This photo is of two Bahama's C-class catboats going at it with crew perched on pries (the International Canoes call them sliding seats, the Log Canoes call them boards, the Australian VJ, Payne Mortlock and Skate classes call them planks; same difference). About 20 feet long they carry a huge cat rig. I've posted before on the huge Bahamanian A-class and the Family Island Regatta.
Videographer Onne Van der Wal has posted a short trailer on racing these over-canvassed beasts. Note at the 36 second mark, two unfortunate crew being peeled off their pries by the boom of a competitor to weather and at the 39 second mark, a C-class gets his outhaul caught on the mast of another C-class, with a predictable disastrous outcome. Great fun in some difficult sailing craft. A tip-of-the-hat to these plucky and skilled racers.
Bahamas Family Island Regatta for Vanishing Sail (rough preview version) from Onne van der Wal on Vimeo.
5 comments:
Gorgeous boats, and they really move don't they?
The header photo I like is the one at the very top, printed as a negative. This distorts Lennie Parker's original pix and obscures the presence of at least two boats hiding behind Jeff Linton's sail. The effect makes it look like I'm in 3rd place! Distorted reality--sometimes a good thing!
BTW: I've got my blogspot open and yours is still insisting on capcha. So, I bid you a very merry 7124 ichromou! Oops, it didn't like my typing; must try again...
You mean you weren't in third, George?
Naw, I think I finished 4th or maybe 5th in that particular race. The pix makes me look better than I was!
I visited George Town, Exuma this past February, and while I wasn't able to sail any of these sloops, I snapped some photos of the different classes of boats, since many of them live on trailers or in people's yards for much of the year. It's a truly fascinating environment that these boats evolved, and continue to race in. There's a really cool old documentary on the event that's a must-see. Love the period music and fashions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzoMe7HW2rM. The Exuma Sailing Club is doing a lot to raise awareness of these boats, though it appears to be a really big thing in the Family Islands (rivaling the Super Bowl in the US). I'm mildly obsessed with the E Class boats, and want to bring one back to the States for sailing on the Chesapeake.
Prayers to any of the builders, skippers and their families that might have been impacted by Dorian. Hopefully, the boats from the Abacos and Grand Bahama survived the devastation.
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