How not to launch a brand new boat

Courtesy of Pete McDonald at Boats.com

Rough winter for ice and snow sailing

William Tuthill provides this report on the struggles of a sport that relies on the weather:

“Ain’t it always the way?” Plan an event and everything will go wrong. Not only were we forced to relocate the 30th edition of the World Ice and Snow Sailing Association's (WISSA) Ice and Snow Sailing World Championshi that was two years in the making because of ice conditions that no one had ever encountered before, but, when we did relocate from Baie des Ha! Ha! to Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, the wind chose not to blow!

The real action was in the kite class with 19 meter and larger kites. The windsurfing and wing classes did a lot of waiting. We somehow managed to get off five races that were handily won by lightweight teenagers from Poland. Sleds with 250 cm jumping skis and large race sails have a way of gliding in the lightest of breezes.

Winter windsurfing is alive and growing. The irony of the WISSA Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships being the oldest international race in the history of windsurfing is not lost. I thought that windsurfing was a water sport!

Btw, ever heard of the Saguenay Fjord? WOW! Picture boreal forest fused with ocean water. It is one of the world's few geologic grabels [definition: a parallel set of fault lines that allow the bed rock to drop a few thousand feet]. The resulting gorge intrusion of Atlantic Ocean water into deep northern forest is hard to contemplate. Lobster, whales, codfish, and sharks in the deepest of northern forest? Walk north and you had better be ready. The next civilization you see is in Central Russia. The wilderness is pressing down everywhere. Wildcats, elk, bears, and owls are all around- roads and people are not.
It is an awesome environment for an international sailing event.

Of course, the dreaded warm weather is coming in a month early and destroying the best part of the whole season. March is usually the best with long sunny days and wicked fast ice. Instead it is raining. Bad news........

Playing possum in the 18s

We received this letter from Frank Quealey of the Australian 18 Footers League in Sydney, Australia:

There is rarely a dull moment in the 18 Footers and supporters are never surprised at what might happen, but last Sunday saw a ‘first’ – something even the most ardent follower would have never expected to see in an 18ft Skiff race.

It was the Australian 18 Footers League’s Ferry Patrons Trophy race and involved the Gill Racing Team, led by Dave Alexander.

After a slow start to the race and three capsizes in the 25-knot North east wind on the first lap of the course, Gill was further back in the pack than the team are normally accustomed.

The skiff was near Taylor Bay on the second windward beat when Dave Alexander noticed his two crew members looking into the boat. Thinking there was just a loose spinnaker, or something similar, he ignored their ‘distraction’ and kept sailing.

He noticed their ‘distraction’ continued but thought nothing more about it until crewman Ed called out “look at your leg”.

Dave says: “I almost ---- myself when I saw this thing (a possum) the size of a cat crawling up my leg. I shook it off into the bottom of the boat and it went out the back”.

“We all started laughing and capsized again. The last time we saw the possum it was swimming towards the shore but I don’t know whether it made it safely”.

Dave said this was actually the third time this season they had discovered a possum in the boat – although it was the first one to make it onto the water.

“One crawled out of the bow tube between the bow and the cockpit, then we discovered one dead in the bow tube. This one also came out of the same hiding place so we figure it must be a top spot for possums”.

Strangely, the boat is housed at a concrete car park in an industrial area. Hardly the type of location associated with possums.

Image below shows the Gill 18ft skiff in spinnaker action. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a shot of Dave’s face at the precise moment he saw the possum on his leg so we have taken the liberty above of creating our own image of Dave – based on the concept “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”.

Boats suffer in Chile earthquake

On February 27, 2010 at 500 km from the 8.8-magnitude earthquake epicenter in Chile, significant changes in the sea level were observed. The photos below show the marina of the Yachting Club Higuerillas in Viña del Mar, Chile. In the first images the sea level is unnaturally high and then the water practically disappears. -- Enrique Roselló

Proper Course: Strangest Excuse Ever for Losing a Sailing Regatta

Proper Course: Strangest Excuse Ever for Losing a Sailing Regatta

Trailer protection

This would have saved me from dinging a lot of car bumpers and from losing one Star boat.



DuraSafe Coupler Connect is an easy-to-use trailer alignment device that also offers optional protection against accidental trailer uncoupling.

Optimist sail testing

St Maarten Heineken Regatta 2010

Thirty years of the St Maarten Heineken Regatta, 4-7 March 2010.

Shredder

A hot tub gets shredded...



Click here to see other stuff get shredded too.

Tania Elias Calles

March 3, 2010

Aloha Scuttlebutt,

My husband and I are cruisers, former racing sailors, enjoying the sun & breezes on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Our boat/home is currently in La Cruz, center of the action for the ongoing MEXORC series.

Today’s excitement was the arrival of Tania Elias Calles, who sailed a laser from Cabo San Lucas to Puerto Vallarta. This amazing young woman is just 17 years old, and hopes to represent Mexico in the 2012 Olympics. Her crossing of the Sea of Cortez to set a Guinness World Record had a clear objective: “por mi, por Mexico” (for me, for Mexico). She’s hoping this brings attention and support for her goal to represent Mexico in the 2012 Olympics, and more coordinated support from the Mexican companies who help fund their journey to the event.

Watching her come in was a proud moment! Her big smile and triumphant thumbs-up to the supporting crowd said all we needed to know. I could feel my old dinghy racing past creeping up as I watched her come in with my daughters- it was truly inspiring.

Thanks,

Behan Gifford

the America’s Cup is NOT about sailing

This from famed photographer Daniel Forster, following his attendance at the 33rd America's Cup:

Some musings, or müeslings as the Swiss would say, from a photographer.

I could send you some helicopter pictures from the second race where I froze my assets off, but instead will send you the following thousand words:

In the spirit of Jon Stewart, here is some fake news:

The 2010 DoG match was the first America’s Cup race started by the radio message: “Gentlemen start your engines”.

Fact:
Russell Coutts never said:
“Show me another letter from somebody giving us suggestions what boats to use and how to change the event and I will puke”.

When will people realize that the America’s Cup is NOT about sailing?

• Do you want exposure? Run the races during the Super Bowl halftime show!
• Do you want to experience sailing? Go to the Olympic Rolex Regatta, Key West Race Week, or the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
• Do you want to spend sponsors money and get exposure around the world? Join the Volvo Ocean Race or the future 60 foot catamaran round the world race.

Speaking about Russell Coutts:
There is no truth to the rumor that he got fired by Ernesto because he could not prove that Lake Geneva is on an arm of the sea and that he is having nightmares now because he has to prove that San Francisco Bay is on an arm of the sea.

Speaking about Tom Ehman:
There is no truth to the following claim that, after copying and pasting the 1988 NZ challenge papers, Tom Ehman is now copying and pasting the Ten Commandments to create a new Deed of Gift.

Now to the movie:
Mutiny on the Med. With Johnny Depp playing Tom Ehman and “Silence of the Lambs” actor Anthony Hopkins playing Vice-Commodore Fred Meyer.

You might have noticed that there are no women characters in this movie, it would need a Mata Hari to make it a blockbuster, or: Kimberly Skeen-Jones where are you?

In the meantime, here in Rhode Island we take the predictions one step at a time, San Diego today, Newport tomorrow.

Final thought:
What will Russell Coutts do for his retirement? Go back to New Zealand and engineer wings for the flightless Kiwi.

PS...Message for Larry Ellison:
There is no more room on Mount Rushmore and it is not for sale..


Daniel Forster Photography, 57 High Street, Jamestown, RI 02835 USA