The GGR race, discussion and news

[hpeer]

I’ve seen 3 just this year. One is in my marina in Newfoundland. Really badly bear up hull. And two in Carribean, even saw them together in one anchorage. One of them was very, very nicely done.

[er9]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

You mean the terrible design? The one that even her mother did not love and sold her for USD 1 to an utter stranger at Cabo San Lucas?

Well, not much found. Seen some computer renderings.

Do you have more info on the design perhaps?

I for, one, noted a bowsprit. A red bowsprit, fit for the 21 century. ;-)

b.

did he sell it before it sank? i did not know that...wonder what his ideal boat would have been?

[hpeer]

Well he sold it on the beach full of sand. Also I believe his next boat was a smaller Steel boat. IIRC he thought Joshua was too big. Also IIRC he took possession with next to no interior and sailed off on a milk crate or some such thing.

https://www.ybw.com/boat-events/gold...ace-2022-58477

“She may be slightly longer, have a little more beam and draft, together with a taller main mast, but the essence remains. She looks, feels and will sail just like the original,” they add.

Constructed from laser-cut 5mm, 6mm and 8mm steel sheet, these multi-chined class yachts are being built to strict one-design rules.

“They are incredibly strong with five watertight compartments and will make classic high latitude adventure yachts able to cruise safely anywhere in the world, including Antarctica, before or after the 2022 Golden Globe Race,” he added.

[Snowpetrel]

I like the look of the new Joshua. I saw a fair bit of the beautiful Joshua Class Northern Light when they were in tassie. Sailed against her and was impressed with how she went. The design has all the flaws and advantages you would expect of this type of design. Rolf and Deborah added a very effective winged keel that significantly improved her windward work.

I guess the big question is always if given the same amount of steel is a more modern design better? Eg a Dudley Dix 44 or a radford 450.

I had a laugh listening to Mark Slats chat. He forgot his gloves this time, but he went on to say that the last RTW trip he forgot his sleeping bag, so no gloves aren't so bad..

Abhilash hit something (no damage), and saw a bit of debris, maybe a bit of a gyre there. Isn't it about where Hugo Boss lost a foil during the last Vendee? Abhilash has been flying. 7.5 kn on the tracker and a 165 mile days run.

Istvan sounds happier.

[er9]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

Istvan sounds happier.

yeah looks like he has closed the gap a bit as well on that middle pack although he just got sucked into the no wind zone.

Istvan could be an interesting wild card to watch. he's sailed the southern ocean alone at its worst. he will not be as intimidated by it as some and will know exactly how to handle it. we could see him start doing very well if he gets some favorable wind and things stop breaking on his boat.

i think we could easily see him finish in the top five, possibly better with some luck.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

You mean the terrible design? The one that even her mother did not love and sold her for USD...

Ummm... right. Not a fan I’m guessing. :^)

I found the fitout interesting as it seemed to have some elements in common with my old and very conservatively equipped boat.

I found the price a bit eye watering but I actually don’t know what a new boat that size and construction would normally cost, shopping in the somewhat older boat market myself.

The bare metal hull in the photos looks bent to me, but that could be an optical illusion. Either way, my inner marketing mindset says not a good photo to show to prospective buyers.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by er9

did he sell it before it sank? i did not know that...wonder what his ideal boat would have been?

Reading in the Pardeys' book I believe there it stood he sold it after a couple of failed resuscitation attempts, to a young hobo, for USD 1,00.

However, the hobo, being a young hobo, had twice as much gut and energy and managed to float her.

She is still fine and afloat, probably somewhere up in France.

Every year I see maybe a dozen of copies, most built at original Meta yard. I talk to their owners and most of them stop just here and abandon the dream. It is a design that somehow attracts, mostly failed, dreamers. Yet, maybe two or three each year, push beyond the dream and set out on long voyages. Most recently, notably, Brazil and rtw.

I think this design is to French sailors what W32 is to les Americains.

It is an interesting design and many present owners introduced some new ideas.

I think Norhern Lights was of the same design too.

Cheers,
b.

[steamgoat]

Meta built 80 Joshua hulls,Northern Light is for sale in Curaçao .

[Snowpetrel]

^^^ Thanks https://au.yachtworld.com/boats/1977.../#.W3iPUnN_VdY

Stunning boat. She sails exceptionally well. The average passage speeds Rolf and Deborah made were impressive. Very good sailors, and Rolf pushed her hard.

If you haven't done so it well worth reading "Northern Light" and "Time on Ice". Exceptional sailing books.

[Jim Cate]

Reading in the Pardeys' book I believe there it stood he sold it after a couple of failed resuscitation attempts, to a young hobo, for USD 1,00.

Joshua was washed ashore on a sandy beach in Cabo San Lucas in a moderate storm in 1983. She was in fact the first of many to suffer that fate that night, and Bernard admitted that he had anchored way too close in for ease of access to the beach... and his disgust with himself lead to his "sale" of the boat to strangers.

Joshua wasn't badly damaged, and the new owners simply used a bulldozer to push her back into the water. Then they used sledges to bash the bigger dents in the hull back out and made repairs to the rather rough furniture inside... and proceeded to sail her around the SOC for a few years. We met them in 1986 and spent some time in company... even teamed up with them to use our masts as cranes to restep the mast on a young blokes trimaran one time. Joshua was a rough boat from the start, and being beached did her no good, but sturdy and long lived she was. I think that I read that she was now ensconced in a maritime museum somewhere in France, but not sure about that.

Jim

[Snowpetrel]

^^ Yes, she is in a maritime museum in france. There was footage of her sailing at the start of the GGR. She is well cared for.

Motessiers book 'Tamata and the Alliance' is an interesting read. A large part of the reason for the sale as I recall was that she was getting pretty rundown, and Bernard wanted a smaller, simpler and more affordable boat. He didn't have the energy left or the money to rebuild her. Giving her to a energetic young man was a good way to save her and move on.

[er9]

Wow...really interesting info on Joshua. Jim that's really interesting story. Neat to be a part of her history. It sounds like moitessier had already given up on her or sailing in general.

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by er9

Wow...really interesting info on Joshua. Jim that's really interesting story. Neat to be a part of her history. It sounds like moitessier had already given up on her or sailing in general.

He kept sailing on the 32 foot steel cutter Tamata.

[QBF]

Joshua is one of the Heritage exhibits at the Maritime Museum, in La Rochelle, France.

Joshua - link 1
JOSHUA | Musée Maritime La Rochelle

Joshua - link 2
JOSHUA | Musée Maritime La Rochelle

[Snowpetrel]

^^ Thanks. Good to she her well looked after and loved. Hopefully Suhaili can get on the historic ships register. I think at the moment she is too small.

Listening to the phone chats it sounds like Gregor and Are both are also reporting lots of debris. Worth knowing about.

Also sounds like PP has gone silent, but they will offer him an 18 hr penalty if he requests it and reinstate him, but if he stops at capetown it will be the chichester class for him. Sounds fair enough. Loic may stop at capetown as well due to radio issues. Its been pretty rough and getting colder for them.