Dee Caffari - The Famous Project

[John_Silver]

Better wind angle, for Thomas Coville & Co, 230nm up on Francis Joyon 2017. Finally on an easterly heading, which skims the ice limit. Will they set a new Ouesssant - Cape Leeuwin record? Time to beat: 17 days 6hrs 59mins (Set by FJ). We will know by this time tomorrow.



More to the point, will the weather continue to cooperate? Permitting Sodebo to profit from her speed advantage, by sailing a direct course. British Ocean Race veteran, SiFi's (Simon Fisher's) routing holds out hope.



Morale high, this New Year's Day, for the Famous Project



An insight into Dee's role, in team dynamics, from Alexia's log

 

[John_Silver]

Another record falls to Thomas Coville and his team: Ouessant to Cape Leeuwin in 17days 1hr and 17mins. The New Year has started well.
Currently making 32kts VMC to the 2017 Francis Joyon's 22kts VMC. Can Sodebo rebuild their 1000nm (at the Cape of Good Hope) cushion?​

 

[John_Silver]

Sodebo is forced to return to a zig-zag course. But stays 250nm ahead, of the 2017 Francis Joyon, nonetheless:



Both routing team and crew have their eye on Sodebo's predicted time to Cape Horn (v's Francis Joyon's 26day 15hr 45min record). The "before Idec," on the graphic, sounds promising........



Aboard the 2026 IDEC, Alexia is also preoccupied by routing to Cape Horn

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Sodebo has gone northwards to pick up the northerly air ahead. With the true wind at just over 90 deg they’ll be able to maximise the pace and optimise the heading.

 

[John_Silver]

C foil repairs, to "cosmetic chips," by Molly. Dee on "a little bit of everything." Plus life aboard IDEC at 30kts. Seemingly, a more al-fresco experience than aboard Sodebo (should open 23 secs in). In English/English subs

 

[John_Silver]

Signs of trouble, for the Famous Project? Hopefully caught mid gybe by the speed gun



EDIT Back on course/at a more conventional wind angle. Maybe just a worse wind hole than the prediction overlay shows.

 

[dunedin]

Signs of trouble, for the Famous Project? Hopefully caught mid gybe by the speed gun



EDIT Back on course/at a more conventional wind angle. Maybe just a worse wind hole than the prediction overlay shows.

If the main halyard lock is broken again, and hence stuck to reef 2, they will be very slow (by multi standards) in the calmer bits.

 

[John_Silver]

"We had a big lead and now we don't"........but......"we choose to be here, so there is no complaint about the conditions." Thomas Coville speaks (English subtitles) from Sodebo, off Tasmania "making 36kts in 20kts of wind." His 1000nm lead, to the 2017 Francis Joyon, cut to 13nm, earlier. Currently 44nm. Sodebo is consistently faster, on her foils (frequently by an 8-10kt margin). But has been forced to sail a far longer route, than the record holder, by the flow of weather systems. (Sodebo: yellow track; FJ 2017: white track with dots; Shortest Distance: smooth white arc)



It is up to the routers, as much as to Thomas and the onboard team, to "make the best use of the weather we have." On the Sodebo routing team: Philippe Legros (Fr), SiFi / Simon Fisher (GB), Chris Bedford (USA), Francois Duguet(Fr). Some background on SiFi:

​

EDIT another record falls to the "Sodeboys:" Ouessant to Tasmania in 18days 16hrs 34min. 1hr and 56mins faster than FJ 2017.

 

[John_Silver]

Drone shots of Sodebo, in the Big South, with 30kts of breeze and a sizeable sea state (should open 60 secs in).

Crew and routers talk tactics below. Earlier they discuss the impact of their following the pressure systems, rather than riding the forward edges. The former means short high 'left-over' seas; the latter, longer smoother swells. Hence, perhaps, the current manoeuvre? which looks, to this layman, a little like Charlie Dalin's 'go straight through the middle,' race winning move, in the 2024 Vendee Globe. (See start of video for routing tactics)



The pace is slower aboard the Famous Project



Leading Alexia to review IDEC's likely circumnavigation time......and whether there is enough food and water aboard



EDIT From today's Live: The Famous Project are carrying a drone. Practice flights have been undertaken, without its loss and first footage captured. The intention is to film their Cape Horn rounding. "Maybe we'll have a drone after Cape Horn. Maybe we won't," says, nominated pilot, Bex. "It’s looking breezy coming into it. Maybe 35kts. Obviously the sea state won't be so great around there." Full hoist, on the main, achieved despite problematic hook.

​

 

[John_Silver]

Sodebo is (30nm) behind Francis Joyon 2017, for the first time. BUT the routers predict that the deficit will be recovered before Cape Horn



Ice permitting

 

[John_Silver]

Thomas Coville 2026 crosses the Greenwich Meridian 174nm ahead of Francis Joyon 2017



Guillaume spoke to Voiles et Voiliers, from aboard Sodebo



The Famous Project are closing on Cape Horn. Still expecting to round tomorrow.



Where the Sodeboys have SiFi, routing from ashore, the Famous Project have "Monsieur Meteo" Christian Dumard.





​

 

[John_Silver]

100 odd nm to Cape Horn, for the Famous Project..... (3.1.26 drone shot. They are making 24 knots in 30 knots of breeze and “5 metre seas….conditions are pretty tough.” Debs, fresh from a trip onto the boom to dislodge accumulated hailstones from the reef flakes, reports in today’s livestream)



Sodebo shore team runs the numbers: Sodebo 2026 v Francis Joyon 2017

 

[John_Silver]

Famous Project at Cape Horn. 38 days and 35 mins from Ouessant.






Hopefully they got some pics. These taken on approach.... (To translate the autotranslate: 4-5m holes=houle=swell. Probably)

​

 

[John_Silver]

In pictures: Dee at the helm passing Cape Horn



Close enough.



Happy ship



In words: Alexia's log



From Dee



EDIT drone shot from Bex, now they're round the corner pointing north

​

 

[John_Silver]

Jules Verne time predictions, from Alexia & her router:

 

[John_Silver]

The 'Sodeboys' have caught themselves "a beautiful low......that allows us to maintain good speeds. 35 and peaks of 45 knots.....Cape Horn in about 4 days.....it could change between now and then." Look at the spray fly! (English subs)

But can they stay with the system?

 

[John_Silver]

The Famous Project now north of the Falklands, making just short of 30kts. From Alexia's log:


​

Dee, no doubt, wondering whether she will celebrate her birthday (23.1.26) ashore or afloat.

 

[John_Silver]

Hook/ halyard lock scare aboard Sodebo. Dealt with at 35kts. Whilst riding their “beautiful low.” Neck and neck with Francis Joyon 2017.



Cape Horn looking less than straightforward

 

[Ed Sned]

John or anyone else...
I'm using the translate function on the MS Edge browser, and it's talked since the start a lot of about "wind refusals". I appreciate this is a factor of a clunky translation, but any idea what they're referring to?
Eg
#

In French, the word is refusant or refus




I've really enjoyed the dialogue between the boat and the routing cell - has been really interesting to listen to how they weight the different models at different times, depending on what they see out of the window. I would have expected them to look at all of them but have a preference for one, whereas they flip around pretty freely - including using GFS a lot, despite the fact it's generally regarded as pretty poor in our climes (admittedly largely due to the limited land mass consideration, which is less of a problem in the Southern Ocean....). Also, I guess when there's nothing better, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed king etc

 

[John_Silver]

John or anyone else...
I'm using the translate function on the MS Edge browser, and it's talked since the start a lot of about "wind refusals". I appreciate this is a factor of a clunky translation, but any idea what they're referring to?
Eg
View attachment 204666#

In French, the word is refusant or refus
View attachment 204667

View attachment 204668

I've really enjoyed the dialogue between the boat and the routing cell - has been really interesting to listen to how they weight the different models at different times, depending on what they see out of the window. I would have expected them to look at all of them but have a preference for one, whereas they flip around pretty freely - including using GFS a lot, despite the fact it's generally regarded as pretty poor in our climes (admittedly largely due to the limited land mass consideration, which is less of a problem in the Southern Ocean....). Also, I guess when there's nothing better, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed king etc

@Roberto will probably be able to help us out

This is the same exchange (I think) on Chrome auto-translate. Perhaps used as a term for the downwind wind angle going too large? Opposite of being ‘headed’ upwind? We need a proper French speaking sailor!