Bernard Stamm rescued

[Hoofsmit]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Yeah.. he coulda spent time with Atoll in 'Peters Bar' drinking beer and swinging the lantern...

He probably found out that we had drunk the island dry ! ( orange juice at least)

[DeepFrz]

The boat had been around the world at least twice as well as several transatlantic races and I'm sure more. My opinion (for what that is worth) is that the boat was built strong but it may have been tired. I read an article lately about carbon fiber masts breaking for no apparent reason after being raced. By no apparent reason I mean in situations that are below the design specs. of the masts. Perhaps there is some fatigue element to carbon fiber construction that isn't fully understood. Or maybe it is in the construction. Whatever the construction details, I think the skipper was driving the boat very hard in very heavy conditions and perhaps just drove it off the razor's edge. In the Vendee Globe races that I have followed many of the skippers talked about protecting their boats. There is a need to go fast while racing but one doesn't want to break the boat. I should think that on delivery a skipper would be even more protective of his boat.

Edit: Add Here is a quote from the Vendee Globe website, before the accident.

Completing his boat delivery after the Transat Jacques Vabre, Bernard Stamm is currently climbing back up from the Azores aboard his Cheminées Poujoulat. The skipper of the monohull was around 400 miles south west of Brest this morning, when he sent this message warning everyone of the conditions in the Bay of Biscay as the storm is about to hit the Atlantic coast. Bernard Stamm: “A piece of advice. Get the kids and the cat indoors. Make sure you’re your car is well parked away from any trees. Something nasty is about to happen. On board the boat is getting pummelled, but is weathering the storm. We’ve got 45 knots of wind gusting to 55. The seas are very high. We’ve got three reefs in and are under storm sail, but even that isn’t slowing down the boat. We reached a peak speed of 31.33 knots, but that is something we could have done without. The autopilot is coping fine, except for the three occasions, when in the trough of a wave it got caught out and we bore away. Nothing serious except a broken mainsail batten.”

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

As to Helicopter goboatingnow. Abort means to stop what you have already started. The skipper of the Titanic was a competent and very experienced captain. He also made decisions that had his unsinkable ship sink.

As to the sea worthiness of these race rockets, have you forgotten the number of breakdowns these boats suffer. Most are constructed with the emphasis on short term speed rather than longevity. Obviously Sea state must have been extreme after the series of 100mph winds that passed over that part of the North Atlantic which rolled through in the last 10 days. If you or I had suffered the same fate I am not sure if our decision to be in that area at this time of the year would have resulted in such kind praise.

I was merely pointing out , the helicopter was able to operate in the area just fine , it didn't abort due to its issues with the weather. It was the difficulties at sea level , getting them to the winch point, that caused it to abandon station.

What I am surprised , is why they didn't launch St Mary's lifeboat , wasn't he near The Scillies

Yes I think you or I out during that ( very predicable and forecast ) storm , would have got a right bollocking.

I've met the type, these guys do think they are indestructible

Dave

[NorthPacific]

Cheers Dave,

I am setting off in a few weeks, my Mrs keeps on finding very bit of video on yachts sinking, people being eaten by sharks, berry berry etc.

The Ocean scars me, for the power it can unleash, even with the best plans. If you put yourself at risk, you are usually putting others at risk as well. I think this is what I find annoying. Then all yachties get tarred with the same brush, when ever we mess up.

Like you I also have no time for people who make a name for themselves by tempting fate. His boat broke apart, maybe being pounded all those sea miles made the conditions on the continental shelf the final straw. Who knows?

So apologies if I was snotty. Just hope you guys are not discussing me in a few weeks time :-) If you are, I want you to know now, it was the Mrs who screwed up:-)

Happy New Year!

Steve

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

Cheers Dave,

I am setting off in a few weeks, my Mrs keeps on finding very bit of video on yachts sinking, people being eaten by sharks, berry berry etc.

The Ocean scars me, for the power it can unleash, even with the best plans. If you put yourself at risk, you are usually putting others at risk as well. I think this is what I find annoying. Then all yachties get tarred with the same brush, when ever we mess up.

Like you I also have no time for people who make a name for themselves by tempting fate. His boat broke apart, maybe being pounded all those sea miles made the conditions on the continental shelf the final straw. Who knows?

So apologies if I was snotty. Just hope you guys are not discussing me in a few weeks time :-) If you are, I want you to know now, it was the Mrs who screwed up:-)

Happy New Year!

Steve

Bon voyage , where u off to ?

Dave

[boatman61]

No critiques from me.. this guy is so outa my league its scary...

[minaret]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

The boat had been around the world at least twice as well as several transatlantic races and I'm sure more. My opinion (for what that is worth) is that the boat was built strong but it may have been tired. I read an article lately about carbon fiber masts breaking for no apparent reason after being raced. By no apparent reason I mean in situations that are below the design specs. of the masts. Perhaps there is some fatigue element to carbon fiber construction that isn't fully understood. Or maybe it is in the construction. Whatever the construction details, I think the skipper was driving the boat very hard in very heavy conditions and perhaps just drove it off the razor's edge. In the Vendee Globe races that I have followed many of the skippers talked about protecting their boats. There is a need to go fast while racing but one doesn't want to break the boat. I should think that on delivery a skipper would be even more protective of his boat.

Edit: Add Here is a quote from the Vendee Globe website, before the accident.

31 knots!! Of course the boat broke.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by minaret

31 knots!! Of course the boat broke.

It's the seas that broke the boat. That night there were 100 mph winds over the land !

Dave

[minaret]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

It's the seas that broke the boat. That night there were 100 mph winds over the land !

Dave

Sure, the two aren't related at all! High seas and high speeds are a great combination!

[Hoofsmit]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

It's the seas that broke the boat. That night there were 100 mph winds over the land !

Dave

Ha ha ..... But as we have been told that a boat doesn't experience ground ( land wind) from the terminology thread ???
.... Sorry I'm in an antagonistic mood...... ' devil' thingy ( tut iPads don't boaties little cartoon men )

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

It's the seas that broke the boat. That night there were 100 mph winds over the land !

Sailing on land with a water boat is never a good idea, especially not at 100 mph !



-Sven

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by SvenG

Sailing on land with a water boat is never a good idea, especially not at 100 mph !

-Sven

True, True, using an in-mast curler, rocna anchor and a Glock, while avoiding cigar chomping mexiacn officials, does seem to make it possible according to various Cfers.

dave

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

True, True, using an in-mast curler, rocna anchor and a Glock, while avoiding cigar chomping mexiacn officials, does seem to make it possible according to various Cfers.

Now you've done it !



-Sven