Helrätt Swedish Shorthanding

[pogen]

I follow a boat blog called Blur http://www.blur.se run by a fellow who has had a series of boats in Sweden all called Blur. The latest is a J/111.

There's a very active solo and shorthanding scene there -- one of the latest is the Harken Solo Challenge.

From Google translate of this story --

Solo Sailing on the agenda in mid-August and in writing it is 44 boats registered for the regatta "Harken Solo Challenge." It's about challenging yourself and sail alone in the waters around Sandhamn. All ships and boats are welcome to go along with this adventure.

Båttestaren Curt Gelin sets its folk boat and is one of the smaller contribution to date together with a catamaran F18.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have two giants, one is a 63-footer Refanut, a classic offshore cruiser designed by Sparkman & Stephens from the mid 50th century with skipper Fredrik Wallenberg.

The second is a Swan 65 called "Who Valley" with Peter Holmberg at the helm. Not only do these gentlemen to budge around the opposite boat of nearly twenty feet and 35 tons of completely alone on board, they have also signed up to sail downwind sails! There you can talk about the challenge!

With the starting grid, there will also be some very experienced solo sailor, one is Ulf Brändström not have done other than to sail solo in a mini 6:50 the last three years and rumor has it that the others will be Pia L'Obry, first Swedish to implement the Mini-Transat.

Do you not think it's challenging enough just to get around the track solo so one can measure up to these quantities in Swedish solo sailing to lift it all one level to!

You can also set up just to meet like-minded and beautiful people on the regatta dinner in Sandhamn afterwards, a quite good reason, I think!

Hang on you, all you need is a flotation with SRS's. Why not take on the challenge of a laser or a 2.4mr? Learn more and sign up for Harken Solo Challenge .

The SRS alluded to seems to be the Swedish version of PHRF, a quasi measurement rule with Time Correction Factor. See here for a translated description.

The sailing grounds in Sweden are very beautiful. I myself haven't sailed there, but I took an overnight ferry once through the Aaland Islands from Stockholm to Turku, Finland on the Summer Solstice -- it never gets full dark in summer. But there are plenty of hazards to beware of, millions of rocks for example.



Sound like fun.

[BobJ]

See - if they didn't have all that distracting crew they could have made it through there easily.

Actually I've read that's a "shortcut" to reduce the distance in that particular race. Some shortcut!

[Wylieguy]

There's actually a "shortcut" thru Castro Rocks, too! And between "Little Alcatraz" and the island. And between the can at Pt. Blunt and the reef. I've sailed the Castro Rock shortcut before the restriction and seen boats unknowingly sail between the other two points. I've also seen a very large motor yacht from S. California sitting on "Little Alcatraz" surrounded by CG boats that were "dewatering" it. The Swedish pass looks like a sightseeing location when they're running that race. Maybe we could spice up sailboat racing on SF Bay as a spectator sport by making going inside the rule and selling spots on Alcatraz and Pt. Blunt for spectators. Grandstands? The loudspeaker guy they have at airshows and bike races? Stopping traffic on the Richmond Bridge probably wouldn't cut it, but the view down to boats hitting various Castro Rocks would be spectacular. -- Happy with things the way they are Pat.

[pogen]

Yeah, I for one wish that all races would exclude the Mile Rock shortcut also.

I didn't mention it above but 'Helrätt' means "absolutely right" or "right on!" or even "fuck yeah!" usually used as an affirmative exclamation. Works for me!

Here is the area out in the Baltic from Stockholm where the event is taking place: http://g.co/maps/424zp

One thing about the Baltic is that it is basically tideless, and I guess current-less as well, so that is something, and in August there will be plenty of light.

[Travieso]

Yeah, I for one wish that all races would exclude the Mile Rock shortcut also.

There is almost a quarter mile gap between with Mile Rock and the shore rocks. Plenty of navigable water and could be very tactical in the right currents. I was actually surprised to see it was restricted for the DHLS.

[pogen]

Well I make it only about 0.14 nm, which is plenty for some, maybe most, but I'd rather not think about it.


(click for bigger)

[BobJ]

Proportionate to beam, your .14 nm is the Spear's .25nm

We won our division in a HMB race going through there on a big flood - I'd hate to have that option taken away.

[Wylieguy]

In the years that I've been sailing ocean races I know of at least two boats lost after hitting the rocks inside Mile Rock. One of them, a Santana 35 made it to China Beach where it was beached and patched up and a tow begun back to Sausalito. Things didn't work out and it sank under the GG Bridge. There have been several others damaged. The thing about restricted areas is that they apply equally to everyone. That is if everyone observes them, something that did not happen in this year's 3-Bridge.

[Travieso]

You are right, not sure what I measured. About the same gap as south of the South Tower and that is restricted. I do know that on some strong floods that gap might be the only scape out. Also good relief coming back in on a strong ebb. Best to read those SIs closely.

[Culebra]

Guilty as charged. 2006 OYRA Southern Cross GPS track. Sailing my old SC27 solo in a strong flood. I was following another SC27's wake, tack for tack, and figured he'd hit the rocks first, giving me time to tack away before I did. I confess I enjoyed every second of this adventure.

Paul/Culebra