Friday, March 08, 2024

First American woman to circle the planet solo in a race

Big congrats!!! Brauer’s sailing and social posting have both been remarkably consistent and have inspired many to follow her closely below the great capes, across the Southern Ocean, and north through the Atlantic. She is looking to become the first American woman to complete a singlehanded, nonstop race around the world and is sitting in a very solid second place. At 5 feet 1 inch and 100 pounds, she’s demonstrated that physical size and power are not a requirement for success. The Class 40 is very popular in Europe as a high-performance shorthanded offshore race boat, with some growing popularity in the States. Local boats such as California Condor, Glass Slipper and Move are all about the scale and power that Cole Brauer has deftly maneuvered around the world while she also entertains everyone with the trials and tribulations she’s faced along the way. Perhaps no other singlehanded race has managed to be as closely experienced by such a large audience.

Tuesday, March 05, 2024

Waterman Movie @ Amazon

The story of an American Icon and Waterman, Duke Kahanamoku. The man who brought surfing to the world and Olympic gold winner.

My biggest bonehead move was truely boneheaded!

It was my senior year in high school in 1976 and if I won the 100 yard back stroke ( 4 laps) in the championship, I would receive the high point award for the meet. This was back of the 70’s and lane lines had small plastic markers to keep the lines a float. They were spaced about 8 feet apart. On your marks, Go! I hit the wall in first place and had a perfect turn. I took a few strokes and unbeknownst to me, I swam over the lane line and into the next lane. I hit the wall perfectly again and BAM! My head slammed into the swimmer in the next lane (he was approaching his second turn, I had completed mine). I stopped and was disqualified with a nice concussion. Needless to say I did not win the award and was very disappointed! I did however go on to have an amazing college career on a swimmming/water polo scholarship. Shorty after that, lane lines improved and that could never happen again. Here is the latest swimming controversy:

Monday, March 04, 2024

Caudrelier Sails the Planet in 50 Days for Win

Tuesday 27 February at 07:37:42 UTC, Charles Caudrelier crossed the finish line of the Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest. At the helm of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the skipper of Gitana Team, who yesterday celebrated his fiftieth birthday, wins this race of pioneers, completing his first solo circumnavigation of the globe in 50 days 19 hours 7 minutes, 42 seconds at an average speed of 23.74 knots over an actual distance of 28,938 miles. A victory that is shared with Ariane de Rothschild and all the team founded in 2000 by Benjamin de Rothschild. Below vid is from a race a few years ago. This is the boat Chuck used for his recent voyage.

Friday, March 01, 2024

Surfings Top 10 Rides of All Time

Here is the number 1 ride: Here is the complete list with vids: https://www.theinertia.com/features/surfings-top-10-rides-of-all-time/

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Simpson Dismasted

As of 9 p.m. EST on Feb. 11, Ronnie Simpson was set to finish third in the race, having rounded all three capes and beginning his trek up the eastern coast of South America toward the finish. Weather was not cooperating for Simpson, however, who passed Cape Horn on Feb. 2 fighting winds in the 50-60 knot range. While he was hoping to be out of the worst of it, unfortunately things did not get any better. In a Global Solo Challenge blog post dated Feb. 10, Ronnie wrote, “Even when rounding the Horn, I muted my celebrations because I knew I was going to be facing something that no one else in this race has faced; a huge 40+ knot northerly shortly afterwards. That blow has now become a general theme in my ascension of the Atlantic. Perhaps I will celebrate my Horn rounding when I finally reach the Trades and escape this cruel and dreadful place.” Simpson opted to hug the coastline as he made his way north, considering the low-pressure systems to the east. With the wind coming out of the north, the coastline did give him some respite from the worst of the wind, but the geography of the Andes Mountains made things shifty and unpredictable. Simpson began his move eastward toward the Tradewinds, hoping to keep the boat moving fast enough to avoid the worst of the weather patterns. Sunday night, as he was sailing at 9 knots under three reefs and a storm jib, the boat was launched off a wave and landed particularly violently in the trough. “I heard a bunch of big parts falling on the deck, and that was the mast,” he said in an Instagram live Monday morning. Simpson was hoping to salvage the mast and jury rig the boat to get him back to the Argentinian coast, but the volatile sea state was throttling the mast against the boat’s hull. Fearing that the mast could eventually puncture the hull, and unable to salvage the rig, he was forced to cut the mast free. Simpson has been successfully rescued by a passing ship. His dream of a circumnavigation shattered in as many pieces as his mast.