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Golden Globe Race

Rick R.

Contributing Partner
Christian, the windvanes these racers are using seems to be less robust than yours.

[h=3]Philippe Péché and Antoine Cousot to retire from the Race[/h]
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Uh, or maybe their ocean is more robust than mine was/is.

I just finished Robin Knox-Johnson's book again. His (eccentric, unproven, clumsy) self steering system failed halfway around, and he steered by the sails or by his own hand the rest of the way.

I remember his voyage in 1968, when I was fully involved in sailing--the technology seems ancient now. He had wire halyards and winches, which became useless because the halyard brakes slipped. So did the same winches on my father's Pilot sloop. Knox-Johnson praised his roller reefing, and so did we. Turner had roller reefing on the early Tenacious. But--what a joke! The sail rolled into a bag. We used to throw a sleeping bag in it as we rolled it up.

I like this race a lot, it seems to me more than a stunt, but rather a return to the essence of the thing. Sorta like climbing without driving pitons into the rock. Or checking out women without J-Date and Tinder (my analogy is based on observation, not experience).

Bravo and tally-ho and all that, these yachtsmen are doing something memorable and worthy.
 
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