Author: Kurt Hoehne

Vestas Skipper Q&A, More Details to Follow

Kurt Hoehne Racing, Seamanship 0 Comment
Vestas Skipper Q&A, More Details to Follow

The racing community has been waiting for some real insight to the fatal collision Vestas 11th Hour Racing had with a fishing boat on approach to the finish of leg 4 at Hong Kong. Understandably, those insights had to wait until Hong Kong authorities investigated the incident. That, apparently, has been done. Now, details are going to start trickling out, starting with the following Q&A with skipper for the leg Mark Towill. Note that this is from the 11th Hour website and not done by a sailing journalist intent on finding out detail. (I look forward to that, would love to do it myself!) But this interview at least confirms a lot of what was assumed. An independent panel will conduct an investigation – see the end of the post for details.

Vestas 11th Hour Racing has been repaired and will rejoin the race in Auckland where the fleet just finished.

From the Vestas web site 2nd March – 2018

Q&A WITH MARK TOWILL

By Vestas 11th Hour Racing

Vestas 11th Hour Racing co-founder, Mark Towill, spent time at home with family and friends after departing the Volvo Ocean Race Hong Kong stopover where the team’s VO65 was involved in a tragic accident with a fishing vessel. Towill has now regrouped with the team and their VO65 yacht in Auckland, New Zealand, ahead of the next leg of the race. The team has now been informed that investigations by the Hong Kong and mainland China authorities will be closed shortly with no further action to be taken. As a result, Towill gives us his account on what happened in the early hours of January 20 in the approach to Hong Kong.
What happened as you approached the finish line of Leg 4? 
We were about 30 nautical miles from the finish, and I was at the navigation station monitoring the radar and AIS (Automatic Identification System), and communicating with the crew on-deck through the intercom. I was watching three vessels on AIS: a cable layer, which we had just passed, a vessel farther ahead moving across our bow and away, and a third vessel identified as a fishing vessel. There were a number of additional boats on AIS, many of them fishing vessels, but these three were the only ones identified in our vicinity.
What were the conditions like? What could you see?
It was a dark and cloudy night, with a breeze of around 20 knots and a moderate sea state. As we approached the fishing vessel that we had identified on AIS, the on-deck crew confirmed visual contact – the fishing vessel was well lit – and we headed up to starboard to keep clear. I was watching AIS and communicating the range and bearing to the crew. The crew confirmed we were crossing the fishing vessel when, before the anticipated cross, there was an unexpected collision.
What happened immediately after the collision?
So much happened so fast. The impact from the collision spun us into a tack to port that we weren’t prepared for. Everyone who was off watch came on deck. Everyone on our boat was safe and accounted for. We checked the bow, saw the hole in the port side and went below to assess the damage. Water was flowing into our boat through the hole, and there was concern over the structural integrity of the bow.
How did you control the ingress of water?
We heeled the boat to starboard to keep the port bow out of the water. The sail stack was already to starboard and the starboard water ballast tank was full. We also kept the keel canted to starboard. We placed our emergency pump in the bow to pump water overboard. We were able to minimize the ingress, but the boat was difficult to maneuver because it was heeled over so much.
What actions did you take immediately after getting your boat under control?
It took roughly 20 minutes to get our boat under control, and then we headed back towards the location of the collision. Upon arrival, several people on a fishing vessel nearby were shining lights to a point on the water. Our first thought was that they could be looking for someone, so we immediately started a search and rescue. After some time searching, we eventually spotted a person in the water.
Who were you in communication with? Did anyone offer assistance?
We tried to contact the other vessel involved in the collision, and alerted race control straight away. When we initiated the search and rescue, our navigator immediately issued a Mayday distress call over VHF channel 16 on behalf of the fishing vessel. There were many vessels in the area, including a cruise ship with a hospital bay, but they were all standing by.
Communication was difficult. The sheer volume of traffic on the radio meant it was hard to communicate to the people we needed to. Not many people on the VHF were speaking English, but we found a way to relay messages through a cable laying vessel, and they were able to send their guard boat to aid in the search and rescue.
How was the casualty retrieved?
Difficult conditions and limited maneuverability hampered our initial efforts to retrieve the casualty. The guard boat from the cable layer provided assistance and every effort was made from all parties involved in the search and rescue. We were finally able to successfully recover the casualty after several attempts. When we got him aboard, our medics started CPR. We alerted Hong Kong Marine Rescue Coordination Centre that we had the casualty aboard and they confirmed air support was on its way. He was transferred to a helicopter and taken to a Hong Kong hospital where medical staff where unable to revive him.
Did any of your competitors offer assistance?
Dongfeng Race Team offered assistance. At the time, we were coordinating the search and rescue with multiple vessels, including the cable layer that had a crewman who spoke Chinese and English and was relaying our communication. We advised Dongfeng that they were not needed as there were a number of vessels in the area that were closer.
Team AkzoNobel arrived while the air transfer was in effect. Race control requested that they stand by and they did, and we later released them once the helicopter transfer was complete.
 
What happened after the search and rescue procedure was completed?
Once we knew there was nothing more we could do at the scene of the accident, we ensured our boat was still secure, and informed Volvo Ocean Race that we would retire from the leg and motor to shore. We arrived at the technical area nearby the race village and met with race officials and local authorities to give our account of what happened.
Here’s the statement from Vestas 11th Hour Racing regarding an independent report to be made:

Following the collision between Vestas 11th Hour Racing and a non-racing vessel in the final stages of the racing leg into Hong Kong, the organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race have commissioned an independent report into ocean racing at night in areas of high vessel traffic density, to establish what steps race organisers may take to mitigate risk going forward.

The report will be conducted by an Independent Report Team (IRT), chaired by Rear Admiral Chris Oxenbould AO RAN (Rtd) and assisted by Stan Honey and Chuck Hawley.

Rear Admiral Oxenbould is a former deputy chief of the Australian Navy and an experienced ocean racing yachtsman with a particular expertise in navigation. He is also the former chairman of Australia Sailing’s National Safety Committee.

Renowned current sailor and ocean navigational expert, Stan Honey, who won the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 as navigator onboard ABN AMRO ONE, and Chuck Hawley, who is the former chairman of the U.S. Sailing Safety at Sea Committee, will assist Rear Admiral Oxenbould on the report.

The IRT will examine all the issues associated with racing a Volvo Ocean 65, or similar racing boat, at night in areas of high vessel traffic density, drawing on the experiences in recent editions of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Any findings from the report that could benefit the wider sailing community will be released. It is intended that the IRT will make its report available to Volvo Ocean Race by June 2018.

Phil Lawrence, Race Director, stated: “Understandably, there has been a lot of reaction to this incident in the sailing community, but the fact is, it takes time to make a responsible assessment of what could be done differently to minimise risk and increase safety.

“Our sailors, as qualified professionals, understand their responsibilities under the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, Racing Rules of Sailing and the Rules of the Volvo Ocean Race.

“As race organisers, we will continue to evaluate safety as we race over the coming months and take the appropriate steps to minimise risk.” concluded Lawrence.

Wet Wednesday Videos, Volvo and World Sailing

Kurt Hoehne Racing, Wet Wednesday Videos 0 Comment
Wet Wednesday Videos, Volvo and World Sailing

We don’t have any PNW videos to share this week, apparently everyone’s shutter fingers were frozen. Mine certainly were. But there was lots of sailing elsewhere to shoot. I’m hoping that as spring and summer racing pick up we get some great local footage. Let me know if you get some!

Volvo Ocean Race

There is, of course, a never-ending supply of video from the Volvo Race. And in case you hadn’t heard, the first five boats into the recently concluded leg finished within 30 minutes of each other in Auckland, New Zealand. First and second only a couple of minutes apart. In a 20+ day race! The fact that it was the dead of night didn’t bother the Kiwi fans, they were on hand for the big hello. Here’s the Volvo Ocean Race show on the finish, in its entirety.

 

World Sailing

And then there’s the World Sailing Show. It’s glossy, it’s a fast-paced 20-some minutes, it covers a broad range of sailing. It may even be your cup of tea. The most interesting parts to me were the inflatable sail on a telescoping rig and watching one of those blunt-nosed mini transat racers move through the water and over the waves.

PHRF Meeting Notes

Kurt Hoehne Racing, Uncategorized , 0 Comment
PHRF Meeting Notes

PHRF-NW had a meeting on February 11, and I’m pleased to share the Chief Handicappers notes from that meeting (without comment!):

PHRF-NW update 2018 

The PHRF-NW Annual Handicapper’s Council meeting 2018 was graciously hosted by CYC Seattle on February 11, 2018. Chaired by Chief Handicapper Neil Bennett and Deputy Chief Handicapper Alan Grim, Handicappers from as far South as Portland, OR, North as Juneau, AK, west as Orcas Island and everywhere in between gathered for a morning and afternoon discussion about the state of PHRF sailboat racing in Puget Sound. And, to quote Mark Twain, ‘rumors of our death have been greatly exaggerated’. 

Each Handicapper gave an update on their club’s racing programs; without fail, each club handicapper reported increased participation and eager excitement to get back out on the water, racing in PHRF One Design and open keelboat and multihull fleets. We listened and learned from each other, again reinforcing the premise that the ‘whole is greater than the sum of its parts’. So look for some innovation at that next regatta or race. 

We also looked at how we stack up against other measurement methods such as ORC and IRC. We compared our PHRF-NW ratings against US Sailing National PHRF ratings and, not surprisingly, we differ from other areas of the country (for obvious reasons, we are unique); however we are consistent in our differences; against the other rating/measurement systems we are rock solidly consistent in how similar the time deltas between yachts are measured. 

Of course we are proud that our cost effective, friendly PHRF-NW method stacks up against the ‘bog boys’, and we welcome any and all to join us. 

We also reviewed member appeals and made some adjustments. In specific: 

Appeals 

Gray Wolf, XMART40-1, s/n 401 

A motion was made and carried to change the as-sailed rating to 57, and amended to reinstate the T designation. 

Occams Razor, ILC40, s/n 1997 

A motion was made and carried to change the as-sailed rating to 18, and amended to reinstate the T designation. 

Poke and Destroy, EVEL32-2, s/n 69061 

A motion was made and carried to change the as-sailed rating to 93. The motion passed. 

A motion was made and carried to create a JBOA105-ODR standard with a base/as-sailed rating of 93. 

Hoping to see you all out on the water in 2018. 

Neil Bennett, PHRF-NW Chief Handicapper

Weekend Racing: Girts Rekevics, Frigid Digit and Jim Depue

Kurt Hoehne Dinghy Racing, Laser Sailing, Racing 0 Comment
Weekend Racing: Girts Rekevics, Frigid Digit and Jim Depue

It was cold on the water this past weekend, though not nearly as exciting as last week’s Toliva Shoals and Shaw Island Winter Classic. Here’s the rundown.

Girts Rekevics Memorial Foul Weather Race

By Andy Schwenk

Girts Rekevics woulda been proud to see the brave sailors and plenty or rubber chickens gathered for this annual jaunt to Friday Harbor. Girts loved to compete in his beloved Catalina 27, once winning Swiftsure, and he thought rubber chickens were just plain funny so he always had one hanging from the backstay. A light snow was falling as the survivors from a sign up sheet of 24 drifted near the start line, maybe 18 hearty skippers and crews. The start line is just off the tanker dock in Anacortes and the finish line is just at the entrance to Friday Harbor, just shy of 20nm.The new light air rocket ship Beneteau First 30 Zephyros faded right chasing wind while the rest of the fleet slipped left toward Guemes Channel. The last time I saw snow piling up on spinnakers causing them to collapse was 12-meter action in Victoria when Canada True and Buddy Melges at the helm of Heart of America faced off. It should be noted he may have been the last Americas Cup skipper that was seen sweeping snow off the decks that same morning. I bet Larry Ellison doesn’t have that on his resume….the northerly and the southerly breezes teased one another and the fleet with the classic PNW experience of sailing in the same direction on opposite tacks separated only by boat lengths. Thermoses full of good cheer kept the conversation lively and music drifted across the still waters. Eventually the fleet drifted into Thatcher Pass compressed, caught a decent southwesterly and the real race was on. Spinnakers blossomed the sun came out, time for a sandwich and losing at least two layers of Gore-Tex and fleece. Most all boats were moving hull speed to the finish line so cutting corners was helpful except not so much at Upright Head where a few boats found a little less velocity than they intended. Finally it was a lovely spinnaker reach to the finish and a good ‘ol fashioned dock party.

The SJIYC served up heaping helpings of homemade lasagna and the bartenders moved with alacrity. 

Girts woulda cracked a smile to see a well sailed Catalina 27 win her division and probably would have offered advice on how they coulda done better as was his way.

Sunday everyone surfed home under heavy canvas and another year of sailing has begun at AYC. 

Results

Ed. Note: Thanks Andy, for all you do to promote sailing. Andy owns Northwest Rigging.

Frigid Digit

For decades, Frigid Digit attracted Laser sailors who would become luminaries of the sport. As part of a Pacific Northwest traveling Laser series, it was not to be missed. 50+ boats were the rule, and winners included Carl Buchan (a ridiculous number of times), Jonathan and Charlie McKee, Ross Macdonald, Mark Brink and many others. Today’s current Seattle Laser Fleet Captain, Mark Ross, wrote his name on the back of the painting that serves as the perpetual trophy on Sunday afternoon after winning a chilly one.

Corinthian Yacht Club ran the regatta on behalf of the Seattle Laser Fleet, and while the number of competitors (9 RS Aeros and 7 Lasers) was down, no doubt at least partially due to the cold, the number of races was way up. Both Saturday and Sunday promised big winds, but both delivered light to medium. On Sunday when the wind went east several of us thought “that’s it” and thought longingly about hot showers. But the race committee quickly set a course and reeled off several short (yippee – we love short races with lots of action) races.

Thanks to Brad Greene for the photos!

In the Lasers, Mark Ross sailed consistently for the win, followed by Jay Leon and Bob Ennenberg visiting from the Jericho Sailing Center in Vancouver. Dalton Bergan dominated the RS Aero fleet. Jay Renehan and Eric Becker sailed consistently for second and third place. Carl Buchan lent his boat out one day but was out there Sunday at the front of the fleet much of the time.  

Results.

Jim Depue Memorial

Sorry, no report out of Port Madison Yacht Club, but it looks like a dozen boats came out for the race across Puget Sound, with the TP 52 Mist finishing an hour ahead of everyone and garnering the corrected time win as well.

Results.

From the Fujin Flip

Kurt Hoehne PNW sailors around the world, Racing , 1 Comment
From the Fujin Flip
Fujin

Fujin is of course a sailish.com favorite, and several Northwest sailors are lucky enough to race on the high performance Paul Bieker catamaran. In the Caribbean, no less. So it was a little scary when the news came through that Fujin had capsized in the Caribbean 600, but fortunately the news came with the rather important detail that all were safe.

Brad Baker

Brad Baker took the time to chat with me between flights on his way home this evening. It was pretty clear that while the capsize certainly caught everyone’s attention, the level of preparation and the skills of those onboard made the whole thing a lot less traumatic than it could have been.

At about 2200 local time Fujin was in a very competitive position, rounding Saba Island while avoiding a nearby reef. Baker was in the salon helping navigate – at ~20 knots there’s not a lot of room for error. It was puffy and shifty, and when a big puff of about 35 knots hit, combined with a big lift, Fujin flipped, and quickly. Dumping the main in such a situation is of course the primary way to depower, but it happened so quickly, Brad said, “I’m not even sure we could have dumped the main fast enough.”

While all the details are not clear, Baker remembers thinking “Ah, crap, we’re going to tip over. My first thought wasn’t about survival, it was we weren’t going to finish the race. It didn’t take long to switch to survival mode though” Brad and Mike Leslie were in the Salon. The owner Greg Slyngstad who had been driving, made his way to the salon as well. They then migrated to the cockpit and did a head count, to make sure all were accounted for. Then out the back of the boat where Fritz Lanzinger was already atop of the overturned boat and was able to help the others up. Personal EPIRBs were activated and rescuers came quickly. One of the keys was that Mike Leslie had the composure to flip the outside lights breaker before leaving the cabin. That extra light helped the situation enormously.

A fishing boat came out, got the crew onboard and towed the overturned boat to Saba. All of Fujin’s crew (Greg Slyngstad, Brad Baker, Fritz Johnston, Paul Bieker, Gina Borza, Fritz Lanzinger, Michael Leslie, Jonathan McKee) were rescued with no major injuries.

One key was clearly the preparation. They had a safety meeting before they left the dock so they knew what to do and where the safety gear was located. “I learned a lot – about myself – in those situations. I learned I don’t freak out. I learned it really is important to have the tools we need to get through an event like that.” It was the first time Baker and Jonathan McKee had been rescued before.

Fujin

Has this experience soured Baker on catamarans? An emphatic no, although he points out that “the reality is the high performance ones can go past the point of no return and flip. The cruising catamarans are very hard to flip.” Now when Baker teaches the Safety at Sea Course, he’ll have quite a first person story to tell.

Baker and Bieker are confident that Fujin will fly again. I’m planning on talking to Paul Bieker as Fujin is righted and he can fully assess what needs to be done, plus any lessons learned.

Wet Wednesday – More Toliva Shoals Videos and a First Person Tale from Folie ‘a Deux

Kurt Hoehne Racing, Wet Wednesday Videos 3 Comments

We’ve already had a few videos this week, courtesy of the Toliva Shoals Race. See Monday’s post and the sailish.com Facebook Page (and lots of other places).  If you have videos from Toliva Shoal (or other events) keep sending them in. We can make it a Wet Thursday and Wet Friday.

Onboard Kenelm Russell’s Freya 39 Rushwind, his daughter managed to get some footage of a relatively cockpit in a relatively frenetic race. You can get an idea of how much wind there was toward the end of the second video, when there’s but a postage stamp’s worth of headsail out, the main’s furled, and they’re charging to weather. Here are the vids:

 

 

 

And from Alert Reader Allison Garnette from onboard Folie ‘a Deux:

Toliva Shoal 2018

I have been sailing on and off my entire life and never have I sailed in conditions like we had in the South Puget Sound on February the 17th, 2018. I crew on Folie ‘a Deux, a 35′ Beneteau skippered by Jeff and Joy Johnson. With a crew of seven we did not expect to place very high, we just hoped to finish in one piece. As the day progressed, we focused on staying aboard, not breaking anything and not drowning the cockpit. We only succeeded in staying aboard. By the end, we had lost two battens from the jib, fully flooded the cockpit and buried the bow a few too many times. When we started we never would have thought that we’d be the only boat in our class to finish, taking first by default.

My absolute favorite memory of the day is from when I was working the leeward jib sheet as we hardened up just south of the shoal mark. We were heeled over at a good 30-40 degrees, there were at least 3′ swells with impressive white caps and then we got hit with a gust of who knows how many knots. Needless to say, we had lifelines in the water, waves coming over the windward rail and water pouring into the cockpit. I ended up thigh-deep in the Sound bracing against the water crashing into my chest as it sheeted across the deck and over the rails. It was fantastic!

Throughout the race we learned about the capabilities of both our crew and our trusty vessel. Most importantly, we found that we can keep calm and still have fun when faced with such exciting conditions. I have to commend each and every sailor who came out for the race and made 2018’s Toliva Shoal the most memorable yet.

Alison Garnett, Folie ‘a Deux

Ed. Note: Thanks, Allison. It sounds like an exciting, but not too exciting, race for you guys.

 

Fujin Capsizes in Caribbean 600

Kurt Hoehne PNW sailors around the world, Racing, Seamanship 0 Comment
Fujin Capsizes in Caribbean 600

Greg Slyngstad’s American Bieker 53 multihull Fujin has capsized during the RORC Caribbean 600. All eight crew are safe.

Stephen Cucchiaro’s Gunboat 60 Flow stood by until Dutch/ French authorities organised a rescue vessel. Preparations are now underway to transfer all crew to the safety of Port Saba.

RORC Race Manager Chris Stone issued a statement on behalf of the race organisers, The Royal Ocean Racing Club:

“On Monday 19th February at 20:20 AST, Fujin capsized close to Saba Island and the eight-man crew were observed standing on the up-turned hull. All of the crew are now safe. Stephen Cucchiaro’s Gunboat 60 Flow stood by while rescue agencies co-ordinated the rescue efforts.
Jens Kellinhusen’s German Ker 56 Varuna altered course to assist, but has now continued racing. The Coastguard at Fort De France Martinique has been co-ordinating the rescue.”

The highly experienced crew on Fujin from Seattle, Washington, USA include the skipper Greg Slyngstad, the boat’s designer, Paul Bieker and Olympic Gold medallist Jonathan McKee.

Fujin’s Crew: Greg Slyngstad, Bradley Baker, Peter F Johnston, Paul Bieker, Gina Borza, Fritz Lanzinger, Michael Leslie, Jonathan McKee.

Ed note: I’ll be adding details asap.

Shaw Island Winter Classic – The “Other” Wild Race

Kurt Hoehne Racing , 0 Comment
Shaw Island Winter Classic – The “Other” Wild Race

A shout out for the Shaw Island Winter Classic… 

Hey, while the South Sounders were getting a little tough love from Mother Nature, up here in the San Juans we had our own go round with the elements. President’s Day Weekend is always the date for going around Shaw Island in the winter, when there is wind, more likely than not.  2018 was no exception. 21 boats registered, which is right about the average over the years.  

Photos by Matt Nelson and a nice guy on a fishing boat for the photos.  

Despite the breezy forecast, the race started just after the ferry departing Orcas had cleared the course, in light and patchy breeze, with the fleet heading east through Harney Channel. As soon as the fleet rounded the corner into Upright Channel it was a whole ‘nother world. #1’s were quickly peeled to #3’s, and much of the fleet put in a reef to bash south towards San Juan Channel in 25-30 kts. Sir Isaac, the unmistakable, schooner-rigged Burns 47, saw 37 knots, which seemed just fine as they sliced upwind double-handed under jib and jigger. Several of the under 30’ fleet quickly turned tail back home to fight another day. The bigger boats quickly reached San Juan Channel and were able to crack off a touch for a fast, close reach towards Wasp Passage. Time Bandit, the local J/120, led the way, and even they had a few knockdown wipeouts as the puffs slammed onto the water after tumbling over San Juan Island. The most surprising thing to me, at least, was that I had to reach for my sunglasses, as the heavy morning rain gave way to glorious sunshine and increasing breeze. Wasp Passage is a notoriously fickle, narrow section of the course that has served up many a winner and loser over the years, but with the wind blowing straight up Wasp Passage, this year, the only question was kite or no kite. Most boats, satisfied with 10+ knots over the water, opted for some version of wing on wing, after accounting for the small margin for error the narrow waterway provided. Eager to make up for the extra time needed to beat upwind for almost 2 hours with a 24’ waterline, only Spadefoot and Wild Rumpus opted for the “go big or go home” option.  Spadefoot had a satisfying run seeing 15 knots on the fun meter, followed quickly by the boom on centerline and the kite streaming back against the spreaders, followed by another quick burst, threading the needle between sailing too low and collapsing the kite or running into the wind shadow of Shaw. Wild Rumpus had a “Wild” ride that ended beautifully, but prematurely (see photos).

In the end, Division I was taken by the slow boat in the class, Chinook (Cal 39), and Wild Rumpus (SC 27) went big to take Div. II where finishing was the major accomplishment.  Only half of the entire fleet finished, and sadly, two rigs were sacrificed to the wind gods. 

Results here:  https://oiyc.org/oiyc_club_racing_results.php?record=371&year=2018

By Justin Wolfe  (Ed. Note: Thanks Justin for coming up with this – it helps so much!)

Some Breakdowns Happen When You’re Headed Home

We’re not quite done yet. My friend Mike Powell recently bought the J/33 Keet with partner Brian Lawrence. I’ll let him tell you the story:

We had finished the Shaw Island race in 30+ kts for most of the race and were on a great run home with the kite up, running deep out of Obstruction Pass and heading across Rosario Strait. Wind had died a bit compared to the race and was in the 25+kts range. The boat broached to weather and spun around the pole when it dipped in the water. That set up a forced gybe and the rig broke like it was a plastic straw right at the lower spreader then again below that, not sure which went first. It’s hard to describe exactly what happened.

No one was hurt or even acted shaken much after the dis-masting (it had been such a roller coaster on the race that this didn’t feel that much different) and we had plenty of water around us to take a moment and consider our next move. The plan was to secure the rig to the starboard side of Keet and get all lines controlled or out of the water so we could use the motor. We cut the head off the spinnaker as we couldn’t reach the mast head or get the halyards to move. We then cut the head off the mainsail and cut it along the bolt rope to remove windage, we were still moving at 6kts. More mooring lines lashed the mast in place and secured the still in-tacked shrouds and forestay. 

Once we were squared away we motored home and still made it before sunset after the race. Fortunately another Bellingham boat Intuition with the Johannessens’ and crew onboard stood by while we secured everything and escorted us home.

Ed. Note: Mike’s gutted, and I’m gutted for him.

Toliva Shoal Race a Boom-buster

Kurt Hoehne Racing , 0 Comment
Toliva Shoal Race a Boom-buster

There’s nothing like a little carnage to get the racing blood boiling. The Toliva Shoal Race, third in the South Sound Series, was raced on Saturday. We can talk about race tactics, but it seems like it was mainly an exercise of survival on the course. Details are still coming in, and apologies for anything inaccurate or missing, but here’s what we have so far:

Broken finger onboard Korina Korina.

Broken boom on Equus.

Blown up chute on Cherokee.

Lost rudder and engine issues on Zig Zag, had to be towed from the McNeil Island area.

Torn main on Les Cheveux Blanc.

Lost backstay on Flying Circus.

Rig issues on Bodacious.

By all accounts Bruce had it right on Friday’s Brief, and the gusts that knocked boats silly sure seemed to be in the 40s. The wind came through on bursts, taking a what seemed like a challenging but under control run into a broach crisis. The boats that made it to Toliva Shoal then faced a brutal upwind. Some came in under headsail alone. There were 19 finishers and over 50 entries. Winners included Jam, String Theory, Leucothea, Lightly Salted, Redline, Folie ‘a Deux, Cherokee, White Squall and Jolly Rumbalow. Results.

According to Kenelm Russell, who’s done “nearly all of them,” this one was the windiest. Not too much for his Fast Passage 39, which he sailed as a family affair including sons, daughter and brother. The mainsail had to come down when the reefing line snapped, and two windows were knocked out because of flailing sheets, but none of it was too much for the Fast Passage Rushwind. Rushwind, after all, has been around the Pacific twice and up to Alaska. (Note to self, now that’s a cruiser racer. They still exist!)  He notes that Balch Passage was memorable. “It was frothy white – like sailing through foam,” Russell.

In a race like this, it’s best to let the pictures and videos give the explanations, so I’ve included a lot of them.

 

First off, from Jan Anderson’s album:

 

Sean Trew caught the action as well:

Here’s a video from Jim Larsen taken at Boston Harbor:

Here’s a video from the Ericson 32 Finally Free:

And here’s another by Mike Gowrylow:

If you want to share more – send them to me or share to the sailish.com Facebook Page! (You do “Like” sailish on Facebook, right?)

Al Clark on the Mend After “Proper” Heart Attack

Kurt Hoehne Community, Laser Sailing 0 Comment
Al Clark on the Mend After “Proper” Heart Attack

Al Clark, very successful Northwest sailor and head coach for the Royal Van YC sailing team, is recovering after a heart attack while in Florida. Thanks to Seattle sailor Jay Winberg for bringing this to our attention.

Al says: “Yes I did have a proper heart attack, was in hospital in West Palm Beach because I was at the Florida masters midwinter regatta. They installed a pacemaker. Now I’m back in Vancouver resting, and it should be a few more weeks and then I’ll be back to work. All indications are that I should be able to be active going forward.”

Digging a little around the web, I found this quote from Laser sailor Andy Roy posted on impropercourse.com:

Good news update for everyone: Allan is improving nicely, although still in ICU. He has had a pretty sore chest from the CPR. Sharon (Ed-Al’s wife) had a long conversation with a Vancouver cardiologist who walked through everything that’s happened (she has been in contact with the Florida doctors). The doctor has an Olympic speed skater as a patient who has a heart arrhythmia condition similar to what has hit Al. The doctor thinks he’ll be ready for discharge by the weekend and be back to coaching and racing Lasers in about 8 weeks. Fabulous news!

A few months ago Clark won the Grand Master Standard Rig class at the Laser Master Worlds in Croatia. He even wrote about it here. We wish him well and look forward to seeing him on the water soon. At that time he can maybe teach us the distinction between a proper and improper heart attack.