Mishap at the Cowes regatta

These guys were very lucky, I know the English channel is one of the busiest stretches of water in the world but this is nonsensical. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-14435966 Grae Morrison 1972 Cal-29 #435 Destiny Red Bank, NJ

My first mate commented "It looks like a hit and run accident to me!?" I think it's probably some guys so intent on doing well in this important, once in a year race that they had an acute case of Da-Nile. Looks like a pretty fancy piece of racing gear they were on. Do you think they had, maybe, more money than brains? I don't know any sailor or even marginally competent one (sheet out to sail up wind, sheet in to sail down wind) of a derelict good ole boat that would have even DREAMED of attempting something that dumb. I say, when you're three boat lengths away from a ship's bow and it doesn't look like your going to cross safely, it's time to come about. That's, if the ships horn blasting collision warnings repeatedly by then hasn't unnerved you. Jerry From: Grae morrison <gr… [at] gtmorrison.net> To: "Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Sent: Sunday, August 7, 2011 4:29 AM Subject: [Cal_Boats] Mishap at the Cowes regatta These guys were very lucky, I know the English channel is one of the busiest stretches of water in the world but this is nonsensical. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-14435966 Grae Morrison 1972 Cal-29 #435 Destiny Red Bank, NJ

My guess is that they were on starboard tack and didn't see the ship. Always worth peaking under the sail even if you are on starboard tack. Allen On Sun, Aug 7, 2011 at 2:26 PM, Gerald Sobel <so… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: > ** > > > My first mate commented "It looks like a hit and run accident to me!?" > I think it's probably some guys so intent on doing well in this important, > once in a year race that they had an acute case of Da-Nile. > Looks like a pretty fancy piece of racing gear they were on. Do you think > they had, maybe, more money than brains? I don't know any sailor or even > marginally competent one (sheet out to sail up wind, sheet in to sail down > wind) of a derelict good ole boat that would have even DREAMED of attempting > something that dumb. > I say, when you're three boat lengths away from a ship's bow and it doesn't > look like your going to cross safely, it's time to come about. That's, if > the ships horn blasting collision warnings repeatedly by then hasn't > unnerved you. > Jerry > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Grae morrison <gr… [at] gtmorrison.net> > *To:* "Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> > *Sent:* Sunday, August 7, 2011 4:29 AM > *Subject:* [Cal_Boats] Mishap at the Cowes regatta > > > These guys were very lucky, I know the English channel is one of the > busiest stretches of water in the world but this is nonsensical. > > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-14435966 > > Grae Morrison > 1972 Cal-29 #435 Destiny > Red Bank, NJ > > > >

Allen, You could be right. It never hurts to shout "starboard"!! if there is any question that the other boat hasn't seen you, or "Port"! if you are a marginal sailor and can't remember which one is supposed to do what. And, what do you say to your first mate, if, after racing together for a dozen years, asks, as you are close hauled and pounding up wind, when he asks you, in all earnestness: "Shall I pole out the jib?". I think next time I'm going to say "OK, are we going up wind, or not? And if that doesn't ring a bell, say "OK, try it, and see if it helps". In this case in the BBC episode, it might be a better idea to get on the VHF, ship traffic channel, identify yourself, then remind the helmsman of the intercepting ship that you are starboard tack, to be sure that he's heard you. It would be fun to record his, or her, reply. Would he say "room at the obstruction", or, "Tonnage Rules"? Jerry From: Allen Edwards <al… [at] PaloAltoPhoto.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, August 7, 2011 2:34 PM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Mishap at the Cowes regatta(Grae) My guess is that they were on starboard tack and didn't see the ship. Always worth peaking under the sail even if you are on starboard tack. Allen On Sun, Aug 7, 2011 at 2:26 PM, Gerald Sobel <so… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: > >My first mate commented "It looks like a hit and run accident to me!?" >I think it's probably some guys so intent on doing well in this important, once in a year race that they had an acute case of Da-Nile. >Looks like a pretty fancy piece of racing gear they were on. Do you think they had, maybe, more money than brains? I don't know any sailor or even marginally competent one (sheet out to sail up wind, sheet in to sail down wind) of a derelict good ole boat that would have even DREAMED of attempting something that dumb. > >I say, when you're three boat lengths away from a ship's bow and it doesn't look like your going to cross safely, it's time to come about. That's, if the ships horn blasting collision warnings repeatedly by then hasn't unnerved you. > >Jerry > > > >________________________________ >From: Grae morrison <gr… [at] gtmorrison.net> >To: "Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> >Sent: Sunday, August 7, 2011 4:29 AM >Subject: [Cal_Boats] Mishap at the Cowes regatta > > > >These guys were very lucky, I know the English channel is one of the >busiest stretches of water in the world but this is nonsensical. > >http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-14435966 > >Grae Morrison >1972 Cal-29 #435 Destiny >Red Bank, NJ > > >

Picture this: I had the tiller to a guy I have been sailing with regularly for over 20 years and go below. This is a guy who had sailed to the south pacific and back previous to that. He runs us aground because he thought I had been going the wrong way for all those 20 years. Allen On Sun, Aug 7, 2011 at 3:40 PM, Gerald Sobel <so… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: > ** > > > Allen, > You could be right. It never hurts to shout "starboard"!! if there is any > question that the other boat hasn't seen you, or "Port"! if you are a > marginal sailor and can't remember which one is supposed to do what. > And, what do you say to your first mate, if, after racing together for a > dozen years, asks, as you are close hauled and pounding up wind, when he > asks you, in all earnestness: "Shall I pole out the jib?". I think next time > I'm going to say "OK, are we going up wind, or not? And if that doesn't ring > a bell, say "OK, try it, and see if it helps". > > In this case in the BBC episode, it might be a better idea to get on the > VHF, ship traffic channel, identify yourself, then remind the helmsman of > the intercepting ship that you are starboard tack, to be sure that he's > heard you. It would be fun to record his, or her, reply. Would he say "room > at the obstruction", or, "Tonnage Rules"? > Jerry > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Allen Edwards <al… [at] PaloAltoPhoto.com> > *To:* Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > *Sent:* Sunday, August 7, 2011 2:34 PM > *Subject:* Re: [Cal_Boats] Mishap at the Cowes regatta(Grae) > > > My guess is that they were on starboard tack and didn't see the ship. > Always worth peaking under the sail even if you are on starboard tack. > > Allen > > On Sun, Aug 7, 2011 at 2:26 PM, Gerald Sobel <so… [at] yahoo.com>wrote: > > ** > > My first mate commented "It looks like a hit and run accident to me!?" > I think it's probably some guys so intent on doing well in this important, > once in a year race that they had an acute case of Da-Nile. > Looks like a pretty fancy piece of racing gear they were on. Do you think > they had, maybe, more money than brains? I don't know any sailor or even > marginally competent one (sheet out to sail up wind, sheet in to sail down > wind) of a derelict good ole boat that would have even DREAMED of attempting > something that dumb. > I say, when you're three boat lengths away from a ship's bow and it doesn't > look like your going to cross safely, it's time to come about. That's, if > the ships horn blasting collision warnings repeatedly by then hasn't > unnerved you. > Jerry > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Grae morrison <gr… [at] gtmorrison.net> > *To:* "Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> > *Sent:* Sunday, August 7, 2011 4:29 AM > *Subject:* [Cal_Boats] Mishap at the Cowes regatta > > > These guys were very lucky, I know the English channel is one of the > busiest stretches of water in the world but this is nonsensical. > > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-14435966 > > Grae Morrison > 1972 Cal-29 #435 Destiny > Red Bank, NJ > > > > > > >

On 8/7/2011 5:26 PM, Gerald Sobel wrote: > > Looks like a pretty fancy piece of racing gear they were on. Do you > think they had, maybe, more money than brains? I don't know any sailor > or even marginally competent one (sheet out to sail up wind, sheet in > to sail down wind) of a derelict good ole boat that would have even > DREAMED of attempting something that dumb. Yeah---you wonder what on earth they were thinking. They were just lucky they didn't get ground up and spat out the propeller end of the commercial vessel. Chris Campbell

On 8/7/2011 5:34 PM, Allen Edwards wrote: > > My guess is that they were on starboard tack and didn't see the ship. > Always worth peaking under the sail even if you are on starboard tack. > You don't have to look under the sail to see something that big. You ought to see it when you look up at the Windex, or at the tell-tales. And no matter how nasty the skipper might be, if I were crewing and there was some doubt about whether Cap'n saw the freighter on a constant-bearing course, I'd be inclined to apprise him of my observations. Chris Campbell > >

"Yeah---you wonder what on earth they were thinking. They were just lucky they didn't get ground up and spat out the propeller end of the commercial vessel." Chris, Just think. This video might just start a new sport to go along with wake surfing. It will be called "bow bumping" And oh yeah, "anchor snagging" Gotta admit, they must'a had a thrilling ride. Boat bucks everywhere. Their boatyard must have seen big dollar signs everywhere, like one sees stars when the boom gets lowered on your head. Jerry From: Chris Campbell <cc… [at] lsnm.org> To: "Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, August 8, 2011 8:10 AM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Mishap at the Cowes regatta(Grae) On 8/7/2011 5:26 PM, Gerald Sobel wrote: > > >Looks like a pretty fancy piece of racing gear they were on. Do you think they had, maybe, more money than brains? I don't know any sailor or even marginally competent one (sheet out to sail up wind, sheet in to sail down wind) of a derelict good ole boat that would have even DREAMED of attempting something that dumb. > Yeah---you wonder what on earth they were thinking. They were just lucky they didn't get ground up and spat out the propeller end of the commercial vessel. Chris Campbell

On 8/8/2011 12:49 PM, Gerald Sobel wrote: > "Yeah---you wonder what on earth they were thinking. They were just > lucky they didn't get ground up and spat out the propeller end of the > commercial vessel." > Chris, > Just think. This video might just start a new sport to go along with > wake surfing. It will be called "bow bumping" > And oh yeah, "anchor snagging" Or propeller dodging. Or Fate Tempting. Chris

Chris, most anyone can snag an anchor that's on the bottom, but how many people can snag a ship anchor while it's in motion, retracted way up on the ship's side, using just your boat's shrouds? This guy gets four points, two for bow bumping, without having his boat crushed, and two for shroud anchor snagging, plus an extra 'style point' for doing it with a chartreuse spinnaker! But I'm thinking of deducting half a point for dis-masting his boat, and anther half point for sending a crew member to the hospital. I'd deduct a full point for the last item, except for the fact that another crew member was "catapulted off the boat" into the drink, un-injured. Jerry From: Chris Campbell <cc… [at] lsnm.org> To: "Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, August 8, 2011 10:23 AM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Mishap at the Cowes regatta(Grae) On 8/8/2011 12:49 PM, Gerald Sobel wrote: >"Yeah---you wonder what on earth they were thinking. They were just lucky they didn't get ground up and spat out the propeller end of the commercial vessel." > > >Chris, >Just think. This video might just start a new sport to go along with wake surfing. It will be called "bow bumping" >And oh yeah, "anchor snagging" >Jerry > Or propeller dodging. Or Fate Tempting. Chris