The GGR race, discussion and news

[IslandHopper]

According to latest AMSA MSI "Mary Luck" still floating......

https://www.amsa.gov.au/safety-navig...ation-database

SECURITE
FM JRCC AUSTRALIA 080211Z OCT 18
NAVAREA X 065/18
11 METRE YACHT MARY LUCK (MMSI 250005029) ABANDONED AND ADRIFT IN VICINITY 39-37.88S 080-22.14E AT
080001UTC OCT 18.
NNNN

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Polux

Thanks, Yes that makes sense. on the first video, due to the angle, the boat seems to go fast but on the second video it is clear that the boat goes about that speed.

Those boats are really slow. My old Bavaria 36 with that wind would be faster by about 1kt.

That's nice that your old Bavaria 36 would be one knot faster but the problem is that it would have been totally destroyed if it had to sail through the same storm some of the GGR boats did

Bavaria 36

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=5264


Boat qualified to sail the GGR. Rustler 36

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=3696

[Snowpetrel]

looks like the (new) middle fleet are going to get a fair bit of wind over the next few days, but nothing like what Abhilash, Gregor and Mark had.

Mark Slats is right down against the line, with strong NE headwinds, looks like he is hove too, going nowhere at the moment. This suits me as I really want to get out and see him sail in, and I am busy at work all week.

I must say the loss of Abhilash and Gregor is a real blow to the race. That old middle pack and the different boat types was really interesting.

VdH is still going very well, and making steady ground on Mark Slats. He has been lucky with the weather, but you sometimes make your own luck... I was very impressed with how well his boat was sailing in the light air, maybe a well sailed Bavaria would have been faster, but I wouldn't want to be in one crossing the Indian ocean around the 40's near the end of winter. Looks like VdH might be going to shoot through Foveaux Strait. Not a good place to be in if it blows but a nice high is headed his way.

[Jim Cate]

Ben, Susanne (Nehaj, N1QFE) tried to check in on the Comedy net this morning. She's a bit south of cape Leeuwin and that's a bit too far for 40 m just now, but it was great to hear her voice again. As she gets a bit closer, we'll be able to have a good chat, and I'm looking forward to that.

JIm

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Ben, Susanne (Nehaj, N1QFE) tried to check in on the Comedy net this morning. She's a bit south of cape Leeuwin and that's a bit too far for 40 m just now, but it was great to hear her voice again. As she gets a bit closer, we'll be able to have a good chat, and I'm looking forward to that.

JIm

She is going well, I guess she will sail right past Tasmania. Sounds like she got bounced around pretty badly in the blow that knocked out Ahbilash and Gregor. It would be great to hear more from her.

[Snowpetrel]

Vdh is past NZ, nothing but open ocean now to the Horn, this has to be the real halfway mark, psychologically at least.

Mark slats has a better angle now. And is back making ground towards Tassie. He is really hanging out for some fresh fish. Hopefully he can catch a few near the south coast of tasmania.

[thomm225]

Looks like the race could wind up being about the boats in 2nd back to 6th place since Jean Luc is so far ahead. Those 5 boats are starting to get really close together

Also, I wonder if Gregor left the jury rigged sails up on his boat because it's making it's way ENE at one knot at the moment

Also, Suhaili of yesteryear is gaining on the 8th and 9th place boats

https://goldengloberace.com/livetracker/

[Snowpetrel]

Mark slats had a tough night with two knockdowns in 30-35 knots of what I assume was SW winds. A toolbox hit him and possibly broke a rib. Ouch. Goes to show its all about the seastate.

[Snowpetrel]

He was probably somewhere near here, so more like a Southerly. Possibly beam reaching to make a good speed which might explain the knockdowns.

[Snowpetrel]

Looks like Susie is in for a pasting. A nasty low is forming right ontop of her tomorrow. Windy shows 50kn and 8-9 meter seas. Very nasty and no easy way out. Hopefully she has a Series Drogue. It will likely steamroller Uku as well but he has more time to get north.

[Snowpetrel]

At least the band of nasty stuff is pretty small, she has been advised to go north, hopefully it doesn't take he up into the worst of it. Prehaps stopping now and letting it form ahead of her would work? Problem is these rapidly forming lows are so unpredictable and hard to forcast precisely. Even just a day out and Ecmwf and GFS have quite different positions for the peak wind speeds. Hopefully the worst will go under Uku

[DumnMad]

Nasty alright and no time to escape. An endurance test.
At least its looking to move south quickly with winds on her quarter.

[JPA Cate]

9 m. seas not near as bad on the quarter as on the beam!

[Snowpetrel]

https://www.facebook.com/17517098784...8431762076877/

Looks like Susie has backtracked to get some distance between herself and the worst of the blow. Probably the best option she had.

One thing the GGR is really showing is the benefits of reliable weather info and routing. I am guessing VdH has much better weather info via HF than any other contestant is getting, and I think it is an important part of why he is so far ahead.

Mark slats is making good progress, hopefully in over the weekend, and woth luck I'll get out to see him. He has lost his chart of Tasmania.. It was somewhere onboard he thinks. He also forgot his gloves, last trip he forgot his sleeping bag! Kind of funny, but I am sure I'd forget a bunch of stuff as well.

[DumnMad]

Or is she getting some sleep before the storm hits ?