Francois Mayor nudges back on the power and makes a subtle adjustment on the wheel as he coaxes his cargo vessel through a narrow point in the Suez Canal – not the Egyptian one, but a replica in the middle of a French forest.
This stretch of water was built to train ship captains and maritime pilots how to navigate the Suez Canal – a skill now in the spotlight after the Ever Given cargo ship became wedged in the Egyptian waterway last month in high winds and a sandstorm.
The channel is built to 125th the scale of a section of the real Suez Canal. Trainees have to steer through scale models of massive container ships without getting stuck.
"It's a bit hard to recreate sandstorms," said Mr Mayor, the managing director of the Port Revel training facility, built around a lake in eastern France. "But we have gusts of wind which will push our ship to one side or another."
During training on the mini-Suez Canal, instructors simulate steering problems and engine outages to see how the trainees react.
"You have little space to manoeuvre. You have to be particularly focused," said Mr Mayor.
Located in the foothills of the Alps, the Port Revel facility is designed to replicate some of the trickiest spots in global shipping.
There is also a mini-San Francisco Bay and an imitation Port Arthur, Texas, for lessons on docking and manoeuvring cruise ships and tankers in crowded ports. Underwater turbines replicate currents and waves.
Mr Mayor said the incident with the Ever Given, which blocked the Suez Canal for six days and choked global trade, may prompt shipping companies to send their staff for refresher courses.
"After each accident … we see new clients coming," said Mr Mayor. "The cost of training at Port Revel is nothing like the cost of having a vessel like that stuck for a day."
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Match info:
Leicester City 1
Ghezzal (63')
Liverpool 2
Mane (10'), Firmino (45')
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UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
The five pillars of Islam
Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
