Venture Cup

[billy no boat]

Originally Posted by blimp

While I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, the reality here is more straight forward. Warpath was DQ'd for entering an exclusion zone on the plane ....nothing else. While a tracker may not be 'reporting' it is storing all info which con ONLY be looked at by officials later Warpath IS racing today

How very convenient.

Please keep up the great reporting on Facebook and twitter today, despite the ups and down, I did enjoy yesterday.

How about clarifying the situation with microlink?

[Mrs Smillie]

yes very convenient as one of the crew on the boat that the tracker went down on (and only boat that this happened to!) and by chance came back just as they finished is on the VC committee and yes please lets hear the excuse for ousting Microlink would be interesting reading im sure!! Claire

[Paul E]

What a sad indictment of the state of our sport, the race hasn't even finished yet but look at all the bullshit and mud slinging!!

I'm just grateful I'll get to see Warpath later today, if I was denied that because of some technicality I'd have probably been tearful and punchy

[Mike Lloyd]

Originally Posted by blimp

While I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, the reality here is more straight forward. Warpath was DQ'd for entering an exclusion zone on the plane ....nothing else. While a tracker may not be 'reporting' it is storing all info which con ONLY be looked at by officials later Warpath IS racing today

Well, let's look at the facts. The Warpath crew were told that they were Black Flagged because of their radio. Now this new information suddenly comes to the surface. As the organiser of this race if you want to stop the conspiracy theories you need to clarify in detail to everyone what has been going on and of course it must tally with the racers version. Remember, people aren't stupid and recognise spin for what it is.

Regarding the Cinzano Tracker instance, the fact that the unit is storing the information means diddly squat if the boat's tracker has stopped working and the boat hits a submerged object and goes down - as per Marcus in RB08! Where would the authorities start looking for the boat? The RYA/UIM needs to address this problem pretty damn quick if they want to continue to use Trackers as part of their safety net. If the tracker system stops working then the race boat should stop racing and alert the "organisers" to where they are. For instance, if the LMC race takes place next year there will be several instances where the boats will be more than 40 miles from shore and in foreign waters! The rest I will leave to others to comment on.
Ml.

[Mrs Smillie]

Originally Posted by Mike Lloyd

Well, let's look at the facts. The Warpath crew were told that they were Black Flagged because of their radio. Now this new information suddenly comes to the surface. As the organiser of this race if you want to stop the conspiracy theories you need to clarify in detail to everyone what has been going on and of course it must tally with the racers version. Remember, people aren't stupid and recognise spin for what it is.

Regarding the Cinzano Tracker instance, the fact that the unit is storing the information means diddly squat if the boat's tracker has stopped working and the boat hits a submerged object and goes down - as per Marcus in RB08! Where would the authorities start looking for the boat? The RYA/UIM needs to address this problem pretty damn quick if they want to continue to use Trackers as part of their safety net. If the tracker system stops working then the race boat should stop racing and alert the "organisers" to where they are. For instance, if the LMC race takes place next year there will be several instances where the boats will be more than 40 miles from shore and in foreign waters! The rest I will leave to others to comment on.
Ml.

Exactly Mike with regard Warpath they were told one thing then it changes to suit others! And as for tracker on 558 i was always under the impression that if they went down and you did not let anyone know you were disqualified but this seems to not be the same rule for all!! Claire

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Paul E

What a sad indictment of the state of our sport, the race hasn't even finished yet but look at all the bullshit and mud slinging!!

Totally agreed - so fed up with the constant moaning and conspiracy theories -just let the race run and I'm sure areas will be reviewed.

But at the moment we are all in danger in drowning in bullshit and bitterness.

[Marinautic]

Originally Posted by Mike Lloyd

If the tracker system stops working then the race boat should stop racing and alert the "organisers" to where they are.

Would the crew be aware that the tracker wasn't working? I seem to recall that the tracker on the 2008 Round Britain weren't that reliable!

[nitro9]

Looks like theres a live cam in the harbour at Guernsey.. 4th one down on the page..

http://www.nest.gg/webcams/webcam.html

[Worsforwear]

Surely there is an RYA Commissioner involved in this race. Would he/she not have the authority to sort out these issues?

[Mike Lloyd]

Originally Posted by Adam

Totally agreed - so fed up with the constant moaning and conspiracy theories -just let the race run and I'm sure areas will be reviewed.

But at the moment we are all in danger in drowning in bullshit and bitterness.

Naive to say the least.
ML.
.

[motorvator]

To hopefully add a bit of balance before someone tries to hang the OOD on a set of gallows in Guernsey.

Robin always knew that passing scrutineering was going to be a tough call. He didn't even have a measurement cert in place by the driver's briefing. They don't seem to have that great a problem with the situation and were smiling in the lock.

Warpath was given many dispensations as she struggled to get there on time, a fact that Bobby and Ole are aware of. Two wonderful guys to chat with and I will be auctioning Bobby's fifty dollar bill that I have in my pocket later. He was astounded that the burger van wouldn't take Yankee dollars and point blank refused to allow me to buy him one! They knew the problem with fuel and took the decision to fuel for Brighton as right to the last minute the intention was for the full race leg distance to be run, they also knew that the mandatory stop at Brighton had been removed so it became a race decision. The 37 thing is something that needs to be looked at as the majority of sets nowadays do not carry it and handhelds are next to useless with a fleet spread out over such a distance. The only reason for it's use is so that it can be used on land for race control.

There were a number of trackers that had to be swapped out in the morning as they had gone down overnight, that one of them stopped working whilst out there is hardly a surprise anymore than Warpaths GPS giving problems. For those in the know there are things called charts that make up part of the kit that don't break down.

Vee's situation is an extremely unfortunate set of circumstances as he probably quite rightly had safety concerns of undertaking the procession through Tower Bridge and down the Thames at an envisaged speed of 12 knots and couldn't be handed a race advantage to launch at a different venue as the fleet was under OOD control from the lock and a final briefing was to be held at Greenwich Yacht Club and he would not have been able to attend. It wasn't a surprise to him that this was the format.
In the the event with scullers on the water and the PLA leading the fleet on the top stretch at less than 8 knots, sometimes 4, it would not have presented any more of a problem for him than leaving any marina for a start, and from the Barrier on he would have been safe but of course it never having been done nobody could have known all of that.

From everybody I have spoken to at the London event and Southend the unanimous answer has been "when's the next one".

The one exception to that being the Lady who noticed that I was tightly gripping the end of her sound meter when Shelley called "Gentlemen start your engines".

So as Paul says why not quit the mudslinging and embrace the fact that it actually got there and is continuing. We can do the autopsy afterwards and see whether lessons can be learned ideally with the main input being from the actual racers.

[Renegade]

I would like to just point out the petrol thing in the docks, it is true you can not transport petrol via water on the Thames past Tilbury it it diesel only on the upper reaches that can be transported and stored, that is why there are NO PETROL ON THE FUEL BARGES ON THE TIDEWAY. If marinas carry it, it's because the are regulated by British waterways not the PLA.Canary wharf probably would not allow a tanker for pit purposes.

Having worked on the canary wharf estate I can vouch for the really tight rules.

If anyone wants FACTS regarding stuff related to the Thames regulations please ask me rather than assuming so it add to the confusion.

[motorvator]

Originally Posted by Worsforwear

Surely there is an RYA Commissioner involved in this race. Would he/she not have the authority to sort out these issues?

Their role is to observe. Her observations will be interesting although I doubt she will discuss them here.

[littlenige]

It's neck and neck - watch Warpath shadow the CUV then blast past for victory! (Either are worthy winners if indeed they take positions 1 and 2).

[littlenige]

Looking like Grey Ghost and Hot Lemon may have forgotten a waypoint! Pull left boys!

[Renegade]

Warpath has up the pace for. Sure!

[littlenige]

OK I thought they had to leave Alderney to starboard - wrong! Looking like a great finish with the RIBS right up there. Wish we knew where Cinzano was!

[Carl]

bloody yellowbrick !!!!!!!!

[littlenige]

Originally Posted by Carl

bloody yellowbrick !!!!!!!!

I know - amazing and infuriating at the same time!

[littlenige]

Warpath 66 knots!