-
05 Jul 2009 15:21
-
04 Jul 2009 11:52
on board
Uh Oh07/04/09From the R/P 45 Criminal Mischief on the Transpac...
So day 2 brings us light air reaching with the code 1 kite going south, after a fairly painful night with the wind dropping down to 4 knots a couple of times. We have been averaging around 7 to 8 knots of wind speed from NW 322 degrees , Boat speed in the 8 knot range,
Well we tried to be the most south boat but the boats that went east of south look to still have a little stronger pressure than us only time will tell as at some point we all need to spend some time on the edge of this high.
So our current thinking is if this high moves north and slows the boats to the north and we can make some miles west of the boats to the south then thinks should be ok, That's if the weather does what we are wishing for???
Anyway we are starting to think that we will all lose some lbs this week. Track 'em here.
07/04/09
Out of the Bag
America’s Cup: BYM News visits the Alinghi catamaran
The tent flap was pulled back and I went in. My first reaction was “Where’s the boat?”, for I appeared to be looking at an almost empty workshop, apart from a few guys working, a fork lift, some gantries and randomly scattered bits of machinery. Then I looked up and to one side, at what looked like a beautiful monohull. It took a few minutes to sink in, but it did eventually and my eyes turned to scan the roof. I was standing almost under the central beam/bowsprit and the other hull was too far away for me to take both in at once. You would have needed to stand back, but there was no going back for the boat almost filled the tent.
My guide was Murray Jones and I asked “How long is it?” “I can’t tell you,” he replied “but I can say that the tent in 40 metres by 30 metres.” It was hard to say what space was behind the boat, but it didn’t seem much. In front? I’d guess at 5 metres beyond the hulls; to each side around 2.5 metres, but I could be wrong on both counts.
“Will it have one or two masts?” was my next question. A smiling Murray was a little vague. “When you see it sailing, in about 2 weeks time, it will have one mast.”
The boat was lifted up yesterday, in preparation for the tent coming down on Sunday. The crane that lifted it was still on site and, at a guess, a 100 tonner. That’s not because the boat is heavy, but because it had to lift with the jib far out and almost horizontal.
Weather permitting, the boat will be heli-lifted into the water next Wednesday, sometime between 6 & 8 am, but nothing is certain yet. The helicopter is coming from Siberia and this will be a dress rehearsal for the big lift to the Med, after the venue is announced. Did I get a clue about the venue? Like everyone at Alinghi, Murray maintains it still isn’t decided, but there were clues to where it won’t be. Sardinia seems out – too much wind; a mention of Genoa brought a big laugh and “I hadn’t heard that rumour, but we will be flying it over France and Italy and it will be put on a ship when it lands in the Med.” Valencia? This is very much a light airs boat and, according to Murray, February weather is very iffy there.
Later Dirk Kramers joined us; he’s the guy responsible for the engineering challenges of a boat that will generate loads of around 100 tons, which meant things like taking decisions on what materials to use when you know that titanium won’t be strong enough. “Will you be on board when it first sails?” I asked. “If he isn’t I won’t be.” Murray quipped. The truth is that both find it impossible to conceal their eagerness to get sailing on this elegant monster.
The obvious question was “How fast do you expect it to be? Will it do 50 knots?” Murray doubted it “That isn’t what it’s designed for.”, but Dirk gave a little clue to performance, when asked what most worried him about the testing phase, it wasn’t the engineering side that gave him most cause for concern. “Other boats, not realising how fast it is.” was the answer. “I keep imagining a couple out there trying to make way in 2 knots of wind and us coming out doing 15 knots.” He must have seen my astonished expression, for he added “Well 2 knots near the surface of the lake will be more at the top of our mast.”
More to come on: Made in Switzerland; wing sails; future mods; crew numbers, water ballast, alternative rigs and more …….. In the meantime, there are Carlo Borlenghi pix, of the boat in various stages, here and America’s Cup stories & interviews are here.
Marian Martin/BYM News07/04/09
RememberMany of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence ended up penniless and/or very sickly and/or dead within just a few years of their decision. They watched their homes and farms burned to the ground, their family members die of disease or from battle wounds. The monies they put up to help fund the war were mostly never recovered and they ended up broke. Yes, we remember the "great ones" such as Jefferson, Hamilton, Adams, and Franklin, but there were many more whose fates were not so great as a result of their decision to take a stand and do the right thing.
Doing the right thing (and sometimes not doing the right thing) is still costly today, as we witness the price that our soldiers and sailors and airmen pay to preserve truth and righteousness for others in the world. Freedom is paid for with the cost of blood (worldly and spiritual). Please remember in your thoughts this weekend the men and women of our nation, from the 1700's and all the way up to today in the 21st century, who have made great sacrifices for you and me and Americans yet to come. - Glenn Jensen.
Happy Fourth of July!
-
03 Jul 2009 17:54
Perhaps sailing on something so immense becomes old hat, but for the first time, it is one of the most impressive sailing experiences possible. First, the boat is obviously well-designed, built and sorted out. Beautiful to look at and ergonomically designed, it was impossible to find something out of sorts. Designer Tim Kernan commented that he couldn't believe how little noise the boat made while going upwind in about 15 true and he was right - no groaning or creaking or anything at all. A very solid structure that just seemed to say "bring it."
About the power winches - they are absolutely needed for a boat of this size and the resultant loads. Sure, it ain't like the old days, but with a boat like this, why should it? They make the hoisting and trimming of these monstrous sails much more manageable. Not quite easy, but easier.
Speaking of managing, the 'executive branch' of AR is impressive. Owner Neville Crichton (pictured right with Michael Coxon to his left) is as experienced an owner/driver as you'll find and he does an excellent job driving. Hell, he even docks the thing - not an easy task. Michael Coxon from North Sails Australia - a very approachable bloke - handles the sail program and it is no small feat. This is one of the top big boat programs in the world and the sails absolutely have to match. From what I could see, they do. For all the North wienies, Coxson is a super nice guy and very open and forthcoming about the sails.
Stepping on board for Transpac is Stan Honey, as credentialed a navigator as you'll find. And simply one of the most genuine guys you'll find as well. Murray Spence is the boat captain, and the boat certainly reflects some serious organization.Oh by the way, AR is on the market, so if you have a spare 3 million Euros or so, it can all be yours. The boys have 'baby' AR - the now 72' R/P that has just finished getting a new hull on it as the first one, like about 5 others, was not fast and had some serious design issues. They hope it is all fixed and will jumping on that on after they likely obliterate the record to Hawaii. Now that's living at the top of the food chain...
One of my all time great fiends is Jon Shampain, the renowned Hippie, superb sailor and boat captain extraordinaire. He has the Santa Cruz 50 Horizon ready to go to Hawaii and here is his first day report. Look for regular onboard reports from him...
-
02 Jul 2009 21:37
07/03/09
'Tweener
There are lots of great skiff shots hauling ass and lots of good crashes, but we like this one because it is right between the both! Thanks to Ingrid Abery.
Call to Action
Sailing has always stood apart from the vast majority of recreational endeavours in its ability to kill people when things go horribly wrong, and that fact is one of the bonds that holds sailors together so strongly. The vast, vast majority of us would never hesitate to go to another's aid, and as a community, we still have a chance to do exactly that for Bismarck Dinius.This community has finally brought enough pressure to the elected officials to begin to make a difference. We now know that both the County DA and state's Attorney General are nervous; our noise has led to a realization that this mess is about to make their future as elected officials unlikely. Still, we have not yet shown how many thousands of us will continue to beat the drums until the entire state of California knows who is responsible for the lack of a comprehensive investigation into the rampant corruption in Clear Lake, of which the Dinius case is just a sample.
NOW IS THE TIME, PEOPLE. If you still are somehow unaware of the facts of the Dinius case, read this summary. And if you understand what's going on in Lake County, take a few minutes to post your comments to AG Jerry Brown's Facebook page and let him know that without a real, independent investigation, Brown will not get your vote in the next election; and let the Governator know the same. A few thousand people will be noticed. Join the Dinius support group. Email any news publications you can think of, and consider donating to Dinius's legal defense fund to help fund this fight. A sailor's freedom hangs in the balance, and a corrupt government needs to answer for itself.
The SA community has done big things in the past, but never with this much at stake. Step up, people.
07/03/0907/03/09
The Skinny
Some boats, like some cars, are simply built to be the baddest motherfucker they can be. The 100' R/P designed maxi Alfa Romeo is one such mf'er. Your Ed was lucky enough to get the call to come join them in Long Beach for a practice/tuning sail as they get ready for an assault on the elapsed time record.
Perhaps sailing on something so immense becomes old hat, but for the first time, it is one of the most impressive sailing experiences possible. First, the boat is obviously well-designed, built and sorted out. Beautiful to look at and ergonomically designed, it was impossible to find something out of sorts. Designer Tim Kernan commented that he couldn't believe how little noise the boat made while going upwind in a bout 15 true and he was right - no groaning or creaking or anything at all. A very solid structure that just seemed to say "bring it." Oh wait, there was one noise - an annoying noise that never stopped, and indeed will never stop for the entire 2,225 miles to Hawaii - the goddamn motor! With the canting keel (push that button!) and the powered winches (push those buttons!) the boat requires a constant power source, and the engine is it. They do have a trick wind generator that can be rigged as a back up, and if that fails, they can grind the keel - 30 minutes from side to side!
About the power winches - they are absolutely needed for a boat of this size and the resultant loads. Sure, it ain't like the old days, but with a boat like this, why should it? They make the hoisting and trimming of these monstrous sails much more manageable.
Speaking of managing, the 'executive branch' of AR is impressive. Owner Neville Crichton (pictured left with Michael Coxon to his left) is as experienced an owner/driver as you'll find and he does an excellent job driving. Hell, he even docks the thing - not an easy task. Michael Coxon from North Sails Australia - a very approachable bloke - handles the sail program and it is no small feat. This is one of the top big boat programs in the world and the sails absolutely have to match. From what I could see, they do. For all the North wienies, Coxson is a super nice guy and very open and forthcoming about the sails. Stepping on board for Transpac is Stan Honey, as credentialed a navigator as you'll find. And simply one of the most genuine guys you'll find. Murray Spence is the boat captain, and the boat certainly reflects some serious organization.
On to the sailing, this sail was a bit of a rig tune session, as the boat has a new, stiffer rig and they were getting it straightened out, so to speak. Apparently the previous section just wasn't stable enough to properly support the sail plan, especially given the amount of loads generating by the free standing sails. We used a very nice offshore main, but they have a brand new one for the race, and an older (older is a very relative term on this boat) #4. They had just put hanks on the sail as apparently handling these sails in true #4 weather is a bitch. Sailing upwind in about 15 true, we were going 11.5 with a mainsail that was so flat it was hard to believe. The boat seems powered up all the time, and I reckon it is!We set the smallest chute on board and the boat just took off. As I said yesterday, we pumped in about 4,000 pounds of water ballast, cranked the keel to weather and pressed the boat up, and it sat on 18 knots all day. Power and precision, all in one incredible 100' package. Check the vid and you get a real sense of how fast and stable it is.
Oh by the way, AR is on the market, so if you have a spare 3 million Euros or so, it can all be yours. The boys have 'baby' AR - the now 72' R/P that has just finished getting a new hull on it as the first one, like about 5 others, was not fast and had some serious design issues. They hope it is all fixed and will jumping on that on after they likely obliterate the record to Hawaii. Now that's living at the top of the food chain..The good pics are by Peter Drasnin. The lousy ones are by the Ed. No surprise.
first day
Horizon Job07/03/09One of my all time great fiends is Jon Shampain, the renowned Hippie, superb sailor and boat captain extroidenaire. He has the Santa Cruz 50 Horizon ready to go to Hawaii and here is his first day report. Look for regular onboard reports from him...
We're settled in after a 2 year wait and some serious preparation completed since our class win in this year's Ensenada Race. A haulout in Ensenada, swine flu that stopped all progress for a week, new rudder bearings, the usual new spin sheets, halyards, runners, rebuilt the entire steering system, new main & 2A and our 1A less than a year old...we're feeling pretty good. The yacht looks good! We've all been sailing together for a few seasons and we only have 2 crew who weren't with us last time around. Consistency of crew is a good thing. We don't have Bruce Cooper from the Ullman loft but we've got his younger twin Kenny also a sailmaker for most of his life. He knows his sails. The start was with 12-15 kts, right enough to lay the West End of Catalina Island but it's dropping in velocity, down to 10-12 from 270.
The Criminals (Criminal Mischief, R/P 45) were over, and went back and already they're gone. That thing is a rocket. Very long line with the pin end a half a mile closer to Catalina...duh. Bottom third of the line with a good lane. We had Passion, another SC 50 from Texas, next to us and Allure another SC 50 right next to us on the other side. We've been sailing lower (right to the west end) and we've advanced forward on both of them. Most boats all had #3's at the start and #2's and hvy#1 are ready to be changed to if it drops any more.
The forecast has been rather dismal for the last few days and routing solutions showing 13-14 days. Yuk! The Ed and I spent a rather long time together in 95 with Pressure Cooker, SC 52. I remember a 13+ day trip with lots of light air...oh yea, the owner never did another ocean race.
In the last day or so it seems like things are changing and our current routing shows a 12 day ordeal. It should get better. There are a few land mines between here and Hawaii and those issues will determine the final results. The boats that started on Monday ran into the first wall this morning and they have all stopped after a decent beginning. We are hoping they will stay stuck and let us get back some of the extra time the committee has given each subsequent starts. 3 days between starts is ridiculous. The handicap delta would suggest 1, maybe 2 days at most. If all things were equal, my son on Relentless should be drunk and sober twice before I even see the Islands and we would have the same experience with the sleds. They owe SC 50 about a day and they spot us 72 hours. It would seen alcohol is consumed during those TP board meetings.
But things will not be equal and my guess is the big boys will crush the fleet with the forecast I've seen. Whatever it is Transpac is a great race, sailing it Hawaii is a gift, doing it on a cool boat with your mates is a wonderful experience and doing it for a living should be against the law.Hip out
07/03/09
SCOTW
We get lots of chicks crewing on yachts, where they’re outnumbered by guys and there are races just for chicks, but it isn’t that often that you get an all chick crew competing against guys, especially in real hot boats. One exception is the Ladycat team, which holds its own pretty well in the D35 class. They ain’t the top of the league, but not at the bottom of the pile either and they’ve given the guys a few frights at times. Pic from Chris Schmid and more here.
ac dope
Day of Reckoning07/03/09As predicted weeks ago by diligent AC Anarchists, Alinghi's new boat is now reliably said to be a scaled-up version of their ultra-fast “Le Black” with some specialized new features. Insiders have leaked the news that the Swiss Cup boat is incredibly light, with stays holding the flimsy structure together and powered winches that change the beam of the boat to suit the exact wind speed expected in each race.
Tomorrow, a group of hand-picked journalists will head to Lake Geneva to get the first pseudo-public glimpse of the beast, and regardless of Bertarelli swearing them to secrecy for a few days, there is little doubt that the reality of the monster will make its way to the general public. The quest to figure out what is behind the curtain has been extremely fun, and it's going to be very interesting to see which anarchist was the closest to the true form, size, and rig on the Cheezilla, and we've got some SA swag for that Anarchist. Keep your fingers crossed, you obsessed bastards.
non race report
Humpty Dumpty07/03/09Our pal Michael Hennessey and his Class 40 just cannot get a break....
When I got back from Bermuda a short 8 days ago, I arrived in Newport with a fairly lengthy list of things that required repair on Dragon. In a only 86 hours of sailing I had managed to tear off the foot of the A2, bang up the snuffer sock for the A5, break off the port tiller, drown the port autopilot ram, kill the alternator for the house batteries, bend two stanchions, cause the keyboard on the computer to be very sad, part one of the strops on the #2 main sheet leech line reef lock, shake out both of the D1s from their turn buckles, knock the radar out of commission, wear out a brand new pair of Dubarry's boots and destroy a brand new pair of Gill gloves. I don't tend to do things in half measure.
Sitting in Newport on that Tuesday morning, knowing that the delivery skipper was going to start up to Marblehead exactly eight days later, I had no idea how we were going to pull it all off. The original plan had been to take the boat 6 hours back to Mystic, re provision and then turn her around. Unfortunately, I had a bit more to do than some additional freeze-dried and water.
So Mark and I were mulling this over at Belle's, the eatery at the Newport Shipyard, when we had the bright idea to see if they (the Shipyard) could help out. For those of you who have never been, I highly recommend a visit the next time you happen to be in Newport. Just walking the docks is an exercise in drool inducing voyeurism and at any given moment in time, there is some of the finest hardware in the world floating at their docks. Plus, I really dug how the Shipyard had opened their facilities up to the Mini crowd both in 2007 and in 2009 so if I was going to fork over some loot to put Dragon back together again, I felt good about doing it with them.
In short, Newport Shipyard delivered. I walked into the office, turned over my credit card and let the pros get to work. Chris Harris, the Service Manager at the Shipyard, was able to rustle up all the necessary marina and sub-contractor staff to get all of the work done, and done on time. Everything that I listed above got finished, plus a few additional things that we found along the way.
So yesterday when I got a call from Fip of Rig Pro, I was feeling pretty damn good. Considerably poorer, but pretty good. And then the bad news. While Fip doing the rig inspection, he found that I had spreader damage in the starboard S3, the top spreader. On this rig, the each spreader sits inside a carbon fiber socket that is bonded to the mast. What Fip found was that the S3 socket was cracked through where it joined the mast.
What followed was a scramble. The Shipyard's facilities were completely devoted yesterday to pulling a 275 some odd foot mast (yeah, 275 feet... WTF!!!). So Chris managed to fit in a time this morning to pull the rig, while Fip managed to get the sails down and the rig prepped to pull, while also lining up Stu Wiley of Al Fresco to do the carbon work. It was going to be tight, but we were sprinting to be ready for a delayed Friday delivery to Marblehead. Unfortunately, once we got the rig down Stu found additional damage to the other sockets. Merf Owen came by to check it out as well, and after talking with both of them I reluctantly pulled the plug on the race this afternoon.
Given the issues, what we are now going to have to do is replace the current system of connecting the spreaders to the mast with a more conventional spreader bar set up. That will take a few weeks to engineer and get done, so it puts me out of the race. Hopefully I can be back in action for the Newport Solo Twin at the end of July.
I still feel lucky. With the damage that was caused, it is something of a miracle that the rig did not come down during the Bermuda 1-2. And if something like this happens, there is perhaps no better place on earth for it to happen than in Newport where the resources to help out are deep and knowledgeable. I know I am going to miss a couple of folks and apologize for that, but special thanks to Chris Harris and his team at the shipyard including Scott, Martin and Peter. Fip and the team at Rig Pro have also been great, including Stu Wiley's help today. Also, thanks to Mark Washeim for getting the sails fixed as well as Bob Congdon and Siebe Noordzy for getting my pump motor fixed on my autopilot ram. We almost made it back in time for the race, and the failure to do so was certainly not from any lack of effort from these guys. Thank you.
I am still going to head up to Marblehead this weekend... might as well since I have the rooms booked. So if you see me wandering around in some Dragon gear and looking a bit forlorn, say hi. I am going to envy you guys the race you are going to have.07/03/09
3 Days?
That’s the time the giant trimaran Banque Populaire V is hoping to cross the Atlantic in! Well 3 days and several hours is more accurate, but you get the drift. Can they do it? The trimaran is big enough and fast enough, given the right weather window, but two things are worrying Pasacal Biddégorry – whales and icebergs. In his own words, after the voyage to New York “We saw an incredible number of marine mammals. It’s always astonishing to see them close to, especially the whales …. a bit much for my liking. On the one hand they make for a fascinating spectacle, on the other there is always the fear of collision, which increases the need for vigilance. We also had to take a relatively southern route, because we detected the presence of icebergs at 40°N, in a water temperature of 18°. That didn’t bother us on the delivery voyage, but the return journey could be more complex. I just hope the route north will become clear quickly as the waters warm up.” Pic from Benoit Stitchelbault and more here.
clean report
Italian Ice07/03/09“Latin” is usually synonymous with “hot.” Spicy food, fiery passion, smoking hot women; it's all about the heat. Yet today's Italian action in the Melges 24 Volvo Cup in Torbole was cool as ice. The racing was iced over when a squall killed the thermals in this incredibly local microclimate, with the first race being abandoned to a 70 degree shift and breeze that went from 4 knots to 20 knots in seconds. Yet PRO Fabio Barrasso stayed cool as can be, sending the fleet in to shore to wait for the Ora wind to reestablish itself. In less than 25 minutes, some 70 boats were med-moored to the crowded marina docks without incident, and the chill competitors were eating pasta and drinking wine over relaxed conversation.
When the sun returned two hours later, it failed to bring any wind along with it, and the fleet retired to a watermelon party on the deck of the CVT, returning to the beach just three hours later for drinking and dancing by the fading light reflected on the glassy lake. The entire scene was one of the most relaxed and enjoyable cancelled days of racing I've ever experienced. From the Commodore to the World Champions, mellow is the key word here, and that attitude trickles down through the fleet. This is how it is supposed to be.
Still, we got some good action from the short time we were on the water, with an exciting mark rounding when the breeze came on, some light air downwind racing, an explanation of how the winds work on Garda, the head Umpire's summary of how the specialized OTW penalty system works, all set to the towering mountains that butt right up to the water's edge.
There are also some good pics, though the dozens of hot chick shots are just now being edited (but our friend Mauro did post one of the nicest asses in sailing journalism here). We also caught up with Silvio Santoni, our cover shot from yesterday, who explained why he just bought ITA-1, the first production version of the Devoti D-One in Europe.
Check back tomorrow for some near-live action from Torbole, with more racing (hopefully), more girls, and more good interviews. We also expect to finally get to check out the Linq CQ-6 and whatever other cool toys we can find lying around.
See you there. With some heat.
-
02 Jul 2009 01:13
07/02/09
Sports Car
Your Ed got a ride on the 100' maxi Alfa Romeo today in Long Beach, CA for a Transpac practice. To say the boat was impressive would be quite an understatement. In this shot with the smallest kite up, we were cruising at a steady 18, keel canted and two tons of water ballast. Jesus, what a machine. Full report tomorrow. This great shot from Peter Drasnin - here's one that shows the whole kite. Funny, it looked big on the boat!
ac dope
Zilla Madness
With less than a week left until the expected unveiling of both Alinghi's and at least some portion of BMW/Oracle's AC boats, the rumor, information, and disinformation about both boats is reaching fever pitch. Already today, anarchists from all over the globe are reporting power winches, water ballast, hard sail and soft sail models, capsize-surviving durability, that recurring variable geometry, and that's just the reasonably credible stuff. Got a crazy rumor to add to the mix? Might as well start your own thread in AC Anarchy; it seems that is what everyone else is doing!Unfortunately, we'll need to wait a bit longer to see who's right and who's crazy, despite Alinghi's (friendly) media (only) unveiling on July 3rd, You see, those journalists have all signed confidentiality agreements embargoing their words for a few days after they see it; an old PR trick that gets the writers and their publications top billing around the world, since their stories are polished and ready to go while everyone else is scrambling. Hopefully, after they wipe Bertarelli's money shot off their face and dust off their knees, they'll write something interesting and useful, though we wouldn't hold our breath.
As for BMW/Oracle, we'll get up close and personal with them soon enough.
07/02/0907/02/09
Trouble in Torbole
Italian Finn/Star veteran Silvio Santoni gets bitten by an errant gust on Lake Garda on Wednesday during a test sail of the D-One, caught by French photog Pierrick Contin. Contin and Meredith Block will both be contributing pictures from the Melges 24 Volvo Cup in Torbole, Italy.counterpoint
Never Never Land07/02/09A counterpoint to our Never Say Never piece, lower on this page, from anarchist Kantakerous Kate.
Despite endless proof to the contrary, there still remains a cadre of holdouts who seem unable to let go of their mantra that “sailing will never be a spectator sport.”
That is how you started the “Never say Never” bullshit. What endless proof? Someone sends a photo of a few thousand Swedes watching the VOR and you decide it means sailing is a spectator sport. You didn’t notice all those Islands and peninsulas and lakes? Well, I’ve got news for you, they are the reason that EVERYONE has a boat in Sweden and, regardless of the VOR, would be out on the water on a sunny weekend, sunbathing off some island, or elk watching on a lake. Going by your logic, that must make sun bathing and elk watching spectator sports and I suppose I must concede that the “Show us your tits” brigade might see sunbathing that way.
What were the other things you mentioned? Oh yes, “the fabulously successful” iShares Cup. Well of course people are going to watch the iShares. Strolling along Amsterdam quays, or Hyeres seafront are usual weekend pastimes and, if something that looks part way to being exciting is happening on the water the strollers are going to stop and stare. You don’t have to know anything about sailing to figure that a passel of fast boats, careering around a short tight course, is a recipe for catastrophe, so they stay and wait for it. Do you think they’d stay if a bunch of cruising yachts were milling about in some incomprehensible regatta, where nobody who isn’t taking part has a clue who’s winning? As for the Vendée, those tens of thousands don’t go to Les Sables to watch sail racing, they go to cheer their heroes and France is the only country in the world where sailors get hero status.
Yeah, we know all about Virtual Spectator and how could we forget On the Water Anarchy when its hugely successful presenter keeps ramming down our throats how hugely successful it is, but do you seriously expect non-sailors to start tuning in to Clean’s every wind drowned, advertiser plugging word, whilst looking in awe at his shots of the Bonga Regatta, or whatever two bit event has let him career around their racecourse?
“Never mind Morning Light's flop in US theatres” you blithely say, because it doesn’t support your ridiculous notion that sailing is, or will ever be a spectator sport. You should have tried reading the reviews and you’d have seen that “dull”, “mighty dull”, “a yawn” and other expressions of boredom were the reasons it flopped. The New York Times summed it up by saying “Morning Light never finds a way to make us care who wins.” Of course it didn’t, because nobody among the masses gives a damn who wins any sail boat race, unless they happen to be French and the race is around the world.
You claim that “sailing is now on the minds of more of the public than ever before”. Who says? Did you walk around San Diego and Charleston and ask “Is sailing more on your mind than ever?” Of course not and the truth is there’s sod all evidence that Joe Public gives a damn about watching sail racing, nor ever will except for the America’s Cup and potential crash, or sink stuff.
Instead of spouting nonsense and insulting guys like Dennis Connor, get it into your heads that sailing is a participant sport and mostly downright boring to watch and figure some ways of getting more people on the water. On the other hand, you could take a leaf out of the French book and try figuring out how to turn American ocean sailors into heroes. Oh dear, I forgot you don’t have any.
Kantankerous Kate
07/02/09
Not So Rapid
Despite what they said, we knew it looked unlikely that the new Antrim 49 Rapid Transit would be ready for Transpac, and sure enough it is not. Too bad as the thing looks like quite a weapon. Oh well, they have a full slate planned and for sure we'll get out on it for a full report. Btw, three rudders??
race report
The Other CRW
While Charleston Race Week seems to get all the press, Cleveland Race Week is one of the last true race weeks in the US that this anarchist is aware of: it spans two weekends and weekly night racing for 9 days, and I think the fact that Lake Erie sailors have to pack a year’s worth of sailing into four months has something to do with the events long lasting success. And the Edgewater Yacht Club, on the shores of Lake Erie just west of downtown Cleveland, does a great job of catering to everything from Jet 14 dinghies to 36.7s and big PHRF cruisers.
The first weekend gets things going with strictly One Design Racing, including the 24 boat J-22 Fleet won by Jim Barnash on Thunder Chicken, and the 21 boat T-10 Fleet won by the ever present Heidi Riddle on Nuts. For Results go here.
Through the week the PHRF action heats up, with Thursday kicking off the real series for the PHRF fleets and the Beneteau 36.7 fleet. That is, the race was scheduled, but mother nature had other ideas; 40 knots from the wrong direction and a hellacious thunderstorm kept everyone at the dock. The wind alone caused the normally quiet basin to rise about 3 feet, and two boats were reportedly hit by lightning. Needless to say, everyone stayed at the dock eating gumbo and sausage, washed down by adult beverages. Video here:
Friday night started the last PHRF racing with a nice points-to-points “Where’s Waldo” deal. You know, the crowded roundings, fast boats shoving slow ones out of the way, yelling, and general mayhem that is PHRF racing. Great conditions rounded out the weekend with close racing and no shortage of breeze on Saturday and Sunday (20 kts, building to 40 Sunday on our delivery back.) The action was close in several fleets including a tiebreaker in PHRF A between two Melges 32s, with Robert Hesse’s 'Lake Effect' coming out on top, and the 36.7s mixing it up with 4 out of 7 boats getting a bullet. Mark and Bill Cummings’s 'Big Electric Cat' wound up on top in the class by one point. For more results from 10 classes go here.
Cleveland is one of those places you would never expect to have such an event. What makes it interesting to me is that not a lot of boats from off Lake Erie attend; this is a truly local event, but it is so good that most every raceboat from within a couple hours away shows up. This makes it a pretty tight-knit group that has just as much fun off the water as they do on the water. Evidence: belly dancers on the first weekend, 10 bucks for the wristband for all week, the SA Group Grope headed up as always by anarchist Zar and the general mentality of the crowd … although some of the Cleveland sailors try like hell to take out the competition by getting other crews wasted and keeping them up to the wee hours, hoping they won’t be able to see straight in the morning.
Thanks to all the Anarchists that represented the near-150 boat turnout for CRW (the other one) this year, and the sponsors for making the event happen.
-Sailnclimb
07/02/09OTW
Back to Basics07/02/09There is clearly something very bizarre about Melges racing and Italy. As the rest of the world suffers, somehow the Italians continue to rack up record fleets at all major M24 events, while Melges Europe is selling Melges 20s and 32s literally faster than they can get them. We came to Torbole to see what the hell is going on; what is causing all this success for sportboat racing in southern Europe, and how can North Americans learn something about it?
The answers are coming and they're not necessarily what you might expect, and in the meantime, we figured our Anarchist friends might like to watch some M24 racing. So we decided to give a little OTW Anarchy a shot, but without all the support and budget that we've become used to. Nope, we're going back to basics:
No big sponsors (though Point Loma Outfitting's Patagonia technical shirts are heaven in this heat)
No special SA-TV viewer, no big money or big production
No big pro video camera
No staff of mark rounding spotters and scorers.
No high speed wireless on the water
Nope, just Mer and I on a little RIB, running back and forth between the course and the media office, but it should be worth it. There are an astonishing 70 boats here despite it not being a European, national or world championship; in fact, it's hardly a serious event at all, at least judged by the attitudes of the sailors here. Everyone is mellow and enjoying themselves, ready for some fun racing and very fun partying in one of the world's most beautiful places to sail.
We are going to do our best to send out some slightly delayed reporting, though our obstacles are huge and our delays may prove long. For North American readers, that's probably not that big a deal, since by 11 AM EST, you should be able to see some of the action here. And when I say "action," I mean it; if you've never been here, it's hard to understand just how much is going on in a 10 NM stretch of water.
Today I raced on Pocket Rocket, an older boat, for the little 20NM practice race against 15 other boats. On the 2 hour beat, we sailed near or through the following fleets: I-420 (minimum 100 boats), RS K6 (20+ boats), new 49er training for Worlds next week (2 different groups of 5+ boats), 6 lasers, 50 sailboards, and numerous random keelboats. To complicate matters while making them even more carbolicious, three new(ish) boats are sharing dock space with the M24s as part of Volvo's "Test Drive" program, which lets interested sailors take out the new Devoti D-One, the canting keel Linq CQ-6, and the Laser SB3.
Mer raced on Majica, and led all boats to the top mark, while we were DFL. Funnily enough, her team went from first to last in mere minutes and finished just behind us, while both teams had a great time on the water. And now that we've gotten a little taste of racing on Lake Garda, we're ready to watch the week unfold. Hopefully you'll join us for some of the ride.match game
Chance
Spectators came in droves for repechage day at the Swedish round of the World Match Racing Tour, lounging in swim suits on boats and on the rocks overlooking the race area as eight teams battled for two remaining quarter final spots. Just four of the seven flight repechage had been completed, by the end of the day, with Sebastien Col, Ian Williams, Johnie Berntsson and Peter Wibroe all ending with three wins.
Danish sailor Peter Wibroe was delighted to be still in the hunt, as he’d received a late invite so had less preparation time than other teams. “I am satisfied with how we are going. We know the boats well and our boat handling and tactics have been good. We love being here having followed the event for many years from back home in Denmark. The venue is just perfect. Tomorrow will be a really tough day as 6 teams could still get through. It will probably be light in the morning when we race but we’re comfortable with light and shifty. It is all still to play for.”
Reining Swedish champion Mattias Rahm and current tour leader Adam Minoprio scored two wins apiece, whilst Bjorn Hansen and Francesco Bruni went away empty handed. Pic from Dan Ljungsvik and plenty more here.
07/02/09 -
01 Jul 2009 04:32
07/01/09
Never Say Never
Despite endless proof to the contrary, there still remains a cadre of holdouts who seem unable to let go of their mantra that “sailing will never be a spectator sport.” Hell, even Hobie Alter and Dennis Conner told us as much during their Innerviews last year, but if you're not as old as these guys, you really don't have any excuse for this archaic thinking anymore.It's nearly impossible to ignore hundreds of thousands of people turning out for sailing events; like the fabulously successful iShares Cup, the Vendee Globe start, and the more and more near-to-shore events that seem to be popping up lately. Or how about the millions of viewers around the world of the race trackers that are part of almost every major race now? What about the hugely popular Volvo Ocean Race Game, Gucci spectating solutions like the MedCup's Virtual Spectator, post-race trackers like Kattack, and of course, near live (and soon to be fully live) video coverage from On-The-Water Anarchy? Never mind Morning Light's flop in US theaters; the fact is that sailing is now on the minds of more of the public than ever before. If you want some visual proof, start with this photo, taken by our friends at the Swedish Coast Guard during the Stockholm VOR in-port race.
There are 2808 spectator boats in that photo, with an average of about 15 living, breathing people on each one. That means that more than 42,000 people came out to actually watch a pair of races off Sweden, a country whose national football arena can hold 36,000. Numbers don't lie, and the future may be bright indeed - at least in Sweden! If you've ever been curious about how one counts this many boats, here's your answer. And if you wonder what 3000 boats looks like on radar, click here.
07/01/09
Viva Osh VegasOn Thursday 20 A Scows arrived in Oshkosh to battle it out for the 5th annual NCASA National Championships. Oshkosh hosted the first ever NCASA regatta and it was fun to go back to the “scene of the crime” so to speak and battle it out on 'big brown.'
The temps and the humidity were borderline unbearable as we rigged up in the parking lot, which more closely resembled a griddle than a lot. With the lake a few steps away, one might think a quick dip to cool off was in order. However, the color and the consistency of the Lake Winnebago water is more than enough of a deterrent to keep most everyone in the hotbox. Lies were told, beers flowed and the 20 boats were rigged for battle. A few teams snuck out to grab a quick practice sail while the late afternoon sea breeze filled, which was good enough to bring the core temperature down to a decent level. After the journey out to the wild brown yonder the dinner spot for all the teams was almost unanimously the Roxy, the finest supper club in Oshkosh, where the famous question is asked by some of the oldest…err…I mean, most experienced waitresses in the world, ”Soup or Tomato Juice? “HUH?” was pretty much the reaction had by most. I opted for the cold cucumber soup since I couldn’t get my tomato juice in my preferred format, infused with copious amounts of vodka. The soup was good, but we did have one team member that bit the bullet and got the juice. After watching Team Melvin hammer down 2 boots of beer we decided to get outta there before they included us in that age old tradition of swapping DNA with your team by way of sharing beer in a glass boot. Off to the hotel bar to tell more lies and catch up with old friends.Read on.07/01/09
Half Way ThereLooks like we are getting some momentum for our Sailing Anarchy Sportboat regatta - 26 entries so far and we'd say that getting to our maximum of 50 entries may happen pretty quickly. We are also happy to announce Open Sailing Inc (dealers for the Open 6.50, Open 5.70 & Open 5.00) and Point Loma Outfitting have signed on as two of our premier sponsors. Needless to say, there will be Open boats and some great gear at the event...
The regatta is September 26 and 27 in San Diego and is going to be a good one - grab a sportboat and get your ass out here!
vid
Runt07/01/09
Ya gotta wonder how much of these sort of interviews a guy like him can take....07/01/09
Fidel, Hike!Just over a year ago in the Regatta al Sol, racers from the Gulf Coast were getting scoped out by curious, high speed Cuban Navy patrolboats. For five days after leaving Pensacola, they had battled each other while divining the eddies of the massive 5 knot plus Loop Current pouring between Cuba and Isla Mujeres into the Gulf of Mexico. Steeled for the regatta’s endgame, they knew in their hot rum addled yanqui minds that Havana – that most exotic of the Gulf’s destinations – was now only a quick daysail away.
At that time, little did they know that a democrat named Obama would become President and start a movement towards dismantling a nonsensical Bush doctrine enacted in 2000. Bush had put real teeth into enforcement and jailing of sailboat racers and regatta organizers who only wanted to consume Havana Club Siete Anos a bit closer to the bottling source via several different races. Thusly the Gulf Coast’s Cuba racing traditions were run hard aground or pushed deep underground.
While yeah, Gulf Coast sailors are legendary in their appetites, but the whole idiocy of Bush sitting in the Oval Office and thinking that these sailors would smoke and booze their way into propping up a dictatorship is hilarious, albeit a badge of honor.
Now Havana beckons again. Exploratory race committees have already formed and the infamous stories are pouring out at the Gulf Coast YC bars – and the little Cuban bartender hots can finally rest assured that the inebriated promises of yanqui sailors returning to the city are for real.
- Troy Gilbert
race report
Team Up07/01/09
On June 27-28, Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club (CCYC) in Chicago, IL hosted the Windy City Team Race. Saturday allowed for some great team racing with low to medium breeze, and Sunday delivered exciting racing with steady big breeze. Local team Fair and Balanced with skippers Craig Thompson, JB Turney and Ned Turney won the event and earned a berth at the U.S. Team Racing Championship for the George R. Hinman Trophy after a best of 5 final against the second place Team Laser Performance with skippers Taylor Canfield, Matt Clark and Andrew Keane. Racing was very close in the top 4 teams leaving a tie for 3rd place awarded to CCYC teams Happy Factor with Martin Johnnson, Augi Hernandez, and Josh Henrich and The Montrose Saloon skippered by Ben Marden, Andy Graff and Hunter Ratliff. Vickie Matthews served as PRO and Betsy Altman as Chief Umpire.
Complete results and photos right here.07/01/09
Sail OnWe just heard that Paul Yates, founder of the Merit 25, has passed away. Unfortunately we don't know much more than that, but are sorry to hear this news. The 25 was a very popular little boat, springing up in Southern California and fast right away. Often accused of being little more than a narrowed J/24, the 25 was a good boat and still wins races all over the country. There is a thread should you care to join in.
-
30 Jun 2009 19:12
-
30 Jun 2009 10:34
The ESPN Espy's is indeed one of those shows that you otherwise shouldn't care about, but they have at least one reason to care - 2008 Paralympic sailing gold medalist Maureen McKinnon-Tucker is one of the nominees in the Female Athlete with a Disability category. Given what she has accomplished, we'd suggest you make the effort to vote - it is a pain as you have to register, but do it - our community can make a difference.
-
30 Jun 2009 02:18
06/30/09
Pin Made
The very powered up ID 35 Relentless nails the pin at the first Transpac start. Li'l hip Eric Shampain and owner Tim Fuller will be pushing the boat hard and will be a trip to follow. They are off to a nice start - can they hold everyone off? Thanks to John Fuller for the shot.
06/30/09
Point Made
We may be the red headed bastard step child of the yachting community but windsurfing, kooks in all, still gives you the most bang for your buck in terms of speed and excitement on the water. You certainly don't need to spend $15,000 on a foiling moth to get up to 30 knots. A 10 year old slalom board and 2 cam rig will get you going 20-30k with ease. A modern race board or speed needle will push 30-40k. Really put some effort into it and your seeing 45-50k! Oh yea- try looping a moth in the waves!Respectfully submitted,
Steve Bodner
USA 406/30/09
Rock the VoteSelf congratulatory sports shows are nearly as annoying and worthless as self congratulatory 'Hollywood' shows like the Oscars. When an industry gathers to jerk themselves off, for all the world to see, we'd suggest ducking.
However, here is the rare opportunity to get involved in a show, in this case the ESPN ESPY's.
Among the 37 categories, 2008 Paralympic sailing gold medalist Maureen McKinnon-Tucker is one of the four nominees in the "Female Athlete with a Disability" category. There's not another sailor in any other category.The recognition each nominee receives during the televised awards show is immense, but to see Maureen on the same stage as the elite athletes of the world would be epic. The winner in each category is determined by online voting. Time for every sailor to support their sport in the easiest way possible…. GET OUT THE VOTE. Online voting is done here.
06/30/09
Light Time
In the spirit of the photo of the Antrim 49 being finished for Transpac, (see Rapid Build) this is Ragtime's main bulkhead replacement project as of June 4th, with the old bulkhead out. The main bulkhead and aluminum ring frame, circa 1985, was discovered to be damaged just before Cal Cup in mid May.In a shameless plug for Dencho, we launched with the new bulkhead in place yesterday, as well as a new six foot long carbon mast step, a new chine to chine wood and carbon rib under the mast step, and a new ring frame four feet forward of the bulkhead on the line of the head. Alan Andrews did all the engineering on a rush basis, staying just ahead of Dencho's daily progress. Both the ring frame and the bulkhead have liberal amounts of carbon lay up, and the boat is stronger than ever before.We're looking forward to Transpac with Ragtime in the lightest, fastest, most powerful configuration she has ever hit the start line with. To plug the Dencho/Alan Andrews team a little more, Ragtime is over 3000 pounds lighter than four years ago with keel and rudder drag cut by 40%, similar righting moment, and 9% more sail area. Pray for wind.
Lucky Loser?
It was France’s day in Marstrand, with Sebastien Col, Damien Iehl, Mathieu Richard and Philippe Presti all ending the first day of the Swedish World Match Tour event with 2 wins and no losses. Also starting well was Torvar Mirsky, fresh from his victory at the Portugal Match Cup and current world Champion Ian Williams who had a 2-1 scorecard for the day.Trailing among the no win brigade was Peter Gilmour who, up until today, has shone in the opening days of each round to date, only to fade into oblivion when the racing got really serious. Maybe this bad start will reverse the trend and Gilmour’s star will shine when it matters? Pic from Dan Ljungsvik and more here.
06/30/09big pimpin'
06/30/09
Pointed
Longtime SA and OTW Anarchy supporter Point Loma Outfitting does a great job keeping their customers up-to-date on the latest deals and offers from the San Diego based sailing apparel shop. Owner Tom Carruthers has embraced Twitter, Facebook, blogging, and of course, Sailing Anarchy rather than traditional print marketing - and it is working for him.
Tom has just launched a new toy for his customers to play with. Called “Point Loma Points”, it is a reward system for online customers.
“While we love giving great one-on-one service to customers that want that personal touch, we realize that most people want their ordering quick and easy, and we've created a website and ordering process that does exactly that,” Tom said. “The PL Points program rewards our great customers for sticking with Point Loma Outfitting when they order their high quality sailing gear.”
Customers earn one Point Loma Point for each dollar spent at www.pointlomaoutfitting.com, and points are available immediately to use toward the next purchase. There are no membership fees, questionnaires, expiration dates, or restrictions on using Point Loma Points, and customers with existing Point Loma Outfitting online accounts will receive bonus Points if they haven't already. “Every item available at Point Loma Outfitting is eligible to earn Point Loma Points,” said Carruthers. “And you can use Points toward the purchase of anything we sell; from the heaviest-duty offshore SLAM parka to the lightest Patagonia underlayer, and everything in between.”
“We're not looking for marketing data from those who create accounts - just basic contact details,” said Carruthers. “Even so, those customers that prefer to check out without registering an account or earning Points will always be able to do so.” -
29 Jun 2009 17:07
, with Division 6 and 7 starting this afternoon. These are mostly the slow pokes, with the Turbo ID 35 double handed Relentless with Eric Shampain on board being the most interesting.
Search the Site
