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Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #4931
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    Quote Originally Posted by sleddog View Post
    we were both called out for attempting to wear our hats into the St. Fancy. When I pointed out other guests were doing the same, we were told "it is OK for women to do so."
    Was your question, "Why is it okay for the other girls to wear hats?" With all the profusion of confusing pronouns and that compromising photo I have of you and Sir Thomas, I wonder that the St Fancy is so fastidious.

  2. #4932
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    Team PURE and WILD just finished first in the 2022 R2AK at the Alaska Fish House dock in Ketchikan. You won't see $10K first prize cash nailed to the bar at the St.Francis....Congrats to Pure and WILD
    Last edited by sleddog; 06-20-2022 at 07:27 PM.

  3. #4933
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    It isn't every day you get to witness a Santa Cruz garbage man confront World renown sailor Paul Elvstrom about a rules violation. The year was 1971 and we were racing WMT's Soling EN PASSANT in Kiel Week and Euro Olympic trials. Paul Elvstrom was nearly unbeatable until we got to him in the first race, his only loss all year. After that, he resumed form. One of his techniques was pre-hoisting his spinnaker in a plastic bag before turning the windward mark, then breaking the bag as he turned the mark and pulled on the spinnaker sheet. It was worth several lengths advantage.

    It so happened the Flying Dutchman class was sharing the same course as the Solings, and Dave Wahle, Santa Cruz garbage man, was crewing for my brother on the trapeze of Scott's FD. Dave had a good view of what was going with Elvstrom's use of plastic bags at mark roundings.

    After the first day's racing, Dave, in his usual straight forward approach to things, went over to Paul Elvstrom and said "You can't do that! You're not finishing with all your gear, and polluting the water as well." Elvstrom was not sure at first what this long haired hippy was talking about. But Dave made sure Elvstrom understood dropping plastic bags overboard at each windward mark rounding was unacceptable.

    That was the last time that happened....Until later in the Admiral's Cup in the Solent IMPROBABLE caught Edward Heath's MORNING CLOUD on starboard. David ran to the bow and hollered "Get the F#*K out of the way." I said, "David, you just told the Prime Minister of England to get the fuck out of the way." DKW didn't hesitate with his reply aft, "I don't care if it's the Pope, he's wrong and should get off the course."

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  4. #4934
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    OK, all you singlehanded aficionados, this little history lesson will lead directly to a trivia quiz involving a current and active SSS Forum contributor as well as something you probably never knew. In addition, your answer, right or wrong, may send us over 5 million reads in 12 years of observations

    The year was 1964. And the second OSTAR (Observer Singlehanded Transatlantic Race) was the launch pad for one of the most influential figures in the history of single-handed sailing, the development of sailing as a sport in France and in offshore race boat design. In 1960 Francis Chichester had managed the crossing in 40 days, then a 32 year-old French naval lieutenant Eric Tabarly won the 1964 race taking just 27 days aboard his 44ft ketch PEN DUICK II.

    A total of seventeen yachtsmen entered the race. All those who sailed in the first race were back again, though only Francis Chichester and Blondie Hasler were sailing the same boats. Val Howells sailed a 35 foot steel cutter, AKKA, a production yacht he was delivering to America; David Lewis switched to a catamaran REHU MOANA, one of three multihulls in the race; and Jean Lacombe had moved from the 21 foot Cap Horn to his new 22 foot glass fibre sloop GOLIF. Mike Ellison, who failed to start in the first race, was back in a larger boat ILALA (36 ft).

    Two yachts were unable to compete: Arthur Piver was unable to deliver his trimaran from the US in time and so missed his second OSTAR; Charles McLendon, an American living in London, suffered a fire on his 48’ ketch MORNA – which would have been the largest boat in the race.

    Two changes were introduced for the second race: the finish line was switched from New York to Newport, Rhode Island, so the competitors could avoid marine traffic at New York; and a prize was awarded for fastest monohull on corrected time (using a handicap based on waterline length).

    Two events occurred that were to be repeated in future races – two collisions, one with a spectator boat and another with a whale. Val Howells (AKKA) was rammed by a spectator boat after the start and had to return for repairs. Five days out while contesting for second place a few miles behind Tabarly, Derek Kelsall (FOLATRE) struck what he presumed was a whale, damaging a rudder and daggerboard. He returned to Plymouth for repairs then restarted finishing a creditable 34 days later.

    Publicity from the first OSTAR turned the second race into a media circus with a number of the 15 competitors signed up by national newspapers to provide regular progress reports by radio. The crowds at the start brought about the first collision between a spectator boat and a competitor, Val Howells, who had to return for repairs.

    Tabarly, the only Frenchman in the race, was the sailor’s favorite with the advantage of sailing the largest boat and the only one purpose-built for the event. He had also carried out an in-depth study of the weather and physically was very fit. On a route close to the Great Circle and without the strong storms that had characterized the first edition, he reached Newport three days before Francis Chichester.

    Arriving in Newport, Rhode Island, Tabarly had no prior knowledge of his win – he had not used his radio during the race – and almost as a passing comment let slip that his self-steering system had only worked for the first 8 days of the 27 days it took him to complete the course.

    At a depressed time in France, Tabarly became an overnight hero and for his endeavor was presented with his country’s highest honor, the Legion d’Honneur, by President de Gaulle. France’s love affair with solo offshore racing had begun.

    Well after the completion of this solo epic, our illustrious SSS member and commentator ended up owning one of these historical vessels. Who is this personage, what boat did he buy, and what relic(s) did he find aboard from the 1964 OSTAR?

    1) GYPSY MOTH, and found a gallon of moldy Brussel sprout seeds and a keg of Guinness Stout under the forward bunk 2) JESTER, and found a spare perspex hatch turret in the lazarette that was later donated to a SHTP winner for his companionway hatch. 3) FOLATRE, which was a 35' Piver Lodestar trimaran finished from a bare hull by Derek Kelsall. Aboard FOLATRE was a mounted head of an Oryx. 4) Tabarley's winning PEN DUICK II, aboard which was found a hollow keel filled with French military expended uranium ammunition shells 5) the catamaran REHU MOANA, aboard which was found a hand written, rough draft, ozaloid copy of David Lewis's We the Navigators It smelled strongly of ammonia Name:  Rehu Moana.jpg
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Size:  106.7 KB 6) AKKA, while undergoing refit, was found to have onboard a tin of Fray Bentos Steak and Kidney Pie from the 1964 OSTAR that had fallen behind some forward interior framework. The mummified remains were hand delivered to Val Howells in Wales by the new owner. Howells, the consummate raconteur, verified the pie's authenticity and commented that "it had not aged well." Name:  Steak and Kidney.jpg
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    Anyone want to try? Hint: the owner of the boat in question has a significant relationship with the 3 Bridge Fiasco. A box of Trader Joe's Lemon Bars in addition to the usual Marinanne's Macapuno for first correct response. Give it a go!
    Last edited by sleddog; 06-25-2022 at 06:03 AM.

  5. #4935
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    My un-educated guess would be Ants owned Jester (serial boat owner) and passed on the plexi dome to Bruce S. on Rumbleseat.

  6. #4936
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan Gutoff View Post
    My un-educated guess would be Ants owned Jester (serial boat owner) and passed on the plexi dome to Bruce S. on Rumbleseat.
    Good one, Jonathan! You are 1/3 right. It was Ants who bought the 1964 OSTAR competitor's boat. But it was not JESTER, nor was the plexi-dome involved. Try again if you wish. Anyone else?

  7. #4937
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    Narrowing it down almost takes the fun out...
    Late to the party though I am -
    Ants Bought AKKA, and though I have no direct evidence, I would assume the Fray Bentos exchange to be true....
    research - scroll down to post #19...

    DH

  8. #4938
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveH View Post
    Narrowing it down almost takes the fun out...
    Late to the party though I am -
    Ants Bought AKKA, and though I have no direct evidence, I would assume the Fray Bentos exchange to be true....
    research - scroll down to post #19...

    DH
    Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner. Well done, DH! Here is an abbreviated version of Ant's wonderful recall about the mummified Steak and Kidney pie from the 1964 OSTAR found aboard Val Howell's AKKA.

    "When AKKA was weeping rust at the deck level, it was time (1979) to remove the rusty steel and improve the sealing between steel and teak decks and mahogany cabin sides. The interior joinery was removed to avoid damage. While removing the v-berth cabinets, a tin of steak and kidney pie was found. It must have been from the 1964 OSTAR race when Valentine Howells raced AKKA. Notably, this was the last time I could afford to have any metalwork done by Albert Borges (now Studio 64 Ironworks).

    In the summer of 1980, my mother-in-law wanted to treat the family to a month in Scotland at 4 different locations. The wife and I decided we would travel by bicycle to the locations, starting outside of London. The plan was to bike through Wales and find Valentine Howells and return the steak and kidney pie. It was easy to find him through his wife’s coffee house. The wayward tin was wrapped in brown paper and given back when we met. There was no need to unwrap the paper since the shape was distinctive. Val’s comment was that the tinned steak and kidney pies were not particularly good at the time, and this one would not improve with age.

    We took him out to dinner which Val suggested was not a good idea since dinners were very pricey. The tab seemed to be over 100 pounds. The following day we got to see Unibras Brython (a boat he built for the 1976 OSTAR so he and his son could be the first father and son entry). Unfortunately, Val fell in open hatch cover and injured himself so it was not prudent for him to continue the race.

    There was an invitation to join Val for the day on the Bristol Channel and Mouth of the Severn River as he piloted a ferry boat through there. We were happy to accept."

    Cheers,
    Ants

  9. #4939
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    For extra credit, what race from California was Eric Tabarly banned from as the keel of his big PEN DUICK VI was expended uranium, not lead. Apparently expended uranium used in tank piercing shells is much heavier than lead.. It was all hush hush and not revealed on PEN DUICK VI's rating certificate. I wonder if the current owners are aware? EU is radioactive, but apparently not lethally so. Still, I wouldn't want to be sailing aboard PD VI in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race.

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    Last edited by sleddog; 06-25-2022 at 11:42 AM.

  10. #4940
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    I'm gonna take Transpac '77 as a WAG.
    Interesting that PD VI was DSQ'd while "on-course" for the Whitbread, the keel not being grandfathered in with the rule change to ban depleted uranium.

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