Vendee Globe - the Real Race

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by CHAZ

Ahoi all CFers,
may as well try to use a link as my first post

Javier Sansó on Vendée Globe TV: "I haven't used the hydrogenerators in the southern hemisphere" - Vendée Globe 2012-2013

Thanks to all for this fine forum.

Fair winds
Martin

Welcome Martin. Thanks for the link. Looking at Javier's solar panels it looks like they are hinged at the center allowing him access to the stern area should he need it by lifting one or the other up.

[DeepFrz]

Excuse my overlook Martin and welcome to CF.

[DeepFrz]

80 days under threat - Vendée Globe 2012-2013

It is looking like they could beat 80 days this year. That would be a record by a mono. The mono record is now 84d 3h 09m set by Michelle Desjoyeaux in the last Vendee globe. Banque Populaire V tri. with 14 crew set the record at 45d 13h 42m 53s in Jan. of this year.

[DeepFrz]

The leaders are now less than 800 nm straight west of Cape Horn averaging over 18 knots. There have been 15 icebergs spotted in the area of Cape Horn. Scary proposition.

All 13 racers that made it into the Indian ocean are still in the race. The 13th position is almost 5,000 nm behind the leaders. The leaders have swapped the lead almost 30 times since the beginning of the race and are still within a few miles of each other.

The race committee has filed a complaint against Bernard Stamm for accepting help from a Russian scientific vessel when his anchor dragged in the Auckland Islands.

[Calypso52]

Hey Deep,
Do you know if these guys have a team of weather routers who are coaching them or instructing them from shore or do they have to make their routing decisions solo? Looks like the leaders are in for a miserable beat for a couple days.

[DeepFrz]

I think they all get the same info and then use their routing software. They run several different models, one is an American one and the other is French.

I have been wondering if the routing software is to heavily weighted to go south in these changing times. I has seemed that some boats that have stayed farther north than the gates have done better.

I don't know if they get further routing advice from their teams or not.

The wind information that we see on the tracker doesn't seem to be very accurate.

I am really glad to see J.P. Dick closing the diestance. He is within 250 nm from the leader. And Alex Thompson has closed up some as well. J.P.Dick had to go up his mast for some undefined repairs and Thompson is still working on his generators. If he can't get his hydro generator fixed he will not have enough fuel toi finish.

[DeepFrz]

Bernard Stamm is making great progress and the jury had reopened his case after receiving a report from the Captain of the Russian Scientific ship that aided him in the Auckland Islands.

[sabray]

I am 99 percent sure that weather routing has shore side support and is allowed.:

[maitai]

Officially they are on their own. They do get grib files and do have a routing software but they are not allowed to receive any kind of help or analysis from ashore. Of course this is hard to check and there are some doubts...

[sabray]

And I was wrong. I'm 99 percent sure I was wrong.

[DeepFrz]

All I know is that the skippers often comment on how much time they spend analyzing the weather files and the routing. That doesn't mean that they aren't getting help from their team as they do get help (advice) for mechanical repairs and medical advice.

Bernard Stamm has hit something and it has taken out one hydro gen. The other isn't working well either and he has gone into blackout mode so it may not matter what the jury rules. He is 1200 miles from Cape Horn and I would expect he will probably find shelter somewhere near there to try and make repairs.

[DeepFrz]

Mike Golding announced today that he has not had working hydro generators for the past 3 weeks. His generators are fine but the controller/regulator burned up on him and he almost had a fire. He was saying that he gets 20 amps out of his solar cells which are a new generation high efficiency solar cell.

Jean Pierre Dick lost his forestay and luckily was able to get turned downwind in time to save his mast. The stay is attached to the bow by a soft shackle and that is what broke. He has made repairs and is back on his way.

[DeepFrz]

Bernard Stamm officially retired from the race after obtaining fuel from a friend who is on an expedition near Cape Horn. His team had announced several days ago that he was going to refuel because he had no power for his electronics. He is now continuing to sail Cheminees Poujoulat towards Les Sables d'Olonne.

[Polux]

and I think we are going to have an even more interesting race:

Armel has better wind and will close on François.

Jean-Pierre Dick and Alex Thompson will also be winning miles over the two on the lead. Alex Thompson is on a particularly good course and I am very curious about the gains on the next days: He will have strong winds (he likes that) and will be going very fast. The wind angle is good too

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by sabray

And I was wrong. I'm 99 percent sure I was wrong.

NEVER seen that statement on CF before????