Dear Sailors,
I am sorry to bring up a sensitive issue, but since the European Championship came to my country I can not look over what has happened today. I feel responsible what is going on here.
The race committee with the quads was sitting in the harbor 9 O’ Clock this morning. They seemed to refuse going out although the sailors were preparing or sailing a lot of them already out.
The course was not checked in time.
There was no reserve place to take the course.
We have 15 km to the opposite shore and about 30 km to the East coast from today’s place where we stood. That is a huge area, what was not checked for any possible courses before the race. The ice thickness is 17-19 cm with hard black ice base and only a few cm snow ice on top in flakes. You all has been there today and saw it. There should have been several places to put down the race course. There were local sailors coming to our event from the opposite shore and went back without a problem. We know the ice quality is the same all over and is more than enough to safe sailing.
It seems to me that we have again the same situation that has already happened in Estonia in 2015. We have great conditions and we don’t make races for strange reasons. We have changed the race committee since and I thought it was over, but it seems it is not!
I don’t find any good explanation why we were not sailing today and what was the reason that the organizers did not find the ice for us today…
I came here to race, but not only for the results. I think most of us doing it for the love of this sport. I am disappointed, and I did not signed up for this.
What happened today, destroys the good feeling and stone by stone demolishes our class.
I don’t want that and I am ready to take steps against this.
I would like that the governing authority investigate this case and resolve this problem.
Please feel free to leave a comment.
Best Regards,
Peter Hamrak
M-53
Peter,
I just want to correct you in one thing. You are saying that the Race Commite refused to out on the Ice. It is a lie.
At 9 Me, Attila and Tomek Jakubiak with the quad were alredy on the Ice checking if we can let the sailors go out. The rest of RC was waiting for our decision.
BR, Kuba
Peter,
At the beginning of further comments I remind you that our priority as RC is YOUR SAFETY. Not just the first one, not the first ten sailors but ALL. And if there is a risk that not everyone will be able to sail safely and return safely to port races they should not be sailed. And just such conditions have occurred.
Both me and the people I work with, for over the years, we’ve seen not one race, not one kind of ice. And the one we had on Balaton lake was NOT like you are writing a black, hard ice. It was a spring ice, soft (shoe without spikes could make a hole depth of 3-5 cm) and wet. In addition, it was traversed by numerous slots (some were still frozen on the thickness of 1-3cm, part of it was already open) and ice slabs/plates at cracks that were held by “welds” of thickness of 1-2cm. If one boat will cross it something happens? Perhaps not. Can 124 boat race safely in such conditions? NO.
And, unfortunately, there was not another, better place to set the course besides where we were. We checked the bay behind the mountain, which you suggested – there was no possibility of safe entrance to the ice for 124 players and equipment. The ice was very uneven and cut slots.
We have also checked places to the north – east. Unfortunately, everywhere it was the same kind of ice – a soft, wet and traversed by slots, which in the evening was more open.
Another thing that I think you missed is the fact that a decision to descend from the ice / finishing race of the
day was not taken by me or Attila himself but by collecting Fleets Secretaries / Representatives from countries on the ice. There was also a representative of the Hungarian fleet.
Which brings me to last case. Your behavior at the port. Anger and bitterness are not sufficient reason to behavior that you showed. Insults and curses in the public towards the RC. It is not the way a sailor, and the more the host, should behave.
Kuba.
Dear Kuba,
I think you are missing the point here and try to bring up excuses of not doing your job, and try to mess up things. This is not nice!
If you guys were so much about safety why havent you been out checking the ice before the sailors went out? Say 7 am?
Why some of you guys say already the night before that the racing is over?
I understand that you are upset. I am not happy either. If I were you I would not make this personal. I did not say any personal insults or curses to any of you guys. Why do you have to do this?
The race committee willingly or unwillingly influenced the results of the race, what is unacceptable.
We all came to sail and race. We are all aware of the risks and we all accept it as we wouldnt have been doing it.
When we have a chance to sail, we do it.
Yes, there are accidents but it was never happened that the race organisers were blamed for any of that.
I think you made the wrong decision, but this is why I asked the board to investigate.
The country representatives could not make a correct decision cos they have not been out to check the ice, so this was just an other show to release you not holding accountable…
They couldnt do much!
Please, dont make this worse!
Regards,
Peter