Vendee: December

Neil Gordon · Post by **Neil Gordon** » Dec 16th, '08, 12:05

John Vigor wrote:Does anyone in the Vendee Virtual know what "special happening"
there is supposed to be today? I can't find any information except for a December 14 teaser piece, saying all will be revealed on December 16. I'm hoping the organizers will say anyone rated 124,000 or more can take 10,000 free bonus places to help catch up with the rest of the Cape Dory mob.

Cheers,

John V.

Maybe it's the day the total participating goes over 500,000 and their server melts down.

Bill Cochrane · Post by **Bill Cochrane** » Dec 16th, '08, 12:52

Mike Golding had just taken over the lead from Jean-Pierre Dick (who himself had suffered rudder damage) when his mast came down in a sudden gust and heavy sea. Details here.

Judith · Post by **Judith** » Dec 16th, '08, 13:05

Neil Gordon wrote:Maybe it's the day the total participating goes over 500,000 and their server melts down.

I believe they've already done Server Melt-down Day several times. . .

Sea Owl · Post by **Sea Owl** » Dec 16th, '08, 13:24

If you go to the hosts website, this is the day that one of the French racers traditionally has an equipment failure. Has apparently happened to him in the last two Vendee Globes, as well as a couple of other races.

Wants everybody to send him an 'encouraging' email.

I was thinking of sending one to our American skipper!

Neil Gordon · Post by **Neil Gordon** » Dec 16th, '08, 14:36

Bill Cochrane wrote:Mike Golding had just taken over the lead from Jean-Pierre Dick (who himself had suffered rudder damage) when his mast came down in a sudden gust and heavy sea. Details here.

There's a lesson for all of us in this:

"I heard a bang and immediately went back below deck and waited until the noise had stopped.â€

BillNH · Post by **BillNH** » Dec 16th, '08, 17:26

So how totally overloaded are the Virtual Vendee servers? I haven't been able to access the site this evening for the weather update - for 20 minutes or so I'm getting the "503 Service Unavailable" message... Somehow I don't think they were ready for a quarter million participants.

Warren S · Post by **Warren S** » Dec 16th, '08, 18:11

Judith and I have to "lean on the door" in order to be able to change our sails at the earliest based on the latest WX

Neil Gordon · Post by **Neil Gordon** » Dec 16th, '08, 19:31

BillNH wrote:So how totally overloaded are the Virtual Vendee servers? I haven't been able to access the site this evening for the weather update - for 20 minutes or so I'm getting the "503 Service Unavailable" message... Somehow I don't think they were ready for a quarter million participants.

It's been slow at the wind change times. Sunday was the worst but it's continued sluggish so far this week. Not fun at 5 AM, plus we can be hove to waiting for access to the website.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Dec 16th, '08, 19:38

I've been lucky so far, by only half-believing the weather forecasts. Cutting it close staying in the edge of the high, waiting for the low to pass by, and it seems to be working out pretty well.

Still several days north of the Atlantic Gate, though, and running 171, 232th. Up 10,000 places since yesterday morning, though!

Rogiv's still over 1000 miles ahead, but I think maybe he's locking his prop to let me catch up.

Oswego John · Post by **Oswego John** » Dec 16th, '08, 19:53

Too Shay

John Vigor · Post by **John Vigor** » Dec 17th, '08, 00:59

Neil Gordon wrote: It's been slow at the wind change times. Sunday was the worst but it's continued sluggish so far this week. Not fun at 5 AM, plus we can be hove to waiting for access to the website.

I have found a way to get quicker updates. I log on 10 or 15 minutes before the wind change and set the automatic refresh timer going at the top of the page.

I actually start the automatic refresh so that it changes the winds at about 10 seconds after the actual countdown time. The changeover is slow, but I think being logged on in advance is a great help.

(Keep this a secret among the Cape Dory contingent, otherwise it will be self-defeating.)

As for getting up at 5 a.m., living on the West Coast I have to get up at 2 a.m. Don't know how long I'm going to be able to keep this up. Yawn.

Yours blearily,

John V.

Neil Gordon · Post by **Neil Gordon** » Dec 17th, '08, 06:21

John Vigor wrote:... on the West Coast I have to get up at 2 a.m.

The winds change at 5 AM on the East coast. I just check on my way back from the party.

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Dec 17th, '08, 08:10

Looks like I had the same luck as CheminÃ©es Poujoulat! While I was off making the 400 mile passage to Bequia my Vendee boat hit an island and ran aground! Lost a few places while sitting on the rocks there!

Warren S · Post by **Warren S** » Dec 17th, '08, 09:19

Serves you right for having Actual passages while we are all stuck in Virtual land (can I get a collective "yeah" from the CD mob)?

nprice · Post by **nprice** » Dec 17th, '08, 09:27

Automatic log update on certainly worked for me this morning, last night took about twenty minutes.
Don't know if you've all seen these videos, this one from Sam Davies.
http://www.bymnews.com/photos/displayim ... &pid=82519

The Cape Dory Board

Vendee: December

Re: What special happening?

Another gear casualty to a leader

Re: What special happening?

Special Day

Re: Another gear casualty to a leader

I'm with you on that theory

Skirting the low, up another 10,000 places

OUCH

Log-on strategy

Re: Log-on strategy

OK, I'll say it :-D

Re: Log-on strategy