Robbie Daniel got a local Fox News reporter to come along for a ride in light air on the new AHPC C2 F18 he is promoting. Great except that he managed to dump the boat on top of her sitting on the Lee side.
It probably ended up getting him more air-time than if the sail had gone perfectly.
According to her he forgot to tell her to release the line attached to the big blue sail (Gennaker).
My guess is he wanted to spare her the normal vocabulary in such a situation...
I love Robbie. I have purchased 4 sails, 2 spin poles, spins, and more from him (actually Jill handles all the sales) he is one of the nicest guys i have ever met. he is by far the nicest pro i have ever met. He is VERY willing to talk shop, help out and even help rig. Often he brings people over to my cat to show them how Mystere's are rigged (he was a dealer back in the 90's). I have even raced against him a few times... (he is the little speck on the horizon a few miles ahead of me)
it was a serious shame that he dumped that brand new C2... ontop of her... but funnnny~!
i love how she just "sinks" in.... and her hat floats up.
not to split hairs but it's a spinnaker, not a gennaker :)
A gennaker is a sail that was developed around 1990. Used when sailing downwind, it is a cross between a genoa and a spinnaker.
and he may have told her she should have released it.. but the truth is (IMHO).. she shouldn't have had it in her hands. for anyone that hasn't sailed with a spin... they work somewhat the opposite of your main and jib... when you release some tension... they power up (get fuller) you have to totally dump it for it to depower (and it flogs like crazy). so unless he had explained ahead of time to dump it ... even if she let out a few feet of sheet... it wouldn't save them.. (probably).
Oh, I agree about Robbie, I've met him a few times at Gulf Coast events and seems like a great guy.
It was funny because he was basically showing off for the camera by doing a very difficult maneuver of flying a hull high under spinnaker in very light air, with a beginner sailor on the lee side.
Looked good for the camera until he bruised up the reporter! Also nearly broke his boom trying to avoid landing on her, must have been a nightmare for him just then.
