ARC 2015

[barnakiel]

PS the Azzuree. Yes. She is going stronger now. She should ;-) as there is hardly anything under the hull to slow her down! The new Moody boat not a pig either. There is another identical one in the fleet going tomorrow.

b.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Tomorrow there is another strong Ruski boat named Weddel. She looks like she can fly. The guys onboard are super nice. .....

That is an old Mistral 80 (1966). I don't like it very much. It is not going to be a match for the VOR65.

The Southern wind Farfalla is probably a bit slower than the Mistral (not much) but I it has style. It should be faster than that BD 80 (Bliss).





But I don't know if any of them (except the VOR65) will be able to beat the smaller Marten 68 that I would prefer to any of them. Really like that boat even if the design has already some years:

[steamgoat]

Well,the 'big one' is underway,look at the lead Team Brunel already has.Amazing how things have changed,I left GC 40yrs ago this week,32ft wood boat,fully equipped with a sextant and a transistor radio,21 day crossing !
I think more boats are leaving today than in the whole season in '75 !!

[Polux]

Yes, and a great start too for the multihulls (Nell 45 and Outremer 51), for the Southern wind and for a Pogo 40. Many other cats sailing fast, the Martens 68 too as well as the knierim 49.

Considering small boats with 42ft or less (excluding the Pogo 40 that is a racing boat and it is ahead among the first) the fastest are a Dufour 34p!!!!, 2 Sunfast 3600, a First 40 followed not far by a Lagoon 39 and a Reflex 38.

But this is only the first sprint at daylight. Let some nights fall and then we will have a more meaningful result that can confirm this one, or not

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Polux

That is an old Mistral 80 (1966). I don't like it very much. It is not going to be a match for the VOR65.

Yes, I know. But she may stand her ground very well. I do not know who is driving, but the guys looked very athletic and very composed. The boat has very nice kit too, including the sort of kites you normally see only on out and out racers.

You may remember some time back an old and old Whitbread boat (of Steinlager era) full of retired Swedes came in what (?) second?

Brunel off course is in a division of one. They can sail at twice the speed of the rest. They also played the tactics best sailing far out before gybing her.

I bet many crews will cut the corner now looking for flatter water under GC. We may also see the weakest boats and crews making a stop over at Pasito.

b.

[arsenelupiga]

team brunel: i wonder who sponsors these guys?

Monos have no chance to be fastest as racing cats and tris proven many times.

what's the point? Tradition ?

[Polux]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

team brunel: i wonder who sponsors these guys?

Monos have no chance to be fastest as racing cats and tris proven many times.

what's the point? Tradition ?

What is the point of what? Of racing monohulls? Maybe they like more to race monohulls than multihulls, maybe like cruising cats versus cruising monohulls the racing monohulls are less expensive.

Fact is that there is some pure racing monohulls here and not a single racing cat. Fact is that in all top races around the globe multihull racers are a small minority. I don't think it has to do with tradition but with personal tastes and costs.

Also racing monohulls can be fit for oceanic racers with a much smaller size. Very light racing multihulls need size to gave them the stability and seaworthiness needed for sailing ocean passages.

Take for instance the 40class racer that is making a hell of a race: It is inexpensive and has the seaworthiness not only to cross Oceans but to do circumnavigation races a thing that only a much more expensive (many times) and bigger multihull can do safely.

Regarding who are the Sponsors that is really a odd question : Brunel is the owner of the boat and the sponsor.
Specialists - Brunel.net

But I am much more interested on the performance cruisers and cruising boats doing the ARC and regarding those there are monohulls and multihulls.

[Polux]

Regarding most cats choosing the ARC+ instead of the ARC it seems that there is also another difference: It seems that the best skippers among cats chose the ARC.

On the ARC+ we have two cats very well sailed, another three reasonably well sailed and many cats poorly sailed to the point of 5 of them being among smaller or considerably slower monohulls.

On the ARC there are many cats and trimarans very well sailed and comparatively less poorly sailed.

[arsenelupiga]

every 1/100 of a knot, cost a forutne and cost goes up exponentially. Also, every 1/100 of a knot deteriorates living conditions exponentially.

Brunel racers looks like will end up 30 % sooner at the target. Costs of boat and breakages are significant. And living conditions of crew 3rd world.

Seem like awful high price to pay to be 30 % faster.

I guess racing multis the same but at least then can say we the fastest. Cost and effort seem out of proportions.

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by Polux

Regarding most cats choosing the ARC+ instead of the ARC it seems that there is also another difference: It seems that the best skippers among cats chose the ARC.

On the ARC+ we have two cats very well sailed, another three reasonably well sailed and many cats poorly sailed to the point of 5 of them being among smaller or considerably slower monohulls.

On the ARC there are many cats and trimarans very well sailed and comparatively less poorly sailed.

also worth noting that 2 top cats L38 and Catana 472 are owned by current owners for many years adding to case that one needs time to learn how to squeeze better performance from their boat. Instead to add extra $$$M for new boat for 0.3 KN speed.

Own your boat longer and you will gain 0.5 kn for free

[Polux]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

also worth noting that 2 top cats L38 and Catana 472 are owned by current owners for many years adding to case that one needs time to learn how to squeeze better performance from their boat. Instead to add extra $$$M for new boat for 0.3 KN speed.

Own your boat longer and you will gain 0.5 kn for free

It depends on how good a sailor is: If one is still learning the ropes, it will take a lot of time to learn how to sail to the limit any boat, if one is a good sailor it will learn very rapidly the ropes on a new boat.

On the last big professional racing transat, that finished some days ago, the sailor that won on the unlimited multihull category was a monohull sailor that only sailed the maxi trimaran (new boat) 2 months before the race. Trained for two months and won the race.

Of course that sailor is Françlois Gabart, one of the best, if not the best solo or short crew ocean racer but what is valid for him is valid for any good sailor, even if it can take some more time...but not several years.

[Polux]

The passage is going to be very interesting in what concerns routing: In about a week an unusual pretty stationary high pressure zone will appear for several days, near Cabo Verde, to NO and moving very slowly North before disappearing. Look here at the weather between 28/11 and 2 /12:
https://www.windyty.com/?2015-11-28-21,20.084,-19.327,4

That needs a very careful routing to escape it, passing South or North and that is responsible for the wide array of course options taken on this ARC. I never saw anything like this on the ARC:

So, tell me what is the course you would chose?
http://yb.tl/arcplus2015#

I am with the guys that go North, the group that is leaded by a wauquiez 40, PogoS2 40, followed by a Fountain Pajot 48, a Lagon 400, a Lagoon 450, a Grand Soleil 46, an Outremer 51, a Oyster 575 that is chased by a Luffe 37.09!!!!!, a Oyster 625 and the Advanced 80!!!!.

So tell me, what is the course you would take? What are the boats that have made the best choice?

[hoppy]

Here is the wind forecast from Predictwind offshore for the next 14 days

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzJXJjQ-dw8

As usual, staying north is good for the racers, perhaps pretty much sticking to the rhumbline for the fastest crossing.

For the family cruisers, it looks like it's good to stay north of the suggested standard ARC route perhaps "cutting the corner" at Cape Verde to keep some wind and stay ahead of the calm bits.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by hoppy

Here is the wind forecast from Predictwind offshore for the next 14 days

As usual, staying north is good for the racers, perhaps pretty much sticking to the rhumbline for the fastest crossing.

For the family cruisers, it looks like it's good to stay north of the suggested standard ARC route perhaps "cutting the corner" at Cape Verde to keep some wind and stay ahead of the calm bits.

There is a difference this time regarding the more traditional route. A big hole without almost no wind for several days when most of the boat arrive there, if they chose that route.

That is why on this year's ARC you have not the typical two way course division between the ones that go North (and want to go faster) and the ones that follow the traditional route . This year you have plenty of course options and not only two.

Besides, contrary to other years the Northern is not a big difference in wind strength. There is good wind all over the place, except on that hole. Avoiding it is the main concern to all and contrary to other years there is also "racers" that have chosen not to go North to have the fastest passage.

It seems this year things and course options are just a bit more complicated

[Polux]

Regarding the ARC, not surprisingly the big monohulls are on the lead and among them two smaller monohulls, a Pogo 40 and a Knierim 49. A bit back the two fastest multihulls, the Neel 45 and the Outremer 45, also sailing among bigger boats but followed not far by a Oyster light wave 48, a Grand Soleil 46, a Fountain Pajot 48, a Outremer 51, a X 572, a Grand Soleil 43, a Pronavia 42, a Pogo 50, a Lagon 560, a Dufour 560, A Jeanneau 57, a Hanse 575, a Halberg Rassy 54, a Grand Soleil 52.

Looking at smaller boats, with 43ft or less, a Pronavia 42 and a Grand Soleil 43 rules. The Pronavia is a Swedish cruiser racer and a very rare boat. Many Pronavias 38 were built but very few 42. A very nice and fast yacht. The Grand Soleil 43 is a big production sailboat, an Italian one and one that for some years I which I had the money to have one. A very nice performance cruiser with a great cruising interior. The Grand Soleil 43 is very near and chasing the second Outremer 51 and a bigger Lagoon 560.

Then a Wauquiez 40s, a performance cruiser with a great cruiser interior that I recommend as great buy as an used boat. It is possible to find some at a fair price. The Wauquiez 40 sails side by side with a Jeanneau Sunfast 3600, also going very fast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLOvP9R74z0

Close a very impressive Luffe 37.09. That is a very famous Danish old design that is still made by Luffe (that also makes more modern yacht). A very narrow boat that has been slightly actualized in what regards hull design (this is one of the new ones), a boat that excels in upwind sailing but that is showing that it can be sailed very fast downwind too. That comes as a bit of a surprise for me.

Regarding what I said about the Luffe 37 going very well upwind, here you have one beating a Dragonfly 35, a very fast multihull and one with a good upwind performance. Also a movie with the exact same boat (Furia), the one that is making the ARC, cruising in Greece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0IqQ7kaDQs

https://vimeo.com/141633994

Very near comes also a surprising Dufour 34p, sailed at the same pace of a 2 Pogo 12.50 and the fastest among the smaller cats, 3 Lagoons 450 and also 2 bigger Lagoon 52 and a Fountain Pajot 58.

At the same pace of these cats another very interesting performance mono-hull, a Maestro 40, a Finnish boat. I was interested by this boat (for myself) and exchanged some emails with the designer, a very nice guy. It looked very good to me with a great cruising interior and it seems I was not wrong about the boat sailing potential. Some photos:





Near this group and just a little back,a Reflex 38, that is just a Pronavia 38 with a better cruising interior. A very interesting performance cruiser and a very seaworthy boat and a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 439.

All these boats are on the forward part of the "passage" on a second group, after the big ones, surrounded by bigger sailboats, among then the More 55 that without going slow is not showing the performance I was expecting.

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