Vendee Globe 2016 - Bon Voyage!

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Panope

Polux, thanks for the clarification on the status of the foil.

Still, I wonder if the race as a whole, favors one tack or the other?

Steve

Good question. I don't know. I never heard about asymmetric foils, but it can be a good idea, slightly different for more or less wind on a tack or another conforme regions and the type of conditions on those regions.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

...

Then again it makes me wonder why so many boats hit objects in waters adjacent to Portugal and then close to Brasil. Is that how some nations get rid of their excessive sofas and dead cows?
..
b.

The place were they have broken by far more foils was on the East coats of US when they sailed out of New York on a east- west Transat. American sofas and american dead cows?

I believe that a god part of foils broke in contacts with mammals and big fishes. They are not used to the high speed and low noise of these boats.

In previous races there was even problems with keels hitting whales and being damaged and as consequence lost due to the huge shock.

[Pelagic]

To identify where surface debris accumulates, you look at the major currents and also the topographical contours of the bottom to identify upwellings.

These areas as well as meeting points of opposing currents create vortexes that capture debris.

On my own ocean passages on sail at 7knts, what we had close encountered with were Sunfish and basking sharks....both that would do severe damage to these foils.[ATTACH]

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

To identify where surface debris accumulates, you look at the major currents and also the topographical contours of the bottom to identify upwellings.

These areas as well as meeting points of opposing currents create vortexes that capture debris.

On my own ocean passages on sail at 7knts, what we had close encountered with were Sunfish and basking sharks....both that would do severe damage to these foils.[ATTACH]

It is pretty frequent racing boats hitting animals but rarely seen in movie. Here is one of the few cases that was captured on movie, on a Transat for small boats, the Transquadra. The speed of the boat is half of a big Imoca boat and it was a glancing blow, but even so the boat the swings a lot and the skipper hurt is back. By coincidence the boat was named "Baleine blanche" (white whale)(minute 9.18)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR5OD3z3E5w

[Bleemus]

Hit a whale once with a glancing blow doing 14 knots on a ULDB 70. Luckily we had no damage but the whale had a headache i bet.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Polux

It is pretty frequent racing boats hitting animals but rarely seen in movie. Here is one of the few cases that was captured on movie, on a Transat for small boats, the Transquadra. The speed of the boat is half of a big Imoca boat and it was a glancing blow, but even so the boat the swings a lot and the skipper hurt is back. By coincidence the boat was named "Baleine blanche" (white whale)(minute 9.18)

You (and he) could see the whale before he hit it and he still hit it. He made no effort to grab the tiller...well maybe it was in the glare for him, but you could see it in the video... feel sorry for the whale, I'm sure he was hurt more. And no harness? gutsy

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Don C L

You (and he) could see the whale before he hit it and he still hit it. He made no effort to grab the tiller...well maybe it was in the glare for him, but you could see it in the video... feel sorry for the whale, I'm sure he was hurt more. And no harness? gutsy

Do you think if he has the chance to avoid it he would not? He had the boat on autopilot, it takes some seconds to take control of the boat, seconds that he obviously didn't have.

Why an harness with good weather? I am not as good as this guy, not by a long shot, and i would not be wearing an harness with that sea and wind conditions.

This guy is not a professional but as an amateur is as good as you can get. One of the front runners of that transat that has a huge number of boats and many very god sailors.

[SV DestinyAscen]

Originally Posted by Polux

Do you think if he has the chance to avoid it he would not? He had the boat on autopilot, it takes some seconds to take control of the boat, seconds that he obviously didn't have.

Why an harness with good weather? I am not as good as this guy, not by a long shot, and i would not be wearing an harness with that sea and wind conditions.

This guy is not a professional but as an amateur is as good as you can get. One of the front runners of that transat that has a huge number of boats and many very god sailors.

Looking at the vid - if he did disengage AP and grab the tiller, he'll probably smack the whale with the stern and perhaps damage his rudder... the glancing blow was prob the best outcome.

[Polux]

And how unlucky can a guy be on the same day? I knew Alex had already made more miles than the 24 hour solo record when he it that object and I thought that at least he had beaten the record, even if for a much lesser marge than if he had not had the accident...but no, on a technicality

"Vendee Globe leader Alex Thomson came within a whisker of setting a new world record for the furthest distance sailed solo in 24 hours before a collision in the South Atlantic put paid to his chances. Data revealed today from Vendee Globe HQ shows that Thomson, the sole Briton in the singlehanded round the world race, had sailed 535.34 nautical miles when the starboard foil of Hugo Boss was ripped off by a submerged object yesterday. The distance sailed by Thomson is actually greater than that set by reigning Vendee Globe champion and current record holder François Gabart, who notched up 534.48 nautical miles in the 2012/13 edition of the race. However the official rules of the record state it must be broken by one whole mile in order to be recognised – and Thomson's distance falls short of that by just 259 metres."

[Don C L]

When I was younger I never wore a harness, had no lifelines, and never had a close call. I also did not wear a seat belt or a bike helmet (my mom made me wear a helmet for the motorcycle.) Must be an age thing but now if the boat is doing 2 or 3 knots, and I am solo, I'll put my harness on. Call me crazy but if I am solo and my boat is doing 10 or 12 knots on AP, I think a harness is not a bad idea.

[barnakiel]

If you look at the videos, most (all?) skippers do not walk tethered in good weather. I am sure they just snap in when conditions ask for it - look at images of the boats in heavier conditions you can see the tethers clearly.

The poor whale: you take action when there is enough time AND when there is an obvious course to take. If the animal is close and it is hard to judge what action is best in the short time frame, you just brace and hope for the best: for the animal, and for the boat.

Nobody hits a whale if this can be avoided. Why should they.

b.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Don C L

When I was younger I never wore a harness, had no lifelines, and never had a close call. I also did not wear a seat belt or a bike helmet (my mom made me wear a helmet for the motorcycle.) Must be an age thing but now if the boat is doing 2 or 3 knots, and I am solo, I'll put my harness on. Call me crazy but if I am solo and my boat is doing 10 or 12 knots on AP, I think a harness is not a bad idea.

I guess it has to do with the sailor's confidence and experience. You will look at vendee globe sailors and they only use an harness when they consider they need it and I can tell you I would have one much sooner. Personally I only use an harness on F7 (not always) or over and at night, but I have the lines permanently rigged on the boat.

Look at min 0.48. Riou is not wearing an harness.

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

Neither any of these two (1.46)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3on5CYbZP4

[Polux]

All that said that the Hugo Boss rudder had broke (and not only being damaged as it was said on the press note by Hugo Boss team and on the French Vendee Globe site) were right. We can see now Alex Thompson on video making a comment on the accident and how he is going:
D15 : "Yesterday was not a very good day!" Alex Thomson from Hugo Boss / Vendée Globe - vidéo Dailymotion
The interesting part is that even if he lost some miles to the pursuers, he is still ahead and even won some miles on the last hours.

Very interesting and difficult wind situation ahead with low winds and a high center. Hugo Boss is the one more to the South and his position regarding the next days seems good to me.

[DeepFrz]

Actually the rudder didn't break. The foil broke. The rudder just popped up but Alex reset it.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Actually the rudder didn't break. The foil broke. The rudder just popped up but Alex reset it.

Sorry about that, obviously I wanted to say foil, instead of rudder. Nobody said that a rudder was broken but some said that the foil had broken and they were right