Posts Tagged ‘Atlantic Ocean’

Did you know that June 8th is Oceans Day – no, no – we’re not talking about Danny Ocean, the fictional character played by the suave and very good looking George Clooney – no its the blue bits on the map which cover over 70% of the world’s surface.

That’s a big chunk of our world and like everything else in this world we are trashing them. Did you know that a plastic island,  the size of Africa is floating around in the Pacific Ocean – it consists of our junk. The really sad part is that nobody seems too bothered – its not our problem they say but the truth is we are ALL responsible.

As individuals we must stand up and make our voices heard and there is no better day to do that than today.

Have you been inspired by Roz Savage because we certainly have – respect Ma’am. She is the individual who has now rowed on her own across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. You can read about her exploits by visiting her website www.rozsavage.com

She just landed up in Papua New Guinea having set off from San Francisco on May 25th 2008. She first rowed to Hawaii which took 99 days, a challenging 2,900 miles. Then it was on to Kiribati in the southern Pacific – if you blink once you’ll miss it, even in your 23 foot rowing boat – an awesome 3,158 miles. And the final leg of her journey took her from Kiribati to Madang in PNG , 2,000 miles in just 44 days.

On her arrival in Madang she was met by a crowd of 5,000 people who had turned up to demonstrate their respect for this highly motivated individual.

The photos are from Savage’s website – the above taken during her Atlantic crossing 4 weeks after leaving the Canary Islands, and below having arrived at Chesapeake Bay on the eastern seaboard of the United States.

Below are some of the really shocking facts that she talks about on her website:

• There is a 6:1 ratio of plastic to plankton in the world’s oceans
• Consuming blue fined tuna is like barbequeing giant panda bears
• Ocean plants produce half of the world’s oxygen
• In 40 years from now seafood could be a food of the past
• Ocean acidification is seriously affecting the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide

The next leg of this amazing journey will take her across the Indian Ocean. It is again intended to raise awareness of the perilous condition of 70% of our planet. We laud Roz for her courage, her supreme effort and for the cause she is highlighting.

Isn’t it time that you did something about our oceans – come on we have to act, we have to do something, we have to be responsible, we must be heard.

We will keep you posted on Roz Savage’s Indian Ocean voyage and should you wish to to visit her website click on the following link http://rozsavage.com/

We wrote last week about the impending departure from New York of ICAP Leopard 3 in her attempt to break the trans Atlantic speed record for a monohull from west to east – well that moment has come and the Leopard has left her lair.

The 100ft super-maxi racing yacht owned by Helical Bar PLC chief executive Mike Slade, crossed the start line at Ambrose Light to begin her attempt on the 2,925 nautical mile monohull transatlantic speed record. ICAP Leopard will need to cross the finish line at Lizard Point before 12h 37m UTC on Saturday 5th June to break the current record held by Mari Cha IV of 6 days, 17 hours and 52 minutes.

Aussie skipper Chris Sherlock reports on his daily blog about the crossing and the progress the Leopard is making to date:

‘Yesterday was a pretty tough day! We always knew it was going to be to stay up to pace with the front we were riding to try and stay in the stronger SW wind. All day it was reef in, reef out, squalls, change spinnaker according to the wind and sea state due to the fact we were also in the gulfstream. (ie a large river of warm water that snakes along the USA eastern sea board and runs up to 6 knots from South to North)

It is very frustrating sailing trying to make decisions on sail plan to keep the boat rolling along safely but fast. In the early hours of this morning we went back to our A-5 spinnaker for a period but the drivers could not distinguish between the sea and the horizon as we had no moon or stars just as black as the inside of a cow! We were surfing along at 35 knots and decided to reduce sail as it was too risky. Right now we are on the north side of the front in a much better sea way in 20-25 knots of wind making good progress towards the UK with the odd surf up into the 30’s but generally sitting on mid 20’s. Not exactly where we planned to be on the race course but we have to deal with our circumstances and see how it all pans out.

The guys are doing a great job and four hours in the bunk after a fire hosing on deck for four hours goes pretty damn quickly especially after last night where we had all the crew on deck for eight hours changing sails etc… I am sure a few more hours sleep would not go astray but life on board is not too bad. Our freeze dried food is pretty good for freeze dried food and we have a toasted sandwich maker on board as a treat to supplement the FD food – the ham and cheese toasties are hard currency out here as they are not an endless supply!!’

The reality is that she lies about 100 miles behind where she would like to be at this stage in her attempt on the record but she has 5 days in which to pick up that time. Her current speed of 19 knots will have to increase if she is going to threaten Mari Cha IV’s record but so much of that is to do with the weather and that, as we all know, is out of mere mortals control.

We will keep you posted on her progress but should you want to check out her position the link is http://www.leopard3.com/transatlantic_record_attempt_tracker_2010.html

Some may ask what is the point – fair enough – but we suggest that this is another rather extreme example of someone, something trying to raise the bar again – for without individuals, teams and organisations pushing the boundaries just that little bit further this world would be left in a state of mediocrity. We laud their attempt and wish them good speed and fair wind.

Regular followers will know we love the extreme sport of sailing – some people will think sailing is not so extreme but when you look at what is involved we think you will agree it can get very extreme. Not only is it the elements that have to be contended with but also the logistics. Today we blog about ICAP Leopard – currently in New York just waiting for the right weather conditions for her to set forth on what we and those involved hope will be the fastest crossing of the Atlantic by a mono hull.

ICAP Leopard - photo courtesy of www.sailingweek.com

ICAP Leopard was designed by the world famous Farr Yacht Design, with styling and interior designed by Ken Freivokh. She was built by McConaghy Boats in Sydney, Australia

The yacht is 30 metres long, 6.8 metres wide, has a 5.5 metre draft, a 4.5 metre fixed bowsprit, one towering 47 metre mast and the keel cants 40 degrees either side of centreline.

The wide hull is especially suited for offshore high-speed sailing and is enhanced by the presence of a chine that improves water flow off the hull and reduces structural weight.

The rig towers at 47 metres above the water and can carry up to 15,000 square feet of sail area

Photo courtesy of www.leopard3.com

With her innovative design technology and cutting edge performance, Leopard is a hugely potent racing machine. With 35 knots in her sights, she is a major contender in any regatta or offshore yacht race.

During racing, Leopard has a crew of up to 25 on board, many of whom are professional world-class sailors.

Launched in 2007 ICAP Leopard, has already broken 12 major offshore racing records, including the fastest elapsed time ever set in the prestigious Rolex Fastnet Race. The west-to-east monohull transatlantic sailing record will see her tackle the path between Ambrose Light, NY and the Lizard Point, which marks the entrance to the English Channel.

the record for monohull yachts with power-assisted systems of seven days, 19 hours and 21 minutes that she set in June 2008. Since setting this benchmark the yacht has undergone a series of modifications and the crew are confident that in the right conditions, they will be able to better Mari Cha IV’s outright monohull transatlantic speed record of 6 days 17 hours and 52 minutes.

Negotiating complex weather systems will play an integral role in ICAP Leopard’s latest transatlantic record attempt and will be monitored by veteran navigator Hugh Agnew.

The Captain of the ICAP Leopard is  Chris Sherlock who commented: “We can’t wait to get stuck into another attempt on the Atlantic record. Last time a tight weather window forced us into accepting less than ideal conditions for our record run but we have slightly more leeway this time. Our weather window will open on the 11th May and then we will have roughly three weeks to plan our departure. This should allow us to set ourselves up for the best possible weather pattern.”

Lets hope the conditions are right – may the wind be at your backs and the sun in your face, may your speed be that of a leopard – good luck we will be watching.

Here she is in this video from barneyhd showing some great action as she races across the Atlantic.

If you want to visit Leopard 3’s website click on this link http://www.leopard3.com/the_yacht.html

We have not reported on the Vendee Globe sine December 21st, a long time in the world of round the world ocean racing but now with little more than 6,000 miles to the winning tape the leaders can feel they are on the final leg.

Michel Desjoyeaux on board Foncia has slightly increased his lead over Roland Jourdain in Veolia Environment to approximately 100 miles and they have both now sailed into the Atlantic and are heading north east of Argentina before crossing the Atlantic from the Brazilian coast to the African coast, passing Cape Verde, the Canaries and finally north to France and the finishing line at Les Sables d’Olonne.

But behind them there has been drama – when we last reported Jean Le Cam in VM Materiaux was in third place but on Tuesday his boat capsized as he approached Cape Horn and Le Cam was stuck in the hull. Vincent Riou on board PRB turned to help and in a dramatic and daring rescue was able to throw a rope to Le Cam who on the fourth pass was able to grab hold.

The two skippers carried on round Cape Horn but in a cruel twist of fate PRB was dismasted having passed Cape Horn and is now under tow of a Chilean vessel on its way to port.

This has enabled Armel le Cleac’h in Brit Ait to take third position as he rounded Cape Horn quaffing champagne and he now lies approximately 750 miles behind the race leader.

In the video below from acvor you can watch some of the action from the 2006/07 Vendee Globe which has some frames from rounding Cape Horn – this has to be an extreme past time demanding extreme respect to those individuals who challenge themselves against such extreme elements.

The leading boats in the 2008 Vendee Globe are now passing to the south of New Zealand and heading out into the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

The next land to be seen will no doubt be the sothern tip of South America where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet at Cape Horn which has a fearsome reputation.

And there is still about 12,000 miles to race so there is plenty of time – another 30 to 40 days at sea – for events to unfold. Heading toward the New Zealand gate Michel Desjoyeaux in Foncia has a 60 mile lead over Roland Jourdain in Veolia Environment with Sebastian Josse – BT – a further 100 miles (approximately) behind Veolia Environment and Jean le Cam in VM Materiaux in fourth place.

Of the 30 boats that started the race 12 have now had to retire leaving only eighteen still in the race. For those that don’t know the Vendee Globe is a solo trans global race for open 60s – and what is an open 60? Read on:

Open 60s are one of the fastest boats in sailing — built in carbon fibre using the latest hi-tech structures, they are designed to be as light as possible (for speed) but strong enough to withstand the worst the seas can throw at them.

They are designed from the outset to be sailed by just one person. There are very few comforts aboard, and the skipper will spend most of the time in the ‘crash’ seats in a cuddy that separates the open cockpit and deck from the navigation work station. This is the nerve system, packed with electronics and computer equipment to help navigate, check performance, and communicate.

The boat has a number of different sails to suit various conditions — not as many sails as a boat designed to be sailed by a 12 strong crew, but enough to keep the solo skipper working hard all the time matching sailplan to wind and sea conditions. There are three types of sails — a mainsail, headsails on furlers (rolled up around the stays) and a spinnaker — although alone, the spinnaker is only used in very stable conditions (to be caught in a squall with this huge balloon of sail could mean disaster — end of race).

The boats also have to prove their ability to turn themselves the right way up if they become knocked down or turn upside down. This is part of the latest IMOCA safety rules which require the boat to right without the assistance of waves by the skipper taking some action to turn the boat over.

The video below from yachtpals will give you an idea of what can be expected in the southern oceans – kind of tough.

It really saddens me to report on yet another tragedy from the oceans. Believe me we do not talk many of them but here is another case of a scuba diving trip going horribly wrong. We have had people suggest that scuba is not extreme – purveying an air that it is just like a stroll in the park. IT IS NOT. And it doesn’t matter whether its 20 feet or 200 feet you just must take into account that when scuba diving you are in an environment where you do not belong – it thereby invites tragedy, as in this case, if something goes wrong. Do not be complacent, always err on the side of caution and respect that you are in an alien environment – please.

To get a true picture of what Houston diver Terry DeWolf was trying to do when he lost his life exploring the wreck of the Andrea Doria this week, think of touring a museum at least 230 feet from the nearest breathable oxygen and at least 50 miles by water from the nearest hospital.

The site, deep in the Atlantic Ocean south of Nantucket, Mass., is the grave of 51 people who lost their lives when the luxury liner collided with another ship and went down more than 50 years ago.

It is also considered the Mount Everest of diving, a perilous plunge of more than 200 feet to the seabed that now, with DeWolf’s death, has claimed the lives of 15 divers.

“It’s a pretty dangerous dive,” said Capt. Ed Ecker of the East Hampton Town Police Department. “I don’t want to speculate, but what generally happens is that they either get the bends or something goes wrong with the equipment.”

On Monday, the dive boat John Jack sailed out of Sportsman’s Dock in Montauk, N.Y., ferrying DeWolf and nine other divers to the site of the wreck as part of the 2008 Andrea Doria Expedition, a charter led by Richard Kohler, a famous diver and television personality who gained fame on The History Channel’s Deep Sea Detectives program.

The first divers hit the water Tuesday at noon. DeWolf went in Wednesday around 7:50 a.m. CDT with the day’s divers, but didn’t return as expected about four hours later.

“Some of the divers went back down and ended up recovering his body,” said U.S. Coast Guard 1st District public affairs officer Connie Terrell.

Coast Guard helps out

The John Jack’s crew was assisted by a detail from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Hammerhead, an 87-foot cutter dispatched when Joseph Terzuoli, captain of the John Jack, sent out a distress signal. From there, the John Jack brought DeWolf back to Montauk. Terzuoli’s wife, Susan, said he was unavailable for comment Friday as he helmed the John Jack back to its home port of Brick, N.J.

Ecker said there would be an autopsy at the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office in Happauge, N.Y., and that the toxicology report would be forthcoming.

“They have to check his tanks and so forth, and with the tanks it could take a couple months,” Ecker said.

DeWolf headed Tri-Tek Communications Inc., which touts itself as “a full-service provider of turnkey solutions to the telecommunications, cable television and various other industries” on its Web site. He and his wife, Tammy, were married 18 years and had three daughters: Amanda, 17; Christina, 15; and Kaitlyn, 12.

Amanda said she is soldiering on because “the crying has all gone out of (her) system.” A family member said DeWolf had been diving for more than 20 years.

Ann Keibler of Houston-based dive shop Oceanic Ventures Inc., confirmed that she knew DeWolf but would not confirm that she had dived with him or comment further, citing the family’s wishes.

Interest in Andrea Doria

In October of last year, DeWolf went on a trip to the Cayman Islands and brought back an ornate glass chandelier that seems to have piqued his interest in the Andrea Doria.

The Italian luxury liner, which sank in 1956, is popular with divers not only because of the technical challenges it presents, but because it is considered a trophy dive: The wreck, now deteriorating rapidly, is dotted with relics such as embossed china cups and dishes.

“He liked really unique things that told a story by (themselves),” Amanda DeWolf said of her father.

Typically divers who make deep, dangerous dives to sites like the Andrea Doria are “technical” divers, who are more highly trained and use more advanced equipment than “nontechnical” divers, who seldom venture deeper than 130 feet.

DeWolf family photo

Terry Sean DeWolf, head of Tri-Tek Communications, died Wednesday after diving to the Andrea Doria shipwreck.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

The Italian luxury liner Andrea Doria sank in 1956, claiming 51 lives. Today, the shipwreck is considered the Mount Everest of diving. Fifteen divers have died attempting to dive the shipwreck.

Our sincere condolences go out to the DeWolf family and my thanks to Neil Stratton of the chron.com who first reported this story