Captain Mikael Ryking of Talanta Finished Despite Unusually Serious Equipment Challenges.
Oakcliff, From the Stern, Today at the Maine Wharf, Portland.
Captain Sean O’Halloran of Oakcliff. Please visit www.oakcliffsailing.org for More Information on the Non-Profit Racing School on Long Island, NY.
Final preparations for Leg 3 of the 6th edition of the Atlantic Cup were underway all day today at the Maine Wharf – some of the nine members of the Class 40 fleet were finding their way up to Hamilton Marine buying parts needed to fix some of the broken parts incurred during the second leg of the Race that ended in Portland earlier this week.
Originally eleven yachts began the race in Charleston, South Carolina. Because of the heavy seas and strong winds two of the fleet dropped out from the Race in Newport, Rhode Island. They were first First Light and Espirit Scout – although Espirit Scout has mysteriously reappeared at the Maine Wharf, Portland.
Talanta, likewise experienced equipment breakdowns that would have retired a less determined Captain than Mikael Ryking. This afternoon Captain Ryking said that the jib broke; the main sail was breaking apart, although he conceded that the sail had 33,000 miles of use on it; the water ballast was not working on one side of Talanta and the automatic pilot broke down. It was sheer guts that got Talanta to Portland Harbor – on Wednesday morning around 2:00 am.
Oakcliff, was built in New Zealand and donated to the Oakcliff Training Center in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, by its owner. New Zealand is known for building impeccable boats because they have such a passion for the sport. In fact, New Zealand won the America’s Cup in 2017. Oakcliff Training Center is a non-profit sailing school said Captain Sean O’Halloran this afternoon on the Maine Wharf. For example, one program – Acorn – is a 2 – 4 week offshore/inshore racing school. The Training Center has one hundred (100) boats donated to it for training purposes.
Oakcliff was no exception as to damages incurred during the “horrendous, brutal and treacherous” passage to Portland. According to O’Halloran the engine was not charging batteries for the systems, wind information was lost and along with it the automatic pilot stopped. There was minor sail damage. The automatic pilot is so important because it gives a sailor freedom to move about the boat to take care of sails and other situations that erupt. It was time for the gracious O’Halloran to get back to work and fix the engine so it can undock for tomorrow’s race and charge the batteries needed for the race this weekend.
It was time for this blogger to retire to SCALES on the Maine Wharf for a cool, summer drink and reflect: That my engines all work and are charging my batteries, my sails are mostly in one piece and my water ballast is doing its job! Grateful.
Please see numerous posts herein dated June 6, 5, 4, and 3, 2018.