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Tough Day in Monaco….at the Primo Cup.
There were a total of 76 boats on the water yesterday for the start of the 2nd day of the Primo Cup. Other than the small Dragon Fleet, are Star’s, J 24’s and The Surprise (a French Class). The PRO tried to start the Dragons at around 10.30am, but the wind died to nothing. Then after a short break, he managed to get us away at around 11.00am. Well, I say get us away, there was about 2kts of wind, so we all struggled to cross the line. In fact one unlucky Dragon FRA 387 Gerard Blanc and his team could not cross the line before the next fleet’s starting sequence began, so had to retire…….. That’s how light the wind was.
However, some of us did get away and slowly the wind increased as did the waves! At the top of the first beat RUS 76 was ahead of RUS 35 and NED 410. The spinnaker run was a little “tame” but offered some surfing opportunities. Then the wind increased to around 28-30kts by the end of the 2nd beat. On the “Dog Leg” a 8m high Tsunami hit our boat broadside on, washing me completly out of the boat, whilst one of my crew was thrown across the boat (bruising ribs), and my 3rd crew just hung onto the mast like a Cat up a Drainpipe! Needless to say, I was eventually hauled back into the boat, but had it not been for my Life Jacket, I am sure I would not be here writing this today……
The Wave that got Me!!!!
Meanwhile the leading boats elected not to fly spinnakers until the “Squall” blew through and RUS 76 went on to win the race with RUS 35 2nd and ITA 54 3rd. But the PRO had little option but to send all boats back into the safety of the harbour as the conditions were not improving. With just the one race sailed yesterday, overall positions remain the same. RUS 27 still leads, From RUS 35 then followed closely by RUS 76.
However, today is another day and three more races are planned with a forecast of 10kts. The sun is already shinning and the temperature should be rising above what most of you are now experiencing in the rest of Europe…. So who am I to complain !
Higher, Faster, Longer, … Wetter……. Stavros (NED 410).
One reply to “Tough Day in Monaco….at the Primo Cup.”
David Collard
Glad we were not the only ones … We were in J/24 MON377 and about 10 minutes after our start what I assume was the same Tsunami hit us. We were on starboard tack near your leeward mark with the waves coming in pretty much on the beam. The first 2 or 3 were OK, but then this wave, as high as the mast, broke and crashed down on the foredeck, spinning us through almost 360 degrees, Luckily everybody miraculously stayed onboard which is more than can be said for one of the other J24’s (MON 55) which broached under spi and threw two people out. Cold, wet, bruised, tired – don’t we just love sailing!