Your feedback

What was you scariest sailing experience? Night time in the southern ocean in the 81/82 whitbread on board Xargo 111, a swan 65, running before a full gale. Waves more than 80 feet high. We were 65 feet and when we picked up a wave, we would have the trough stretching out below us and the crest of the wave up above us, so you could look around at the thing with the top 15 feet white water, stray waves coming across the face of the big waves and feel exhilarated, and very scared at the same time.

The B&G log read to 26 knots, and we had it hard up against the stops numerous times.Surfing in the day time was exciting, dip the bow in as she picked up the swell, and then a mad rush down the face, the hull vibrating with the speed, untill we buried the bow in the back of the wave in front, and as we slowed, the next wave would pick up the stern , down would go the bow again and off we would go again.

Our skipper was an extremely good sailor; Dave Bongers from South Africa; always putting the boat in a good position for surfing and fearless in his confidence and ability, so it was really unsettling at night time when even he would not put the boat down the face of some of those waves. Dark as dark gets, cold , noisy, Deep Purple blasting out from the stereo; you haven't sailed until you have experienced those seas in a well crewed racing yacht. wouldn't it be great to be out there in one of these new boats!

From David Stewart
Will Alex Bennett find sponsorship for the Vendee Globe? It depends where he looks for the sponsorship. In this country he will be lucky to find it unless he chances upon a philanthropic entrepreneur with a passion for yacht racing. In the real world sponsorship money goes to the sports which have the biggest following. In France yacht racing thrills the nation; in the UK even Ellen has disappeared from view, in spite of the fact that winning the TJV could earn her the yacht racing equivalent of the Formula One drivers' World Championship. My advice to Alex Bennett is to follow in the footsteps of La Petite Espoire (Ellen) and learn French.

From Clive
Will Alex Bennett find sponsorship for the Vendee Globe? Surely, Alex is a Brilliant advert for all that is British. He is so focused on 2004 I feel a big sponsor could only do well going with him.So come on GB lets back a British Person for a change.

From Alan Grace
Is enough done in the UK to support disabled sailing? Things have definitely improved in the last couple of years with funding for Paralympic sailors. As a paraplegic multihull sailor I would like to see some more exciting classes introduced before I am tempted to take part in disabled racing. I would like to see more support for disabled sailors taking part in the major offshore races. I have been made to feel very welcome at the UK Cat Racing Association long distance races this year. The same has been true at the other long distance races and offshore races that I have taken part in the past. The down side for me is that some sailing clubs are still discriminatory. I have been a member of Coniston Sailing Club for 10 years and they still refuse to provide facilities for wheelchair users, despite having carried out fairly major modifications to their changing rooms. The result being that I can not sail actively at my local club. Hopefully this attitude will soon be stamped out.


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