This issue of Yachtyakka is collected from:

Latest news is that Hydroptere was moved to its final base. It has a certified speed course. The team will, they say, tilt the mast upwind (as the new design allows).

There's no wind for now - but slight hopes of a solid "Mistral" (North wind) for part of the week-end. If indeed the Mistral blows, these guys have dared to write that they'd "attempt to certify the 45 and 50 knots stages".

All we have are a few photos of a couple runs so far, and an announced instant top speed over 46 knots. But from these guys, normally quite conservative, I find it quite a statement to merely say they want to "certify the 50 knot stage", w/o any qualifying words. This does suggest a very strong confidence, which, my guess, can only be based on data so far having proved very solid (among other things, high stability and still lots of lift at 46-plus knots).

More Here

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=15612

Name this yacht, year and speed.

Gary, you can’t play.

You starting to understand the game now Logan?

Many thanks to these Yachtyakka supporters

                                                              Real Entertainment

All I need now is a car

When Should Races be Abandoned?

Guest editorial by

David Howie

Editor of Crew.org.nz

This has been a bit of a contentious issue of late, so I thought I’d ask around and see how the clubs and organizations handle this thorny question.

For the record I am firmly in the camp that believes the skipper is the only one who is in a position to decide whether to race or not, whether to pull out of a race or not. In fact I think that any interference with the skipper’s ability to make decisions (even silly rules by Customs) is detrimental to the safety of the boat and crew.

 


I started by talking to a number of race officers from different clubs. I asked them whether they had received any instructions or guidelines from their club or YNZ; the short answer was no. So I asked what criteria they would use when making the decision to abandon.

At this point, there was some variation. At one end of the scale, I heard “we need to protect these people from themselves”, and “I wouldn’t want a boat to get damaged”. At the other end, Fendall Haliburton (RAYC) told me that for Category 1 and 2 events—“expect a gun”. He then qualified that by saying that if Bob McDavitt called up and said “Don’t do it, it’s going to blow 90-100, and people will surely die”, he’d reconsider. But he would expect these boats to start in 40, 50, even 60 knots.

Several race officers agreed that they would err on the side of caution, for fear of legal action, should the worst happen. Many mentioned that case with the bicycle race in the South Island. I said to one race officer that that case had been overturned on appeal (Jim Lott of MNZ gave me that piece of info; I didn’t know). Said race officer made a very valid point that irrespective of that decision, she wouldn’t want to put one of her volunteers through the accompanying stress.



As an aside, MNZ showed very little interest in chasing down and prosecuting yacht club race officers. Jim was of the opinion that any legal action would far more likely come from the police or a victim’s family.

Next, I spoke to YNZ (thanks to Jodie, who is probably busy as hell with the Olympics around the corner, and in the middle of a rebuild of the YNZ website). Jodie supplied copies of the relevant portions of their race management guide. After reading all of this, and my conversation with Jim Lott, I came up with this: the rules and the law say the skipper is solely and inescapably responsible. But race officers get to decide whether the race proceeds or not. If nothing goes wrong, fine. But if there is a drowning or serious accident, there will be an inquiry. The race officer will have to prove him/herself innocent by showing that all “reasonable” precautions were taken.



That sounds to me like Napoleonic Justice; you are guilty unless you can prove yourself innocent. No wonder people are being cautious, sounds like a worse job than club handicapper.

So I then called a lawyer friend. After I explained the situation to him I asked whether he would, in a commercial situation, advise a client to enter such an arrangement. Answer: NO.
He also explained to me that you are not technically guilty till proven innocent, but the burden of proof is on you. This is apparently common in business law, but he explained that the difference there is that we have hundreds of years of accepted practice and precedent to follow, not the case with a sailboat race.

So, in the case of an accident the Race Officer needs to prove all reasonable precautions were taken. I tried to find out whether there was any help on what “reasonable precautions” might mean. Couldn’t find a thing. Lots of information on how to record that reasonable precautions were taken and that they were standard practice, but nothing on what they were. And nothing on when to abandon a race.



It seems the RO’s are on their own here. There’s plenty of help from YNZ on what factors to consider, but I was looking for something along the lines of the amount of carnage that’s acceptable. Should a race be abandoned if there is a possibility of gear damage? Should a race be abandoned if there is a possibility of a boat being lost? Should a race be abandoned if there is a risk someone might drown? (It’s worth noting here that people have been drowning off boats since the first Neanderthal hollowed out a log, and that just isn’t going to change. There will always be a risk).



So, after all this talk have I changed my stance? No. I’m still strongly of the opinion that the only person who can make the decision to race or not is the skipper. Do I have sympathy for the Race Committees? Hell yes. They are forced to operate in a climate of fear. Fear that should a serious accident happen they will have to go to court and prove their innocence (my lawyer friend estimates upwards of $100,000 in costs whether you win or not).

But here’s what we are losing:

1) There is a risk involved every time you go aboard your boat. I like that. It wouldn’t be nearly so worthwhile if there was no risk. But it’s not that big a risk. It’s safer than driving on Auckland’s motorways, it’s safer than fishing off rocks, and it’s safer than playing rugby.

2) Some boat’s crews consider high winds to be where they are most competitive. If you drop the upper wind speed at which you will race it’s only fair to raise the lower limit as well. Then we end up like the America’s Cup and never go out. If we lower the upper limit, designers, builders, sparmakers and sailmakers will take advantage of that to produce lighter construction boats (and nobody else will ever win a race), and the day they get caught out will be a disaster.

3) The way to gain experience is by going out in rougher conditions than you have previously experienced, preferably in small increments. When I raced with the Auckland keelboat fleet regularly (’74-’78) I knew that I wanted to sail long distances offshore. All those 150, 200 and 350 mile races were how I gained the experience necessary. If we don’t have races in heavy air we are denying the current crop of sailors the opportunity to learn how to handle weather they will almost certainly encounter if they continue to sail offshore.

I honestly don’t know the solution. What is needed is a fundamental shift in the attitude of society at large. Today’s Race Officers have my sympathy, and I despair of what may become of our sport.

Oops

Tows on a trailer

The Sale of Aquavan includes Trademark, Website, all moulds, technical drawings and other particulars associated with it.

The Aquavan is a standard Caravan in most ways, suited to inland rivers, lakes and estuaries.  The Aquavan sits on twin pontoons connected by a cavity floor: the pontoons provide the necessary flotation.  The Aquavan floats off a trailer the same as any boat does.  The caravan body is of sandwiched fiberglass construction with sub reinforcement throughout.  There are two deck areas large enough to accommodate a couple of chairs while fishing or simply relaxing.

Security doors provide access from the decks to the interior of the craft, which is as modern as any caravan’s on the market with unique innovations.  The Aquavan comprises a shower compartment, cassette toilet, hot water system, four burner stainless steel gas cooktop with grill and matching skink area, a microwave, a 12 volt 140 litre refrigerator with shelf freezer, CD/Radio/MP3/DVD Player sound system, also a TV/LCD on swivel wall mount.

Licensed to carry 6 adults and sleeping for four adults is provided by two fold out beds which can be modified to include bunks, with individual reading lights at the rear and on a breakfast table arrangement opposite the kitchen.  The beds double as great sofas for daytime use with drawers for bedding storage underneath.

Each Aquavan sold has had alterations to suit the consumer.

http://www.blur.se/

Whitbread clips from the first races

Worth a look!!

“The K650 is an outcome of the relationship we have

with Karver in the AC & the Volvo and I'm very happy

with this new design. Together we once asked

ourselves what would be the sportsboat that we

would design for ourselves and after a few sketches

she was born. She combines many aspects of what

we have learnt in the Volvo Ocean Race, without the

canting keel since at this size stability is ensured by

the crew as much as the retractable foil that makes

transport very easy. She is fast but very controllable

thanks to her rudders. I cannot wait to go sailing!”

J.Kouyoumdjian

The K6.50 is made for sailors looking for new and exhilarating experience. It is easy to launch, equipped with reliable

deck gear and build for racing.

Yum Boats, the company in charge of the distribution and the class management promises a high standard full racing

calendar. 12 boats have already been ordered, of which 6 by sailing professionals.

The last but not least, of K6.50 advantages is its price: 38 900€ ( incl. french Tax )

The first K6.50 will be sailing in March 2008.

What happened to photo before this one? I can’t find it.

Just have this one where is the next? I e-mailed the photographer we will see if he can find it.

Could always ask the lady on the rail.

Here is another one.

Perhaps someone can explain who has right of way and who should keep clear.

Who is riding shotgun here?

Some very interesting coverage on this site. I would love to know what they are saying. Can anybody help with a translation?

http://www.blur.se/

Scientists have found evidence of water on the Moon. A new analysis of volcanic glass which was recovered from the Moon during the Apollo mission of the 1970s showed that the rocks contain water molecules. The research thus challenges the notion that the Moon is absolutely dry.

The discovery suggests that water was present in the Earth’s natural satellite when the pebbles were formed during lunar eruptions about 3.6 billion years ago.

“Most people believed that the moon was dry. People had tried to measure for 40 years and couldn't see any evidence for water ... they were not convinced we were doing something worthwhile,” said Alberto Saal at Brown University in Rhode Island, who was part of the team that did the research.

Alberto Saal other scientists of the group used a highly sensitive technology to analyze the rocks recovered during the Apollo 15 mission in 1971 and 1972. The scientists found traces of hydrogen along with chlorine and fluorine which can be found in rocks from explosive eruptions.

The discovery of hydrogen alongside other elements suggested to scientists that water came from inside the moon and not from an external source, such as a comet. Based on the amount of hydrogen found in the pebbles, scientists estimated the lunar magma contained 260 to 745 parts per million of water, similar to what is found in the Earth's upper mantle. The discovery is highly important taking into consideration future intentions to build a base on the Moon.

The finding throws at least a little water on the currently favoured hypothesis concerning the moon's origin. Many scientists think that the moon was formed when a large proto-planet slammed into Earth, sending into space molten debris that eventually became the moon. Scientists have long assumed that the heat created by the collision would have vaporised any water present and that the small gravitational field of the primeval moon would not have been strong enough to recapture the vapour.

On January 14, 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush called for a plan to return manned missions to the Moon by 2020. NASA is now planning for the construction of a permanent outpost at one of the lunar poles. The People's Republic of China has expressed ambitious plans for exploring the Moon and has started the Chang'e program for lunar exploration, successfully launching its first spacecraft, Chang'e-1, on October 24, 2007. India intends to launch several unmanned missions, beginning with Chandrayaan I in February 2008, followed by Chandrayaan II in 2010 or 2011; the latter is slated to include a robotic lunar rover. India also has expressed its hope for a manned mission to the Moon by 2030. The U.S. will launch the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2008. Russia also announced to resume its previously frozen project Luna-Glob, consisting of an unmanned lander and orbiter, which is slated to land in 2012.

Source: agencies

Gene Luoma, 65, designed the vessel to be handicapped accessible. He and his son, Brian, have muscular dystrophy.

The 18-by-18-foot structure rides atop 12 dock floats manufactured in Fergus Falls. The plastic-coated square foam floats measure 4 feet per side and 18"deep. Together, they provide about 15,000 pounds of buoyancy — far more than needed for a 5,000-pound gazebo, but Luoma said his tendency has always been to overbuild.

A 10-foot diameter screen house sits atop the floating deck of the vessel. Luoma has equipped the screenhouse with a table and deck chairs. Beneath the table, he i nstalled a remote-controlled electric trolling motor with 70 pounds of thrust and a fish finder. The vessel lacks a bow or stern, and Luoma uses a fish decoy attached to the shaft of his trolling motor to keep tabs on his direction of travel.

The gazeboat also is equipped with a pair of electric winch anchors at opposite corners. Brian said the anchors are helpful not only for holding the craft in place over a productive fishing hole but also for creating drag, which sometimes assists with navigation.

Luoma and his friends began building the gazeboat in February on the ice of the small lake that fronts his home. The body of water doesn’t have an official name, but the Luomas call it Lake Berniece, in honor of Kathie’s mother, who loved to fish there. The lake is home to a healthy population of crappies, sunfish, largemouth bass and some respectably large northern pike.

Luoma decided to build his floating gazebo in place rather than attempt to lug it into p osition. Hopeful that his rugged rig can withstand the elements, he plans to leave it in the water year-round, through freeze-up and ice-out.

By Luoma’s estimate, he figures he has invested about $8,000 in his gazeboat, including materials, equipment and labor.

Luoma remains unclear about how the authorities will view his creation. It’s on a private lake, and he said he doesn’t know whether it will require a license.

“I guess I’ll find out after this appears in the newspaper,” Gene said with a shrug.

Despite the uncharted waters, Kathie Luoma said she supported her husband’s unusual gazebo plans from the start. She has learned to trust his unconventional thinking.

Luoma has several patents and some lucrative designs to his name. He is the creator of the popular Zip-It, www.zipitclean.com a plastic-toothed strip used to fish hair from choked drains. Since its market introduction about eight years ago, Luoma said several million of the devices have been sold.