I'm SAILING!

[dazie]

Actually, I'm not.  But a bunch of people I know are!

The 2005-2006 Volvo Ocean Race started today from Vigo, Spain.  First stop- Cape Town South Africa.

Check it out:  http://www.volvooceanrace.org

I'm rooting for Ericsson first, then Brasil 1, then Abn Armo Two.  Sunergy and Friends is my dark horse.

I know sailors on at least 4 of the boats, and almost all of the Ericsson shore team.

[Gamplayerx]

They're coming to Annapolis.

[dazie]

They're coming to Annapolis.

I know!  I'm so excited!  I'm going to try and come out there while they're there.  I missed the Baltimore/Annapolis stop last time, but I spent three weeks with the race in Miami.

[HELIX]

And how do you know all of these sailors?      

[dazie]

And how do you know all of these sailors?      

= quite a bit

= not hardly!

[HELIX]

i had to improvise provided there were no smileys sailing! 

[Gamplayerx]

It was crazy when they came here before - was that 2001? - Annapolis isn't that big.

[dazie]

It was crazy when they came here before - was that 2001? - Annapolis isn't that big.

They were based in Baltimore in April of 2002.  There were events in Annapolis though.

[Gamplayerx]

It was crazy when they came here before - was that 2001? - Annapolis isn't that big.

They were based in Baltimore in April of 2002.  There were events in Annapolis though.

2002.  They came here then, too. 

[dazie]

OK- the race started yesterday, with 7 teams participating.  Tonight, three of those teams are heading to ports with damage- check out this from one of the skippers:

This email from skipper Mike Sanderson defines the situation and describes in no uncertain terms the experience of life aboard a Volvo Open 70, "We were middle of the pack as we left Vigo Harbor, but as the breeze built and we ended up with around 20 to 25 knots broad reaching. By the second position report we had worked "Black Betty" into the lead, it all seemed to be going nice and smoothly. Then we got hit by a big puff, 37, 38 knots of wind; the boat took off, fully under control, and then there was a loud bang and we did the most massive wipe out.

"Tony (Mutter) and Jan (Dekker) got swept along the cockpit with so much force that they took out the leeward steering wheel, steering pedestal and the safety frame that is around the wheel.....

"As if that wasn't bad enough, we just couldn't seem to get the bow down so that we could roll up the gennaker. We tried to roll it with the boat still on its side, but the wind speed was just too great. It was then that we realized that our problems were in fact bigger then we thought. We had broken the tiller arm on the port rudder, this is the link between the rudder stock and the steering system, so basically we had lost steerage from the rudder that was in the water. Eventually we managed to roll up the sail and the boat came back downwind miraculously, just using the tip of the windward rudder. Once downwind and with the windward rudder firmly in the water we were able to re-group...

"Our first job was to get the emergency rudder in place so that we could steer the boat, then set about fixing the tiller arm. After much head scratching we did it with long bits of threaded rod and good old spectra lashing... now we are back up to 90 per cent speed and our plan is to try and hang on to the pack as well as possible until we can get on the other gybe and have another go at the repair with more time so that we can push on starboard tack at 100 per cent.

"Just got called up half way through writing this with a 46 knot squall!!! Am just now back in the nav station, four hours later after getting the reacher down, getting it packed and stacked, getting the new sail up and then frantically bailing out the back of the boat, where we have a hole in the deck where the steering pedestal has ripped off... This is seriously hardcore...

Jeezus.  I don't think they realised the strength of the new boats.

[dazie]

Here- this might help.

One thing to note- these boats are made of kevlar.  The people being strewn across the deck ripped out a steel pedestal from a kevlar deck.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Gamplayerx]

Ouch.

[ReBurn]

Hopefully he didn't hurt his nads doing it.

[dazie]

ooo- I didn't even think of that.   

[dazie]

You're going to get tired of this, but I have no-one else to yammer to. 

The same boat that broke the wheel sent this email this morning:

"Broke nothing too major, we are largely in one piece. A couple of the bunks were blown out, we had some problems with the wet box for the generator; we were struck by lightning and trawled a spinnaker. We are managing to hold it together and keep the pace on without breaking anything too major, we're in good shape."

Now.  I don't know what the generator wet box is, and I don't know what "trawled a spinnaker" means.  But it seems to me if you've got stuff on the inside of your boat blowing out AND you're getting struck by lightning AND having a fire (he didn't mention that in that email) you're not in too good of shape.

However, considering the alternatives, ie: sinking, I guess it could be considered good!

[HELIX]

i believe when a boat trawls a spinnaker it means that the sail is drug in the water...not a good thing for a sail boat
and a wet box...i know what that is but it doesn't apply to sailing though

[dazie]

i believe when a boat trawls a spinnaker it means that the sail is drug in the water...not a good thing for a sail boat
and a wet box...i know what that is but it doesn't apply to sailing though

[Beefy]

Fuck you, Christopher Cross.

[dazie]

Fuck you, Christopher Cross.

??

[Beefy]

Fuck you, Christopher Cross.

??

Great, now the song is in my head AGAIN.   

[dazie]

Fuck you, Christopher Cross.

??

Great, now the song is in my head AGAIN.   

Which song?  All I've got is "When you get caught between the moon and New York City..."

[Beefy]

Fuck you, Christopher Cross.

??

Great, now the song is in my head AGAIN.   

Which song?  All I've got is "When you get caught between the moon and New York City..."

It's not far down to paradise
At least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away
And find tranquility
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me

It's not far to never never land
No reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy
Of innocence again
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me


Sailing
Takes me away
To where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free


Fantasy
It gets the best of me
When I'm sailing
All caught up in the reverie
Every word is a symphony
Won't you believe me


It's not far back to sanity
At least it's not for me
And when the wind is right you can sail away
And find serenity
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me



At the bottom of the lyrics page was a funny sentence:

The hottest songs from Christopher Cross

[dazie]

Oh.  I'd rather have that song than the one I have.

[dazie]

Excellent pic.  Boats ABN AMRO One and Two sailing into a squall.

[Beefy]

Damn you!