Pointy end
by John Curnow, Editor, Sail-World AUS 1 Jul 2018 23:00 BST
Scow bow © Christophe Launay /
www.sealaunay.com
Undoubtedly, whether it is around the cans, an Etchells regatta, a bluewater classic, or even an RC race, we all want to be up at the pointy end of the fleet. Even when we are delivering, any two boats heading in roughly the same direction always adds up to a race. That's certainly good for boosting mental activity, in the very least.
Yet that sort of front was not really what this about. First we had the plumb bow, and then RP made the knife at the sharp end of the pencil super-famous, and for very good reason. Next came the return of the Dreadnought, minus the big cannons (Boom. Boom, Basil Brush), and it pretty much sealed the fate of the awesomely pretty Clipper bow to the history books. Bugger.
In amongst it all, the scow bow sort of didn't get as much press overall. We touched on it a fair bit with Gianguido Girotti of Beneteau, in relation to the impressive Figaro 3, but it was the Mini Transats that really took a shine to it, and how!
Being aesthetically challenged may have hurt it in the PR stakes. No it isn't pretty, but it is pretty damn effective. There'll be no going down the mine here! (Unless it is for gold: argh, argh, argh.) So when Christophe Launay's pics of a new Class 40 appeared this week, it was a little bit of a stand up moment. Here was a monohull, designed to do a lot of heavy weather reaching at serious pace, and whilst it might not have looked exactly like a Portuguese Man of War, or a dowdy English collier for that matter, the lineage was evident.
Perhaps the now de rigueur chamfer on the topsides in the for'ard sections alluded to her desire to use all the wind possible. The Marc Lombard penned craft is all about the Route du Rhum this November, and don't get me wrong. Just because she doesn't have all the usually pretty lines does not mean I don't think she's awesome. I do, just like the Mini Transats and the Figaro 3, which seriously gets a wiggle on at over 15 knots. The foiling minis do it even more so, so it will be good to see just what the low-rider 40 will be all about.
On the other board now... The Volvo has just been completed for another iteration, and it has certainly received a lot of attention as to its relevance and nature moving forward, as well as the composition of its crews. On the latter, it was pretty obvious from the outset that the seven and two combination was going to be the best framework, and by the end all of the crews had gone down this path.
Some took after the organisers for tokenism, but it really was an issue of resources. There just were not that many sailors with the required offshore experience. Next time there will be more as a result of this race, and so on and so forth. So it was better to start now and go for organic growth than try and stipulate what could have been hazardous templates. The furore would have been far worse if something had gone awry, than it was for having an introductory mandate. Remember, women were part of the winning crew this time, which is a first!
Is it enough? Well no, but I cannot help thinking that doing anything more too early, and that is the critical component, would be akin to letting a whole bunch of junior pilots take to the skies in airliners. That plan did not work out to well for the Chinese in the 90s, for instance. Another example would be the banning of single use bags at the checkout, but you still find them in the deli and produce sections. Go figure. In other words, it's a good start, but clearly there is more to do.
So it is just one more thing that the new custodians of the Everest of Sailing will have to manage as the new age unfolds. They will need to be decisive, clear, and market it exceptionally well. To my thinking, that should be from the OTB squads and on up. Here endeth the lesson...
Our Publisher, Mark Jardine, wrote this in relation to the race. "This Volvo Ocean Race has been the closest yet, and thrilling to watch. The one-design yachts, combined with state-of-the-art video and photos using drones and the latest communication technology, have brought the race on to our screens like never before."
"The World Cup has overshadowed this amazing finish, and many outside the sailing world are unaware it is even happening, let alone that it has witnessed the closest race in its history. Seasoned sailors have been glued to the trackers and the live coverage but the race, and sailing in general, needs to reconnect with those who don't participate in the sport."
This is the crux of the matter. Watching things bob around on a patch with no real boundaries per se, and rules that are not easy to comprehend, let alone tide, wind, sailing at night only under the lights of the stars and moon, sleep deprivation, technology that is impressive, but also somewhat obtuse to many and so forth makes for a hard mix to sell. What the new owners do from here will be telling. They will need more teams, more countries, and more reasons for punters to give a damn! In a way, yachties don't really figure in the maths. We are almost unanimously into it.
So the Golden Globe Race got away yesterday, and this is a marvellous thing for the sport. Not only does it show how far it has all come since the 60s, but it also shows that the original spirit is very much still alive in a super-dedicated group of organisers behind Don McIntyre, and of course, the 18 solo sailors who embarked on the voyage of yesteryear. Ask yourself if you would be happy to do a lap in a slow, full keel, sub-40-footer, taking sun shots all the way around?
I hope the tale of the 'hoovered' barometer from the Chain Locker pub in Falmouth, that has its origins back with Sir RKJ and is now on Abhilash Tomy's replica of Suhali not only gets good air time, but that all the parties concerned get to have drink back at the pub after a lap and make it quite the folk lore it should be.
In finishing up, if you are attending Hamilton Island Race Week, and need land space for you, the race crew, or have a hefty shore crew to deal with, then contact Kristie and the team at Whitsunday Accommodation pronto. Kristie tells me the last of the properties are getting signed up smartly.
Right oh - here today there are some gems for you to review. We have information about Newport to Bermuda, the Golden Globe, GC32, ESS, not everything is about finishing at Hammo, the AC75 Class Rule, the Volvo, the Clipper, plastics in the ocean, RC44s, OKs, and certainly there is much, much more.
Remember, if your class or association is generating material, make sure we help you spread your word, and you can do that by emailing us. Should you have been forwarded this email by a friend, and want to get your very own copy in your inbox moving forward, then simply follow the instructions on our newsletter page, where you can also register for different editions.
Finally, keep a weather eye on Sail-World. We are here to bring you the whole story from all over the world...
John Curnow, Editor, Sail-World AUS