Vendee Globe

[MarkN]

Not really Cape Dory related but since most CD's are either on the hard or preparing for the winter following the Vendee Globe can keep you in the spirit during the winter months. Check out the web site and follow this single handed, non-stop, race around the world. The race began today and you can follow it online. http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/

[chase]

I'm looking forward to following progress. that's a real test.....


Chase

[mgphl52]

Not to gloat or anything like that, I just got back from my third sail in the last two days. Gotta love the Florida panhandle for some awesome "pre-winter" / "Indian summer" sailing. Yesterday, KAYLA took a friend and her "never-sailed-before" friend out for a few hours. Since she had to work that afternoon, I dropped them off at the marina and went back out for another truly great sail. Today was a good bit cooler as the front had come through, but the winds were a bit more consistent and somewhat steady. Needless to say, I enjoy living and sailing where we do not have to haul out for winter!

OK, I'll admitt that there are "projects" on KAYLA that don't get done like some of our northern brethren do... but we do go sailing, every chance we get!

-michael

PS: "w*rk" also manages to get in way too often, hence the "drop of a hat" sailing schedule...

[John Vigor]

Not really Cape Dory related but since most CD's are either on the hard or preparing for the winter following the Vendee Globe can keep you in the spirit during the winter months. Check out the web site and follow this single handed, non-stop, race around the world. The race began today and you can follow it online. http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/

Such an incredible race -- 30 entrants (including two women), 15 French, 7 British and 1 lone American.

Such a pity America isn't better represented. Don't we have the talent? The money? The will? What gives?

John Vigor

[BillNH]

Such an incredible race -- 30 entrants (including two women), 15 French, 7 British and 1 lone American.

Such a pity America isn't better represented. Don't we have the talent? The money? The will? What gives?

John Vigor

In France and England, top sailors are sports superstars, and with the public interest comes lucrative sponsorship money. Here in the US most Americans couldn't name a single top US sailor since Dennis Connor, and the $$ all goes to NASCAR, the NFL, etc...

(Look how much TV coverage Olympic sailing got this past summer in the US DESPITE our very competitive sailors...)

[John Ring]

Such an incredible race -- 30 entrants (including two women), 15 French, 7 British and 1 lone American.

Such a pity America isn't better represented. Don't we have the talent? The money? The will? What gives?

John Vigor

I'm afraid you have it all wrong dear friend. There are in fact, many Americans in the Vendee Globe, albeit in a form we may not be accustomed to.

You must understand the sailing environment for Americans has changed tremendously over the years. American sailors are under pressures the great sailors of old could never imagine, let alone shape a course for. With expensive yacht insurance policies terminating beyond 50 miles off the coast, priceless medical insurance terminating beyond 50 aspirin, and enough lawyers in the water to drive the largest sharks away, certain change has to come to sailing. The icecaps are melting, sea levels are rising, and zebra mussels are clogging our intellectual uptake.

Gone are the days when sailors would meet at the local yacht club and discuss the day’s watery action with a glistening of salt on their brow. This much needed social recap has been replaced by fine message boards, such as the one you are currently enjoying. Chart and compass have been replaced by a black box, and the word “sextantâ€

[Sea Owl]

John;

Ooohhh! Thanks for the link! Now I am hooked!

[Neil Gordon]

John;

Ooohhh! Thanks for the link! Now I am hooked!

Me, too!

I'm racing as "LIQUIDITY." Add me as a friend.

[Roy J.]

This time of year. I am racing as Auburn and friends with both John and Neil.

[Neil Gordon]

This time of year.

I didn't try it but I'm curious... does the software let you go through the land or do you run aground?

[Warren S]

Are Avecita and Morveren, respectively. She is currently smokingmy but and has made it through the Canairies, where I will probably be transecting them in another 5 hours or so.

Hey, I can say I'm ahead of Bernard Stamm, though! (Velux 5 winner '07 by a long shot)

[John Ring]

I didn't try it but I'm curious... does the software let you go through the land or do you run aground?

I ran aground where there was no ground. There seems to be a rock or shoals 100 miles north of the Canary Islands - boat speed 0 for a while. There was some minor keel damage, but I brought along a big box of spare electrons and patched it up. I borrowed some iceberg repellent from Roy (Open 60 Auburn) so all is in good shape now.

You can still join in the game - it's free and lots of fun. Once signed up, you can click on the magnifying glass icon on the lower right to look up friends. A friends icon lets you check their progress.

Cheers,
John
Open 60 Tantalus

[Judith]

So is everyone but me able to add--and retain--friends?

My friends either get dropped from the list when I disconnect, or I'm not allowed to add them in the first place, getting the error message "Le serveur est actuellement indisponible, essayez plus tard"--clearly the ole 'Try again later' routine. The only participant the software has consistently remembered is a non-English-speaking skipper I marked several days ago, when he was #3, so I could keep an eye on him.

Judith

[Neil Gordon]

So is everyone but me able to add--and retain--friends?

My friends either get dropped from the list when I disconnect, or I'm not allowed to add them in the first place, getting the error message "Le serveur est actuellement indisponible, essayez plus tard"--clearly the ole 'Try again later' routine. The only participant the software has consistently remembered is a non-English-speaking skipper I marked several days ago, when he was #3, so I could keep an eye on him.

Judith

Same for me. When I first started, there were random competitors on the screen but they're all gone now. Friends don't stick, either. It's in their software, I suppose.

I just do a search for those friends I know and then they pop up again.

[Dixon Hemphill]

Of all the comments I'm reading John Ring's explanation of why we Americans are not in this Round-the-World-Race race have caused me to wonder just why don't more American sailors compete in this and other ocean races? Granted NASCAR, football, baseball etc capture the attention of most of us but if we can convince the American people that sailing around the world alone is an achievement that makes driving a race car 150 mph, hitting a home run or catching a football seem like child's play, perhaps we can capture their attention.
I'm afraid I don't have the answer but the least we can do is to continue to promote the great sport of sailing.