In this Issue:
Around Alone Summation
Using the Sail for Sale Page
Explorer attempts NY/MIA Record
Sailing Daily
Hook Race Record
Worrell 1000
Around Alone- Summation of the Way
All but two boats have finished
the 27,000 mile Around Alone race. This
is the longest race on earth for individuals.
The fleet left Charleston South Carolina
last September numbering 16. With two boats
still racing, there will be a total of 9 boats
that achieve finisher status. This works out to
56.3 %, a ratio of 1.29 finishers to non-finishers.
Indeed, just finishing this race is a triumph.
However, it's a race and people enter
competitive environments like Around Alone to win.
The question is: what is the best way to succeed
in a quest for Around Alone victory.
The answer, is to be well prepared. Perhaps
this is obvious. However, the preparation axiom
applies to new and old boats, well funded and hand
to mouth. Preparation is the equalizer of Around
Alone.
Of the 7 boats that failed to finish
here is how I described the status of their
preparations at the race start: halting, good
condition, no time, late arrival, late start,
lack of development time, fully ready. Three
of these non finishers were fully funded Class I
efforts. Gartmore which was dismasted launched late.
Group 4 which ran aground on Leg 2 lacked development
time. PRB was fully ready.
Compare this to the nine finishers. I
described the readiness of these entrants as follows:
"lacked practice time, full readiness, 3 Atlantic
crossings, organized, several years of preparation,
racing form, ready, reliability a worry, and well
prepared." The difference is evident.
The importance of preparation is again seen
in Around Alone's class winners. Fila won Class I and
the race overall. After observing Fila before the
start I described her preparation as: "full readiness."
Class II winner Cray Valley had several years of
sailing before Around Alone. I described Cray Valley
as: "the boats potential has been maximized."
In most cases regardless of the amount of money
spent, or technology involved in the boat if the boat
didn't look ready it did not finish.
Around Alone can't be prepared for in theory
or with last minute improvisation. If you lack
in preparation any flaws in design will be enhanced
and exposed. Robin Davie, who was lacking in his
preparation, commented: "The successful boats in this
race, like Cray Valley, were designed four years ago
and that's probably the biggest lesson of all."
So the way to Around Alone success is not
just 27,000 miles of sailing in a fast boat. It's
years of getting the boat ready via thorough
empirical testing.
The next race for many of these boats is the
Vendee Globe. In this race boats circle the globe
without stopping. If you stop to replace a rudder or
fix a mast you are out. By this standard only Fila,
amongst the Class I boats, was successful.
Around Alone tells us that Somewhere with 27,000
miles of empirically derived data may have the
reliability to win.
By Saturday the last two Around Alone boats
will be docked at City Marina in Charleston. This
will end our daily reports on Around Alone.
We will continue to provide daily sailing news
with the Sailing Daily N(orth)E(ast)W(est)S(outh) Page.
Look for it June 1st at: http://www.torresen.com/sd
Torresen Sailing Site Users Guide
The Torresen Sailing Site Online Users
guide is a series of short articles that
explain how to efficiently use Torresen Sailing
Site to access sailing information.
This weeks topic is how to use the
sail for sale page.
Other users guide articles are at:
www.torresen.com/help
We welcome suggestions for topics for future
users guide articles. Please e-mail suggestions to:
help@torresen.com or use our online communication
form at: http://bsd.torresen.com/help/commform.htm.
Using the Torresen Sailing Site Sail for Sale Page
The Sail for Sale page is located at:
http://www.torresen.com/s4s.htm. This page offers
links and information on sailboats offered for sale
by Torresen Marine Inc. and it's sales department.
Torresen Marine handles new and used boats, small
and big.
The sail for sale page has six topics
listed. In the upper left is the a link to our
Hunter Clearance Sale. If you want an exceptional
deal on a quality cruising sailboat, check this out
for information on our Hunter 260 and Hunter 310.
The top of the right column has a link to
the JY Sailboats site. Torresen Marine has JY 15's
in stock. They are a great boat in which to race
one design. Please contact our sales department
for information.
Second on the left is a link to our brokerage
listing page. This is updated each Friday. The
brokerage listings are sorted by length of boat.
In the column labeled features we try to provide
useful information on each boat. If a boat includes
items such as a trailer, autopilot, roller furling
etc. we try to indicate it here. If you see that a
boat is under contract that means sale of the boat
is pending.
Second on the right is a link to the Laser
website. The Laser is a 13 foot single-handed dinghy.
It's another great boat to race one design.
Finally on the left-hand column is the
Butterfly. This is a scow style daysailer for one
or two people. One of its best features is that
people from grade school up can sail this boat for
both fun and competition.
Last, the third item on the right hand column
is the One Design 35. This is an exciting boat
designed by Nelson Marek, and built by Carroll Marine.
Over 30 boats have been sold and the racing is very
competitive.
For more information either use the links
provided on the Sail for Sale page, or contact the
Torresen Marine Sales Department via e-mail. phone
(231) 759-8596 or fax (231) 755 1522.
Explorer takes on Miami to New York Passage
Co-skippered by Frenchman Bruno Peyron
and American Cam Lewis the 86 foot catamaran
Explorer will take on the task of setting
a record for the Miami to New York passage.
The attempt is expected to start on May 30.
Explorer currently holds the speed
records for both the Pacific and Atlantic
oceans and was also the first to circumnavigate
the globe in under 70 days.
The course will be from the Miami Sea
Buoy of Government Cut in Florida to Ambrose
Light off New York. This is a distance of 1100
miles.
Currently there is not a record for
the Miami to New York passage in the World
Sailing Speed Record Council Books. However,
the WSSRC will record and ratify Explorers
passage.
Co-skipper Cam Lewis feels that Explorer
can complete the voyage in 3 days or less. A
72-hour voyage would mean an average speed of
15.28 knots. Lewis also feels, "If we get
the right weather we may have an opportunity to
set a new 24 hour record for speed under sail."
Upon reaching New York Explorer will
begin preparations for an attempt on the
Atlantic record.
After that, Lewis and Peyron will
be involved in The Race 2000. Lewis is the
head of Team Adventure USA which hopes to have
a 115 foot catamaran in The Race. Team Adventure
will have fund-raising events in Miami and New York.
Peyron is the founder and organizer
of the Race.
Beginning June 1 Sailing Daily
In just one week you will be able to visit
the Torresen Sailing Site and read our newest feature-
the Sailing Daily N(orth)E(ast)W(est)S(outh) Page.
We will publish Sailing Daily NEWS four days per week.
You will find Sailing Daily News only at the
Torresen Sailing Site. Specifically starting 1 June
you should visit http://www.torresen.com/sd. This
will be the exclusive home of Sailing Daily.
Later this week Torresen Sailing Site will
travel to Charleston South Carolina to experience
the awards ceremonies of the Around Alone race.
Sailing Daily will have reports on this. Later in
the week we will look ahead to one of the Great Lakes
first major regattas the NOOD regatta in Detroit.
If there is Sailing News you want to see in
Sailing Daily e-mail Sd@torresen.com and let us know.
All of us at Torresen Marine hope you have
warm sunny sailing weather wherever you maybe sailing
this holiday weekend. Once you get home from the boat
visit Torresen Sailing Site on Tuesday 1 June for the
inaugural edition of the Sailing Daily NEWS Page.
Hook Race Record
The 16th annual Hook race which will
run from Racine WI to Sturgeon Bay WI starting
10 July. The course heads north along the Wisconsin
shore line, including scenic Door County. As Door County
ends, the fleet heads through the Porte Des Morts Passage,
AKA Deaths Door. Once through the Door the fleet sails
south along the Green Bay shore of Door County to the
finish in Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin, for a total of distance
196 miles.
Boats that start this race will be attempting to
break the course record set in 1987. That year Foxfire, a
Hunter 54 owned by the late Mark Westdale of Wyoming MI,
covered the 196 miles in 25 hours 47 minutes an average
of 7.60 knots. In odd numbered years the Hook is sailed
at the same time as the Chicago to Mackinac race. 1987
was the year that saw boisterous downwind conditions
for the Mac fleet with the Santa Cruz 70 Pied Piper
setting the still unbroken mono hull record.
For Foxfire, the conditions changed as she
rounded Deaths Door. Foxfire then had to beat into
the southerly winds for 50 miles.
If you wish to break that record then
learn more by visiting: http://www.ryc.net/hookrace.htm
Worrell 1000
Defending champion Randy Smyth sailing with crew
Keith Notary again took the Worrell 1000 winners honors.
Sailing Chick's Beach Smyth and Notary won by a margin of
23 minutes over the 1000-mile course.
Finishing in 2nd were Brett Dryland and Rod
Waterhouse. 3rd was Pomodoro over 3 hours back of the
winners.
At the finish Randy Smyth limped off the beach
with a badly infected knee. Despite medical advice to
the contrary Smyth finished the race. It was left to 2nd
place skipper Brett Dryland to identify the race's key
point. As Chick's Beach neared Hatteras Inlet the wind
was light and Dryland was a close 2nd. Both catamarans
were battling the tide which sucked them towards shore.
At that moment Chick's Beach benefited from a slight
velocity increase and sailed away. Dryland and
Waterhouse wallowed on. Essentially a 1000 mile long
match race was decided by a single puff of wind.
You can review the race at:
www.worrell1000.com