Match race: two identical boats racing against each other between buoys, difficult maneuvers and regulations. That’s the world we’re dealing with thanks to the funny videos we show you this week. Races can be really exciting when boats are very close to each other and compete until the last gybe; a little less when distance between competitors is considerable since the first tacks.
The case of our first video certainly falls under the first category: boats, indeed, are sailing under spinnaker on the aft side, at the same speed and, above all, with very ittle lateral distance. A difficult situation: fresh breeze, gusts and two competitors getting ready for broaching.
The perfect ingredients for an inevitable disaster. Boats on the same tack, indeed, meet a gust and the backward one starts to accelerate. It tries to bear away but the classic swinging movement comes: the prelude of paying off.
It luffs to avoid it but ends up yawing. The other boat, too, has the same problem and pays off.
The recipe is complete, the boats are out of control and crash against each other. The collision is violent but the worst is about to come. Spinnakers snag themselves and an incredible entangled entanglement of halyards and sheets forms until one of the two masts breaks and collapses on the deck house. A spectacular disaster!
The exuberant protagonists of the second video are about to cross the finish line of their match race, sailing fast and with a good distance between them.
The colourful language we can hear in the background certainly doesn’t horrify sailors. It’s typical of exited moments and perfectly summarizes what often happens on board during races.
Suddenly, the crew gets distracted and the defeat is certain. It’s not a good idea…The boat hooks a racing mark with the spinnaker sheet.
The result is a boat touching the finish line with a buoy in tow.
