Cowes 2014 Update

[nickskip]

Thanks to all who organised and took part.

[robox]

Hi, some images of both legs of yesterdays race,taken off St Albans Head, can be viewed at the links below.Testing conditions in the afternoon for photography from a 6m rib :-)
http://rjc-photography.ifp3.com/gall...t-albans-head/
http://rjc-photography.ifp3.com/gall...t-albans-head/
Rob Clifford
http://www.rjc-photography.ifp3.com

[Scand]

Start of the Cowes Torquay Cowes Offshore Powerboat Race 2014 filmed from PPG Gulwing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHrn...ature=youtu.be

[Martin The Talker]

Originally Posted by SamMace

Wonderful stuff ... or at least what I have been able to gather over the ether so far of today's racing !
The Yellowbrick tracker was, as usual, great fun to follow and with my limited knowledge and experience plus past post-race driver reports to rely on, I had an exciting time here at my kitchen table in Mexico willing you all on and imagining the tactics and indeed antics that were in play.
Many congrats to all for what appears to have been a very well organised and well attended Cowes Classic 2014.
As in recent years I would be very grateful indeed if someone could let me know who is awarded the John Mace Memorial Design trophy this year and If a photo from the prize giving could be forthcoming, well that would be splendid and very gratefully received.
Enjoy that marvellous evening gathering at the RYS, best wishes to all,
many thanks
Sam

I am pleased to be able to tell you that RENATO [ SONNY ] LEVI was this years winner of the trophy ! A well deserved designer who has been instrumental in so much of the history of this GREAT race !

[Martin The Talker]

Originally Posted by wickedtopspeed

Feel for the Langdons, see they are limping once again. Thought it might have been their year.

What happened to Dorian's boat to not make it to the start ?

'Drew & Ali Langdon sadly suffered engine problems on the return from Torquay, but finished eventually.
Dorian & Vee G both withdrew their boats, following the illness to John Ridd.
John was rushed to hospital on Friday, with a suspected heart attack, but I am told that he is back home now & is much better !
As John was engineer to both teams, neither was able to complete preparations, sadly.
The only other non-starter was THUNDERSTREAK, which had not been completed in time.
Two boats retired in the race, FLYIN' FALCON & CUBE52, both on the outward leg to Torquay.

[SamMace]

Originally Posted by Martin The Talker

I am pleased to be able to tell you that RENATO [ SONNY ] LEVI was this years winner of the trophy ! A well deserved designer who has been instrumental in so much of the history of this GREAT race !

Thank you so much for such a speedy response and what fantastic news !
Without Sonny, the sport, this classic race and of course the boats in it would be very different - having been in awe of his work myself since childhood and in later years appreciating his massive contribution to the world that made my dear father tick, I am thrilled to have heard this news today.
Many thanks to everyone who keeps making this happen year after year,
Cheers all,
best,
Sam

[the edge]

Originally Posted by Delta28

Well someone ought to give you a reply...if only out of good manners. I'm no expert, but I know a man who is!

I'm afraid the racing line looks much as it did before - so if the racing is neck-and-neck, they're going to take the shortest line (sandbanks, chalk stacks, sunken cargo ships, spectator craft, dolphins, kayaks and homicidal windsurfers allowing) between the buoys... Cowes-Torquay: Sconce to Port, SW Shingles to Starboard... Torquay - Cowes: Needles Fairway to Port, Sconce to Starboard

See Racing Instructions:

http://cowestorquaycowes.co.uk/wp-co...2014/01/ri.pdf

...or ask one of the competitors. I wish you luck and the faint hope that if they want a good picture of their boat in action, they'll stray over to your side!

The course will have been agreed ages ago by the race committee with the RYA / UIM, Coastguard and all the other host of authorities / interested parties, so they'll doubtless have good reason to send them that way.

Thanks to Julian and his team / race supporters / safety officials / safety boats for all their efforts to put this great race together...

Hi thanks for the reply , managed to find the answer when I looked at the race instructions !!

[the edge]

Originally Posted by Gerbil112

I understand that the race is being kept offshore as it is an "offshore" race! Seriously, there will be major congestion in the Poole Bay between Highcliffe and Sandbanks because of the Bournemouth Air Show:

http://bournemouthair.co.uk

Hundreds of spectator boats expected with a no-boat exclusion zone between the piers, patrolled by Police and RNLI vessels.

Thank you for explaining the word offshore for me - did wonder after over 40 years of spectating and competing !!! so that's what the noise was !!!

[Brambles]

Originally Posted by robox

Hi, some images of both legs of yesterdays race,taken off St Albans Head, can be viewed at the links below.Testing conditions in the afternoon for photography from a 6m rib :-)
http://rjc-photography.ifp3.com/gall...t-albans-head/
http://rjc-photography.ifp3.com/gall...t-albans-head/
Rob Clifford
http://www.rjc-photography.ifp3.com

Thanks Rob, some fantastic photos there !

[Gerbil112]

Originally Posted by the edge

Thank you for explaining the word offshore for me - did wonder after over 40 years of spectating and competing !!! so that's what the noise was !!!

Obviously my remark was tongue in cheek

And what an air show, almost as noisy as the race boats!

[the edge]

A lot noisier esp the vulcan.

[DoubleSix]

Originally Posted by the edge

A lot noisier esp the vulcan.

Saw a Vulcan go vertical at Brands Hatch (1984 British Grand Prix) Now that was loud!

[DoubleSix]

Thanks for some of the explanations as to what happened to who during the race. I followed it on the YB tracker which was quite entertaining, however it didn't always tell the whole story. For example, it would appear that every now and again a boat's position would suddenly drop back, and then a few minutes later would be back in its original position. I assume the tracker simply didn't pick up one data point from that boat.

Can anyone fill me in on what was happening here, please? Smokin aces and Silverline pass Portland Bill with Team Barwood close behind, I've seen a YouTube vid that shows this to be true. Smokin Aces then appears to be behind (error in YB tracker) but the final clip appears to show smokin aces disappearing off ahead while SL and TB turn south both fairly close together, SL gets away after a full 360 whilst TB continues 'South' for a while longer. Change in sea conditions? Rogue wave? Non- race boat in the way? Or possibly they got 'too close' to each other (unlikely)? or is yellow brick just creating its own havoc?

Can anyone shed any light?

[DoubleSix]

Originally Posted by DoubleSix

Thanks for some of the explanations as to what happened to who during the race. I followed it on the YB tracker which was quite entertaining, however it didn't always tell the whole story. For example, it would appear that every now and again a boat's position would suddenly drop back, and then a few minutes later would be back in its original position. I assume the tracker simply didn't pick up one data point from that boat.

Can anyone fill me in on what was happening here, please? Smokin aces and Silverline pass Portland Bill with Team Barwood close behind, I've seen a YouTube vid that shows this to be true. Smokin Aces then appears to be behind (error in YB tracker) but the final clip appears to show smokin aces disappearing off ahead while SL and TB turn south both fairly close together, SL gets away after a full 360 whilst TB continues 'South' for a while longer. Change in sea conditions? Rogue wave? Non- race boat in the way? Or possibly they got 'too close' to each other (unlikely)? or is yellow brick just creating its own havoc?

Can anyone shed any light?

Further to my YB tracker screen shots above, I have just seen the various picture sets for wich links have been provided in Boatmad. I see Silverline passes St Alban's Head with a nice clean port side (Robox' Pictures) but arrives in Torquay with significant 'marks' 2 to 3 m long. These marks are significant enough to require taping up prior to departure for the return leg (Riviera Guy's pictures)!

[billy no boat]

I read somewhere (can't remember where) that silverline had a "coming together" with another boat on the way out...

[Mikko Oikari]

Originally Posted by billy no boat

I read somewhere (can't remember where) that silverline had a "coming together" with another boat on the way out...

Barwood...

[Mike Lloyd]

Originally Posted by billy no boat

I read somewhere (can't remember where) that silverline had a "coming together" with another boat on the way out...

By the look of the videos that were made at Portland Bill they had a "coming together" on the way to Torquay. It looked as though Charlie really had the hammer down because Barwood was flying - moving very fast and went past Smokin Aces like they were standing still. There is a huge cloud of spray as they came up on Silverline!!
ML.
.

[racefan]

In a race of around 100 miles, with no real turns to speak of, why on earth would 2 boats ever need to be so close that they can collide, it's not exactly OCR or Honda is it?

Did the Hustler driver receive a "yellow card" for what should be called dangerous driving?

[DoubleSix]

The following video that originally I didn't find (I made the silly mistake of not searching against "2014 COWS - TORQUAY") pretty much explains it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0smKplnfVQ8

I had thought a collision between Silverline and Barwood unlikely given that it is Smokin Aces and Barwood that are originally duelling - with Smokin Aces ahead and inshore from Barwood, However, this vid shows far more than others I had found. Silverline first comes in to shot further inshore again, flying ahead of them both. It appears that after the Bill, Silveline and Smokin Aces are closer but hit a few big 'uns and maybe throttle back a bit? Team Barwood seems to be travelling much flatter and quickly catches them, actaully cuts in front of smokin aces and suddenly there is Silverline.

It looks like it was a lucky escape for all three of them, Quite how Smokin Aces isn't involved is incredible, given that the two boats that "met" were, only a few seconds earlier, either side of them.

[DoubleSix]

Originally Posted by DoubleSix

..........
It looks like it was a lucky escape for all three of them, Quite how Smokin Aces isn't involved is incredible, given that the two boats that "met" were, only a few seconds earlier, either side of them.

You could say Smokin Aces did well to DODGE the others!