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Abby Sunderland's attempt to sail around the world

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  • #46
    Re: Female teen missing on round-the-world sail

    Hollywood Life is reporting that the studio company originally slated to produce the Sunderland's reality show pulled out because of concerns over Abby's safety and her father "cutting corners.
    This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

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    • #47
      Re: Abby Sunderland's attempt to sail around the world

      I’ve never been a fan of Geraldo Rivera, but I’ll admit he has some sailing experience. (I know he’s done a couple of Newport (Rhode Island) To Bermuda races, among other things.)
      Geraldo is on Fox News now and there's a 7:50 video at this link of an interview he did after Abby was rescued. (Sorry about the 15-second ad before the interview starts, and there's a couple of brief places in it where he bickers with his co-hosts.)
      The main person in the interview is Ted Caloroso, a videographer hired by Abby’s father to record the preparations and the voyage for a proposed reality show (see Frankie's link above). Most shockingly, Ted says that “Abby told me that her dad forced her into the solo sail.”
      The interview also has Jeff Casher, the Sunderland family spokesman for Abby’s voyage, and Derrick Fries, a world champion sailor.
      Jeff Casher admits that if Abby had waited for a better weather window she would've lost the opportunity to set a record. (She lost that anyway when she had to pull into Cabo San Lucas for engine repairs mere days after starting her trip. The record was for a non-stop circumnavigation.)
      There's also an interesting segment about how Abby's father ordered the wrong size of boom for the boat, and tried to jury-rig it by cutting it with a saw until some experts made him stop and had it done professionally.
      There's lots of footage of the boat under sail, and a new shock to me was the photos showing that the two wind generators were mounted way too low – those spinning blades are dangerous at that height. If Abby was standing anywhere near them and fell into them as the boat rocked in the waves, well...
      Watch the video for more.

      On another point, I have to wonder why Abby didn't cut away her mast after it broke. All reports say that the broken mast was still attached, even though it was under the boat. Every sailor knows that the very first thing you do is cut the rigging and get rid of the mast, or it can get slammed into the hole and PRESTO the boat can sink. Not fun, especially when you're less than 500 miles from Antarctica and in 34-degree water. And every experienced sailor carries tools for just that purpose. So why did Abby let that mast (probably 45' to 50') slam around under her boat in 30' waves for two days instead of immediately cutting it loose? That's something else they won't answer.

      And I still wonder why Abby refused to say what happened. The only possible reason I can think of is that the family is saving that kind of information until they can sell the exclusive rights to the story.
      Any other ideas?
      By the way, the aerial photos from the plane that found her showed that her solar panels, the SatCom dome, the bow and stern pulpits, and the two wind generators were still intact and undamaged, so it's clear that the boat didn't roll over or get knocked down or turn turtle or pitchpole. Again, why won't they say what really happened?

      Curiouser and curiouser.
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      That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

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      • #48
        Re: Abby Sunderland's attempt to sail around the world

        Originally posted by LikaNui View Post
        And I still wonder why Abby refused to say what happened. The only possible reason I can think of is that the family is saving that kind of information until they can sell the exclusive rights to the story.
        Any other ideas?
        The folks at Sailing Anarchy offers this thought:

        The family has managed the moronic public's expectations every step of the way by manipulating, inventing, and concealing the reality; that Abby really didn't have a chance; that every difficulty was met not with adaptation or resourcefulness, but instead with the shore crew flying to wherever Abby could meet them. And that the first nasty weather knocked her rig off and sent her squealing for home. Abby should count her lucky stars that it wasn't a real Southern Ocean storm. Note the pictures of Wild Eyes - with her wind generators still standing straight up, it's almost a certainty that Abby wasn't even rolled - she simply lost her rig in big wind and powerful waves, and rather than making even the slightest effort to jury rig or even motor herself somewhere, she threw in the towel. Which, of course, is the only thing she knew how to do.
        From the time that Abby's voyage was first announced all the way up till now, Larry and Marianne kept talking about their daughter's supposed expertise and prowess as a sailor and how she was more than qualified to complete a RTW trip. Maybe if the truth came out, it would make all that earlier talk from her folks sound foolish.

        Not that the truth would dim the regards I have for Abby herself. Given the daunting challenges that she faced and the amount of experience she had, I think she displayed a tremendous amount of courage and journeyed as far as she could under the circumstances. She has absolutely no reason to hang her head in shame. But with all that said, it just saddens me to see that girl's courage and bravery being exploited by her parents for their own selfish motives.
        This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

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        • #49
          Re: Abby Sunderland's attempt to sail around the world

          Originally posted by LikaNui View Post
          Every sailor knows that the very first thing you do is cut the rigging and get rid of the mast, or it can get slammed into the hole and PRESTO the boat can sink.
          Darned typos. What I meant to say was that the mast can get slammed into the hull, not the hole. And obviously that would create a hole.
          Darned typos. [/muttering at self]
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          That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

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          • #50
            Re: Abby Sunderland's attempt to sail around the world

            What was her previous single-handed experience - other than to Catalina and back?

            In my opinion, Jessica Watson and a lot of the other teenagers, just got lucky. I am just waiting for the first 10 year old to attempt a single handed stunt.

            I am concerned about the US government resources (and other countries too) that are being spent for the rescue. Maybe a bond should be required for any of these around the world record attempts (including hot air balloons, racing cars, etc.)
            Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

            People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

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            • #51
              Re: Abby Sunderland's attempt to sail around the world

              Okay, let me just spit it out!

              I am totally opposed to single handed sailing, by any gender or age group, for more than 24 hours. International Maritime Law requires that a "proper lookout" be maintained at all times. A single hander cannot stay awake 24/7 while on a voyage. A single hander is breaking an unenforced law. They are putting themsleves and others in danger and those who might need to rescue them.

              On a voyage of over 24 hours, I always require a minimum crew of two. On voyages over 4 days my personal protocol is a minimum crew of 3 on my 40 foot boat. I require a 24 hour watch be maintained at all times and if any of the crew is caught inattentive on their watch, there is hell to pay with this Capt. Bligh (I cut off their ration of Trail Mix and take away their IPOD). I love to pop into the pilothouse from down below in the middle of someone's watch in the middle of the night to see what's going on! The last thing I want to do is run into a Abby Sunderland or Jessica Watson type, in the Indian Ocean, while she is sleeping down below at 0 dark 30.
              Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

              People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

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              • #52
                Re: Abby Sunderland's attempt to sail around the world

                Could Perez Hilton be far behind?
                https://www.facebook.com/Bobby-Ingan...5875444640256/

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                • #53
                  Re: Abby Sunderland's attempt to sail around the world

                  As of late last week, Abby's parents have refused to answer any questions or issue any statements. It's all been turned over to a professional public relations firm.
                  Surprise.


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                  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

                  Comment


                  • #54
                    Re: Female teen missing on round-the-world sail

                    Originally posted by Frankie's Market View Post
                    It will be interesting to see what Abby does in the future. Now that there's no "youngest circumnavigator" record for her to break, there's no time pressure imposed on her and her next attempt at sailing around the world (whether it be at 17, 27 or whenever) can take place at a more optimal time. Of course, there won't be anywhere near the same level of hype and public interest the next time around. That shouldn't be a problem for the Sunderlands.... unless fame and vanity was all that they were seeking.
                    Looks like my worst instincts about the Sunderlands was right.

                    With no "youngest to sail around the world solo" record to set, Abby now has her sights set on being the youngest person to fly around the world solo.

                    MSNBC

                    Sunderland declared “I’m going to fly around the world solo,” in a recent interview with local paper Thousand Oaks Acorn. 17 year-old Abby has been taking flight lessons for three months and is about half way to earning her pilot’s license. If she succeeds, she will be the youngest person to ever fly alone around the world. The current record holder is Barrington Irving, who accomplished the same feat at 23 years-old in 2007.
                    This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

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