In 87 or 88 just west of Pensacola. We started with6-8 ft swells and then the wind and the current broke them up into what looked like a bunch of 3-10 ft moving hills.

It was a blast. Sailing was like running through the woods with hills and valleys. You could sail through the valleys or jump off the top.

The 3rd or 4th time I went out, I took somebodys karate instructor girlfriend on a N5.8. I started jumping off the tops until my crew told me if I hurt her, she was going to kick me so hard, a valued part of my body was going to come out my mouth.

By the time I found better crew, the hills turned into chop.

Not a cat story, but my favorite ocean swell one.

99 or 2000 Coastal Cup somewhere near Monterey heading south on a pitch dark night, I say to Billy (my name for a French guy named Guillome, cuz I couldn't pronounce it), "why is the water in front of the boat glowing?" We're both really tired a don't know where the red and green light in the water could be coming from. It gets really bright and the boat (an Express 27) goes from 17 knots to 0 in about five feet as the stern lifts out and we pirouette onto our side.

The glow was from the bow lights going into the wave in front of us -- My wife and other sleeping crew got an eticket ride from the pipe berths aft to the forward bulkhead.... I remembered to carve across the troughs a bit more after that.

Good fun. I miss CA ocean sailing sometimes.

On one of my first sails on the 5.8 I went off Adelaide, the wave frequency was jump one 8ft wave, go through the next. This shot was from the video cam and shows us when we had had enough and were virtually stopped but the wave broke over us. It took about a week to decide it was fun. About 2 months ago a 32knot blow made 10ft chop on the same 5.8 off Robe, the sails and mast are still out at sea that wasn't fun..
regards

The worst surf I ever went through was at the start of Round Texel 2005, I sailed it 2-up on a friends FX-One.
I dont think I have ever seen so much damaged boats at a single event, we where lucky to only have a broken batten and some bruises.
Checkout the gallery (click on Volgende for the next page):
http://www.photoos.net/cgi-bin/wspd...esen=35&xmlac=nl&tpl=&page=2

Man that's some rough stuff.

Was it this one? Can't tell for sure if that's an FXone or a Fox



edit- clicked the next photo and it is a Fox

Fox/Marstrom hybrid.

Launching through the surf at the 07 F18 Worlds.

The swell and waves on the course ran at different angles to each other and different to the breeze which made it hard to get into the groove, particularly on port tack up wind or starboard down, taking waves head on on these tacks.


Below we launched on day one. I noticed Andrea Francolini on the beach with the camera on us, so had to launch it over the last set of waves.

I bought both these images in the largest print available

Sail Melbourne, Sandringham Victoria always gave wild rides. Big breeze, big waves.

Which parts came from Marstrøm? I thought that was Mitch Booths "Super Fox" carbon monster.


Steve, awesome photos! You should have one of them tattoed to your back

It was an all carbon fox.

What a waste of carbon.

I guess the carbon could have been used make more of those overly heavy Nacra 20 masts and then sold at enourmous expensive to anyone unfortunate enough the break one. Another waste of Carbon?

I don't see it as a waste to try something different (a carbon fox), or to try and get out throught the surf even though you may not make it. A carbon fox protoype would be cheap compared to developing the moulds for a new 20ft hull design.