It's just confusing how two sets of eyes did not see a mistral coming towards them at a windsurfing Olympic test event in the vicinity of the start line. I don't know the numbers but it's not unreasonable to suggest 100 mistrals were going to the start.
Accidents do happen

Dash cams for boats as a mandatory item, fore & aft.

Craft GPS enabled so tracks can be compared.

Does anyone use GoPros anymore while sailing? Could be used as evidence? Cyclists can buy camera & lights in the same unit for front & rear aplications (Fly6 & 12).

We have to tech to make it right but everyone has to be on board and there will always be someone who doesnt want to, is under the influence or something else.

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powersloshin said..

hardie said..
Great Discussion.

The issues are around what we can control and what we can't.

What stands out for me, is our Blind Spot/s. That's our big vulnerability.

We've got such a large wise, and clever community, this is our challenge.

WE need a Blind Spot Solution , c'morrn you great minds, get cracking

If we can resolve this, we give ourselves much more control over avoiding collisions.

I agree with hardie, my near death experiences both happened when I was missed by less than a meter by people bearing away doing over 30 knots speed runs. I didn't see them coming from behind and they did not see me behind their sail until I crossed their path in front of them.
So I also would add looking back and not just behind the sail if you want to stay safe.

Re bearaways - It's scary really, if you're really powered up it can be too risky to try to look behind you so you can only look ahead or through the sail to check..
I'm more confused than ever after this thread and I don't trust that everyone know the rules..I get starboard and overtaking but then you have to trust that the other sailors also knows..
I was looking west into the sun yesterday at Coal pt.The waves were backlit so it was pretty hard to see anything downwind, especially through the sail. Trying to keep a good lookout was hard although luckily it doesn't get very busy out there.

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olskool said..
Have been following this thread keenly. Thought id share my close call from late yesterday here at GB. Fanging along on a gloomy late afternoon. Western Sun occasionally spearing thru the heavy cloud cover.. Im the only craft on the water. Or so i thought. Visibility quite bad as its only 30min until dark. Big gust nearly catapulted me. Back foot out of the strap. As im trying to recover at 20kts n get my back foot back in i glance forward to my horror a 55ft launch was dead infront of me only 15m away. It was cruising at around 10kts. I was heading for a collision midships of the launch. Had to ditch to windward immediately. I ended up about 3m from the launch as she slid by. Close call... Almost a big one. Really reminded me of just how POOR visibility can be. Didnt even see the launch thru the sail window!! Close to sunset on a gloomy afternoon. Hmm.. note to self,
KEEP A VIGILANT LOOKOUT.

Scary.. Cripes the more I read the more I feel like taking up knitting...

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sboardcrazy said..

olskool said..
Have been following this thread keenly. Thought id share my close call from late yesterday here at GB. Fanging along on a gloomy late afternoon. Western Sun occasionally spearing thru the heavy cloud cover.. Im the only craft on the water. Or so i thought. Visibility quite bad as its only 30min until dark. Big gust nearly catapulted me. Back foot out of the strap. As im trying to recover at 20kts n get my back foot back in i glance forward to my horror a 55ft launch was dead infront of me only 15m away. It was cruising at around 10kts. I was heading for a collision midships of the launch. Had to ditch to windward immediately. I ended up about 3m from the launch as she slid by. Close call... Almost a big one. Really reminded me of just how POOR visibility can be. Didnt even see the launch thru the sail window!! Close to sunset on a gloomy afternoon. Hmm.. note to self,
KEEP A VIGILANT LOOKOUT.

Scary.. Cripes the more I read the more I feel like taking up knitting...

For a second there i thought you said you feel like taking up kiting .

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Imax1 said..

sboardcrazy said..

olskool said..
Have been following this thread keenly. Thought id share my close call from late yesterday here at GB. Fanging along on a gloomy late afternoon. Western Sun occasionally spearing thru the heavy cloud cover.. Im the only craft on the water. Or so i thought. Visibility quite bad as its only 30min until dark. Big gust nearly catapulted me. Back foot out of the strap. As im trying to recover at 20kts n get my back foot back in i glance forward to my horror a 55ft launch was dead infront of me only 15m away. It was cruising at around 10kts. I was heading for a collision midships of the launch. Had to ditch to windward immediately. I ended up about 3m from the launch as she slid by. Close call... Almost a big one. Really reminded me of just how POOR visibility can be. Didnt even see the launch thru the sail window!! Close to sunset on a gloomy afternoon. Hmm.. note to self,
KEEP A VIGILANT LOOKOUT.

Scary.. Cripes the more I read the more I feel like taking up knitting...

For a second there i thought you said you feel like taking up kiting .

That's even more dangerous ..you also have to factor in collisions with brick walls and trees..

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Chris249 said..

Just to make it clear, I wasn't "picking it apart" but merely saying, like you, that all the evidence disagreed with her.

Sorry was not aimed at you

It was aimed at the others talking about rubbish like how can she hit the back of her head, maybe the boat did this or that, board damage being indicative of angles, etc. It's pretty clear that everyone said she hit the boat not the other way around and I reckon the courts have figured it out after hearing all evidence over many years.

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windsufering said..
It's just confusing how two sets of eyes did not see a mistral coming towards

New Zealand windsurfer James Wells and German Julia Conrad, 19, who was a passenger on Kendall's boat, said in their statements that the sailboard hit the rear left of the motorboat.

Then....."Out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow coming towards me at high speed, at the left side of my craft," Kendall told Greek investigators at the time.

Seeing a shadow come towards me means he only saw the windsurfer within a very short distance of his boat possibly as short as 30 metres away.

Julia Conrad the only other person on the boat could then only have seen the accident at the absolute last second at best as she did not give Kendall any prior warning of a windsurfer in close vicinity.

When two sets of eyes cannot see a windsurfer till it is upon them you have to conclude they were distracted.

That in itself is concerning to all windsurfers.

I tend to think Birkenfield was the guilty party - sailing with her back to the boat on a near parallel course possibly clipping the boat with her head and board.

That said,piloting a motorboat whilst simultaneously coaching other windsurfers should be a clear breach of marine safety.

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FishMints said..

... Its going to be in your front facing field of vision for some time before you actually cross/hit - so plenty of time to take evasive action and not leave it until the last second...

... and, if the sail suddenly *disappears* after you've spotted it, to slow the heck down because there's probably someone swimming.

... just in case that wasn't said, already...

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petermac33 said..

windsufering said..
It's just confusing how two sets of eyes did not see a mistral coming towards

New Zealand windsurfer James Wells and German Julia Conrad, 19, who was a passenger on Kendall's boat, said in their statements that the sailboard hit the rear left of the motorboat.

Then....."Out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow coming towards me at high speed, at the left side of my craft," Kendall told Greek investigators at the time.

Seeing a shadow come towards me means he only saw the windsurfer within a very short distance of his boat possibly as short as 30 metres away.

Julia Conrad the only other person on the boat could then only have seen the accident at the absolute last second at best as she did not give Kendall any prior warning of a windsurfer in close vicinity.

When two sets of eyes cannot see a windsurfer till it is upon them you have to conclude they were distracted.

That in itself is concerning to all windsurfers.

I tend to think Birkenfield was the guilty party - sailing with her back to the boat on a near parallel course possibly clipping the boat with her head and board.

That said,piloting a motorboat whilst simultaneously coaching other windsurfers should be a clear breach of marine safety.

I just find it very strange that not one piece of independent evidence was found.
i always believed that coach boats should not impede a sailors way , They sailors always have right of way on a race area, how wrong I was
Reading all the race rules and rgulations, this decisions goes against them !
i just hope a precedent has not been set
they weren't aware other sailing craft was around !