UK Öppet Hus 13/1
Gänget på UK Syversenpå västkusten har flyttat till nya lokaler och kör ett öppet hus andra veckan i januari.
Öppet hus på segelmakeriet i Mölndal
UK Syversen har Öppet Hus den 13 januari mellan klockan 13.00 och 16.00. Passa på och kom och se hur segeltillverkningen går till på ett av Europas modernaste segelmakerier. Här får du möjlighet att gå runt och prata med alla våra medarbetare samt se hur hantverk och moderna laserskärare arbetar. Du kan dessutom prata segel och se senaste nytt på material och tillbehör. Flera av våra nära leverantörer visar det senaste i vårt showroom. Vi bjuder på kaffe och tårta.
Sydney Hobart | Battening Down
Hur man får maxis att se små ut… Foton: Foto: Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi
BATTENING DOWN
Thus far, nearly 24 hours into the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, only one boat, the Bakewell-White Z39 Jazz Player has retired. The Victorian based yacht withdrew from the race last night when her mainsail tore in strong winds. Fingers crossed, it looks like boats, and sailors and equipment are coping with the aggravated sea conditions and building breeze that await them during their ride south.
During this morning’s radio sked with the race fleet, race official David Kellett onboard the radio relay vessel JBW read the full weather forecasts to the fleet, and advised of gale warnings for the waters off the NSW southeast coast where the frontrunners are now and the bulk of the fleet will reach throughout the afternoon.
It easy to forget that when the Rolex Sydney Hobart started some 65 years ago there weren’t cell phones, GPS, weather fax, the Internet, computers, satellites, automatic plotters or high-grade digital radio communications. Sailors and boats were basically on their own. One thing is certain, while this race is the toughest in the world, safety is paramount and that become readily evident as this 66th Rolex Sydney Hobart race develops.
Today, boats are able to keep in touch with the shore by mobile telephone, two-way radio and even via the Internet. In fact, each boat has a check-in schedule. And, at any time they are free to report conditions encountered or any difficulty they may be having.
John Hearne, is the navigator on the Nelson/Marek 52 Wot Eva, sailed by the Sydney-based Sailors with disABILITIES organization. At 0530 AEDT Herne reported, “We are currently just south of Batemans Bay, beating into a 20 knot south to south-east breeze. We have the number four headsail up, and one reef in the main. Seas are short and steep. Waves aren’t big, but are uncomfortable. All crew are fine, if a bit wet. The forecast has us punching into the SSW winds with an increase throughout the day.”
On a call a few hours later, Herne added, “We’re just working down the coast a little bit, trying to position ourselves for when this next front comes through, it could come through with almost gale force conditions. So we want to position ourselves so that we can have the boat ready, get some reefs in early, because some of the guys haven’t been through conditions like that.”
In perhaps one of the more dramatic messages received so far over a satellite transmission, maxi yacht YuuZoo reported, “Good morning from YuuZoo. Not too bad onboard. A bit shell-shocked from yesterday’s mishap with two men overboard. Greg Homann and Will Mueller spent about ten minutes having an unauthorised swim. Both are well and in good spirits.”
The message continued, “We are waiting for the worst to launch into Bass Strait. We aren’t happy with our boat speed at present, as we are still learning about the new settings. Otherwise all okay onboard.”
If YuuZoo hadn’t had enough drama, Ingvall continued: “We just woke up to the forward compartment being full of water. Log thru-hull fitting has either broken or popped though its fitting leaving a 40mm hole in the bow. We think that we have it fixed, but half a metre of water between the keel and the forward hatch. What drama. Not funny. What on earth have done to deserve this?”
On their way south, competitors have encountered 20-30 knot southerly winds, with some boats have reported more, particularly in the associated fronts. Once the day wears on, conditions are expected to become more severe, with even higher winds and increased seas.
At 0900, race leader Wild Oats XI, complying with Rolex Sydney Hobart race rules radioed in at Green Cape prior to reaching the Bass Strait, perhaps the most difficult part of this grueling race. Race rules dictate that before boats enter the treacherous Strait, the skipper must acknowledge that their boat and crew are in ‘satisfactory condition’ and fully prepared for the conditions forecast. It’s the modern equivalent of stop, look and listen. During that time a competitor can access actual conditions and whether crew and boat are prepared. Sort of a last chance before pushing forward.
The latest update has Wild Oats XI, 50 miles south of Cape Howe, leading the fleet. The maxi is making 12 knots, and is close to the rhumbline course. Behind them the next boats are taking divergent strategies with second placed Investec Loyal, well to the east of the rhumbline, and Wild Thing in third position, slightly to the west of rhumbline. The three 30 metre maxis are the biggest boats in this race and are on pace, with their sights set for the line honours prize.
Commodore Garry Linacre of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, race organizer, commented when asked how he thought the race was going, “I’m pretty happy with it so far. To have a first night where a front comes through like that, a strong, typical New South Wales east coast front and have 86 out of 87 boats in the race is very good statistically.”
Midday today, the Olsen 40, She, was reported heading to a rendezvous with the coastal patrol off Ulladulla, to transfer an injured crew member. The boat is not retiring and will continue racing.
The Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet includes six international entries from the USA, UK, Italy, France, as well as two partly-crewed Russian boats, and entries from seven of the eight Australian states and territories.
Sydney Hobart | blåsigt
Inte den molnformation man vill se på havet under ett race? Det har varit ganska tufft men bara en båt har brutit så långt. Foto: Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi.
Waves in the sky on course to Hobart
An upside down world
Senaste från Rán:
Wet and rocky during the night
Good morning – just after 6am monday am 27th december. Since 5.30pm on the 26th the wind started building and the rain came along to join in the fun. Drops felt like ice at some point. We kept our 11 knots of speed approximately. The wind peaked at 25 knots or so at times. We followed the coast under a very dark sky. No stars to be seen last night. Thanks to the stern light we did manage to distinguish dolphins swimming around the boat – that was the entertainment for the night after dinner on deck (curry – yumm!)
Down below is wet! We have to crawl on wet sails to get around, hanging wet weather gear and life jacket on a hook before hitting the first bunk available to rest for the 3 hour-watch.
As for the fleet, we could see a few boats afar once at dawn (just before 5 am). We believe Wild Thing is on our starboard ahead of us. In a few hours, the real fun will start with heavy winds during the crossing of the Bass Straights. Rumours on deck talk about 40 knots. The good news is the sun is slowly rising behind those big clouds and we will face the high winds in day light – always better than in the dark!
Segling inte med på kartan
Det gnälls ju en del på att det inte visas segling på TV. Eller skrivs i dagstidningarna.
När man kollar in den här undersökningen som SIFO, Aftonbladet och SVT gjort så förstår man varför. Det är ingen, förutom oss inbitna fanns, som är särskilt intresserade av att följa segling som sport?
Sluta prostituera vår sport!
Ännu ett inlägg i debatten om media, OS och vilka klasser som funkar. Den här artikeln skrev i Scuttlebutt i början av december av Paul Henderson, före detta ISAF President.
Focus on Heroes and Stop Prostituting the Sport
The big problem that Mark Reynolds touches on in his three part interview this week (Olympic Sailing – Is the Men’s Keelboat Era Over?) is that in sailing the media focus is always on the equipment and not the sailors.
The media focus in skiing is not on the skis, or in golf on the clubs, but on the personalities. In Olympic sailing, we argue whether it should be a Star or a Soling or an FD or a 49er or the format whether it be Match or Fleet racing or the courses to be windward leewards or triangles, all with some convoluted idea that we will get more TV ratings and therefore more money.
Whether a boat goes 12kts or 18 kts, or has two hulls or one… who cares? The media wants heroes and stories, and also nationalism sells.
At the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, the great media stories was when the Canadian snowboarder won a gold, but it was his CP brother in the stands cheering that tore our hearts out. Or the Canadian figure skating bronze medallist doing so well when her mother had just died prior to the Games.
It will shock all the sailors who focus on classes that the Star is the most followed Olympic media event. This is because the heroes who have made their name in the Finn or Laser gravitate to the Star, so the journalists already know them. By the way, the boardsailors usually end up sailing catamarans.
Thinking that we need to prostitute the sport so as to get more TV is nonsense in the utmost. We will not get more TV as there are 28 Olympic sports and only about 6 get good ratings and at least 14 get minimal. There is nothing Sailing can do to erode basketball, swimming, or athletics coverage except if a few sailors drown… and then we may get five minutes in prime time (but that would be a drastic maneuver).
Sailing gets very good internet coverage, ranking fifth as it is a niche market as are 20 of the other sports.
Focus on the personalities and pick the types of events that are for all sizes and shapes of sailors, or the Olympics will become an irrelevant Junior Regatta.
ISAF got $8 million out of Beijing, which is up from $50,000 in Montreal (1976 Games) and $2.5 million in Sydney (2000 Games). How much money does the Federation need?
Put the sailors and the integrity of the sport first and stop prostituting the game for some unattainable TV coverage. Several years ago, Rowing had an idea to get rid of the Eight event so as to get more events for the limited number of athletes involved, and therefore get more TV. The IOC and FISA said: “That is Rowing’s premier event – you got to be kidding.”
The rebuttal is that sailing will get kicked out of the Olympics which is utter nonsense. The IOC must vote 50% +1 to eliminate any sport and Sailing has always got 75% in all such votes and, by the way, the IOC President is a sailor.
Sydney Hobart 2010 | starten
Nu är båtarna iväg i Sydney Hobart. Vad sägs om fotobåten som hamnade i rampljuset när man kolliderade med Wild Thing? Smart drag. Foto: Paul Miller / EPA.
Wharington was pleased with his start in Sydney Harbour today, despite a brief encounter with a media boat.
Fortunately Wild Thing emerged unscathed, her bowsprit sub-stay having clipped the back of the launch. “Luckily we didn’t hook in, we just wiped the BBQ off the back corner of their boat,” he said.
Inte riktigt de väderprognoser som Ran önskat sig… Det ser ut att bli kryss och flera båtar har redan sett 25 m/s. Foton: Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi.
CB66-kalender 2011
För er som seglar CB66 så kommer här en liten kalender så att ni kan planera er säsong…
Som en julhälsning skickar vi nu ut en preliminär kappseglingskalender för 2011.
Vi presenterar denna kalender i sammarbete med våra Danska kollegor som vi nu har ett tätt sammarbete med. Den stora satsningen kommande säsong kommer att vara Northern European League som kommer att innehålla 5st regattor, alla på mycket attraktiva platser som erbjuder mycket mer än bara bra segling. Vi hoppas att inom kort kunna presentera mer spännande nyheter när det gäller denna cup.
Vidare har vi SM i Marstrand, DM i Aarhus och Kieler Woche som de 3 enskilt största händelserna, alla dessa ingår i cupen.
I kalendern finner Ni också ett antal lokala regattor, vi kommer att komplettera med fler regattor i Stockholmsregionen.
Med detta önskar vi Er alla:God Jul & Gott Nytt År!