The GGR race, discussion and news

[Terje Vigen]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

When the current is variable and below 0.2 knots I would be far more interested in the wind....

Of course you would! This is not the issue here!
The danger is the risk of sailing into the strong back-eddies of the Agulhas Current. Many large ships have been severely damaged or sunk by the rouge waves that form in these waters, especially when there is "strong current against strong" wind conditions. The contenders therefore should try to position themselves so that they'll have the wind and the current working in the same direction. Normally, that entails going further south.

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

And also.... what access do they have to current current info? Nil I would have thought...

Well - the GGR HQ has issued emergency warnings about the position of the Agulhas current and the back eddies. However, as explained by Don in his latest summary today, the available information about the exact position of the current is not very accurate, only updated once per week if I understood correctly. Consequently, J-L VDH was sailing straight into a wind-against-current area, and experienced much higher waves than expected.
Luckily for him, it was not very strong wind, only Bf7...

[El Pinguino]

All of the participants in this race should have done their homework before the start and been well aware of what the Aghulus does in the form of back eddies etc... its even in wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agulhas_Current

The 'back eddies' didn't just happen along yesterday afternoon and it shouldn't be neccesary to issue warnings about them.

The grey men seem well aware of this and appear to be heading south into the low 40s nice and early. vdH took a short cut... short cuts lead to tears , as Peche discovered....

Damage to big ships along with occasional sinkings occurs in a fairly limited area up off Port Shepstone on the 100 fathom line... don't ask me how I know this...

[Snowpetrel]

Sounds like they have just had some pretty nasty weather. Are Wiig was knocked down twice amd Mark Slats and Gregor are running with storm jibs. More wind for the next day or so. 40 knots with7 meter seas. Very unpleasant.

Phillpe Peche has withdrawn, now he is cape town. He is a racer, and not up for plodding around without a chance of winning. Also Antoine is headed for Rio De Janeiro due to a shoulder injury that isn't healing. He is still having windvane issues.

Tomy spent the night on his Suhaili replica under spinnaker without his windvane. Waking in the morning he found it hadn't been hooked up. The boat steered herself ok.. Pretty amazing, and I'd wonder what planet he was on if I hadn't seen myself just how well the sistership I sailed selfsteered downwind without a vane.

Strong headwinds on the way for much of the fleet. Maybe VdH will keep ahead of them and stretch his lead.

[Snowpetrel]

3 knockdowns for Slats as he rounds the Cape of Good Hope. It's going to be very interesting to hear more details.

[picklesandjesse]

Originally Posted by Jimroda06

See you on the start line Pickles, 2022, I'm 73.

OK, but where's the $$$$ coming from !!!??? bit impoverished here. Last wife has all the money. Be good to get away from my new wife though..... think I'd take my parrot but he can't leave this country.

[Snowpetrel]

3RD NIGHT OF GALES, NO SAILS, TOWING WARPS. ALL WELL, JUST TIRED Position: 38' 41.608 S 013' 19.161 E at 27 Aug 07:05 UTC

From Gregor Mcgukin. Sounds unpleasant!

[El Pinguino]

Not for nothing did Dias call it Cabo das Tormentas....

It was only renamed the Cape of Good Hope when Portuguese realters got involved... trying to sell 'time share' in the east....

Is it just me or do they all seem reluctant to get below 40*?

[Snowpetrel]

^^ Never had any real issues around the Cape of Storms on the box boats. I got most of the worst pastings in the Aussie bight crossing East to West in winter. Even in the three trips I did round the Horn we never saw anything overly nasty. Lucky I guess as other trips had seen some very horrendous stuff.

But seeing those Agulas current flows so far south is pretty sobering. Not a good place to be in a blow.

[GILow]

Are lost his mast.

[GILow]

Slats about to get hammered. Fingers crossed for him.

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by GILow

Are lost his mast.

https://goldengloberace.com/are-wiig...-of-cape-town/

He was capsized as well and blew out a portlight. Reported he hove too, but may have lay ahull? All ok onboard and Are is confident of getting to Cape Town OK.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

^^ Never had any real issues around the Cape of Storms on the box boats. I got most of the worst pastings in the Aussie bight crossing East to West in winter. Even in the three trips I did round the Horn we never saw anything overly nasty. Lucky I guess as other trips had seen some very horrendous stuff.

But seeing those Agulas current flows so far south is pretty sobering. Not a good place to be in a blow.

Same experience here... spent much of my first 10 years trading to, from and around SA.... only one bad storm..SW gale blowing over the Aghulas.... bent the boat of Port Shepstone..... luckily not badly.

As you know it only takes a knot of tide against the wind to make the sea turn very ugly...

If they didn't know about what the Aghulas did down there before the race started they were warned about it last week....

Hindsight is a wonderful thing... however........

[Snowpetrel]

Anybody got a snapshop of Are's position vs the wind and current gribs. It would be worth knowing if he suddenly sailed into a bad area of current.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

Anybody got a snapshop of Are's position vs the wind and current gribs. It would be worth knowing if he suddenly sailed into a bad area of current.

Yep, looks like that is what happened... if not directly in opposition, at least perpendicular.

Pics to follow.

[Snowpetrel]

^^ Thanks Matt. Looks like more of a crossing current, but it could still churn up the seas a fair bit. I figure he must have been lying ahull, more than heaving too, as he wouldn't have reset the main after running off? All will be revealed at some stage I guess. Best of luck to him getting back to South africa.