Vendee Globe Rescue

[Paul D.]

Great Ocean Rescue story - even if these boats are the polar opposite of CD's. This particular breakdown wouldn't happen to a Carl Alberg boat, but it doesn't mean we couldn't have a fast occurring failure/accident of some sort far from shore.

My take away is that even with all the modern safety equipment and a careful eye towards relying on our selves, it pays to sail in fleets of some sort on longer passages. Thinking back on my own passage to Australia in a wooden Atkins Ingrid, our chances of any sort of rescue were likely much higher due to the fact we had others (even though we were by far the last boat!) in the area going the same way could we communicate with them.

https://youtu.be/WF-pWys3Uew
In French with subtitles.

[John Stone]

I think sailing in a fleet is a false security blanket. Less confident sailors tend to rely too much on the decision making of others, whose decisions themselves are sometimes flawed or subject to other influences, like time schedules, etc. same for excessive safety gear that can’t save you from your own poor decisions or lack of boat preparation in the fundamentals.

Ocean sailing at the right time of year, in the right latitude, on a well found boat, and with a skipper who makes reasonable decisions is quite safe. Once you introduce other people into the equations things can start to get out of hand.

In the end everyone has to decide if they trust themself more than they trust others.

[moctrams]

The boat folded in half? That is hard to imagine.

[Paul D.]

I don't disagree John. However, the idea isn't to, even unknowingly, rely on others in a fleet situation. My point only is that sailing in a fleet increases the rescue odds if a sailor winds up in the drink. That's it. It's all how one looks at it. And how well one prepares boat crew and self for independent success. But bottom line, it can happen anyway. If one hits a container on their next Bermuda trip in their well found Cape Dory and they've taken to the dinghy/raft, I bet they'd be glad other sailors who value the code of the sea are somewhat close by.

[mgphl52]

The boat folded in half? That is hard to imagine.

Not really... I cannot quote the boats/races/dates, but this has also happened in America Cup Races and other long ranges races.
Basically, a boat designed & built to go absolutely as fast as possible then running into unexpected/unplanned for weather!

[John Stone]

I don't disagree John. However, the idea isn't to, even unknowingly, rely on others in a fleet situation. My point only is that sailing in a fleet increases the rescue odds if a sailor winds up in the drink. That's it. It's all how one looks at it. And how well one prepares boat crew and self for independent success. But bottom line, it can happen anyway. If one hits a container on their next Bermuda trip in their well found Cape Dory and they've taken to the dinghy/raft, I bet they'd be glad other sailors who value the code of the sea are somewhat close by.

Paul, It appears many people enjoy making ocean passages as part of a rally. I would certainly not disagree if your boat sank it would be great to have a boat near by to pick you up. Who wouldn’t want that? But, I wonder how many times it has actually happened...that another crushing boat has picked up the crew of a boat that sank. It seems it’s mostly commercial ships that get diverted to rescue sailors who set off their EPIRB. It seems to work pretty well.

But for me, sailing in a rally would be a major PITA and a serious distraction to my own preparations. And I don’t carry any significant communications equipment to chat with anyone anyway. There is just not that many people I want to talk to so much I’d carry all that stuff on my boat. The reality is, for me anyway, if I thought the possibility so high I might sink, that I would go to the hassle of sailing with other boats, I would’t go out there.

Again, that’s just how I think about it. Doesn’t make it right for anyone else. Im certainly not the burning bush. As I have mentioned before, we all have to do whatever we have to do to overcome our fear of sailing over the horizon otherwise we won’t leave sight of land...which is ok too. I have things I do to manage my own psychology. So, what I’d say to anyone that asked me...figure out what you want to do, make a plan, and execute it ruthlessly. If that means sailing with a fleet, then right-on.

[Steve Laume]

I don't want to sail in a rally as that just creates a greater possibility of running into someone. Buddy boating is even worse, where you actually try to stay together.

I have timed my Bermuda trips so that racing fleets would catch me near the end. This is a straight run and they would be somewhere behind you if the worst were to happen. With an EPIRB and a life raft, I don't worry about being found in the waters I sail. If you were somewhere in a remote section of the Southern Ocean then things might be different.

Those Vendee boats are built right on the edge. Look back at what happened to Hugo Boss about a week ago. The entire bow structure was fractured and de laminated. It was repaired at sea but this would not inspire confidence in the boat. They haven't even hit the worst of it yet.

Our boats are much stronger although a bit slower, Steve.

[Steve Kuhar]

To bring the subject close to home go to "Alberg Fellows" from the CDSOA homepage and read the writeup for Greg Fuquay, 2015 inductee.

Steve Kuhar

[pete faga]

2 more boats out and heading to Cape Town after hitting something @20 knots and heavy seas.
The roaring 40’s are challenging enough without the added anxiety of floating debris.
Sad to see Samantha Davies might be out of the race again. She was dismasted in the 2016 race.