This great photograph from Cork Week by Ingrid Abery caught my eye. Did someone drop their sunglasses in the water?
Notice the big boat flying the huge kite behind. As the guys on Wow touch their toes the hint of sedate speed behind them makes me wonder if someone’s below rolling pastry.
Euan Ross,
July 20 09:20
I wrote this some time ago and nothing has changed!
Driving pleasure and crewing rewards:
Few boats are genuinely inspiring to drive and even less combine that fundamental attribute with rudimentary ergonomics. We are a sad lot really, considering ourselves cosseted by a wedge on the cockpit floor or a slippery tubular steel foot-brace.
Even if the driver sports the posture of a prawn, the rest of the team are justifiably jealous. Full-on race-boats have room to move about but nowhere to sit. Cruiser-racers have neither of these attributes. Maybe there is someone, somewhere out there who enjoys sitting on the rail, but it's unlikely to be the guy working the Genoa from the winch directly behind him.
Over the years there was Elvstrom's winged half-tonner with foot-wells for the crew and then there was a Jeanneau or Benetau with a flip up backside brace for the B-max ballast line; but, as far as I can remember, that's about it in the cause of crew welfare. The majority of competitive yachtsmen are consigned to a life on the rail where their beer-gut is valued more than their sailing skills. There are just two pleasures available to these heroic enthusiasts: winning for the fortunate few, and; for the long-suffering masses decamping to the pub when it's all over.
Why does no one care about this? Its not like its a difficult problem to solve.