radical bay 8000 catamaran

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BIPLANE CATAMARAN Update: Sailing The Radical Bay 8000

The week following the Annapolis show I returned to the Chesapeake to test-sail four different boats for SAIL magazine . You’ll be able to read detailed reviews in future issues of the comic, but I thought I’d share a little preview of my experience aboard the Radical Bay 8000 , the unique new production catamaran with a biplane wishbone rig on which I blogged earlier . The really cool thing about sailing the Radical Bay is that I really had no idea what I was doing. Even the guy who built the boat, Ian Morse, is still unraveling its mysteries.

The mind boggles when contemplating the potential aerodynamic complexities of sailing with two separate mainsail-and-headsail rigs flying side by side. For example: at one point during our test, while sailing on a broad reach, I was a little amazed to see the boat’s leeward mainsail invert and jibe to windward as it got sucked into the backdraft of the windward sail. We ended up sailing for a while in an inverted wing-and-wing configuration, with the wind on our quarter and both mainsails flying inboard of their respective hulls.

“You have to build a model,” I said to Ian, shaking my head in amazement, “and buy some wind tunnel time to figure all this out.”

“No,” he answered laughing. “I need to spend more time sailing this boat to figure it out.”

Here’s a little rundown on what I picked up during an all-too-brief hour spent on the boat:

1. When sailing on the wind the best configuration seems to be two mainsails with one jib flying to leeward. The windward main should be sheeted more loosely than the leeward one. Closehauled the boat can hold a true wind angle of about 45 degrees. During our sail I thought the boat tacked well with a headsail up. The leeward jib backs as it is turned to windward and helps bring the bows around. Once around it is furled and the other jib is unleashed. According to Ian, the boat tacks much less easily under mainsails alone.

2. On a beam reach to a broad reach the windward mainsail should be trimmed loosely enough that it is dumping air directly into the leeward sail. On a broad reach the windward jib can be set and sheeted inboard to increase the working sail area. On a beam reach it’s not clear to me which jib works better.

3. On a dead run we tried a wing-and-wing-and-wing-and wing configuration–with both mainsails winged outboard and both headsails winged inboard–that was very stable and seemed to work fairly well. Ian had yet to try this and seemed a little surprised by the result. Ultimately, he wants to create some sort of midship spinnaker to fly when sailing deep angles off the wind, but so far sailmakers have been wary of trying to design and build one.

The boat is certainly fast. Of the four boats I sailed during my two days on the bay in what were generally moderate conditions it went fastest (even though at 26 feet it was the smallest boat I sailed) and hit speeds well over 8 knots in 12 knots of apparent wind on a close reach (its best point of sail). Our best speed dead downwind was 5 to 6 knots in 4 knots of apparent wind. Ian has had the boat sailing as fast as 18 knots in 25 knots of wind. In such conditions, he notes, the deck is extremely wet, but the boat never wants to fly a hull.

As on any cat, weight is an important factor. Ian has found performance decreases markedly when the boat is heavily loaded, and I would guess how weight is distributed is also very important. When I skipped forward to one bow to shoot some photos, spray came aboard very quickly and our speed at once decreased. Another factor we didn’t get to play with much during our sail was sail shape. Draft on the two mainsails can be precisely controlled with the wishbone boom mast tracks Ian devised, but exactly how the sails should be shaped relative to each other is still an open question.

Really the best and fastest way to figure out exactly how to sail these boats to their full potential would be to get some one-design competition going. Which obviously would suit Ian fine, if only there were enough bold souls out there ready to plunk down some cash and faith in what is so obviously an uncharted realm of the sport.

Personally, I’m thinking I’d like to run a Radical Bay cat in the Jester Challenge . A 26-foot cat that is both fast and exceedingly stable would seem the perfect weapon to wield in a singlehanded transat race for boats under 30 feet. Everyone I mention this to (including Ian) seems to think I’m crazy. But I reckon if I had a wetsuit and snorkel to wear on deck when the wind gets up I’d do just fine.

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Radical Bay 8000

The Bi-plane rigged catamaran, or "bi-cat", opens exciting new opportunities in the world of catamaran sailing. Jeff Schionning of Schionning Designs in Australia designed the Radical Bay 8000 and 1060. His out of the box thinking has produced a boat that will bring a new level of enjoyment to your sailing experience.

The Radical Bay rides on narrow asymmetrical hulls that slice easily through the water. The cabin space is accentuated by a highly flared chamfer panel that allows the galley top and table to be placed up out of the walkway and makes room for wider bunks forward. The hulls are connected by three aluminum beams that allow them to be separated for transportation. The center section is all tramp except for a hard deck section down the center from the middle to aft beam. A full hard deck is an option.

The Radical Bay is build completely with foam coring and epoxy fiberglass, using vacuum bagging extensively to increase the bond and reduce weight which make for a light and strong boat. There are multiple water tight compartments both fore and aft making the boat very safe. 

The bi-plane rig consists of two carbon fiber, unstayed masts with fixed booms. One of the greatest advantages of the bi-plane rig is safety. With two masts, the center of effort is lowered significantly making the boat virtually impossible to capsize. There is only one winch and it is used primarily to raise the sails. Once the sails are up the boom carries the load, all to do is adjusting the angle. There are no designed head sails, though some experimentation could prove some interesting options. Dagger boards improve windward performance and kick-up rudders allow for access to shallow water.

Foto: Radical Catamarans Company 

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Catamran with four masts

Discussion in ' Multihulls ' started by PrimoPiatti , Oct 8, 2006 .

PrimoPiatti New Member

We have a project in the conceptual stage inspired by several successful cats witn biplane rigs, especially the Radical Bay 8000 by Schionning Designs: http://www.multihull-maven.com/Boats/Radical_Bay_8000 In racing the original Radical Bay the crew found that they had to reef later than other boats, probably due to the lower centers of effort. As a consequence the design sailed well against larger competitors. We have a pair of 10 meter hulls already built to use for the project. In discussing scaling a rig like Radical Bay's to a larger size we've also discussed carrying the low COE strategy even further by subdividing it into a ketch rig on each hull, four masts total (all carbon, unstayed). This would maintain the benefit of the low COE and perhaps add further benefits: higher potential sail leading edge and thus high aspect ratio efficiencies; incremental sail lowering, mast by mast, to distribute driving force to best advantage; double wing and wing downwind; less weight aloft to reduce pitching moment; less actual force required to positon sails; and redundancy in case of part failure. On the other side of the equation we might be looking at greater cost in materials and labor; lower effective available wind speed due to lower rig height; more sailhandling controls to deal with; and of course blanketing of one aft sail on most tacks. Still, it's a tantalizing direction and well within our capabilities and budget. Any comments or suggestions?  

Doug Lord Guest

4 Sounds interesting except that the lee aft rig would almost certainly always be in the windshadow of the forward windward rig upwind. As a suggestion: why not build an rc model and test it thoroughly. Parlier did that with Mediatis Region Aquitaine and I'm certain you'd gain valuable information in the least expensive way possible. I hope you'll keep us informed!  

nick storm Junior Member

Great to see another four master out there, Ive been working on basic designs and models of 4 mast cats for a couple of years on and off, so I obviously think you are on the right track with this idea, in reference to the possible problem with the wind shadow cast on to the lee aft rig , I have tested basic models and found that by staggering the masts, ie not placing them in the absolute corners of the deck, but, aligning them with the most common sailing directions, of say 40 and 90 degrees, you can feed clean air to them , obviously depending on size of rigs and vessel. One of my ideas is to build rigs that are solid wing sails, that are able to be stored on the cabin top and then swivelled up and down as required,on s/s stub masts. On a cat of say 45' x 22' beam, the cat would have 4 x 24' x 6' rigs, the super slick wings will give 2-3 times the power from conventional sails and the ability to drop or raise 25% of the power will make reefing, sailing backwards, holding station, and crabbing sideways all possible, and all done from the flat deck below  

Thanks -- to both of you! The finished boat would incorporate many details specific to this rig (like bulkheads positioned and engineered to support the masts), so it would be good to generate specifications with as much simulation as possible, actual and computer. We're working now to get enough of a schematic together for meaningful model testing. This is where Nick's experience is especially valuable. Our hulls are shorter than your example, but my first round of sail calcs sounds a lot like yours. The shorter masts are a real benefit, since we expect to be cruising and and want to have simple and safe sail handling. As you say, this might be a good vehicle for testing wing masts. Here's a link to an interesting wing sail project done recently in my area: http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~elkaim/Documents/ElkaimDesignCat.pdf#search="wing mast bearing" This is an abstract, but there is a link to a longer version. Dr. Elkaim makes the case that his wing profile has very low windage when luffing -- so low that reefing is unnecessary. Sail angle is positioned with the trim tab using the force of the wind itself! It seems like the way of the future but I'm not sure how much to take on. Of course the lee aft mast is blanketed -- or is it? With a wide boat on some tacks it might actually draw well if the forward sail in the lee hull were reefed (good thing to test in models!). This would be an ideal arrangement for keeping downward pressure off the lee bow. In general the potential for distributing sail force among four masts adds a whole new dimension to reefing. Basically we have the option of 'trimming' or 'tuning' center of effort around the deck plan. For example, as wind rises the foward sails can be taken out of action, moving the CoE well aft to keep the bows from burying. As Nick points out, potential for non-traditional maneuvers is there, which could be useful in an anchorage an in docking, at the least. I'm wondering Nick what your mast positions are -- not quite sure from your description.  

four master catamarans Thanks Primo, well, I think the rig positions should be staggered according to the vessels and rigs width,( on a 45' x 26' cat , using a wing sail of say 6' chord then they should be staggered around 8' from each other), although this may not always feed very clean air to the rigs, they wont flutter and stall as easily as a sail will, naturally you could also make the rig taller and narrower if needs be, personally I like the rig on Macquarie Innovation, its very much the sort of thing I am advocating, though mine is just a bit taller. Thanks for the article, funnily enough found it 4 days ago and thought it was very well done and answered so many questions, I was particularly interested in his findings on symmetrical wing shapes, with these tacking will be so easy. Basically I love the idea of having a simple sailboard type rig, and thats what this is, light, strong, flexible and folds away when you dont want it upright....A 24' mast on a 5' stub should be around 30kg and quite easy for one person to swivel up into position If you can stow these tall skinny wings athwartships on a flat cabintop or on the deck alongside the cabintop then , not only do you have an easily hoisted, easily reefable and ultra fast (see Macquarie Innovation.!!!) rig, its something you can make in a weekend in the garage, from a myriad of materials to suit your budget, not forgetting that you would make the rigs balanced, so that they are easily controlled, thus depriving the coffers of messrs Harken, North,etc, and the need for sheets,winches,stays, shrouds, halyards, solid heavy masts, booms, poles, windage, and a ton of weight up where you dont want it, I believe that the walker wingsail was doomed to fail, because although it handled rough weather and big seas well, and the rig always weathervaned into it, sailors just looked at it and shook their heads, because anyone could see that the rig was unstable if for some reason that it didn't swing around into the wind, and we all know that out at sea anything can happen. Well I believe that we have to folow nature, and just like the dragonfly the maybug or the falcon we should have wings we can fold away, or in my case swivel down onto the deck and thus reduce windage to a minimum, going downwind in light airs you could fly a massive spinnaker or kite, from the tops of the forard rigs, and drop the aft masts. Naturally designing such a wide base for the four masts will entail the total redesign of the hulls and deck and thats what I am really interested in........phew , its all good fun  

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Roger Dann New Member

4 sails on a radical bay? I was seriously considering getting a Radical Bay 8m built while I am here in China. Unfortunately costs are still high for this 'weekender' cat, even here. Looking at other rig options got me also researching the windsurfer masts & sails. The rough max windsurfer area 4x10sq. M will give the 40sq. M Schionning has in two and the cost is way down. The possibility of lowering onto the cabintop for under bridges is also very nice. I hoped to incorporate solid bridgedeck and solid sunshade over with solar panels for electric drives. Unfortunately putting a lot of time and $$ into this 4 mast design is not possible at the moment. I may end up getting a used Gemini for 1/2 cost of a Schionning Radical Bay. Too bad. I hope someone gets the guts to do it. Roger  

jetski motor in Catamran like a Gemini 105

Folding catamran construction

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Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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Florida's 6-week abortion ban is now in effect, curbing access across the South

Stephanie Colombini

Thousands of abortion rights protesters rallied in Tampa on Oct. 2, 2021. Stephanie Colombini/WUSF hide caption

Thousands of abortion rights protesters rallied in Tampa on Oct. 2, 2021.

TAMPA, Fla. — Starting today, people can no longer access legal abortions in Florida beyond six weeks of pregnancy, except in rare circumstances.

The restriction replaces a 15-week ban that's been in effect since July 2022, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade .

Abortion rights supporters say it will dramatically curb access to the procedure for thousands of residents in Florida and around the South. Proponents of the ban say it "protects life."

Abortion rights on the ballot may not be bad news for Republicans everywhere

Voters will have a say on the matter in November when a proposal to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution will appear on the election ballot. Regardless of what happens this fall, the ban could have far-reaching effects.

Opponents of the ban stress that many people don't realize they are pregnant at six weeks. But for those that do, abortion services remain available in the state until that time frame.

Abortion care providers in the state like Planned Parenthood are doing ultrasounds earlier and have extended their hours to accommodate as many patients as they can.

"We want to be able to help everyone with information in order to access care as quickly as possible," says Barbara Zdravecky, interim CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida.

Still, she expects many patients will be too far along when they reach out for help.

"The emotional turmoil that's going to happen, the anger, the fear, the anxiety is going to be great," says Zdravecky, who adds centers are ramping up support staff to respond to patients' concerns and help them navigate their options.

Adding to scheduling challenges are Florida's 24-hour mandatory waiting period and a ban on using telemedicine for abortions. Patients have to attend two in-person appointments, one for a consultation and another for the procedure at least one day later.

The South loses a major abortion access point

An examination room in a clinic that provides abortion care on April 30, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

An examination room in a clinic that provides abortion care on April 30, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla.

Florida joins eleven other states in the South that have already severely restricted abortion in recent years, either with six-week bans or total bans. Residents in those places have relied on Florida to access the procedure.

Out-of-state residents fueled a steady increase in abortions in Florida despite the 15-week ban. Nearly 8,000 people traveled to the state last year for abortions, according to data from the state Agency for Health Care Administration. That's nearly 10% of all patients.

"We don't want to be an abortion tourism destination," Gov. Ron DeSantis said last fall .

Florida is no longer an option for the rest of the region. North Carolina allows abortions until 12 weeks of pregnancy, but has a 72-hour mandatory waiting period with in-person requirements, so it isn't always a viable alternative.

Shots - Health News

How florida and arizona supreme court rulings change the abortion access map.

Instead, advocates that help people access abortions are advising them to travel further to places like Virginia, Illinois or Washington, D.C. That will become increasingly difficult if clinics in states with expanded abortion access struggle to accommodate the influx of patients.

"We're estimating about 90% of our callers are going to need to go out-of-state and that we'll have a large increase in callers because this is going to be a whole new cost for people seeking abortions," says McKenna Kelley, a volunteer board member with the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund.

Abortion funds can help pregnant people cover the cost of abortion procedures and relieve some of the logistical challenges associated with seeking care. But paying for flights, hotel stays and other expenses associated with long-distance travel is much more challenging than giving someone a ride to a nearby clinic.

While what Kelley calls "rage donations" poured in from supporters angry about the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision in 2022, abortion funds say Florida's recent ban hasn't been met with the same response. Organizers fear they won't be able to help everyone in need, but say funds are working together to form a stronger support network around the country.

Even with assistance, travel may not be an option for some people, which means they may choose to self-manage their abortions or carry unwanted pregnancies to term.

"This truly is an American health care crisis," says Zdravecky with Planned Parenthood.

Supporters of the ban suggest pregnancy centers that oppose abortion as alternatives

Orlando Police officers move back anti-abortion rights protesters near the "Rally to Stop the Six-Week Abortion Ban" in Orlando, Fla., on April 13, 2024. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

Orlando Police officers move back anti-abortion rights protesters near the "Rally to Stop the Six-Week Abortion Ban" in Orlando, Fla., on April 13, 2024.

Opponents of abortion rights in Florida advocated for the state's six-week ban and have also been busy gearing up for its implementation.

"Our position is we need to protect unborn children, we need to celebrate life, protect life, that's the chief role of government," says John Stemberger, president of Liberty Counsel Action, a religious liberty organization that supports abortion bans.

The group has been briefing the nearly 200 crisis pregnancy centers in Florida about the law and how to prepare for a potential increase in demand for services, he says.

These centers are usually run by faith-based organizations. They encourage pregnant women not to get abortions and to consider parenting or adoption instead. They sometimes offer free ultrasounds or baby supplies.

"We really want to appeal to young mothers or even older mothers who are in what we'd consider a crisis pregnancy to basically think differently about the issue," says Stemberger.

The law that imposes the six-week abortion ban also increased funding for pregnancy centers to $25 million, up from roughly $4 million in 2022.

Some crisis pregnancy centers have been known to provide people with misleading or inaccurate medical information. There have also been calls for more oversight.

Adoption services in the state are also preparing to support more birth mothers who may choose that option.

Florida's six-week ban includes exceptions for some vulnerable communities and when a mother or fetus' life is in danger.

Survivors of rape, incest or human trafficking can access abortions until 15 weeks of pregnancy under the new law, but it mandates they provide documentation, such as a police report or medical record, and providers may be obligated to report the crime in some cases.

Many survivors don't feel safe or comfortable reporting assaults, says Stephanie Loraine Piñeiro, executive director of the abortion fund Florida Access Network. She calls the requirements "unrealistic" and "incredibly cruel."

As with the previous 15-week ban, there are exceptions to save the pregnant person's life or avert "substantial and irreversible" bodily harm. Patients can also access abortions until the third trimester if physicians detect the fetus has a fatal abnormality.

Voters can weigh in on the ban in November

Supporters of President Joe Biden cheer as they await his speech about reproductive freedom at Hillsborough Community College-Dale Mabry Campus in Tampa, Fla., on April 23, 2024. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Supporters of President Joe Biden cheer as they await his speech about reproductive freedom at Hillsborough Community College-Dale Mabry Campus in Tampa, Fla., on April 23, 2024.

On the same day that it upheld the 15-week ban, which allowed the six-week ban to go into effect, the Florida Supreme Court also allowed a proposal to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution to remain on the November ballot.

If passed, Amendment 4 would allow abortion access in Florida until fetal viability, which is usually around 24 weeks, "or when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's healthcare provider."

Supporters and opponents of abortion rights have made it a priority moving forward.

"It's critical that we turn out the vote this fall for people to protect their freedoms. The [state] Supreme Court has basically put this issue in the voters' hands," says Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, a Democrat.

President Joe Biden made abortion the focus of a visit to Tampa last Monday , while Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to talk about it in Jacksonville on Wednesday.

Opponents of the ballot initiative call it a "radical, no-limits" abortion amendment and are campaigning against it.

"Prop 4, the abortion lobby's dream amendment, is extremely misleading," says Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser in a statement following President Biden's visit to Tampa.

The wording of the proposal was at the heart of the state's legal challenge to the effort. Attorney General Ashley Moody argued it would confuse voters. But in its 4-3 opinion, the state Supreme Court wrote that the proposal was "plainly stated in terms that clearly and unambiguously reflect the text of the proposed amendment."

The increased attention on the ballot initiative is appreciated, says Megan Jeyifo, executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, which has been working with partners in Florida to help patients travel to the Midwest for care. But she worries people may devote all their resources to getting that passed and forget the pregnant people affected by the ban now.

"Because [Amendment 4] will be won on the backs of those people, you know it will be won, and people will give birth when they didn't want to," she says.

Other states have successfully passed ballot initiatives to protect abortion rights, but none had quite as high a threshold as Florida. For Amendment 4 to pass, 60% of voters need to approve it.

Moscow concert hall attack: Why is ISIL targeting Russia?

Deadly attack in Moscow claimed by ISIL affiliate leaves more than 133 people dead and approximately 100 injured.

More than 133 people have been killed and more than 100 others were injured following a brazen attack on concertgoers at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall before a performance by a Soviet-era rock band on Friday.

Assailants dressed in camouflage uniforms opened fire and reportedly threw explosive devices inside the concert venue, which was left in flames with its roof collapsing after the deadly attack.

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At least 115 killed, more than 185 injured in attack on moscow concert hall, more than 130 killed in moscow concert hall attack, ‘heinous, cowardly’: world reacts to attack on moscow concert hall, moscow concert hall attack: what do we know so far.

Eleven people had been detained, including four people directly involved in the armed assault, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported on Saturday.

ISIL’s Afghan branch – also known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K) – has claimed responsibility for the attack and United States officials have confirmed the authenticity of that claim, according to the Reuters news agency.

Here is what we know about the group and their possible motive for the Moscow attack.

ISIL’s Afghanistan branch

The group remains one of the most active affiliates of ISIL and takes its title from an ancient caliphate in the region that once encompassed areas of Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan.

The group emerged from eastern Afghanistan in late 2014 and was made up of breakaway fighters of the Pakistan Taliban and local fighters who pledged allegiance to the late ISIL leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi .

The group has since established a fearsome reputation for acts of brutality.

Murat Aslan, a military analyst and former Turkish army colonel, said ISIL’s Afghanistan affiliate is known for its “radical and tough methodologies”.

“I think their ideology inspires them in terms of selecting targets. First of all, Russia is in Syria and fighting against Daesh [ISIL] like the United States. That means they see such countries as hostile,” Aslan told Al Jazeera.

“They are now in Moscow. Previously they were in Iran, and we will see much more attacks, maybe in other capitals,” he added.

Though its membership in Afghanistan is said to have declined since a peak in about 2018, its fighters still pose one of the greatest threats to the Taliban’s authority in Afghanistan.

Previous attacks by the group

ISKP fighters claimed responsibility for the 2021 attacks outside Kabul airport that left at least 175 civilians dead, killed 13 US soldiers, and many dozens injured.

The ISIL affiliate was previously blamed for carrying out a bloody attack on a maternity ward in Kabul in May 2020 that killed 24 people, including women and infants. In November that same year, the group carried out an attack on Kabul University, killing at least 22 teachers and students.

In September 2022, the group took responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing at the Russian embassy in Kabul.

Last year, Iran blamed the group for two separate attacks on a major shrine in southern Shiraz – the Shah Cheragh – which killed at least 14 people and injured more than 40.

The US claimed that it intercepted communications confirming that the group was preparing to carry out attacks before coordinated suicide bombings in Iran in January this year killed nearly 100 people in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman. ISKP claimed responsibility for the Kerman attacks.

Why is ISIL attacking Russia?

Defence and security analysts say the group has targeted its propaganda at Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent years over the alleged oppression of Muslims by Russia.

“Russian foreign policy has been one big red flag for ISIS [ISIL],” Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Washington-based Wilson Center told Al Jazeera. “The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Russian actions in Chechnya, Moscow’s close relationships with the Syrian and Iranian governments, and especially the military campaigns that Russia has waged against ISIS fighters in Syria and — through Wagner Group mercenaries – in parts of Africa.”

All of that has meant that Moscow has become a focus of ISKP’s “extensive propaganda war,” said Amira Jadoon, assistant professor at Clemson University in South Carolina and co-author of, The Islamic State in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Strategic Alliances and Rivalries.

“Russia’s engagement in the global fight against ISIS and its affiliates, especially through its military operations in Syria and its efforts to establish connections with the Afghan Taliban – ISIS-K’s rival – marks Russia as a key adversary for ISIS/ISIS-K,” Jadoon told Al Jazeera.

Should the Moscow attack be “definitely attributed” to ISKP, Jadoon said, the group hopes to win support and advance “its goal to evolve into a terrorist organisation with global influence” by demonstrating that it can launch attacks within Russian territory.

“ISK [ISKP] has consistently demonstrated its ambition to evolve into a formidable regional entity … By directing its aggression towards nations such as Iran and Russia, ISK not only confronts regional heavyweights but also underscores its political relevance and operational reach on the global stage,” Jadoon said.

Kabir Taneja, a fellow at the Strategic Studies Programme of the Observer Research Foundation – a think tank based in New Delhi, India – told Al Jazeera that Russia is seen by ISIL and its affiliates as “a crusading power against Muslims”.

“Russia has been a target for ISIS and not just ISKP from the beginning,” Taneja, author of the book, The ISIS Peril, said.

“ISKP attacked [the] Russian embassy in Kabul in 2022, and over the months, Russian security agencies have upped their efforts to clamp down on pro-ISIS ecosystems both in Russia and around its borders, specifically Central Asia and the Caucusus,” he said.

In early March, Russia’s Federal Security Service, better known as the FSB, said it had thwarted an ISIL plan to attack a Moscow synagogue.

“The most compelling current motivation for ISIS-K to attack Russia is the Taliban factor. The Taliban is a bitter rival of ISIS, and ISIS views Russia as a friend of the Taliban,” said Kugelman.

Moscow’s close relations with Israel are also anathema to ISIL’s ideology, Taneja said.

“So this friction is not new ideologically, but is so tactically,” he told Al Jazeera.

There’s another factor, too: Largely away from the world’s attention, the armed group has regrouped into a formidable force after setbacks in Syria and Iran.

“ISKP in Afghanistan has grown in strength significantly … and it’s not just ISKP, ISIS in its original regions of operations, Syria and Iraq, also sees [an] uptick in operational capabilities,” Taneja said. Today, he added, it is “ideologically powerful even if not politically, tactically or strategically … that powerful any more”.

That poses a challenge for a distracted world, he said.

“How to combat this is the big question at a time when big power competition and global geopolitical churn has put counterterrorism on the back burner,” Taneja added.

How has ISIL responded?

ISKP social media channels are “jubilant” following the attack on Moscow, said Abdul Basit, a senior associate fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore.

“They are celebrating the attack,” Basit told Al Jazeera, adding that supporters are “translating and recirculating the responsibility claim” issued by the ISIL-linked Amaq News Agency.

Basit said that ISIL’s method of operations involves amplifying a propaganda campaign in advance of large-scale attacks and this had been observed in recent anti-Russian messaging. Such attacks “add to the credibility” of armed groups, Basit explained, which then “increases the scope of their funding, recruitment and propaganda”.

More attacks are possible in Russia and elsewhere, he added, given the key role that ISIL recruits of Central Asian origin – particularly Tajiks – played when the group held territory in Syria. They have now returned to the Central Asia region and their intent to carry out attacks has now materialised in capability, Basit said.

Previous attacks in Russia

Moscow and other Russian cities have been the targets of previous attacks.

In 2002, Chechen fighters took more than 900 people hostage in a Moscow theatre, the Dubrovka, demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya and an end to Russia’s war on the region.

Russian special forces attacked the theatre to end the standoff and 130 people were killed, most suffocated by a gas used by security forces to leave the Chechen fighters unconscious.

The deadliest attack in Russia was the 2004 Beslan school siege which was carried out by members of a Chechen armed group seeking Chechnya’s independence from Russia. The siege killed 334 people, including 186 children.