Vendee 2020

[Yellowtulip]

Originally Posted by Quebramar

Well well ... the race committee just disclosed ETAs for the first five, and it looks like the podium could have 2 of the 3 time-compensated sailors on it... I can imagine the frustration of those already on the pontoons having to greet those arriving and taking their spot...
Amazing race with an incredible finish. Does that reflect the supremacy of machines over their skippers?

Quite the reverse, I think. While the faster boats have won out in the end, the skippers who made the best decisions are at the front, I believe. Jean le Cam and Benjamin Dutreux have sailed excellent races and the technology has defeated them for sure, but the best skippers are winning. It’s very instructive, I find, to wind the tracker back and see how their decisions panned out. There’s a huge element of luck, of course, so being further back doesn’t necessarily make you a worse skipper than the leaders.
And just a word for the indomitable Pip Hare; she’s had a great race and is still keeping up with much faster boats. Her routing in the Southern Ocean was as good as anyone’s.

[Yellowtulip]

Originally Posted by Finn77

Does anyone know if the finish will be streamed somewhere?

Yes, on Facebook, YouTube, and the Vendee Globe website, plus other social media, from about 17:30 UTC.

[ausnp84]

Originally Posted by Yellowtulip

Yes, on Facebook, YouTube, and the Vendee Globe website, plus other social media, from about 17:30 UTC.

Thanks!

N

[LF4]

Originally Posted by Yellowtulip

Quite the reverse, I think. While the faster boats have won out in the end, the skippers who made the best decisions are at the front, I believe. Jean le Cam and Benjamin Dutreux have sailed excellent races and the technology has defeated them for sure, but the best skippers are winning. It’s very instructive, I find, to wind the tracker back and see how their decisions panned out. There’s a huge element of luck, of course, so being further back doesn’t necessarily make you a worse skipper than the leaders.
And just a word for the indomitable Pip Hare; she’s had a great race and is still keeping up with much faster boats. Her routing in the Southern Ocean was as good as anyone’s.

I would also note that technology is winning out with foilers being at least the top 5 finishers at this point. But you also have 7/8 retirements happening to foilers. You have to finish the race to win it.

Also, I cannot believe how close its going to be between Charlie and Boris. It could be seconds...

[Yellowtulip]

Originally Posted by LF4

I would also note that technology is winning out with foilers being at least the top 5 finishers at this point. But you also have 7/8 retirements happening to foilers. You have to finish the race to win it.



Also, I cannot believe how close its going to be between Charlie and Boris. It could be seconds...

We knew that the foilers were faster before the start. OK, you can call that technology, I’d call it development. As for the retirements, not all of them are due to the boats having foils. Corum dismasted, arguably indirectly attributable to foils providing more righting moment, but quite possibly due to a weakness in the rigging which could have happened to any boat. Hugo Boss finally went out with a rudder failure. Isabelle Joschke and Sam Davies went out with keel problems, nothing to do with foils. Someone went out with steering problems, nothing to do with foils. Two of the leaders have foil problems but are still faster. Charal and L’Occitane have sped through the fleet.
Yes, you have to finish it to win it and five very advanced designs are doing just that, in my opinion because their skippers have done the best job.

[Franziska]

Or between Yannick & Boris. It on a knife edge!

Regarding older non foiling boats Damien does incredible good, especially as he is the only real single hander in the race (he has only one hand since birth)!
Also Jean is very close when you look at his time credit. Oldest sailor in the race with a non foiler.

Originally Posted by LF4

I would also note that technology is winning out with foilers being at least the top 5 finishers at this point. But you also have 7/8 retirements happening to foilers. You have to finish the race to win it.

Also, I cannot believe how close its going to be between Charlie and Boris. It could be seconds...

[ausnp84]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Or between Yannick & Boris. It on a knife edge!

Regarding older non foiling boats Damien does incredible good, especially as he is the only real single hander in the race (he has only one hand since birth)!
Also Jean is very close when you look at his time credit. Oldest sailor in the race with a non foiler.

Charlie’s about 30 mins away from arriving now! We’ll know tomorrow morn whether Yannick was able to make up the time difference!!

N

[250224]

80:06:15:47

[S-V SAGA]

Originally Posted by blu3534

80:06:15:47

Pretty amazing! Sir Robin did it in 313 days.

[sailormed]

2 minutes after crossing the finish line, tech team boarding the boat of Charly Dalin to help an exhausted sailor with taking down the sails and bringing him some much needed fresh and tasty food after 80 days of freezdried food!
The sailors are excusing themselves with their tech teams about only talking food, but this is their only immediate request after 3 months of eating what was prepared for them to take on the boat. Plus a lot are french of course

[steamgoat]

Owwww, Boris just hit a fishing boat,I wonder how that will affect his time,it’s so close.

[Quebramar]

Originally Posted by steamgoat

Owwww, Boris just hit a fishing boat,I wonder how that will affect his time,it’s so close.

OMG! He’s got 70NM to go and is sailing at 7kts now, so his compensation time might not put him on the first spot... but who knows what else may happen!

[Franziska]

What a desaster for Boris. Hope no-one got hurt on either boat.
Wonder if this will lead to a nasty law suit either for one of the vessels not keeping a sharp lookout or not running their lights and/or AIS.

Not good.

Originally Posted by Quebramar

OMG! He’s got 70NM to go and is sailing at 7kts now, so his compensation time might not put him on the first spot... but who knows what else may happen!

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Quebramar

OMG! He’s got 70NM to go and is sailing at 7kts now, so his compensation time might not put him on the first spot... but who knows what else may happen!

Yup, there goes the minute by minute watch as to whether he can finish within 6 hours to take the win. Bummer, it was going to be close and nail biting, but probably not now. It seems he must have some damage to his bow - either structural in his hull for water intrusion, or to the forestay fittings and risking the rig - to be sailing so slow. Devastating for him.

So now we’re waiting a bit longer to see if Bestaven can finish within 10 hours - should be possible unless the wind drops off close to shore. At the moment he is faster than the 13.5 knots that he needs to take the win.

Wow, what a finish to this race!!

[MicHughV]

I don't understand how Boris hit a fishing boat.....he has that forward looking camera, etc...though I must say, moving at 17-20 knots gives you little time to react...doubtful if that fishing boat had AIS ?, navigational lights ?.....could be a French boat, Spanish, Portuguese...who knows ??
No doubt Boris let rip with a string of curses...

So close, fuggit, bummer, to have something like this happen, when you are right on the doorstep, sail 24,000 miles without a problem, then this.....but he is making progress....albeit at half the speed...could have been anything though....any UFO....always a danger...but that area has a lot of fishing boat activity...

Seems like half the planet was rooting for him too....