Vendee Globe 2016 - Bon Voyage!

[rgleason]

Totally off topic, but I think all these guys need some sonic device that warns whales and large fish so that there is not so much damage to boats and fish! I wonder if they leave a trail of dead smaller fish or if the smaller fish are slip streamed around the foils.

[barnakiel]

I hope Bastide will not disintegrate before Marion arrives to pick Kito up.

What a bummer. ;-(

b.

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Totally off topic, but I think all these guys need some sonic device that warns whales and large fish so that there is not so much damage to boats and fish! I wonder if they leave a trail of dead smaller fish or if the smaller fish are slip streamed around the foils.

I dont see this working well enough. Even if we could find a frequency that worls to alert the fish and whale I dont think they would know which way to run. I've hit a whale on a yacht, very scary. They often sleep on the surface, evolution hasn't really equiped them with the tools to avoid something like an imoca 60 at speed.

With the swing keel, twin rudders and now foils the things sweep an area of surface probably 3 or 4 times bigger than a normal boat of the same size.

I think the only way forward for them is good old fashioned engineering. Some sort of replaceable crash box system to absorb the energy in a non critical way. They could also make the leading edges impact absorbing and have streamlined patches to repair the damage.

[DeepFrz]

I just watched the archive of the 2000/2001 race and was struck by how much the boats were using gear that could be used on a cruising boat. The boats themselves were not way out of line from a cruiser. Now they are strictly racing boats and not much of the gear could be useful to a normal cruising boat. This has happened over the short 16 yr. time span. I would like to see them go back to a more realistic style of boat. I know it wont happen but it would be nice if it did. Help improve cruising boats rather than specialize as flat out racers.

I suppose that cruisers benefit from some fallout in electronics and sail material but very little else could be adapted to a cruising boat.

[Snowpetrel]

Kito is rescued, word on the street is Seb on gitana is retiring. AT seems slower than he has been in the past, I hope all is well aboard HB.

I like the trend towards good big dodgers, very cruisers forum :thumbup:

Sent from my SM-G930F using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Jack Verschuur]

Hope Attenasio is successful in his endeavors to repair the damage. If he is still in Simon's Town I'll go have a look later this afternoon.

Best,
Jack.

[DeepFrz]

Thomas Ruyant in great difficulty with a badly damaged boat heading to NZ.

News - Thomas Ruyant in serious difficulty - Vendée Globe 2016-2017

Stephan Le Diraison dismasted and heading to Austrailia under jury rig mast.

News - Stéphane Le Diraison tells us all about his dismasting and its consequences - Vendée Globe 2016-2017