all along that they had speed over us, and so all they had to do was put their races together, minimise their mistakes and stay clear of us. Our intention was to engage them and put them under as much pressure as possible, but we didn’t have the speed. SH: After the loss, how does a team like Oracle react? KH: We were all pretty down about it, as we went into the match confident, really believing we were going to win. But we all shook hands, and we are still close as sailors. It was a great journey with good people, designers, admin. We are all humble and level-headed, win or lose, so out of respect and to congratulate ENTZ we went over for a beer. Huge credit to them, they were flawless. SH: And after Bermuda? KH: I stayed in Bermuda for several months, as we had left Australia without a plan to return for a while. The main goal was to just keep winning the America’s Cup! When I got back home I was contem- plating a change of career, then at short notice I was invited to com- pete in an ironman team – and hadn’t done that for years. My focus had just been on being the best grinder I could possibly be. But I am a yes man and said OK, and glad I did! Racing extremely well and gave the current good guys on the circuit a bit of a shake! Then got asked to join the Aus SailGP team. SH: For the first event in Sydney last year were the boats ready? KH:We are very lucky, as we have an amazing shore crew and our boat was seamless all season. We push it, we push that machine to its limits and everything held up. SH: Race 1 in Sydney 2019 you didn’t have the best start… KH: I think maybe a bit of pressure on home waters – we perhaps rushed things. But when we just do our jobs with the team that we have, and I really hate sounding like this is arrogance, but I have to say, gosh, the guys do a bloody good job. After that first race where we got a fourth we all looked at each other and said, ‘What are we doing? We don’t even train like this on a bad day. We can sail these boats with our eyes closed. After that life got better! SH: Then San Francisco on a high – you hit over 52kt in training. KH: 52.5kt on our GPS, which we have since gone beyond. San Francisco is definitely the place that you want to sail these boats! SH:Nathan Outteridge told me that mid-40kt the boat handles well, but close to 50kt the water around the foils is boiling and things get a bit tricky… KH: Pretty loose! When you are moving at that sort of speed obvi- ously a lot of trust is in your team-mates… They have to do the best job possible in their position, and above 50kt, mate, it is sur- real. It’s loud, but I have a lot going on. I am so locked into the boat, ride height and wing I can’t hear anything Kyle Langford is saying. All the systems in your body are functioning in the high zone. SH: Last year in Cowes there was a massive bearaway in a bumpy sea state where USAcapsized after the rudders popped out. In that extreme situation who has the most going on? The helm Tom Slingsby? The ride height guy Jason? Wing trimmer Kyle? KH: That is a good question, and you will probably get five different answers from the guys! Everybody’s role is the hardest when there is a bit on, but for Tom, he has a phenomenally hard job making sure tactically he is making the right calls with good judgement, and that he always works exceptionally smoothly with Kyle. Kyle in turn has to trim the wing perfectly, but then Jason has


a very hard job. Height control is the least forgiving job... If Jason makes a mistake the boat crashes. If he eases too much on the pepper-cracker we go down. If he overdoes it we ride too high and then come down hard… Mate, it’s such a cool sport eh! Blue Robinson


USA The great reawakening… (in parts) The months of pandemic shutdown have had their effects through- out yachting communities in the US: club closures and no organised races from junior sailing to signature offshore events. The latest to go is the Chicago-Mackinac Race, the largest offshore race held within the US with up to 300 entries. Ironically, the Bayview-Mackinac Race is still going ahead even though it’s held earlier than the Chicago race, and this illustrates an issue that is perhaps unique to the US: each state has its own trajectory through the infection curves, and decisions made on what remains shut and what can


be reopened are made by local public health and political authorities. Chicago lies far behind rural Michigan in its recovery stages so organisers had little choice. This non-uniform approach is seen throughout the US: the north-


east was hit hard early, and most clubs are being slow in the recovery and abundantly cautious, California was delayed in its impact, and Florida and Texas will probably have measures in place for a while. Here in Maryland the infection curves are flattening fast and the governor has found a balanced pathway between cautious public health officials and the need for small businesses to survive and the economy revive. Stage 2 measures are well underway. This means a fast progression from total lockdown to reopening boat yards, marinas, boating with 10 or fewer people and summer camps for kids, albeit with shoreside 2x2m distancing still in place. Annapolis YC may be the leader for reopening ‘normal’ inshore


racing: Wednesday Night racing started in early June with 139 boats in 10 one-design and four handicap classes! Their scheme is clever: split the fleet in half and race on alternate weeks, with courses set within the Severn River and the Chesapeake, only without the sig- nature finishes off the deck of the clubhouse in Spa Creek. There are no social events at the club, a small race committee with radios not flags used for signals and fewer mark boats on the course. Most teams are sailing with full crew, with AYC shifting the respon-


sibility completely over to the participating teams with written dis- claimers that read like a cigarette pack: ‘Participating in Wednesday Night Races and related activities could increase your risk and your child(ren)’s risk of contracting Covid-19. For purposes of this release, waiver, and covenant you must assume that whatever is being done to protect you will not be sufficient. If you are not willing to assume the risk, release all claims and promise not to sue, you are not per- mitted to participate.’ Nothing in the legal trade is foolproof, but good on AYC for taking this leadership position. Summer junior programmes are proceeding mostly intact. Parents


are filling the rosters fast to get their kids out of the house after months of ‘distance learning’ confinement. They are also starting to return to normal work so the daycare is needed too. Yet planners have been wrangling for months on interpreting the


regulations as they tussle with their legal eagles in the clubs, who are nervous: it turns out that while adults can sign waivers for them- selves to go out and race with their trusted pals, the legal framework for parents to sign off on their kids’ rights is not so clear. So the Oppi and Laser programmes are OK but double handed 420s and keelboats are on the edge of the guidelines… even though many are already racing now on weekday evenings! The announcement of the Spirit of Bermuda Rally Race to St


George’s in July with legs from the Chesapeake and Newport was also great news, offering a way to go sailing, get scored and have fun at a beautiful island destination. A problem, however, will be insurance: the timing is later than the normal races, which abut the tropical storm season, not to mention Covid concerns. No US yacht club wants to touch this race due to the liability exposure (which is why the starts are being held in international waters), and at press time we hope a solution will be available, probably from the Bermuda side of the race. Insurance has become a serious problem for offshore races in the US, and this topic will arise again… Regardless, among the hidden benefits to the public health


situation is the introspection period it has provided, spawning clever ideas like the Spirit of Bermuda Rally, plus Bayview YC and Annapolis YC declaring what should be obvious: go out and enjoy racing for its own sake, at your own risk, without expecting big social events. Be sensible, do it because you love it, don’t cave in to the shamers who would rather everyone sit quietly in their caves. The same goes for junior programmes: there is nothing more


important than getting the kids out there. If you feel risk in helping, then pass the baton to someone else. If an important perennial event cannot be run to the same standards as in ‘normal’ times, because race officials feel nervous about attending, think instead about the participants: do they want to sail, can they come? If so, forget those standards for one year, hold the event using whatever resources you can, and don’t leave a year gap in the trophy list, just make an asterisk with a footnote… it makes for a better story. Dobbs Davis


q SEAHORSE 31


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115