Turn the Tide on Plastic, Volvo Ocean Race Leg 9, 2018-05-25
I haven’t been obsessing in here that much about the race (not that you’d notice, unless you followed me during the last edition when I talked about it all the time). But I’ve been following it, mostly through my project to describe and tag all the “raw content” videos being uploaded off the boats. 1,087 videos so far; whew.
But I wanted to share this one. The race is winding down; they’re doing the last big ocean-crossing leg (the transatlantic). They should be finishing in Cardiff in a few days, and after that there are just two relatively short legs to decide the final results.
I love this video. It feels nostalgic after all the “washing machine” shots I’ve watched. This could have been just more of the same, but on-board reporter Martin Keruzoré manages to make it meaningful. I think he’s probably feeling similarly about the end of the race. This could be his last chance to document what it’s like on board in these conditions.
I also just really love this crew. You feel like you’re on board when you watch all the videos, and there’s something about being part of a crew that just seeps into you. I guess it’s human nature.
This crew, in particular, has been special. Coming in at the last minute with a bunch of under-30s who in many cases had no previous offshore experience, it’s been wonderful to watch them grow into the badasses they are now. Yes, they’re not super high in the standings, but they’re absolutely competing with the leaders. They are right there.
And for anyone to be out in conditions like this, racing a boat like this, is an accomplishment. I’m so proud of them. They give me hope for the future.
Personal highlights:
0:10 – Martin flexing some life into his gloved hand. It’s been *cold*. One of the boats had an iceberg on the radar last night.
0:21 – Bernardo’s face. The determination. Ugh.
0:38 – 1:15 – Liz and Bianca coiling lines in the pit. They just did a sail change, and they’re cleaning up the mess.
1:35 – Goofball Boat Mom Dee. That she’s taken a crew like this around the world, keeping them safe and in the hunt, is super-impressive to me. An icon.
2:15 – Bianca. I love comparing this shot of her to the sequence of her back on Leg 2, when her life vest deployed and Liz grabbed her and she told her mum not to worry b/c she was clipped in.
2:57 – 3:04 – Dee’s and Liz’s expressions really get me here. These two (and Martin) are the most experienced on the boat, the ones who’ve carried the most responsibility in terms of looking out for the others and getting them home safe.
So far all this footage is from inside the cabin. There’s a pair of brief interviews below with Bernardo and Bleddyn, and then Martin (the OBR, I mean) gets the waterproof housing and gets out into it with the crew. And it’s just so cool. It’s the difference between epic slomo footage of mythic heroes and heroines, and being part of it, in the midst of all that craziness and feeling that adrenaline.
4:50 – Bianca dancing. Liz on the helm joins in (b/c of course she does). Even Mr. Serious Bernardo, on the mainsheet, busts a move. How can you not love these people?
5:25 – Liz ducks a wave. Steering in these conditions is a non-stop firehose of salt water in the face. Their eyes are red and streaming when they come off the wheel.
5:35 – Liz goes into her tube stance, surfing a barrel, dude, under the cabin coaming. 😜
6:31 – The crash cam. The OBR’s editing bay has a button they can hit that will save the last few minutes of video to permanent storage. They usually leave it on the stern camera, so when you see a stern camera clip like this you know something’s coming. And… bam. Triple wipe-out. Grinder, trimmer, and helmsman, all washed into the back of the boat by a wave. It’s hard to tell, but I think that might be Lucas on the helm, Bleddyn on the sheet, and Annalise, who had the least protection and got washed the farthest, the last to resume her position on the pedestal and give a thumbs up.
OMG I know, right? How about the drone footage of the horse *at the helm*? I couldn’t not think of John Mulaney: “There’s a HORSE… on the WHEEL… of the SAILBOAT!!” 🤣
ATTENTION ALL ASPIRING RICH BITCHES AND BITCH-AFFILIATED AMBITIOUS YOUNGLINGS.
Here in the USA, it’s political primary season. This is when districts all over the country (yes, including yours) are choosing their candidates for election. That’s right: at this moment, YOU have the power to decide who is even running for office. If you’ve ever said, “Voting just feels like choosing between the lesser of two evils,” then this is your chance to put less evil people on the ballot. I KNOW RIGHT?
As we’ve explained, voting and participating in your local government is one of the best ways to effect positive social and economic change in our country. And it’s not that hard! Here’s how you can get involved:
1. Register to vote. (You must be at least 18 and a US citizen.)
That’s it! The process will vary by state, but GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND, YO. Get your friends together and go caucus as a unit! Make a date out of studying the candidates and quiz each other on their positions. CIVIC INVOLVEMENT IS SEXY AS HELL AND YOU SHOULD FUCKING DO IT.
This has been a Bitches Get Riches PSA. We now open the floor to your questions and/or comments. Reblogging with further information is highly encouraged.
Taxonomy is tricky. Moths and butterflies make up the insect order Lepidoptera. But… just like technically wolves and coyotes are already dogs (canids = dogs-ish I guess?), butterflies are just a type of moth. A very, very small group of insects in a gigantic, humungous, incomprehensibly more diverse order of insects. Allow me to demonstrate.
POP QUIZ! QUICK! FIND THE MOTH!
Got it? Good. Here’s the answer key (NO PEEKING BEFORE SPOTTING IT YOURSELF!).
From Left to right: TOP: Painted Lichen Moth, Moonseed Moth, Beautiful Tiger (moth), Grote’s Buckmoth (endangered) BOTTOM: Eubaphe unicolor (moth), Eight-spotted Forester (moth), Ailanthus Webworm Moth, Chickweed Geometer Moth
Wait… ALL OF THEM ARE MOTHS? Of course they are. There are so few butterflies in the giant sea of moths, it’s amazing you even notice them!
Okay, okay fine. That one was tricky (or was it?). Here’s another.
AGAIN! QUICK! FIND THE MOTH!
Easier this time, right? Let’s see how you did! (NO CHEATING)
From Left to Right: TOP: Checkered Skipper, Soldier Pansy, Funereal Duskywing, Dotted Checkerspot (endangered) BOTTOM: Texas Powdered Skipper, Tawny Emperor, Reakirt’s Blue, Fatal Metalmark
Wait… so which one is the moth? NONE OF THEM THESE ARE BUTTERFLIES. “What do you mean these are butterflies, they are boring?!” Shut up I love them. “But moths are supposed to be the boring ones!” Shut up moths are cooler than a T-rex with a mohawk riding a skateboard.
Left: Eggplant Leafroller Moth, caterpillars live on plants; Right: Jalisco Petrophila Moth, caterpillars are aquatic and grow up in freshwater and the adult female moths will swim into the water to lay her eggs GUYS SHE IS A MOTH!!!!!! Also: they are jumping spider mimics! Look!
On April 23, 2018 I saw my 600th bird species! To celebrate, I did a small portrait of each of my “hundredth” birds. The exact position of each bird in my life list can get a bit fuzzy (since some early species I’ve taken off and re-counted later, or picked a different new species from the same checklist).
From the incomplete eye ring, lack of white edges on the retrices and overall shape of the bird, this is not a Blue-gray gnatcatcher. Looks like a female Black-throated Blue Warbler to me, from the lack of wingbars, overall drab look, that little white patch on the wing (a little hard to tell from this photo). Oh, and that killer brow. Open to discussion, as always. Nice shot, regardless!
I’ve never seen a Black-throated Blue Warbler, but I’d love to.
Here’s a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher for comparison, with its longer tail and overall slimmer build, courtesy of Wikipedia user Erikwlyon:
Because I’m that way: This is Morningstar, the Frers 50 that won Class B in the 1984 SORC, competing in the St. Petersburg to Fort Lauderdale Race that year.
This is around the time when I was racing a lot. Not at the SORC level, but this kind of racing in this kind of boat (roughly) in Southern California. Bloopers were such a thing back in the day.
Were your sails as colorful?
Yeah. Color-coordinated spinnaker/blooper combos were all the rage. 🙂
“For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,
In her sepulchre there by the sea—
In her tomb by the sounding sea.”
-Annabel Lee, Edgar Allan Poe
I’m going to make the shading a little extra from now on hehe. It’s been a while since I’ve posted any poster cards 😬
