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Shepherd Neame Teams Up With Pub Licensee To Support Whitstable Yacht



Independent family brewer Shepherd Neame has teamed up with the licensee of its Whitstable pub, The Old Neptune, to support a local yacht competing in an international race.


The Sailing Yacht Cormorant will take part in the 2026 Rolex Middle Sea Race, which starts in Malta on Saturday (October 17), becoming the first yacht from Whitstable to take part in the prestigious event.


Sponsored jointly by Shepherd Neame and The Old Neptune’s licensee Darren Wilton, the yacht will be sailed by Whitstable resident Patrick Maflin, Director and Founder of Marine Accounts, and members of his team. The Kent accountancy firm has spent the last 12 years working with crews, captains and marine professionals across the yachting industry.


Now in its 47th year, the race will start from Malta’s historic Grand Harbour, with the fleet setting off beneath the fortified walls of Valletta before racing out into the Mediterranean.


Affectionately known as ‘The Neppy’, The Old Neptune is one of the country’s most recognisable coastal pubs, thanks to its unique beachfront location. The logos of both the pub and Shepherd Neame’s Whitstable Bay range will be displayed on the yacht’s hull throughout the race.


The award-winning Whitstable Bay collection comprises Whitstable Bay Pale Ale, Whitstable Bay Lager and Whitstable Bay 0.5% Pale Ale. Inspired by the seaside town just a few miles from Shepherd Neame’s historic Faversham Brewery, the range celebrates the character and heritage of the Kent coast.


Licensee of The Old Neptune, Darren Wilton, said:

“Pat is a local at The Old Neptune, and I’ve known him for more than 20 years - we even call him Captain Pat! When he mentioned he would be showcasing Whitstable with a yacht race around Sicily, I really wanted the pub to get involved. You can’t showcase Whitstable without The Old Neptune! We hope the team do well and come back here for a celebratory drink after the race.”

Shepherd Neame Head of Brands Rose Davis said:

“We are thrilled to support the team aboard the Sailing Yacht Cormorant for this historic race. As the first yacht from Whitstable to take on the Rolex Middle Sea Race, this is a fantastic opportunity to introduce our Whitstable Bay range, The Old Neptune pub, and everything else the seaside town has to offer, to an international audience. We wish the team the best of luck!”

From Malta, the fleet heads north towards Sicily before passing through the Strait of Messina, a narrow stretch of water between Sicily and mainland Italy.


The yachts will then race around the volcanic island of Stromboli, along the northern coast of Sicily, and around the western islands of the course, before heading south past Pantelleria and Lampedusa.


The final stretch takes the boats back towards Malta and the finish line, covering approximately 606 nautical miles. The race attracts a diverse field of competitors, from some of the world’s fastest professional racing yachts to experienced amateur crews taking on a demanding offshore challenge. Conditions can include light winds, heavy seas and challenging currents, with crews spending long periods racing through the night. For some, completing the course takes several days at sea.


Patrick said:

“We started with an idea not just to sail a course, but to build a legacy. With the support of Shepherd Neame and The Old Neptune, that idea has become a reality.”

The race can be followed live on the Royal Malta Yacht Club and Rolex Middle Sea Race social media channels, with commentary in English.


Find out more here. 

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Jason Davenport has been promoted to director of traffic and transportation at East Midlands-based civil and structural engineering company BSP Consulting.


He takes over from one of the founding directors of BSP Consulting, Mark Rayers, who is stepping back to become a part-time consultant to the business.


Jason, who was previously associate director of transportation at BSP Consulting, joined the company as a transport engineer just a month after it was founded in 1999 and has been a key member of the team ever since.


His expertise includes transport planning, travel plans, transport assessment, access strategy, noise assessments and safety audits. Jason’s experience ranges across all sectors, having worked on schemes at airports and universities through to supermarkets and housing developments.


BSP MD Carl Hilton said:

“We are very pleased to announce the promotion of Jason Davenport to director of traffic and transportation at BSP Consulting."

“Our ethos is to promote from within wherever possible, which provides our team with opportunities to progress their careers and also enables smooth succession planning for the business."


“Jason has been a loyal, experienced, and valued part of the team at BSP right from the start and his promotion is very well deserved."


“As one of the founding directors of BSP Consulting, Mark has played a pivotal role in the success of BSP - helping the company to grow to become one of the largest independent civil and structural engineering businesses in the East Midlands."


“We are very pleased that he is staying with us as a part-time consultant and continuing to support the extensive network of clients that we have built up since the business began more than 25 years ago.”


Throughout his time at BSP, Jason has held positions as transport engineer, senior transport engineer, associate and associate director. His appointment as director of traffic and transportation began on 1st February 2025. He said:

“Under Mark Rayers, the traffic and transportation department at BSP Consulting has earned an excellent reputation as a professional and skilled team that provides outstanding service to clients."

“I have worked with Mark for 28 years in total, having met him before he became a founding director at BSP, and I am proud to have been appointed to head up the team going forward and to continue the good work that BSP has become renowned for.”


Jason, who lives in Gedling, Nottingham, is based in BSP’s head office in Nottingham but heads up the traffic and transportation team across the group.


Mark Rayers is one of the original four founders of BSP Consulting, which was launched in Oxford Street, Nottingham in 1999. The company has since expanded with offices in Pride Park, Derby and De Montfort Street, Leicester, as well as an office in South Yorkshire, on Smithy Wood Crescent, Sheffield.


He has stepped down in his role as a director but will remain a part-time consultant to BSP Consulting, working one day a week.


BSP is an award-winning firm that operates across the UK, offering civil engineering, structural engineering, transport engineering, geotechnical, and environmental engineering. BSP works across all sectors including housing, student accommodation, commercial, industrial, health, education, senior living, retail and heritage.


For more information about BSP Consulting visit here.

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