From the Feedback - 5/12/00

We'll be publishing the choicest moments from the stuff you send us - but each contribution may or may not be subjected to a rigorous process of editing for language, taste and imparted wisdom. And of course, as they so famously say at the start of anything like this, the opinions expressed in From the Feedback do not necessarily reflect those of the management, staff or investors of madforsport.com. Instead, and much more importantly, they reflect your views.

From R Whaye,
Will they be ready? (Team Legato have just announced their crew) Why not? The limiting factor seems to be weather at the moment. Unlike Pete Goss' boat, Team Legato is a proven design refurbished. Logically they will have less problems once they can take her out on the water, and with the experienced crew it will not take much time to sort her out. If they manage to take her to the Med immediately, the necessary adaptations can be made there.

But at least Team Philips are now in the water getting those precious miles under their belt. I don't know about the weather forecast, but wouldn't it be outrageous if Team Philips is stuck in the north, unable to make it to the Mediterranean in time because of the weather? In my opinion they have wasted too much time in Dartmouth. Once it was clear the weather forecast was not good, Team Philips should have relocated as quickly as possible after the first sail. If sailing was considered too dangerous, they could have towed out into the open and sailed from open water. The fine tuning that they have done in Dartmouth could have been done anywhere.

From SW Vishnudeva,
Are the sceptics being proved wrong (after Team Philips successful first sea trials)? The quality of scepticism is extremely variable, from the justifiably cautious to the wilfully ignorant.

Dave J. joking aside, if I had to choose between getting in and out of Dartmouth Harbour in an untested craft in 60 knot winds, or sailing in the open expanse of the Southern Ocean in 60 knot winds in a craft that had made it that far I know where I would prefer to be!

From Chris Jordan,
Match racing or fleet racing - which would you rather see at the Olympics? Why only a choice of two? Why not include team racing in the equation? This is surely what the Olympics are about - a team of people from one country competing against another team. Team racing also provides for excellent spectator sport - there is not the, "I'm in the lead, I'm OK" type of match racing that exists after the start - and neither are the courses so large and out of sight as fleet racing. All the world saw the excitement that happens all the time in team racing with the Lasers at the Olympics. Going fast might take speed and money (110 foot catamarans), while forcing someone else to go slow takes skill and cunning.

From Mike,
Fun in frozen seas? (V.O. 60 illbruck has been training in the Southern Ocean) YES!! It is quite an experience. I have not been to the Southern Ocean, but the Gulf of Finland is at least as cold as that ocean. The toughest trip was made in sub-zero degrees where all the ropes, when wet, freeze to rods. They are impossible to coil and very difficult to run through blocks etc. - that my friends, is sailing! The strain on both equipment and crew is huge and calls for special measures like dipping all the ropes you use in antifreeze solution. It is quite an experience to see sea water freeze on deck, on the sails and on the clothing of the crew. I can understand that the big boys want to go down there to cold seas to sail, I would not mind that myself.

From Neutron 24
Should the Tornado Sport be the new Olympic catamaran? I'm planning to buy a used Tornado and make it into a Sport, instead of buying an Inter 20, because the Tornado has durable hulls, and is wider which will generate better power and feel upwind. It also has centreboards over daggerboards, and above all it has heritage and a beauty that the Inter 20 lacks.

Editor's Note; Which is always in the eye of the beholder ... I suspect there're a few Inter 20 owners out there that might disagree!