Your feedback

Is the Mini Transat too dangerous? NO! the problem with today's world is its trying to protect us from ourselves. As long as we abide by Blondie Hasler's ideals we will do alright. Let's not let the sea be legislated beyond the average person's reach (or wage).

From Chris B Leamon
Is the Mini Transat too dangerous? Yacht racing is inherently dangerous, even more so when single-handed. Obviously Sat Com would be out of the question for a Mini Transat boat, but surely, would not compulsory SSB be a good idea?

(Ed note: in fact these days it would be relatively easy for the skippers to carry an Iridium or GlobalStar satellite telephone. These are marginally larger than a modern day cellphone. This would also have significant safety benefits for the skippers as well as allowing them to interact with the shore, helping them to get publicity for their sponsors. However they are banned for reasons of cost - in our opinion wrongly so.


From Alexander Meller
Who is your choice of favourite for the title? There are a number of teams that could do well, though not all of them are strong candidates to win the worlds. Bergstrom/Moss won in Durban in 2000, and have been working hard to retain their heavy air upwind speed edge, but the southern California 505 sailors Team Tuesday have been working hard and experimenting with smaller centerboards after seeing what Bergstrom/Moss were able to do in the breeze at Durban. The top three Team Tuesday teams, Hamlin/Martin, Beeckman/Benjamin and Thompson/Zinn are even in speed with several more of their training partners very close.

The Aussie's have been working hard and now that some of them are using Proctor D or epsilon masts have the light air speed they lacked with their Goldspar rigs. Then their is a top Danish team, some well known names who have jumped into the 505 class in Sweden, Rosen/Wenrup from Sweden who have been second or third many times, and more. In today's race Brett van Munster and Geoff Lange sailed a very smart race in difficult conditions to win. Two time 470 world champion Wolfgang Hunger, racing with Holger Jess were second and the Danish team of Per Larsen and Uffe Anderson were 3rd. Bergstrom/Moss were 4th. Those who were expecting Hamlin/Martin to dominate in the lighter air, should know that in a light race, Hamlin/Martin finished 18th. It is by no means a two team regatta!

From M Jack
A radical approach to introducing people to sailing - but is it good or bad? Two ways to introduce new potential sailors would be either by getting a 'race' together, sponsored by the local sailing club, or dealership. Another way is to merely rent the boat at any resort or beach or lake available. Organized racing on a National level will never go anywhere, except with the really hot one-designs. But, where racing is already established, a group of beginners could be invited to participate in a 'fun run', or the like, with their Escape boats, and with several Escape yellow hulls starting together, it would look like a lot of fun!

From Simon Smith
How does this one appeal? The Streamline, and the K6, are an acknowledgement that the continuing refinement of dinghies is making the sport more and more unsuitable for the largest section of sailing society... the big man. Basically the Streamline and the K6 are big dinghies for big men which happen to carry lumps of lead under them, whereas the new Laser keel boat maybe the same size but is a genuine keelboat.

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