OMG! That has got to be one of the greatest thrill rides on Earth. have you ever read the book, "Cape Horn Breed"?

http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/top3mset/b4ea99170b87a1dc.html

I haven't read that book but I have the video, "Square Riggers of the 1930's' which has film footage of a number of square rigged sailing vessels rounding the Horn.

There is a Whitbread video about rounding the horn which I packed away somewhere I should find it and upload it to YouTube.

Brigantine's are pretty cool, I sailed on the Black Pearl for a bit. They just get kind of confusing, lots of lines! Makes a sloop look pretty damn sample.


Thats one ugly sailboat, its big thats all its go going for it.

I think the old J class were the ultimate in racing yachts:

http://www.rick-tomlinson.com/H2OGal...s/053A-H20.jpg


http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ph...3ranger/1s.jpg

http://www.jclass.com/images/pbendeav.jpg

You can have your modern cup boats and Maxi's, IMHO these are some of the finest sailing vessels that were ever made, and ever will be made.

This ones pretty good:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6703499330176739220&q=rounding+cape+horn&total=5&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

The die hard racers are nuts. You round the upwind mark it could be blowing 30++ knots, if one boat pops the shoot everyone does. Then its hang on for dear life so you don't broach. But sometimes you do, then the carbon fiber spinniker pole goes BOOM.:eek::D

what ever you said .. sounds like alot of fun...

When I was fishing with Surf we were coming back in through the channel markers and a sailing boat was motoring out.. So Surf punched it and made a big ass wake to screw with them... ^_^... oh well.. gotta have some form of fun

Thanks for the tip, I'll see if I can find that.

Another good sailing book that I read recently was Eric Newby's, "The last grain race". Mre about that here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Grain_Race

The ship has a web site with lots of pictures and info

http://www.symaltesefalcon.com/

I would be embarrassed to be seen on the Maltese Falcon. It is hideous and extravagent.

Those J boats, on the other hand, are beautiful. If you were a gazillionaire like the guy that owns the Maltese Falcon, wouldn't you really rather have a J boat? Is it even a close call?

EDIT: In fact, if I had that guy's money, I would be driving my Duesenberg Model J to the marina to sail my J boat.

The video includes footage of vessels in Erikson's fleet in the last great grain race.

Just because you have money doesn't mean you have taste.

Agreed. Imagine the thirst of that beast.

Yep... Wind powered for the most part..........:dizzy2:......... Call the green police........:freak:

Nice try dude, check out the slide show where it shows it running under power. I have a feeling it spends a lot of time with the sails retracted. Specially with the potential problems alluded to here:

Yup. The laws of physics don't take kindly to attempted repeal and those masts are having a lot of leverage exerted on them. Add some rigging and you're got a triangle -- the strongest geometric form.

When that thing sinks someone is going to make a fortune on the salvage!