Why do the Vendee boats keep hitting stuff?

[Foolish]

22 years of ocean sailing with six ocean crossings and yet to hit anything.

That's difficult to believe. You've never rubbed past a small log crossing a tide line? Even in a small boat they are impossible to avoid. The only difference in the Vendee is in hitting an object at 20 knots with your brittle carbon foil is a lot different from hitting an object at 5 knots with an overbuilt fibreglass cruiser hull.

[Livia]

At that speed it wouldn't have to be a whale, a big tuna would do the job on the foil.

[a64pilot]

Or a Manta Ray, I came real close to hitting one of those in a Sportfishing boat

[boatman61]

Coz their solo sailors who sleep on watch.. someone should ban the booga's.. downright bludi dangerous..

[AiniA]

On our circumnavigation I felt us hit one thing (at night, probably a log) but once we were finished we had probably half a dozen or more gouges and scrapes on the bow. Can't imagine hitting something at 20+ knots.

[Capt Gary]

in 4 Newport Bermuda races we have almost hit an overturned power boat floating in the gulf stream and a submerged shipping container. At night these things are very hard to see (especially the shipping container that was floating just below the surface) even at 7 - 10 kts. Another friend hit a whale out there doing 7 kts. I can't imagine hitting something like that going over 20 kts.

[SF Bay Dude]

I hit a whale after my first 1000 miles - off of Los Frailes at the end of the Baja Peninsula - moving along at 5 knots. SCARY. My cut away full keel rode right up its back. It happens more than you think, and also depends on where you sail. Some areas have more whales. This years trans-Atlantic IMOCA class departing from NY to the Europe had a number of boats pull out due to cetacean strikes.

[DeepFrz]

Here is what happens when you hit a shipping container (not confirmed) at 17 knots in an IMOCA 60.

News - Ruyant’s race against time to beat the weather - Vendée Globe 2016-2017

[DumnMad]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Here is what happens when you hit a shipping container (not confirmed) at 17 knots in an IMOCA 60.

News - Ruyant’s race against time to beat the weather - Vendée Globe 2016-2017

More likely a whale I reckon.
Racing yacht critically damaged while en route to Bluff | Stuff.co.nz

[chris95040]

Jeeeeez

[kish]

Lost containers from the decks of ships are steel icebergs which can be semi buoyant for a long time and can wreak havoc.


Here is a report of a Vendeeglobe disaster of striking a container in the Southern Ocean,

News - Ruyant’s race against time to beat the weather - Vendée Globe 2016-2017

"Vendée Globe solo skipper Thomas Ruyant is edging towards South Island New Zealand and, ideally, the sanctuary of Bluff with as much urgency has he dare, nursing his broken IMOCA Le Souffle du Nord pour le Projet Imagine, which threatens to break in two after he hit a large, hard object on Sunday late afternoon.
;
;
Ruyant sent video footage of the damage sustained when he hit what he believes to be a shipping container when he was sailing at around 17kts. It clearly shows vertical open cracks down to below the waterline on the port side especially, cracking in the deck and water inside the boat. He spent several hours hove to (stopped) during Sunday night into Monday. He told Vendée LIVE today: “The damage at the front of the boat is spreading. The hull is opening up and the frame coming away more, everywhere. I’m sailing to the south of New Zealand. I’m not sure if it will all stay in one piece until then. What’s good is that I’m in helicopter range, which is reassuring. The inside hasn’t been affected and with my watertight doors, I’m safe. The shock was exceptionally violent. It gives me the shivers just thinking about it. I was at 17-18 knots and came to a sudden standstill hitting what was probably a container seeing the damage it has done to the hull. The whole of the forward section exploded and folded up. Luckily the boat was not dismasted. It was really very violent. I was sleeping on my beanbag and fortunately I had my head down in that, as I ended up hitting the mast bulkhead. I found things that were stowed in the stern right up against the forward bulkhead. They got thrown 10m forward.”

[DumnMad]

He made it:
Two members of the racing yacht's support crew were ferried from Bluff to the stricken vessel and it came to shore with the Coastguard shadowing 50m behind.

Attempts to pump water out of the yacht proved too risky as the yacht threatened to overturn. It was re-flooded to stabilise the craft and allow it to gently sail towards Bluff.

"It's been a long night for the yachtie and also the volunteer Coastguard crew. The Coastguard skipper has reported conditions have been favourable and the sailor is very experienced, which has made the journey back to shore easier," said Moffatt.

"Our volunteers have done a great job and will be heading back to work today after being out all night, but we are pleased that the sailor is safe."

National rescue co-ordination centre spokeswoman Sandra Ford said Bluff Coastguard had met the yacht at 10.30pm and travelled at about 4 knots to Bluff.

The skipper had stayed on the vessel because he wanted to save it but the Coastguard was poised to rescue him should the yacht start to break up.

A photo was posted showing an exhausted Ruyant collapsed inside his crippled vessel.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by DumnMad

He made it:
Two members of the racing yacht's support crew were ferried from Bluff to the stricken vessel and it came to shore with the Coastguard shadowing 50m behind.

Attempts to pump water out of the yacht proved too risky as the yacht threatened to overturn. It was re-flooded to stabilise the craft and allow it to gently sail towards Bluff.

"It's been a long night for the yachtie and also the volunteer Coastguard crew. The Coastguard skipper has reported conditions have been favourable and the sailor is very experienced, which has made the journey back to shore easier," said Moffatt.

"Our volunteers have done a great job and will be heading back to work today after being out all night, but we are pleased that the sailor is safe."

National rescue co-ordination centre spokeswoman Sandra Ford said Bluff Coastguard had met the yacht at 10.30pm and travelled at about 4 knots to Bluff.

The skipper had stayed on the vessel because he wanted to save it but the Coastguard was poised to rescue him should the yacht start to break up.

A photo was posted showing an exhausted Ruyant collapsed inside his crippled vessel.

Great news!!! Thanks, Nick... Ann and I heaved great sighs of relief when we read this.

I wonder if they will be able to better identify what he struck when they examine the hull? I'm not convinced that hitting a whale quite squarely at 17 knots would feel much different than striking a container, for either would stop the boat abruptly. I hope that some good info can come from this event.

Jim

[DumnMad]

Stricken French racing yacht reaches Bluff - National - NZ Herald News

Full article here Jim.(Regards to you both) It was pretty nerve wracking for Thomas but he seems a no panic cool customer.