Boat Race Cancelled

Boat Race Cancelled


This weekend's annual Boat Race between the world's two most famous universities, Oxford and Cambridge, has been cancelled, due to boredom.

The race, from Putney to Mortlake, is absolutely pointless, and only ever holds any excitement for the public if one of the boats sinks.

In an effort to 'spice up' the contest two years ago, organisers fitted an outboard motor to each of the boats.
Last year, both crews were coxed by naked black women with enormous breasts and a basket of fruit on their heads, but even this last-ditch attempt didn't spark any interest amongst the public, although winning crew Oxford managed to shave nearly 8 minutes off the Race record.

In the first Boat Race in 1651, the Oxford boat, skippered by R. Crusoe was swept down the Thames and out to sea. The crew were found clinging to French rocks, but Crusoe was never seen again.

Then, in 1851, Capt Ahab of Cambridge became distracted by a large brown trout in the river, and pursued his quarry all the way to the coast of Greenland, eventually finishing the race a distant second.

Oxford coach Bob Woolman, and his Cambridge counterpart Bob Woolhouse, were downcast at the news of the race's cancellation.

"This looks like the end of the Boat Race. It's a shame for a couple of old dodderers like us. I don't know what will become of us" said Bob.

"We'll probably end up collecting trolleys at Tesco."

Come-from-behind win

Come-from-behind win
BMW Oracle Racing wins first race of Act 13
By PAUL LOGOTHETIS The Associated Press
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VALENCIA, Spain — BMW Oracle Racing overtook America’s Cup champion Alinghi on the final drag Tuesday to complete a come-from-behind victory in the first fleet race of the Louis Vuitton Act 13.

The American team rounded the first windmarker in 10th place after skipper Chris Dickson chose to tack left. Dickson slowly worked the USA 87 boat back up the leaderboard, before jibe-peeling to a spinnaker on the final drag to propel it past the defending champions.

"We were just back from the main bunch of about six boats and they were just playing cat and dog ... and it was soon just a matter of which way around we were going to go as they slowed each other up," BMW Oracle Racing team manager Craig Monk said. "When we first gybed we were bow to bow (with Alinghi), but we were quite happy with a second at that point, and then we bounced them off."

The wind was the biggest factor on the first day of racing, testing teams to come up with new strategies — quickly.

"We were surprised we were that far back from the fleet. We had a good start but when we tagged, the breeze had done a kind of right shift and we were pretty stunned," Monk said. "We were looking for a bit of a shift to come back with and it wasn’t happening. It just wasn’t happening."

Alinghi started from the back after being penalized for crossing the starting line early. The Swiss team, which includes midbowman Curtis Blewett of Kelowna, B.C., recovered quickly and was on course for a second-place finish before the shifty winds slowed the SUI 91 boat to a near halt near the end of the final drag.

"Weathermen for the big teams like Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand decided to go to the left side of the course, and they lost big time," Alinghi runner Dean Phillips said. "It’s a difficult place to sail this time of the year, so there’s definitely going to be some upsets in the Louis Vuitton Cup."

Trailing surprise leader +39 Challenge by less than a minute through the third marker, Alinghi gybed past Italian boat Mascalzone Latino at the halfway mark of the final drag before BMW Oracle Racing — which was seventh after the final turn — sped past the Swiss team on starboard gybe for the win.

Shosholoza of South Africa gybed past Alinghi to finish second, three minutes 34 seconds behind. Mascalzone Latino was third, 4:18 behind.

Alinghi finished 5:04 back in fourth, 12 seconds ahead of Emirates Team New Zealand, the ACC Season Championship winner two of the past three years.

+39 Challenge, which was 10th, was the surprise leader until it lost its spinnaker after rounding the third windmarker. The Italian syndicate was sailing in its new ITA 85 boat, which had only been outfitted with a new mast late Monday, and was the last team on the course after crew worked on the boat through the night.

"Things breaking and boat handling errors, that’s half the problem, it distracts you from the big picture of the wind," +39 Challenge helmsman Iain Percy said. "Today, at least, proved we’ve got a bit of potential, but it’s going to be a lot of work and not a lot of sleep for the team over the next couple of days."

Percy chose to tack to the strong right side wind on the first drag, a move that propelled +39 Challenge to a 48 second lead over Mascalzone Latino by the second marker.

Tuesday’s second of seven stages was cancelled, with BMW Oracle Racing leading the standings with 12 points, one more than Shosholoza.

Big Boat action at Warsash

Race officers at Warsash Sailing Club had a busy two days over 31 March and 1 April. Not only was the Raymarine Warsash Spring Series continuing for the fourth week but also the first Big Boat event got underway. All that involved nearly 200 boats and some 27 start sequences in weather that tested boats and sailors alike.
Big Boat Series Week 1

Conditions for the Big Boats on Saturday 31st March might be described as lively by those competing or scary by those watching. This was the first outing for this year’s fleet and it proved a good shakedown experience. The two classes comprised BB1 for 42 to 46 footers, especially Farr 45s and Swan 45s and BB2 for Beneteau First 40.7s, which were racing level rated.

The sky was wintry with a biting Force 4/5 north-easterly for the first race of five windward/leeward legs, starting off the Island shore. After a clean start, the BB1 class were divided in their opinion on the best way up the beat. Fraxious had gained a slight advantage by the first mark, which she held, but behind her the fleet was packed close together with Werewolf chasing second placed John Merricks, crewed from the RYA Keelboat Programme.

The second lap saw significant changes to the running order and by the last leeward mark Exabyte Four had taken second place. The First 40.7s were more spread out. Playing Around gained a significant lead over 'Grand Cru II' by the top mark and these two extended their lead quite comfortably over the others to the finishing line. By 12:30 hours, when the second race started, the wind had swung to the east, gained a force and the sea conditions were worsening.

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing (WISC) made a good start from under the committee boat and was one of the early leaders.

But by the time the fleet was approaching the newly laid windward mark, there was a line of six boats abreast.

Having set off downwind, the fleet was hit by a big gust as most were deciding to gybe on to port. WISC and Shockwave were the heaviest losers.

The second run also caused problems - this time for Fever. She was leading at the time but broached and fell by the wayside. This allowed Exabyte Four to take control. Conditions were by now further deteriorating. In over 30 knots of breeze the race committee took the decision to stop for the day and abandon the third race.

The next morning saw lighter winds, still from the north-east. Fraxious again took an early lead until a mistake in reading the course took her to the wrong buoy. This allowed the pack to overtake and in a thrilling finish Exabyte Four snatched victory by two lengths from Henry Lloyd-Cutting Edge with Werewolf another length behind.

Meanwhile the 40.7s were racing with IRC2. Playing Around recorded a second place in the main race and another win in the Big Boat series. The wind increased again for the last race of the day and after some close battles Werewolf took both line and race honours.

In the 40.7 class, Robin Dollar in Grand Cru II finally got the better of Peter Robson to hold out some hope for the second Big Boat weekend on 21/22 April. The BB1 class boats can scored under IRM as well as the IRC rules and the difference in handicaps and results makes for interesting reading.

Provisional Results - Raymarine Warsash Big Boat Series, Weekend 1 (31 March/1 April)

BB1 using IRC Race 1 Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing Swan 45 Glynn Williams Race 2 Exabyte Four Farr 45 Shaun Frohlich Race 4 WISC Swan 45 Glynn Williams Race 5 Werewolf Farr 45 Jerry Otter

BB1 using IRM Race 1 Fraxious Farr 45 Jack Pringle Race 2 Fraxious Farr 45 Jack Pringle Race 4 Werewolf Farr 45 Jerry Otter Race 5 Werewolf Farr 45 Jerry Otter

BB2 - Beneteau First 40.7 Race 1, 2, 4 Playing Around Peter Robson Race 5 Grand Cru II Robin Dollar