[C38] Chicago Mac news

[Joseph Launie]

Chuck,
     This is relevant only because some of our members may be thinking 
of getting rid of their C-38 YACHT and replacing it with what Olin 
Stevens used to call a skimming dish. I have never seen a Kimi 35 but I 
hear it has 8 foot waterline beam and 14 foot deck beam. It sounds like 
a crew ballasted boat. When I did overnite races in my Cal-25, Olson-30 
and then C-38 I used to send the off watch below with instructions to 
get in their bunk and get some rest.  All of those boats had 
accommodations to do that unlike a Farr 40 or many similar boats.
     The paper says the Kiwi 35 capsized.  What does that mean in a 
sailboat? Spreaders in the water and the boat comes right back up 
--change your underwear and you are fine. Spreaders in the water and 
boat stays down - not so good.  If it turns turtle like the Nicholson 
Half tonner in the Fastnet Race - big problems.  I thought we learned 
something from the 1979 Fastnet and modern racing boats weren't supposed 
to do that. Joe Launie/Macavity  PS It would be interesting to know how 
many boats had finished when the squall hit.

On 7/19/2011 6:38 PM, Chuck Finn wrote:
> My wife (Mary) and I were up at the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan to see 
> some of the big yachts arrive from the Chicago Mac race yesterday...  
> It was only then that we learned of the tragedy where two racers were 
> drowned when their boat capsized in a 75 knot wind gust during a 
> storm.   This is the first fatality in the history of this race.  The 
> storm, with over 50 knot sustained winds resulted in 34 boats (10%) 
> having to withdraw for weather related reasons.
> Racing is certainly exciting and fun, but it is also dangerous.  I 
> applaud Steve S. for making the safe decision for his crew in the 
> Transpac.   Let's all be safe out there folks!
>
> Chuck Finn
> Commodore
>
>
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