Shark attacks dinghy, Roaring Forties to disappear, overboard 28 hours
by Nancy Knudsen, Editor on 15 May 2014
Shark right out of the water for a look - before attacking SW
For sheer shock value, the top story in this week's Cruising News Magazine is the video of the Great White shark attacking a RIB (rigid inflatable boat) - in other words just the kind of boat that most people use as dinghy tenders for their sailing boats.
The most astonishing, but enlightening news of the week is a side effect of global warming. The
Roaring Forties, that reliable jetstream of wind that has carried sailors around the globe for hundreds of years, may soon be a thing of the past. A group of scientists have discovered that while these winds are getting stronger, they are moving south, meaning a sailor might have to dip further south to find the winds, but they'll be more like the Furious Fifties.
Many sailors confess that they have nightmares about falling overboard and watching their boat sail away. This week you can read one personal story of a man who fell overboard to spend 28 hours treading water before he was rescued, and what it means to him, one year later.
There's also a huge variety of other articles: A US Coastguard veteran has some wise words on when you should 'abandon ship' and the story isn't as simple as 'stepping up not down'; delightful discoveries can be made up creeks by sailing boats, so the RYA has some hot tips about 'creek crawling'; read about the crew who are about to sail a Polynesian sailing canoe around the world.
British sailors are being encouraged to take their non-sailing friends for a taste of sailing on 17/18 May; finally, some Californian racing sailors have discovered that you don't have to race your boat to have fun, and come up with the idea of a weekend event called the Turtle Rally. The idea might just catch on...
Read on, enjoy, and...
Sweet sailing!
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