From the feedback - 11/3/01

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 Andrew Hurst,
Would mylar be a step in the right direction? This is a nice idea in principle. However there is some very informed comment available at the technical forum on the Star class website, from sailors such as Mark Reynolds, which suggests that on a price basis especially, a move to Mylar today may well have the reverse effect and make things more - rather than less - expensive. The same applies to carbon rigs, the debate over which is bound to follow any talk of Mylar sails. It would be interesting to see some of the real campaign costs from Iain Percy (1996-2000) and other heavily-funded single-handed campaigns on sails and masts. I understand that Shirley Robertson's mast budget, alone, last time approached £100,000. I have no doubt that expenditure upon sails and spars in the Finn class, by the fully sponsored protagonists, were of a similar order? In the Star class the gold and silver medals were won with aluminium spars and Dacron sails, all exactly off the shelf. This (the Star boat) is a class where the sail replacement may be frequent (mostly for jibs) but at least you win with standard kit which makes the costs predictable. It seems to me that 'more durable' materials have brought to the Finn and Europe class a development aspect which threatens to dominate the sailing, and certainly makes these classes hugely expensive - even before you get in the gym. Am I wrong? It would be nice to know - but let's hear the real costs of comparative campaigns to give some meat and meaning to the argument.

From Phil Aikenhead,
Should they run The Race again? Yes, yes, and yes again. But next time there should be more of the innovation idea for the race. It is only through projects like this that breakthroughs will be made in extreme yacht design, which will, in turn filter down to the general sailing public. This will ensure greater adventure, achievement, safety and availability for the great mass of sailors who would love to take that extra step. Thank you Bruno for giving us the reason that Pete Goss produced Team Philips - a boat that has soared above the mundane and inspired so many people. Humanity is becoming so stereotyped and governed that the spirit must have somewhere to explore. It is good for us to have aspirations and without things likeThe Race our directions are dissipated.

From Ralph,
Should they run The Race again? A definite yes. But next time a few web cams "big brother" would be good. Or maybe just better TV coverage in the UK. If it had not been for madforsailing I'd not have seen or heard anything about the Race, and the same must be said of the Vendee. It amazes me how a company can sponsor such projects with so little potential coverage actually taken advantage of.

From Cookman,
Is The Race a success? Yes. I particularly enjoyed the concept itself. The development, almost, of Team Philips and the start of PlayStation amongst the Ollier designs indicate that this concept is in its infancy but at least it got things started. Round the world, no stops, no design rules should be left the same. Don't dicker with the concept. I'm sure that designs will continue to evolve as well as boat construction techniques to make it a close race. It was close through the Atlantic and to the point where Team Adventure broke. Further, I'm sure that PlayStation would have been a factor with her length if she had not torn off a board. There has been significant discussion about slowing the boats down in the Southern Ocean, those designs that slow less will hold some advantage. I also particularly enjoyed the weather maps superimposed on the Virtual Spectator images. I would have liked to have this module in Virtual Spectator to try to understand the boat strategies. Club Med sailed straight headings with small angle gybes while Innovation sailed more drastic lines, I presume looking for wind. Ultimately, Club Med had the better weather predictors.

From Butler,
Should they run The Race again? Yes, I think so. A few possibilities might be to make the boats smaller (e.g. less expensive), or make them a one design/development class. I think it could be a really fantastic event. However, I wonder if it would diminish the presence of the Volvo.

From Crew,
Should they run The Race again? Yes. I was glued to the Internet as television coverage in the south-eastern U.S. was lame at best. My guys, Team Adventure need revenge. I like the idea of having stopovers. The sponsors spend big bucks to bring us a race boat, and this may be a way to get them more bang for the buck.

From Suprama Hydrofoil,
Should they run The Race again? Of course, it's the best way to test equipment. Full detailed technical information on the experienced breakages/failures should be made public with suggestions on how to improve future constructions.

From J Pond,
Should they run The Race again? Yes they should run The Race again. However they must not allow it to clash with other global events such as the Volvo Ocean Race or America's Cup. This could take up sponsorship money that could other wise be used in far more traditional and long standing events. There should be another Race, as it is fantastic for the sport of sailing and the technology advances that are made through these sorts of events.

From Barry L,
Should they run The Race again? Yes. From Team Phillips to Club Med, everybody took their lumps. And, more to come, as three more boats try to finish. Nobody before has ever sailed so far, so fast. These people, from the engineers to the tacticians, to the grinders, navigators, everybody, have faced challenges no one under sail has faced before. Of course it should be run again! Subject to financing availability, of course. I followed Team Phillips for months, hoping they would at least start. "Traditional" cats, scaled up from formerly successful designs, predominated. No surprise. But, which traditional at this size would stay together? Maybe, in a world without cheap oil, these are the future!

From Wilson,
Shouldn't they be racing in those breezes? I find that race committees commonly underestimate winds. I was out on Biscayne Bay both days - Monday definitely felt windier than Tuesday - and it was. Check of record from Fowey Light from yesterday shows more like 25 gusting to 30 - today was 20 gusting to 25, and they were racing.

From S.E Jnarsson,
Is 24 knots too much for a Star? I've been sailing quite a bit of Star boat and it becomes pretty hairy above 24 knots. When the boat is under control it is a blast but when the mother of a mainsail starts to make the boat do the legendary death roll - all you think about is to keep the mast in the boat, and that's not much fun anymore. The mast is thin, and I mean thin! If you feel that you are gonna do the Chinese gybe soon, pre-dial your mobile phone to Hall Spars, duck and hold your phone over your head so that the boom hits the dial button, cos your mast is coming down!