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Bleemus · 01-12-2016, 15:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by SV DestinyAscen

Just saw footage taken from a French helicopter from a destroyer. Alex Thomson sure is pushing it hard on starboard tact - the foiless sailing looks very unnatural on his boat and the weatherhelm must beer immense... Saw the bow dig deep a couple of times and in lesser boats I'm sure it would have broached.

He was on port tack.

steamgoat · 01-12-2016, 15:25

Awesome video,thank you French Navy !!!

SV DestinyAscen · 01-12-2016, 15:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bleemus

He was on port tack.

You must be right - my memory fails me

Polux · 02-12-2016, 04:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by SV DestinyAscen

You must be right - my memory fails me

He was heeled to starboard and was on port tack. Sometimes it gets confusing

Polux · 02-12-2016, 04:52

For me it is enough, I don't need this coming from newbies to this race. I had followed all vendee Globe since the start ago and that is why I know something about this race, the racers and the boats.

I will post somewhere else. By the way, on my blog yesterday, the day where I made a post about this race I had over 1700 hits. Contrary to here there are many there that follow this race along many editions and know it very well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

... Alex is one very experienced ocean racer and I am sure he knows what he is doing better than the armchair critics on CF.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

I perfer the term 'computer commentators'...

...

Are not we all computer commentators? The difference is that some know about what they are talking about while others don't.

It is obvious on this images that Alex is putting much more stress on his boat than Armel. It is also obvious for someone that knows these boats and this race, that he cannot push his boat all the way like this without breaking it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aks2...ature=youtu.be

Bleemus · 02-12-2016, 07:04

He was pushing hard on port tack to minimize the gap to Armel knowing he would be on starboard soon and could increase his lead then. Am sure, now that he has the lead and speed advantage he is managing the boat.

Not sure why your intent on letting us know hat you have followed this race like many of us and your points are somehow more valid. If it means anything I have raced with and against some of these guys. Even beat them in a Transatlantic Race. Doesnt make my opinion any more important than someone else.

Polux · 02-12-2016, 07:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bleemus

....
Not sure why your intent on letting us know hat you have followed this race like many of us and your points are somehow more valid. If it means anything I have raced with and against some of these guys. Even beat them in a Transatlantic Race. Doesnt make my opinion any more important than someone else.

Not more valid, but according to some, less valid.

barnakiel · 02-12-2016, 07:42

The old arguments for and against the old salt opinion worth more or less than a rookie opinion ...

Can we NOT leave this behind and concentrate on racing?

My boom is longer than yours, but yours is 9 feet while mine is only 4 meters.

Boring.

b.

SV DestinyAscen · 02-12-2016, 08:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polux

He was heeled to starboard and was on port tack. Sometimes it gets confusing

Confusion is the default status these days. Enjoy the rest of the race.

AmericanVagrant · 02-12-2016, 12:36

I know little about sailboat racing, but have grown up desert racing. Looks like Alex is "going for broke". As Ricky Bobby says, "if you ain't first, you're last".

Exciting race and even if his rig doesn't hold in the end, the publicity will be making sponsors happy. I'm sure that his decision to push the boat is a calculation that goes beyond the outcome of this particular race.

The speed of these vessels and skill of these skippers is really something to marvel, it's an amazing thing that modern technology allows us to experience it as we do.

DeepFrz · 02-12-2016, 12:48

Quote:

Exciting race and even if his rig doesn't hold in the end, the publicity will be making sponsors happy. I'm sure that his decision to push the boat is a calculation that goes beyond the outcome of this particular race.

I agree, but also note that Alex has finished the VG before and was 3rd by only 2 days. That was 2012-2013 which was finished in record time. Alex finished just behind Armel. He knows what it takes to sail fast and finish and he knows his boat better than we do.

steamgoat · 02-12-2016, 16:35

Looks like JPD has turned around?? Don't see anything on the site about it.

DeepFrz · 02-12-2016, 20:10

JPD seems to be back on track now. Perhaps he hove to in order to perform some maintenance.

Snowpetrel · 02-12-2016, 20:43

Afaik JPD breached the ice limit, had to sail back to where he breached it and round it to starboard. Very unfortunate for him.

Thanks Polux for your observations and infomation about some of the other french boats. I am really focusing on AT and ALC's incredible duel, so it is interesting to get a perspective on the other boats.

I was asked the other day if Id like to do a Vendee race (hypothetically of course...) after a moments thought I had to say no, I wouldn't, or rather I would but there is no way I could sail one of those beasts at the anything near the pace of even the slowest in the fleet. My few thousand miles on an old open 60 were done at an aveage speed of about 6 knots! And even being conservative the pounding was brutal. full respect to all those guys, it's an epic challenge just to get the boats around the world.