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Solo Trans Tasman


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As good a place as any for a thread.

So 4 boats damaged or otherwise withdrawn trying to get to the start line. They all look like Aussie boats, I've not been paying much attention to the weather in the Tasman, anything notable, or just 'normal' Tasman weather?

 

That leaves 6 boats.

 

Start this Sunday!

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Two years ago there were three of us from crew.org seriously considering this race. I pulled the pin when I thought it got silly expensive. KM when he saw the handicap rule. And Ash got closest and was ruled out on a sad little technicality. And the race is empty.

Is there a moral here?

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From the race's social media last week:

The Tasman sea is unforgiving and with expressions of interest from 28 boats down to a dozen actual entries we have ended up with 6 getting ready for the start on Easter Sunday. Conditions on the East Coast of Australia for the entrants sailing over have been tough and just a taste of what is in store. One dismantling, one lost bowsprit and one with all navigation equipment lost took out three competitors. For some it was not worth trying and the final hopeful entrant has just turned back to Aus from halfway across after battling wind and sea became too much.

Congratulations to those who made it, 5 kiwi registered boats including one based in Aus who had just done the Sydney/Hobart with 10 crew and then sailed across single handed arriving Wednesday and one Aussy.

 

 

So a dozen entries less 6 who made it, 3 damaged boats and 1 withdrawn due to conditions... Not sure what happened to the other 2 entrants.

 

I've been following it quite closely this year -- I'm super keen, I've got the ca$h, and I think I've finally started stepping over the line of bare minimum experience required. But I know I need a better boat, so that gives me a handful of years to prepare before jumping in.

 

 

I might humbly suggest that it is attitudes like that that are producing our ever diminishing fleet sizes. 

 

Rather have a small fleet than unprepared people dying out there.

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Good for you, hope it all goes well and you are on the start line for the next one. I still think it is about the only race left in NZ I'd like to do, but when the incremental cost  (over simply sailing to Aus whenever I feel like it) got over $1,000 per day I pulled the plug. $1,000 per day to do something I've already done 13 or 14 times already didn't make sense to me.

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I've not kept up to date, but in the 2010 event numbers were capped at 20 boats. Over 40 expressions of interest, about a dozen over the start line. Yet they had turned entries away as they were "full".

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I could afford it. I chose not to.

 

I might humbly suggest that it is attitudes like that that are producing our ever diminishing fleet sizes.

Your humble suggestion is way off the mark in our instance.

 

For SMU, we are not lucky enough to be able to easily finance it, and much needed further sponsorship didn't pan out.  Finances were nonexistent.    Paul and SMU were one of the last to withdraw, and the decision was made due to finance stress in a minor way, but the major one was not enough time on the boat so the sensible decision won through. The minor made the other major.  It's a bit foolish to cross that challenging bit of water when you are not feeling prepared or not prepared.  And that's all.  To us, the solo race is about the journey and accomplishment.  Can't speak for others, but a couple of the boats you mentioned have only recently hit the water after major refits so not much time on the water there either.   SMU's withdrawal was sound and sensible, and SMU was gutted to have to make it.  

 

SMU has entry for the next one.  He will be prepared for next time, we are determined to get him there.  Sad that none of the smaller boats made it to the start line, the entry list was looking exciting for awhile there.

 

Perhaps the people with an interest in it and the finances could help another sailor in these types of races?  Especially one who actually has proven they do race solo and shorthanded often but actually just get on with it and aren't good at selling themselves.  I know in our instance, extra support from anywhere quite probably would have got him to the start line.    May I suggest that perhaps actually this might be one of the reasons why fleet sizes are diminishing?    There's probably lots of different reasons that are valid.  This is ours.

 

We are doing the Enduro next, so will be in that fleet.  Going for the soft 100 version at my request.  I am not feeling fit enough for a 450 mission at the moment, but we will still be out there doing it and loving doing it.

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A question for SMU's crew - if the cost of doing the race had been less, would that have made it possible?

Depends what you mean by cost.  Entry cost is fair IMO.  I also have no issue with cost of cat 1, as most of it is sensible stuff anyway IMO.  We were either going to be lent a liferaft or hired one.  Med course and kit? Again, necessary IMO so no real issue.  Getting boat up to basic standard?  Again, I have no issue with that as sensible for any of the racing we do shorthanded anyway.    Food and stores?  Probably cheaper than him eating at home, except its a big outlay in advance.  All of those little things, the few I listed that are just off the top of my head add up to quite a bit.  And that doesn't take into account what I have missed off that list.

 

The biggest barrier is the cost of time.  That's where sponsorship can help though...winches, tiller pilot, wind gear all adds up.  If sponsorship had been there that money could have paid the mortgage for example and given us more time.  We couldn't afford to pay for someone to work on the boat.  We like working on the boat so that's not an issue...apart from time.  We couldn't afford for Paul to stop work so he could finish work and then get the seatime in to be completely at one with the boat in the Tasman.  The cost of time is where we hurt, as there wasn't enough left for that.

 

Yes it costs lots.  But so does anything really.  Depends what you want to do.  Paul has wanted to do this forever, and has never done it.  It's always been his dream, how do you put a price on that?  

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I think if I was interested in doing it I would simply sail the same course at the same time keeping out of the way of the entrants and not be encumbered by costs or rules. You could then compare your speed to the others and say well if I had entered I would’ve come 10th or whatever.

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The cost of going at all is not much different to sailing in the event, IMO. Boat should be up to the same standard anyway, and unless, like BP, you have to get a stability cert done etc, not a lot of difference.

Many many people say they would like to do it, but few are prepared for the time, effort, and $ it actually costs to go......

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