Tail grab is a semi-advanced kitesurfing technique, which is more complex then the basic techniques but not as complex as, let say, a single back roll or a flat spin one hand back roll. The tail grab technique is good to learn before proceeding to the more advanced tricks since the tail grab element is present in many advanced techniques. Tail grab trick helps the kitesurfer to become more comfortable with handling the kite board stably in the air.
To perform the tail grab technique successfully, the kitesurfer will need to follow the following steps. First of all, the kitesurfer will need to speed up until the necessary speed and power is achieved. Next, the kitesurfer jumps in the air (starts flying). You will need to maintain the stable upright position going forward while you are in the air for the tail grab trick. Small movements are acceptable, but try to be as stable and as upright as you can. Maintaining upright position during the tail grab trick means that your body needs to be positioned almost perpendicular to the water line.
While flying forward when performing the tail grab trick, you will need to grab the back of your kiteboard with the hand that is positioned the backward direction. A right-side tail grab trick and a left-side tail grab trick. A right side tail grab happens when you are going forward with your right hand positioned in the forward direction and your left hand grabbing the back of the kiteboard. A left side tail grab happens when you are going forward with your left hand positioned in the forward direction and your right hand grabbing the back of the kiteboard. A right-side tail grab trick would be easier to perform if you are a right-handed person.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Tail grab
Buying a kite: secondhand or new
Buying a kite is typically a very confusing process, especially if you are a beginner and it is your first kite. There are many possible questions, like size and number of lines. However, the question “buying a kite: secondhand or new?” is one of the most important ones. Answer to this question - “buying a kite: secondhand or new?” - is usually your personal preference. Both secondhand and new kites have their advantages and disadvantages.
There are several advices that may be useful to you deciding on what to choose when buying a kite: secondhand or new. The new kites offer you the latest and the best kite designs and features, and offer you all the typical advantages of buying the new merchandise. Experienced kitesurfers, when deciding on what to choose when buying a kite, are usually buying new kites, since the improvements and development offered with the new and later model kites offer more rapid turning, superior and higher jumping, extra hang time, added wind range and improved stability. However, there is one big disadvantage in buying a new kite. This disadvantage is the high price that is being asked for the new kites.
Beginner kitesurfers, when deciding on what to choose when buying a kite: secondhand or new, are advised to purchase a secondhand kite. There are several advantages in buying a secondhand kite. As a beginner, during your practice, you will be crashing your kite many times. That will result in many damages to your kite. That is the reason why you shouldn’t pay the expensive price of the new kite, since you might damage it anyway.
If you are deciding on what to choose when buying a kite: secondhand or new, and you go with the secondhand kite, you will be able to save a lot of money. If the secondhand kite model is currently still in production, you can save up to the third of the new kite price. If the secondhand kite model is no longer in production, you can save up to 50 percent of the new kite price. However, before purchasing a secondhand kite, you should check the kite for any leaks or worn out material.
Light air kitesurfing
Kitesurfing is a very popular sport but sometimes the weather conditions for the kitesurfing are not perfect. The distances to the best kitesurfing locations may also be large. In many cases you, as a kitesurfer may be searching for the alternative location with not perfect weather conditions. For example, if you find a location where the winds are not that strong, you can still kitesurf. The only thing that you will have to do is to use the light air kitesurfing techniques. Light air kitesurfing is not hard and can be as enjoyable as the regular or heavy air kitesurfing. Below we will provide some information about light air kitesurfing.
Light air kitesurfing means kitesurfing in very slight wind, with speed as low as five knots. You can be kitesurfing at any speed, as long as you can take off and fly your kite. This is possible because the heaviness of the kite is minimal when it is flying. It is advised that you just use a bigger kite and a bigger board. The bigger is your kite and the larger is the surface of the board, the lower is the wind necessary for kitesurfing. You should try to use a lighter kite for smaller wind when you are participating in a light air kitesurfing. Also try to use long lines, use a more rapidly turning and flying kite and try to stay in the air while light air kitesurfing. Also, light air kitesurfing is much easier in flat water.
The following techniques can also be very helpful for you if you are interested in light air kitesurfing. For example, when you are trying to turn your kite while light air kitesurfing, turn it powerfully. Also try to use the whole wind window to produce power, especially if you are underpowered. It is very useful for light air kitesurfing to keep the board and the kite as steady and stable as it is possible. With light air kitesurfing a kitesurfer can also jump: it is necessary to use the onward speed momentum of the board and go as rapid as you can prior to the jump.
Kitesurfing lifeguard training
Everyone knows that kitesurfing is a dangerous sport and it is necessary to have someone who can help a kitesurfer when he or she is in trouble. The people who can really help usually went through so type of kitesurfing lifeguard training. Kitesurfing lifeguard training is very helpful not only to lifeguard but to regular kitesurfers to. The reason for that is the fact that a lifeguard may not be around when someone is in trouble and someone else may need to provide assistance. Kitesurfing lifeguard training consists of learning many different techniques related both to kitesurfing and first care providing.
First of all, kitesurfing lifeguard training should teach a prospective lifeguard the basics and even advanced techniques of kitesurfing. The lifeguard should be a kitesurfer himself or herself. Kitesurfing lifeguard training should include the study of such techniques as kite control, feeling the power of the kite, on land training, flying the traction kite and many others. A lot of practice will be necessary because the lifeguard my need to perform very advanced techniques in very dangerous conditions. Another important aspect that will be taught through the kitesurfing lifeguard training is the knowledge of international kitesurfing hand signals, including the distress signals. A lifeguard should be able to see if someone is in trouble and tries to communicate will others.
Kitesurfing lifeguard training also includes the study of the correct methods for assisting a downed kitesurfer who requires help or assistance. This kitesurfing lifeguard training part includes such techniques as rescue procedure. It is usually common that people that already have the standard lifeguard license participate at the kitesurfing lifeguard training. However, if you are not yet a lifeguard, you will be taught the standard lifeguard rescue techniques. Proper rescue techniques are a part of the kitesurfing lifeguard training because a lifeguard should be able to assist a kitesurfer with possible medical problems when a kitesurfer is brought on shore.
The more kitesurfers participate in kitesurfing lifeguard training, the safer the kitesurfing sport will be. One of the reasons for that is the fact that people who went through the kitesurfing lifeguard training will be more careful while kitesurfing, in addition to being able to assist others.
Where can I find a good kitesurfing board
As you can imagine, your kitesurfing board is just as important as any other piece of equipment. If you do not have the right board, you'll find it more difficult to do maneuver the way you'd like to - and if you're just starting out, you might find yourself having trouble learning all the right kitesurfing techniques.
Of course, the easiest way to find a kitesurfing board would be to look for one of the many kitesurfing shops that have started up. These stores should help you find a board as well as some of the other equipment that you're going to need in order to go kitesurfing. One problem, however, is that since this is a relatively new sport, it's possible that you won't be able to find a kitesurfing store near you. As a result, you may have to order from one of these stores online.
Another way to find a good board would be to go to any nearby water sport stores. These should have a lot of different equipment that you can use for several different water sports, including kitesurfing, wakeboarding, and windsurfing. Usually, you will also be able to find somebody who works in the store who is also willing to help you find exactly what you're looking for.
This is not the only way that you can get good advice, however. If you live near a popular kitesurfing location, then you should go down there some time. By talking to the people who are already involved in the sport, you should be able to find out which brands and types of board are the best for kitesurfing. You can also ask a kitesurfing instructor - they should have a good idea as to which boards are best for beginners.
You may be able to use a wakeboard to go kitesurfing if you are just starting out. However, if you want to find the best board for kitesurfing, you should get one that has been specifically designed for this sport. That way, the design and size of your board will be perfectly suited to the sport that you're going to be participating in.
Where can I go kitesurfing
Kitesurfing started on the east coast of the United States during the very end of the 1990's. However, this is not the only place where you can do kitesurfing today. In fact, kitesurfing has spread to a large number of different places all around the world. There are even organizations devoted to the sports in places like Australia and the United Kingdom.
If you're looking for somewhere to participate in kitesurfing, then you should probably look for a body of water where windsurfing is particularly popular. This should allow you to find some other kitesurfers. A good location for this would be somewhere where you can count on there being enough wind to keep the kite aloft - though you do not need nearly as much wind as you would if you were going to go windsurfing.
There are also websites where you can find a list of beaches that are particularly good for kitesurfing. If you're not sure whether or not your chosen location will be safe, then you should check with one of the several kitesurfing organizations that have started around the world. The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing a location is whether or not it will be safe - then you should worry about the wind conditions.
If you have never been kitesurfing before, then it is recommended that you do not try to teach yourself how to do it. While a few highly skilled windsurfers may be able to learn it on their own, it can be dangerous to try any extreme sport that you are unfamiliar with unless you get proper training.
There are several locations where you can learn how to kitesurf. One of the best ways to find somebody near where you live is to go to the nearest kitesurfing location and ask there.
You can also check in the phone book, or look online to see if there are any windsurfing schools that teach kitesurfing as well. If you do not have any windsurfing experience, then you should think about learning that sport first - that way you'll find it much easier to learn kitesurfing.
Where can I go on kitesurfing vacation
If you've been kitesurfing for a while, you might find yourself getting tired of kitesurfing in the same place over and over. After all, different locations will have different conditions - which could mean a nice challenge, or at least a break from the ordinary. Therefore, if you've been kitesurfing for a while, and you're starting to find your favorite beach a little bit boring, you might want to think about traveling to another location in order to go kitesurfing.
There are several different places around the world where kitesurfing is particularly popular. By finding a local kitesurfing club in that area, you should be able to get all the information you need in order to find out where the best places to kitesurf are. One thing to remember if you're kitesurfing in another country, however, is that you should always ask about the conditions at your new beach before you go in.
For instance, you can definitely go kitesurfing in Australia. If you're thinking of doing that, then you should look up the AKSA - or the Australian KiteSurfing Association. This group will be able to give you all the information you need about kitesurfing in Australia. Something to consider when doing any water activity in Australia, however, is that the waters surrounding this country can be very dangerous. Always make sure that you pay attention to jellyfish or shark warnings.
Hawaii is also a popular kitesurfing location. If you're looking for a good place to kitesurf while on vacation, you should think about going to this state. One thing to keep in mind is that while Oahu is where most tourists go, there are several other islands. Some of the less populated islands, like Maui or Kawaii will probably have more room for you to go kitesurfing.
These are not the only places where you can go kitesurfing around the world. Pretty much every country that has a lot of coastline and great beaches has a kitesurfing organization - and you can even go kitesurfing on some large lakes. Just make sure that you look up as much information as you can before you go there, and have fun!
Kitesurfing dangers
As you can imagine, even though kitesurfing is a very fun sport and a lot of work has been done to make it as safe as possible, there are still some dangers associated with it. As a result, before you start kitesurfing, you should do what you can in order to make sure that you know what the dangers are before you start kitesurfing.
Also, you should always keep in mind that kitesurfing is considered to be an extreme sport for a reason. Therefore, if you're going to try it out, you should always be careful, and make sure that you get the proper training and have the right equipment. By staying careful, you should be ready for any dangerous situations that might come up.
First of all, since kitesurfing is a water sport, you should make sure that you're ready in case there are any water-related emergencies. You should always know ahead of time which animals in the area are dangerous to swimmers and surfers - for instance, kitesurfing in Australia should mean that you pay attention to jellyfish warnings.
You need to make sure that you pay attention to changing water conditions, as well. Depending on where you are kitesurfing, there will be different tides, which can be dangerous if you're not prepared.
While you can always check weather advisories, you should always pay attention to the weather while you are on the beach. Wind conditions have a tendency to change fairly regularly, so you always need to be aware of what is going on around you - this is far more important for kitesurfing than other water sports, since what happens to your kite can have a major effect on whether or not you'll be able to maneuver properly.
A good way to make sure that you are as safe as possible is to practice your kitesurfing techniques regularly. The more experienced you are, then the easier it will be for you to deal with any emergency situations that might pop up.
While kitesurfing does have some dangers associated with it, however, people who practice the sport carefully, and who pay attention to the conditions where they are kitesurfing should be safe.
WakeLife Episode 63
This week on WakeLife we have an exclusive interview with Liquid Malisha front man Ben Tolsen as we chat to him about the rise of the popular clothing brand, his railjams, dvd's and pro riding history.
We head to Paynesville in Victoria for some boating tips and hook up with some young grommies riding the local waterways.
Travis Osborne joins us once again with somevaluable tips on hitting rails.
And finally some great exercise techniques to use before you get out on the water to help you avoid injury.
Channel 31 Airing times:
Sydney: Saturday 7pm, Wednesday 5pm
Melbourne: Thursday 8.30pm, Wednesday 4.00pm,
Brisbane: 8pm Thursday 7pm Saturdays
Perth: Tuesday 6pm and 10.30am
Adelaide: Tuesday 7pm and Friday 3.30pm
Catch WakeLife daily on the net at www.bigpondsport.com broadcasting at the following timeslots......
Monday’s – 8pm
Tues’ – 9pm
Wed’s – 2pm
Thurs – 8pm
Fri – 10am
Sat – 11am
Sun – 2pm
Win an ALL EXPENSES PAID weekend away for you and your Best Mate with Liquid Malisha
Want to come and hang out with the team from Liquid Malisha for the weekend?
Well its going to be pretty easy.
All you have to do is spend $80 on selected Liquid Malisha products
to go into the draw, for you and your best mate to win an all expenses paid weekend away with Liquid Malisha.
See poster for more details or go to www.liquidmalisha.com
Supra to Tow Australian Wakeboard Nationals for the next 5 Years
With the best riders in the country invited NSW is gearing up to host of the 2008 Nationals from the 2nd to 5th of April at Windsor, Powerboat Club for the largest Wakeboard event in Australia. In a sponsorship agreement between wakeboard Australia, Supra Boats Teams up with Sponsorship Partners Ocean and Earth, Redbull and ewake.com.au in a 5 year commitment to boost the event to largest wakeboarding contest in the country.
Read More >>>Dean Smith takes the win at the 2nd stop of the King Of Winc
Dean Smith takes the win at the 2nd stop of the King Of Winch tour held at the Melbourne International Boat & Lifestyle show on the weekend.
Dean was firing all day with huge tricks over the Urban Rider fun box. Tranferring three’s, five’s, and almost riding away from a seven. Ike was the most consistant rider all day, pushing everyone to the limits and coming in a close 2nd and in 3rd position Daniel Watkins who admits he was a bit off his game on the day.
With one of the biggest media turnouts for a wakeboard rail jam this country has ever seen, the pro wakeboarders certainly had a fun day on Friday. Ike, Daniel, Smeele, Roker turned it on for ch 10 with sports tonight, the news and even Totally Wild kids TV show covering all the action.
Saturday morning saw the Priestly brothers picking up a 3rd place in the first two finals behind ike and inform Dean Smith. In the 3rd final it was ike, dw and roker bringing in third with some gutsy moves.
Stop 3 is to be held at the Daniel Watkins déjà vu store on the Gold Coast next month. With Dean just holding out DW and Ike for the King Of Winch Title, it is set to be a huge weekend.
Special thanks to our sponsors; Reef, Daniel Watkins déjà vu, Hot Tuna, Boarder Magazine, WakeLife TV, Foxico, Obrien, The LiquidCircus, WWAA and Urban Rider.
Final results for the King Of Winch Stop 2;
1st – Dean Smith
2nd – Ike
3rd – Daniel Watkins
King Of Winch Tour Standings;
1st – Dean
2nd – DW
3rd – Ike
4th – Roker
Ladies come and ride with Amber Wing and Hayley Smith
Come be apart of a totally free women’s wakeboard demo day on February, Saturday 23rd just south of Sydney City.
Try out some of the latest in wakeboards and bindings from Liquid Force and Ronix with guidance from Amber Wing and Hayley Smith.
Sessions will run every hour with four spots available for each session.
Come with your friends or meet some new girls to ride with, guys are welcome to ride, though the ladies will be given first preference.
It doesn’t matter what level of rider or what age you are, this is a day for everybody.
We will be running from St George Rowing club (next to Sydney international airport) where we will have a table reserved if you want to have lunch or just hang out.
Spots are limited so please book your preferred session time with us, or for more information Call (02) 9540 1811 or email info@wing.com.au
WakeLife Episode 64
This week on WakeLife we head to the Hawksbury River once again to catch up with brother and sister dynamic duo Dean and Hayley Smith. We take Dean out of the water and onto the go cart track for some racing against the Liquid Malisha crew and Hayley gets served some interesting personal Q&A's about her brother Dean.
Mick Watkins and Travis Osborne visit the Mulwala Freestyle Sports Expo to check out a world first from the Aussie wakeboarders, featuring riders such as Daniel Watkins, Brett Eisenhauer, Chris O'Shea, Matt Wilkings and Chris Kallas.
Channel 31 Airing times:
Sydney: Saturday 7pm, Wednesday 5pm
Melbourne: Thursday 8.30pm, Wednesday 4.00pm,
Brisbane: 8pm Thursday 7pm Saturdays
Perth: Tuesday 6pm and 10.30am
Adelaide: Tuesday 7pm and Friday 3.30pm
West Oz Wakeboarding – Come & Ride Practice Day
This Saturday 16th February at Burswood Water Sport Centre (in front of the Casino) from 8:30 am onwards, please be early as the wind may be in by lunchtime.
In preparation for Round 5 of this seasons competition all riders are welcome to come and have a practice ride behind the Nautique 210 that will be towing the round of the comp at Bonney’s on Sunday 9th March.
Membership and Registration forms will be available on the day.
New members welcome.
Any potential boat purchasers are more than welcome to come down and view the boat in action, or give Greg Thompson at Unleashed a call on 0404 834 094.
New - West Oz Wakeboarding website up and running www.westozwakeboarding.com
Please feel free to contact
Slim 0413 755 697
for more information.
New boat: e33
With all the new, classically inspired daysailers and weekend cruisers in the 30-foot and above category now available, sailors shopping for such a design have a number of choices to choose from, including the simple but elegant Alerion 33 reviewed in this month’s Boat Test (page 48). The e33, however, has several smart design features that make it well worth a closer look. With its overhangs, gentle sheer and unimposing square cabintrunk, the e33 may, at first glance, look like any other imitation classic, but this boat was built to perform, and perform without taxing the skipper or crew.
A large-roach main on a fractional rig will provide plenty of horsepower to this narrow and light, 5,900-pound displacement hull. Yet, a peek inside the expansive cockpit reveals a boat centered around ergonomics and ease of use. Lines are led to a centerline pod in the cockpit in reach of the helmsman. This pod also makes an ideal foot brace when heeled. Other clever design features include a dogleg-shaped tiller that allows the traveler to be positioned aft of the helm, directly over the rudderpost. Sails, meanwhile, are controlled by Etchells-inspired macro and micro tuning arrangements that eliminate the need for winches.
Living certainly will be easy in this cockpit. With 16-foot seats, there’s plenty of space to stretch out on, and there’s even a spacious aft deck for those wanting to escape the action. Should you not wish to return to port at the end of the day, belowdecks is a small forward V-berth, enclosed head and opposing settees.
The e33 is the combined effort of veteran racer and sailmaker Robbie Doyle and designer Jeremy Wurmfeld. Included in the base price is the Doyle mainsail and headsail, as well as a 14-horsepower inboard Yanmar with saildrive.
New boat: O’pen Bic
There are lots of training dinghies that are said to be for kids–that holy grail of trainers that fall in the elusive area between an Optimist and a Laser or 420–that are really for their parents. Sure, parents tell themselves they’re buying it for the kids (or the whole family), but when it comes down to it, they really picture themselves planing along. Then they get the dinghy home, climb in with their son or daughter (or, god forbid, both), and somehow it’s just not as exciting as it looked in the pictures.
There won’t be that temptation with the O’pen Bic. Sure it looks like a blast in the photos, but once you see it in person, any normal-sized adult will realize this boat is not one to fight the kids for. At 9 feet long, the high-tech plastic (technically thermoformed polyethylene) hull is nearly flat—great for planing but not great for cramming in with the family. The cockpit is entirely self-draining and convenient built-in handholds make the 42-pound hull a cinch to carry. Shaped foils add to the performance of this little speedster.
Perhaps the best thing about the O’pen Bic is the fact that it steps up with a growing sailor. The hull works with an Optimist rig, allowing young sailors to slowly transition to the boat so they get comfortable with it before they move onto the next stage in the boat’s progression. Once sailors have mastered the Opti-rig set-up, the O’pen fiberglass and epoxy mast and aluminum boom with a windsurferlike sail steps up the fun another notch. In fact, the only “problem” kids might find with this set-up is that they find themselves having so much fun they won’t want to move onto Lasers and 420s.
With a class association in the works, the O’pen Bic could be around for awhile. But parents, please, let the kids have the fun.
A Terrible Mistake
3 sailors die when J/35 crashes into Chicago breakwall during man overboard rescue
Three sailors died and a fourth crewmember was treated for hypothermia when the J/35 they were on smashed into a breakwall during a man overboard rescue in Chicago, Illinois, October 24.
The accident happened at about 8:15 p.m. near the end of a short trip to a local boatyard for the winter.
Killed were the boat’s owner John Finn, 45, Alexander Childers, 38, and Adam Kronen, 33. Another crewmember, Joseph Sunshine, 34, was treated at an area hospital. Three were wearing Type I vest-style life jackets and another wore a properly functioning self-inflating jacket. They were not wearing harnesses.
The foursome left aboard the 35-foot Jason earlier in the evening from Columbia Yacht Club in downtown Chicago in rough conditions to take the boat south to Crowley’s Yacht Yard up the Calumet River about 12 nautical miles away. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration buoy in the middle of southern Lake Michigan reported north winds from 21 to 30 knots and waves seven to nine feet high at the time of the ill-fated delivery.
A couple hours later, Finn and his crew attempted to take down the only sail they had set—a No. 3 jib—outside of Calumet Harbor near the southern end of the breakwall, instead of entering a gap at the northern end of the harbor or tucking in around the south end of the wall to douse the sail. Childers was on deck pulling the jib down when he fell overboard, said Petty Officer Michael Arnold of U.S. Coast Guard Station Calumet Harbor, who coordinated the rescue. Finn immediately turned the boat to rescue Childers, and the crew called the Coast Guard.
The crew was able to reach Childers, but did not get him back on board, Arnold said, based on an interview with survivor Sunshine.
“They were able to recover the guy enough to latch back onto him, but then they started having problems with the sea state,” Arnold said. “The winds were pushing them into the breakwater and they had the engine on full power but it was not enough.” He estimated the waves at 10 to 12 feet high as they rebounded from the breakwall.
The Coast Guard arrived at the breakwall within five minutes of receiving the call, Arnold said.
“However, they gave us a wrong location at first that put us at the other end of the breakwall from where they were. It probably took us another five to eight minutes to get to the other end,” he said.
A nearby tug helped the Coast Guard locate where Jason and her crew had been.
When the Coast Guard arrived there was no wreckage in the area. “They had a hard time finding the guys,” Arnold said. “Eventually they just happened to get them in the spotlight up on the wall.”
It was about 45 minutes from the time of the man overboard radio call to when the Coast Guard spotted the men on the wall, he said. The water temperature was 54 degrees, according to Arnold.
All four sailors were close to each other on the riprap, and the Coast Guard was able to retrieve the men by dropping rescuers off on the wave-washed breakwall from the harbor side. They were taken to nearby hospitals where Finn, Childers and Kronen were pronounced dead. The medical examiner has ruled the deaths accidental drownings, but autopsies were not to be completed for several weeks, said Detective Sgt. Guy Wendorf of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, which is investigating the accident. A routine toxicology report will included in the autopsy.
Mitchell Weisman left Columbia Y.C. aboard his Peterson 34 Snafu about the same time Finn did on the 24th. He was also taking his boat to Crowley’s Yard Yacht, where he works, for winter storage.
“I didn’t feel it was dangerous out there,” Weisman said. “It was a pleasure sail for us; a beautiful fall sail with the full moon. The boats were not overpowered.”
Weisman said his crew were wearing life jackets and harnesses tethered to jacklines.
Weisman said he had Jason in sight for most of the trip, but passed him when Finn left a wider berth around a shoal. He said he believed there was no GPS or chartplotter on board Jason.
“There’s only one spot on that trip that was dangerous—going through the breakwall into the harbor where the seas are very confused,” Weisman said. “When I went through there I wanted the crew sitting low in the cockpit because I knew that if you lose someone overboard there you might not be able to get them back.”
Snafu was already up the river when her crew heard the Jason crew’s panicked man overboard call and heard the Coast Guard responding, he said. “Minutes later we heard them say, ‘We’ve hit the rocks.’”
Finn co-owned a J/30 for several years prior to buying Jason about five years ago. In past years he sailed in the Chicago to Mackinac Race, Chicago NOOD Regatta and other highly competitive races. This year the boat primarily sailed in Columbia Y.C.’s Wednesday night series, in which Finn often offered to take out beginner sailors to get them interested in the sport, Columbia Y.C. Commodore Gary Hooper said.
Hooper was eating dinner at the yacht club where Finn had been a member since 2002 and saw Jason head out, then come back a short time later. Hooper said he didn’t see when Finn left again.
Grant Crowley, owner of the boatyard where Jason was headed, said Finn had called earlier in the day to say he was bringing his boat down. The majority of his winter storage clients bring their boats during the first three weeks of October, although boats are allowed to remain in Chicago harbors until October 31 before owners must pay a late fee, he said.
The DNR’s Wendorf said wreckage from the boat, some of which washed up on a nearby beach in days following the accident, will be examined and the wreck area would be searched by divers as part of the investigation. A complete report was not expected for weeks, he said.
Sailors and the Coast Guard said there are lessons to be learned from the tragedy. Weisman said the combination of Finn’s decision not to take the sail down inside the harbor, coupled with Childers’ lack of a harness were disastrous.
“When you’re on a sailboat, the worst thing you can do is take your sails down,” he said. “People panic and rather than shorten sail they take them down. You need your sails for steerage and to make the ride more comfortable.
“I’m really upset about this. Three people died because first, someone went forward without a harness, and second, why would you take your sails down there in the first place?
“Someone made a terrible mistake.”
Arnold, of the Coast Guard, said the importance of wearing life jackets is demonstrated even in tragedies such as this.
“All four of them had life jackets on, and that’s what allowed us to pull them out of the water,” he said. “If they hadn’t had them on we wouldn’t have recovered anyone. At least we were able to recover their bodies for the families.”
SAILING Magazine
SAILING Magazine---it’s “the Big one,” people say. It’s full of beautiful pictures and instructive material on all aspects of sailing. SAILING, founded in 1966 by an avid Great Lakes sailor, is the sailor’s magazine.
SAILING is a national magazine that is set apart from its competition by its oversize pages and fresh, honest reporting. The magazine is meant for sailors who, above all else, are interested in sailing, reading about it, and enjoying it through the many pictures and incisive text.
While SAILING has a reputation as the big, beautiful one, once again it is set apart from its peers, by its many columns on design (from yacht designer Bob Perry), boat tests (largest boat tests done by U.S. magazines), elaborate monthly departments on gear and its fast-growing technology, on sailing technique, and on sailing news, as well as hard-hitting expressions of opinion by publisher-editor Bill Schanen and columnists Red Marston and Chris Caswell.
This is the sailor’s magazine.
Each issue brings you a wealth of information from every corner of the sport.
Subscribe to SAILING.
Source
No Joke
Stories beginning with "an Irish lawyer and two doctors" often have a funny punch line a few seconds later. This one doesn't.
The BBC is reporting that John Thompson, a lawyer from Northern Ireland, was critically injured aboard his Oyster 41 Avocet during the ARC Rally after the boom hit him in the head. Mr. Thompson was transferred from the sailboat to a cruise ship with two doctors aboard. He was then taken ashore at Barbados.
"He suffered a serious head injury to the left hand side of his face after being hit by the boom when a storm blew up as they neared St Lucia on Friday," the BBC reports here. Latest news says that Thompson has been moved out of intensive care and is now stable.
Remember, folks: It's called a boom for a reason. And getting hit by it is no joke.
It is Green, but is it a Sailboat
The first new cargo ship to harness wind power in over a century was launched last week in Germany. The 132-meter Beluga SkySails is in part propelled by a huge kite designed to catch winds up to 1,000 feet above the ocean's surface.
The kites, made by SkySails, have a surface area of up to 320 square meters and are computer-controlled and attached to a mast near the ship's bow. (For reference, back in my windurfing days when I lived in a place with fairly consistent 15 to 20 knot winds, the largest sail I owned had six square meters of surface area.) Wind above the ocean is also considerably stronger.
SkySails computes that a ship‘s fuel costs can be reduced by 10 to 35 percent on annual average, depending on wind conditions.
"Under optimal wind conditions, fuel consumption can temporarily be reduced by up to 50 (percent)," the company claims. "Even on a small, 87 metre cargo ship, savings of up to 280,000 euros can be made annually." Calculating a conservative 20 percent cut, that is a fuel savings of $1,600 per day.
That fuel savings will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a similar amount, according to the designers. One of the ship's developers says that the shipping industry emits 800 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, and that number will rise to over 1 billion tons in five years. Carbon dioxide has been blamed for climate change.
The maiden voyage of the cargo ship Beluga SkySails is scheduled for early January, 2008 across the Atlantic to Venezuela. In addition to cargo vessels, SkySails also plans to make kite systems for superyachts and fish trawlers.
There has been a lot of hype in the sailing press saying that SkySails is ushering in a new "Age of Sail" in shipping and boating. So now, a question for all you sailors out there: Is Beluga SkySails a sailboat? Please leave your comments below.
Sydney to Hobart Race Coming Fast
Sorry, but I cannot think of a better present than following some world-class sailboat racing on Christmas. Thanks to the Sydney to Hobart race happening over the International Date Line, the race with the traditional Boxing Day (December 26th) start comes to the U.S. Christmas night.
And thanks to the internet, radio coverage of the start will be streamed live. Photos, videos of pre-race briefings and real-time position charts will also be available. Oh, thank you Santa. It's going to be a wonderful Christmas night to top off a wonderful Christmas day.
For East coast sailors, the 1 p.m. Boxing Day start (Sydney time) will be at 9 p.m. Christmas night. Live internet radio gets going about an hour before that.
Classic Key West Ending
Smiling, sun-burnt faces will be heading North out of Key West today after Friday's racing concluded in what one racer described as "Chamber of Commerce" conditions.
After three frustrating days of too much wind, too little wind and light and shifty wind, Thursday brought enough to squeeze out two good races. Friday brought classic Key West conditions with warm weather, sunshine and 16 to 20 knots of breeze. Three races were held.
"You couldn't have asked for a better final day," Melges 24 winner Dave Ullman said.
Ullman, the California sailmaker, put together a tremendous final day, moving from to fourth to first in Melges 24 class which was the largest of the regatta with 46 boats. He steered Pegasus 505 to finish 1-2-1 on Friday which put him three points ahead of week-long leader Blu Moon (Franco Rossini, Switzerland).
Another Californian, Thomas Coates, won the always competitive J 105 class aboard Masquerade. The San Francisco native and his team won five of eight races in the 34-boat class. This year's win was the fourth consecutive victory at Key West for Coates and also earned him the Midwinter Championship.
“This regatta always attracts the top programs in our class so we certainly are very pleased to have won here four years in a row,” Coates said. “I think it looks a lot more lopsided than it really was. We trailed boats in every race and were challenged considerably.”
For all the result, plus pictures and more, check here. Photo: by Tim Wilkes, courtesy of Acura Key West, presented by Nautica.
Perfect" Match Racer Born
New from the drawing-board of German Frers is this sexy forty-foot state-of-the-art "race daysailer." The designer claims the boat was designed for high performance sailing with speed, easy handling and a mix of classical lines with innovative features topping the design list. The builder calls it "the perfect boat for match racing."
The Blink F38.7 sports a fractional rig, a retractable carbon rudder and fin keel with a deep lead bulb. (The boat draws seven feet with the keel fully extended). With room for five in the teak-lined cockpit, skipper and crew should be efficient without tripping over each other.
Perhaps the coolest feature of the boat (other than the promotional picture above) is its transportability. The boat was designed to break down and fit into a standard forty-foot shipping container aboard its included trailer. A trailerable high-tech forty-foot race machine which can be shipped easily to any race venue on the globe? German Frers may just have created the "perfect" match racing machine for the non-billionaire sailor.
(And just think, if it is loaded aboard a sail-powered freighter, it could be the green non-billionaire racing sailor's dream machine.)
Sailing
An Australian court has upheld the conviction and large fine levied against a yachtsman who was convicted by a customs magistrate of failing to announce the intended arrival of his vessel and crew into Australia. The magistrate assessed a fine of $4,000 and $15,000 in court costs. The yachtsman appealed the lower court's conviction, but last week a District Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the magistrate's finding. To add slap to face, the higher court awarded costs of the appeal to the Commonwealth.
American sailor, James Manzari, was originally convicted in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court in February 2007 of two charges under the Customs Act; section 64 Impending Arrival Report, and section 64ACB Crew Reports. Under those rules, a ship's master must provide notice of intended arrival to Customs 96 hours before their arrival into Australia by fax, e-mail or telephone. Manzari arrived into the port of Bundaberg, Australia from Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia, in September 2006, but was convicted of failing to provide the necessary notice to Customs prior to his arrival.
In June, 2006, Australia introduced new laws making it compulsory that aircraft and shipping entering Australia must give between four and ten days notice of their impeding arrival by fax, e-mail or telephone. Manzari claims that he was given outdated information from the Australian consulate in Noumea stating that arrival information must be given 48-hours prior to arrival, and that notification by VHF radio was acceptable. Manzari called Bundaberg customs on his VHF radio and informed them of his plans. Upon arrival, he says he learned of the new law. The hard way.
The 2006 law has been heavily criticized in the Australian sailing community, particularly after an elderly Dutch cruising couple were convicted. The couple made radio contact with Australian officials as they approached the Port of Brisbane, after a rough, thirteen day voyage from New Zealand. Upon arrival, they were informed of the new law. They were eventually fined $2,000.
So, for any cruisers out there heading for Australia: Don't forget to pack the fax machine, computer or sat-phone. (Or $20,000 in small unmarked bills). I wonder what kind of fines Capt. James Cook would rack up today?
