flaming
Well-known member
I was at school when Pete Goss competed in the Vendee Globe in Acqua Quorum, and famously plucked Raphael Dinelli from the Southern Ocean. I remember following his campaign even before then, and afterwards reading his book, close to the wind, avidly about 3 times back to back. Later, on my very first day working for British Marine, my boss passed me a piece of paper with a number scribbled on it, under the name "Pete Goss" and said something like "This guy is quite interesting, he's got a new project, give him a call and see if he wants to bring it to the Show". (It was when he was doing that Shackleton recreation voyage) I just looked at the paper in stunned silence. You want ME to call Pete Goss who is "quite interesting" and just casually ask him if he'd like to bring his boat to the show...? A bloke I basically idolized as a kid..... I had quite a nice chat with him in the end! Wow, what a first day...
That boat, Acqua Quorum, was to my eyes in 1996, so cool. So modern, so sleek, so fast, so up to date...
This morning I came across a photo of it, being used to illustrate an Open 50 in a press release.
But now... it looks so dated, so clunky, so narrow, too much "pinch" at the stern and with far too much freeboard.
Which made me think quite how far boat design has come in just 25 years.
From this
To this
That boat, Acqua Quorum, was to my eyes in 1996, so cool. So modern, so sleek, so fast, so up to date...
This morning I came across a photo of it, being used to illustrate an Open 50 in a press release.
But now... it looks so dated, so clunky, so narrow, too much "pinch" at the stern and with far too much freeboard.
Which made me think quite how far boat design has come in just 25 years.
From this
To this