15 more days before the Global Challenge Mumbles

So what is going on at Mumbles? If somebody (that is you Simon) can call me on Skype tonight I'll be happy to type up a report for formula16.org.

Who are hot, what is new, who have won at the bar so far, how fast have Geert and Johanna become?

Here is the entry list found on http://mumblesyachtclub.co.uk/f16worlds2008/ :

1 Mark Pressdee Mumbles YC GBR 555 Stealth
2 Hans Klok WV Zandvoort NED 111 Blade
3 Simon Longstaff Grafham Water SC GBR 553 Stealth
4 Gill De Bruyne & Kathleen Vandenbulcke VVW Heist BEL 666 Blade
5 John & Rob Alani Leigh on Sea SC GBR 527 Stealth
6 Paul Warren & Ann Powter (Blade Watch!) Datchet Water SC GBR 801 Blade
7 Geert Ruesink & Joanna Lienti (USA) WSG NED 9 Blade
8 Nick Moore Datchet Water SC GBR 505 Stealth
9 John Terry Rutland SC GBR 556 Stealth
10 Dave Tugwell Datchet Water SC GBR 554 Stealth
11 Wayne Richards Datchet Water SC GBR 506 Stealth
12 John Pierce Stealth
13 Chris Sproat & Georgina Burke Stokes Bay SC Viper
14 Colin Jenkins & Paul Nicholson Mumbles YC GBR 538 Stealth

Today has been a day of bimbling, and sailing. I did the first practice race and then decided I need to change some settings and so went in as Hans came out; Overall Mark P ran 3 or 4 races round decent sized W/L courses. Some were going fast up wind, some were going fast down wind.

The wind was a shift F2-3. Tomorrow's forecast looks a bit dicey (22-30 kts) so people are tieing boats to anything heavy they can find.

I'll try and provode an update every day <img src=

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Tomorrow's forecast looks a bit dicey (22-30 kts) so people are tieing boats to anything heavy they can find.

OUCH. I hope it's a sheltered bay and nobody gets hurt.

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt

Okay ! This is going to be a crew to watch. They have been very succesful in the Spitfire class and we know the level is high there. Didn't they switch to F18's about 2 years ago and did well there too ?

Best of luck to all the teams outthere and the best of weather and enjoyment.

Wouter

Hi all,

great to see a few different designs entered, pity there are no Taipans <img src=

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Does the sailors on the Viper sail F16 normaly? Or are they

Rock Stars

arranged to sail the Viper just for this regatta? <img src=

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Strong winds today, as forecast.

http://www.formula16.org/content/view/62/42/lang,en/

They are not professional. They are Spitfire sailors who, presumably, have decided to join in the fun. The Spitfire was a

Grandfathered

F16 at the beginning.
If the other F16 sailors there are

open minded

, they will learn a lot from them <img src=

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As long as they are F16 class members, sail an F16 and have measured in, that is just cool.

Chris Sprout has joined the association. Racing update soon

Rescue boat went out; average wind was around 22-24 over the course; max gust was 34kts!

No sailing today; plan to race from 11am tomorrow; however the forcast for tomorrow is similar!!!! <img src=

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Crap. Well then, it's off to the pub for the real contest! Darts and Billiards! <img src=

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Hmmm Deja Vu all over again <img src=

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Tell me how many days does this regatta run again? <img src=

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Hi Dermot,

I thought they had been sailing F18 recently? Didn't say anything about them being professional, only a few are that lucky <img src=

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Here is a webcam not too far from Mumbles. Still windy and lots of waves, but perhaps there is hope for today?

http://www.gowerlive.co.uk/langlandwebcam.php

one hour postponement; very similar to yesterday.

Rescue boat is going out to check the wind conditions at 11:30 and then a decision will be made.

On the up side, it is not raining (at the moment).

Forecast looks far better for Monday and Tuesday.

No sailing today, too much wind.

Looking better for tomorrow.

Hi Gary, I should have said that they were amateurs. They are top of the rankings on the Spitfire circuit this year, so have sailed at most Spitfire events. They work so well together that they are difficult to beat no matter what class they sail. They should be at the Spitfire Europeans on the 13th in Belgium.
We have westerly gales over here in the west of Ireland today. I hope that it is better in Wales. The wind is meant to drop off over the next few days.

Well Simon, pretty good of the race committee to take responsibilty for safety instead of leaving it up the sailors. There is always sombody going out to try and make some easy points, making others follow.

Few people have been out on Ribs and they all say it's totally unraceable. Gusts to 33kts earlier!

That sounds like Windsurfer or Kite weather. Do they have any of those over there? <img src=

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Paul went out on borrowed kit Tim. Bic raceboard with a 5.6m sail. Support RIB clocked him at 25kts plus several times before he crashed and burned!

When he got ashore he reckoned the gusts were probably somewher near 2x windspeed and it was just impossible to hold onto the sail as it powered up too quickly to react!

I remember my layovers in Brighton (one of my favorite places) when the big storms would come in, the size of the waves breaking up on the beach, sometimes all the way up to the roadway. One time when we landed at Gatwick, the wind was 50 gusting to 65 knots! Luckily it was straight down the runway but after we got to the hotel (the Metropole) I went out and tried to walk down the street...into the wind I had to lean forward about 45 degrees just keep from being blown over! Luckily it was a short walk, to the Fiddler's Elbow for a pint of

Courage

! But I did see a few (3) windsurfers out in some HUGE wind and waves with the smallest sails I've ever seen.

They were only out about an hour going back and forth between the two peirs (back before the

old

peir was destroyed). Great fun to watch those guys in that stuff but I didn't feel the need to join them! <img src=

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I hope you guys can sail tomorrow. How's the forecast?

Windguru WRF9km forcast for Monday and Tuesday is F5-6; so looks sailable and the 2 up boat may have the advantage.

Aww, come on. It is all about skill you know <img src=

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I really hope you guys get on the water tomorrow! Who is leading at the bar?

Some went for a walk......

Looking at the webcam there are still loads of surfers (on a monday!! *humph* ) and large waves. Hope conditions are more sheltered at Mumbles. None of the usual suspects are on Skype, so I hope they are out there rigging or sailing to the course.

Well what a fantastic sail.....

I think everyone except John Alani washed the sails at some point.

JohnP was going well, as were others, I think everyone had their

good race

except for Paul and Anne who cracked thier rear beam (we assume a long term problem that just presented this week). Chris and Rosanna broke a spreader on their Viper so we have lost two of the tweo up crews.

I had two good results (3rds) and then washed the sails on the 3rd race and got seperated from the boat (hopefully some video later), but after a quick pick up by rescue it might be time for a rest and so came in.

Link to results
http://www.mumblesyachtclub.co.uk/results/2008/f16worlds.htm

Sounds WILD!

Gert and Joanna certainly are impressive. Looking forward to hear some more war stories.
Will the breakages be fixed for tomorrow?

Sorry, my wipeout was not on Video.

I have to commend the rescue at Humbles YC getting to me so quickly as my boat sailed away.....

After some work, it apperars that John P has found a spare 90mm beam section in one of his barns and so it looks like Anne and Paul will be sailing tomorrow; Hans left a few moments ago with Paul in search of Monel rivets to re-attach the traveller track to the beam.

Unfortuatley we could not find a new spreader for the Viper, I believe Tim from

South Wales Marine

seached high and low for a replacement but nothing was found.