Winning $250,000 in a bush-survival competition in Tasmania would give Sebastian Ward choices. But he’s promised his mate Scott he’ll sail in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in 100 days’ time on The Blue Gazelle. Seb’s confident he’ll outlast the other competitors and make it back to Sydney before the starting cannon fires.
At the beginning of the competition, he forms an unlikely relationship with the wild-spirited Galina. This breaks all the rules of the game. When Galina is declared the winner and the organisers tell her that Seb has already left the competition, she suspects foul play.
Meanwhile, Scott and crew have set sail, encountering a phantom yacht during a wild storm. They are blasted by laser, rendering them unable to sail swiftly to the finish as the yacht is damaged and Jason and Scott are ill. When their yacht finally limps into port, few believe their reports of the encounter.
Are they suffering from Havana Syndrome?
Havana Syndrome refers to a set of mysterious and often debilitating symptoms experienced by U.S. diplomats and government personnel, first reported in Havana, Cuba, in 2016.
The symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Cognitive difficulties
- Hearing strange noises or feeling pressure in the ears
- Vision problems
- Sleep disturbances
People affected by these symptoms often describe hearing a sudden, loud noise or feeling intense pressure before the symptoms begin.
Possible Causes
Several theories have emerged to explain Havana Syndrome, but none have been definitively proven. Some of the key hypotheses include:
- Microwave or Sonic Weapons: The leading theory initially focused on the possibility of directed microwave or sonic energy attacks, intentionally targeting diplomats. A National Academy of Sciences report in 2020 suggested that “directed, pulsed radio frequency energy” was the most plausible cause.
- Mass Psychogenic Illness (MPI): Some experts have proposed that the syndrome could be psychological in nature, akin to a mass psychogenic illness, where stress and anxiety trigger real symptoms. This theory gained traction due to the absence of clear physical causes in many cases.
- Environmental Factors: Other explanations have considered environmental causes, such as pesticides, sonic interference, or other toxic exposures in the affected locations.
Is Havana Syndrome Real?
The reality of Havana Syndrome is complex. The symptoms are undeniably real for those who experience them, but the underlying cause remains highly controversial.
- U.S. Government Response: The U.S. government has treated the incidents seriously, providing medical support to affected personnel and even referring to the symptoms as “anomalous health incidents.” The CIA and FBI have investigated the possibility of foreign attacks but have not reached a definitive conclusion.
- Skepticism: Some medical experts and researchers remain sceptical of the idea of deliberate attacks, especially given the lack of concrete evidence. A CIA report in 2022 indicated that the majority of cases did not appear to be the result of hostile foreign activity, though a small number of cases remain unexplained.
Alone with a Tasman Tiger provides another perspective.