Author: ws lirakis

a sailor who carries a camera

TRANSATLANTIC 2011

        The Transatlantic race  has been announced starting from Newport in June, 2011 finishing in Cowes, IOW, England. I expect the plan is to encourage boats to later sail Cowes week and the Fastnet race. For those who would then like to continue sailing, get the boats to the Mediterranean, for the Middle Sea Race in October.
  I have already heard from several people who intend to compete. Those who love to go to sea. There is quite a difference between a 3-4 day Bermuda race ( 24-36 hours for the really big boats including the Volvo 70) and a 14-18 day transatlantic race.
    
      For those who just want to have fun I had attached the file below. This is real LA. what more is there to say.

Estralla Damm sails 450 miles in 24 hours

The W 60’s still have their collective foot on the accelerator. However I believe they are a little further north than they might wish to be. As the saying goes: “what goes up, must come down”. Depending on the weather, they might have boxed themselves into a corner. They need the wind to back so they can jibe. If it heads, they can work down, but they would much rather be freed up than on the wind. Equally, they will be sailing extra distance, which is fine if they can keep up this pace.

Weather in the Northeast

Emerging from a winter that I personally found hard, despite the fact I have lived through worse. Winter ended with what seemed to be endless rain, here in the northeast. Anyone who has followed the news has seen the damage  too much rain can reek. Like the flowers, we turn our faces to the sun anxious to absorb her glorious rays.
    The rivers in Rhode Island, attracted early industry as they provided power and transportation proved to be the undoing of so many people living near them.
   Spring seems to be about three weeks “early”in stark contrast to last year when we seemed to abruptly have gone  from winter the summer, leaving spring out of the equation. I am already wondering if this mild spring will lead to warmer water leading into the fall and therefore  the possibility of a hurricane. We have dodged this manifestation of nature in recent history, only adding to the potential probability.

196 Entries for the 2010 Bermuda Race

196 entries is a healthy number any time, for a race like the Bermuda Race. 635 nm in distance at a magnetic course of 162  degrees. The start is June 18th, therefore the weather will be what the weather will be.  Add to that the Gulf Stream as a race course feature. It is not always possible to take full advantage of both.  The Gulf Stream is like a barrier or fence in the Ocean that you have to climb over to get where you are going.
  Kitchen Shoals is your landfall/turning mark, before finishing off St. David’s light

Estrella Damm & W Hotels are off

The Two W 60’s have set off from New York heading to Barcelona The 500 mb forecast shows promise.  these boats are quick enough to keep up with the system at least for a while. It is always an advantage to be able to choose your departure time; never-the-less I envy Peter Becker and Stan Schreyer.

     These two boats will have to cross the Gulf Stream, again unlike the Bermuda Race participants it works in their favor.


America’s Cup 1958

It is important to put 1958 in historical context. This was the first challenge for the America’s Cup since 1937; when it was raced for in “J” class yachts, around 130 feet in length. Life was different, a depression, a world war, taxes were higher than today, for the wealthy.

     Olin Stephens had designed “Vim” for Harold Vanderbilt in 1939 (sail # 15) “Columbia” (sail # 16) built in 1958 both at Nevins’ yard in City Island. “Vim” pressed “Columbia” and made the selection committee’s job a hard one.

EARTHQUAKE

several hours ago, an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.2 occurred in Mexico effecting southern California. An independent quake of 4.0 was registered in northern California. We have children in each area, and all are safe, not having noticed the quakes.