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**JPA Cate** · 26-12-2015, 15:53

Quote:

And kudos for Comanche for hanging in and being able to effect repairs at sea. Hopefully a full explanation will be fothcoming after getting to Hobart.
_

Yes, indeed, Wottie, maybe some things we can all learn from, too.

I wonder what you think of all the retirings due to broken rudders? Like design issues? Fabrication issues? combinations? Thinking about it makes me wonder how often a supermaxi would/should replace the rudders, like preventive maintenance on helicopters, and other aircraft.

Ann

**Wotname** · 26-12-2015, 16:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Yes, indeed, Wottie, maybe some things we can all learn from, too.

I wonder what you think of all the retirings due to broken rudders? Like design issues? Fabrication issues? combinations? Thinking about it makes me wonder how often a supermaxi would/should replace the rudders, like preventive maintenance on helicopters, and other aircraft.

Ann

Dunno but it wouldn't be from lack of $$$$

From what others have posted, I reckon it is just the same old story as occurs in every race.

There is a balance between pushing harder to stay in front of the opposition and hanging back to prevent damage. This is game that mostly turns out bad.

For instance, WOXI could have made a decision to ease up to prevent damage or push as hard as they thought they could. This time they overestimated the strength of their mainsail or underestimated the strength of the wind. So this time, they got it wrong, other times they get it right. For the 2015 race, they didn't make the best decision. Note, there is absolutely no criticism of them here or of the boat!!!

Only one boat will be making the best decisions longingly and we won't know who that is for awhile yet

As others have indicated, an elite boat only knows when they have pushed too hard is when something breaks.

This one of the reasons, I prefer to follow some of the older (and smaller boats), they aren't into breaking stuff so much as sailing consistently to the conditions.

Polux · 26-12-2015, 19:15

yes amazing Comanche being able to repair at sea and I cannot understand how without losing time...but we will know at the end. The Race this year is very interesting with a big battle for first and for third, between Comanche and Rambler and Ragamuffin and Maserati: Two smaller boats fighting with two bigger ones.

Rambler is hanging on and on the light stuff that they have ahead is possibly faster than Comanche and probably the same with Maserati regarding Ragamuffin so the smaller boats may well beat the bigger ones on this race.

Also it seems the Sydney2Hobart is becoming more international attracting good crews from US and Europe. On line honors the first Australian boat may well be the 4th and in what regards race results, if they stay like they are now, the victory will go for a French/Swiss team, sailing an A13 and among the 5 different IRC divisions only one would be won by an Australian team, going one for an Italian team, one to a British, one for a French and one to a French/Swiss team.

That would be good for the internationalization of the race and possibly will bring more good teams on the next editions from abroad, but probably will let the Australians a bit pissed

The French boat that is ahead on the smaller IRC class is a very interesting one, a small production cruiser racer, not an expensive boat, a JPK 10.80.
The boat is a recent model and has been a success not only on regatta races but also on Oceanic ones and on duo transats (won the Transquadra and the last Fastnet). Have a look, duo sailed on the Transquadra:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VNBk1uoXVw

On the first leg (that they won) one of the duo crew was the boat builder, JPK himself.

transmitterdan · 26-12-2015, 20:04

Does anybody know why so many TP52's had to retire?

donradcliffe · 26-12-2015, 20:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

Does anybody know why so many TP52's had to retire?

They were too amped at the start and hit each other, then one lost a forestay.

Further back, Ark 323, the Chinese TP52, was in a collision with another TP52, Ragamuffin 52. “We were dipping down to avoid Rambler, but the boat below us (Ragamuffin 52) did not give us enough room. We have a big crack in our deck,” crew member Faris Bin Aznan, alleged back at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia dock, following her retirement.

Also back at the CYCA were Jeremy Pilkington’s RP78, Lupa of London, and Anthony Lyall’s TP52, Cougar II from Tasmania. They, too, were involved in a collision that left Cougar II’s starboard transom stove in and broken, with damage to the bow of Lupa of London.

Factor · 26-12-2015, 21:01

Well done to Comanche, who would have thought that if you heard one boat tearing a main and one damaging a rudder it would be the rudder damage boat that would stop, fix it and then battle on. Wild Oats should be ashamed of themselves. BTW Polux, comanche lost plenty of time effecting the fix. The green line is their track, they turned and slowed effected the repair and then headed off again.

**JPA Cate** · 26-12-2015, 22:33

Factor,

Does it seem to you that they just drifted, given that the wind was S?

A

**JPA Cate** · 26-12-2015, 22:46

Sorry, know the name's not quite correct, but Frantic and ? Hapsburg Hamburg??? are both coming into Eden. Out of the race.

Apologies for not having it letter perfect. Heard on VHF.

**Wotname** · 26-12-2015, 23:37

More silly super maxi questions!

Would it be usual or unusual to have more than one mainsail aboard?

Can these supersized sails be hoisted in say 25 kts?

**Wotname** · 26-12-2015, 23:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Sorry, know the name's not quite correct, but Frantic and ? Hapsburg Hamburg??? are both coming into Eden. Out of the race.

Apologies for not having it letter perfect. Heard on VHF.

Prolly Haspa Hamburg!

**JPA Cate** · 27-12-2015, 00:36

Frantic's tied up in Eden.

GILow · 27-12-2015, 02:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wotname

More silly super maxi questions!

Would it be usual or unusual to have more than one mainsail aboard?

Can these supersized sails be hoisted in say 25 kts?

Same question was in my mind. I wonder if maybe the damage is something related to a broken sail track or similar such as affected Dong Feng on their way to New Zealand in the last Volvo series.

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