Race to Alaska (R2AK) 2022 - Strategic Choices, Boat Crushing Logs, and Another Capsize

[@eurotrash4629]

The sailing world absolutely needs its own Cosmo Catalano (like the cycling world has.) It seems you have stepped up and volunteered....Thank you Sir! The pay is terrible but you have fans now - Cheers!

[@SailingTipsCa]

Thanks I’ll take that as a compliment! And you’re right, the pay is lousy but the fans are great!

[@Sachiel235]

I love this. I've been craving meta within the competitive sailing world. Please keep covering sailing events you find interesting.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Thanks for the encouragement! The R2AK is literally in my back yard and I know lots of the competitors. I’ll keep an eye out for other events too, as long as they don’t have exclusive media rights attached to them!

[@briggsmarshall]

Great video! Though I might add that it's less so the wet spring that brought logs into the waters of the inside passage, and more-so the current tides. We're having extremely high and low tides right now, brining many of the logs off the beaches and back out to sea. While I'm sure it's a combination of both, I take my boat out almost every day, and I can say with confidence theres more logs floating around now than I've ever seen, and definitely more than say, two weeks ago.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I think it’s definitely a combination of both. I’d been noticing more logs in the water than usual before the tides became really extreme, I think due to the rivers, and the recent high tides have made it far worse!!!

[@MickeyFourZeroFour]

Gotta love the way they start the race... by running down to the boats... love this... But whats up with the guy and the cycle propella? Can they use this throughout the race? Great for execise... :D

[@SailingTipsCa]

It’s wind/human-powered race so you can pedal/row all the way if you want! You can’t sail in Victoria Harbour, which is the finish of the first leg and the start of the second leg, so you need some way to propel yourself into and out of the harbour without sails and without a motor.

[@ralphwatten2426]

If I were those boat owners of the boats hitting logs I'd have to be asking "where were those paddlers and rowers the week before the race"? Buying logs perhaps?

[@SailingTipsCa]

And where were Nik and Relic from the Beachcombers? They could have been rich from all those logs!

[@hntrains2]

How do you capsize a catamaran?

[@SailingTipsCa]

You can either drive the bows into a wave and pitchpole it, or have too much sail up and go over sideways.

[@hntrains2]

@@SailingTipsCa, thank you! I would never have thought that about a boat this wide and flat.

[@karllewis735]

Was that last capsize a "Gougeon" 32? As in the Gougeon Brothers, of WEST Epoxy fame?

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes it was! It should have been self recoverable but they broke a window with their pedal drive during the capsize, which caused flooding and prevented them from righting it.

[@floydo6682]

Yes

[@ratandmonkey2982]

how does anyone sail out there with all those logs ?

[@SailingTipsCa]

They come and go! They were particularly bad at the time of the R2AK because of the wet spring and high runoff. They aren’t as bad now but still need to keep a wary eye!

[@BradYoga108]

That’s one rough race…

[@SailingTipsCa]

I know - I think most boats sustained some kind of damage this year!

[@felixcat9318]

Unfortunately, catamarans and trimarans tend to be perfectly content when they capsize, having absolutely no inclination to right themselves!

[@SailingTipsCa]

Unfortunately yes! The Weta is supposed to be rightable by the crew, but for some reason this crew was unable.

[@chrissmart9701]

This boat is designed to capsize '' You bet !

[@SailingTipsCa]

The Gougeon 32 is only 8.33 feet / 2/54 metres wide to enable it to be trailerable or fit in a normal slip without taking it apart and without permits. But with such a narrow beam it is VERY susceptible to capsizing, so the designers added a large float to the mast head, and with the canting rig and other features to enable a single person to right it. Check out this oldie but goodie for details! kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4rQfKSrad98qZo