Vendee Globe Starts Today, Facts, Video, Discussion

[jeepbluetj]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Anyone know when we will get live coverage?

And a linky to the dailymotion site?

When you think about it, 35nm difference at the end of a RTW race.... That's a photo finish for all intents and porpoises.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Anyone know when we will get live coverage?

"On the screens:
You will be able to watch the winner finishing live in French and English on the Vendée Globe website, mobile apps, tablets as well as on Dailymotion, Facebook and Youtube.

The live show will begin 30 minutes before the boat crosses the line and will finish around two hours later after the skipper goes onto the podium. The press conference will be shown live 30 mins after the podium.

You will be able to see the approximate ETA for the next competitor in breaking news on the homepage of the official website.

NB : If the tide does not allow the skipper to enter the harbour (see the tide times here), most of them will decide to stay at sea once they have crossed the line. The live coverage will be interrupted during this break."
Vendée Globe 2016-2017

For what I can tell Armel will arrive between 15.00 and 18.00 CET tomorrow. You will be able to have a better timing following the distances to the finish, that from 100nm to the finish line will be given every hour.

Alex should arrive 4 to 6 hours later, already night.

This race has been very similar regarding the finish with last edition where the two first arrived with some hours diference too. That time Armel losing to Gabart and very similar also because Armel chased Gabart from thousands of miles away, but like Alex, even if he had come close, never managed to overtake the leader in any moment of the final phase of the race, meaning from the cape Horn to France.

[arsenelupiga]

Armel doing 2 things:

protecting the boat while keeping 'safe' distance from Alex ?

[donradcliffe]

Armel has tacked for the finish after banging the corner pretty hard--my router has me tacking about 10 miles before he did. I think he is pretty much sailing his own race, not bothering to cover.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

Armel doing 2 things:

protecting the boat while keeping 'safe' distance from Alex ?

Right now there isn't much about protecting the boat as the winds are only around 10 knots. I think he is balls to the wall.

[Juho]

It seems Alex has at least stopped following Armel. I think it is about time to at least try something else. Maybe he can find better winds.

But it seems he is slower now. Maybe sailing more upwind. I would just seek for speed, stay away from the coastline, and hope that the winds will allow a turn to the finishing line later.

He said he has no tricks left. But maybe he should gamble with whatever small chances he has left.

[JPA Cate]

If i understand correctly, Alex's autopilot's wind direction and possibly force, as well, sensor needs re-soldering, and then he has to go aloft to re-install. If he is going substantially slower right now, perhaps he's compass steering (as he still has that function), and having a short sleep before going aloft. Having already been without sleep for 48 hrs., it would be much safer to take a rest, then go back to full on racing. You can't finish 2nd if you don't finish at all. It would be a great shame to have a terminal accident after doing so well for so long.

Ann

[Juho]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

If i understand correctly, Alex's autopilot's wind direction and possibly force, as well, sensor needs re-soldering, and then he has to go aloft to re-install. If he is going substantially slower right now, perhaps he's compass steering (as he still has that function), and having a short sleep before going aloft. Having already been without sleep for 48 hrs., it would be much safer to take a rest, then go back to full on racing. You can't finish 2nd if you don't finish at all. It would be a great shame to have a terminal accident after doing so well for so long.

Ann

When I read Alex's comments in Polux's mail #388, it seemed possible that Alex's autopilot might still work with absolute compass directions (and only the wind direction based part would be missing). Maybe current wind direction makes use of autopilot and sleeping possible again (absolute direction based mode).

Juho

[SV DestinyAscen]

Hugo Boss autopilot still can hold a magnetic bearing - problem is the mast instruments have basically been nonfunctioning since the southern ocean and Thompson rigged a backup at the stern. I suspect it's probably also why his AIS isn't working. Something messed up in the mastconnections .

[toddedger]

I disagree with Polux, in my racing experience the rich get richer and have a distinct advantage.

Alex has been running with a makeshift wind transducer mounted on his stern since Brazil. I don't want to dump on any country but B&G equipment isn't manufactured in Europe anymore. I think Ellen used a different brand. Maybe he will too next time.

[toddedger]

I suspect AIS antennas would be mounted on stern. Real estate on the masthead is to valuable for that.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by toddedger

I disagree with Polux, in my racing experience the rich get richer and have a distinct advantage.

Alex has been running with a makeshift wind transducer mounted on his stern since Brazil. I don't want to dump on any country but B&G equipment isn't manufactured in Europe anymore. I think Ellen used a different brand. Maybe he will too next time.

I don't know in what you disagree with me but Alex and Armel use B&G as most of the racers and they use it because it is the best. Others use NKE that is almost as good, in what regards autopilots and sensors.
https://sailracingmagazine.com/home/...-leaders-right
Autopilot Anatomy | Sailing World

The fact of not being manufactured in Europe means nothing. It is designed in Europe and as almost all consumer electronics and computers are made on the far east.

[toddedger]

Sorry Polux, I don't know how to include quotes from post when on my tablet. I disagree with your coment about the hunted being disadvantaged. To me it's only a disadvantage when sailing dead down wind. Most of the time the rich get richer. No offense to Armel, but Alex has done an incredible job of playing catch up. When I look back to that helicopter video in the southern ocean with Amel flying along and Alex carrying more sail with 30 degrees more heel because of no foil, it just amazes me. You say Armel has been unlucky with weather, yet it's Alex that has the broken foil and the broken wind sensors and yet he still right there at the end setting the 24 hour speed record. Unfortunately in sailboat racing at every level it's still better to be lucky than good.

B&G might have the best designed equipment but if it doesn't hold up for the whole race it's useless. I checked and found that B&G moved their manufacturing to North America, and it's not in USA or Canada. Quality control is just speculation on my part, but I know they have some redundancy up there and still there is trouble. Very sad the amount of exhaustion that problem has added.

I predict in the next running of the raced that Alex will be the pre-race favorite, and he mighty be using some different equipment

[donradcliffe]

Alex is now on port tack, where his foil is broken off, so he will be slower. He does not have to go up the mast to fix his wind sensor. He switched to a pulpit mounted one some time ago, but it has also broken, so he is trying to cobble up a replacement for it.

His autopilot in compass mode will get him home in second place, and it is very unlikely that a wind mode autopilot would allow him to catch Amel with a broken foil. He might as well take a nap, because if he doesn't he will run into a fishing boat.

[arsenelupiga]

proven again: french are best boat architects, builders and sailors.

Everyone else just improvises