Boating chit chat thread.

Not a mention on any of the big Irish news websites…..

You'd think RTÉ would be onto it given they showed a doc about him a few weeks back (which should rightly get a lot more plays now)

https://afloat.ie/sail/events/la-solitaire-du-figaro/item/64702-tom-dolan-wins-the-solitaire-du-figaro-it-is-a-dream-come-true

Got a mention at the very end of the 9pm news tonight

Hardly unlucky?

It looks like a straight up port/starboard issue and the boat on the port tack didn't keep sufficiently clear.

I suspect that 2Farr's insurance will be paying for a new mast for Headhunter. I'd be absolutely hopping mad if I was on headhunter (as the guy shaking his arms in the air appears to be), especially considering they travelled from the UK and were disabled at the very start of the very first race!

From the protest documents filed on RacingRulesOfSailing.org

DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT
Both boats on starboard off startline. 2269 circa 50m to leeward, after approx 1 minute 30, 2269
tacked onto port. As 2269 approached Headhunter, 2269 made a very late decision to bear away
behind Hesdhunter, resulting in the rigs colliding. Headhunter’s rig came down and struck the
helmsman.

FACTS FOUND

1. The incident occurred shortly after the start of Race 1 for Class 2, when the wind was 14 knots and there were small
   waves.
2. GBR5694 was sailing close-hauled on starboard tack, with IRL2269 sailing close-hauled on port tack. Both boats on a
   collision course.
3. When the IRL2269 was at a distance of 5 boat lengths from GBR5694, IRL2269 bore away.
4. IRL2269’s main sheet got jammed while bearing away to pass astern of GBR5694.
5. While IRL2269 was bearing away, and the boats were level with each other, IRL2269 became upright and there was
   contact between the rigs.
6. As a result of the contact, the mast of GBR5694 broke and fell on the deck injuring the helm of GBR5694. There was
   also severe damage to the mainsail and the bow fitting was broken.
7. GBR5694 did not finish Race 1.
8. IRL2269 retired from Race 1.

CONCLUSIONS AND RULES THAT APPLY
Rules: RRS 10, 14,

1. IRL2269 on port failed to keep clear of GBR5694 on starboard, and broke RRS 10.
2. IRL2269 did not avoid contact when it was reasonably possible, and broke RRS 14.
3. It was not reasonably possible for GBR5694 the right-of-way boat to avoid contact with IRL2269 when it was clear
   that IRL2269 was not keeping clear. GBR5694 did not break RRS 14.

DECISION
The protest is upheld. Since IRL2269 took an appropriate penalty by retiring, she is not further penalized under RRS
64.2(a).

I would have thought that a stuck mainsheet would cause a boat to heel to windward if bearing away rather than make it stand up?

I do understand that a stuck main would make bearing away very difficult, it's the boat coming upright that confuses me.

I said that I understand that it's difficult to bear away with a powered up main.

I'm repeating myself here, but...

I don't understand why the boat stood upright rather than heeling more when bareing away with a sheeted in main.

Generally speaking am I right in thinking that if you are close hauled and bare away without easing the sails, the boat will heel extremely to leeward?

If you are close hauled and can bear away, the boat will come upright.

Good protest decision. I co-owned a fractional rig half-tonner for several years, back before they were allowed to be modified by an in-fill piece between the rudder and the fin keel. That was done to add/aid directional stability. They were highly skittish downwind in a following sea as the rudder often was half out of the water. Similarly, close hauled the power of the mail could lay the boat over, minimizing the ‘verticality’ and the function of the rudder. That could be countered in gusts by spilling wind using the main sheet, but if the weather was heavy it could be achieved by reducing the slot by using the traveller and using the mainsheet occasionally. The wind was only 14 knots at the time of the dismasting incident so anything about steering-way is IMO irrelevant.

Supposedly five boat lengths apart before the start of the manouver- 150 feet/45m? That lots of space. 2Farr passed too close when trying to pass astern, simple. Back-wing from Headhunter, or too much weight to weather in a momentary lull could have cause a heel to weather. Everyone – including the helm – appears to have been on the weather side. No mention of anyone calling starboard on the protest docs shown.

Very tough on Headhunter, hope their crew is OK. 2Farr was lucky their crew did not have legs injured on the weather deck!

Just curious, is that what they call nailing the start?

The boat is Ocean Breeze. She sailed the 2008/2009 Volvo Race as Telefonica Blue and in the 2011/2012 edition as Sanya with Discover Ireland branding.

A mob situation is difficult at the best of times in any boat, but harder when you're sailing as fast as these boats do. When Hans Horrevoets (RIP) went overboard from ABN AMRO II in the 2006/2007 race it took a top crew 20 minutes to just turn the boat around and another 20 to return, locate and pick him out of the water in a 30 foot swell. That was incredible seamanship on a pitch black night in 35 kts of wind.

eSysman covered the storey in The Yacht Report yesterday, here's the link:

And now some ones been killed in a collison between 2 boats down in Sydney before the start of an over night race. No boat names mentioned in anything I've seen but mention of a supermaxi not starting the race.

both hit by the boom!!

Sad event. One by the boom, the other by the mainsheet which knocked him off his feet and he hit his head on a winch.

You can't park there sir.

Anyone who follows or is aware of the YouTube channel for the Superyacht MY Loon may not have heard that their chase boat had an accident on St. Barthelemy just before Christmas. All on board (11) were crew members and 6 were injured. One seriously as she was ejected from the boat on impact and suffered serious facial injuries.

In any case it seems to have been the catalyst for a lot of acrimony with at least half the crew leaving. The YT channel has gone private as has the Captain's insta channel and there's an entire subreddit given over to him.