How Will Schumacher Fare in the 2011 Grand Prix?

31 March 2011

Sky Sports reported today that Michael Schumacher has admitted to the fact that he is no longer the driver he was when he was young, but that he has insisted that he is still good enough for Formula One.

Schumacher, who is now 42, has been a world champion no less than seven times and it would appear from his recent statements that he is still very determined to go after the top spot in the races that he participates in.

He has spent much of the past 3 years as a test driver for Ferrari after retiring, but has now returned to the racing seat for Mercedes for the Australia 2011 Grand Prix. Schumacher did race for Mercedes last year too but failed to win a race. His last win was in 2006 when he raced in 18 Formula One races and won 7 of them. He was driving for Ferrari that year, whom he had been with since 1997.

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Guide to Hotels For the 2011 Masters Tournament

28 March 2011

The Masters Tournament is less than a month away, and if you’re planning on going to watch the tour then you’ll more than likely want to find a hotel to stay in during your time in Augusta.

Where you stay will really depend on your budget. As you can imagine the hotels in close proximity to the Augusta National Golf Club will be expensive during the time of the Masters Tournament, so we’ve picked out hotels for every budget so that you can make the best decision for you.

Budget Hotels

If you don’t mind a bit of a drive to the clubhouse, the Western Motel is 11 miles away and costs just $35 per night for a queen room. It’s located on Deans Bridge Road, and although it has a two star rating it is still a great place to stay if you’re on a budget.

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Do Ferrari Have The Car to Win the 2011 Grand Prix?

28 March 2011

Ferrari were the first team to reveal their new car for this year’s Grand Prix back in January this year. The Formula One rules have changed for this year’s race and so many of the teams have had to make adjustments to the cars to comply with the regulations and be allowed to drive in the races. The new rules will also mean that the drivers will have to change the way that they work.

The Ferrari car for the 2011 Australian Grand Prix is the F150, and it was unveiled on 28th January 2011 at the team’s Maranello factory. This year’s drivers have also been announced as Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa - and the pair took the red cloth off the car at the unveiling.

Last year, Ferrari didn’t manage to make the title for the 2010 Grand Prix which was held in Abu Dhabi but this year the team feels confident with their new car that they have a better chance of winning the Grand Prix. And the new F150 looks extremely smart too. It’s the usual Ferrari red and looks so sleek and aerodynamic.

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As The 2011 Grand Prix Season Begins Who Are the Forerunners?

27 March 2011

The Australian Grand Prix kicks off on Thursday 24th March - but who are the drivers for this year’s big event in Australia?

The Red Bull team have Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber as their main drivers this year. Mark Webber is back on top form after an injury in 2008 following a crash, but he is now fully recovered. Their reserve driver this year will be Daniel Ricciardo.

Vodafone’s McLaren Mercedes sees two very strong drivers take the seat in Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button with Gary Paffett on reserve. Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa are the top drivers for Scuderia Ferrari Marlborough, and this year there they have three reserve drivers: Giancarlo Fisichella, Jules Bianchi and Marc Gené.

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A Peek At The New Williams 2011 Livery Unveiled at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix

27 March 2011

Williams, the British Grand Prix team, have come up with a brand spanking new design for the FW33 which will be unveiled at the Australian Grand Prix this year. The regulations have changed for the 2011 Grand Prix in Australia meaning that many teams in Formula One have had to redesign their cars, but Williams in particular have made hot news with theirs.

The new car has been undergoing testing and has been showing itself as a very competitive new design. Although with the Grand Prix just a month away, the Williams team will have to finish their developments quickly in order to be ready in time.

The new 2011 regulations have included the Kinetic Energy Recovery to be reintroduced, as well as Pierlli tyres, a rear wing that is moveable and the F-duct and double diffuser being taken off. These regulations have forced the design teams to come up with new and innovative ways to get down-force on the cars as well as aerodynamics. Williams have paid a lot of attention to the back end of the new car and a smaller gearbox with new rear driveshafts.

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Will Australian Grand Prix Boost Melbourne and Australia After Recent Issues with FIA?

27 March 2011

The Australian Grand Prix is just under a month away, with the first practice runs and qualifiers to take place on March 24th. There will be further races on 25th and 26th before the main Grand Prix event which will run on Sunday 27th March. But it looks set to be under fire as many residents seem to complain regularly about the noise levels from the Grand Prix event in Melbourne every year. It has also come under question about how much the Grand Prix is costing.

In 1996 the Australian Grand Prix was only costing the Australian government £1.7 million Australian dollars, but the number of spectators appears to be dropping and the bill has increased to $50 million Australian dollars per year, so it is no longer feasible the local MPs have said.

A spokesperson said that it used to be a god idea when costs were lower, but it has become far too expensive to justify. And to add to the stress of the whole situation, local residents are complaining that the event is just too noisy and it disrupting their lives over the four day weekend event. They have also complained about access to roads around the track being blocked off.

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Can Sebastian Vettel Retain His 2010 Title As We Approach the 2011 Australian Grand Prix?

27 March 2011

Sebastian Vettel managed to take the title in the Formula One Driver’s Championships held in November 2010, and he will of course be determined to try and take the title as we approach the 2011 Australian Grand Prix. Vettel’s win of the driver’s title in 2010 made him the youngest Formula One driver to do so. His team, Red Bull, also won the Constructor’s Championship last year.

But today’s news confirmed that Mark Webber is hot on his tail for the top spot at the annual Formula One event. Webber did lead the Formula One standings last year but Vettel took the lead in the final race leaving Webber without his win.

Vettel spoke out on Sunday of other drivers that are worrying at the moment too. He confirmed that he not only expects Fernando Alonso as his main rival for the 2011 Grand Prix, but he also said that the thinks that Felipe Massa could cause him some problems too. Although he won against Alonso in Abu Dhabi last year, he spoke out and said that he believes there will be a comeback for Alonso this year.

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What are the Fundamentals of a Good Boat Race Team?

27 March 2011

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races are due next month, so we’re looking into what makes a good boat racing team in preparation for the exciting rowing event.

In September every year, a number of hopefuls enter in for trials. Those who get through the trials can be involved in the boat races on Race Day. Three months later, each of the clubs (Oxford and Cambridge) have 24 hopefuls left.

The coach of each team then split their team into two and begin test racing them along the race course to see how they measure up. Over time, the strong candidates become clear and the teams and reserves are officially announced approximately a month before the race day.

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Will Oxford or Cambridge Win the 2011 Boat Races?

27 March 2011

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races take place in just over a month, so who is most likely to win this year’s races. Well first off, let’s look at the recent wins.

From 2004 - 2009, Oxford won four out of the five boat races, with Cambridge winning on the 2007 race. That year Cambridge had help from the German world champions Thorsten Englemann and Sebastian Schulte, as well as Kieran West MBE who is an Olympic gold medal holder, and GB medal holder Tom James, so it’s not surprising that they won. 2008 and 2009 were won by Oxford again, but Cambridge pushed on to win last year’s race although it was still very close. Oxford were in the lead most of the way but came from behind and overtook Oxford towards the end, finally winning the race by 1 1/3 lengths.

Since the beginning of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race in 1829, Oxford have won 75 races and Cambridge have won 80, so as you can see from these figures it’s very close with not one team taking a huge lead over the other.

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A Brief History of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races

27 March 2011

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat race is an annual boat race between the two universities in England, Oxford and Cambridge. The idea came about in early 1829 by two friends, Charles Merivale and Charles Wordsworth who were attending the two universities at the time. In March of 1829, Cambridge university invited Oxford university to a challenge, and ever since then the boat races have been a tradition for the two well established educational institutions.

The very first boat race was held on the River Thames in Henley, Oxfordshire and according to the local newspapers, 20,000 spectators attended to watch the two teams compete. There was a false start that year and the two teams had to row back for a restart. Oxford won the first race well ahead of Cambridge. Because of the popularity of the race, the citizens of Henley subsequently founded the Henley Royal Regatta which is now another annual boat racing event.

In 1836, the next boat races were held in Westminster in London, where it was held over the next 15 years. The next races didn’t take place until 1845, and the crowds had become so large that the location could no longer cater for such a high number of spectators and so the races were held in Putney, not far from Westminster. In 1856 races then became an annual event as it was so popular among spectators.

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The 2011 Oxford Cambridge Boat Race The Course and River

26 March 2011

The 2011 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is just over a month away, and if you want to watch the race on race day, you’ll need to know the course.

The course only stretches across a small part of the River Thames in London, 4 miles to be exact, and as it’s close to the sea the water is tidal there, which can sometimes make the race harder for the teams. The start line is in Putney, close to the Putney Bridge. You can catch buses 14, 22 and 74 from the centre of London to Putney, or the 220 Bus which goes via Putney Bridge. There is a rail station in Putney as well as a Putney Bridge and East Putney tube stations, so you can easily get there on race day.

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Robert Kubica Begins Recovery in Intensive Care After Accident

25 March 2011

Robert Kubica, a professional formula one driver, suffered a devastating accident in Italy just 3 weeks ago on 6th February. Many who saw the crash did not expect him to emerge, but after medics raced to the scene he was taken to hospital for emergency care.

An Armco barrier went through the floor of the Skoda that he was driving and almost completely took his hand off. He also suffered fractures in his arm, leg and hand. His surgeon confirmed that Kubica had undergone surgery to reattach his hand, and that he has begun rehabilitation by doing finger exercises to get his hand moving again.

All in all, he had to go through three separate operations to deal with his horrific injuries, but thankfully it seems he is well on the road to recovery now and has been released from intensive care. He is still in the Santa Corona Hospital in Petra Ligure, however things are starting to look up.

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What Does the 2011 Grand Prix Have in Store For Us?

25 March 2011

The 2011 Grand Prix in Australia is set to be just as exciting as always, with plenty of events to keep you entertained.

It all kicks off on Thursday 24th March with the practice races and qualifying races. The first practice is at 11:20 with the V8 Supercars Prizewinners Hot Laps. We’ll then also see the Shannons Histrorics Demonstrations on that day and the Red Bull Practice race, the Lexus Celebrity Practice and the V8 Supercars Albert Park 400 Practice.

After lunch there is the Formula 5000 Tasman Cup Revival, Porsche Carrera Cup Championship, and Ultimate Speed Comparison practices. These should all be good fun to watch to ‘warm up’ the event.

The afternoon then moves onto the qualifying races: first off is the Lexus Celebrity Challenge qualifying, then Porsche Carrera Cup Championship qualifying, Ultimate Speed Demonstration qualifying, followed by the Formula 5000 Tasman Cup qualifying and finally the V8 Supercars Albert Park 400 qualifying to finish off the day.

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Blast from the Past at the Lyndhurst Castle

25 March 2011

Have you ever wonder what it feels like to be in the 11th century? Think knights in shining armour on horseback and the whole royal family sitting on the long table to feast. Well, you can visit one located just outside New York City; the Lyndhurst Medieval Castle in New Jersey, built to orchestrate the Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament.

Visitors will be ushered into the castle with the music of Trumpeters and Heralders. It is like a step into the past because once you are inside the castle, the workers there are all in medieval costumes and the best part of the replication would be the ancient speech spoken by them. Visitors have to make a selection for the Knight that they want to support during the tournament and the hostess will then arrange the visitors to the relevant check-in areas.

Upon checking in, crowns made from cardboard will be given to the visitors and the colours will match the Knights that they support. The King of the Castle, King Philippe and his daughter, Princess Leonore come and join the table for group pictures. The pictures are then sold to the tables as a memento of the evening.

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Review of Palazzo Arzarga Spa

24 March 2011

The Italians are famed for their laid back way of life, and relaxation is the philosophy of the Palazzo Arzarga Spa. Overlooking the glistening waters of Lake Garda, it is the perfect place to unwind and breathe in the fresh, clean air of one of the most beautiful areas of the world.

The spa is housed in a magnificent 15th century mansion, making it feel as though you have walked into a fairytale. It promises to regenerate every part of your body, and leave you feeling fresh and healthy. You will be safe in the hands of the experienced therapists.

There is a variety of treatments on offer, including the ‘youth booster’, which replenishes the skin leaving you younger looking, with soft and silky skin. The therapy includes the use of plant extract from the Japanese Pueraria Lobata plant, which aids cell regeneration.

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Cheltenham World Hurdle 2011 Potential Winners

20 March 2011

The Cheltenham World Hurdle will be the fourth race of day three, and is by far the biggest race of the day. It is a three mile run and is a grade 1 hurdle race and allows horses over the age of 4 years.

For 2011, the horse which appears to be standing out with a very good chance of winning the title is Big Bucks, trained by Paul Nicholls. Big Bucks has always been a favourite for the Cheltenham Festival races, and won the World Hurdle at 2009 and 2010’s Cheltenham Festival events.

Big Bucks is now an eight year old, and very soon after the win of last year’s Cheltenham World Hurdle, he was already being marked as the favourite for 2011 - 12 months before the race. The trainer, Paul Nicholls is a champion trainer who has trained many of the successful horses in the UK.

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The Cheltenham Gold Cup

18 March 2011

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a National Hunt chase race. It allows horses to enter who are age 5 and over. There are 22 fence obstacles over a distance of 5,331 metres. The race takes place at the annual Cheltenham National Hunt Festival in Prestbury Park, Cheltenham.  The Gold Cup race has always been one of the most exciting races, with the top horses and jockeys racing.

It was established in 1819 but at that time it was a flat race. This changed and it became a jump race in 1924. It has been a jump chase race every year since. The Gold Cup is the most prestigious of all of the National Hunt races, and in the past it has been dubbed the ‘Blue Riband’ of horse racing.

The Gold Cup has been canceled on a number of occasions, including 1931 due to frosty weather, 1937 due to flooding, and then again in 1943 and 1944 because of World War II. Then in 2001 after an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in bovine animals across the UK, dubbed  ‘mad cow disease’, the Gold Cup was canceled once again.

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Preparing for Cheltenham Ladies Day

18 March 2011

Cheltenham Ladies Day is a wonderful event for women to join in with the horse races. It is also well known for the dress code of women sporting fancy hats and dresses or suits. SO what should you wear if you’re attending the Cheltenham Ladies Day event?

The event takes place in March, and British weather can be rather unpredictable at that time of year so it is difficult to judge whether to go for a dressed up look, or something more comfortable and warm, especially with prizes on offer for the best dressed ladies.

Many women go for extremely dressy hats and matching outfits, commonly dresses and even heeled shoes. Others opt for classy outfits with tweed or designer suits, covered with warm fur coats which would seem to be the safer option if you don’t want to catch a cold on the day, or spend the event shivering. So what you wear really depends on what you’ll be getting involved in. If you want to join in with the best dressed competitions and have a go at winning a prize for your outfit, you can opt for a strappy or well fitted dress, a stylish hat matching the colour of the dress along with a nice clutch bag and some sexy high heels. Beware though, as it won’t be easy walking about the grass with heels on.

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Cheltenham Race Types Explained

17 March 2011

At the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival you’ll see a wide variety of different types of race, but you may not fully understand what they all mean. So what are they?

Chase Horse Races

A chase is a kind of race which is run by horses over fences. In chases, the minimum fence height is set to 4.5 feet (just over 1.37m). The fences are fairly wide and are designed to look like box hedges. If a horse jumps incorrectly over chase fences, it is common to see them fall down. The distance of chase races can be anything from 2 miles to 4.5 miles. Famous chase races include the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the world renowned Grand National horse race.

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The History of Cheltenham National Hunt Festival

16 March 2011

The Cheltenham National Hunt Festival is an extremely well known and high class horse racing event, which takes place annually in Cheltenham in March. Today some of the finest British and Irish horses race against one another, and the event therefore attracts many affluent spectators. Many of the spectators are Irish due to the Irish horses racing and the fact that it often falls on or around St Patrick’s Day.

The official name of the festival is the ‘National Hunt Meeting’, and it started in 1860 at Market Harborough. At this time it was called the Grand National Hunt. Then in 1861 the event was held in Cheltenham for the first time. The following few years the National Hunt Meeting was held at various locations, before finally returning to Cheltenham again in 1904 for two years. After this time, the National Hunt Meeting was held in Warwick until 1910, and the following year it returned to Cheltenham where it has been held ever since.  Prestbury Park in Cheltenham is the grounds where the festival takes place every year.

In 1924, the Cheltenham Gold Cup began, which was the first championship race event. Three years later the Champion Hurdle was established, and then 32 years after this the Queen Mother Championship Chase was introduced. In 1972 the first Stayers Hurdle took place.

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The Bookmakers Top Choices for the Cheltenham Festival 2011

15 March 2011

The Cheltenham National Hunt Festival is just around the corner once more, and preparations are well under way. But who are the favourites for this year’s event? In this article we take a look at the bookie’s favourites for 2011.

The first day is the Supreme Novice’s Hurdle where the favourite is Cue Card. Cue Card has had an impressive record throughout 2010 and is now expected to win the Supreme Novice Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival. Other favourites from this race are Zaidpour after odds were cut when Zaidpour made it 2-2 over the hurdles at the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle in December 2010. Hidden Universe is the next favourite for this race.

Also on the first day of the Cheltenham races will be the Arkle Trophy, William Hill Trophy, Champion Hurdle, Cross Country Chase, Dave Nicholson Mares Hurdle and the Centenary Novices Chase. The favourites for these retrospectively are Blazing Bailey, Binocular, Garde Champetre, Quevega and Quel Esprit.

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On the Route 66 Highway: Barstow, California

13 March 2011

Like any Californian city, Barstow enjoys the Mediterranean weather. However, it is not located by the famous beachside that California is so famous for; the city is actually part of the also-famous Mojave Desert. The Mojave Desert plays a key part in the development of this city as the line of transportation is built through Barstow thereby making it an inter-city transportation centre.

The perfect time to visit Barstow is during the spring or summer as the climate will be extremely cold during the winter times. This is mostly contributed by the low moisture level in the atmosphere as the day turns to night, the city experiences rapid change of temperature. The locals find the weather just fine because they get just enough sun during the day and an enjoyable night sleep with the cold breeze at night.

Barstow is a quaint, little Californian city with a small community and low living standards. It oozes the wild western feeling despite being small. The city of Barstow has been trying to up its ante to attract more visitors over the years and it certainly serves as a perfect destination for adventure seekers.

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Closing a Chapter on the 1980s, the 1990 Ferrari F40 Classic

12 March 2011

The 1990 Ferrari F40 classic is not any ordinary sports car. Though it exhibits the same familiarities found in most sports cars, this model is widely known to have revolutionized the car-making industry and has often been touted as the catalyst for the future success of Scuderia Ferrari. The brainchild of Enzo Ferrari before his death in 1988, this supercar is known for its aerodynamics design which was then underutilised in the car industry.

At first glance, the F40 is like any other sports car during its generation; a Berlinetta with a really loud engine. However, the design itself is not for eyes only; it combines the use of lightweight materials and aerodynamics to enhance its performance.
 
Pirinfarina, a car design firm and long time collaborator of Ferrari was enlisted to design the build. The key was to make the supercar as lightweight as possible so Pirinfarina used Kevlar and steel for the chassis; carbon fibre and aluminium to make the body of the vehicle. These composite materials are really strong yet lightweight.

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The Icon of the 60s: 1970 Lamborghini Miura Classic

11 March 2011

Back in the 1960s, the sports car industry in Italy was monopolized by supercar giants like Ferrari and Maserati. Ferruccio Lamborghini entered the industry in 1963 specializing in the same type of sports car produced by Ferrari; the grand touring race cars. As much as he adored Ferraris, he disliked the fact that the sport cars were built for competition purposes and he would like to build sports cars suitable for normal road users.

Ferruccio finally hit the jackpot with his 1966 creation, the Lamborghini Miura. It was the sports car that defined the success of the company for years to come. Debuting into the market with only an engine on the rolling chassis, the mid-engine prototype P400 left many spectators at the 1965 Turin Salon Auto Show in awe.

The story of how the name Miura came about to represent this impressive sports car is also an intriguing piece. Ferruccio Lamborghini, a Taurus himself, was so taken by the strong and fierce nature of the Miura fighting bull at a ranch that he decided to name the model and placed the bull as the emblem for Lamborghini.

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Review of Turnberry Spa

10 March 2011

Buried in the gorgeous Scottish coastline is the stunning Turnberry Resort housed in a wonderfully historic Edwardian building which sits on 800 acres of lush green land. And inside you can find a tranquil spa which overlooks the Irish Sea in a serene oasis of calm.

The large swimming pool is in the centre of the spa, with a whirlpool for your to sit and unwind, and an outdoor terrace for the warmer days. The pool is surrounded with huge windows that make you feel as if you’re out in nature, but with the comforting warmth of the indoors.

The range of facials are designed to regenerate the skin and remove excess oil and dirt to leave you with a bright and glowing complexion reminiscent of your youth. They also rehydrate the skin which increases elasticity and makes the skin more supple.

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Meet the Teeth at the Singapore Crocodilarium

09 March 2011

Singapore, a seemingly unseen island on the globe stores many wonders to be discovered. One of them would be the Singapore Crocodilarium, located at the south of the island along the East Coast Parkway. Whether you are travelling with family or friends, a visit to this tourist spot is guaranteed to be an eye opener.

The Singapore Crocodilarium may sound like any typical crocodilian farm that you can find around Asia but it is not. In fact, it houses more than 1000 types of reptiles besides crocodiles and is the largest enclosed crocodilian farm in South East Asia. Normal visits usually last about 2 hours and the ticket price is a total steal; only S$2 for adults and S$1 for children.

Walking by the forum area, visitors get to be up close and personal with the crocodilians as they are displayed at a really close range. The workers at the Crocodilarium are familiar with these reptiles and visitors can ask them any questions about these reptiles. Children especially love these scary, wrinkly creatures and there is also a session when visitors are allowed to feed the young.

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Review of The Spa - Sandy Lane, Barbados

02 March 2011

Prepare to enter a world like you’ve never seen before at this top spa in one of the world’s most sought after holiday locations. Barbados is a place where dreams come true, with brilliant blue ocean stroking the white sand beaches as the palm trees sway in the Caribbean breeze.

The journey starts in the reception area which is clad with beautiful marble and sweeping staircases of black and gold. Climb these and find an array of treatment rooms where you can indulge in wonderful therapies and treatments.

The treatments are inspired by traditions from all over the world, including American, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, and there is always someone on hand to help you to choose the treatments that are right for you.

Massages, facials and total body treatments are all on offer in these lavishly decorated premises with beautiful rock features and waterfalls that come down from a rooftop pool. The entire complex is tranquil and will leave you feeling totally calm and at ease.

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