The Frostbiting season is rapidly approaching an end, with the official intergalactic series taking place on the 26 and 27′th of April. So far this season we have had some great racing, though our resident photographer, Polarlys, has not been out much with the atomic camera, so I haven’t had current pictures to show along with a run down of the racing action. In a nutshell, I have completely dominated the series. On some occasions, without even showing up for the races, I have still won the series for the day, which is a fact that even confuses me, but I am just that good. In all seriousness though, the fleet as a whole has really become quite a bit more competitive, and it has been great fun to watch people progress from having a general interest in the “scene” to becoming really keen on developing not only their tactical and boatspeed skills, but also trying hard to sort out how to make their boats go faster. In more than a few cases, this has meant building whole new boats. Even though I was installed as the commodore this year, it has been Bruno who has really remained the spiritual leader of the fleet. Along with his continued support of all things Frosty, Bruno has really started to demonstrate some impressive speed. It is hard to say what is the core reason for this increase in competitiveness on his part, because there are so many factors at play in his case. First off, he built a new boat for this season that is one of the fastest Frosties I have ever sailed. In conjunction with this, the man has built so many new sails that I have lost track. The only thing I can confirm is that his latest batch looks a hell of a lot better than the first set he put together a couple of years back. Lastly, it seems to me that Bruno has really led the way as far as how a bigger guy should approach sailing such a ridiculously small boat. For a person of diminutive stature such as myself, sailing a Frosty, while still awkward and difficult, doesn’t pose anywhere near the same challenges that a larger and heavier guy is faced with. It is extremely hard for a big guy to fit, let alone get comfortable in a Frosty, so just overcoming this is a feat in and of itself. To progress to where Bruno is a perfect study for any other person over 6′ and over 200 lbs in how to become competitive (as far as their body positioning in the boat). Most bigger guys kneel and face forward in the boat. This allows for the most comfortable position both in terms of tacking/jibing maneuverability and just overall use of the available space, as well as the simplest way to control stability. The problem with the position is two fold. First off, assuming such a position does not allow for the skipper to really look at the sail. In a Frosty, where any loss of power translates into huge losses of speed, it is absolutely critical to know what is happening with the sail. Secondly, sitting like this doesn’t really allow for proper trim control of the boat, both fore and aft and athwartships. At the end of the day, this means any larger guy must really figure out a way to assume the same positions a smaller guy can, and this is exactly what Bruno has done to great effect this season. I think quite a few people have attributed the former commodore’s success to the fact that he has some slick sails and a nice boat, but the reality is that it is usually the jockey and not the horse that wins the race in this fleet. I realize I have gotten off on a bit of a tangent, when I really intended to talk about the upcoming Intergalactics, but I suppose a brief profile of who to look out for in the middle of the fleet results is a good way to start the discussion…
I was trolling through Youtube the other day, and I found this great slideshow video that documents the construction of a carbon fiber and nomex International (foiling) Moth. The builder, a fellow named Bill Beaver, is also a well known International Canoe builder (see a couple of posts down). What people often forget when they first start building with carbon is how little of it is required to manufacture a boat that is strong and stiff. As you can see by watching this video, only a little bit is required to get where you need to be at the right weight. If you haven’t already done so, I suggest you google “foiling moth” to see what the boat built below can do once it’s all been assembled. Quite an impressive little machine, and one that has been gaining momentum as a class here in the US, with Sailing Anarchy reporting just this morning about twelve foiling Moths competing in the Pacific Coast championship regatta this past weekend. Twelve boats may not seem like a ton, but it really is when you consider that there were only one or two of these boats in the US just last year. Most of this growth has been the result of Australian concern, Bladerider, offering relatively inexpensive Chinese built Moths that come delivered and ready to go in a crate. This option has proven quite attractive to those who would rather be out sailing fast than messing with resin.
One of the great aspects of cruising and offshore sailing is that you encounter fish and other animals that you would not normally see whilst being land bound in a developed country. I have seen whales, dolphins, sharks, big and small birds, all manner of fishes and several exciting episodes involving giant bluefin tuna jumping out of the water in pursuit of smaller fish. The trip to Bermuda is one of those passages that exposes you to the gulfstream, which is simply teeming with life as fish follow the warm waters that meander up and across the Atlantic. On our last Bermuda race we had the gorgeous Mahi Mahi follow us around for a day while with slowly drifted south. It was nice having the company because there is only so much I can take of my captain, the Admiral talking about his intestinal constitution and the merits of Sophia Loren vs a contemporary starlet like Lindsay Lohan. These folks encountered a shark on one leg of the last Bermuda 1-2. Pretty amazing that the fish just followed them for some time. I wonder what kind of shark it was; it appears to be fairly large, so I was thinking Basking shark perhaps, but they generally don’t move that quickly. Entertaining stuff.
I am sure all of you have noticed the lack of posting recently. This has been the result of being busy on my part, but not for a lack of things that I would like to discuss. I was hoping to post something meaningful today, but I managed to slice the tip of my left index finger, which makes typing quite difficult. Two days folks…two days.
The IC canoe world championship took place a few weeks ago down in Australia. I have posted about these boats in the past, and the recent push by the class to adopt a box rule. At the worlds, twenty or so “DC” canoes attended the event, and it was pretty clear that these varied new designs were almost universally faster than the standard Nethercott style IC canoe shape that has been fixed for the last 30 odd years. One of the competitors posted a fantastic video of the DC action, and there is no doubt that these boats are seriously fast. Along with this, the technique, finesse and skill required to pilot one of these machines around the course without losing control (check the pitchpoling at the bearaway from the windward mark in the video) is quite evident. These new designs have only served to fuel my lust for these things. The next thing I need to do is figure out how to get in one, then I need to convince my friends that they need to get them too. After all that happens, I think it would be very difficult to have a bad day in the summer here in Portsmouth.
Four or five years ago I remember taking a young sailor on a friendly interclub race up in Maine. This was one of Carson’s first races, and he was very excited to be racing against his older brother Philip, who had long regarded his younger sibling as more of an annoyance than anything else. We did well that day, as the two of us managed to round the leeward mark before it started to head downwind itself (the young and incompetent race committee thought a pretzel knot would do), and in doing so, we won the race handily while the rest of the fleet struggled in vain to round the mark down the beautiful Seal Harbor shoreline. Since that time, both Carson and Philip have developed into fine sailors who I am very proud to have taught along the way. Philip, through some very hard work and determination has become a serious threat on the Laser Radial circuit, nearly winning the Orange Bowl regatta this last January (consistency is the key Philip….), and I expect to see his name high in the standings in the coming years. I was recently sent this image of Carson blasting off a great big wave in his Opti, and it brought a big smile to my face as I took a look it while taking a break earlier this week. It reminds me of of racing my Opti in big waves and wind off of Toronto back in 1988. I don’t think I looked quite as in control as Carson back then…certainly not as cool, and of course my sail number in that regatta was 1357. Why can’t we get some waves like that for Frosties?
Having encountered more than a few large container ships while sailing offshore on both coasts of the US, I am well aware of how terrifying these things can be when they are bearing down on you at an unbelievable speed. When you first see one of these vessels, they appear on the horizon, and they look like they are going nowhere. If you avert your attention for a few moments and look back, you will undoubtably be confronted with a much bigger boat that before, yet it still seems to be motionless. To sailing yachtsmen, these ships pose a unique danger due to their size and the rate of speed at which they travel. It is very hard to avoid an 800′ ship if you haven’t anticipated a course change early on in your encounter with it, i.e. when you first spot it on the horizon. My friend Jesus (not that one) from California sent over the specs on a new Maersk line ship that is being constructed for trade between China and the west coast of the US. The idea behind this boat is to cut the transit time on goods to four days from (I think) seven. The all up speed is 31 kts, which makes the aforementioned avoidance maneuver quite a bit more tricky and critical. Here are the specs:
Length - 1,302 ft
Width - 207 ft
Net cargo - 123,200 tons
Engine - 14 in-line cylinders diesel engine (110,000 BHP) Cruise Speed
- 31
knots, Cargo capacity - 15,000 TEU (1 TEU = 20 ft3 container)
Crew - 13 people First Trip - Sept. 08, 2006 Construction cost - US
$145,000,000+
Silicone painting applied to the ship bottom reduces water resistance
and
saves 317,000 gallons of diesel per year
There has been a distinct lack of Frosty sailing news here on Eliboat so far this season. The reason for this has really been the lack of pictures. I normally bring my camera along, but after a few years of reliable service, I am now weary of the waterproofness of its enclosure. Keen Frosty observer Polarlys is usually out when the day suits, but we really haven’t had the conditions that he prefers for good pictures. This last Sunday was an exception in that we had good sun and decent wind. It was also an extraordinarily cold day, and as such, we were limited to only four races as a result. Both Bruno and Kevin flipped, Kevin doing so twice before the day was over. While we only got in four races, it turned out to be a fantastic Sunday. We all headed back to Bruno’s house after for some nachos and bullshit, and it was there that we all got to see Bruno’s home made ice rink that he installed in the back yard. I hope that the rink does not distract the man from focusing on his Frosty skills. Below are a couple of pictures that Polarlys took of the proceedings. The fellow wallowing in the water is Kevin, who won the coveted captain Nemo award (last capsize of the day) for Sunday.
I have been meaning to post this clip of a Sydney harbor ferry spearing down a skiff raced by the Mckee brothers for some time now. I’m not sure what exactly what the circumstances were leading up to the incident, but I do know that everybody made it out safely. Out of all the ways to bring an exciting afternoon of skiff sailing to an abrupt end, this has to be one of the worst.
Polarlys sent along this fantastic shot of a new gigayacht being built in Germany to styling by noted interior product designer Philippe Starke. I have seen renderings of this boat occasionally in some of the monthly superyacht rags, but it always seemed like one of those boats that was more of a concept than anything that would actually get built. Judging from this picture though, money is definitely being poured into this thing, and it seems to be progressing. While I applaud the boldness of the design, at this point at least, the boat looks like one of those super secret failed Soviet-era warships. Something about the main superstructure is off. At first it seems as if it is out of proportion, but since it really isn’t, my eye moves to the aft edge of the structure, and this is where it goes awry, with an almost vertical pillar that just doesn’t play nice with the rest of the lines on the boat. It would have been better, I think, if they played off of the distinctive chine running the length of the hull to accent the superstructure. On the positive side, the reverse bow is quite cool indeed, as is that chine. It will be interesting to see if some of the aesthetic shortcomings of this boat are resolved by the time it is launched. At this point though, it appears the Mr. Starke should stick to designing table lamps and chairs.
