Exciting times off Cowes today

Lightwave395 said:
To return to the original subject again, it seems they're not having much luck with recovery thus far. The Workboat, RIB's and the Sunsail yacht drifted on 2 - 3 knots of ebb tide down almost to Thorness Bay but now seem to be a little closer to Gurnard again. I guess if they try to move at much more than a snail's pace there might be a danger of the yacht nosediving ?
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When did they remove the rig?
 
Everybody is suddenly being very "fair" to Sunsail who within a few hours have become almost Saint like.
Many is the time I have dared to stand on towards a Sunsail yacht and called "Starboard" when they are on Port only to get the reply "We are racing!". "to be fair" no problem in the grand scheme of things.
 
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Babylon said:
To be fair on Sunsail sailors...

Yes I've had the odd moment of uncertainty with the odd Sunsail yacht on the Solent... but far, far fewer than I've had with many plonkers in their own fancy yachts, with several racing boats (usually on their way home but still measuring safe distance in millimetres!) and with some absolute cretins with a few thousand horse-power at their disposal.

If one actually bothered to stop and think about it, the likelihood is that Sunsail are chartering out to the less than fully experienced, certainly as regards Solent conditions and congestion. These people are as fully entitled to sail there as recently-qualified drivers are entitled to drive on the roads - and be accorded the same patience and courtesy.

I've also frequently been in areas where the Sunsail fleet is racing and have only ever been met with timely and correct alterations, etc.

I'm sorry for the Swiss crew in this case - and glad there were no fatalities or serious injuries. No-one here knows for certain exactly what happened to cause the accident. It is possible that the boat suffered a failure (rudder?) and then hit the buoy, or that a misjudgement caused the strike and the rudder was lost afterwards?

I assume this knowledge will eventually become available...?
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:encouragement:

anoccasionalyachtsman said:
No, sorry, that's all a bit too reasonable for an internet forum. What's your take on jetskis?
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;) :encouragement:
 
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mainsail1 said:
My money would be on the boat being a write off.
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High use boat that needs a big hole fixed plus a new rudder, new rig, all new electronics and probably most of a new interior. Plus whatever needs doing to the engine.
Half of the fleet being replaced for the start of next season anyway, and 4017 was one of the 1st batch delivered....

If it's not a write off, I'll eat my hat.
 
flaming said:
High use boat that needs a big hole fixed plus a new rudder, new rig, all new electronics and probably most of a new interior. Plus whatever needs doing to the engine.
Half of the fleet being replaced for the start of next season anyway, and 4017 was one of the 1st batch delivered....

If it's not a write off, I'll eat my hat.
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Out of interest are they buying more of the same? I thought I heard that these were a bit frisky, and ideally needed an experienced first mate in addition to the helm on corporate charters?
 
northwind said:
Out of interest are they buying more of the same? I thought I heard that these were a bit frisky, and ideally needed an experienced first mate in addition to the helm on corporate charters?
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Sun Oddessy 410s

https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/219283/Sunsail-announces-GBP375-million-investment

Requirement for a mate was to do with MCA manning rules... The old 37s were legal with 1 skipper. The 40s are not.

Working as skipper on the 40s was a LOT easier in my experience.
 
prv said:
Sounds like an earlier application of Rule 17 a ii might have been beneficial, rather than waiting for 17 b to kick in ;)

Pete
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Maybe I should have acted earlier; I plead rabbit in headlight syndrome - a little Snapdragon pottering along at 3 1/2 knots against a 60(?) footer doing 13 1/2. I couldn't believe they'd be so arrogant/ignorant/unaware. That in itself was a useful lesson - never trust anyone to be paying attention.

Though, thinking back, after the first one ducked behind me, had I tacked as the second one bore away as they should have done, I'd have been putting myself straight back in the firing line, this time as give way vessel (both on port, me to windward), and not fast enough to get out of the way. On balance, I think I got it about right, though a boat length sooner wouldn't have hurt.

Incidentally, there was a bit more excitement in Southampton water yesterday afternoon, with ambulances on Weston Parade and a harbour escort boat and a RIB just offshore. Information received, of uncertain reliability, suggests it was for a man in the water. It seems he was picked up, but couldn't be landed (half tide, falling), so everybody rushed off to the port.
 
flaming said:
Sun Oddessy 410s

https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/219283/Sunsail-announces-GBP375-million-investment

Requirement for a mate was to do with MCA manning rules... The old 37s were legal with 1 skipper. The 40s are not.

Working as skipper on the 40s was a LOT easier in my experience.
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Flaming, do you know if that price is for the first 15 or for the complete order of 25 boats? It would be interesting to see the economies of scale i.e £250,000 per boat or £150,000.
 
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