Round Texel 2005 results
I came across this while looking for something else (as usual!), so
am just adding a little info for the record...
Wouter wrote -
The results are in :
ONLY 124 finishers out of 600 entries and about 2o0 starters !
This was due to some 125 boats (including ourselves alas!) missing the
first &/or second gates at the north end of the island. I believe the marks were the 2m x 1m dayglo orange cylinders used for the Open, but we never glimpsed ONE! Wind-over-tide up at the lighthouse produced a very interesting sea state....
As sjon wrote it was a battle field.
Two F16's stayed on the beach choosing to not risk damaging their boats
Bart & Lonneke took a Hobie Tiger after helping us launch (and hurrooed their way past before Oudeschild).
Pete and Dee McDowell on their Stealth F16 did succesfully negociate the surf and started the round.
Not having sailed at Texel before we carefully followed advice from our NL friends - the main theme being 'arrive around an hour early at the start' ; this misses the last-minute-rush-& no-control boats.
Presumably the surf got worse nearer to the start, we had more problems earlier in the week.
Sadly they were seen pulling in at the harbour of Oude Schild that is on the other side of the island (at about 60 % of the race). It is not known why they pulled out of the race. No major damage was seen from the distance, maybe they decided that enough was enough. Will get back on this if I learn more.
Yes, we were not really happy to continue, we already had some boat problems and in view of serious doubts as to 'sailing the course' as above, and capsising after running aground as well, it seemed sensible if rather unenterprising to pull into Oudeschild.
I think because it is so shallow on the Waddensee side, the rudder foils were suffering from 'ground effect' lift & this was disconcerting...
So...., we'll have to come back & do it all over another time! Regrettably I think this will be 2007 at the earliest.
rgds
Pete McD
