Vendee: December

[Judith]

Russell, I think we have a race going! You're about 1800 places in front of me at present but it's scarey out here in a daysailor
PattyB Too

I'm sailing Avecita, our 8' dinghy Looks like we have our own cyber-version of Around in Ten. John should be proud of us!

[nprice]

[quote I'm sailing Avecita, our 8' dinghy Looks like we have our own cyber-version of Around in Ten. John should be proud of us! [/quote]

Very impressive! 14.9 knots in an 8ft dinghy

[BillNH]

I actually sent Free Bairn a message asking about the gate. His reply was that he passed above it but he thought what we were seeing was a glitch in the way the line is displayed...

I guess we'll see what it looks like when we get there. Hard to cut it too close though as we have no lat/long readout on the boat, only on the cursor...

[Roy J.]

The way I read the rules, if the front runners had failed to clear the gate satisfactorily, then they would cease to be ranked. It is possible that they missed them, but because they haven't yet passed the eastern end of the gate and still have a theoretical opportunity to clear it properly, they aren't yet disqualified (that is unranked). As I think about this, I suppose it is possible to re-clear a gate at any time before you pass the next one, so it may be a while before we know. So this is the way that endless protests are the final result of regattas.......

Overall the program's graphics are not very precise: Liquidity and Sea Owl sailed right over each other for days, and I sailed through someone with no adverse effects on either boat. The program is simple on purpose.

[Judith]

Very impressive! 14.9 knots in an 8ft dinghy

Yeah, MAN! Every hair on my head is plastered back against my skull, my eyes water constantly, and I no longer have an article of clothing that even hints at the adjective "dry."

[BillNH]

Overall the program's graphics are not very precise: Liquidity and Sea Owl sailed right over each other for days, and I sailed through someone with no adverse effects on either boat. The program is simple on purpose.

Imagine if they showed all 175000+ boats! I like the way you see your friends, the leaders, and just enough other boats to make it interesting!

[Sea Owl]

"Auburn" [Roy J] wrote:

Liquidity and Sea Owl sailed right over each other for days,

On behalf of Neil and myself, we did NOT sail right over each other! Yes, we did rub rails a little but we are both too courteous to sail over each other!

Must have been a sea mirage Roy, I know you wouldn't really sail 'through' somebody either!

That said however, the graphics are truly not precise. Bill is correct though, that they are just precise enough to keep it interesting. Also, I appreciate not having to worry about sea states, reefing, and eating my own cooking as that would make it just too complex....

Interestingly enough, I was looking at the Real race yesterday, and it turns out they have had some close maneuvering there also! Apparently two boats came VERY close and have scissored back and forth a couple of times. Even more remarkable this far into the race than in this simulation!

Also, they have a front 'pack' and stragglers, not unlike our race - just not so many boats!

Reading Two Years Before The Mast again, and the description of winds, and dealing with them, hasn't changed in this area in a hundred years! Blankety Blank storm systems!

I have to go groom ice out of my mustache, see you all on the course!

Russ

[Neil Gordon]

>>So this is the way that endless protests are the final result of regattas....... <<

The one regatta I sail each year keeps the competition friendly and protests to a minimum. Their rules require a protesting boat to BUY a protest form, in the form of a non-refundable sizable donation to the sponsor (Boston Harbor Island Alliance). As the rules state, the protest committee will then hold a short meeting and announce its decision. So far, no takers.

[Sea Owl]

Just checked, as of just now, there are 172,807 skippers in this race!

Russ

[Judith]

Just checked, as of just now, there are 172,807 skippers in this race!

No wonder there's a glitch here and there, when the site was flabbergasted about hitting 100,000.

[Neil Gordon]

Just checked, as of just now, there are 172,807 skippers in this race!

Russ

There's not enough water. No wonder we're right on top of each other.

[Roy J.]

I did sail sail right over another competitor boat. I thought about how to avoid them, but couldn't maneuver that quickly, nor would the graphics support a quick tack.

I love the BHIR too Neil, and the protest policy is just the tip of the iceberg of reasons why, but I have seen some litigious SOBs whining after even a Wednesday evening race.

This virtual racing thing is fun! and gives us lots to do while our keels are drying out.

[Neil Gordon]

I did sail sail right over another competitor boat. I thought about how to avoid them, but couldn't maneuver that quickly, nor would the graphics support a quick tack.

The boats are expressed quite a bit larger than life size. Sea Owl and Liquidity have been as overlapped as the graphics could allow, yet we're miles (and about 100 positions) apart based on the rankings.

[wingreen]

I've been losing ground all day, despite keeping a healthy 12 - 13 kt pace. There must be a few tens of thousands of boats getting a boost from that 30 kt gale in between the high and low pressure systems.

BTW, I just figured out that low pressure system I'm navigating that I've referred to over the last few days is really a high pressure system, since we're south of the equator now. Hi = counterclockwise and lo = clockwise.

[Neil Gordon]

BTW, I just figured out that low pressure system I'm navigating that I've referred to over the last few days is really a high pressure system, since we're south of the equator now. Hi = counterclockwise and lo = clockwise.

Have you checked your winches to see if they still turn the same way?

BTW, I woke up hove to again, following a wind shift in the early AM.