ABYC - Port Elizabeth's Friendly Sailing Club
Senior moments as senior members of the world’s population mess around in boats. Any resemblance to any senior members of ABYC are purely by design.
Thanks to Chris Grylls for sending me this one.
Shared by: Alan Straton
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With the tragic death of Andrew Simpson fresh in our minds let’s take another look at just how fast these AC boats really are. Oracle Racing accidentally capsized one of their racing boats in San Francisco. Russell Coutts was helming the boat, an CA 45 . He was training for the next America’s Cup with the Oracle Sailing Team. For the America’s Cup, the boats will be AC 72, similar to the AC 45, but bigger.
A 72-foot-long, high-tech catamaran sailboat capsized on Thursday 9 May 2013 in San Francisco Bay while practicing for the America’s Cup races this summer, killing an Olympic gold medalist from England and injuring another sailor, authorities said.
Artemis Racing said Andrew “Bart” Simpson died after the capsized boat’s platform trapped him underwater for about 10 minutes shortly after 1 p.m. Artemis and two other yacht teams each outfitted with multimillion-dollar racing boats that can achieve speeds of 45 mph are challenging defending champions Oracle Racing for the America’s Cup, sailing’s most prestigious trophy.
Simpson, 36, served as the Swedish team’s strategist.
Artemis said doctors “afloat” with the team and on shore were unable to revive Simpson after he was freed from the wreckage. The other sailor suffered minor injuries, and the rest of the crew of about a dozen was accounted for and taken back to their dock in Alameda.
“The entire Artemis team is devastated by what happened,” CEO Paul Cayard said in a statement posted on the team’s website. “Our heartfelt condolences are with Andrew’s wife and family.”
Officials said winds were blowing between 15 and 20 knots when the boat capsized. The National Weather Service later in the day issued a small-craft advisory, warning inexperienced mariners to stay off the bay and indicating winds of between 21 knots and 33 knots.
The Artemis boat flipped in winds of about 20 knots near Treasure Island, which is bisected by the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge. The armada of rescue boats and helicopters were visible from the bridge.
Simpson and the unidentified injured sailor were brought to shore at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, where paramedics performed CPR on Simpson. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Shared by: Alan Straton
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Throughout ABYC Week 2013 we will be posting updates, the occasional image, results and musings on and off the water right here on this page – bookmark it and come back regularly. Post your own comments in the comments section at the bottom.
I was trolling through YouTube looking for Port Elizabeth related sailing videos and came across an ‘old friend’ which immediately sparked some really good warm and fuzzy memories of the Mirror Worlds 2007 Championships sailed during January 2007. This event took place after the devastating fire and must go down in history as one of the most fantastic all round and fair international events ever held as it dished up incredible sailing conditions from all points of the compass with varying sea state and wind to produce true all round champions who won the event on the second last day – see report below the video.
International Juror, Vaughan Giles said of the Mirror Worlds 2007; “This is the best regatta I have ever attended.” This was echoed by the President of the International Mirror Class Association who said; “In my years involved, I have been to many great clubs, seen some great racing and participated in some fantastic events, ABYC has now joined that elite group with perhaps the best combination of location, sailing (wind and water) and club spirit that I have ever witnessed.”
Writing in the SA Sailing Magazine Mike Robinson concluded by saying; “If the 2007 Mirror Class World Championships hosted by Algoa Bay Yacht Club in Nelson Mandela Bay was not the best regatta ever, it certainly set the benchmark for regattas world wide in terms of competition, organisation, race excellence and social vibe.”
Below is the press release I sent out on Day 4 when Anna Mackenzie and Holly Scott from Team GBR won the championships with a day to spare:
Mirror Worlds at Port Elizabeth, South Africa – Day 4
Well, it looks like the 2007 Mirror World Championships host club, the Algoa Bay Yacht Club have a hot line direct to the weather gods as today dished up another incredible days racing with a wind speed that never rose above 18 knots, despite the long term predictions of 20 and 22 knots of hard easterlies.
Two races were sailed today to bring the regatta series total to 11 races sailed and one more to be sailed tomorrow, the 18th January 2007.
The first race was started at 10:15 a.m. in a light chop and the wind from east south east at 13 knots. The course chosen was number two, triangle, sausage, and the fleet started under threat of an I Flag and only one boat failed to round the ends and be scored On Course Side (OCS). The first finisher completed the course in 72 minutes and the last boat finished 13 minutes later. Anna Mackenzie and Holly Scott (GBR) finished in first place, Doire Shiels and Graham Daly (Ireland) were second and Nick Davis and John Collova (Australia) third.
Race number two again over the triangle, sausage course was also started under an I Flag and the wind shifted 15 degrees to the south east. This, the 11th race of the series was much faster with the first boat finishing in 53 minutes.First over the line was Nick Davis and John Collova (Australia) with their fourth first place of the series, second Juliet and Richard Long (GBR) and third were Anna Mackenzie and Holly Scott (GBR) to seal their place in history as the first female Mirror World Champions.
All competitors agreed that today was fast and exciting with the swell that had been pushed into the bay by the east that had been blowing. Some exciting surfing took place en route back to the Algoa Bay Yacht Club, hot soup and a jam of sailors waiting for the results.
After two races sailed today and for the first time in living memory the Mirror World Championships being sailed in Port Elizabeth, South Africa have served up four firsts by the Anna Mackenzie and Holly Scott express:
- The FIRST female Mirror World Champions – Anna Mackenzie and Holly Scott (GBR), and
- The FIRST time that the same team – Anna Mackenzie and Holly Scott (GBR) – have won BOTH the Mirror Pre Worlds and the Mirror World Championships.
- The FIRST GBR team to win since 1997.
- The FIRST time that current or former members of the RYA Junior Development program have won a Mirror World Championships.
Anna Mackenzie and Holly Scott finished today on a nett total of 28 points. The next closest boat, Nick Davis and John Collova (Australia) are on a nett of 46 points. If Anna and Holly do not sail to-morrow they will discard the maximum and get 16 points added to their total for a nett total of 44 points which is still 2 points ahead of Nick and John. Extremely consistent sailing from a likeable team of girls who also get the prize for being the prettiest sailors to ever win the Mirror World Championships.
Top three places: (after eleven races)
- Anna Mackenzie and Holly Scott (England) – 26 points
- Nick Davis and John Collova (Australia) – 46 points
- Sieraj Jacobs and Ashwin Daniels (South Africa) – 59 points
Top Sailors by Country:
- Anna Mackenzie and Holly Scott (England) – 1st
- Nick Davis and John Collova (Australia) – 2nd
- Sieraj Jacobs and Ashwin Daniels (South Africa) – 3rd
- Doire Shiels and Graham Daly (Ireland) – 6th
- Per Backlund and Thomas Backlund (Sweden) – 21st
Tomorrow is the last day for sailing and we only have to get one more race in to make the series. The weather again looks to be very different with a south south west in the morning swinging to the south and blowing from 7 to 11 knots. A nice sunny day of 25 degrees celsius and swell below 1.3 metres.
British girls Anna Mackenzie and Holly Scott win the Mirror worlds in South Africa
Photo: Alistair Mackenzie
ABYC have put in a bid to host the 2015 Mirror Worlds and are looking forward to treating the Mirror fleet to yet another awesome sailing championships.
Shared by: Alan Straton
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This video shows the very basic rules for sailing and deals mainly with right of way between port and starboard points of sail. Be aware there are specific racing rules that may also apply. When you learn to sail you MUST understand the basic rules to avoid collisions.
Shared by: Alan Straton
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See South African boat owner and Spinnaker 1 class winner, James Blakemore’s comments at around 3 minutes into this video.
Young Port Elizabeth sailor Michael, son of Vaughan Giles took part in the Les Voiles de Saint Barth regatta on the South African Swan 53, Music, owned and skippered by James Blakemore and crewed by young South Africans who beat stiff competition to take the Spinnaker 1 class on Sunday 14 April.
See more here: Les Voiles de Saint Barth Regatta
Give that man a bells
Shared by: Alan Straton
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X-99, X-Zoom doing good speed and then broaching. Shot during Karvalakki regatta in Helsinki on October 13, 2007.
The reason why I put this video up is because the kite on this X-99 reminded me of the big shouldered kite that we used to throw up on Cooking and surf waves on from the Bell Buoy, from Bird Island – good times hey Gavin, Russel, Darryl?
In fact our memorable Bird Island trip saw broach after broach as we came screaming back – I remember waking up clinging to the pushpit with water rushing over me, after one broach, looking waaaaay up at Gavin Stephens and asking him if he was okay. His quick nod was enough and I promptly went back to sleep ……………
Shared by: Alan Straton
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Flying Dutchman
Des Geraghty writes:
I am busy trying to trace the remaining Flying Dutchman (FD’s) in South Africa, to update the records.
The information at hand shows that at various times in the last 15 years some FD’s may have relocated to your club.
Please could you advise if you know the whereabouts of any of these boats or equipment, regardless of condition.
Regards,
Des Geraghty
Contact Des directly: desg[at]aeplastics.co.za
The Flying Dutchman (FD) is a 20-foot one-design high-performance two-person monohull racing dinghy. Developed in the early 1950s, its large sail area per unit weight allow it to plane easily when sailing upwind. The boat utilizes a trapeze harness for the crew and hiking straps for the skipper to counterbalance the wind force on its sails. It made its Olympic debut at the 1960 Olympics Games.
The FD is still one of the fastest racing dinghies in the world.[3] She carries a mainsail, a very large foresail genoa, and a large spinnaker for running and reaching.
The FD has been the basis for many important innovations in sailing over the past half century:
These innovations were possible because the FD was left as an “open” one-design class, where innovation and development in the boat is allowed and encouraged. Parameters that influence the speed of the boat directly, including hull shape, weight, and sail area are strictly controlled, but other areas can be adapted to suite.
The FD was sailed in Olympic competitions from 1960 Olympic Games through the 1992 Olympic Games. Since 2008 the FD is one of the Vintage Yachting Classes at the Vintage Yachting Games.
See some images of Flying Dutchmen including a magnificent wooden specimen here: http://www.flyingdutchmandinghy.com/gallery.htm
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