Suicidal French sailors,'Why regulate the seas?', best barnacle buster

by Nancy Knudsen, Editor on 13 Dec 2012

Marc Guillemot on the bow of Safran - ’But Your Honour I was trying to break zee record. It was not possible to obey zee rules as well as break zee record.’ Francois Van Malleghem http://www.pixsail.com/

This week a speeding French sailor has been fined for going the wrong way down a ship separation zone, the equivalent to a freeway or superhighway. His very French defense was that he was trying to break the Around Britain and Ireland speed record. Try that excuse the next time you are stopped for speeding.

How much to regulate our waterways and oceans has long been a favourite heated discussion among leisure sailors. Every time there is an incident, the reports that follow recommend tighter and tighter regulations, until the word 'Freedom of the Sea' becomes virtually meaningless.

This week Sir Alan Massey, CEO of UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency MCA)waded in with a novel thought – that sailors should be credited with some common sense and authorities such as the MCA should tread a fine line between regulation and self-regulation.

This was a stunning statement coming from such a quarter, and safety authorities of the world could do well to take note.

Not that it isn't getting easier and easier to venture off-shore from a technological point of view when the newest technology, like the Marine Commander featured this week, can give you a screen encapsulating all your nav systems in one. It's even getting easier and cheaper to clean your hull, with a vibrating barnacle buster that doesn't need you to remove the boat from the water – that's another article this week.

There's also more and more sailing advice out there, valuable specially if you are not connected to a sailing club or fraternity. John Jamieson has an article on the use of flares – and the importance of knowing how to use them before you find you are in an emergency. Veteran cruising sailor Jude Binder has a new eBook out called 'Practical Boat Bits and Tips' chocked full of useful advice you may not read anywhere else.

Swan gatherings in 2013 © SW

If you are lucky enough to own a Swan, Club Swan have brought out their program for 'gatherings' of Swans for 2013. Our yacht feature is of Fountain Pajot's beautiful Victoria 67; there's a story about a quirky Dutchman who has finally finished building a replica Noah's Ark; and a moving passage tale about two Cubans who sacrificed everything to sail to America, and the little toy puffin, given by a cruising sailor, who kept their morale high when the going got tough.

Sweet sailing!
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/104654

Related Articles

America's Cup Power Plays
And Growing Sailing Through Learning There's always so much speculation and intrigue in-between each edition of the America's Cup. Everyone wants to know what is happening behind closed doors, inside the teams, and when the Challengers meet with the Defender.
Posted on 28 May Hyde Sails Flying Fifteen Video Tuning Guide
Ben McGrane explains how to get the most out of your B1 mainsail with B1 or 2H jibs Hyde Sails release new detailed video guide for tuning the Flying 15 for use with the B1 mainsail with B1 or 2H jibs.
Posted on 22 May Gladwell's Line: - May 22 - A big month
Kiwi's loss is Italy's gain - our thoughts on the hosting debacle. Kiwi's loss is Italy's gain - our thoughts on the hosting debacle. Paul Whiting's tribute - 45yrs on. Surprise winner of biggest ever two-handed nationals. Chalkie Bland remembered.
Posted on 22 May Puget Sound sailing, Etchells, J/70s, Cup news
Seeking Goldilocks conditions on Puget Sound, Etchells NAs, J/70 U.S. Nationals, AC38 news As the saying goes, 'you don't know unless you go'. While I've mostly heard this phrase applied to climbing, skiing, and mountaineering, four late-winter and springtime races on Puget Sound this year exemplified the fact that this line.
Posted on 20 May The appeal of offshore
Is there still appeal? Have we made it too onerous? Why would someone take it up now? I had been pondering. Yes. Marquee events have no issue attracting entrants. Middle Sea, Transpac, Cape to Rio, Fastnet, and Hobart all spring to mind instantly, but what of the ‘lesser' races? Lots of boats in pens (slips) a lot of the time
Posted on 18 May Banger Racing, Back Racing and No Racing
Racing on the cheap, a return to racing for young Aussies, and ILCA struggles We start with racing on the cheap at the Colander Cup, then focus on a return to racing for the Aussies at the Youth Worlds, moving on to a complete lack of racing at the ILCA Worlds, and then looking at how SailGP should be back out on the water.
Posted on 14 May Night sailing, Transat Paprec, Congressional Cup
Night sailing, encountering light airs in the Transat Paprec, Congressional Cup We bundled up as the last of the rays sunlight dipped below the Olympic Mountains and night quietly fell on Puget Sound. We'd been racing for about twelve hours in the Seattle Yacht Club's Protection Island Race (April 26), and we were getting tired.
Posted on 6 May For the love of slightly larger, even faster boats
Bring it on. No chicken chutes allowed. Celestial, the newest Cape 31 in Oz is up and racing Thank you. You have let For the love of small, fast boats run before the breeze like a superlight planning hull under way too big a kite, with immense sheep in the paddock, and the Sailing Master grasping the flare gun in his pocket... No chicken chutes.
Posted on 4 May The Allure of Timber
The longevity, and sheer beauty, of boats made of wood In these days of exotic materials, high modulus carbon and ultra lightweight construction, it's possible to overlook the longevity, and sheer beauty, of boats made of wood.
Posted on 29 Apr A look inside the Spirit Yachts yard
A close look at what makes their yachts unique Traditional skills in boatbuilding could be regarded as a lost art from a bygone era. In the world of fibreglass and carbon, the joinery and laminating techniques of wood ribs and cedar strips are a thing of the past.
Posted on 28 Apr