Vendee Globe Starts Today, Facts, Video, Discussion

[Steadman Uhlich]

JUST UPLOADED: Video of Thomas Ruyant describing his boat's condition AFTER striking some OVNI (UFO) which is assumed to be a floating shipping container. The video shows the damage, and he describes it as he was sleeping when his boat was sailing at 18 knots and came to a violent standstill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SAi...4&feature=em-u

[Steadman Uhlich]

Oops, I should have known POLUX would post that video I just saw uploaded! Sorry for the duplicate post, just saw his post after making mine.

[Polux]

That's a race against time...meaning before the storm arrives:
https://gis.ee/vg/
It does not seem to me he will be able to do it without getting at least 30k winds, near the NZ coast, but then he can sail downwind.

Very close call. Maybe he can make it to Invercargill or Riverton. If he can get under the protection of the NZ south coast the worse will be gone. Just some hours with winds between 20 and 30K. The waves don't look bad, at least on the forecast.

The young skipper from the north east of France was motor sailing at around 7.5 to 7.8kts trying to reach the shelter of the South Island coast before another big stormy low pressure arrives in the middle of Tuesday. At 1500hrs TU this Monday afternoon Ruyant had about 205 miles to make to Bluff, the most southerly town in New Zealand...

“ Ruyant: The damage at the front of the boat is spreading. The hull is opening up and the frame coming away more, everywhere. I’m sailing to the south of New Zealand. I’m not sure if it will all stay in one piece until then.

What’s good is that I’m in helicopter range, which is reassuring. The inside hasn’t been affected and with my watertight doors, I’m safe. The shock was exceptionally violent. It gives me the shivers just thinking about it.

I was at 17-18 knots and came to a sudden standstill hitting what was probably a container seeing the damage it has done to the hull. The whole of the forward section exploded and folded up. Luckily the boat was not dismasted. It was really very violent.

I was sleeping on my beanbag and fortunately I had my head down in that, as I ended up hitting the mast bulkhead. I found things that were stowed in the stern right up against the forward bulkhead. They got thrown 10m forward.”
News - Ruyant’s race against time to beat the weather - Vendée Globe 2016-2017

[WestCoastRix]

Wow! This really brings home concerns about hitting object in the water during long passages. In this case hasn't it been 4 boats from the flotilla that have struck items?

What are your thoughts? Does this increase your concerns or is it not justified to do so because of the depth and speeds that they traveling at?

[Bleemus]

I have hit logs far offshore and narrowly missed a mostly submerged container just outside of NY Harbor. With the amount of miles I have I consider it a rare event but the percentage of Vendee boats hitting stuff seems outside the Bell Curve.

[Jim Cate]

The high speeds that they travel at have a big impact(!) on potential damage from striking UFOs. At 6 knots the UFO may well be shouldered aside somewhat rather than simply stopping the boat. The shape of cruising boat's bows tends to be more forgiving, too, with at least some rake in most of them. And finally, the many appendages sticking out from the IMOCAs hulls offer additional "triggers" to start the damage cascade.

All in all, the odds are worse for them than for us typical cruisers. I think that the number of incidents kinda proves this statement!

Jim

[Polux]

Originally Posted by WestCoastRix

Wow! This really brings home concerns about hitting object in the water during long passages. In this case hasn't it been 4 boats from the flotilla that have struck items?

What are your thoughts? Does this increase your concerns or is it not justified to do so because of the depth and speeds that they traveling at?

I have not been counting but it seems it was 5 (I read it somewhere). I believe most of those contacts were with marine life not used to relatively silent boats moving at big speed.

It seems the last one was a container due to the type of damage. I follow other races and with smaller boats that don't go at this speed the contacts with objects have nothing to do with what it is happening here, even if there are much more boats racing.

These boats are so good because they come from a long cooperation between the best racers and the best NA. That lead to decades of improvements in what concerns speed, easiness of use but also safety and seaworthiness. Those last two were always central priorities on these boat's development.

So it seems that they have one more problem to solve: how to make the boats noisy and disagreeable to all marine life from a long distance. Don't even know if this has a practical solution but I believe they are going to look at it as they have looked when the problem was the final stability, mast breakage or keel breakage.

I agree with Jim in what regards high speed, not only in what regards damage but in what regards the difficulty or impossibility of marine life to avoid the boat (do to speed).

[jeepbluetj]

Been following the race since the start. I've even got some non-sailors following.

Thanks Pollux for the updates.

Watching the video of Thomas Ruyant was tough. My non-expert opinion is that boat is toast, and good luck to him to get closer to NZ.

Seems to me as the boatspeed goes over 15 or so, particularly singlehanded, some method of detecting UFOs becomes a very good idea - so many boats out due to collisions this time around.

[DeepFrz]

Actually there are fewer boats damaged so far than in past editions.

[JPA Cate]

I sure hope the Vendee organization has been onto the NZ marine rescue service! I have never, ever, seen such grievous damage to a vessel.

M. Ruyant is very brave, indeed and "chapeau", to try and nurse her to Bluff, but I do not believe he could carry enough materials to effect repairs, I believe that ship is irreparable, and that he is in grave danger.

Wishes/hopes/prayers if they suit you, for Ruyant's well being, and for the success of the sponsor's program, from me.

Ann

[JPA Cate]

I sure hope the Vendee organization has been onto the NZ marine rescue service! I have never, ever, seen such grievous damage to a vessel.

M. Ruyant is very brave, indeed, and "chapeau", to try and nurse her to Bluff, but I do not believe he could carry enough materials to effect repairs, I believe that ship is irreparable, and that he is in grave danger.

Wishes/hopes/prayers if they suit you, for Ruyant's well being, and for the success of the sponsor's program, from me.

Ann

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

..., I believe that ship is irreparable....
Ann

I don't think so Ann. I have seen the most incredible repairs and modifications being made in carbon race boats. Probably the most impressive of all was made on Geronimo, the big crewed maxi trimaran that is now finishing a record solo circumnavigation under the name of Sodebo.

If you look at the two boats you would swear that they are not the same boat. And you would be right because so much things had been modified, including hulls and amas that it is not really the same boat, but one that used a lot of bits and parts from Geronimo, including the bigger parts of the hull and amas.

The same can be said regarding Wild Oates.

Regarding the place to do the repair, the boat can be shipped anywhere to be repaired and if one does not want to make a long voyage to China and McConaghy shipyard or Australia. Maybe even in NZ.

I don't know if he is going to manage to bring the boat to a port. Ahead there is more wind, maybe 30k/35K, but by his course I would say that when he find higher winds he plans to turn the boat and go South with the wind and sea, looking for the protection of the South coast where there will not be wind or sea.

[DumnMad]

Originally Posted by Polux

I have not been counting but it seems it was 5 (I read it somewhere). I believe most of those contacts were with marine life not used to relatively silent boats moving at big speed.

It seems the last one was a container due to the type of damage. I follow other races and with smaller boats that don't go at this speed the contacts with objects have nothing to do with what it is happening here, even if there are much more boats racing.

I doubt this one was a container. It would have been ripped apart below waterline.
It road up something and the top of hull failed in compression. He'll hopefully make it to port by keeping a very low stress on the forestay.

[JPA Cate]

Well, Polux, I sure hope you're right about it being reparable. And I still hope Thomas Ruyant can get into some shelter. The fronts that have been sweeping across have not been too "kindly."

Ann

[DeepFrz]

I sure hope the Vendee organization has been onto the NZ marine rescue service! I have never, ever, seen such grievous damage to a vessel.

Ann, the race director has been in touch with NZ SAR people and they are getting very frequent position reports from the boat. He has been (and is) in helicopter range and is ready to abandon ship at any moment. At the last report it appears that he is just nearing the South Island although it looks like he is still in some pretty heavy winds.