New Boat 4 Sled

[Philpott]

We leave the Race2Alaska for a moment, and switch back to the History Channel. For bed-and breakfast at the Capitola Boating Club, where and what famous storm did JOLIE BRISE weather? Attachment 2462 http://www.joliebrise.com/

Am I glad I woke up early! In the Bermuda Race of 1932 this occurred:

"The worst accident in the race’s long history occurred in 1932. On the cold, raw first night out, as the schooner Adriana banged into a fresh sou’wester the heat from her coal cabin stove ignited some oilskins. The uncontrollable fire spread so rapidly that the decision was made to abandon ship.

Three miles ahead of Adriana was the cutter Jolie Brise and her 35-year-old owner-skipper, an adventurous English aristocrat named Henry Robert Somers Fitzroy de Vere Somerset, but known afloat as “Bobby.” Descended from dukes, he had been decorated for his service in the trenches on the Western Front (where he had lost a lung), and was described as “a man of outrageously good looks” who exuded “an element of the devil-make-care buccaneer.” His crew included Herbert L. Stone and the famous American racing helmsman Sherman Hoyt.

In an astonishing feat of seamanship, Somerset, at Jolie Brise’s long tiller, turned his engineless, heavy-displacement vessel around toward the burning Adriana, whose crew was struggling to launch a small boat and heave the spinnaker pole into the water to serve as an improvised float. As the schooner’s helmsman, Clarence Kozaly, held position, Somerset brought Jolie Brise alongside under sail. The yachts’ rails banged together, their upper rigging tangled, and Jolie Brise’s tarred deadeye lanyards were charred. Ten of Adriana’s 11 sailors jumped across to the cutter’s deck.

Only the dutiful Kozaly was left. The two yachts were several feet apart when he finally let go the wheel and made his leap, only to tumble into the gap. Sherman Hoyt desperately threw him a line, but Kozaly’s heavy clothing drew him under. After helping to save ten lives, he lost his own and is the only fatality in Bermuda Race history. "

I'll bring apple turnovers from the Paris Bakery.

[sleddog]

Am I glad I woke up early! In the Bermuda Race of 1932 this occurred:
I'll bring apple turnovers from the Paris Bakery.

Dear Jackie,
Thank you for reminding us of JOLIE BRISE's famous and dramatic rescue of the crew of the burning ADRIANA in the Bermuda Race.
As you know, yourself and apple turnovers from the Paris Bakery are always welcomed at the Capitola Boating Club and Maritime Museum.
Unfortunately, the question "where and what famous storm did JOLIE BRISE weather?" remains unanswered..and with it the bed and breakfast. I invite you and others to try again. Carry on.

[Philpott]

Dear Jackie, Thank you for reminding us of JOLIE BRISE's famous and dramatic rescue of the crew of the burning ADRIANA in the Bermuda Race. As you know, yourself and apple turnovers from the Paris Bakery are always welcomed at the Capitola Boating Club and Maritime Museum. Unfortunately, the question "where and what famous storm did JOLIE BRISE weather?" remains unanswered..and with it the bed and breakfast. I invite you and others to try again. Carry on.

aaaaa

[Daydreamer]

Just a guess, but did she sail in the 1979 Fastnet Race ?

That is the only famous (infamous?) storm I know of, and I think Sled left a clue.

[sleddog]

It's going to be a wild R2AK finish this afternoon. The 31 foot tri BIG BRODERNA and the 28 foot tri FREEBURD are currently boat for boat and within sight of each other, less than 45 miles from the finish in Ketchikan at 9:45 a.m. PDST. The two crews are sailing at speeds of 15 knots and greater, having safely navigated, at night in rain, the 45 mile long, narrow (1-2 mile wide) and rocky Principe Channel inside Banks Island.

I don't know what happened to the other contender, the big yellow cat BAD KITTY. Perhaps she broke or used navigational prudence, and holed up at anchor all night.

But it is now a 2 boat Race for the R2AK win, with some tough tactical and navigational challenges remaining for two very tired crews. Indeed, there are shoals and half tide rocks southwest of Duke Island just ahead. Cutting over these unmarked rocks saves distance.....

My guess is that BIG BRODERNA and FREE BURD are nearly the same speed off the wind. This is going to be a very close finish for the $10,000 cash nailed to the post at the Ketchikan finish dock. Whose gonna ring the finish bell first? Second place gets the steak knives. Stay tuned to your local channel. http://tracker.r2ak.com/

[Dazzler]

The 1979 Fastnet Race holds special memory for Sled, but we should let him tell that story. Given the history of JOLIE BRISE and the Fastnet Races, I suspect Sled is referring to the 1927 Fastnet.
"The summer of 1927 in England was appalling with storms, floods and generally unsettled weather; the fortnight before the scheduled start of the race, Saturday 13th August, had seen south westerly gales with rain squalls and there was talk on the eve of the race of a possible postponement, but in fact the weather moderated overnight and when the 15 starters came to the line there was only a light south-westerly breeze. JOLIE BRISE, ALTAIR. PENBOCH and ILEX from the 1926 race were joined by eleven newcomers: TALLY HO, LA GOLETA, SAOIRSE, NICANOR, MORWENNA, SHIRA, CONTENT, MAITENES, SPICA, NELLIE and THALASSIC.

The weather gods did not relent for long; shortly after the starting gun at 11.30am strong winds and rain hit the fleet and the weather was so thick that the yachts lost sight of each other whilst still in the Solent. At that time, according to Loomis, JOLIE BRISE was in the lead followed by NICANOR, ILEX and then TALLY HO and LA GOLETA alongside each other. Once they left the shelter of the Island they were met by the full force of the wind and big seas and it became necessary to hand topsails and reef mains for the beat into the night. Over the next two days beating down Channel much damage was suffered by the fleet.

On Monday with the wind at gale force JOLIE BRISE, NICANOR, TALLY HO, LA GOLETA and ILEX were off Start Point when ILEX sprang a leak, blew out two jibs and was forced to turn tail and run back to Plymouth. JOLIE BRISE carried on in the lead until the Lizard Light where she was hit by a wild squall, took down her main and ran back to Falmouth speaking to TALLY HO on the way. These yachts had in fact weathered the conditions rather better than the rest of the fleet but by Tuesday the 16th of August only LA GOLETA, TALLY HO and NICANOR were left at sea."

[sleddog]

Yiiiii Doggies. At 1000 hours PDST, BIG BRODERNA to port, and FREE BURD to starboard are almost alongside each other reaching in 15-18 knots of SE wind, 30 miles from the finish. FREE BURD is to windward. But there are extensive rocks and shoals ahead of Hassler Reef west of Duke Island. You can cut inside Hassler, but there's the lee of Duke Island, the Percy Islands, and Annette Island to contend with.

Who's gonna blink? I doubt it will be the 3 Burd brothers. As already shown, their night passage of Seymour Narrows related above, their small boat racing experience, and efficient pedal power for any lulls, may give FREEBURD the edge over the heavier BIG BRODERNA.

Oh to be a bald eagle that hangs out on that snag at Pt. Davidson on the SW corner of Annette Island, just ahead.

A message from our sponsors: Did you know if a red robin (bird) were the size of a human, it would take 450 pounds of wood sticks carried in your mouth to build your nest?

[Dazzler]

I noticed that BIG BRODERNA and FREEBURD's trackers are not [always] recording positions at the same time. As for BAD KITTY, they were having tracker issues yesterday, so maybe they are closer than it shows.

UPDATE ON BAD KITTY:
The Daily Fix: Stage 2, Day 4 (audio) Update has a brief phone interview with BAD KITTY. No tracker issues, they just decided to escape from rough weather and take a rest. Maybe they realized they were out of the running for steak knives.

[sleddog]

Here's the deal on the Race2Alaska Finish at Thomas Basin, at the SE end of Ketchikan on the Tongass Narrows:



Current conditions are light rain and light, variable winds and strong currents. There is a mile long row of cruise ships at the dock, and more standing by to discharge their passengers.

A wild card I have experienced sailing from Ketchikan are Coast Guard attempts to enforce a restricted zone around the cruise ships. This could make for a challenging approach to the finish at Thomas Basin. Never mind the gazillion horsepower thrusters on the cruise ships making for swirling currents.

There are at least 7 webcams at Ketchikan focused on the finish area. Webcam #4 is the finish line and webcam #6 also looks at Thomas Basin. https://webcamketchikan.com/

One factor for the sprint to the finish is BIG BRODERNA's tracker may be reporting behind FREEBURD's tracker, which may account for distance separation that is not there in real time.

Here's BIG BRODERNA from Anacortes, whose crew are 2.5 time vets of the R2AK (they broke their mast in the first R2AK)

At 1100 PDST, making 10-12 knots, BIG BRODERNA and FREEBURD have both jibed to port to clear the Percy Islets, 23 miles from the Finish. The two boats are within a few hundred yards of each other. I wonder how efficient BIG BRODERNA's pedal drive is? They have two big Norwegian cyclors aboard to pedal those last few light air, up current miles.

[sleddog]

At 1300 PM PDST (Noon in Ketchikan) FREEBURD and BIG BRODERNA are overlapped 14 miles from the finish, sailing at 6 knots, while jibing downwind in diminishing breeze. The tidal current is beginning to flood north in Nichols Passage, towards Ketchikan, which should assist.

The R2AK will likely soon turn into a pedal and paddle fest, if for no reason other than to make apparent wind to speed things along.

The finish line is going to be jammed with welcomers. Likely someone will be flying a drone over the scene. That should be good.

In the misty background are briefly visible snowy mountains in the now lake-like setting, prompting more than one cruise ship passenger to Ketchikan to ask, "how high are we?"