Vendee globe

[pete faga]

19 days to the start! Sign up for the daily updates. Armchair cruising at it's best. I will be following Samantha Davies on her 2nd vendee globe

[pete faga]

There off. Vendee.org.

[pete faga]

Two out of the race after 3 days.keel fell off and the other boat collided with a trawler. I guess ais is only good enough when someones awake.

[Russell]

Two out of the race after 3 days.keel fell off and the other boat collided with a trawler. I guess ais is only good enough when someones awake.

Fishing boats fall below the tonnage requirement that requires AIS, its likely it didnt have one, in which case you having AIS is useless. Supposedly he did have his radar on, surprising that his guard zone alarm didnt kick on to wake him, poorly tuned radar maybe?

[pete faga]

Another collision with a trawler @20 knots. Luckily the only damage to the open 60 was a broken shroud. Maybe 3 down in 5 days.

[Steve Laume]

The first few days have got to be brutal on the sailors. I can't imagine they get much sleep before the start and the weather was pretty snotty at the beginning of the race. Tweaking all sorts of things and trying to sort out equipment. You just might not notice a big old fishing boat right in front of you while doing whatever ungodly speed they are traveling at.

Having your keel fall off through no fault of your own, would really suck! The other racers must take notice of something like this as well. If it had to happen the start of the race was the best possible place.

This just doesn't seem like a fun ride, Steve.

[pete faga]

I was really looking forward to monitoring Sam Davies progress during the nonstop race. She dismasted this morning after 5 days. 4 out of 20 gone already.

[John Ring]

The online version is lots of fun to play along with. You get your own virtual Open 60, set your sails, and run the race.

Link: http://www.virtualregatta.com

Enjoy!
John
Open 60 "Tantalus"

[Steve Laume]

They are down to 15 boats now with others damaged. These are surely not Cape Dorys. I have never felt compelled to carry glass and resin to make major repairs along the way.

Do these guys ever wear harnesses or do they weigh too much? Maybe only when they get to the Southern ocean.

Once again, this just doesn't look like fun but boy would I ever love to go on a day sail with one of these guys on a windy day, Steve.

[Russell]

Imagine if there were not actually rules that the boats did have to conform to (despite being "Open" there are actually a lot of safety and seaworthiness rules, each boat has to actually be phsyically capsized and shown to roll back upright against for instance). Without those rules these things would be even more flimsy and insane.

Its the only competitive sailing I follow or care about though. While personally I take to heart more of the moitessier attitude, I still love following the Vendee, I wish I had the balls these guys (and gals) have, while at the same time I am thankful that I do not. I just wish we could get some support from american competitors, I have always been suprised Larry Ellison hasnt stepped up to support an Oracle boat in the Vendee, just out of his own love for sailing and willingness to blow money on it. I guess his Sydney Hobart experience still keeps him from even sponsering ocean sailing even if he only pledged to never participating in it again.

[pete faga]

Steve brought up a good question if they use harnesses. In the photo's in the last 2 races I don't recall anybody tethered. Hard to believe ! John do you wear one?

[John Ring]

Steve brought up a good question if they use harnesses. In the photo's in the last 2 races I don't recall anybody tethered. Hard to believe ! John do you wear one?

Yes, of course. Whenever I change sails on my virtual Open 60, I clip my harness onto the padeye mounted on top of my computer!

A few summers ago I was approaching Scituate (MA) when one of the Open 60 boats came up the coast for an event in Boston. Even in very light wind, that Open 60 was really moving along; very impressive boat, unlike anything on the water.

John

[Russell]

Steve brought up a good question if they use harnesses. In the photo's in the last 2 races I don't recall anybody tethered. Hard to believe ! John do you wear one?

Most people I know follow a few rules with harnesses. Always at night, always in bad weather and always when leaving the cockpit. I follow these rules myself, but also ad "when taking a nap in the cockpit, even if weather is settled", otherwise I dont use one (but I am always wearing it even if not clipped on when in the cockpit). I used to be a die hard "at all times no matter what" person, but over the years I have chilled out a bit on it, if its nice weather and I there is a near zero chance of anything happening, I opt for comfort.

[Steve Laume]

I don't think comfort enters into anything these guys do. Okay, I guess wearing a dry suit while going to the bow of a boat that acts much like a porpoise at 20 knots would count.

It seems like the lack of tethers is a mobility issue. Some of those guys are very nimble on the rather open decks. It would be hard to move as fast if you were tethered in. I still don't understand why they don't at least clip in while they are at the bow working.

I talked to a single handed racing sailor at the Annapolis boat show a few years ago and asked about a man over board situation. He told me they carried a remote for the auto pilot or there was some automated way that the boat would round up if he went over the side.

Good luck with that if the thing is planing in high winds and heavy seas. There is no way you could ever swim back to the boat even if it did round up, Steve.

[Sea Hunt Video]

For those of you interested, who have not already read it, there is a very good book out on the 1996-1997 Vendee Globe. Godforsaken Sea by Derek Lundy. The publisher is Alfred A. Knopf (1998). ISBN 0-676-97137-7

It discusses a lot of the issues you guys are talking about.