UK cruise ship is held in Madeira
Efforts are under way to release a UK cruise ship that has been detained by police in Madeira.
The Van Gogh, which has about 460 passengers on board, was held on Tuesday shortly after it came into Funchal port in the Portuguese isles.
Administrators claim the ships owners owe £2 million, after taking over the cruise at Christmas.
Van Gogh Cruise Line Ltd said its lawyers were liaising with authorities. One passenger said she was shocked.
Home straight
The ship is on the final stage of a round-the-world cruise - stops included Egypt, the Caribbean, Ecuador, Tahiti and Cape Town - and had been due back in Falmouth on Saturday.
It set off on 4 January from Falmouth, after its previous operator Travelscope went into administration at Christmas.
A spokesman for Van Gogh Cruise Line Ltd, which is based in Cheltenham and a subsidiary of the Dutch-owned Club Cruise, said it was working with lawyers to get the ship released as quickly as possible.
Passengers said the cruise director ...
48 nations registered at the 39th Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia MAPFRE
At less than two weeks from its beginning, the 39th Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia MAPFRE confirms itself as one of the most international editions in the history of this Majorcan Olympic classes regatta. Up to 48 nations will be represented in the bay of Palma from 15 to 21 March with all the attention of the sailing world on the event in this Olympic year.
The 39th Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia MAPFRE will welcome the best world teams of each class, a fact that consolidates this event as the most important and international Olympic classes regatta in Spain.
Up to 586 boats and 900 competitors will meet in Palma as shown by the pre-entry lists of the Consortium Regatta Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia, formed by the Govern de les Illes Balears, Palma and Llucmajor city councils, the Consell de Mallorca, MAPFRE, Real Federación Española de Vela, Federación Balear de Vela, Real Club Náutico de Palma, Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa, Club Nàutic S’Arenal and Escuela Nacional de Vela ...
