They seem to be keeping up a tradition, but they are using boats these days that don't look very well suited for surf sailing. Maybe the giant jib on a TheMightyHobie18 is there to help get out thru the surf. the little jibs on the boats in the videos don't look like they are helping to pull the boats out thru the waves much. from the video it looks like they are hoping those particular conditions never manifest. Certainly there are not many oportunities to practice sailing an inter 20 thru formitible surf w/onshore winds. the economics of destroying I20's for practice during training dosen't add up either. some of the skippers didn't seem to understand the importance of being as far forward as possible when the gnarly breaker hits. or they knew about it, but didn't do it. having broken maybe 1/2 a dozen hobie cat masts in the 70's it's tough to blame the guys that did flip over backwards tho. it's kinda funny that cats were surf sailing and jumping waves before anyone ever thought of a windsurfer, but now cat surf sailing is most rare. sad that mostly only the carnage aspects of cat surf sailing gets displayed these days. of course you are going to get mostly carnage trying to surf sail a racing cat tho. just watch the 70's video sharing the wind if you want to know why people surf sail cats, or look at old fotos of the worrell guys on H16s blasting out thru the surf w/ a reefed main and no jib.
They seem to be keeping up a tradition, but they are using boats these days that don't look very well suited for surf sailing. Maybe the giant jib on a TheMightyHobie18 is there to help get out thru the surf. the little jibs on the boats in the videos don't look like they are helping to pull the boats out thru the waves much.
I agree with the above statement. That's why I still like the overall versatility of my Nacra 6.0na. A huge jib, and hulls that cut more than plane over the waves on the beach. Using the sails to steer until out past the last sand bar, etc.
little slow on my response to this, but if the guy that is leading you goes, then you have to go. Jake and I went thru some surf at Cocoa(i think) like that. 2 attempts to get out, and the second time we REALLY didnt want to do it again, but you just have to. Thats what this race is about, sailing to and sometimes above what you think is your limits, thats what its about. It's a sailors Everest, and dont you think that Everest is above everyones limit? We jokingly had 3 goals the first year... 1 Survive, 2 finish, 3 not finish last, in that order. We accomplished all 3, Everest as defeated. When the race official says either trailer your boat and be DSQ'd, or sail, and you have spent 10,000 dollars to be there, and its been your goal for years, and you know you have the equipment and possibly the skill...then you go.
The men were amazed, and said, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Matthew 8:27
The 6.0 may have larger jib and rudders, but once through the surf, I'd much rather be on the I20. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Why ? In the words of my 2year old daughter : "Because I MUST !"
If we had a race of this nature where I live, I`d be signing up first. Then again, better pick a disposable boat with the coastline we have. The best race we have is a 50mile sprint to the end of Cape Point and back.
Also the delayed starts because Baboons have stolen everything shiny on your boat and if you found a beach at night you would be lucky to drag the crunched up remnants of fibre glass courtesy of the local white sharks then finally the carcass of your crew you salveged from the shark attack now has to be sacrificed to the lions and Hyenas and then you'll probably be adopted by "Madonna".Do you need proof of insurance for this one! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
If we had a race of this nature where I live, I`d be signing up first. Then again, better pick a disposable boat with the coastline we have. The best race we have is a 50mile sprint to the end of Cape Point and back. [/quote]
The Baboons aren`t a problem until you get closer to Cape Point, just don`t beach there. That`s not really an issue since you can`t really, most of the point is vertical rock into the sea, only a few beaches along the course. Small problem - no road access to these beaches, if you had to land here the only way off is to sail off, or carry the boat up 100m steep ravines covered in bush. But it would be quite easy as the boat would be in pieces, anyway, if you tried to sail it up the beach. The sharks are less of a problem than you think - they prefer the taste of kayaks, and surfers are also high on the menu. Catsailors don`t feature much on their list of favourite foods, we even rank below seals. The lions and Hyenas, no problem, they don`t like swimming. Madonna, well now you have me nervous..
Forecast for this weekend looks promising, 37-39mph winds with 5-7m swell on Saturday, Sunday starting off at 47mph and dropping off to a mere 29mph by 6pm. With rain. Gotta love winter - think I`ll go windsurfing at Shark Bay instead, bit too much breeze for sailing a cat.
Sorry never made it Steve it has been on my list though and we are barraged about documentaries over Suid Afrika . Saw a show the other night about the cape troop took anything they wanted including a baby out of a hut and wicked confrontation in somones car next to child in the child seat mother got bit good. Thought about stickin one up in the mango tree during the season but my grandfather once owned a banana farm in Brazil then he owned a monkey farm ! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
