An interesting prediction about the Sydney to Hobart race.

[Mr B]

Sydney to Hobart race, Your in it to win it, No prizes for second,
I watch it on TV almost every year,
Most yachts had full sail up and going like stink even in the huge waves they were in,
The helicopter pilot picking up survivors from one yacht said the waves were 90 foot high, From top to bottom, There is a video of it some where, The rescue,

I would like to know what height the waves were on the other side of Tassie where the Melbourne to Hobart race was on at the same time,
They didnt have the protection of Tassie to sail in,
Fortunately most hid in the bay half way down the coast and missed it,
My Daughter sails in this race nearly every year,
They won last year with an all female crew on a Catamaran, She hates Cats, Hahahaha
Its called the West Coaster, Goes down the west coast of Tassie, They get some pretty bad weather some years,

You would get it in the teeth, Gilow, Coming out of the Gulf, Head on,

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by GILow

...I can say that the Swanson hulls all look the same to me below the waterline. ...I can also say they look utterly different, below the waterline, to any other boat I see on the slips around here. With the exception of one or two Joe Adam’s designs...

Darn, must remember to keep quiet about these boats, to keep the price down when next one comes up for sale.

[hellosailor]

"Fastnet Force 10"

Nothing really has changed since then, even if boat construction is different. As they say in NASCAR, "If you ain't breaking, you ain't racing." Simply being invested in a major race will ensure that boats and crews try to push their envelopes, and that pushes "breaking".

What is it now, four dismastings in the Golden Globe and three requiring SAR calls?

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

...What is it now, four dismastings in the Golden Globe and three requiring SAR calls?

"2018 Golden Globe Race approved designs: Westsail 32 • Tradewind 35 • Saga 34 • Saltram 36 • Vancouver 32 & 34 • OE 32 • Eric (sister ship to Suhaili) • Aries 32 • Baba 35 • Biscay 36 • Bowman 36 • Cape Dory 36 • Nicholson 32 MKX-XI • Rustler 36, Endurance 35, Gaia 36, Hans Christian 33T, Tashiba 36, Cabo Rico 34, Hinckley Pilot 35, Lello 34, Gale Force 34."

These are all small boats, being sailed solo on the longest, toughest, most punishing route ever raced. Surely the reason "nothing has changed" in this field is that only those traditional designs of small production boat, resembling Suhaili, are allowed to compete. This tells me that any small production boat will do well to survive this type of punishment; none are really designed for this.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by NevisDog

Darn, must remember to keep quiet about these boats, to keep the price down when next one comes up for sale.

Don’t worry, they are giving them away now. [emoji853]

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Sydney to Hobart race, Your in it to win it, No prizes for second,
...,

You would get it in the teeth, Gilow, Coming out of the Gulf, Head on,

I know most sail it hard, but the race always seems to have a few boats with the same philosophy being demonstrated by Coconut in the GGR.

Sometimes it is enough just to tick it off the list. I never race, yet it is something I’d like to do, just so I can say I’ve done it.

The biggest problem seems to be that I will need prior experience of category A offshore racing first. Not sure how I will go about getting that experience.

[Mr B]

GILow,
Adelaide to Hobart down the west coast of Tassie on a bad day would give you all the experience you need,
I dont know about racing, But more survival experience would be involved on a bad day on the west coast of Tassie,

Not like the protected side of the Tasman, East coast of Tassie and the East coast of OZ, Hahahahaha

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Mr B

GILow,
Adelaide to Hobart down the west coast of Tassie on a bad day would give you all the experience you need,
I dont know about racing, But more survival experience would be involved on a bad day on the west coast of Tassie,

Not like the protected side of the Tasman, East coast of Tassie and the East coast of OZ, Hahahahaha

going down the W coast of Tassie on a bad day would indicate rather poor planning, a binding schedule or plain stupidity. I believe that our GIlow is a better seaman than that. Having sailed UP the W coast on a somewhat bad day, I'd not recommend the practice in either direction. Not many bail out spots along there!

Pay attention, Matt!

Jim

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

going down the W coast of Tassie on a bad day would indicate rather poor planning, a binding schedule or plain stupidity. I believe that our GIlow is a better seaman than that. Having sailed UP the W coast on a somewhat bad day, I'd not recommend the practice in either direction. Not many bail out spots along there!

Pay attention, Matt!

Jim

Thats actually Aussie Humour, FWIW, Hahahahahahahaha
And GILow would be rolling around the floor laughing at it,

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Thats actually Aussie Humour, FWIW, Hahahahahahahaha
And GILow would be rolling around the floor laughing at it,

Well, lets ask him: Hey, Matt, you rolling around on the floor, mate? Mr B says you should be...

Jim

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Thats actually Aussie Humour, FWIW, Hahahahahahahaha

Don't worry Jim, nobody gets Aussie humour - that's why they need an island all to themselves. Go there at your peril!

GiLow, you may need to enter the Sydney-Suva first, or wherever that race to the Islands departs from.

[tp12]

This is a really interesting thread that, I think, comes down to your own risk taking attitudes and whether you lean towards being authoritarian or libertarian. There's some similarities to the Isle of Man TT here and the discussion that happens every year about whether it should continue or not. There's been over 250 competitors killed, and more people who weren't competing, on the course in a little over 100 years of racing. The worst year was 2005 when 11 people were killed and, sadly, this included people who weren't actually racing. So the fatality rate is much higher than the Sydney to Hobart and, as far as I'm aware, any other sailing race. If it's not I'd love to hear about the race.

It's a very dangerous event to participate in. Depending on your point of view, it's either total madness that needs to be shut down or, it's one of the biggest challenges a human being can take on. Bike racing is already a very skillful and dangerous sport and doing it on public roads with no gravel traps, runoff etc etc cranks that up to 11. It's a truly awe inspiring place to be during the racing and standing in someone's front garden while bikes pass within a metre or so of you doing well in excess of 200kph can be jaw dropping.

The Isle of Man has two main sources of revenue; being a low tax jurisdiction and the tourist trophy races. This is likely the reason the races have managed to survive being shut down by people who are horrified by the amount of deaths and serious injury that happen every single year. Yet, the racing is growing in popularity. Racers who have been SERIOUSLY injured, I'm talking breaking 20+ bones in a single crash, crushing organs etc and being in traction in hospital with very long recovery periods that are in excess of one year, dodging death, use getting back to race at the Isle of Man as their motivation to get them through the recovery. Are they mental? Maybe. Depends on your views, as I stated above. I've met a few of them and many would be surprised at how rational they are.

It's my opinion that this type of 'ultimate test', an 'Everest' if you will, needs to exist for the risk takers in life. Those who want to give themselves the ultimate challenge. The single handed sailors who tackle the southern ocean, for example. The bigger the risk, the greater the reward, to people who think that way. These people provide the 'derring do' the inspiration for others, with lower risk taking appetites, to do things, to do things differently, to live life to the fullest. Sometimes it's just entertainment for the 'car crash watchers'. The people who these types of events appeal to, wouldn't have the organised type of platform to fulfill themselves if they were shut down. To measure themselves against similar maniacs in very challenging events!

Of course, some people are just horrified and that's ok, too. In my opinion, the line is crossed when the horrified people try to control the risk takers and deny them their events and their activities. This is, in effect, trying to manage their own fear/emotions by controlling others. I think that's a very bad thing.

Understanding the risks to help manage them and improve safety is important. But stopping the event, in this case the Sydney to Hobart, altogether is something very different.

Just another view to consider

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by tp12

This is a really interesting thread that, I think, comes down to your own risk taking attitudes and whether you lean towards being authoritarian or libertarian. There's some similarities to the Isle of Man TT here and the discussion that happens every year about whether it should continue or not. There's been over 250 competitors killed, and more people who weren't competing, on the course in a little over 100 years of racing. The worst year was 2005 when 11 people were killed and, sadly, this included people who weren't actually racing. So the fatality rate is much higher than the Sydney to Hobart and, as far as I'm aware, any other sailing race. If it's not I'd love to hear about the race.

It's a very dangerous event to participate in. Depending on your point of view, it's either total madness that needs to be shut down or, it's one of the biggest challenges a human being can take on. Bike racing is already a very skillful and dangerous sport and doing it on public roads with no gravel traps, runoff etc etc cranks that up to 11. It's a truly awe inspiring place to be during the racing and standing in someone's front garden while bikes pass within a metre or so of you doing well in excess of 200kph can be jaw dropping.

The Isle of Man has two main sources of revenue; being a low tax jurisdiction and the tourist trophy races. This is likely the reason the races have managed to survive being shut down by people who are horrified by the amount of deaths and serious injury that happen every single year. Yet, the racing is growing in popularity. Racers who have been SERIOUSLY injured, I'm talking breaking 20+ bones in a single crash, crushing organs etc and being in traction in hospital with very long recovery periods that are in excess of one year, dodging death, use getting back to race at the Isle of Man as their motivation to get them through the recovery. Are they mental? Maybe. Depends on your views, as I stated above. I've met a few of them and many would be surprised at how rational they are.

It's my opinion that this type of 'ultimate test', an 'Everest' if you will, needs to exist for the risk takers in life. Those who want to give themselves the ultimate challenge. The single handed sailors who tackle the southern ocean, for example. The bigger the risk, the greater the reward, to people who think that way. These people provide the 'derring do' the inspiration for others, with lower risk taking appetites, to do things, to do things differently, to live life to the fullest. Sometimes it's just entertainment for the 'car crash watchers'. The people who these types of events appeal to, wouldn't have the organised type of platform to fulfill themselves if they were shut down. To measure themselves against similar maniacs in very challenging events!

Of course, some people are just horrified and that's ok, too. In my opinion, the line is crossed when the horrified people try to control the risk takers and deny them their events and their activities. This is, in effect, trying to manage their own fear/emotions by controlling others. I think that's a very bad thing.

Understanding the risks to help manage them and improve safety is important. But stopping the event, in this case the Sydney to Hobart, altogether is something very different.

Just another view to consider

Small correction there, its over 200 MPH not KPH on the Isle of Man,
Its called living and having fun, Some of us enjoy it,
Others pay to watch it,
Others want to shut it down, Fun Police, Sadly the ones that dont have a life of their own,

Even better than riding a big fast motor cycle is strapping two planks of wood on your feet and throwing your self off a tall mountain, Thats living,

[tp12]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Small correction there, its over 200 MPH not KPH on the Isle of Man,
Its called living and having fun, Some of us enjoy it,
Others pay to watch it,
Others want to shut it down, Fun Police, Sadly the ones that dont have a life of their own,

Even better than riding a big fast motor cycle is strapping two planks of wood on your feet and throwing your self off a tall mountain, Thats living,

You're adding accuracy. Both are true. They started hitting 200mph in recent years from around 2014, I think. Somewhere around there. I've driven around the circuit and ridden around it, not racing, though I raced for several years in the UK and also coached, and even Sulby Straight is not really a straight. Especially with the road camber you're fighting a superbike, trying to keep it in a straight line, all the way through there. Get it wrong and you've got a stone wall lining one side of the road and trees and houses on the other! Eeeek! Peter Hickman set a lap with an average speed of 132.8mph! They're some very powerful bikes with very grippy slicks!

I'm with you, for sure. Skiing is also an amazing sport! I'm one of those philistines that swapped to a board, though

[MoorOrLess]

Originally Posted by GILow

Sometimes it is enough just to tick it off the list. I never race, yet it is something I’d like to do, just so I can say I’ve done it.

Totally agree, it is a great feeling arriving in Constitution Dock.