outcome and how the fictional paint scheme works. Together with the exotic Latvian roundels, this creates an interesting, if not plausible, look.

Spring is in full flow. I escaped from my role as head of department at the end of March, and I've been using up my leave allocation in the last few weeks by taking regular days off. Partly this is therapy at the end of a very stressful period at work, and partly it's a joyous reconnection with my feminine side. A combination of an excessive workload and the restrictions resulting from the pandemic have cramped Karen's style, but like a Phoenix she is spreading her wings and ascending from the ashes! Or, at least, she's picked up her handbag and headed out in search of shopping, anyway. I have new glasses today, BTW. Very happy with them.

Superliner Mack avec citerne eau et carburant diesel, St-Louis du HA! HA! Québec, Septembre 2011.

Mack Superliner equipped with diesel fuel and water tanker workload body. St-Louis du HA! HA! Québec, September 2011.

From Wikipedia:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvette_(C4)#ZR-1_(1990%E2%80%931995)

General Motors acquired Group Lotus, a UK based engineering consultant and performance car manufacturing firm, during 1986. The Corvette division approached Lotus with the idea of developing the world's fastest production car, to be based on the C4 generation of the Corvette. With input from GM, Lotus designed a new engine to fit in place of the L98 V8 that was powering the standard C4. The result was what GM dubbed the LT5, an aluminum-block V8 with the same bore centers as the L98, but with four overhead camshafts and 32 valves. Lotus also designed a unique air management system for the engine to provide a wider power band by shutting off 8 of the 16 intake runners and fuel injectors when the engine was at part-throttle, while still giving the ZR-1 a power output of 375 hp (280 kW) when at wide open throttle. In addition to the engine, Lotus helped GM design the ZR-1's (which in prototype version was called "King of the Hill") upgraded braking and steering systems.[citation needed] The ZR-1 is fitted with Goodyear Eagle Gatorback tires having size of P315/ 35ZR-17 specially made for the car along with bigger ventilated disc brakes. Due to the heavier engine and body work along with wide tires, the ZR-1 is 200 lb (91 kg) heavier than the standard C4 Corvette. The ZR-1 came standard with the UJ6 Low-Tire-Pressure Warning System along with an ABS system manufactured by Bosch. The FX3 suspension system was engineered by Bilstein and was similar to the system used in the Porsche 959 albeit with modifications from the Lotus Formula 1 division. The system used a gas-over-oil shock absorber whose hollow center shaft came fitted with an adjustable orifice which controls the flow of oil in the shock absorber. The system allowed for six damping settings in each of the three driving modes namely Touring, Sport, and Performance and had 14 total steps. Servomotors coupled with a microprocessor governed the vehicle's speed and adjusted the suspension system accordingly.

The 5.7-litre 32-valve LT5 engine unique to the car had a central bore spacing of 4.40 inches. The distance was maintained by reducing the bore from 4.00 to 3.90 inches while the stroke was increased from 3.48 to 3.66 inches. The aluminum cylinder liners were Nikasil-coated and the engine block has a cast-aluminum oil sump. The crankcase has integral four- and six-bolt cast-iron main bearing caps which secure the forged steel crankshaft into place. The four camshafts of the engine are driven by a roller chain and actuate hydraulic lifters that eliminate valve lash adjustment. The four-valve combustion chambers feature centrally-located spark plugs which act in combination with dished aluminum pistons enabling for a compression ratio of 11.0:1. The engine held 12 quarts of oil, 7 more than the L98 engine. The LT5 also came with a unique two valve induction system along with 16 tuned-length intake runners and a specially designed intake manifold using three throttle bodies. The small primary throttle body was for responsive low speed operation while the two large secondary throttle bodies enabled for full-power usage. The engine used direct-fire ignition: Four coils ignite two spark plugs simultaneously, upon receiving their cue from a crankshaft sensor acting in combination with the ECM. Spark advance and retardation are electronically controlled by the ECM, which gets an additional information from a knock sensor. A distinctive cooling system incorporating a 15% larger radiator ensured that the operating temperature of the engine remained the same as the L98 despite the differences in construction and operation.

In order to transfer power efficiently to the rear wheels, a unique 6-speed manual transmission manufactured by ZF was installed with a code name of ML9. The transmission used Computer Aided Gear Selection (CAGS) which forced the driver to shift from first to fourth under low power urban driving conditions. The transmission has a tweaked ring and pinion ratio of 3.54:1 and a lower final drive ratio of 3.33:1.

Other exterior modifications include a hard coated acrylic roof panel, and seven additional exterior colors. The interior came standard with leather sports seats and a Delco/Bose sound system.

Tested performance figures by Road & Track magazine include a 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) acceleration time of 4.9 seconds, a quarter mile time of 13.4 seconds, braking distance of 132 ft from 60 mph and 233 ft from 80 mph along with skidpad acceleration of 0.94 g. The car's tested top speed by the magazine amounted to 179 mph (288 km/h).

GM found that the engine required special assembly, and that neither the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky nor any of their normal production facilities could handle the workload, so Mercury Marine corporation of Stillwater, Oklahoma was contracted to assemble the engines under their MerCruiser division, due to their experience in working with aluminum, and ship them to the Corvette factory in Bowling Green where the ZR-1s were being assembled. The engine assembly involved 95% drilling and boring completed at the Mercury Marine plant. The engine was largely assembled by hand and was Dyno tested before being sent to Chevrolet. Mercury Marine secured two LT5 V8 engines for itself. These engines were used in the ZR-1 owned by the company president and a custom made speedboat called the "Wette Vette". The engine was modified to be used in the boat and had an increased output of 420 hp (313 kW).

The ZR-1 was introduced at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show and went on sale later that year and was available only as a fastback coupé bodystyle with a removable roof panel. It was distinguishable from other Corvette coupes by its wider tail section, 11-inch wide rear wheels and its new convex rear fascia with four square shaped taillights along with a special red ZR-1 badge in between.

1992 Corvette ZR1

In 1990, the 1991 ZR-1 and 1991 base model received updates to bodywork, interior, and wheels. The rear convex fascia that set the 1990 ZR-1 apart from the base model found its way to all 1991 models, making the high-priced ZR-1 even less distinguishable. Further changes were made the following year in 1991, including extra ZR-1 badges on the fenders and the introduction of Acceleration Slip Regulation (ASR) or traction control. For model year 1993, modifications which were designed by Lotus were made to the cylinder heads, exhaust system and valvetrain of the LT5 bringing power output up from 375 to 405 hp (280 to 302 kW) at 5,800 rpm and 385 lb⋅ft (522 N⋅m) of torque at 5,200 rpm. In addition, a new exhaust gas recirculation system improved emissions control. The model remained nearly unchanged into the 1995 model year, after which the ZR-1 was discontinued as the result of waning interest, development of the LS series engines, manufacturing cost and the forthcoming introduction of the C5 generation. A total of 6,939 ZR-1 models were manufactured over the six-year period. Not until the debut of the C5 based Z06 in 2001 would Chevrolet have another production Corvette capable of matching the ZR-1's performance.

Although the ZR-1 was extremely quick for its time (0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.4 seconds, and onto over 180 mph (290 km/h)), the huge performance of the LT5 engine was matched by its robustness. As evidence of this, a stock ZR-1 set seven international and world records at a test track in Fort Stockton, Texas on March 1, 1990, verified by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) for the group II, class 11 category:

100 miles (160 km) at 175.600 mph (282.601 km/h)

500 miles (800 km) at 175.503 mph (282.445 km/h)

1,000 miles (1,600 km) at 174.428 mph (280.715 km/h)

5,000 km (3,100 mi) at 175.710 mph (282.778 km/h) (World Record)

5,000 miles (8,000 km) at 173.791 mph (279.690 km/h) (World Record)

12 Hours Endurance at 175.523 mph (282.477 km/h)

24 Hours Endurance at 175.885 mph (283.059 km/h) for 4,221.256 miles (6,793.453 km) (World Record)

Photo by Eric Friedebach

This man is cleaning a machine that separates the bulk of the grapes from the juice which is then made into wine.....

This photo is part of a series on the Vendanges in Aubais...which seemed appropriate for

ODC: Backlit

This is, literally!

Flickr friends: so sorry to be so late with comments. My computer has been choking on the number of photos I've forced it to swallow, and I have to clean up, as there is just no more room to process the tons of photos still waiting! I think I need a class on processing and workloads! I'm doing my best and will get on the ball!

40 hours later, The Forge is finally finished! So, what is The Forge? The Forge is a mobile asteroid mining and processing facility. It uses six tugs to collect asteroids and bring them to one of the six mining platforms near the front of the ship. The asteroids are then put through grinding drums that break them into smaller pieces. Next, any desired ore, minerals, etc. are removed from the fragments and the waste is jettisoned from the ship. The ore, minerals, etc. are sorted into seperate containers. Eight huge reinforced plates protect the shipping containers from rogue asteroids and open to allow a transport to collect them.

The two bridges share the workload of the ship. The rear bridge is in charge of piloting, navigation and shipping. The forward bridge handles the mining and processing operations.

Alright, time for some tech specs!

The forge measures in at a whopping 156 studs in length (The biggest SHIP I've ever built). She's 62 studs at the widest (26 at the thinnest) and 38 studs tall. I did have two big landing gears built into it but it got WAY too heavy for them, thus the stand. It also has motor-driven grinding drums in the mining platforms and the big grey button in the middle of the ship opens and closes the armored plates. The plates where also supposed to be motor-driven but I could get them working for the life of me. Oh well!

I hope you all enjoyed watching this beast going together as I had building it (even if I did shout some horrific profanities from time to time)! Thanks for watching and for all the support!

Dr Stephen Reaney, a GP from Northern Ireland, is part of the UK's Emergency Medical Team, which was deployed to Nepal after the earthquake that struck the country on 25 April. He's been helping assess and treat people with spinal injuries in a specialist clinic just outside Kathmandu.

"I was deployed to Nepal on 26 April with the UK emergency trauma medical team as a primary care physician", says Stephen.

"When we first arrived, I was initially deployed as part of a small team up into the mountains to do some assessments in an area which previously hadn't been reached by other aid agencies.

"It then became apparent this spinal injuries facility here on the outskirts of Kathmandu needed a doctor with generalist skills who was willing to admit patients here to review them on the ward round and to help with the other three doctors to manage the patients. So I came here.

"As you can see the ward is pretty full. They have 29 more patients than usual. We’ve just had another 2 patients admitted from the teaching hospital with severe spinal injuries.

"So that's what I've been doing over the last 10 days.

"All patients I've been dealing with are earthquake victims. There are another 38 patients here who were here before the earthquake.

"Most of the injuries that I have been seeing are upper lumber spinal injuries and crush injuries with a variable degree of spinal cord injury - so unfortunately some patients are totally paralysed.

"I was deployed in a similar team in the Philippines in 2013, after Typhoon Haiyan. My role in the Philippines was to do general health and demographic assessments, and I've been doing the same here in Nepal.

"Patience is needed for the first couple of days with all the chaos of a disaster like this, and it's taken a little bit of time to find out from people on the ground where our skills are needed. It's been good though. I've learned a lot and hopefully I have been able to help the medical staff here with the very high workload that they have been dealing with.

"It’s been challenging and rewarding and hopefully I will be able to help in the future with more deployments such as this."

Picture: Russell Watkins/DFID

Designed by Vickers-Armstrongs to a War Office order that made price a very high consideration the result was a well-armoured but otherwise useless tank. Designed by Sir John Carden it had the General Staff specification number A11 and Vickers' own code name of Matilda.

If, as some suggest, it was intended to serve as a heavily protected, mobile machine-gun mounting there may have been some justification but only if produced in large numbers. As it was only 139 were completed.

The Ford engine, simple transmission and rugged suspension ensured that the Matilda was reliable but when a wireless set was installed it had to be located on the floor, behind the commander/gunner who then had to lower himself to the floor, reach behind himself for the controls meanwhile rendering the tank incapable of fighting.

First A.F.V. described as an infantry tank. Armour sufficiently thick to give it immunity in the shelled areas. New features included a heavy internal gun, mantlet and seat raising gear. Vehicles of this type saw action in France in 1940 with 4 RTR and 7 RTR. Discontinued in August 1940 but vehicles still used for training.

Evidence is coming to light that among the large number captured from 1st Army Tank Brigade some were employed by the Germans as internal security vehicles, probably in Poland.

Precise Name: Tank, Infantry, Mark I, Matilda I

Other Name: A11

The Infantry Tank Mark I, or Matilda I, was designed by Sir John Carden of Vickers in 1935 to meet a War Office requirement for a small heavily armoured vehicle to support attacking infantry. Incidentally, ‘Matilda’ was Vickers’ internal project name. The overriding objective was economy; the development spending was limited to £15,000 and individual tanks cost about £5,000. The thick armour would enable the tank to operate in the fire swept zone between opposing armies. Clearly those responsible for the Matilda I’s specification thought that any future war would resemble World War I, an illusion that was violently dispelled by the German Army in May and June 1940.

The resulting vehicle was of limited use. Its’ two man crew meant that the commander, in the turret, also had to act as loader, gunner and radio operator – an intolerable workload. The radio was located in the rear of the hull so that the commander had to bend down to operate it. The armament was limited to a single machine gun, useless against enemy tanks, while a top speed of 8 mph meant that the Matilda I was too slow to run away! The design had three positive characteristics: it was reliable, well armoured (front armour proof against all contemporary anti-tank guns) and cheap.

The prototype was delivered to the Army in September 1936 and after the elimination of minor teething problems an order for 60 vehicles was given to Vickers in 1938. The first production vehicles were delivered in February 1939. The first vehicles were issued to the 4th 7th and 8th battalions of the Royal Tank Corps. Eventually 139 Matilda I tanks were made, production finishing in August 1940.

The Tank Museum’s Matilda I was built in March 1940 and restored to running condition in the 1980s. It is displayed in the markings of the 4th Royal Tank Regiment (4 RTR), May 1940. The Chinese eye painted on the turret is a 4RTR tradition dating back to World War I when a Chinese business man who donated money to the British for the purchase of tanks said that they needed an eye to see where they were going!

4 RTR participated in the famous but abortive attack against Rommel’s 7th Panzer Division near Arras on the 21st May 1940. After initial British successes the Germans found that the 88mm Flak 18 gun could pierce the Matilda I’s armour, firing in the anti-tank role. All the Matilda I tanks were lost in the defeat of France and the subsequent Dunkirk evacuation.

The usefulness of the Matilda I was doubted in the Royal Tank Corps even before the first production vehicles were delivered. There was considerable pressure to produce a much larger and more effective tank. This resulted in the development of the Infantry Tank Mark II, Matilda II, (See E1949.439) probably the best tank of its kind in the World when it was introduced, in contrast to the rather feeble Matilda I.

Tankfest by World of Tanks - 24.-25.6.2016

The Tank Museum - Bovington, UK

Worlds biggest and best live display of historic armour, living history, and much more at the Home of the Tank - The Tank Museum, Bovington, United Kingdom.

More from Tankfest:

www.flickr.com/photos/jukkaokauppinen2/albums/72157670621...

More from me:

www.flickr.com/photos/jukkaokauppinen

Tankfest videos:

www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIGRHBJyGQb3PpXwFlOKve2OUJ...

ndian Foreign Service (IFS) is unlike any other Civil Service such as Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or Indian Police Service (IPS). An Indian Foreign Service officer spends most of his/her time abroad ( two-third of his/her career) and only one third of career in India at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) in New Delhi.

After joining the Indian Foreign Service, for which one has to be generally at the top of the ranking order in Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) of India, one is sent to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussorie for training for a period of three months where he/she is known as Foreign Service Probationer/ Officer Trainee.

After completing the three months training, which involves training in multiple disciplines including a foreign language, horse riding and trekking in high Himalayas, a Foreign Service Probationer moves to the Foreign Service Institute located in New Delhi for further training.

At the Foreign Service Institute, which is located on Baba Gangnath Marg near Jawaharlal University (JNU) campus, a Foreign Service Probationer undergoes training for a year which involves International Relations, Indian Foreign Service Pay, Leave and Compensatory Allowances (IFS-PLCA) Rules, Foreign Trade, functioning of Indian missions in neighbouring South Asian countries, attachments with the Army, Navy and the Air Force, attachment with the district and the state administration and attachment with the corporate sector.

After the end of the training with the Foreign Service Institute a Foreign Service Probationer is attached with a Division of the Ministry of External Affairs for a period of six months for on-the-job training. After completing on-the -job training a probationer is allocated a Compulsory Foreign Language (CFL) such as Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Russian, Spanish or others as deemed fit and then she is posted in an Indian mission as a Third Secretary (Language Trainee) where the probationer learns the allocated foreign language.

After successful completion of the foreign language learning process, a proficiency test is administered by the School of Foreign Languages(SFL), Ministry of Defence, India. Only after successfully passing the proficiency test in a given foreign language, a Foreign Service Probationer is confirmed in the Indian Foreign Service. Usually it takes almost 3 years to become an Indian Foreign Service officer from the date of joining the Indian Foreign Service as a Probationer at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussorie.

After being confirmed in the Indian Foreign Service, an Indian Foreign Service Officer is posted as a Second Secretary in one of the wings (Political, Economic or Commerce, Consular, Administrative or Cultural) at an Indian Embassy or as Consul at an Indian Consulate for a period of 3 years. During this period the officer learns political, economic, commercial, cultural, consular or administrative works from his senior colleagues at the Embassy or the Consulate.

An IFS officer can take his/her parents abroad but the Government provides for medical facilities of only dependent parents- who have no body else to look after them and have abysmally low income.

Let me clarify the difference between an Embassy and Consulate at this stage. An Embassy is located in the capital city of a country whereas a Consulate is located in some other important cities of the country which functions under the supervision of the Embassy.

A Second Secretary in an Indian mission gets a decent accommodation of 110 sq meters but has to purchase his/her own car. He/She gets foreign allowance (which increases with promotion) and medical facilities besides government provided accommodation. Government provides for education fees for the children(up to 2 children only) above five years of age. Government also provides Representational Grant (RG) to entertain the guests.

An average day of a Second Secretary starts at 9 a.m in the morning with driving to the office, reading e-mails/fax-messages, making phone calls, writing notes, replying letters, briefing senior officers, following up with the Ministry of External Affairs Headquarters, attending meetings and occasionally attending a reception hosted on the occasion of national day or welcome/farewell of a diplomat by another Embassy, driving back home, spending 2-3 hours with the family and watching news of the day before going to the bed.

After completing 3 years at an Indian Embassy or Consulate, an IFS officer is transferred to another Embassy or Consulate or to the MEA headquarters in New Delhi. In New Delhi the officer joins as Under Secretary and looks after a particular desk in a Division of the Ministry for the next 3 years. The average day of an Under Secretary is same as an average day of a Second Secretary mentioned above except he/she has to look after several Indian Embassies and Consulates, has to respond to their queries, follow up with them and speak to several people during an average working day. Generally he/she has to work extra hours beyond the office hours (i.e. 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. five days a week) and over the weekends to clear the extra workload.

After completion of 9 years in the service from the date of joining the Indian Foreign Service(including probation period), an IFS officer gets automatically promoted to the rank of Deputy Secretary. After spending approximately three years in New Delhi, an IFS officer is posted abroad for the next three years at one of the 163 Indian Missions/Posts abroad which are categorized into A*, A, B, C and C* categories depending on the hardship and standard of living. For example London, New York, Canberra are the places rated as A*, Paris, Rome etc. are categorized as A, Moscow, Cairo etc. are categorized as B, while places like Islamabad, Kathmandu, Khartoum are categorized as C*.

An IFS officer has to choose three places of his choice out of the number of vacant posts which are circulated. If he/she is lucky then he/she can get one of the three places of his/her choice. Foreign postings are decided by the Foreign Service Board which is headed by the Foreign Secretary.

After completing his/her tenure in a given Mission/Post, the officer is again posted for three years to another Indian Mission/Post located in another country. An officer is provided for by the MEA for the transport of his/her baggage, car and other belongings from one country to another by air, land or sea.

The promotion chain in the Indian Foreign Service is as following -

While abroad at an Indian Mission/Post-

Third Secretary(Language Trainee); Second Secretary: First Secretary; Counsellor; Minister; Ambassador

While in India at MEA Headquarters-

Attache; Under Secretary; Deputy Secretary; Director; Joint Secretary; Additional Secretary; Secretary

On average it takes 9 years of service to get to the rank of Deputy Secretary, 13 years of service to become a Director and 16 years of service to get to the rank of Joint Secretary. Promotions up to the Director/Counsellor rank are automatic and time bound while promotion to the next level i.e. Joint Secretary is based on the Confidential Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (CAPAR) of the last ten years. Generally a Joint Secretary becomes an Ambassador abroad (in recent times Director rank officers have also been given Ambassadorial assignments) and the Head of a Division at the MEA Headquarters in New Delhi.

CAPARs are written by the reporting officer and reviewed by a higher ranking officer than the reporting officer. An officer has a right to appeal to the Ministry if he/she does not agree with the report given by the reporting or reviewing officer.

A Foreign Service officer can serve as a Regional Passport Officer(RPO) or can go on deputations to the Ministry of Defence, Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Commerce, Department of Space or the United Nations, World Bank etc.

Author is a poet-diplomat, awarded SAARC Literature Award and nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Views expressed are personal. You may like to follow him on Twitter @AbhayK_ for the latest updates.

www.freemoviescinema.com/science-fiction/video/latest/con... Full Feature

See more photos in set.

Starring Walter Brooke, Eric Fleming, Mickey Shaughnessy, Phil Foster, William Redfield, William Hopper, Benson Fong, Ross Martin, Vito Scotti. Directed by Byron Haskin. Producer George Pal gave us the sci-fi landmark Destination Moon in 1950. He then gave us the timeless classic War of the Worlds in '53. This, his third epic, was a grand effort, but fell shy of his earlier triumphs. On paper, it should have been another mega-classic. The team members from the earlier hits were reassembled. Pal as producer, Haskin directing, Lydon on screenplay, O'Hanlon writing. Conquest was also based on a popular book. Yet, despite all this pedigree, something fell short. Conquest would not go on to be remembered as one of the 50s mega-classics. Some of this obscurity may be due to Conquest being in the "serious" science fiction sub-genre, like Destination Moon and Riders to the Stars which tried to depict a plausible space-traveling future. Audiences were becoming much more entranced with saucers and weird aliens.

In some ways,Conquest is a remake of the basic story line from Destination Moon -- a crew are the first to land on a celestial body. They struggle to survive and yet courageously return. This time, instead of the moon, it's Mars. As a remake goes, however, it's worthy. The Technicolor is rich and the sets well done. This is an A-level production which at its release was the 2001: A Space Odyssey of its day. All the melodrama, however, starts to get in the way of the techno-gee-whiz.

Synopsis

Based aboard a rotating wheel space station, workmen prepare a big flying wing of a rocket ship. A group of potential crewmen train for what they think will be a moon landing mission. As the work nears completion, they find out that the real mission will be a landing on Mars instead. While aboard "The Wheel", we're introduced to the phenomenon of "space sickness" -- a mental breakdown due to workload and confinement for long periods. One of the crew candidates is scrubbed because of one such breakdown. Nonetheless, the multinational crew are chosen and embark for the long journey to Mars. After departure, it's found that General Merritt's old friend, Sergeant Mahoney, stowed away. On the way to Mars, a communications antenna is damaged and must be fixed via spacewalking crewmen. Just as the repairs are completed, the customary meteor arrives, threatening to hit the ship. General Merritt manages to fly the ship out of the way, but one of the crewmen on EVA is hit with micrometeoroids (like bullets) and killed. The General is also starting to show odd behavior, doubting whether their mission is proper or is an affront to God. Their evasive action puts them behind schedule, but they arrive at Mars. While attempting to land on Mars, the General has another bout of delusion and tries to abort the landing. His son, Captain Merritt, manages to take control and brings in the flying-wing lander to a rough but successful landing. The others go out to explore, but the General, now fully delusional, is venting rocket fuel in an attempt to blow up the ship. His son discovers this and the two struggle. The General's pistol discharges, killing him. Mahoney comes on the scene just then and accuses Captain Merritt of murdering the General. The rest explore a bit more, but pronounce Mars a dead planet. Despite this, Imoto discovers that his earth flower seed sprouted in martian soil. Earthquakes cause the escape rocket to shift off of perpendicular. They get it righted and blast off. On the way home, Mahoney and Captain Merritt make up and declare that the dead General was a hero, the man who conquered space. The End.

The color, the sets, models and background paintings are very visually rich. The whole image is a great snapshot of the future as people in the mid-50s imagined it would be. More tidbits in the Notes section below.

There is actually a subtle anti-war tone to the movie. No overt talk of nuclear dangers or menacing enemies. It is notable, however, that among the conspicuously international crew candidates, there is no Russian. Americans would "conquer" space with a few other nationals along for the ride, but NO Russians. There is also a poorly explained urgency to the mission. What's the hurry? Back in the Cold War, it was pretty common that WE had to get something before THEY did.

In 1949, Willy Ley wrote the book "The Conquest of Space," which speculated about how mankind might travel to other planets. This book was illustrated by space artist Chesley Bonestell. This book would become the inspiration for the movie.

From 1952 to 1954, Collier's magazine ran a series of stories about mankind conquering space. These were repeats by Ley and Bonestell of their 1949 book, but this time Collier's added material from "rocket scientist" Werner von Braun. Bonestell's new illustrations were clearly the prototype for the look of Conquest. People felt that mankind was on the verge of taking to the stars. The Collier's series expressed that giddy optimism.

The screenplay for Conquest added weak human interest sub-plots which almost negate the gee-whiz optimism that the visuals convey. The screenwriters were all experienced in their craft, so it's puzzling why such amateurish characterizations are so prominent. The comic relief moments are almost cartoonish. The whole leader-gone-mad sub-plot seems out of place.

A possible "message" to Conquest is that man is a fragile creature who may not be ready for the rigors of space travel. Certainly, people wondered about this, and other movies touched on the theme too, such as Riders to the Stars ('54). Our not being mentally ready yet was cited by the aliens in It Came From Outer Space ('53). General Merritt's dementia was foreshadowed in the breakdown of Roy early in the movie.

One thing that strikes the viewer is how much life aboard the space station is presumed to duplicate life aboard a navy ship. It's not overtly stated that the military should (or will) be the agency which "conquers" space, but from the ranks and uniforms and the navy-life scenes, that message comes through. Space ships will be like earthly ships.

On the surface, it seems like Conquest is blasting Christians as dangerous religious fanatics. This notion, that anyone who believes in God simply MUST be wacko, would be much more popular in later decades, but it was uncommon in the 50s. For that reason, the General's dementia deserves a closer look.

Actually, General Merritt was not the stereotypic religious fanatic. His son comments that he had never seen him carrying around and reading the Bible before. Instead of headaches or paralysis, the General's "space sickness" took a paranoid turn. He had rational misgivings about the Mars mission from the start, pre-dementia. His repressed misgivings are expressed in Bible verses dealing with sinners being punished by God. He once quotes from Psalm 38, then later from Psalm 62.

Throughout all this, God is not mocked. Indeed, only the "religious" man had the courage to go outside and give the dead Fodor a proper burial. The other non-relgious crewmen were at a loss for what to do.

The notion of impudent mankind trying to meddle in God's domain, is treated as a credible issue. In this, the pattern of the Tower of Babel is drawn. Prideful mankind thinks they can build their way into God's realm. God foils that plan. General Merritt's dementia seems motivated by a fear that this divine retribution could be coming again.

The writers of Conquest imagine a multinationalism in space. Most notable are two former enemy nations: Imoto is from Japan and Fodor is a German-accented Austrian, (as a stand-in for Germany). Imoto gets to make a little speech about why Japan went to war (lack of resources). Fodor gets to be seen as the cherished son of a classic "mama". By 1955, it was starting to become okay to look beyond World War 2.

At one point, the crew of The Wheel are watching a movie with many scantily clad dancing girls (much like sailors aboard a ship). The movie is a lavish musical number with many gold bikini clad pseudo-harem girls dancing while Rosemary Clooney sings about love "...in the desert sand." This clip is total non-sequetor to the high-tech space environment. What's interesting, is that it's NOT stock footage recycled. Clooney had not done any such movie. This dance number must have been staged and shot just for this scene in Conquest. Random act of musical. Gotta love 'em.

Bottom line? Conquest is an almost-epic. It's definitely an A-grade sci-fi movie, so it's well worth watching. The human story part gets in the way sometimes, but the visuals more than make up for it.

by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Gosvami Maharaja

hawaii_sbvnm.jpg - 14922 Bytes[A lecture given at the home of Vrndavana dasa in Oahu, Hawaii on May 11, 2002

Every day, Srila Maharaja is usually surrounded by hundreds of devotees in the West, and hundreds or thousands every day in India. From mid-April to mid-May, however, he was externally almost alone in Hawaii, accompanied only by a few assistants, so that he could concentrate on his translation of Sri Rupa Gosvami's Sri Ujjvala-nilamani and his translation of our acaryas' commentaries of that literature. He only gave one public class, and the transcription of that class is presented herein.]

Srila Swami Maharaja inspired me to go to Western and Eastern countries to preach the same mission that he preached, and I am happy that by the combined mercy of Srila Swami Maharaja and my diksa-guru, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, I am doing so. Srila Swami Maharaja preached everywhere by his books.

The words we speak in classes may disappear into the sky, but what is written as a document, in books like Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the books of the Gosvamis will remain forever and help for millions of years.

Srila Swami Maharaja used to come to this island to write, for it is very favorable here, and I am also doing a great deal of writing here. I have been totally absorbed in that for the last three weeks, and I have not been giving classes during that time. Do you know why? I am concentrating on my translation work so that I can give document writings to the world...

On this island I am totally absorbed in writing about the very elevated moods of Srila Rupa Gosvami; moods that were inspired in him by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Mahaprabhu ordered Srila Rupa Gosvami to write about the deep moods of the gopis, as well as the process by which we can achieve similar moods.

Most of you are not qualified to hear or read about this, what to speak of follow, and yet we are writing. Otherwise, if we do not do so, these moods will be lost to the world. We must record this for future generations. These moods of the gopis have not been clearly written about even in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, except in a hidden way, but Srila Rupa Gosvami has given definitions of each of them in Sri Ujjvala-nilamani.

We see that in this world, those who have lust, anger, and other bad qualities cannot advance in sadhana-bhajana, what to speak of entering the transcendental realm. If a person cannot remove all the anarthas delineated in first sloka of Upadesamrta, like vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam, jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam, he cannot advance in bhakti.

On the other hand, we see that there is quarreling in Goloka Vrndavana. Srimati Radhika has a somewhat jealous mood towards Candravali, and Candravali has the same mood towards Radhika.

It seems that they also quarrel. Why is this so in that sphere? Actually, the gopis are transcendental, Krsna is transcendental, their love and affection is transcendental, and their quarreling is also transcendental. You should know that their quarreling is not worldly. Rather, it is an expression of love and affection, to increase the pleasure of Krsna.

If the above-mentioned moods were not present in their pure forms in the transcendental world they could not exist in this world, and Srila Rupa Gosvami has written about all the gopis' moods for our benefit. He has explained why they are sulky and so on, and I am giving you a very slight taste of their moods in my translation and writing.

Jealous of Candravali, Srimati Radhika told Lalita, Visakha, and all Her sakhis, "Candravali does not know even the ABC's of love and affection. Since she has no real mana (transcendental loving anger due to jealousy), no sulky mood, how can she please Krsna? She will never be able to please Him." The prema of Candravali is called grta-sneha. Grta means ghee. It has the quality of being very soft and smooth, but it is not sweet. The prema of Radha is called madhu-sneha. Madhu means honey, which is both soft and smooth, and also sweet. Even if Radhika abuses Krsna, or even if she is in maan, Her mood is very attactive and wonderful. All become happy to see Her activities, and their love becomes more intense. Therefore, in all situations, Her madhu-sneha prema can be called "soft and sweet." Radhika continued, "Candravali is very soft in her dealings with Krsna. Even if she sees that Krsna has committed an offense to her lotus feet and, in front of her, He is meeting with other gopis, she will generally not become sulky. She may sometimes do so, but not often. Without this sulky anger, no one can serve Krsna, or please Him. She does not have a trace of love and affection, so I don't even want to hear her name. Never mention her name in My assembly."

Candravali likewise told her sakhis, "I don't want to hear the name of Radhika. I don't even want to hear the name of the star constellation called anuradha. Why not? Neither the experts on the subject of love, nor the great sages and munis, appreciate the mood of Radhika; nor do the yogis and rsis meditate on the mood of Radhika, nor do they appreciate Her name. Those rsis who always meditate upon Krsna's lotus feet never attract Radha to their hearts. Those who want to peacefully meditate on the lotus feet of Krsna become disturbed if they think about the moods of Srimati Radhika. In fact, Her name alone makes then tremble and become disturbed. That very same Krsna fell at the feet of Radhika, and still She rejected Him and said, 'I don't want You here. O black Krsna, get out of My kunja.' So don't utter Her name, and don't even utter the word anuradha."

Radhika and Candravali both speak in this way, but Radhika's love and affection is superior. The highest truths of Radhika's madhu-sneha prema have been described, in minute detail, in Srila Rupa Gosvami's Ujjvala Nilamani. They have not been disclosed in Srimad Bhagavatam, or in the books of Sri Jayadeva Gosvami, or by previous acaryas. Only Srila Rupa Gosvami has revealed these intimate moods, in Vidagda-Madhava, Lalita-Madhava, and here in Ujjvala Nilamani.

Except for works like these, there are no other descriptions of these moods, and my mind and activities are absorbed in writing here in Vrndavana dasa's house in Hawaii. The topics in Ujjvala Nilamani are very elevated subject matters, which you would never be able to imagine even in thousands of births. I am translating this most valuable literature for the future, and those who will be qualified will experience a new life by reading it. Although I have little formal education, I am so fortunate that by the mercy of my guru-parampara, this ability to translate and write commentary is coming automatically.

[Sripad Madhava Maharaja: (Madhava Maharaja is engaged as the editor of Srila Narayana Maharaja's translation and commentary of Sri Ujjvala-nilamani, and now he is requested by Srila Maharaja to give some hint about the subject matter therein.)]You have heard from Srila Gurudeva why he came to Hawaii and what he is doing here. He is now translating the commentaries of Srila Jiva Gosvami and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura on Ujjvala Nilamani, and on his previous tour he completed the writing of his own commentary.

Once, a sakhi of Srimati Radhika asked Her, "O Radhike, why are you jealous of Candravali? What is the fault that Candravali has the same desire? You want to make Krsna happy and Candravali has the same desire. So what is the harm if She takes some of your workload? Let her do so." Radhika replied, "Yes, you are speaking the truth, but Candravali does not know at all what will please Krsna and make Him more and more happy. I'm bound to be jealous of her and in competition; otherwise Krsna will never be happy."

Once Krsna wanted to enjoy with Radhika and the other gopis who were on the bank of Manasi Ganga. Whoever has been on Vraja Mandala Parikrama in Govardhana has seen Manasi Ganga. there was a boat there, called vilasa-taraa, and Krsna wanted to have fun on that boat with the help of the gopis. Krsna invited Radhika, "O Srimati Radhike, tarani uttistha; please come and sit in this boat." According to Sanskrit grammar, tarani is the seventh case ending and it has more then one meaning.

Taruni means "on the tree," and it also means "on the boat." Krsna was inviting Radhika to be seated inside the boat, but Radhika replied, "Oh, I am unable to climb the tree." Krsna meant one thing and Radhika replied with another meaning. Then Krsna told Her, "O Radhike, you are quite ignorant! You could not understand what I wanted to tell You. I am saying boat and You are hearing tree.

Why? Oh, I think you must be very clever." He then again said, "Taruni uttistha." Taruni means "boat" and also "the Sun-god." This time Radhika replied, "I have no love for the Sun-god; I have love for You. Why are You asking Me to love the Sun-god? I don't like this."

Krsna was defeated by Radhika, but He did not want to accept defeat. He said, "You think You are the most clever person in the entire world. Now I am telling You, "Naukam uttistha. Naukam means boat. This word does not have two meanings. What will You say now?" Radhika replied, "Oh, according to the rules of Sanskrit grammar, nau is the sixth case ending of the root word asmad. Nau means the dialogue between You and Me for meeting.

There was no dialogue between You and Myself for meeting. I never proposed to meet with You, so why are You saying, 'Naukam uttistha'? I'm not satisfied with Your words." Thus, Krsna was defeated again by Radhika, and He began to smile.

Srila Rupa Gosvamipada has explained how Radhika and Krsna joke with each other, and how Krsna is always defeated by Radhika.

When Srila Dasa Gosvamipada was absorbed in an inner mood, he saw this pastime in trance and wrote the verse: "Vak yukta keli katu kejit. When will that day come for me that I will be able to see the debate between Radha and Krsna in which Krsna is defeated by Radhika, all the sakhis rejoice and clap, and Radhika's lotus face looks very happy? When will I be able to see all this?"

We pray to Srila Gurudeva that although we are very unqualified to even discuss such topics, the day will come by his causeless mercy that we will be able to serve the Divine Couple.

[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] In his Bhajana Rahasya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has explained how to do bhajana for attaining these moods, and to that end he quoted Srila Rupa Gosvami's Sri Upadesamrta:

utsahan niscayad

dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat

sanga-tyagat sato vrtteh

sadbhir bhakti prasidhyati.

["There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles [such as sravanam, kirtanam, visnu smaranam [SB 7.5.23] – hearing, chanting and remembering Krsna], (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous acaryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service."]

Before this, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had written that if you really want to have bhakti and be a guru, you must follow this instruction of Srila Rupa Gosvami:

vaco vegan manasah krodha-vegan

jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam

etan vegan yo visaheta dhirat

sarvamapiman prthivit sa sisyat

You should try to control your mind, tongue, speech, belly, and the other urges. Otherwise, you cannot do bhajana. The guru is one who has controlled all six urges, and without such control one is bound to fall down. It is for this reason that so many sannyasis have fallen down.

The second sloka of Sri Upadesamrta states:

atyaharah prayasas ca

prajalpo niyamagrahah

jana-sangah ca laulyam ca

sadbhir bhaktir vinasyati.

["One's devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required; (2) overendeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4) Practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically; (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Krsna consciousness; and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements."]

I have explained all these principles to you before, and they are all important, but now I wish to discuss the particular sloka beginning "Utsahan niscayad dhairyat," with consideration of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's the explanation.

From past births' impressions, you are somehow or other coming in touch with pure devotees like Srila Swami Maharaja, who traveled everywhere to help so many. By this, sraddha comes, and one somehow takes the shelter of a guru. However, if one is chanting, remembering Krsna, and hearing hari-katha, but he has not yet come to the stage of ruci, taste in these devotional practices and taste in serving guru, Vaisnavas, and Krsna, he will certainly be weak. This is the case with those who have fallen down. This stage is very critical, and I think most of you are in this stage.

We know very well, intellectually, that by chanting and remembering Krsna we will be happy. We will realize Krsna and then we will be happy. Still we have anarthas, however, and if they are not removed, they are very dangerous to our devotional life. We know we should not have lust, but lust is there, and we cannot remove these material desires by our efforts alone. We must have the mercy of Krsna and His devotees, but we must also try to follow the orders of our gurudeva and try to control our senses.

Srila Thakura Bhaktivinoda is thus explaining in his Bhajana Rahasya the instructions of Srila Rupa Gosvami. Utsahan means enthusiasm. We think that we should work 24 hours a day for worldly things, to make money and have a position, and we labor very hard at our jobs. But do we have the taste to work for Krsna 24 hours, seven hours, one hour, or even one minute? If taste will come, we will automatically serve Krsna. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is telling us that as long as we are in this world we will have to maintain our life, but we will also have to practice our bhakti-yoga.

Do you understand what I have said? If not, then I am speaking to the sky. Not all of you are hearing attentively, so why am I speaking? If you cannot pay attention in class, it would be better for you to go out and perform nagara-sankirtana. But since you have come, then please give two or three minutes to me. Don't let your mind wander here and there, to your children and everywhere else. You have enough time to look after your children and all other things at other times.

If you are in this world and you want to have bhakti, then both are necessary. First, you will have to somehow maintain your life, otherwise you cannot do bhakti. At your present stage of development, maintenance of your lives is the first priority.

However, when you advance, bhakti will be the priority and life's maintenance will be secondary. In fact, the effort for it will be very insignificant at that time. Life's maintenance will be done automatically.

Prahlada Maharaja has also said, tat-prayaso na kartavyo yata ayur-vyayah param: ["Endeavors merely for sense gratification or material happiness through economic development are not to be performed, for they result only in a loss of time and energy, with no actual profit." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.4] "Why are you wasting your time in maintaining your life? Even if you render a little devotional service, Krsna will arrange everything; your maintenance will come automatically." This is the case with me. I never engage in any activity for life's maintenance, but so many devotees are engaged in bringing me whatever I require.

Some are giving fruits, some vegetables, some rice, some dahl, and some anything else; and some give their houses and other very costly possessions. I think that living in Hawaii, and especially in Honolulu, is more costly than living on the mainland of America. Nonetheless, along with my companions, I am living here without any cost. We have a free house, a free garden and free vegetables, and so many things like Govinda's juices. Everything is free. Also, my daughters bring many jack-fruits and other vegetables.

I am not doing anything for maintenance. Rather, I am totally absorbed in Krsna consciousness, and I will not worry about maintenance for the rest of my life. If no maintenance comes, then Krsna is bound to carry what I need on His head.

Similarly, if you have ruci, your bhajana will develop and you will be happy forever. You should note down this very important principle in your heart and keep this precious understanding in your pocket. Don't concentrate on your maintenance. Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura tell us that both are necessary, and that in your stage there is a prominence of endeavor for maintenance of your life, but at the same time you should try to follow the principles of bhakti: sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam.

Especially, try to follow the five most important items of bhakti: sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavat-sravana, mathura-vasa, and sri murtira sraddhaya sevana. ["One should associate with devotees, chant the holy name of the Lord, hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, reside at Mathura and worship the Deity with faith and veneration." (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 22.128)] [sakala-sadhana-srestha ei panca anga, krsna-prema janmaya ei pancera alpa sanga. "These five limbs of devotional service are the best of all. Even a slight performance of these five awakens love for Krsna." (Caitanya-caritamrta Madya-lila 22.129)]

These five are very powerful; they can give you krsna-prema at once. So try to give some time for this; otherwise you will be weak. Try to remember all these truths. Maintenance is not so important. You can see for yourselves: Don't do anything for seven days, simply chant Hare Krsna, and you will see whether or not your maintenance is coming. Even if you sit idle, still your maintenance will come. A python does not do anything, but his maintenance automatically comes; so try to be like that. Be somehow engaged in bhakti. Be very strong and tolerant.

Editorial advisors: Pujyapad Madhava Maharaja and Sripad Brajanatha dasa

Transcriber: Yasoda-gopi dasi

Editor: Syamarani dasi and Krsna Bhamini dasi

Typist: Premavati dasi

HTML: Bhutabhavana dasa

www.bvml.net/SBNM/lectures/20020511agosun.html

Sri Ujjvala-Nilamani

by Srila Rupa Gosvami

www.bvml.net/SRG/SriUjjvalaNilamani.html

it was a worthy break from extreme workload....... a warm day, even at day end.... but once the sun began to kiss the water's edge, the fest of colours began....... the Turag turned into gold and the motor boats were making designs on that liquid gold like expert craftsmen......

Taken at Ashulia, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 13 July 2009

This dove was so far overhead I had to do some stressful cropping from the original just to bring it into view. However, it seems the exposure hasn't suffered too much for it.

The expression on this dove's face reminds me of Doris, a senior bookkeeper of advanced age, I worked with in a previous life. My position was actually personal assistant to the owner of the accounting firm. Filled in from time to time to do light, minor bookkeeping to reduce her workload. Doris did not approve.

phases finales féminines et masculines (ouverture des portes au public à 8h15)

Le World Rugby Sevens Series 2017-2018 est la 19e édition de la compétition la plus importante du monde de rugby à sept. Elle se déroule du 1er décembre 2017 au 10 juin 2018. L'Afrique du Sud est tenante du titre et l'Espagne est l'équipe promue de la saison.

Au mois d'avril se déroulent les Jeux du Commonwealth 2018 où dix équipes des World Rugby Sevens Series participent. La compétition enchaine ensuite avec la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept en juillet 2018.

Chaque étape est un tournoi se déroulant sur deux ou trois jours, entre le vendredi et le dimanche. À chaque étape est convié une équipe qui ne possède pas le statut d'équipe permanente, portant le nombre total d'équipes à seize.

En fonction du résultat du tournoi précédent, ou du classement de la saison passée pour le premier tournoi de la saison à Dubaï, les équipes sont réparties en chapeaux avant tirage au sort pour former quatre poules de quatre équipes. Chaque équipe joue les trois autres membres de sa poule et un classement est établi, tout d'abord sur le nombre de points (victoire 3 points, nul 2 points, défaite 1 point) puis sur le goal-average général. Les deux premiers de chaque poule passent en quart de finale de la Cup ou tournoi principal et les deux derniers passent en quart de finale du Challenge Trophy. Les équipes vaincues en quart de finale sont alors reversées en demi-finales de classement, respectivement pour la cinquième et treizième place. Les équipes battues en demi-finales ne disputent pas de petite finale de classement et remportent le même nombre de point, sauf pour les équipes battues en demi finales de Cup qui disputeront un dernier match de classement pour la troisième place.

Chaque rencontre, y compris la finale depuis l'édition 2016-2017, se dispute en deux fois sept minutes.

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne de rugby à 7 rassemble, de ce vendredi à dimanche, les meilleures nations mondiales pour décider du vainqueur du circuit mondial. Une belle vitrine pour la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV.

Dixième étape de la saison, le Paris Sevens clôture ce week-end le circuit mondial de rugby à 7, réunissant les 16 meilleures nations du monde aux quatre coins de la planète. De vendredi à dimanche, dans l’enceinte du Stade Jean Bouin, les équipes masculines feront le spectacle à travers une discipline méconnue en France mais très appréciée dans de nombreux pays. Et, pour la première fois cette année, les équipes féminines ouvriront les festivités.

Une véritable fête du rugby à 7, discipline olympique depuis 2016 et en plein boom grâce à la vitrine que lui ont offert offert les Jeux de Rio. Chez les hommes, outre les nations majeures de l’Ovale comme la Nouvelle-Zélande, l’Australie, l’Angleterre ou les Fidji, le Kenya, le Canada ou encore l’Espagne font leur trou et voient dans cette discipline une chance de développer un sport mineur dans leur pays. Chez les femmes, la Chine, le Japon ou la Russie figurent dans le top 12.

Le crazy rugby à la fête

Créée en 2016, l’étape parisienne est également l’occasion pour la France de développer la discipline dans un pays qui ne jure que par le XV. «Nous sommes fiers de soutenir financièrement ce tournoi et de permettre qu’il existe», a tenu à rappeler le vice-président de la région Île-de-France, Patrick Karam. Et de poursuivre. «La région est également présente dans la sensibilisation. Vendredi, 360 lycéens pourront découvrir la discipline grâce à de nombreuses animations. Il est important pour nous de tout faire pour développer cette pratique, en vue de Paris 2024», a-t-il poursuivi, alors que la conférence de presse de présentation se tenait dans les locaux de la région, dans le 7e arrondissement parisien.

Dernière étape de la saison, le tournoi parisien représente en tout cas une belle vitrine pour la discipline, dans une ville au rayonnement mondial. «C’est formidable de pouvoir clôturer la saison dans une ville aussi magnifique, chez un hôte comme la France», ajoute de son côté Douglas Langley, directeur du tournoi et membre de World Rugby. «Nous nous réjouissons d’avance de ce week-end de ‘crazy rugby’», conclut-il. Et c’est bien là l’atout majeur de la discipline. Spectaculaire, chaque rencontre offre de nombreux essais et des sprints permanents.

Les Bleues veulent briller

Le public parisien, qui vient en nombre à chaque édition, est adepte de cette discipline. Le Stade Jean Bouin était plein en 2016 et 2017, et l’édition 2018, même s’il reste encore des places à vendre, ne dérogera certainement pas à la règle. Pourtant, ce ne sont pas les résultats des Bleus qui font venir les supporters. Malgré une 3e place en 2016, et une 5e en 2017, l’équipe masculine connaît une saison compliquée. 12e sur 16 au classement, les Bleus n’ont pas fait mieux que 7e cette année lors des neuf précédents tournois du circuit.

«Même si nos chances sont moindres, on rentre dans ce tournoi pour le gagner, et on a la chance d’avoir le soutien du public avec nous», déclare Manoël Dall’igna, capitaine de France 7. «Ces deux dernières années on a eu des supers résultats ici et on compte sur le 8e homme pour faire aussi bien», termine-t-il. Cette période de creux, due en partie à de nombreux départs en retraite en 2016, ne touche pas les féminines. 3e du circuit mondial, les coéquipières de Fanny Horta visent le podium à Paris. «On a reçu beaucoup de messages de soutien de la jeune génération, et on veut vraiment profiter de ce soutien pour garder la dynamique de la saison et faire un nouveau podium», confie la capitaine.

Mises en valeur ce week-end, les Bleues représentent «la véritable locomotive du 7 en France avec une très belle réussite sportive», estime Christophe Reigt, manager des équipes de France à 7. Suffisant pour développer la discipline en France ? Quoiqu’il en soit, avec cette étape parisienne, la Fédération se démène pour populariser le 7 dans l’Hexagone, avec un objectif majeur en ligne de mire : les Jeux olympiques de Paris en 2024.

The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2018 Awards in Paris brought a fitting end to an enthralling season which saw South Africa and Australia crowned men’s and women’s series champions respectively.

It’s been one of the most competitive seasons on record as both the women’s and men’s series were decided by just two-point differences.

South Africa fought an incredible battle with Fiji in the men’s series to retain their title with victory at the final round in Paris, while Olympic champions Australia won their second overall title ahead of rivals New Zealand on the women’s series after reaching the podium at every one of the five rounds.

The end of season awards provided a chance to celebrate the men’s and women’s sevens players, coaches and teams that are the stars, ambassadors and role models of the sport.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “It has been another tremendous year for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, which continues to go from strength to strength.

“I hugely admire the skill and physicality of rugby sevens and thank the players for their outstanding commitment which makes the series such a success. It is great to see the series capturing the imagination on and off the field with year-on-year increases in attendances, broadcast and fan-engagement figures, and that is a great testament to the players, coaches, host unions and everyone involved with the events.

“Rugby sevens took a quantum leap when it joined the Olympic programme in 2016 and now we look forward to a Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco in just 40 days time in an iconic city and a market with great potential. It promises to be a thrilling and spectacular event.”

the workload. It is a blessing for me to be standing here.”

Rookies of the Year

Eroni Sau is the second Fijian to be named Rookie of the Year for the men’s series after being a clear winner in the fan vote ahead of his compatriot Alosio Naduva and Australia’s Ben O’Donnell. The 28-year-old featured in all 10 rounds in his debut season, using his powerful physique to score 37 tries.

France’s Coralie Bertrand, meanwhile, claimed the women’s accolade, having featured in all five rounds and helped Les Bleues enjoy their best season, reaching a first-ever Cup final in Kitakyushu and semi-finals in Langford and Paris to clinch the series bronze medal.

Fair Play Award

This award, selected by the match officials, recognises the teams who showcase rugby’s values of integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect. Japan were awarded the women’s accolade after an event that saw them lose their core team status on the series, with Kenya the men’s recipients following an exciting season which saw them reach the final in both Vancouver and Hong Kong.

Roche’s kick with the final play of the match against England to snatch the bronze medal for invitational team Ireland at the HSBC London Sevens was a clear winner of the men’s award, beating Fijian Alosio Naduva’s last-gasp winning try against Australia in the Singapore Cup final and Matias Osadczuk’s break and calm head to send Renzo Barbier over for the winning try in Argentina’s Cup semi-final against South Africa in Las Vegas.

Capgemini Coach of the Series

Another inaugural category, selected by the series’ global innovation partner Capgemini, was won by New Zealand women’s coach Alan Bunting after successive victories in the last three rounds of the series in Japan, Canada and France as well as the Commonwealth Games title in April.

South Africa coach Neil Powell, who guided the Blitzboks to retaining their series title, picked up the men’s coach of the series award and paid tribute to his victorious team: “The mental focus and composure they showed was fantastic, all credit to the boys for believing in their success. We had everything to play for and the team did an incredible job, not just today but over the whole season.

“I also want to congratulate Fiji on an amazing season, they were phenomenal.”

DHL Impact Player

The race to be named DHL Impact Player of the Year in both the men’s and women’s series went right down to the final matches. In total 16 players from 12 nations won tournament awards during this season’s series.

New Zealand’s Michaela Blyde was delighted to win the women’s award: “This is pretty special. I’m shocked and truly grateful. I put this down to my teammates who create the opportunities for me and I thank them.”

La Fédération française de rugby organise, du 8 au 10 juin au stade Jean-Bouin, à Paris 16e, un tournoi international de rugby à 7 masculin et féminin, étape du HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Cette manifestation sportive, soutenue par la Région à hauteur de 170.000€, va rassembler 28 équipes internationales, qui s'affronteront au cours de 45 matchs masculins et 34 matchs féminins.

Le public pourra découvrir à cette occasion, jusque dans sa pratique féminine, une discipline largement méconnue.

Quant au stade Jean-Bouin, qui est l'un des sites retenus pour les JO Paris 2024, il pourra mettre en avant sa capacité d’accueil de 20.000 spectateurs.

Ce tournoi constituant la 10e et dernière étape du circuit mondial, il s'achèvera avec la remise des titres de champion et championne du monde de rugby à 7.

En soutenant l'organisation de tels grands événements sportifs franciliens, la Région Île-de-France renforce chaque fois un peu plus l'attractivité de ses territoires tout en assurant son rayonnement à l'échelle internationale.

Le titre HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series a été décidé de façon spectaculaire après que l'Afrique du Sud a battu l'Angleterre 24-14 en finale du HSBC Paris Sevens pour décrocher la médaille d'or et conserver son titre de série.

Au cours d'une des années les plus compétitives de l'histoire de la série, le titre est allé jusqu'au tout dernier match puisque l'Afrique du Sud avait besoin d'une victoire en tournoi pour dépasser les Fidji dans le classement de la série.

L'Afrique du Sud a terminé la série en tête avec 182 points, suivie des Fidji qui ont remporté l'argent avec 180 points et la Nouvelle-Zélande avec 150 points après avoir remporté la médaille de bronze à Paris avec une victoire de 38-5 contre le Canada dans la troisième place

Les champions de la série de l'année dernière, l'Afrique du Sud, ont devancé l'Espagne 15-10 en quart de finale avec un essai à la cinquième minute de Justin Deguld, après que les pointages aient été 10-10 à la fin du temps réglementaire. Les Blitzboks sud-africains ont ensuite trouvé leur rythme en demi-finale avec une victoire complète de 24-12 contre la Nouvelle-Zélande grâce à deux essais de l'impressionnant Dewald Human, 23 ans, qui a fait ses débuts il y a deux mois à Hong Kong .

Humain était de nouveau en forme de but en finale et était ravi d'être élu Joueur de la Finale: "Ca a été une expérience fantastique ici à Paris, je me suis appuyé sur moi et j'ai apprécié chaque minute sur le terrain. sommes très heureux de la victoire. "

Le capitaine de l'équipe sud-africaine, Philip Snyman, a ajouté: "Nous voulions aller jouer au rugby et nous concentrer sur ce que nous pouvions contrôler: les gars ont joué un rugby phénoménal et ont fait honneur à l'équipe. C'est un sentiment incroyable de représenter un pays si merveilleux et les gens de chez nous n'ont jamais cessé de croire en nous et de nous soutenir. "

Fidjiens ont raté l'occasion de remporter le titre plus tôt dans la journée alors qu'ils ont été vaincus 19-17 par une équipe d'Angleterre pleine d'entrain dans un quart de finale à couper le souffle. Le capitaine de l'équipe d'Angleterre, Tom Mitchell, a complété un mouvement de 26 passes pour marquer dans les dernières secondes du match et mettre un terme à la récente domination des Fidji qui les avait vaincus lors des quatre dernières manches de la série.

Les Fidjiens se sont rétablis pour battre l'Irlande 38-5 et les États-Unis 28-7 pour terminer cinquième à Paris et mettre la pression sur l'Afrique du Sud pour la finale mais finalement ce n'était pas suffisant et les Fidjiens ont été obligés de se contenter des dix tours.

L'Angleterre a produit une autre performance puissante en demi-finale avec une victoire convaincante de 26-12 contre le Canada pour atteindre sa première finale de la série 2017-18, mais ils ont été incapables de faire face aux Blitzboks en finale alors que les hommes d'Afrique du Sud couraient vainqueurs devant une foule parisienne bruyante.

Équipe Invitational L'Irlande a battu 19-5 du quart en quarts de finale, mais après sa médaille de bronze à Londres la semaine dernière, les Irlandais se sont montrés assez prometteurs au cours des deux derniers tours un brillant avenir dans le rugby à sept.

L'Argentine a remporté le Challenge Trophy, décerné à l'équipe terminant en neuvième position, après avoir vaincu le Pays de Galles 33-26.

Toute l'attention se tourne maintenant vers la Coupe du monde de rugby à sept 2018 à San Francisco du 20 au 22 juillet, où 24 équipes masculines et 16 équipes féminines s'affronteront pour devenir championnes du monde au cours de trois journées d'action excitantes. Plus de 72 000 billets ont déjà été vendus et d'autres détails peuvent être obtenus via