Flipping in the surf...

This is too good not to share
A french team came to our Dutch shores for the F18 nationals last weekend, but their visit was cut short when this happened (no one was injured and there was little damage):





[img]http://www.rbossink.nl/f18/571.jpg[/img]

A couple of teams actually quit racing due to seasickness (not making this up!),
really steep and high waves and not even that much wind.

Full gallery: http://www.rbossink.nl/nkf182012.html
Results: http://www.wvz.vuurwerk.nl/images/uitslagONK%20F18.pdf

only thing worse than those pictures would be that ugly underwater "thunk" you hear (sort of like dislocating a shoulder) when the mast breaks

I hate that sound. Heard it too many times.

Thankfully, I've only heard it rarely (except with windsurfing), but it is usually followed by that nausea-inducing pain in my wallet.

I'm lucky to have escaped it on my own boats so far (mine just break on dry land)but have heard it way too many times in the surf starts of the Worrell and Tybee. It's sickening, for sure.
The worst was helping Garrett Norton rig a brand new 6.0 mast from a bare tube during the '98 Worrell. they were pushed off into the surf in Kill Devil Hills NC and made it through 2 waves before the boat went over and the stick snapped. About 45 seconds of sailing.

Or the pain that comes with actually dislocation the shoulder. Ended my season at the worlds last week that way.

Tony,

what was the analysis after the event? Not enough speed, pointing too high and weight too far aft?

Looks like similar conditions to this. Different outcome though.

Right, I read your post on that. Sorry to hear and hope you mend quickly.

Dont think there was any analysis really.
Maybe just some rotten luck with two sets coming in really close together, we had to go out twice
though since we had the spin tack rivets pop of during the first downwind leg.
Pretty sure we where fully airborne a couple of times.

Our flip is getting more ad more famous apparently ;-) ...

Well we are not really happy for the boat ! Some damages of course, but we will race the Ronde Tiengemeten next week-end so ...

Maybe we should contact GoPro or Red Bull for some partnership ...

Follow the froggies here :-) ...

Ouch, that looks like it hurt. Thank goodness that mast came off the ball.

Sorry about the shoulder...been there myself. Hope surgery isn't necessary for you! Certainly, recommend the rehab and the electric shock treatments...

Tony,

On my homebeach (Petten) where I'm used to sail, there is almost all the time a steep break to pass. Even with side shore or cross offshore wind. That and the fact of the presence of breakwaters ("wave-breakers") with a distance of 50 till 80 meters in between, makes the passing (though tricky) every days work.

What I see on the pictures is that the steering man is staying at the back and his mate somewhere in the middle. So I would say it was a matter of wrong weight distribution.

Especially with a windforce which is to less for the wave height. This disbalance in circumstance requires simple a different approach of passing technique.

Let me explain mine:

In the passing I'm always sitting upfront of the tramp right next (but after) to the side shroud on the high side.
One hand grabbing the shroud and one hand steering with the joystick. In this position I can even manage a short 90 degrees cat uplift and being pushed and sailing backwards!

My special net tramp and my special rudder control, which give me possibility to pull my rudders down from a postion near the mast, are ofcourse helping me in this technique.

And I always sail single-handed. But even in the rare cases that I take someone with me, she or he is positioned in front of the side shrouds near the front beam.

groetjes
ronald reeder