Van Den Heede

[feathers]

Have just read on the Pindar website that Jean Luc Van Den Heede has dismasted and is heading for Tasmania. Is he the unluckiest guy in the world or what? Can't find any further info at present.

 

[tony_brighton]

Once is unlucky. Three times begins to suggest something else. I read the YBW cover story - apparently it happened 'for no reason'. These things don't happen for no reason - it looks like he may have a stress problem even if he wasn't over-canvassed.

 

[Sybarite]

The carbon mast thrust down about one foot on its base slackening the rigging. With the play in the mast it fell after half an hour. He had three reefs and was sailing at about 7 knots.

I was moored beside Adrien this summer. It's impressive (82') especially to be handled by one person.

And talking about impressive boats; the summer before last I was sailing into Camaret - in fact motoring because there was no wind as far as I was concerned -when Olivier de Kersauson's tri Geronimo sailed past me as if I were stopped. 130' long by 75' wide. He sailed in past the Camaret breakwater, tacked it about and sailed out again as if in a dinghy!

 

[peterk]

hi tony,

it wasn't three times the same over-stress on the mast
'that suggests something else'.

What are you hint-hinting at?

Almost exactly 3 years ago I went to see this boat
in the Port of San Antonio, Chile
because I heard it had run into
a container,
- so had I on 'Spatz', at almost the same time.

Turns out it was Jean Luc in his red ketch - forgot the name.
He had done a very fine job fothering?
(stretching a jib from deck-level to deck-level around the hull thus covering
the hole)
and then sailing from the fifties north to San Antonio.

Tony - shit happens at sea
especially in radical surroundings.

Jean Luc was doing fine, being 18 days ahead of the record pace
when he got dismasted.

I congratulate him for a wonderful effort!

...peter, www.juprowa.com/kittel