There seems to be plenty of fallout from Sunday’s racing.......and some thrills from today’s practice racing as well.
There have been some great quotes from the skippers about Sunday.....but you need to see why first:
In the meantime, as I said at the top, the China team capsized during a training sail today and whilst all crew are safe I think it’s safe to say the wing sail sustained a wee bit of damage!!
copyright: AWCS
The China team’s shore crew will be working through the night in an effort to get the team to the start line tomorrow....so some people are going to have a long night ahead of them. Oracle and Artemis racing have offered to help out which is kinda nice....all pulling together.
http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCup#p/u/1/pukmrxX0THE
Despite all these great observations there have been some little niggly comments from crews surfacing in our press. Clearly one or two crews are finding Plymouth Sound somewhat restrictive and small. Apparently it is testing them and their boats to the full and they aren’t able to get nice long reaches. Without being disrespectful to any of them or the amazing effort and accomplishment of the whole America’s cup project and team.....so what? Surely that is the aim – to test the best sailors in the world fully!! Or am I missing a point somewhere? And surely what they have managed to do in just a few days here is turn it into a mass spectator sport and isn’t that a really good thing to do because latest figures released estimate that 28,000 people were around Plymouth Sound on Sunday watching the races!! There were 20,000 on the Hoe alone!!
Sunday was impressive and I understand how tough it must have been on the crews and boats. Three boats capsized but only one finished; Team Korea recovered from a spectacular nosedive capsize to get the boat upright and finish the race; whilst Aleph and Green Comm Racing were not so fortunate, being forced to retire after their capsizes.
Crews are reporting that conditions were the strongest winds they have ever sailed in. Well hey guys stick with it after all as one of you said above.........it’s what you’ll be facing in San Francisco – not the short legs but certainly the conditions...and if our little city Plymouth is proving a wee bit testing – well it’s all in good stead!!
Draper praised his shore crew saying they moved the support boat into position to help right the AC 45 very quickly. He also explained that
I’ve only just learned and missed in my technical report yesterday (so sorry), that each AC 45 has the option of having righting lines tucked away under the trampoline net that can be used to help right the boat after a capsize. Team Korea was the only boat to have fitted righting lines, but after Sunday – well you can bet everyone will have them fitted by tomorrow!! When Adeph went over just off Mountbatten pier she drifted a long way into the Cattedown before the ribs managed to secure tow lines. You live and learn don’t you!!
Personally, I think all this is great. It gives a real ‘edge’ to the sailing and makes it a fantastic spectator sport. If it gets more people out onto the water to enjoy it and treasure it then surely that is a good thing.
Talking of which........................
The America’s Cup team on Monday’s ‘day off’ from racing focused on coastal conservation and marine protection, both locally in Plymouth, as well as in a global context. Skippers and team members gathered at our national marine aquarium in Plymouth to do some coastal conservation removing plastic, debris etc from some local beaches.
I quite like the quote from Vasilij Zbogar of Spain’s Green Comm Racing who said......
Later in the day, attention shifted to the AC Sustainability Forum, a panel discussion featuring some of the leading lights in marine conservation and research. Moderated by Paul Cox, the Head of Science and Learning at the National Marine Aquarium, the Forum focused on Marine Protected Areas. These are a new thing across the UK and causing much debate and controversy between the sailing and conservation communities. I’ve reported on the case of Studland bay in a previous blog and received some nasty vitriol from both sailors and conservationists....but so what!
I think these guys have the right idea. I think the case of Studland is special in that it is a safe anchorage in a very exposed coastline and sailors do need it as a bolt hole. As far as other MCZ’s go – I think generally they are a good thing as long as they are negotiated so that people who use our sea for a living do not lose out. Our fishermen have been badly hit in recent years by fishery policies which frankly are daft! I would not want to see them lose out further!
Steve
copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/ACEA
China's unfortunate accident today
Russell Coutts, ORACLE Racing Coutts, on the importance of paying attention:
"A lot of things had your full attention today. You could screw up a tack and capsize today. It's good, it's a test of sailing skill, and that's what it's all about, isn't it? Wait until the fleet goes to San Francisco. We'll be racing in those conditions every day."
Chris Draper, Team Korea, on the moment of capsize:
"We knew we were slow when we went into the bear-away, knew it was a bit high risk. Not ideal to be practicing these things in a race, but good that it happened now, and a credit to our shore crew that they helped us get upright again and for us to finish the race."
Vasilij Zbogar, Green Comm Racing, falling in just moments before the finish:
"Capsizing at the end was really bad, but I guess we were very tired. It was the first time we sail in these hard conditions and first time racing in these conditions. For the first half we sailed very well, but the second half people were very tired, we started to make more mistakes. We wanted to play it safe and approach safely to the finish, but with these boats you can’t play it safely. You have to go 100% all the time otherwise you capsize. Unfortunately we capsized just before the finish but we could have capsized anywhere around the track."
Dean Barker, Emirates Team New Zealand, on the challenge of high wind racing:
"It all comes down to nailing the boat handling. Unfortunately we missed two tacks today, didn't take all our opportunities. But overall we are pleased. For us these events are all about developing our team, getting more and more comfortable sailing in multihulls. It’s nice to have a good variety of conditions because the conditions we’ve seen today are what we expect to see in San Francisco, so you’ve got to get comfortable in it."
James Spithill, ORACLE Racing Spithill, always looking for improvement even after winning:
"There are a few things we need to sharpen up on, but we're happy. Today was trying to be smooth. What's great about conditions today is that if you make a mistake you pay for it. And that's how it should be. It shouldn't be easy."
Bertrand Pacé, Aleph, thankful for a gracefully slow nosedive in front of the crowds in Plymouth:
"When we capsized it went over very slowly so everyone had time to hold on and so no one was injured."
All quotes are copyright of ACWS
copyright Ricardo Pinto
copyright ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget
“Unfortunately the way the boat landed, the wind got under the wing and caused more damage. The boat then flipped over and over going downwind, from stern to bow, which was pretty exciting,” said Will Howden, a crew member on China Team. “A pretty nasty one but everyone's OK and that's the main thing."
copyright: AWCS
The China team’s shore crew will be working through the night in an effort to get the team to the start line tomorrow....so some people are going to have a long night ahead of them. Oracle and Artemis racing have offered to help out which is kinda nice....all pulling together.
http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCup#p/u/1/pukmrxX0THE
Despite all these great observations there have been some little niggly comments from crews surfacing in our press. Clearly one or two crews are finding Plymouth Sound somewhat restrictive and small. Apparently it is testing them and their boats to the full and they aren’t able to get nice long reaches. Without being disrespectful to any of them or the amazing effort and accomplishment of the whole America’s cup project and team.....so what? Surely that is the aim – to test the best sailors in the world fully!! Or am I missing a point somewhere? And surely what they have managed to do in just a few days here is turn it into a mass spectator sport and isn’t that a really good thing to do because latest figures released estimate that 28,000 people were around Plymouth Sound on Sunday watching the races!! There were 20,000 on the Hoe alone!!
despite the breeze (that is such an UNDERSTATEMENT - force 6 and rising!!) so many turned out on the Hoe and at Mountbatten, Jennycliffe and Bovisand
20,000 on the Hoe alone.....now for what is regarded as a rather 'exclusive' sport.....that is pretty cool!
Sunday was impressive and I understand how tough it must have been on the crews and boats. Three boats capsized but only one finished; Team Korea recovered from a spectacular nosedive capsize to get the boat upright and finish the race; whilst Aleph and Green Comm Racing were not so fortunate, being forced to retire after their capsizes.
Crews are reporting that conditions were the strongest winds they have ever sailed in. Well hey guys stick with it after all as one of you said above.........it’s what you’ll be facing in San Francisco – not the short legs but certainly the conditions...and if our little city Plymouth is proving a wee bit testing – well it’s all in good stead!!
Queen's Harbour Master bouncing around as he drives through the 'chop'
winds up to 30 kts made conditons' tricky'
I actually came home with windburn across my face.....glowing red like a tomato!
Chris Draper, Team Korea, put his bear-away and subsequent capsize to a “moment of madness”. “The boat wasn’t properly set up for the bear-away, and we were going slowly, but I’d reached this point where I thought we could get away with pretty much any bear-away in this boat,” said Draper. “Obviously that proved not to be the case!”
Draper praised his shore crew saying they moved the support boat into position to help right the AC 45 very quickly. He also explained that
“The thing is the wing is in danger of filling up with water and the longer the boat’s on its side the more likely the damage is going to increase. So there’s a double incentive to get the boat upright as quickly as you can - to preserve the boat and finish the race.”
I’ve only just learned and missed in my technical report yesterday (so sorry), that each AC 45 has the option of having righting lines tucked away under the trampoline net that can be used to help right the boat after a capsize. Team Korea was the only boat to have fitted righting lines, but after Sunday – well you can bet everyone will have them fitted by tomorrow!! When Adeph went over just off Mountbatten pier she drifted a long way into the Cattedown before the ribs managed to secure tow lines. You live and learn don’t you!!
one of the medical boats carrying divers and medic racing to one of the capsizes
Personally, I think all this is great. It gives a real ‘edge’ to the sailing and makes it a fantastic spectator sport. If it gets more people out onto the water to enjoy it and treasure it then surely that is a good thing.
Talking of which........................
The America’s Cup team on Monday’s ‘day off’ from racing focused on coastal conservation and marine protection, both locally in Plymouth, as well as in a global context. Skippers and team members gathered at our national marine aquarium in Plymouth to do some coastal conservation removing plastic, debris etc from some local beaches.
I quite like the quote from Vasilij Zbogar of Spain’s Green Comm Racing who said......
“The word green doesn't simply form part of the team's name, it also identifies its character. We want to show that you can still be environmentally friendly without compromising your competitiveness. That's why all the guys from the team went down to the beach and helped with the effort.”
copyright: Ricardo Pinto
Jason Hall-Spencer, a marine biologist at the University of Plymouth, thinks.....
“We've got world class diving here in the south-west of England. We've got protected areas. Even Plymouth Sound is a protected area. The biggest mollusc in the UK is rare but it occurs off the Plymouth Hoe. As a protected area, you're not allowed to anchor yachts there. The message is getting through to harbor masters and others.”
copyright Ricardo Pinto
Dr. David Gibson, Managing Director, National Marine Aquarium noted that it’s up to each person to take responsibility for improving the health of the oceans.
“The single most effective change that people can make in their lives is reducing the carbon footprint in their homes,” said Dr. Gibson. “The biggest single threat to global eco-systems is climate change; that has the potential of destroying plankton and phytoplankton which are a major source of providing the oxygen which everyone needs.”
Craig Thompson, the CEO of the America’s Cup Event Authority, said linking the competition for the oldest trophy in sport to the health of the world’s oceans was a natural fit.
“We at the America's Cup have a very unique opportunity that most sports don't have,” he said. “Our sport takes place on the ocean, our athletes love the sea and our boats use the power of the wind. So we thought, what a great opportunity to link the America's Cup with saving the world's oceans.”
I think these guys have the right idea. I think the case of Studland is special in that it is a safe anchorage in a very exposed coastline and sailors do need it as a bolt hole. As far as other MCZ’s go – I think generally they are a good thing as long as they are negotiated so that people who use our sea for a living do not lose out. Our fishermen have been badly hit in recent years by fishery policies which frankly are daft! I would not want to see them lose out further!
Steve
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Thanks for taking a look at my blog. All comments and advice are welcome - drop me a few lines. You can always find videos about Arwen at www.youtube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy. Look forward to hearing from you.
Steve