Interesting 'bluewater' test !! RTW

[goboatingnow]

Ill let the readers decide who got the better deal

Robin Knox Johnson, finished the race and received a CBE from the Queen,

Moitessier returned to his beautiful south seas and sailed away with two ex-air hostesses

[Claude_Marie]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

[

what is different in France , is that offshore sailing is nearly a national sport, given the sort of profile reserved for premier football players in the UK. Ask Ellen McArthur about why she learnt french and about her french profile. Arguably the French are the worlds greatest sailors.



He saw himself as an anti authority figure , he was against nuclear armaments .....

When was the last time a french boat won the America's cup ?
I did not google.

Modern racing is about architects, shipwards highly specialised in racing boat building (carbon fiber), Riggers, sails makers, weather gurus, navigators, crews and skippers.
And money !
(sponsors)
No magic recipe.
It happens that a large number of above ingredients can be found in France.
If not available, they can be imported easily (swiss made composite masts, for instance).


A recipe which worked very well elsewhere, see New Zeland with ENZA + Peter Blake, same winning ticket.

Money remains an essential ingredient.

Something Dame Helen understood very well, to start with she went shopping for a sponsor and came back with Kingfisher in her cart.

Then found a decent yacht builder in France, went for a couple of rides with a local who taught her how the accelerator worked and most importantly where were the brakes.
The rest she did all by herself relying on british seawomanship.

Finishing (hopefully) with Moitessier whether he was anti this or anti that, at the end of his life he did not object benefiting of free hospitals despite having hardly ever paid a dime into the system.

[Cap Erict3]

The picture is a taken from this morning forecast of the southern ocean. Looks like just another day there,

I find it hard to comprehend how a solo sailor can take this on in a small boat with the intent of circumnavigation and not receive a modicum of respect from his fellows.

To insinuate that not working in a mill in order to support a tax system lessens such and individual?

We must think on different planes.


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Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Cap Erict3

Alan Ker sounds a bit like my son.

I am the one left to sew up or replace my sails and repair my rigging. I will leave the 360's to the aerial acrobats.

I know what you mean there.

In the late 90's, my 15 year old son crossed Pensacola Bay with a 12 year old and a 14 year old as crew on his Hobie 16 on the advice of an Air Force weatherman and expert catamaran sailor saying he could make it okay even though we could see the storm clouds which was quite normal to see that time of year from the beach..

So my girlfriend and I left Pensacola Beach to watch them cross from the mainland because we didn't like the looks of the storm clouds.

Long story short, the storm was rough. Hail, extreme lightning, winds maybe 35 knots, maybe more that's a guess..............one person killed.

I watched my 15 year old and his crew get swallowed up by the storm with binoculars. The Hobie 16 simply disappeared when the storm came over them.

He said they were all three on the back of the boat but the winds kept lifting the sterns up into the air. They sailed right up to the base and ended up at the Marine barracks where they were given shelter until it was over.

Needless to say I was a nut case for about 2 hours until we saw them sailing home from out toward Ft Pickens as we had driven back over there.

He had been sailing since he was 10 years old so he knew about flipping/pitchpoling while I was learning as a beginner sailor at age 37 and him as my crew. He picked it up naturally which helped in that situation.

My son at the time was the guy on my page here.....braces, low hanging pants, and all.

[barnakiel]

I think KJ was smart, Bernard was wise.

BTW if the claims of "GPS sealed in a box" and "by invitation only" are true (rather than CF lore) then the whole race is a laugh.

b.

[Cap Erict3]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I know what you mean there.

In the late 90's, my 15 year old son crossed Pensacola Bay with a 12 year old and a 14 year old as crew on his Hobie 16 on the advice of an Air Force weatherman and expert catamaran sailor saying he could make it okay even though we could see the storm clouds which was quite normal to see that time of year from the beach..

So my girlfriend and I left Pensacola Beach to watch them cross from the mainland because we didn't like the looks of the storm clouds.

Long story short, the storm was rough. Hail, extreme lightning, winds maybe 35 knots, maybe more that's a guess..............one person killed.

I watched my 15 year old and his crew get swallowed up by the storm with binoculars. The Hobie 16 simply disappeared when the storm came over them.

He said they were all three on the back of the boat but the winds kept lifting the sterns up into the air. They sailed right up to the base and ended up at the Marine barracks where they were given shelter until it was over.

Needless to say I was a nut case for about 2 hours until we saw them sailing home from out toward Ft Pickens as we had driven back over there.

He had been sailing since he was 10 years old so he knew about flipping/pitchpoling while I was learning as a beginner sailor at age 37 and him as my crew. He picked it up naturally which helped in that situation.

My son at the time was the guy on my page here.....braces, low hanging pants, and all.

Payback for our youthful lunacy.


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Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

[JPA Cate]

BTW if the claims of "GPS sealed in a box" and "by invitation only" are true (rather than CF lore) then the whole race is a laugh.

Actually, IMO tis a laugh even if those factors are not true! Anyone with the wherewithall can set up and organize a yacht race, and do so with whatever rules they wish to establish. But, with such ludicrous restrictions few serious sailors will be interested in entering or in the outcome.

Jim, using Ann's computer

[europaflyer]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Actually, IMO tis a laugh even if those factors are not true! Anyone with the wherewithall can set up and organize a yacht race, and do so with whatever rules they wish to establish. But, with such ludicrous restrictions few serious sailors will be interested in entering or in the outcome.

Jim, using Ann's computer

Absolutely! I don't know enough about the chap to be too rude about him, but he seems to be enforcing a rather bizarre and narrow 'box rule', which, by pure coincidence I am sure, perfectly encompasses the boat he owns. All the other entrants will have to toe the line and buy the boat he wants them to sail.

As for forcing the entrants to leave their AIS on shore, but fit an active radar reflector and detector... why? That's just odd, and worse. Simply have a rule which says that the competitors are expected to prove that navigation was undertaken by traditional means where safe to do so.

Sailing non-stop singlehanded around the world is quite enough challenge in itself. It is, in fact, an enormous challenge. The number of unsponsored amateur sailors to have done it is about the same as the number of people to have walked on the Moon. To pay through the nose to compete in a race where the organiser intentionally makes it MORE difficult and dangerous seems the height of madness. Apparently Don McIntyre circumnavigated once in the 1990-1991 BOC Challenge, in a thoroughly modern 50ft aluminium racer, taking 153 days. Taking double that time is surely enough challenge for anyone.

I like the idea of this race, but the execution is, as it stands, whacky. You don't get too many people signing up to climb Everest with imitation 1950s clothing and equipment, with someone else packing their bags. Let's see how many choose to undertake the nautical equivalent...

[Claude_Marie]

Originally Posted by Cap Erict3

Attachment 101057



To insinuate that not working in a mill in order to support a tax system lessens such and individual?

We must think on different planes.


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Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

I do not insinuate anything.

People who want to live by their own rules and disrespect duties applying to every ordinary citizens
have every right to do so.
They are welcome to get a private health insurrance.

Should they want to benefit from a system state funded at expense of tax payers, they are welcome to pay into it, just like everyone else.
Period.

That said, I suppose that when old age and cancer strikes, finding out that a Tahiti hospital does not offer the same facilities than a parisian hospital turning tail once again is no big deal.
In my plane No shirt-No money-no service.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Claude_Marie

When was the last time a french boat won the America's cup ?
I did not google.
.

On old times it was practically impossible any other country to win the cup since the other boats would have to cross the Atlantic and you cannot have a boat strong enough to cross the Atlantic and fast enough to win the type of regatta racing on sheltered waters that was always the mainstream of America's cup

Regarding modern times the French were never very interested in that type of racing, meaning top very expensive regatta racing, being always much more interested in Ocean racing, particularly solo (or duo) Ocean racing and regarding that they are the best.

Originally Posted by Claude_Marie

..
Modern racing is about architects, shipwards highly specialised in racing boat building (carbon fiber), Riggers, sails makers, weather gurus, navigators, crews and skippers.
And money !
(sponsors)
No magic recipe.
It happens that a large number of above ingredients can be found in France.
If not available, they can be imported easily (swiss made composite masts, for instance).


A recipe which worked very well elsewhere, see New Zeland with ENZA + Peter Blake, same winning ticket.

Money remains an essential ingredient.


....

The American's cup is much more about money that solo racing that is the cheapest form of racing. In fact France is the only country that has a big number of professional racers and they are not rich, just good, good enough to find sponsoring when on most other countries top sail racing is a thing for billionaires.

In fact one of the most prestigious French races (and a very popular too regarding public), The Figaro, a solo ocean race, is sailed by top professional racers on a very inexpensive and small boat (33ft) made by Beneteau, the Figaro class, this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZPCCrkZX3Y

You can find them at very reasonable prices used:

Beneteau Figaro II boats for sale - www.yachtworld.com

The boat is also used for a highly disputed professional championship and for a duo Transat.

You have also two other solo classes highly popular with the public and racers that are not expensive neither technologically complicated the Mini class (series) and the 40class. Many professionals racing on those classes and some that are not only skippers but also the boat designers and some time builders too.

[Cap Erict3]

Originally Posted by Claude_Marie

In my plane No shirt-No money-no service.

In as much as I feel I am strong, smart and charitable enough to care for my fellow man there is room in my world to look after a ne'er do well or 2.

I do give in and deck a loud mouth on occasion though. Part of the spice of life.



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Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

[Claude_Marie]

Originally Posted by Cap Erict3

In as much as I feel I am strong, smart and charitable enough to care for my fellow man there is room in my world to look after a ne'er do well or 2.

I do give in and deck a loud mouth on occasion though. Part of the spice of life.


Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

Sorry.
You guys want to make so much some sort of National Heroe, of this guy, he is not.

Back on thread....

Out of interest, I was checking what safety requirements applied to boats and skippers of the Vendée Globe.
Found that the Vendée Globe organisation has agreed with Australian Coasties that skippers were not allowed to sail further than 1200 NM from australian airports.
(not australian shoreline but airports).
Maybe it is the maximum range of their helicopters.

I wonder what Australian coasties will think about this race.

[Cap Erict3]

Originally Posted by Claude_Marie

Sorry.
You guys want to make so much some sort of National Heroe, of this guy, he is not.



I wonder what Australian coasties will think about this race.

Not my intention to make him out a hero. Just trying to give him his dues as a sailor.

As for the race, if it does happen it will be done by the same kind of guys that do flips on motocross with the added bonus of exhaustion from months of sailing solo and the mental stress from all that time alone unable to contact anyone but the race folks.

It makes Navy Seal training sound like a picnic on the beach.





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Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

[boatman61]

Why do I get the impression that folks think this will be Vendee Globe style sailing.. I very much doubt it.. it'll more likely be normal sailing RKJ style.. mainly downwind.. and an occasional dive off the bow and swim like crazy till the stern comes level.. just to keep up fitness levels..
Doubt there'll be hydraulics and the electric winches on most of todays toys..
Solo's only as exhausting as you want it to be..

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Doubt there'll be hydraulics and the electric winches on most of todays toys..
Solo's only as exhausting as you want it to be..

What about hydraulic steering?