AWCS Newport: Who's Coming?

The Eastern Area F18 Fleet will be holding a demo event before the AC45s start racing next Saturday and Sunday. Some of us are launching out of Sail Newport, and some out of Jamestown Boat Yard. It should be very cool, and hopefully great advertising for the class!

Cool Jeff!

Surely, someone other than the local F18 guys are coming???

I'll be there all week, starting tomorrow night.

Mike

If you can stick around, the MOD70 start a race from Newport to NY on July 2nd.
They race from NY to Brest on the 7th.

http://www.multionedesign.com/en/news/1249/usa-set-to-host-the-krys-ocean-race.html

PARTY AT MIKES PLACE! I WILL BRING THE Capt Morgan <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

One EXTREMELY tight mark rounding by ETNZ <img src="<>/shocked.gif" alt="shocked" title="shocked" height="15" width="15" />

I also have Don Q in the RV, let's get going!!! We could also just go to a restaurant/bar, I'll buy the first round, let's pick a time and place! You can hob-nob with the US Sailing MHC Chair (whatever you think that will accomplish...).

Anyway, ETNZ was the last boat into the water, and the first boat out, due to the incident shown above. They hit one of the new, 45-foot mark boats (which are remote-controlled by the signal boat, BTW), but this was just while sailing in through the spectator fleet (both boats were moving). There was actually a photographer on the bow, who managed to take one great shot, then ducked just in time to avoid getting wiped off the deck.

Damage to ETNZ includes: dagger, rudder, dolphin striker and possibly front beam. Lots of black carbon shards were left aboard the mark boat...

Today was the first of two practice days, and was unannounced to the public (no security zone, was the closest you'll get all week on the water). The spectator fleet was well behaved on the course, but presented quite a minefield on the way back to base.

If I can figure out how to post pics, I'll let you see what

job

I have this week.

Also, my POS Crackberry doesn't allow me to post to this site (I can't figure out how to enable JAVA, ironically enough for this event), so my reports will be sporadic; but I can read the site, so let me know where we're partying!

Mike

Testing... If you can read this, I may have fixed the JAVA issue (thanks Google).
Apparently, I also can't spell ACWS correctly, either. <img src="<>/frown.gif" alt="frown" title="frown" height="15" width="15" />
Mike

Also saw one of the MOD70 boats come in from trans-Atlantic delivery today...

Mike

Mike,
Where are you keeping an RV near Fort Adams or in Newport ,anywhere? I thought about taking the RV up but couldn't find anywhere semi close for it. Have fun, should be an experience of a lifetime.

RV is at a friend's house. College buddy, best man at our wedding!

The other RV options are Fort Getty in Jamestown, Paradise and Meadowlark in Middletown, and Melville up in Portsmouth, or Fisherman's over in Narragansett. Middletown and Jamestown are closest, but often sold out well in advance (especially Fort Getty). Of course, there's always WalMart; but I don't think they are letting RVs on-site (even for day parking) at Fort Adams. They never allow overnight camping there, either.

Experience of a lifetime

is certainly a understatement. I think the reality of it just hit me about a week ago.

Mike

ETNZ will be back in action today. Spoke with one of the crew, they replaced the front beam dolphin striker, all stays under the boat, and one rudder. The dagger and front beam are OK. He said that he had just raised that dagger right before impact...

I've only been here since Monday, but the local spectator fleet is not impressing anyone with their

seamanship.

I am just surprised that these guys were surprised by just how bad it is (these are local waters for me, so I've been dealing with it for over 20 years).

Breeze is forecast to be west again today (not prevailing SW). It's blowing pretty nicely at the moment.

I tried the catsailor gallery, and got error messages uploading pics. If someone can help me out, shoot me an email or PM (email is best).

Mike

ETNZ also replaced the port stern

cassette.

One of the ETNZ crew took a blow to the head in a separate incident and won't be aboard today.

Gradient westerly seems to be holding firm, breeze is mid-teens, gusts near 20.

Chamber of commerce weather so far.

Mike

Korea won the first practice race, ETNZ second. Rumor has it ETNZ has a battle on to take the series.

Mike

Luna Rossa Swordfish first, Korea second in second practice race. One more to go.

Mike

Spithill took the last one, only four boats finished (no carnage).

Coutts last all day.

Mike