Raid Sweden... The Movie!

I've been wondering for a while if we can post movies here, but haven't ventured to try it yet. A few minutes ago, Tom Jackson came into my office with a CD of images--and a short movie clip--of his sailing adventure in Sweden last summer. Tom, recall, writes about this trip in the current issue of WoodenBoat in a story called Sailing into the Heart of the Country. It's about a raid--a multi-day race that skips from point to fantastic point in small open boats.

This clip shows the intrepid sailors entering Karlskrona on the penultimate day of the raid on Sweden's Blekinge Archipelago. Wind was blowing 25-30 knots on the quarter; boats are surfing, only six of the twenty seven contestants were allowed to sail that day. Tom's the guy in the blue and yellow striped lifejacket in the bright-hulled boat. His boat, Olivia, is a replica pilot boat built by Bjorje Axelsson in 1999; the original was built in 1914. Mats Dalberg made the movie--from another pilot boat sailing nearby. Have a look by clicking the file below. The download time is well worth the wait. (There's no sound. Our next experiment will include sound.)

Download blekinge_2005441.MOV