There was a sort of understanding that Sunday is a day off, so I thought I would post this completely unrelated from AF very short film (1min) to say how sorry I was to hear the news that Alex Thompson had to retire from the Vendee Globe after breaking a rudder. He is currently heading for Cape Town and if anyone is in any doubt of how far sailing technology has advanced - take a look. Boats no longer sail through the water - they fly above it.
It’s Sunday: There was a sort of... - Atrial Fibrillati...
It’s Sunday
Written by
CDreamer
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34 Replies
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Oh no, he’s our local hero. Used to watch him from the flat bombing up and down the Solent for hours on end. Di
CDreamer in reply to
Yeah, sad. He was in the lead then damaged the boat, repaired it and was catching up when starboard rudder went and he was unable to repair.
WOW - wish I could have had your view!
There is a fab video on YT called SkyWalk of him, in a suit, kite surfing - catching a rope trailed from Hugo Boss which he picks up and attaches to his harness and then gets trailed by the boat.
His wife and my granddaughter are friends
CDreamer in reply to
Oh another WOW. He skippered the boat I sailed on in 1996-7 Clipper RTW but sadly didn’t meet him as he sailed 1998 Clipper, he was the youngest skipper appointed.
Commiserations to him & family, he’s stunningly talented.
in reply to CDreamer
Oh wow, did you sail all the way round? Company I worked for gave free hydraulics to every yacht in the Americas cup so they could be on the winner. Spent a lot of time in Valencia when Allinghi won.
CDreamer in reply to
I sailed half way around - Hong Kong to Plymouth. America’s Cup is another world, as is any professional offshore race these days. The boat we sailed on was very tame in comparison! It was a wonderful thing to have done.
in reply to CDreamer
Part of me envies you, but crossing the Channel umpteen times in a 26’ yacht was my limit. When we bought a larger one we kept her in France for 8 years. Much better
I love it! Some of my family were into sailing. My uncle won the Lipton Cup in a ‘vintage’ yacht. Even then his wasn’t the best and latest yacht but his sailing skill won the race.So sad when equipment lets a great yachtsman down 💜
Great video......I’m no sailor but I worked for a company which entered the British Steel and the BT Global Challenge (wrong) way round the World race organised by Chay Blythe. My claim to fame was falling off the pontoon when berthing in Portsmouth and throwing up in the Solent. Fortunately, I was not a crew member on either race but I could understand why some may be gripped by the experience.....
What a boat, what a man. We raced against him in the 1995 Fastnet, think he was a beginner then. I googled it and he apparently took 7 days and our boat took 6.1/2. Mind you he was in a 36' Sigma and we were in a 40' Lightwave, so unfair comparison really.
That BOSS boat would probably do the Fastnet in a couple of days, maybe less, pass? Amazing how things have developed and just love to see it done with a monohull, somehow it's more of a boat than a tri or cat.
I miss sailing.
CDreamer in reply to
I SO miss sailing! And diving! And skiing!
If you think that impressive - watch the SkyWalk video - UN-BE-LIEVABLE! Now that Adrenaline rush might give us AF!
So do I. I miss the mountains winter and summer and the black runs and off piste in winter. I understand that I can never go up high again. Nothing more beautiful than looking back at your wiggles in new snow in the glittering sunshine with the blue sky above.
Agreed - best Christmas morning I ever had was on top of mountain, great snow, clear air and asked myself what else was there to do on Christmas morning - stand in a hot kitchen slaving over cooking a turkey - er - know what I would rather be doing! It’s so clear in my memory I can smell and feel the refreshing air and the anticipation of my body working and swishing down the mountain.
Still, we have our memories and just thinking about good things like that boosts our feel good hormones and reminds me that I was fortunate enough to be able to do all of those things. For that I offer appreciation and thanks.
Problem with memories is that the edge is somehow taken off them both good and bad and they are not as intense as the actual feelings at the time. Remembrance of Great Joy is never as intense as the feeling at the time but on the good side the edge of intense pain is also dulled by time which is good. But aren’t we lucky to have those great memories to sustain us?
Yes I was following Alex too.
I Tweeted a message to him because in my view after the structure damage he repaired last week my non technical brain was very concerned that he would have even more severe problems in the Southern Ocean.
Watching his heat rate every day also made my eyes water couple that with no sleep for days on end he has to be a very special person.
Gutted that he is out of the race
Pete
Sailing those boats has to be very high octane, they are sailing at the limit all the time & chance of gear failure on these unproved boats must be high. The skippers must withstand a constant onslaught of stress from multiple dimensions but when in the midst of it, must be single minded.
There are fewer people who have finished this race than have been into outer space.
When we were sailing in big oceans we lost so much weight, simply because you use 30% more energy keeping your body stable and our fastest speed was 18knts with a relatively stable hull. They reach speeds of 40knts. There were at least 8 of us, they’re on their own. It’s ridiculously dangerous on all levels & incredibly exciting and uplifting but not for the feint hearted.
CDreamer - lovely post and really interesting responses. Since being diagnosed with AF & heart failure one of the biggest things I miss is being able to get on my boat ( a tiddler compared to Alex) Flapjack, the only time I've ended up in the drink was bouncing off a finger pontoon at Haslar when mooring. Strangely everyone laughed, especially when my lifejacket inflated and I couldn't climb back up. Hav'n't dived for years but happy memories of the med and the red sea.
in reply to Silvasava
We kept our boat in Haslar for years before economics drove us to France. If you want bouncy finger pontoons, St Vast la Hougue on the Normandy coast!
Silvasava in reply to
I was only overnighting there before going up to Newport! I was working for a local yacht equipment manuf in the early 70's and met quite a few skippers who were using our equipment including Chay Blyth I was also at Olympia during the IRA bombing!!. Had an opportunity to be shown round Sir Ben's facility a couple of years ago on a family event. The technology nowadays is mind boggling.
You are amazing, what an exciting life you’ve had. And, those boats are incredible - I’d love to see them in the flesh, as it were!
So would I. I’ve had a very varied life, more by circumstances than planning,
in reply to Tricia239
Unfortunately like most things you become blasé about them. We just look out window and think oh Hugo Boss is out again. However, they do sail a lot of Moth dinghy here which is fascinating to watch. They were the first to get up on foils.
CDreamer in reply to
Moths are ridiculous beasts. They can only stay upright in a narrow wind band. If you can sail those, you can sail anything. I sailed Merlin Rockets for a while and they were challenging enough.
Here it is more wind surfers - they are also on foils. I laughed the other day as I watched the beginners and then saw our local star swan into sight on a high foil, travelling at speed - leaning over with one hand. The beginners all fell over in astonishment!
Actually I have a very old photo somewhere of a Merlin on a foil - circa early 1950’s. Didn’t catch on though!🤣
in reply to CDreamer
Speed Queen! We first learned to sail in a Mirror Dinghy, the children had an opti and a topper and then we went into cruisers but eventually we knew the time was right to give it up and now we have a motorhome. We can visit parts of a country we only ever saw the edges of!
Wow! Bit different from the sailing dinghies I used to sail in my youth.
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