The Wetass Chronicles

Another great action shot--of Philippe Kahn's new Transpac 52--from Sharon Green...

Posted by Tim Zimmermann @ 11:18 AM

This isn't really Wetass material, but if you think you are having a bad day just check out this video (they found the perfect soundtrack, though if you are averse to foul language mute your speaker). Make sure you stick around at least until the bear...

"Hey, we might as well do an oil change..."

Posted by Tim Zimmermann @ 11:10 AM

Wanna get an idea of how slow the Fastnet Race is this year? Just check out these pictures of ICAP/Maximus and Skandia Wild Thing rounding the famed light...

(Photos: Daniel Forster/Rolex (top); Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex (bottom))

Posted by Tim Zimmermann @ 10:36 AM

Putting speed together with comfort is the Holy Grail of cruising cat design, and it ain't easy to do because weight and performance on a cat are in direct conflict. But light, modern materials are allowing designers to get ever-closer to making us all grin like idiots, and the folks at Reynolds Sailing are doing their best to make it happen. They've got an R33 in production and are getting ready to debut an R44. They are throwing around numbers like "18 knots in only 10 knots of wind" which sounds a bit exaggerated. But I'd be happy with 14 knots in 10 knots of wind. Interested? Check out this very nice video (there are more short clips here) of an R33 racing off Newport, California. Not a lot of wind, but you get a pretty good sense of what the thing will do. Plus, a nice Enya soundtrack to lull you into catamaran catatonia...

"Hah. Hah. Look at those mono mopes. They motor. We fly a hull. Losers..."

Posted by Tim Zimmermann @ 10:21 AM

The beach cat crowd is full of techno-geeks. And thank god for that, since they have wired up the ongoing F18 North Americans, and are posting some cool race videos on this website (watch the Race 2 video to see what happens when a squall smacks a beach cat racing fleet; righting those suckers in a breeze can be pretty comical). You can also follow the rounding-by-rounding action on the regatta blog (plus, check out this Flash gallery). Note to regatta organizers: this is the way to get it done...

F18 Flameout: "The good news is that by being down here we have reduced windage up top. The bad news is I can't steer..."

Posted by Tim Zimmermann @ 9:50 AM

Seems like giant surboards are all the rage. Last April we took a look at a 40-footer that carried 47 "surfers: for a ride. Today, thanks to Surfer magazine, you get to see what happens when 60-plus surfers ride a small wave. Click here for the video (bonus: great music...plus good surf competition footage following the monster board section). We had the quest for the 100-foot wave. Now we are obviously in a race for the 100-man surfboard. Crazy stuff...

Surfboard Silliness: "Dude, how about 100 surfers on a hundred-foot wave? Wait, I think I'm drunk..."
(Video by Mark Williams)

Posted by Tim Zimmermann @ 9:27 AM

The world's biggest, fastest racing yachts may be on their way to the famed Fastnet Rock right now (see below). But the last fleet to head for Fastnet was at the opposite end of the scale: a fleet of 21-foot Minis. One of them was a Slovenian boat called "Adria" (site is in Slovenian, but some reports are in English). And in addition to sailing along at some pretty scorching speeds her two skippers took the time to make the best film on Mini sailing I have seen yet (decent music, too). Click here to watch it, and feel the Mini-addiction begin...

Posted by Tim Zimmermann @ 11:02 AM

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Golfing at the Big Sky Club in Yellowstone, Montana can get exciting...

"And you thought that putt was a gimmee..."

Posted by Tim Zimmermann @ 10:59 AM

The Rolex Fastnet is a classic, and this year with the supermaxis Maximus and Skandia lining up against one another for line honors (not to mention the Volvo Open 70 Movistar lurking in their wakes), there was a lot of chatter about records falling. Not to be, though. Light air has prevailed (at least for most of the time since the start yesterday). But you know what? It doesn't matter. The racing is close, the pictures are great, and the e-mails are flying off the boats. You can follow all the action via the Rolex website (which has lots of pics) and the Royal Ocean Racing Club site (which is way off the pace; typical). Here's the latest update from Rolex central. The summary:

Pleasant north-easterly winds have launched the Rolex Fastnet Race fleet down the south-west coast of England this morning. Progress has been faster than expected after the wind rotated gradually round to the north and then to the east. ICAP Maximus holds a good lead over her Maxi rival Skandia Wild Thing, with the Volvo Open 70 Movistar not far behind. ICAP Maximus passed Lands End at 0615 hours, just as the sun was coming up for what looks set to be another glorious day on the water. Skandia Wild Thing passed Lands End at 0630 hours, reporting a boat speed of 14 knots in 11 knots' wind.

14 knots of speed in 11 knots of breeze. Modern yacht design blows me away...

Fast And Faster: "Heh-heh. Skandia is directly in our wake. Whaddaya say we pump out our holding tank about now...?"

Posted by Tim Zimmermann @ 10:42 AM