Invisible Challenge.

[StugeronSteve]

Have I been looking in the wrong places, or has TV lost its interest in the Challenge?

Living north of Watford, as we do, we could not to find a single clip of the race start on any of the news / sports progs, in fact, the main BBC 1 (2200?) news last night failed to even mention the race.

SWMBO is a primary school teacher and has used the last two races as a teaching tool. The race has proven a great illustration for geography, science and social topics, and really fired the kids' imaginations. She was particularly disappointed that we couldn't tape any of yesterday's excitement.

Is there going to be TV coverage or are we going to have to rely on the internet clips etc to keep us up to date?

<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.

 

[SteveB_Sigma33]

I'm pleased I went out and watched the start yesterday as once again the news coverage is incredibly poor. I bought the Times this morning thinking there would at least be a few inches regards the race! What did I find Ben Ainslie talking about the Americas cup and nothing regards the race that just started!!!!

Does this mean all Journalists apart from those who write for yachting magazines are all land lubbers????





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[janeK]

I know what you mean a friend of mine is skippering BP - David Melville and here in the west - no mention either on the TV
The only way to even know what is happening is to go onto the official website
http://www.globalchallenge2004.com/en/news

There may be a TV programme at some obscure hour in the future probably 3 months down the line, but don't hold your breath

<hr width=100% size=1>If work was so good, the rich would have kept more of it for themselves.

 

[Twister_Ken]

>I bought the Times this morning<

Don't forget that on Monday mornings all the rags require 67 pages to cover soccer, so no room for much else apart from what's been pre-written by celebs like Ben Ainslie who will be competing for the America's Cup in a Macgregor 26X

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Ships_Cat]

<<<Ben Ainslie who will be competing for the America's Cup in a Macgregor 26X>>>

In an Emirates 747 actually, as I understand it, with Bean Darker as the Flight Attendant in Charge.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.

 

[capt_courageous]

Maybe if the leading yacht had to carry a football/cricket ball/golf ball and pass it to any yacht which overtook him the race would get more coverage. The trouble with you yotties is that you sometimes go out on your boats and dont watch widescreen tv in pubs.

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[PhilipStapleton]

There've been no news reports because it's not news - it's just another commercial venture that happens every couple of years. No disrespect for the brave sods doing it, but it's a bit artificial with "in house" skippers and matched boats.
Sad, but the possibilities for real "adventure" get eroded every day.

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[SouthPark]

Dunno why anyone is surprised at the lack of coverage. It is of acute interest to those taking part and to their families, but of zero interest to the public at large, I suspect.

I'd love to take part - but as a spectator sport it leaves me completely cold. Mainly, I think, because it's primary purpose isn't competition. Rather it's self-fulfillment for the participants.

SouthPark



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[mighetto]

Crewed boats racing one design the “wrong way” around the world. The skippers are paid, the crew pays to go. Is that what you all are chatting about? How does this kind of thing happen? I mean the skippers should pay for crew shouldn't they? Ocean crossing is hardly fun. It is work you should get paided for.

Inquiring Mac26x owners want to know. What the hell are crew members thinking. I must have this Invisible Challenge thing wrong. Please tell me I am wrong.

Crew members are told to do this by judges instead of prision time or military service or they lost a bet on the golf course. Something like that must be involved for this crew-pays thing to make sense.

Twisted; very twisted indeed. Does the skipper really get paid? I can understand the challenge if it is a share-expenses deal.

The Mac26x would be fine equipment for this wrong way deal, in my twisted mind. Finer than a minitransat in anycase. That race - for most - is also a pay to play deal. But it is the skipper who pays and the boat is single handed. This seams less twisted to me. But still twisted.

Murrelet
1999 Mac26x
Olympia Washington.
Sail # 79020
Proud to tell you about MacGregor Yachts

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[boatless]

Piss off Frank.

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[mighetto]

Good day to you as well boatless. Did I say something incorrect?

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[boatless]

Yes.

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[mighetto]

Well what is incorrect?

This Challenge is portrayed at my club as but a form of charter. You pay for the boat and a skipper. The marketing of it as a race is misleading.

I suppose it is a nice thing to have on a sailing resume. But are the participants really sailing atheletes? A better question. How many participants do this more than once?

Crossing oceans in the modern age just is not a news worthy event unless there is some kind of a mishap, and the likelyhood of that - given modern reporting and fast vessels - is getting less and less.

This challenge is more like work and boring work from what I have researched. Of course there might be some team building value to it.

Say a corporation wants a group of executives to re-invent their relationships. Put them all on a one-design and have them sail the wrong way around the world. They are either going to get along or get out. Why is such a venture news worthy outside of the corporate news letter? In the absense of a mishap; it really isn't.

Neither would sailing a Macgregor 26x around the world be news worthy. This kind of thing has been done by so many boats smaller and less worthy than a Mac26x that the deed doesn't get by the editor's screens. Seriously, there is more risk associated with freeway driving. And seriously, for many circumnavigators, the worst conditions encountered are off the California and Oregon coasts. This is the coastal ocean cruising that the Mac26x is designed for. Contrary to the myth, coastal ocean cruising is acutally harder on a vessel than ocean crossing.

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[ShipsDog]

Quite rite Frankie. Sum yerez ago I had a Magreggor 26 and sailed from Chichester to the Norf pole via the NW passage and the worst weather I had was going over the bar in a f3. The f11 midocean was'bt half as bad, the secret is to use fresh water ballast which is slightly lighter than salt water and helps to keep planing even on the ice. The whisky antifreeze helped as well and we drank it when we got back to chichester and we got back so fast it was still chilled and we did'nt need any ice.

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