"Peter" wrote in message
oups.com...

Maxprop wrote:
What can you tell me about Larry Ellison's boat Sayonnara? I'm told he
raced it in the Hobart the year so many died. Any knowledge about that?

I was looking it over rather thoroughly today. It's in storage in a
building in Holland, MI, waiting for who knows what. Sure is a big
*******.

I saw it when it got into Hobart in 1998. Yep it's a big *******. IIRC
he took line honours & swore he'd never do that race again.

I read the book about that race, and I seem to recall that he did make that
comment. Perhaps that boat was built for that race only. If so, it's
probably looking for a new owner.

Max

OzOne wrote in message ...
On 25 Sep 2006 17:57:21 -0700, "Peter"
scribbled thusly:


Maxprop wrote:
What can you tell me about Larry Ellison's boat Sayonnara? I'm told he
raced it in the Hobart the year so many died. Any knowledge about that?

I was looking it over rather thoroughly today. It's in storage in a
building in Holland, MI, waiting for who knows what. Sure is a big
*******.

I saw it when it got into Hobart in 1998. Yep it's a big *******. IIRC
he took line honours & swore he'd never do that race again.

PDW

My understanding is that he was totally disabled by seasickness and
fear after the storm hit, and yes, he did say that he would never do
that race again despite surviving and taking line honours.

I don't hold that in any way against the man, I know of a dozen or
more who gave up distance ocean racing after their experiences in '98.
One, a yachtsman of world renown has not sailed outside Sydney Heads
since if my memory serves me well.

Don't recall Ellison ever coming back here.

That race brought quite a few renowned sailors to their knees. To pray, I
think, for survival. Lots of foxhole religion was transacted during that
race: "get me out of this, God, and I promise I'll never do anything so
stupid again . . ." etc.

Max

"Joe" wrote in message
ups.com...

OzOne wrote:
On 25 Sep 2006 17:57:21 -0700, "Peter"
scribbled thusly:


Maxprop wrote:
What can you tell me about Larry Ellison's boat Sayonnara? I'm told
he
raced it in the Hobart the year so many died. Any knowledge about
that?

I was looking it over rather thoroughly today. It's in storage in a
building in Holland, MI, waiting for who knows what. Sure is a big
*******.

I saw it when it got into Hobart in 1998. Yep it's a big *******. IIRC
he took line honours & swore he'd never do that race again.

PDW

My understanding is that he was totally disabled by seasickness and
fear after the storm hit, and yes, he did say that he would never do
that race again despite surviving and taking line honours.

I don't hold that in any way against the man, I know of a dozen or
more who gave up distance ocean racing after their experiences in '98.
One, a yachtsman of world renown has not sailed outside Sydney Heads
since if my memory serves me well.


Geeeze, what a bunch of pussies.

Heh . . . big talk from one who never spent what must have felt like a
fortnight in monstrous waves and hurricane-force winds.

Max

"Peter" wrote in message
ups.com...

Joe wrote:
Peter wrote:
Joe wrote:
OzOne wrote:
On 25 Sep 2006 17:57:21 -0700, "Peter"
scribbled thusly:


Maxprop wrote:
What can you tell me about Larry Ellison's boat Sayonnara? I'm
told he
raced it in the Hobart the year so many died. Any knowledge
about that?

I was looking it over rather thoroughly today. It's in storage
in a
building in Holland, MI, waiting for who knows what. Sure is a
big *******.

I saw it when it got into Hobart in 1998. Yep it's a big *******.
IIRC
he took line honours & swore he'd never do that race again.

PDW

My understanding is that he was totally disabled by seasickness and
fear after the storm hit, and yes, he did say that he would never
do
that race again despite surviving and taking line honours.

I don't hold that in any way against the man, I know of a dozen or
more who gave up distance ocean racing after their experiences in
'98.
One, a yachtsman of world renown has not sailed outside Sydney
Heads
since if my memory serves me well.


Geeeze, what a bunch of pussies.

But that shows you many men who can afford Hoybart yachts are
lubber's
to start with, who bought thier way to sea. To bad not many real
sailors can afford 60 ft ocean sleads.

Nothing stopping you having a go, Joe. You won't win line honours but
you might win on handicap in your boat. Go for it in 2008/9 and I'll
buy you a beer. Next year I won't be here when the fleet gets in.

PDW

Ya find me a 60 ft sled and Ill buy me own ticket peter, I'm not skeerd
in the least.
If you do, and she a proper sled I'll win the race.

Borrow Ellison's. Maxprop said he's not using it ATM. There ya go, I've
solved your sled probs. See you when you get here....

Hell, I'll help you get it on the trailer, Joe.

You couldn't pay me enough to do the Sydney-Hobart.

Max

"Joe" wrote in message
ups.com...

OzOne wrote:
On 25 Sep 2006 18:47:16 -0700, "Joe"
scribbled thusly:



Geeeze, what a bunch of pussies.

But that shows you many men who can afford Hoybart yachts are lubber's
to start with, who bought thier way to sea. To bad not many real
sailors can afford 60 ft ocean sleads.

Ever sailed thru a hurricane in a light displacement fin keeler Joe?

No Oz I havent,,but if you give me one I'll give it a shot. No problem,
I've been in a many hurricanes at sea and know how to use them to my
advantage, specially sailing. I know bys ballot law like the back of my
hand. The worse the seas... the more I feel alive.

How interesting. During the '98 Hobart a lot of sailors felt rather dead in
those seas.

Max

OzOne wrote in message news
On 25 Sep 2006 18:55:45 -0700, "Peter"
scribbled thusly:

Had a close up look at the surviving fleet in 98. My objection to them
was & is the same. Structural integrity & seakindliness has been
sacrificed for speed. Fine provided nothing goes wrong, but when it
does, those yachts are dangerous.

Yep, but then again...there's no real point in racing an
undercanvasses overweight crab crusher.

Oddly enough the boat that sank with all hands but three (?) was closest to
that description of all the race boats in '98, IIRC.

Max

Joe wrote:
Thats not the point, I'm telling you with a well founded boat no seas
on earth can scare me.

Well, if you're not afraid to die, that's a good attitude.

I have seen the ocean rip 2" welded steel plates apart, and
that was in a storm of less than 24 hours brewing (North Sea
'V' shaped depression).

In that same storm, two oil rigs were heavily damaged, one
was abandoned and one of the survival pods w/ approx 30 men
was lost.

I was on a 400' Navy ship, and it was not fun. We recovered
one of the survival pods (like a lifeboat). IMHO there is no
small sailboat ever built that would not have been shredded
in that storm. Imagine being lifted up 50 or 60 feet in the
air, then slammed down, tumbling as you go. Sometime getting
slammed from 50' up landing on your side, sometimes
upside-down. Repeat at least twice every three minutes for
twelve hours.

The biggest piece left would fit in a pizza box.



..... My fear
would be dying in bed asleep, or in an office building closing a deal.


Nobody knows how it will happen, but we all know it will.
Every man likes to think he's not afraid of dying but to
seek it out is either very stupid, or crazy, or both.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Maxprop wrote:
We're looking at a boat in the same building. Next time we're there, I'll
take a few shots of her, if someone can give me a place to post 'em.


Email 'em to me, I'll put em up on Webshots. You can have
credit or not, as you pick.

I think Webshots has given me free space because we get so
much traffic (usually 200 ~ 300 views per day).

DSK

Maxprop wrote:
"Joe" wrote in message
ups.com...

OzOne wrote:
On 25 Sep 2006 18:47:16 -0700, "Joe"
scribbled thusly:



Geeeze, what a bunch of pussies.

But that shows you many men who can afford Hoybart yachts are lubber's
to start with, who bought thier way to sea. To bad not many real
sailors can afford 60 ft ocean sleads.

Ever sailed thru a hurricane in a light displacement fin keeler Joe?

No Oz I havent,,but if you give me one I'll give it a shot. No problem,
I've been in a many hurricanes at sea and know how to use them to my
advantage, specially sailing. I know bys ballot law like the back of my
hand. The worse the seas... the more I feel alive.

How interesting. During the '98 Hobart a lot of sailors felt rather dead in
those seas.

Max

Yeah I know all about it Max.

Joe

Maxprop wrote:
"Joe" wrote in message
ups.com...

OzOne wrote:
On 25 Sep 2006 17:57:21 -0700, "Peter"
scribbled thusly:


Maxprop wrote:
What can you tell me about Larry Ellison's boat Sayonnara? I'm told
he
raced it in the Hobart the year so many died. Any knowledge about
that?

I was looking it over rather thoroughly today. It's in storage in a
building in Holland, MI, waiting for who knows what. Sure is a big
*******.

I saw it when it got into Hobart in 1998. Yep it's a big *******. IIRC
he took line honours & swore he'd never do that race again.

PDW

My understanding is that he was totally disabled by seasickness and
fear after the storm hit, and yes, he did say that he would never do
that race again despite surviving and taking line honours.

I don't hold that in any way against the man, I know of a dozen or
more who gave up distance ocean racing after their experiences in '98.
One, a yachtsman of world renown has not sailed outside Sydney Heads
since if my memory serves me well.


Geeeze, what a bunch of pussies.

Heh . . . big talk from one who never spent what must have felt like a
fortnight in monstrous waves and hurricane-force winds.

Max

Max, I have been in several hurricanes at sea. 2 in the gulf and one in
the south China Sea. The one's in the gulf was on a standby boat. The
seas got so bad we had life rings washed of the bridge wings and
tangled in the mast approx 50-60 ftrs. The hurricane formed right
around us. Other time on a 32 ft Layfetta Skiff. Took us 4 hrs to get
out and 26 to get back in.. seas 25-40 ft. The worst by far was in the
South China sea with waves in the 60-80 ft class, same storm that the
fellow was killed on the tug trying to pull our ship away from the
dock. While delivering a boat to Wick Scottland we were hit by a rogue
in the north sea, normal waves were 30+ ft the rougue was around 60ft
and tore a 30 ft weld and moved the wheelhouse back 2 inches and blew
in every window. One of the wildest night ever was evacuating a rig 110
miles offshore, we had to wait to the last min for 5 guys to decide to
shut down the rig, we had 20fts off the stern all the way in, that boat
was screaming and surfing like you could not even imagine. Terry(my
wife) rode out Hurricane alicia on a 60 ft shrimpboat that had every
port and window smashed in with every wave putting at least a ft of
water in the wheelhose, waves in the 40 -60 ft range.

Joe