Does anyone share Portsmouth Poll's opinion on the current television commercial for the Peugeot 307?

A crusty old salt calls the lifeboat service because there's a trawler in heavy seas (hardly in distress). The lifeboat crew dash away from their jobs, the scene cuts to a picture of the crew in full RNLI kit.

But the next scene is the crew in casual clothes, standing and looking on proudly as a ferry (suddenly the weather has abated) unloads a batch of Peugeot 307s. To the average viewer, it would appear the crew was dashing down to see the cars unloaded, rather than dashing to set out to risk their lives to save a boat in distress.

While the advertising luvvies will say Poll has missed the point and the commercial is all about the reliability of the Peugeot, Poll thinks the public will not make that connection.

Poll thinks the commercial belittles the RNLI and its crews.

The RNLI must have given its permission. But Poll asks simply - why?

Portsmouth Poll sees The Challenge Business is offering berths on The Fastnet Race for £2,700 a head, to include training, clothing, etc.

Poll knows one or two sailors who might pay that not to go on the race?.

It must be slightly awkward for Ellen MacArthur and her high-profile sponsors, Kingfisher , that the boat she puts her faith in for the Jules Verne Trophy attempt this winter has just had its mast fall down.

Orange - to be renamed Kingfisher 2 for the record attempt - joins a long list of smashed masts on French-built multihulls.

Poll understands a new mast will be built by Profil/JMV in Cherbourg in time for Ms MacArhtur to set off on her record attempt.

It must be galling for her, what with Tracy Edwards ' sister boat picking up the odd record here and there.

Poll says a' donf , Ellen.

News reaches Poll of an embarrassing little episode for one of the UK's most respected yachting titles.

In reporting the story about bogus RYA Yachtmaster certificates , a library shot of a certificate was used to illustrate the story.

Unfortunately, the picture snatched from the archives proved to be not of a bogus certificate. It was not even of a genuine RYA certificate.

It was a genuine certificate from another - totally blameless - company.

That company felt having its genuine certificate allied to a story about bogus certificates was not quite how it likes to see its products and services portrayed. Poll understands talks are progressing "amicably" and that there are hopes all round that the services of messrs Sue, Grabbit and Runne may not be necessary?. .

Poll hears that Mike Slade's Reichel Pugh designed Leopard will be back in commission, fresh from repairs at Green Marine , to brave the elements again in the Sydney-Hobart race.

Poll wonders how many insurance claims there were on the boat, following its rudder troubles, then its retrieval troubles, then its falling off its chocks troubles.

There were, apparently, eight holes in the hull and the repair bill was around £1 million. One wag in a Southampton bar reckoned there could be four different claims? Still on the racing scene, Poll noticed that, following the rudder falling off and the boat sinking and being recovered with a cracked deck, that long-time America's Cup stalwart, Dennis Conner , is to stick a new bow on his Stars & Stripes USA77.

How apposite, thought Poll, that Mr Conner's most recent sponsorship signing was Pacer Technology , recently announced as "official underwater glue supplier" to Team Dennis Conner .