Blog for Big Wave Rider xferering to new Website - Bruce Arms/BWR Multihulls
Follow the below Link
www.brucearms.com
Yacht Tracker Map http://oceantracker.net/tracker/showboats.php?event=brucearms
Tracking Map will be imbedded into website in the near future.
Thanks
Bruce & Suzanne Arms
BWR Multihulls
Big Wave Rider
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The Solo Race Aftermath ...
After talking to all of the solo sailors it seems that this race was one of the toughest with everybody breaking something or other. It was great to see the last and smallest boat in, Trish Lewis in Wishbone, a day before the prize giving. I would have to say by the look of the sailors a week after they finished, the after race celebrations is just about harder than the race itself they all had a great time in Mooloolaba. The prize-giving was held in the yacht club at the Mooloolaba marina hosted by the SCYC. It was a great evening with a nice dinner, a great crowd nearly 200 people, they all had a great time. A highlight at the end of the evening was that Jessica Watson rang in for a sked with me and it was a good line so we used the pa system to get the crowd to ask her questions and she could answer them with every one hearing them. With all the solo sailors there they could relate to what she was going through, a very special moment.
With all the sailors starting to go their own way it is time for BWR to get ready for the next trip which I will talk about in the next blog. A very big thank you to all my supporters and all the organizing committees on both sides of the Tasman. They make it all possible and the sponsors as well, and of course the sailors, it takes a special kind of person to do a solo race (or maybe just crazy), any way it is a great race and should be kept going for another 40 years.
Bruce
With all the sailors starting to go their own way it is time for BWR to get ready for the next trip which I will talk about in the next blog. A very big thank you to all my supporters and all the organizing committees on both sides of the Tasman. They make it all possible and the sponsors as well, and of course the sailors, it takes a special kind of person to do a solo race (or maybe just crazy), any way it is a great race and should be kept going for another 40 years.
Bruce
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Finish
Well what a last day….with the wind up then down and changing direction all the time, I thought I could head straight to the finish. But no, it was very frustrating as I approached Cape Moreton, the wind started to bend me towards the finish. I was sailing along doing 10-12 knots, then I spotted a big storm near the finish line. BUGGER, Mooloolaba just disappeared and I started to get lots of rain from it as it passed in front of me, then it stuffed up the wind completely. I had a real struggle to get over the line, there were lots the people waiting in the rain to welcome me in as I drifted over the line doing about 1 knot, not very spectacular. But what a reception with everyone lining the river wall shouting and cheering me in. Then it was up the river to clear Customs and Quarantine in front of the Sunshine Coast Yacht Club. It was another big crowd containing my wife Suzanne along with family and friends to welcome me in. Champagne and cold beer were first on the list along with a BBQ feed after many hugs and lots of shaking hands.
Overall it was a great welcome and a nice feeling to be finally home. It was a very tough race with lots of changing weather patterns that included both windy and calm conditions. I pushed the boat and myself to the limit in this race and it has showed with a overall lead of 350 nm’s plus and some 52.5 hours before the next boat arrived. It is the first time in forty years since someone has won the race twice in the history of the race, let alone back to back wins. It’s also the second oldest race in the world and the only single handed offshore race in the Southern Hemisphere.
Race Time = 7days 6hours and 34mins.
Nm’s Sailed = 1,444
Overall it was a great welcome and a nice feeling to be finally home. It was a very tough race with lots of changing weather patterns that included both windy and calm conditions. I pushed the boat and myself to the limit in this race and it has showed with a overall lead of 350 nm’s plus and some 52.5 hours before the next boat arrived. It is the first time in forty years since someone has won the race twice in the history of the race, let alone back to back wins. It’s also the second oldest race in the world and the only single handed offshore race in the Southern Hemisphere.
Race Time = 7days 6hours and 34mins.
Nm’s Sailed = 1,444
Sunday, April 11, 2010
No wind
Friday night saw the wind slowly dropping off and Saturday morning there wasn’t much of anything except some current against me,not going to make it in today I thought.
Saturday night the wind slowly started picking up, just enough to stop me going crazy. By early Sunday morning a nice NE wind had picked up and we are off heading for the finish line. BWR is really going for it hard and fast and I am just along for the ride. Looking forward to a hot shower and a cold beer (sorry Jess about the shower) and to see all the family and friends and Suzanne waiting at the finish line. It hasn’t been as easy as it looks to win this race again as I have pushed the boat hard in all conditions to get the best out of it and you don’t get much sleep doing that.
Well I had better get back to getting this boat to the finish.
Bruce
Saturday night the wind slowly started picking up, just enough to stop me going crazy. By early Sunday morning a nice NE wind had picked up and we are off heading for the finish line. BWR is really going for it hard and fast and I am just along for the ride. Looking forward to a hot shower and a cold beer (sorry Jess about the shower) and to see all the family and friends and Suzanne waiting at the finish line. It hasn’t been as easy as it looks to win this race again as I have pushed the boat hard in all conditions to get the best out of it and you don’t get much sleep doing that.
Well I had better get back to getting this boat to the finish.
Bruce
Friday, April 9, 2010
The moods of the Tasman
Wednesday afternoon - the wind lightens and through the night as well, not conditions for fast sailing but very pleasant. Thursday morning saw the wind pick up and some fast reaching, BWR was flying along till about lunch time when the tack (where the sail attaches to the bowsprit) of the big reaching sail blew apart. Bugger, I thought, I now have a huge sail I couldn’t roll away to get down. So 30 minutes later after a big wrestling match on the front nets I got it down. By then the wind angle had changed so it was up with the jib and off again on a tight reach just smokin’ along.
Then another change of wind in the evening to 30 knots NW just where I want to go so I had that for a few hours. Then a big rain squall that had been chasing me finely got to me. Thunder, lightning, pouring rain, the works and that really stuffed up the wind. Daylight saw a change to the WNW, about 10 -15 knots, still not great but sort of making some progress towards the finish line. The wind is meant to be SW by now, it would help a lot. But at least the sun is out today and things are drying out.
So you see the Tasman is for ever changing its mood and is always out to challenge you, so you just have to put up with it and get on with the job.
Bruce
Then another change of wind in the evening to 30 knots NW just where I want to go so I had that for a few hours. Then a big rain squall that had been chasing me finely got to me. Thunder, lightning, pouring rain, the works and that really stuffed up the wind. Daylight saw a change to the WNW, about 10 -15 knots, still not great but sort of making some progress towards the finish line. The wind is meant to be SW by now, it would help a lot. But at least the sun is out today and things are drying out.
So you see the Tasman is for ever changing its mood and is always out to challenge you, so you just have to put up with it and get on with the job.
Bruce
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Sailing fast
Last night the seas and wind started to ease a bit so I could start pulling out the reefs as the night went on, and put the power on for some very fast sailing. This morning I got full main and jib up, boat speed is sitting on 10 knots and surfing up to 18-21 knots.
I was asked yesterday by a NZ radio station "do you sleep on a multihull", well when I am sailing very fast I don’t sleep much and when it is rough not at all. I am just cat-napping when I can with the seas a bit flatter as they are today, and as it is smooth sailing I can get a bit more sleep. I am treating this race as a sprint as it is only 6-7 days long, not like Jessica who is sailing for over 6 months. She asked me how I was sleeping too. Otherwise I will sleep when I get there so don’t expect me to stay awake for long. There is a bit of sun out today and things are starting to dry out, a very nice day in the middle of the Tasman. I hope it keeps up.
Bruce
I was asked yesterday by a NZ radio station "do you sleep on a multihull", well when I am sailing very fast I don’t sleep much and when it is rough not at all. I am just cat-napping when I can with the seas a bit flatter as they are today, and as it is smooth sailing I can get a bit more sleep. I am treating this race as a sprint as it is only 6-7 days long, not like Jessica who is sailing for over 6 months. She asked me how I was sleeping too. Otherwise I will sleep when I get there so don’t expect me to stay awake for long. There is a bit of sun out today and things are starting to dry out, a very nice day in the middle of the Tasman. I hope it keeps up.
Bruce
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