Vendee Globe - the Real Race

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Sam Davies has lost her mast. Now I have to pick someone else to cheer on...

The front runners are getting close to each other again with only 2nm distance between 1st and 2nd.

Noooooo!! She's my hero

[barnakiel]

She has an older boat. These have their limits below a new production.

Too bad, she was the only lady out there, sort of added to the race in more than one way.

Now it is Alex's turn. Let's hope Mike will make it all the way to the finish line.

b.

[MysticGringo]

With this rate of attrition, there won't be any board to finish the race.

[MysticGringo]

Sam has said in her last transmission from sea that she let her mast go and it's drifting out in the ocean. I am sure it would have been difficult and dangerous to get it lashed securely to the boat, but now it seems it's a hazard for other boats.

I'm assuming it's a carbon fibre mast... how well will that sink?

[sinbad7]

Armel in the lead today at 10:00 UTC. See the various presentations available.
Macif,although 59 nm behind,has presently 2 kn higher speed than Armel. Will he cath up again?

Interesting to see how the various boats perform in different wind strenghts.
Some have optimum performance in high winds,others are best in low winds.
Then there is of course also the direction most favorable for their polars.

Tore

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by MysticGringo

(...)

I'm assuming it's a carbon fibre mast... how well will that sink?

Good question. I assume it will. What may keep it afloat for a time are the attached sails and any sealed elements that will keep pockets of air within, I think.

b.

[MysticGringo]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Good question. I assume it will. What may keep it afloat for a time are the attached sails and any sealed elements that will keep pockets of air within, I think.

b.

How horrible (and unlikely) if another boat in the race gets holed by running into her mast.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by MysticGringo

How horrible (and unlikely) if another boat in the race gets holed by running into her mast.

This is very unlikely. Maybe if the mast were standing vertical in the water and the boat fell of its wave just on top of it.

Another risk is catching the rig in your foil, esp. the rudder, and (if yours is not the kick-up kind) doing damage there. But here again how many boats are behind Saveol?

So I believe the risk is next to nil. You are far more likely to hit a container of which there are hundreds (I think) dropped into the ocean each year.

b.

[Deepdraft]

It's estimated 10,000 containers fall off ships every year.


http://science.slashdot.org/story/11...-sea-each-year

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by MysticGringo

How horrible (and unlikely) if another boat in the race gets holed by running into her mast.

It would be worse for some single handed cruiser who does not have a lot of people watching him electronically. These racers do seem to be hitting a lot of things in this race though. What is it now two boats got knocked out from hitting other boats? I mean jeez don't they have the latest radar that would sweep every once in a while and sound an alarm. They seem to have every other high tech gadget under the sun on board.

[MysticGringo]

Originally Posted by mbianka

It would be worse for some single handed cruiser who does not have a lot of people watching him electronically. These racers do seem to be hitting a lot of things in this race though. What is it now two boats got knocked out from hitting other boats? I mean jeez don't they have the latest radar that would sweep every once in a while and sound an alarm. They seem to have every other high tech gadget under the sun on board.

No doubt! To all of that.

I'm surprised it's such an easy decision to just dump the mast. Maybe it wasn't, maybe I don't really understand... but I'd make every effort to bring the mast aboard just so others wouldn't run into it. Being a sailor I try very hard not to do anything that'd cause issues for other sailors, I'd figure people at the level of the vendee would be even more diligent about it.

I'm sure conditions were bad, bad enough to get dismasted! Maybe I'm crazy, but if I couldn't get it onboard I'd tie a line to it, and try to drag it... I'm not racing anymore, so if it shows me by a few knots, I'll deal with it to not leave this wreckage floating.

[sinbad7]

mbianca..

I think perhaps these special racing designed boats have great restraints as to what equipment is carried on board and the skipper lives quite uncomfortably stripped to the boards. There also may be racing rules as to what navigation gear may be carried on board. At times,it must be like riding a bucking bronco and the large sail areas blocking most of the visibility.

There is a big difference between the goals of a fast racing car at Le Man´s and a cruising family car on holiday.

Tore

[DeepFrz]

Try to pull a 30 m mast on board loaded with sails. Not likely. Those boats have a very thin skin and it was lucky she didn't have a hole in the boat as it was.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by sinbad7

mbianca..

I think perhaps these special racing designed boats have great restraints as to what equipment is carried on board and the skipper lives quite uncomfortably stripped to the boards. There also may be racing rules as to what navigation gear may be carried on board. At times,it must be like riding a bucking bronco and the large sail areas blocking most of the visibility.

There is a big difference between the goals of a fast racing car at Le Man´s and a cruising family car on holiday.

Tore

Tore

No I understand the boat will be bare bones as far as comfort and it's all about speed. But, when it comes to safety devices like radar it IMO should be required. The first guy that hit the trawler complained the boat did not have it's AIS on so they do allow some safety electronics on board. If he had had radar which might do a scan every X number of minutes when they are down below he might still be in the race. Sounds like some of these racers might as well be wearing blindfolds down below for the remainder of the trip if they have nothing that alerts them to another boat in the area. Hell, I start get nervous after about 30 seconds just going down below to make a sandwich doing four or five knots.

[DeepFrz]

They had radar. All the boats have radar and AIS, although I doubt that their AIS units are transmitting. However, in very rough seas like they were experiencing the radar alarms might not work very well.