MKS 5O5 NEWS : 1992

 
Ebbe Rosen/Olle Wenrup SWE-8232. Photo: Glenn Viguers

During the past season MKS 505 representatives have been here and there.
 Here: Hellerup (Denmark), European Championship
 There: Santa Cruz (USA), World Championship
 Here, mostly light wind.
 There, absolutely the opposite!

The final two days of the European Championship became mostly a duel between an English crew and ourselves. What came to a decision in the end was not about racing, but from a lazy ferry captain.

The course was located so in the strait that a ferry had to make way 0.002 degrees in order not to drive straight through the entire racing fleet. He had also done that in the previous races. Until when it was time for the leading boats to round the bottom mark to the finishing beat of the fourth race. It was precisely here that we had managed to put a tactical and deadly grip on the English. The whole thing was basically done. But the ferry destroyed everything! Only one boat could slip through, the rest had to take down the spinnakers and wait until it had passed. The chasing boats caught us up, and some passed by. So instead of being able to eventually win totally, by "removing" the English in the last race. It was now the opposite. Silver then! A little annoying.

The Str�get was as usual a very cozy place. This time stuffed by singing Englishmen (football European Cup). Very powerful, slightly threatening. In addition to a lot of nice restaurants, Tycho Brahe Planetarium's Omnimax cinema was also enjoyed. Tivoli as relaxed as usual. Well! Most of it was simply as usual!

In Santa Cruz, nothing was as usual.

21 years ago, the Worlds was raced in the same place and we have over the years heard terrible rumors of this blowhole. Sharks and  lots of wind! The gybe mark went by the name "Suicide mark". Clearly exaggerated. Or?

But when Kalle Nilsson (first tester and old hard-winded fox) came into the harbor, and more or less had to be carried out of the boat, with an empty staring gaze, we felt discouraged. From the mouth came the famous Gothenburg expression: "Harrejavvlar". Apparently it blew extremely hard!

The weather pattern was the same every day. Cool with fog in the morning. Light and fast rising wind at around 12.
Start at 1pm, at approx: 10-17m/s! Most Europeans had clear problems with the trim.

You felt like a beginner again. Oh let's see now! How do you get rid of the pressure in the sails?

Before the first race we had absolutely zero control on the move. Unbelievably we managed to round as third after the first beat. Peppered by this, we flew past a competitor on the downwind. But just before the rounding to the second beat, we were hit by such a wave that is suddenly there with no warning! Splash! And that was that! The psyche disappeared.

The rest of the regatta became a fairly tedious "follow John story" for us. Admittedly, things went better and better, but we were far too behind to catch up in terms of top results, to really light up again after that initial race.

For a long period of time, 17 m/s of average was measured during the second race. It hardly went ahead on the beats and the downwinds were completely insane!
The local sailors had a clear advantage of this.

The tip from those who attended the previous Worlds in -71 read: "Dont bring your brain. Bring a fat crew !!".

But they became surprised and everyone else too. For the winning crew were a pair of small to medium sized Australians, the brothers Chris and Darren Nicholson! Absolutely by far. Very impressive!

Plenty of seals, shark and dolphins in the sea, but the nicest was probably an otter. This one lay completely relaxed and ate in the middle of the harbor entrance. It became a real mate.

The sailing conditions were, as you can understand, extreme!

The course was located in the middle of a heavy wind area that swept down around a large headland. Outside of this and especially before arriving to this area, it blew considerably less. At the harbor it could often be completely calm. Even wind blowing faintly from the opposite direction.

No one who didn't know how extrem conditions it was out there could imagine it. That's where we came in after the races and often paddling, in just bare underwear every day. Did it blow? Ah! It could not have been so dangerous! It was an absurd situation.

All Swedes stayed at the same rented house with walking distance to the sailing club. We were 10 in total and the atmosphere was very nice.

A strong memory, at least for me, was a visit to Monterey Bay Aquarium: Where they had simply built-in part of the sea, just as it was. This was seen through a huge panoramic window.
This place was so popular, that in most cases people flocked around in large hordes, without the possibility of contemplating either the sea or themselves. Now the whole place was booked exclusively for us sailors. We had to have this for ourselves.

For a long time I was sitting alone in front of this huge panoramic window and was flushed clean by the waves. Wonderfully!

This US trip was rounded off with a tour of just over a week together with Kalle Nilsson. Among other things, we visited Yosemity National Park (photos). Tent and hiking. Lake Tahoe. A very high crater lake. Rest, rest! Etc, Etc? Etc.......

Here's a final story I was told at Santa Cruz YC. One of the accompanying boats had apparently managed to get the perfect angle, for spectacular pictures at the finish of the 1st race. Jorgen Schonherr/Michael Paulsen (who won the race) came flying. Just when they cross the finish line, the whole boat eases out of the water, through a huge wave. According to the passengers in the boat, you could see all of Santa Cruz under the bottom. Only a small part of the centerboard was left in the water!!

What a picture, what a picture it could have been! if they only had a camera!! They were pretty desperate.

btw. Schonherr's boat got a crack in the hull when it landed!

Although it is clear: to collide with "Fl�sket" is not so gracious either.

Our club races at "Fj�set" is probably tougher anyway!

 


// Olle Wenrup

remark: this is a translation of the original report in Swedish

 
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- M�LARH�JDENS KANOTS�LLSKAP -
A reprint from the MKS Annual Club Activity Report '92