Photo: Frank Quealey/18 Foot Skiff League |
Photo: Frank Quealey/18 Foot Skiff League |
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Photo: Frank Quealey/18 Foot Skiff League |
Both Witt and Clout will be on appliancesonline.com.au, Macartney will skipper Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel and Ashley-Jones will skipper Asko Appliances. All three teams are among the favourites to become 2016 JJ Giltinan champions.
Photo: Frank Quealey/18 Foot Skiff League |
Photo: Frank Quealey/18 Foot Skiff League |
Photo: Frank Quealey/18 Foot Skiff League |
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Photo: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo |
“Finally, the A3 was furled but we still had to get it out of the lock and on the deck. Too late, the front came through and whacked us with the full force of Mother Nature’s backhand. Although the wind was 40+knots (there has been many windier) it was the shortness of the transition, intense rain and darkness that swept across us which was seriously disarming.”
“The boat was pinned on its side in a flash with the full main, A3 and J4 violently ragging above us. Remembering this is a 100ft SuperMaxi with unimaginable loads in any sailing conditions – I don’t think anyone on board had been in this situation before.”
After a period of more than half an hour of dramatic measures to save the situation and avoid having the 144ft mast come crashing down on top of them, could things get any worse? The answer to that question is yes!
Jack continued: “Suddenly the boat auto-tacked with people scattered around the deck in the pitch black. In doing so we literally capsized to 90 degrees; mast in the water up the top, mainsail mostly under water, half the boat under water and indeed the crew. Are we filling up with water? Is everyone still on-board? Will the rig survive?”
“At this point I’m up to my chest in water holding onto the mainsheet winch like a rock crab on Ben Buckler in a big Southerly swell. Witty was up to his neck in the Ragamuffin spar-bath holding onto the wheel with one hand, garbling instructions which were extremely difficult to hear 3 metres away let alone the rest of the crew further up the boat. The enormity of the situation struck home – this is now survival for the entire crew and boat.”
Marcus Ashley-Jones was quick to praise the talents of David Witt: Äfter sailing with Witty for two years, I’ve learnt why he is regarded as one of the world’s best heavy weather downwind sailors.”
“He has a push-it-to-the-limit and just don’t back off attitude. I’ve found myself wide eyed on many occasions. From laying flat with the mast in the water in the pitch black of night, to doing 40+knots boat speed with all the gear up while going down the Tassie coast.”
“The culture at team Ragamuffin is like nothing else. It’s about pushing the limits, never giving up, and great mates.”
The three teams, appliancesonline.com.au, Asko Appliances and Coopers 62-Rag & Famish Hotel lined up today, along with the other 27 teams entered for the regatta, in the traditional Invitation Race.
A light East-North-East breeze provided the fleet with good conditions for the race which, was won by De’Longhi (Simon Nearn, Grant Rollerson, Kieran Cowan). New Zealand’s Yamaha (David McDiarmid, Matthew Steven, Bradley Collins), finished second, 24s behind De’Longhi, with Yandoo (John Winning, Andrew Hay, Jim Beck) a further 38s back in third place.
There were at least four different race leaders before De’Longhi took the victory, but three teams withdrew from the race while in the lead. Seems there may have been superstition on their minds regarding victory in the Invitation Race.
Frank Quealey
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