Luderitz 2015

no Bjorn or Finian.....strange

Select to expand quote

sick_em_rex said...

no Bjorn or Finian.....strange

Too much traffic?

Mudslinging on the canal Thu, 2015-10-08 02:00 - Allgemeine Zeitung

Course not completed - Windsurfer reclaim money - Cattelan disengages

Even three days after the official opening ceremony the windsurfers can still undergo no training runs at the Lüderitz Speed ??Challenge. On wind it is not, the already since Monday blows constantly with 30 to 35 knots over the canal near the Diaz Cross. The problems are organizational and technical nature. Yesterday, the emotions ran high.


Center of Anger: This image shows well why annoy the windsurfers. The distance between the water surface and the banks should not be more than 15 centimeters, at present there are an average of about 80


By Florian Gontek and Robby Echelmeyer, Luderitzbucht
In the ninth edition of the Speed ??Challenge in Lüderitz is still neat sand in the gears. Actually, should long ago the sports are in the foreground. But the conditions on the canal not agree - from the perspective of windsurfers.
Yesterday the organizers Sébastien Cattelan and Sophie Routaboul had charged for 12 clock at a routine meeting of all participants at the competition. An hour before the first start of the year, the French duo gave the drivers some information and advice along the way. Things got really exciting then after their statements.
The Belgian Alain de Gendt took the floor and read the names of the eight registered for the first week of competition windsurfer a letter before he then presented visibly paled addressee Routaboul. Six criticisms are on the document which have beside de Gendt and local hero Matthias Röttcher, the German record hunter Manfred Merle and Christian Bornemann, the Italo-Swiss Patrik Diethelm and Remo, the Ukrainian Alexander Goncharov and the Swiss Heidi Ulrich signed.
Denounced especially the current state of the channel, which was dug at 1.20 meters instead of a maximum of 80 centimeters, the water level is still far too low, and in which the difference in height between the shore edge and surface water is much too large. In addition, the fine from the channel sand was piled up near the starting area, where he strongly affected the windsurfers, because it blocks the wind so important feed for the lower part of the sail. The fact that only a material container is available, this bears no roof and is not guarded, provides for the windsurfers for resentment. Similarly, the dangerous protruding nails and lack of padding on the followers, with which participants are returned after each trip to the start area.
Cattelan wants to know nothing of this. The 39-year-old, who had the Lüderitz Speed ??Challenge 2007 lifted out of the baptism, is de Gendts presentation at a wooden barrel hears sitting at yet reasonably taken. But then he blows his top: "What do you expect actually that her perfect conditions finds here for the money that you pay? That I pudere you the butt and hinstelle a container made of gold? "That was the nicer part.
Bornemann tries to diplomatic way to steer now heated debate in a constructive dialogue. Cattelan has however already set to draft. "Does not mix you into the organization, of which you have no idea. Concentrate on your records, but you are here. You have to get the channel to adjust. "Cattelan reaps evil looks from all directions.
"We are far traveled and pay a lot of money," rumbles Remo Diethelm and his colleagues thus speaks from the soul. Around 200 euros is the entry fee per day. Due this is even on days on which can not be surfed. "Acts of God as in the case of a wind lull this goes ok, but if it's because that's the channel is not prepared, then I can not understand that," said Merle. Especially as the problems of the past are well known. "If it would be the second edition, you might overlook some things. Now, it is already the ninth year, I miss the development ", Merle pushes, which starts this year for the second time after 2013 in the event.
Therefore, the windsurfers request in its letter to damages in the amount of 500 euros per day, on which the channel despite the good external conditions can not be used. The sum of results from several parameters. In addition to the entry fee and cost of accommodation, car hire and loss of earnings are taken into account in the amount.
A spring tide had the channel mid-September severely damaged. For the windsurfers understand. For other things but this is missing. The athletes complain about that it could not be that the pump on the approximation of the water level can only work at high tide at this time because the hose is too short. On a longer model has been omitted, although the organizers - had been offered such a - reportedly. Furthermore, the athletes snub fact that excavator and bulldozer these days are often orphaned. They would bitterly needed.
All this has also method for windsurfers. The Participants field, there are increasing voices that Cattelan - even kite - created perfect conditions for his discipline on the canal and the needs of windsurfers has forgotten, although this form with 30 of 36 starters most of the event.
The kite, which sails in the air and therefore do not require the full blast supply just above the water surface at the start found yesterday for their sport on the one kilometer long canal good conditions. However Merle, Diethelm and Co. remained only the spectator role. At least excavators and water pumps ran yesterday ever. This nourishes among windsurfers hope for an early start. Today and tomorrow there will be excellent winds. But has trained on the channel yet none of them.

I bet your glad you went last year and not this year!!

The mysterious new chopkiller - how does it work ? What´s the mechanic behind ?

Quote: "Cattelan has invented a new chop killer concept which is working like a bomb!"
"The chop killer that Seb has made is really efficient. It absorbs the little waves that the wind can create."

That sounds like he's treating windsurfers with contempt. Either he runs separate events for windsurfers and kitesurfers, with optimised canal conditions, or perhaps windsurfers should just boycott the event.

Always thought that leeward bank looked dodgy with all that sand piled up - it must cut wind velocity across the surface of the water.

Looks like the whole thing has become a joke.

The reason Seb gives for the leeward bank is to stop the high tides from destroying the canal, which is quite plausible.
But, it seems like it could be done just as well with a smoother, rounder bank, only one third to one half the height.
I don't think the leeward back would be much of an issue now that it has been moved back from the edge, if only the water level was right to the windward land surface
I am not convinced that the low water within the canal decreases chop. When the wind it super broad, it appears to funnel it along the canal more and create larger chop.

Drone view from above. Posted by AA.




This may have been taken before the Grader work.

It looks like there are fewer containers for the sailors gear storage this year.

Thanks Spotty