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Around the World of Sailing
4 July 2001
Event News: Queens Cup a please ride
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/jl/0704/ms.htm
In the week leading up to the Queens Cup Lake Michigan was not a good sailing venue. Winds were consistently under 10 knots and temperatures were hot. Pre race forecasts showed the possibility of light winds from astern. During the race reality saw steady 10-15 knot beam winds making it a fast passage for all boats.
The multi hull Nice Pair was 1st to finish in a time of 5H 23M 33S. A little over 24 minutes later Holua the Santa Cruz 70 was the first mono hull to finish.
Due to the steady winds it became a small boat race when handicaps were figured in. The overall winner was Jupiter a Hinckley 35 from the smallest of the PHRF classes. This classic Sparkman and Stephens design has not been produced since 1975.
2nd overall was Tomfoolery a Catalina 320, with previous race winner Bantu 3rd overall. Revelation an Antrim 27 which had been 2nd overall was disqualified for an improper finish.
The Tripp Cup was sailed the Wednesday before the Queens Cup and was the opposite with light air and the top places being taken by big boats. John Neadeau's Windancer was the winner.
Links: Results http://www.torresen.com/races/queenscup/2001/results.html
Tripp Cup Results http://www.torresen.com/races/tripp/2001/index.html
Theme: Cruising
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/jl/0704/ms.htm
July's theme is cruising. This is the relaxing side of sailing. However, cruising may not be as flat relaxing as a simple trip to your local beach. Between stops in charming ports and relaxing anchorages come the sailing voyages. So, cruising can be both relaxing and challenging. The third element of cruising is time. Sailboats move at a deliberate pace. Cruising time is measured in days, not hours or minutes.
For those who are not yet experienced cruisers we begin by looking at books about cruising. Hopefully these books will show you how the relaxation, challenge and time pressures of cruising can be best combined.
Cruising Fundamentals: This is the text used by the American Sailing Association Certified Torresen Sailing School. Available at http://www.torresen.com/bookstore/cruising.htm
Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia: Written by an experienced cruising couple who still actively cruise.
http://www.torresen.com/bookstore/cruising.htm
Wake of the Green Storm: A book that shows that cruising can be both exciting and relaxing.
http://www.torresen.com/bookstore/cruising.htm
Around the World In Wanderer III: A classic example of a cruising book written by a British author.
http://www.torresen.com/bookstore/ATW.htm
Sailing Alone Around the World: The grand daddy of all cruising voyages written by Captain Joshua Slocum.
http://www.torresen.com/bookstore/ATW.htm
Event News: EDS Atlantic Challenge
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/jl/0704/ms.htm
The first leg of this crewed race for Open 60 mono hulls began Tuesday evening French time. Leg 1 is 575 miles from St. Malo France to Cushaven Germany.
The start came in light air and heavy current. Ecover collided with a mark in the near shore buoy racing after the start. This necessitated a 720° penalty turn which could be significant in this close fleet.
Since the start winds have been uncertain. The Open 60 crews have been running through the entire sail inventory trying to match the changing zephyrs. From onboard Ecover they state: '15 or more [sail changes] as the spinnaker has been changed for the Code 5, then for the gennaker, then back to the Code 5, the spinnaker."
Ellen Macarthur does report some success in both finding wind and racing well, "you can’t beat cruising along at 16 knots, full moon lighting up the water, and FILA disappearing behind us.... "
The standings show that 2 distinct groups have been made. Kingfisher is the leader by 1 mile over Sill. Ecover, Fila and Gartmore are all within 8 miles. Then comes Alpha Girls and La Rage de Vivre more than 40 miles back. The fleet is now along the Northern French coast on a NE heading for Germany. Moderate ESE winds are expected. This should keep the fleet on the wind.
Links: EDS Atlantic Challenge http://www.edsatlanticchallenge.com/en/
Kingfisher http://www.kingfisherchallenges.com/
Alpha Girls http://www.alphagirls.net/
News: Boat Smart
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/jl/0704/ms.htm
Motor Lifeboat Station Saint Joseph, Mi, 19 Jun 2001. For Seaman Gribbins the radio watch lingered on like the warm June afternoon. The radio watch room offered a sweeping view of the St. Joseph harbor, piers and Lake Michigan. Three youths caught his eye just as they leaped off a nearby seawall into the river channel.
Seaman Gribbins called out to his Officer in Charge, Chief Ahlin, in a nearby office. Within seconds, the Chief with binoculars in hand watched as one of the teens struggled against the river channel current. The veteran Coast Guard surfman threw down the binoculars and ran to the station’s front lawn where he hollered across to the floundering youths.
One of the kids, clinging to the steel seawall yelled back that his friend was drowning. The Chief’s instincts told him that the Grim Reaper’s blade would soon fall. A surge of adrenaline carried him to the station moorings to fire up the 21-foot inflatable rescue boat. He barked out orders to his crew to launch the 47-foot motor lifeboat. Precious moments ticked by and in his mind’s eye he could see the Grim Reaper’s blade falling.
To make manners worse, one of the 21-footer’s twin engines stalled and died. His executive officer, Robert Lemon, struggled to restart the engine but in vain. With only one engine, he battled a stiff river current. A feeling of dread filled Chief; he envisioned picking up a couple of drowned kids. The smallest boy (90 lbs) hugged the steel seawall like a monkey, his head dipping into the current, bubbles streamed from his mouth. His eyes, though, told the real story; they registered fear unlike anything Chief had ever seen.
Chief urged them to hand on as Lemon fought the current with one engine. For chief, the seconds painfully passed. He had a throwing line and life ring at hand but feared the boys lacked the strength to grasp it. Chief knew that if he didn't’t get his hands on the kids now they were done. Lemon drove the inflatable up current of the youths then spun the bow around; chief snagged one kid and rolled him into the boat, nearly falling overboard in the struggle.
Then he snagged the other kid who had a tenuous fingertip hold on a 1/8 inch piece of steel protruding from the seawall. According to Chief, the first boy sat in the boat, his eyes looked like he had just encounter Freddie Kruger. From the time Chief first spotted the struggling youths, to the time he hauled them aboard it took six minutes. For Chief and his XO, it seemed like six years.
I later spoke with two of the survivors, Josh Cottingrim, 13, and Alex Stuard, 14. Alex actually had made it across the channel where he managed to climb a ladder to safety. He commandeered a cane from an elderly man and attempted to reach Josh, but to no avail. Josh meanwhile clung to the side of the seawall; his arms felt like lead. Seawall slim threatened his grip and the steel wall’s rugged edges cut at his feet and hands. A swift current broke his grip. With his hands and legs, he straddled another vertical facing, exhausting what little energy his 90-pound body could muster. He was about to slip under when Chief yanked him aboard.
I asked why they jumped into the channel. They told me they had walked around from the South Beach, which took around 45-minutes and decided why not jump into the channel and swim across rather that trudge back. Those 250 feet of channel proved to be longer then the state of Michigan.
I asked what they would tell a group of kids about their experience. Alex told me he had no idea that the current was that strong or the water that cold (the air temperature was 75 degrees). Being a good swimmer, he thought he could easily swim across the narrow channel. Josh, willfully followed his lead and jumped in as did Tony Medina, age 14.
I asked would he do it again. “It was stupid, I would never do it again,” said Alex.
I will give these kids the benefit of the doubt. How could I not? As a teen no wave was large enough surfing off the waters of Southern California. But never, have I experienced a body of water as treacherous as Lake Michigan and its connecting waters. With large surf, I knew the foe, learned to deal with it except for, of course, sharks and barracudas. On Lake Michigan and connecting waters, it often appears serene until you enter her domain and then she attacks you as she did with young Josh and Tony. Once she pulls you under you’re done. It’s impossible to see below the surface. Had Josh and Tony slipped under the murky water their fate literally would have been sealed.
Last year four youths (ages 12-19) died swimming off piers and breakwaters between Frankfort and Michigan City. Thanks to Chief Alhin, BM1 Lemon, and the vigilant eye of Seaman Gribbins the count isn’t six. Never turn your back on Lake Michigan or connecting waters because rescuers might not always be there to cover it. Josh and his buddies were lucky.