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skuthorp
12-13-2005, 03:48 AM
Dream of reclaiming sailing record falls to pieces

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/world-sailing-record-fails/2005/12/12/1134236003096.html

By Orietta Guerrera
December 13, 2005

Simon McKeon and Tim Daddo's quest to reclaim their World Sailing Speed record was not to be.
Photo: Steb Fisher

THE latest attempt by Victorian sailors Simon McKeon and Tim Daddo to break the world sailing speed record has ended in spectacular fashion.

Less than 30 metres into the 500-metre course, a rare structural failure saw the main wing of their craft shatter, showering hundreds of pieces across Sandy Point, near Wilsons Promontory, on Saturday.

"Leading up to it everything was just fantastic — we were very excited about our prospects," Daddo said.

"I remember thinking to myself that if we can get to the end of the track, I think we're about to make world history here — and just as I was finishing that sentence in my mind, there was a big bang and all the power came out of the rig and all of a sudden there were pieces flying through the air left, right and centre."

McKeon and Daddo had been trying to reclaim their record from Irish-born sailor Finian Maynard. The pair from the Macquarie Speed Sailing team held the record for more than a decade with 46.52 knots, before Maynard broke it last year, and again in April with 48.7 knots.

LINK
macquarie.com.au/speedsailing.htm

[ 12-13-2005, 03:51 AM: Message edited by: skuthorp ]

WindHawk
12-13-2005, 10:06 AM
500 metre course? Whatever happened to the flying-mile that had to be run a second time within a set time frame in the opposite direction? Sure, that type of requirement keeps the flukey results and amatures out of the record books, but that is exactly why those rules were developed. Sailing should be no exception, 80 knots into a lee shore leaves you precisely on a lee shore... :eek:

brian.cunningham
12-13-2005, 01:49 PM
That's racings.
You have to expect them to blow up every once in a while, just shows they're pushing it.

WindHawk
12-15-2005, 10:48 AM
Sailing Anachy has a great of before & after photos just as the rig blows up, and "blows up" she does. It looks as if a bomb went off atop the mast. You gotta' see it.

nedL
12-15-2005, 12:25 PM
I once read that the ideal racing machine is one that fails just as it crosses the finish line. That way you aren't carrying ANY extra weight. Looks like they just missed the mark. ;)

typo correction

[ 12-15-2005, 12:26 PM: Message edited by: nedL ]

WindHawk
12-15-2005, 02:31 PM
There is a great short story about a couple guys winning their first & only race by getting the spinnakar stuck just as the wind began to rise uncomfortably. It got so bad they shortened the race to once-around, so having the kite up didn't affect them on the upwind leg. With wide-open eyes and a white-knuckled death-grip on whatever was handy to hold onto, the mast broke just as they crossed the line.

Extra points for style, I guess.

I'll try to find the title.