Bobc
Well-known member
Yes, I'm kind of hoping that the big wind and seas make the foilers have to slow down a bit. She certainly seems to be nibbling away at them bit by bit.
Pip Hare
- Thread starter Yealm
- Start date
Frogmogman
Well-known member
She did well in these conditions in the Southern Ocean.
At this stage of the race, each skipper will be dealing with various issues on board, and as we saw with Armel Tripon, the approach to Les Sables is often not simple with regard to weather and sea state.
This group are all so close together that it ain't over until it's over.
At this stage of the race, each skipper will be dealing with various issues on board, and as we saw with Armel Tripon, the approach to Les Sables is often not simple with regard to weather and sea state.
This group are all so close together that it ain't over until it's over.
Bobc
Well-known member
Manu Cousin has had a keel ram failure (in the next pack behind Pip, where Miranda is). He is trying to lock his keel centrally.
Bobc
Well-known member
From Pip today:-
aaarrrrggghhhh
That is how I am feeling right now, at 4 in the morning. In the pitch dark. These next four days are shaping up to be shockers.
The forecast is nothing short of terrible. There is already a lot of wind, gusting 34 knots right now, and it is going to stay like that for the next four days. The system approaching us right now is messy with intense areas of breeze, many changes in wind direction which will result in a terrible sea state and it's moving fast. Already we have more wind than forecast so I won't be surprised if we see 50 knots in the next couple of days. The navigation through this is very tricky and I am every mindful of a boat and a skipper who have 90 days of wear and tear under their belts.
Just to prove the point that this race is not going to finish with a gentle saunter to the line, I had a two hour battle with my Down wind code zero tonight which has left me exhausted and a bit bruised, with a half furled sail stuffed down the forehatch and a furler in bits in the cabin. If I can't fix the furler then I will have no downwind sails until the finish.
There is no moon at the moment and a lot of cloud so the night is solid impenetrable black. I can't see the bow of the boat very easily and in these conditions a small detail can go unnoticed then escalate to a big problem in a matter of minutes. In this case it was the mast head halyard, which had come loose and then wound itself around the code zero as I made the furl. This stopped the sail from furling properly, leaving a bulge at the top, and created torsion on the cable. I did not see this until I was on the foredeck with the tack eased to drop the sail. The minute the tack was off the extra torsion spun the bottom of the sail around wrapping the furling line tightly around the sail and binding the tackline in tight twists. The sail would now not furl in or out and I could not get the halyard off the top lock because the mast head halyard was holding it up there.
The breeze was building, of course, and waves washing over the deck. There is always a tiny second of panic that comes over me in these situations. It's really quick and hardly registers but its a jump inside, with the question, 'what happens if you can't sort this out?'. The answer is always the same so the moment is only short. ' I have to sort it out, one way or another.'
There followed two hours of trying various ways to get the sail to the deck. Each new approach would involve staggering backwards and forwards up the bouncing deck between cockpit and pulpit, winding ropes on, letting them off then going forwards to see if it had made any difference. Eventually I managed to unfurl half of the sail enough to get the halyard lock off and then had the fun game of trying to pull a 165 sq meter sail into the deck with one arm, while easing the halyard with the other, in the knowledge that if it goes in the water I will most likely loose it as the force of water in the sail will rip it. By the time I was finished I felt completely depleted.
These last few days represent not only opportunity but also risk and as the conditions are far from favourable I really can't afford to have another mess up like that.
aaarrrrggghhhh
That is how I am feeling right now, at 4 in the morning. In the pitch dark. These next four days are shaping up to be shockers.
The forecast is nothing short of terrible. There is already a lot of wind, gusting 34 knots right now, and it is going to stay like that for the next four days. The system approaching us right now is messy with intense areas of breeze, many changes in wind direction which will result in a terrible sea state and it's moving fast. Already we have more wind than forecast so I won't be surprised if we see 50 knots in the next couple of days. The navigation through this is very tricky and I am every mindful of a boat and a skipper who have 90 days of wear and tear under their belts.
Just to prove the point that this race is not going to finish with a gentle saunter to the line, I had a two hour battle with my Down wind code zero tonight which has left me exhausted and a bit bruised, with a half furled sail stuffed down the forehatch and a furler in bits in the cabin. If I can't fix the furler then I will have no downwind sails until the finish.
There is no moon at the moment and a lot of cloud so the night is solid impenetrable black. I can't see the bow of the boat very easily and in these conditions a small detail can go unnoticed then escalate to a big problem in a matter of minutes. In this case it was the mast head halyard, which had come loose and then wound itself around the code zero as I made the furl. This stopped the sail from furling properly, leaving a bulge at the top, and created torsion on the cable. I did not see this until I was on the foredeck with the tack eased to drop the sail. The minute the tack was off the extra torsion spun the bottom of the sail around wrapping the furling line tightly around the sail and binding the tackline in tight twists. The sail would now not furl in or out and I could not get the halyard off the top lock because the mast head halyard was holding it up there.
The breeze was building, of course, and waves washing over the deck. There is always a tiny second of panic that comes over me in these situations. It's really quick and hardly registers but its a jump inside, with the question, 'what happens if you can't sort this out?'. The answer is always the same so the moment is only short. ' I have to sort it out, one way or another.'
There followed two hours of trying various ways to get the sail to the deck. Each new approach would involve staggering backwards and forwards up the bouncing deck between cockpit and pulpit, winding ropes on, letting them off then going forwards to see if it had made any difference. Eventually I managed to unfurl half of the sail enough to get the halyard lock off and then had the fun game of trying to pull a 165 sq meter sail into the deck with one arm, while easing the halyard with the other, in the knowledge that if it goes in the water I will most likely loose it as the force of water in the sail will rip it. By the time I was finished I felt completely depleted.
These last few days represent not only opportunity but also risk and as the conditions are far from favourable I really can't afford to have another mess up like that.
eddystone
Well-known member
I think she's doing incredibly well with that boat. Just checked on the IMOCA website that all the 4 boats ahead of her are foiling and a generation later in design terms
Frogmogman
Well-known member
Just the one generation ? Three of them are, but Kojiro Shiraishi's DMG MORI is the latest state of the art design from VPLP - a sistership of Charal (albeit with less radical foils) built in 2019 by Multiplast.
As you say, Pip is doing incredibly well with what the has.
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Nimrod18
Member
Thoughts on Pip under-hauling Alan and Stephane? That wind hole is drifting her way, but if she can stay ahead of it... anyone with some analysis?
Frogmogman
Well-known member
As you say, the two who went further North (Alain and Stéphane) seem to have fallen into a hole in the wind, and Pip has had better boat speed. at 13:30 she had closed the gap to about 50 miles. It'll be interesting to see what the position is at 18:00.
On Pip's latest broadcast she discusses how tough the past few days have been, how squally and unstable, but also how hard it is to call as the different weather forecasting resources she has all disagree with each other.
Sandy
Well-known member
Pip was on Woman's Hour (BBC Radio 4) this morning, sounded pretty upbeat. Just popped Medallia into Marine Traffic, but she is too far offshore at the moment. Interesting to see she has an Estonian MMSI number.
Frogmogman
Well-known member
Remarkable really, as she had endured a pretty terrible night, with a halyard lock strop failing and dumping her fractional code zero in the oggin. She then had a devil of a job recovering the sail, has lost the wind, and is trying to figure out how to get the Code zero flying again. She seems to have pretty much resigned herself to the fact that this setback has destroyed her chances of catching any of the boats in the pack she was chasing.
Today is day 94 (which is the time it took Dame Ellen macArthur), so she hasn't quite equalled her time, but despite this latest setback Pip's has been a truly inspiring effort.
I'd love to go down to Les Sables d'Olonne to cheer her home, but the logistics with all of the Covid restrictions, even from Paris make it all too complicated. I'll be there in spirit, and will cheer her on whilst watching her finish on the gogglebox.
westhinder
Well-known member
She has cobbled her code 0 together again. I do not know where she finds the mental strength to keep fighting back, it truly is awe-inspiring. I’ve said before in my book they are all heroes, but she is probably more open than most about her highs and lows. She is such a great communicator. Hats off!
matt1
Well-known member
Can’t access the tracker today because in broadcasting other arrivals the tracker icon appears to have gone! What with that and the pitiful Prada Cup press conference yesterday sailing really does need to get its act together!!! There are people who want to follow this stuff but can’t access it. Inexcusable IMHO
Apologies to Vendee globe if it’s user error on my part. I’ve been robot the French and UK versions of their site on an iPhone and can’t see the tracker option
anyone know Pip’s eta
Apologies to Vendee globe if it’s user error on my part. I’ve been robot the French and UK versions of their site on an iPhone and can’t see the tracker option
anyone know Pip’s eta
John 32i
Active member
If it's up to date she has 177 miles to go so should finish tonight
Frogmogman
Well-known member
I think it was either a glitch that has now been resolved, or it's you.
Working fine for me.
Tomahawk
Well-known member
Kojiro is just five miles of as I write
Tomahawk
Well-known member
Now safely home.
Sandy
Well-known member
Looks like Pip will finish about 0000 UTC.
matt1
Well-known member
Such a shame it’s at night. Also a shame many of us won’t be able to welcome her back to the UK
Frogmogman
Well-known member
A real shame about yesterday’s problems too. Without them I think she’d have finished one or even two places higher.
Pip called it right on the finish, whereas Alain and Stephane, having gone further north have taken an age beating up to the finish. Pip is going to finish so close behind Stephane.
Pip called it right on the finish, whereas Alain and Stephane, having gone further north have taken an age beating up to the finish. Pip is going to finish so close behind Stephane.
mjcoon
Well-known member
BBC TV News South this evening promised an interview with her for 18:30 Friday night.