Editorial Andrew Hurst Recommendation
The Oceanic and Offshore Committee recommends that World Sailing recognises the following clarifica- tionregarding the Mixed Two Person Offshore Event and communicates this new information to the IOC: ‘Off the coast of France during the Mediterranean summer, near-coastal areas provide a better test of sailing skill than areas farther offshore. Along the coast there are daily transitions of wind and frequent incursions of the synoptic wind. Competition in this challenging environment is ideal for a Mixed Two Person Offshore Event.
‘We have concluded that the field of play is best kept within a square area, 20nm on each side adjacent to the coast. The course should comprise multiple laps around marks within that box with the ability to change future legs on which no competitor is yet sailing to meet the desired finish time. This will result in the best competition given the characteristics of the wind in the Mediterranean in the summer, as described above. The technology to enforce the race area with electronic boundaries already exists; such systems have been used for decades in ocean races and the America’s Cup. This adds no cost or complexity and makes it easy for crews to stay within the course area. ‘A fortunate byproduct is that this field of play will be entirely within the coverage of French cellular data networks. A 400 square mile area is substantially less than the area over which the IOC has based current estimates of cost and complexity for security and media coverage. The fact that the field of play ends up within cellular coverage will reduce the cost of tracking, weather telemetry and safety monitoring. ‘We recommend that World Sailing promptly communicates this revised proposal to the IOC to review their conclusions on the cost and complexity of the 2024 Mixed Two Person Keelboat Offshore Event based on this new information.’
Silly indeed
of 29 boats that started the 1981 Whitbread. Two classes of crewed yachts from 47 to 65ft, with a mix of professional and amateur crew. Mixed gender of course. Entries to date are a treasure trove of great names from the past.
Asked what would make a great RTW race, 2005/06 Volvo winner Mike Sanderson once said ‘sensible-sized boats racing under IRC, each bring your own’. Moose was spot on.
Credit due
Endorsed by the Oceanic and Offshore Committee, IRC, ORC, Imoca, RORC, CYCA, TP52 and Maxi classes and several other organisations
With five round-the-world races scheduled for the next three years the rivalry for entrants and money is getting vexatious. The French ocean racing community welcomes any initiative that attracts sailors and increases public interest but they are starting to express concerns. As well as safety considerations, it is pointed out that a multitude of com- peting events has the opposite to the desired effect, diluting public interest in ocean racing. The situation has got silly. We expect some rapid rationalisation which will be good for everyone.
Run what you brung
Two races we expect to negotiate the overcrowding were created by the same person: round-the-world singlehanded veteran and profes- sional adventurer Don McIntyre. The Golden Globe may be scoffed at for the ponderous speed of the fleet, but the first edition survived some potential disasters at sea and the follow-up is heavily subscribed. An event that does not pretend to be anything other than a man- aged human adventure, tinged with a competitive dimension, hits the spot for people who want to sail around the world singlehanded, and more so within the framework of a well- organised event with a mutually supportive group of like-minded skippers.
McIntyre’s second big race is already a success. The entry for the Ocean Globe Race is on track (25 boats are paid up with a limit of 34) to break the record
‘ NAILED IT AND? AT THE TIME
A quick word of thanks to Mr Warden-Owen, departing CEO of the RORC and a fine natural sailor who has gone on to make a much bigger positive impact on the world of offshore racing than he probably realises. As well as everything he’s done to improve the physical infrastructure of the world’s top ocean racing club (‘they say’ the RORC is a much nicer base for Christmas shopping than before he arrived…) Ed encour- aged the idea of a 600nm race around the Caribbean and with the Caribbean 600 made a good idea happen. It quickly became a classic 600-miler alongside the Fastnet, Hobart and a tiny handful of others. Ed was on point when RORC London merged with the Royal Corinthian YC to create RORC Cowes, adding another successful arm to an insti- tution that deserves a waterside presence. He is the man who again put ideas into action, managing the move of the Fastnet race finish to Cherbourg. The choice was supported by a huge majority of members but there was determined opposition to deal with too. Cherbourg will be a brilliant success – in fact, it already is with up to 100 crews able to compete this year who would not have been squeezed in. Through the 1980s and ’90s Ed and I spent a lot of time competing against each other. For the last 12 productive years we have spent a lot of time working together. It has been a pleasure.
When you are dead you do not know you are dead. It’s only painful and difficult for others. The same applies when you are stupid – Ricky Gervais
Bearing away through Gate 3 Luna Rossa was going 49.8kt and New
Zealand hit 51kt – Nathan Outteridge, America’s Cup TV
Guys, it’s blowing 12 knots – Outteridge
Female athletes would be impractical, uninter- esting, unaesthetic and incorrect
– Pierre de Coubertin (father of the modern Olympics)
JOB DONE, BERNASCONI If my seven-year-old said ‘Dad, I’ve designed a new kind of boat’ and handed me a crayon sketch of an AC75, I would have been too embarrassed to stick it on the fridge
– Rory Sutherland, non-sailor
and now Cup obsessive, vice chairman of Ogilvy advertising
You keep having to remind yourself that no
witchcraft is involved – Sutherland
LONG WEEK Like trying to drown
HRH Prince Philip You could do with
a fish under water – Francesco Bruni on keeping Pete Burling behind him
losing some weight – a 13-year-old says he wants to be an astronaut
q
Your country is one of the most notorious centres of trading
When a man opens a car door for his wife it’s either a new car
or a new wife – on marriage
Just take the f***ing picture
– Battle of Britain Anniversary, 2015
I declare this thing
get that hat? … the Coronation
Seahorse magazine and our associate raceboatsonlybrokerage site are both at:
seahorsemagazine.com The editor is contactable by email at:
andrew@seahorse.co.uk
SEAHORSE 11
open, whatever it is – Canada, 1969 Where did you
endangered species – accepting a conservation award in Thailand
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