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| Rags, in Hong Kong waters, raced in our China Coast Regatta, and HK-VN race |
Link to fun story here.
If you can't get it cause it's paywalled, here's the text:
Life aboard Ragamuffin is not just about rockin' in the riggin'
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 17 October, 2015, 11:23pm
UPDATED : Saturday, 17 October, 2015, 11:23pm
UPDATED : Saturday, 17 October, 2015, 11:23pm
Sport›Hong Kong
SAILING
'The crew of the super maxi, which has garnered an international reputation, are down-to-earth, fun-loving celebrities of the sailing world
As Ocean Park disappears in the distance, the roller-coaster does not stop on board 100-foot super maxi Ragamuffin as she cuts though the water. She's a weapon, a machine - an entire theme park.
At around 20 knots, she was flying, but she is also capable of a top speed of nearly 40 knots (70km/h).
The cockpit alone is bigger than most Hong Kong apartments at 15 metres long and 5.8 metres wide. The sail inventory costs US$2 million, and the machine of Ragamuffin requires a full-time staff of around 40.
WATCH: Ragamuffin up close in the 2014 Sydney to Hobart Race [1]
Every aspect of sailing on Ragamuffin is a reminder that this is sailing on the edge - and at the pinnacle of the sport, which was demonstrated once again yesterday when she finished in Nha Trang to again win line honours in the Hong Kong to Vietnam Race, setting a course record in the process.
Sitting on the rail concentrating on holding on, barefoot mainsheet trimmer Tommy Clout beside me was as cool as a cucumber. Easing the ropes on the winch, he says in the Australian spirit of understatement: "This will be a bit noisy. When you're sleeping in the pipe cot bunks right under the winches, it's like a gun going off over your head."
Every time you put to sea, there are inherent risks. In the Vietnam race, we're constantly aware that we're in busy shipping lanes
The winches, with around 11 tonnes of load on each, look more like bollards on a dock to tie up ships. "If things go wrong, they go very wrong. With a boat this size, the gear is massive, as are the speeds. We do it for the adrenalin," says Clout.
Although the boat is most comfortable with a monster heel at 30 degrees and with her gunnel carving up the water, the crew is a reminder that sailing is a great leveller. The crew of 20 "rock stars'' - with nicknames like Witty, Gatsby, Hobbit, Battler and Nipper - have enough sailing pedigree to fill a yachting Who's Who. Whether they're former flight attendants or firemen, they all have a vital job to do.
On a racing yacht, there is no room for luxuries, as the spartan toilet, or head, demonstrates. Photo: SCMP Pictures
Despite the fact some of the crew have sailed the distance of the moon and back, they are remarkably down to earth. Their approach shows that with a pair of sailing shoes, a wet-weather jacket and a desire for adventure, anyone can go sailing.
The mission of Ragamuffin sailing master Dave Witt is to get more people out on the water. "This is one of the most spectacular harbours in the world, with stunning waterways. Despite a fantastic youth sailing programme, I don't think Hong Kong people are really making the most of what's here. There's huge untapped potential."
As a father of four teenagers and a weekend rugby coach, Witt is used to mentoring. Last Sunday, the wettest and windiest day of the Audi China Coast Regatta, he took 13-year-old Optimist sailor Abbey Hammond out on Ragamuffin and coached her to helm up to 28.3 knots.
"When most companies issue invitations to events like tennis or footy, they'll ask 40 people and struggle to get 20, as guests have seen and done it all before.
"If 40 invitations are issued for a sail on Ragamuffin, we'll get 80 responses and have to put on another day. Most other sports sponsorships are passive brand exercises. What we offer is unique, it's about getting people hands-on."
By that, Witt also means hands on the wheel. "It's not easy to sit in boardrooms and explain what we do. People can't conceive of how fast she is, how big she is. When they experience Ragamuffin under sail, it completely turns their heads around," he says.
Witt's commitment goes beyond a sponsorship succession plan that will ensure his job, and that of his crew's, will live beyond Syd Fischer, the 88-year-old owner of Ragamuffin.
Making a cup of tea comes down to basic equipment without any frills. Photo: SCMP Pictures
Fischer earned the name of "Sid Vicious"' in his early decades of sailing, but Witt says there is more to the gruff exterior than meets the eye. "He's mellowed a lot," he says.
"I've worked for Syd for five years. We've had no fights, no acrimony. Syd rates loyalty a lot.
"I've been offered jobs with the Volvo Ocean Race and in Japan, but I owe Syd. When he hired me five years ago, I was 40, I had four kids, had just lost my A$10 million (HK$56.8 million) property-developing business in the Brisbane floods. I drove the family south in a four-wheel drive with a trailer full of furniture. That's all we had left.
"Syd always says, 'Every time you do a race, you learn something about yourself. You can stay in your bunk and sail to leeward, or you can really discover what you're made of and prove something to yourself'. In many respects, Syd is the benchmark, if he's still sailing in races like Hobart and Vietnam, others will, too," said Witt.
Once Fischer hit 40, he wanted a new challenge to add to the achievements of his 30s. The first-grade rugby player and surf boat steerer or "sweep'' turned to ocean racing. At 42, Fischer completed his first Sydney to Hobart, and has now notched 46.
While the 630-nautical mile Rolex Sydney to Hobart race is the Holy Grail for many yachtsmen, this weekend's 673-nautical mile Audi Hong Kong to Vietnam Race is an interesting comparison. "I don't know why more people don't do this race. It's sailing's best-kept secret," says Witt.
"The Hobart is hard on your boat and your body. Bass Strait can throw you anything and usually does with winds roaring up from the Antarctic.
I don't know why more people don't do this race. It's sailing's best-kept secret
"In the Vietnam race, you're sailing downwind in tropical conditions, any waves that come overboard are warm, and the destination is great.
"If I had to pick one ocean race to do every year, this would be it," he adds.
Even in this race, there is the potential for danger, says Englishman Matt Humphries. "Every time you put to sea, there are inherent risks. In the Vietnam race, we're constantly aware that we're in busy shipping lanes.
The crew of Ragamuffin relax as they enjoy the trip out of Victoria Harbour and head to Nha Trang. Photo: RHKYC
"We're also mindful of fishing boats with nets that could get caught around our canting keels. Visibility is not easy, particularly at night due the angle of our heel, the speeds we do and the size our gennaker [headsail]. Our lives and those of boats we could hit are at risk," he said.
Despite breaking the Vietnam race record in 2013 on Ragamuffin, the experience was not without incident.
One of them could have de-masted the boat, or put the mast through the carbon-fibre hull like a knife through butter, sinking it in a matter of minutes.
Chief Inspector Justin Shave of the marine police, who was a crew member at the time, said: "It was blowing about 20 knots, and the running backstay that helps hold up the mast broke. The crew instantly gybed and we took the wind out of the sails to reduce the load on the mast.
Chief Inspector Justin Shave of the marine police relishes a short break on dry land. Photo: RHKYC
"Some of the crew found spectra [rope] down below, and rigged up a new backstay. In policing, I am used to a quick response, but they took speed and calmness to a new level, despite the potential for real danger."
Ragamuffin, an old English word for a street urchin, is a household name in Australia, featured on a postage stamp and recognised worldwide. "Even in Windsor Castle," says Shave. "I was in the souvenir shop wearing my jacket and the girl asked me if I was a crew member. Her brother had missed out on the chance. It made me realise sailing a boat like this is an honour."
Sailing near Middle Island off Hong Kong Island, Shave was clearly pleased to be back on board with crew mates. Many say the real reason they go to sea is about camaraderie.
There has to be a reason to sleep in a pipe cot share one toilet among 20 crew members, and live on a selection of three "just add water meals [spaghetti bolognaise, chicken and rice and chilli con carne]."
Thanks for the Rags article
ReplyDeleteGrunta