Monday, August 29, 2016

RS Aero US Nationals 2016 - Offset Mark Mayhem - Almost

Thanks to Cheryl Muir for these great photos of some of the action at the offset mark at the RS Aero US Nationals in the Columbia River Gorge a couple of weeks ago.

Here comes Tillerman in 2017, close behind Scott Malone in 1731 when Scott's RS Aero decides to do a windward roll on him.

What?

Is this the dude who sailed single-handed non-stop across the Pacific with one hand tied behind his back. (I am sure I was told something like that by other sailors over a few beers on the night before the regatta.)





AAAAGH! He's going to take me out. His mast is going to land on my deck. How can I avoid him?







No wait. Phew! 2017 has escaped a close encounter with 1731.

But here come three more boats about to ram into 1731's hull and make massive gashes in it.

AAAAGGH!

And where is Scott. Has he drowned?







Oh wait. Scott didn't drown. There he is again. Thank god for that!

But 1251 is going to sink Scott!


No wait. 1251 missed him.

But here comes 1422.  Eric Aker, El Presidente, is about to punch a YUGE hole in Scott's hull. And Scott can't even see him... yet.

And who is that coming into the frame from the left?


Oh look! Nobody hit the capsized boat.

But where is Scott?

Has he drowned again?



And Tillerman has rounded the offset mark, clear of the pack as he heads down the run.

Scott is still alive and hanging on to the transom of his turtled boat.

Woo hoo!

I probably screwed up big time later in the race.


14 comments:

Doug Stumberger said...

... and Malone finished every race in the top ten ... pretty impressive!

Michael O'Brien said...

He is actually faster upside-down than right side up.

Tillerman said...

i know. What was he doing in the bottom half of the fleet with folks like me in the first place?

Unknown said...

That's why I never try to recover over the gunwale for a "dry" capsize recovery anymore. I always just seem to turtle the boat. Whereas a quick swim to the other side never seems to result in turtling.

Tillerman said...

I have long given up hope of being quick enough to do a dry capsize recovery. If the boat needs a little rest, then I figure I should join it by falling in the water for a little rest too. So refreshing too in all this hot weather we have been having.

Skippy said...

From an outsider - wind shifts were a big factor. Keeping the boat flat was faster. If you were watching for the shifts you could keep your boat flatter
Doesn't Tillerman look like Roy Rogers on top of Trigger? Whoa Nellie, Whoa!
Amazing how fast these boats and accelerate and decelerate.
John in PDX

Tillerman said...

LOL Skippy.

In most of Cheryl's photos of me I am sailing embarrassingly unflat. Definitely something I need to work on. This sequence isn't too bad in that respect. Although I think I have made progress. The photos from my first ever RS Aero regatta in 2015 were even more unflatterer. And unflatteringer.

And what's with the Roy Roger's comparison? Although sailing an RS Aero does at times feel like trying to hang on to bucking bronco.

Tillerman said...

Tillerwoman says this post is funnier if you read it out loud in an Irish accent - like that Irish "commentator" in the famous video of the Radials at the 2012 Olympics.

Marc Jacobi said...

Sure that capsized boat wasn't mine? I flipped 5 or 6 times on the last day of that regatta!

Jeremiah Blatz said...

Don't leave us hanging like this! Did 1974 manage to gybe inside Scott for a big gain?

Tillerman said...

LOL Jeremiah. Well I could post a whole series of photos from Cheryl showing what happened next. But to put you out of your suspense, David Chadwick in 1974 is coming into the frame on port tack in the last frame - which makes me realize my original post is wrong in that this must be the windward mark not the offset mark.

But, yes, David did tack between the capsized boat and the mark and rounded just behind 1422 and inside 1251.

Tillerman said...

The current is running from right to left, which is probably why there was eventually such a big gap between the mark and the capsized boat. Usually when a boat capsizes at a windward mark the wind blows it towards the mark which is why our instincts are usually to go to windward of the capsized boat rather than risk getting tangled up in some awful mess between the capsized boat and the mark.

I didn't have much choice but looking at the sequence again it would appear that 1422 could have easily gone for the gap between the capsized boat and the mark and made a big gain too.

Skippy said...

I got the Irish in me.

Skippy said...

I got the Irish in me.

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