Billion $ Go-Kart Track

[cdh]

Of course you do get a lot of extras.

"Those who follow the super-yacht scene know that these giant floating mansions have grown to incorporate all manner of amenities: helipads, bowling alleys, swimming pools, garages... anything and everything you might expect in a land-locked residence, only set out to sea.
But this...this is something else altogether."

I guess Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's mega-yacht Eclipse isn't enough as he has expressed interest in buying TSoM (had to use the HuffPoo link for the expected leftist comments, they did not disappoint ) I think Eclipse is fabulous. Insanely opulent/excessive? Yes. An example of state of the yacht building/design art? Yes. Streets on Monaco is gross, I find little about it to be praiseworthy.

Here is a 5000px wide rendering

...

[dalyduo]

And the point is...???

Perhaps..." He who dies with the biggest ego... wins."

You could name it "Mine Really Is Bigger Than Yours" or The "Muammar Gaddafi"

No Wait! Bernie will see this and build a floating F1 track that will perpetually steam around the globe to harvest money... What could possibly go wrong?

It will ultimately make a nice fish habitat somewhere.

[cdh]

Originally Posted by dalyduo

It will ultimately make a nice fish habitat somewhere.

[oldredracer]

Uh...this one would just need a little landscaping. And it's twice as long as those little boats. The bow thrusters alone produce 22,000 hp. The main engines are roughly a bazillion times more powerful than Jensen Button's car.
Of course the mileage sucks and parking is a bitch. So size really does cause some problems after all.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...sh-waters.html

[Flavien]

Ugliest thing I've ever seen...
Either the proportions are totally wrong or the track is way too narrow to be fun even with just a Rotax Max... Not even talking of faster karts...
Money cannot not buy a brain...

[oldredracer]

Wondering what a large wave would do to your entry into Sainte Devote?
Guess it would have to be a pretty big wave.

[Slowhands]

Originally Posted by oldredracer

Of course the mileage sucks and parking is a bitch. So size really does cause some problems after all.

From the pictures, it would appear so. And apparently, no wave at all is needed.

Tales of Heroism on the Open Sea, 2012 edition:

Captain Francesco Schettino is under house arrest, accused of causing the crash. Prosecutors have also accused him of fleeing the Costa Concordia before evacuation was complete. A recording of a call between him and a port official after the crash appears to support this, though Capt Schettino denies the claims. In the recording, released by the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Livorno Port Authority chief Gregorio De Falco can be heard repeatedly telling the captain to get back on board to help stranded passengers.
"Schettino, maybe you saved yourself from the sea, but I'll make you have trouble for sure. Go aboard," says Mr De Falco.
The captain appears to refuse, replying first that there are rescuers already on board, and then that it is dark and difficult to see.
Coastguards believe he never went back to the ship. He was arrested shortly afterwards.
But during a court hearing on Tuesday, the captain said he could not get on board the vessel because it was lying on its side.
He argued that after his ship hit rocks, he executed a difficult manoeuvre that had saved many people's lives.
According to Italian media, Capt Schettino told investigators he had left the ship accidentally after tripping and falling into a rescue craft.

Ya just can't make this stuff up.

Satellite view





Caption contest for the pic with the frogmen.

[dalyduo]

For frogmen picture:

Oh sure... You say "Move the channel marker buoy for our picture... It'll only take a minute... What could possibly go wrong?!" But don't worry, no one will ever believe it.

[cdh]

Originally Posted by Slowhands

Captain Francesco Schettino is under house arrest, accused of causing the crash. Prosecutors have also accused him of fleeing the Costa Concordia before evacuation was complete. A recording of a call between him and a port official after the crash appears to support this, though Capt Schettino denies the claims. In the recording, released by the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Livorno Port Authority chief Gregorio De Falco can be heard repeatedly telling the captain to get back on board to help stranded passengers.

Shameful, disgraceful. Also unbelievable he could be such the antithesis of everything the captain of such a vessel should be.
Francesco will be missing the midnight buffet in the slammer, it's where he belongs, absolutely criminal behavior.

Here's a large view of the satellite pic Hard to believe the entire ship isn't boomed off.

[Slowhands]

Originally Posted by cdh

Shameful, disgraceful. Also unbelievable he could be such the antithesis of everything the captain of such a vessel should be.
Francesco will be missing the midnight buffet in the slammer, it's where he belongs, absolutely criminal behavior.

The plot thickens...

From the BBC online site:

2 February 2012 Last updated at 12:19 ET Costa Concordia: Moldovan woman 'on bridge with Captain'

Domnica Cemortan reportedly said she was staying in the captain's cabin


A Moldovan woman who reportedly dined with the Costa Concordia captain has told investigators she was on the bridge when the cruise ship ran aground, Italian media say.
Domnica Cemortan, 24, was questioned by Italian officials in Grosseto for almost six hours.
Officials said her testimony would be compared with other accounts, including that of Capt Francesco Schettino.
At least 32 people died in the accident off the Tuscan coast in January.
Capt Schettino is under house arrest and has been accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship before all those aboard were evacuated.
Ms Cemortan is a former employee of Costa Cruises, the company that operates the Costa Concordia.
"When the accident happened, I was on the bridge," she is reported as telling investigators.
The reported testimony contradicts that of the captain himself - according to Il Messagero newspaper - who told investigators that there were no non-crew members on the ship's bridge at the time of the impact.
According to Italy's Corriere newspaper, Ms Cemortan confessed to having a "weakness" for the captain and told investigators that he had been a "hero" for saving so many lives.

[Slowhands]

Continued Tales of Heroism on the Open Sea: An excerpt from The Epistle of Francesco to the Italians

And lo, there was a Sign,
and the Hand of the Almighty was upon me,
and did make me to do His bidding.
Verily, my tiller was guided as if by a Presence
And a Voice said unto me:
"Neither shall you crash head-first upon the rocks,
Nor shall you plunge into the murky Depths,
But I will lay your vessel gently upon its side in the shallows,
That only a few shall perish, and only one small child,
Sparing you, my loyal servant, so that you can swiftly leave your post and raise the alarm."

And so, having eaten and drunk my fill,
And having passed, unannounced to my superiors, near to the shore to make a signal of fraternity to my compatriots reveling thereupon,
And having consorted, unknown to my wife, with a young Moldovan lass much impressed with being invited upon the Bridge, and seeing me as Master of this Mighty Vessel,
After doing all these things,
In this way did I save the precious Souls who dependeth upon me, a humble sea-captain,
For their salvation.



Europe

5 July 2012 Last updated at 13:01 ET
Costa Concordia: Captain says 'divine hand' guided him

The captain of the Costa Concordia ship which ran aground killing more than 30 people has said a "divine hand" guided him, preventing greater tragedy.
Francesco Schettino has released a letter, published in Italy's La Corriere della Sera newspaper, explaining his version of events.
The ship struck rocks and capsized near the island of Giglio, off the coast of Tuscany, in January.
The letter comes as an Italian judge lifted Mr Schettino's house arrest.
The judge said that Mr Schettino must not leave his hometown, near Naples, while the investigation continues.
The cruise firm contends that Mr Schettino steered the vessel too close to shore.
But, in his letter, Mr Schettino argues that he avoided sailing head-on into the rocks, and saved many lives by steering the stricken vessel into shallow water.

'Best possible circumstances'
Mr Schettino denies the charges against him which include manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship.
"I created the best possible circumstances to save everyone, regardless of how events subsequently unfolded," he wrote.
He also defended the speed of his decision-making on the night of the crash.
"A captain," he wrote, "can take the time required to evaluate the emergency without creating panic. Only he is responsible, first before God, and then before men."
He said that no-one advised him that they were off the ship's predetermined route and it was only when he saw "white foam" to his left that he realised how close to the rocks they were sailing.
"That was the sign that led me to give the order to steer starboard, by pure instinct. In that moment a divine hand no doubt rested upon my head. If I had continued on that path we would have hit the rocks with the bow. It would have been a catastrophe."

[cdh]

...si si, and when bridge officers are brought in to testify, having flipped for deals themselves, and throw the Capt under the lifeboat, as it were, the truth that everyone already knows, will be known by everyone...si.

Arrivederci Francesco, the devil is always in the details...always

[dalyduo]

As opposed to what actually did happen... which wasn't a catastrophe? His only job was to steer that ship on it's plotted path and not be anywhere near those rocks. What sort of divine intervention got him on a path to the rocks in the first place?
It's been a long time since this guys oar has come anywhere near the water.
(Nice work Harsha, very nice work. ... And right you are Doug, they'll be attaching chains to that ankle bracelet. )

Originally Posted by Slowhands

"That was the sign that led me to give the order to steer starboard, by pure instinct. In that moment a divine hand no doubt rested upon my head. If I had continued on that path we would have hit the rocks with the bow. It would have been a catastrophe."

[oldredracer]

Originally Posted by cdh

Until I saw this picture, I had no idea I understood Italian.
This guy posits a unique alternative to: "The devil made me do it." Doncha think??