When you sail in such an aggressive way you are bound to hit some small bumps along the road that leads to the America’s Cup in San Francisco. Now we know when to push hard and when to sail in a more conservative way. Today’s incident is a very valuable lesson.
The best catamaran sailors keep calm and under control while pushing the boat faster; they feel the absolute limits because their senses are still in touch with a feedback loop and they can control their aggression.
Macatawa Bay Yacht Club has posted a video of the Ultimate 20 North American Championship racers caught yesterday in a squall on Lake Michigan. A race was shortened and boats sent to shore but not in time to avoid the challenge of rough seas, rain, lightning and heavy winds from the West.
Within minutes this storm came in on Lake Michigan, endangering many boaters…. Wind gusts of up to 53 miles an hour quickly made it impossible to even see all the boaters. Fortunately no boaters were lost, although there was damage done to some boats including a broken mast and rudder.
One of the competitors captured a first-person view. Sailors headed for shore safety who were able to keep their 20 ft boat under way saw 14 knts of speed with mainsail alone (205 sq ft):
And here is the view from shore posted by the yacht club, which shows visibility drop to near zero as the rain and wind roll in.
