Sailing Is a Joke, You Say ?

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by Serenity_

Bring it on......

Struck me as funny.... SERENITY = Bring it on???

When I was young, dumb and happy, I did a bit of sky diving, and a bit of flying, both aerial sports... don't think sky diving made me a better pilot, particularly when it comes to landing!

I had a guy on board once who raced a lot, club races mainly but crewed a few Sydney to Hobarts. He didn't have a clue how to set an anchor properly, or how to light a fire on a beach with damp wood for a BBQ...

Let racers learn to race, and cruisers learn to enjoy sailing

[DeepFrz]

In the second video in post #24 what do the folks who think that racing breeds better sailors think of the guy with the line wrapped around his hand? Right near the beginning before the guy on the winch went to change the line.

[NYCSavage]

I just watched that and it scared the hell out of me!!!

Maybe you should have a warning for learner pilots not to watch lol

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

I had a guy on board once who raced a lot, club races mainly but crewed a few Sydney to Hobarts. He didn't have a clue how to set an anchor properly, or how to light a fire on a beach with damp wood for a BBQ...

yor're probably right, but I've also had guys on my personal boat that boasted of having years of sailing experance as a cruiser,
but when I mentioned we were going to roll tack the boat, they looked at me like I was crazy, had a spinnaker wrap, and not a one had any idea of how to chase the hourglass to the top..
I've done a fair amount of Open Ocean Sailing, Racing, and Cruising,
and for all of you setting around giving advice on how to cruise, Let me in-lighten you a little,
When the **** Hits The Fan out there, it happenes fast, damn fast, and and it will happen, no doubt about it, but you better be prepaired, as you wont have time to think about what to do, you have to react NOW,
If you dont, you die..
You can prepair yourself in anyway you see fit...
Many of us find that the rigors of racing, put us throu the trials we will use while cruising..
This isnt up for a debate in my case as I know the racing I did prepaired me for the cruising I'm doing presently..
And YES, I have outrun a storm front, and damn sure like to Know how you Make a Maxi Lay-ahull.. without using a storm anchor. It wont happen..

[Finditsurfit]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Not quite Randy…. ......Hmmm …..if I were to follow your analogy;


Racing is more like having sex with a transvestite insofar as you never quite know which end is up and the risk of getting hurt or contracting some disease has risen exponentially....probably too much testosterone in the mix...


I admit I have raced and delivered maxis with their racing crew to their next destination, ..... so watching that video of bodies flying helter skelter in extreme offshore conditions is a bit too much rough sex for my liking…..

Consider me a prude...lol...

By the way..just kidding!

LOL one of the best things I have heard in a while. Being out her in the middle of nowhere I sure do miss racing. Maybe VANISLE 360 next year.

[Ex-Calif]

Fast racing in high winds and big seas brings out the macho in everyone. But seriously in those conditions it's about keeping the boat on its feet, not breaking anything and sailing to the boats capability.

When I talk about racing making one a better sailor I am usually envisioning 3 kts of wind, a current and a one design fleet. When a guy with the same boat is pulling away - it's your fault.

Getting the boat to go in light conditions is learning about sail trim and tactics. It is more fun to sail in 20 kts but more gratifying to podium in the drifting races.

Most of the video posted in this thread is very cool but not really transferable to cruising. In all these cases I would have a lot less sail out if cruising.

[bewitched]

I don't see cruising and racing as mutually exclusive - just different ends of the experience of sailing.

Cruisers can learn a lot from racers - I would say that those who race regularly, even just at the club level, are much better at actually sailing a boat. The are generally better trimmers, helmsmen, have a keener ability to read the wind/water, have better deckwork skills etc. etc.

And of course, racers can learn plenty from those who cruise regularly.

Entrenching yourself in the perception that there are two mutually exclusive camps and that you are either a 'racer' or a 'cruiser' will just limit your own ability to learn new skills.

[Borealis]

I'm with Sara, that is 'Hot'! However it would be hotter with a bunch of women working the deck. By the way, Nice touch on the "vapours". My Platoon of Ordnance Clearance Divers uses that phrase now and again...never gets old.

Final comment; does it matter if its fun? Thats one heluva ride!! I want some!

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Fast racing in high winds and big seas brings out the macho in everyone. But seriously in those conditions it's about keeping the boat on its feet, not breaking anything and sailing to the boats capability.

When I talk about racing making one a better sailor I am usually envisioning 3 kts of wind, a current and a one design fleet. When a guy with the same boat is pulling away - it's your fault.

Getting the boat to go in light conditions is learning about sail trim and tactics. It is more fun to sail in 20 kts but more gratifying to podium in the drifting races.

Most of the video posted in this thread is very cool but not really transferable to cruising. In all these cases I would have a lot less sail out if cruising.

Totally agree, tweaking your boat in a light wind race teaches you a lot of things and everyone who wants to be a more efficient sailor should do it.

But I don’t support the idea that racing enhances seamanship.

By definition, in heavy weather the racing mindset pushes boats, crew and equipment past their limit and while that is great for product development as in Formula-1, if everyone who had a regular street car went out on weekends to race madly around town, saying it made them better drivers, you can just imagine our insurance rates and the Monday morning commute alongside that racing mindset.

My first sailboat was a Hobbie 18, so don’t get me wrong, I am all for having an adrenalin rush.

And what these guys are doing is fun and fairly safe because of the controlled inshore conditions.

But again, I would not call it “good seamanship”

YouTube - Boats Crashing and Flipping - Sailing Extreme 40 Catamarans

[bewitched]

It's probably not good seamanship

But there's a lot more to sailing than good seamanship.

I go sailing because I enjoy it - not because I aspire to be a good seaman.

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

I agree with Randyonr3's assessment of racing. I'll add racing on all types of boats will make you a better sailor and really tune your skills.

If you mean that racing improves your ability to get the best out of your boat. I would agree completely

If you mean that racing improves your seamanship. I would violently disagree.

[Pelagic]

I think we can all agree that sailing is about developing many skills to do with getting the most enjoyment and satisfaction out of a wind driven craft.

I believe seamanship is mostly about safety and as a professional seaman that has always been my priority.

When I say that sailboat racing often manifests itself in very “bad seamanship” it does not detract from my love of sailing or the sport of racing.

I just like to mentally separate the two mindsets when I am doing an offshore delivery.

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I think we can all agree that sailing is about developing many skills to do with getting the most enjoyment and satisfaction out of a wind driven craft.

I believe seamanship is mostly about safety and as a professional seaman that has always been my priority.

When I say that sailboat racing often manifests itself in very “bad seamanship” it does not detract from my love of sailing or the sport of racing.

I just like to mentally separate the two mindsets when I am doing an offshore delivery.

Its all in you're belief and how you see it.. and I feel the same way when it comes to offshore dilevery people who climb aboard a new vessel, without any prior knowledge of the workings of that vessel, never being on it befor, installing a crew that they know little about..and taking it for an offshore dilevery......
It shows very bad seamanship...

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by Randyonr3

.. and I feel the same way when it comes to offshore dilevery people who climb aboard a new vessel, without any prior knowledge of the workings of that vessel, never being on it befor, installing a crew that they know little about..and taking it for an offshore dilevery......
It shows very bad seamanship...

Yeah...bloody irresponsible.. Drake, de Gama, Bligh, Cook, Columbus, Magellan, Nelson... bad seamanship for sure...