doggone

Thanks. Anybody sail on this boat or race against it?

Looking for any information on custom built, Bruce Farr designed Baltic 44 originally named Talisman and subsequently named Recess and Blue Blazer.

A displacement only boat like yours will benefit from a bigger chute because you'll be able to sail lower angles in light air.

I'm not against pros. I'm against World Sailing and its obsession with Olympic Sailing, complex racing rules and money. I think we need a reset. I do not think WS or US Sailing can deliver the extensive change our sport needs.

Totally agree with Mr. McCarthy. In the old days (say prior to late 1980s), pros and amateurs raced against each other harmoniously. Pros, which consisted predominantly of marine industry employees, weren't paid to race but received payments in kind if they helped their clients win by selling say more sails or electronics. Pro teams were somewhat better than amateurs but weren't paid to sail and therefore had day jobs outside of sailing that took away from time to practice, etc.. Amateurs could beat pros from time to time. Now pros practice and race almost exclusively and are therefore much better than amateurs. Alas, our sport has reached a point long achieved by all others: pros are too good for amateurs to compete against anymore. Thus amateurs need a separate organization tailored exclusively to their needs. I believe a new organization must approach the amateur sport of sailboat racing with a far more simplistic set of rules that are not designed to address marginal scenarios but primary circumstances (port starboard/barging, etc.). Amateurs don't have the time or frankly the motivation to understand all of the nuances/complexities of our sport. Think pick up basketball and after work baseball games. Moreover the complexity adds to the significant intimidation factors that already creates too many barriers to enter our sport. The organization also must accept the fact that the amateur sport of sailboat racing is in systemic decline and therefore needs to promote a more relaxed, fun comes first approach that has a far better likelihood to succeed. The credibility of our handicap systems have declined, in part because we have too many choices and little to no consensus. IOR may have been a bad rule mechanically, but it was the only rule and it experienced tremendous success in terms of participation and close racing for nearly 20 years.

I don;t know how anyone could say racing rules are written in plain English! Does this look like plain English?? Clear Astern and Clear Ahead; Overlap One boat is clear astern of another when her hull and equipment in normal position are behind a line abeam from the aftermost point of the other boat’s hull and equipment in normal position. The other boat is clear ahead. They overlap when neither is clear astern. However, they also overlap when a boat between them overlaps both. These terms always apply to boats on the same tack. They apply to boats on opposite tacks only when rule 18 applies between them or when both boats are sailing more than ninety degrees from the true wind.

Let's start a new organization from scratch. Its mission should prioritize restoring common sense to our sport. Priorities: Wrting racing rules from scratch using plain English. Re-engineering Junior Sailing to prioritize seamanship, independence and a love for the act of Sailing. Term limits for all elected leadership Promoting one big boat handicap system for all non Gran Prix racing. Both US and World Sailing are beyond repair. We desperately need to start over.

Great Idea Sshow Bob! Can't do it this year due to scheduling conflicts but hope to see you in Boothbay July 28!

Did I miss something or are we jumping to conclusions? The damage to Vestas doesn't look like a boat that hit another. It looks like it got hit.

This is an asinine statement. You can try all you want to defend WO. They were reckless, made a clear mistake, walked on their opportunity to exonerate themselves and, worst of all, maintained their innocence after the race when any fair minded person clearly could determine they fouled C. Our sport will never be understood by the mainstream. We have to do what's right for the sailors. The protest's outcome has rescued a legitimate result from the jaws of WO's pyrrhic victory.

Well said!

I fundamentally disagree. Two 100 footers should do whatever is in their collective power to avoid a collision, as should two Lasers. The only difference, and it is a big one, is that 100 footers colliding could put human lives at risk. As to punishment, I would argue WOXI's move was reckless at best and incredibly unseamanlike at worst. The punishment should both fit the foul and send a message that maybe the next time, one should be more prudent.

WOXI had only one choice after fouling Comanche, which I believe is near indisputable. Do their 720. Most exexperienced sailors would not gamble an entire 650 mile ocean race on a bet that on port tack they didn't foul a starboard tacker in that close a situation, period. Even if WOXI lost a mile doing their turns, the chances that mile in the beginning would make a difference in the end is near zero. Moreover, Richards and his crew will have to live with a tainted result, regardless of whether exonerated in the protest room or not, because a large cohort of witnesses to the incident, including me, will never accept such exoneration with I consider to be a mountain of video evidence to the contrary. I recognize there are politics and financial ramifications that regrettably may sway the IJ. I sincerely hope that I am wrong about this.

Magnificent!