Dee Caffari - The Famous Project

[Roberto]

@Roberto will probably be able to help us out

Hello John
yes odd translation wind refusal from French verb ''refuser'', when related to wind it means a shift of wind worsening the course to a given point, ex wind from 0deg north, if one is beating at 45deg and the wind shifts to 015deg,
Contrary is ''adonner'', le vent adonne, I think the English expression is ''being lifted'' (?). in the above case a wind shift to 340deg would allow a better course to a point due North.

 

[Ed Sned]

Understood - headed (refuser) and lifted (adonner) then (for upwind anyway). knocked is another one for being headed upwind.
Thanks very much

 

[Roberto]

Understood - headed (refuser) and lifted (adonner) then (for upwind anyway). knocked is another one for being headed upwind.
Thanks very much

Thanks, I learnt the English terms

 

[John_Silver]

After 41 days at sea, the Famous Project is slowed in light airs. With Alexia in reflective mood




Well edited film of rounding Cape Horn just dropped. Seastate & team dynamics captured. Plus fixing the steering, again (in English)

Thomas Coville's Sodeboys are 450nm days ahead of Francis Joyon 2017. And roughly 700nm from Cape Horn, making 25kts. Expect to round tomorrow.

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[John_Silver]

Light airs for both the Famous Project and Thomas Coville's Sodeboys. The latter 200ish nm from Cape Horn and 340nm ahead of Francis Joyon 2017





Full extent of C foil damage (from fishing net collision off Cape Leeuwin) worse than first suspected, for the Famous Project






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[John_Silver]

Finger trouble!

 

[John_Silver]

Two more records fall to Thomas Coville's Sodeboys: Ouessant to Cape Horn in 26 days 4 hrs 46 mins. Plus a faster Pacific crossing than Francois Gabart, at 7 days 12 hrs 12 min. Rewarded with some close up sightseeing. Big smiles all round. But I think Thomas' was broadest!

Cushion to Francis Joyon 2017 200nm.



How will the Atlantic treat the Sodebo team?

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[John_Silver]

The Famous Project nears the doldrums



The Sodeboys have built a 440nm cushion v Francis Joyon 2017

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NB "available on the chart" = available in the actus/news tab to left of tracker page.

 

[Allan]

What is thought of the possibility of the boys arriving at Ushant first?
Allan

 

[John_Silver]

What is thought of the possibility of the boys arriving at Ushant first?
Allan

Famous Project tracker gives them 4400nm to go. Sodeboys are around 1200nm south of them. My (fallible) man maths says that Thomas' team would need to sail 27% faster than Alexia's (1200/4400) to finish at the same time. Which seems like a stretch. But I stand to be corrected !

EDIT ........ Although I've just found myself a fag packet :
Famous Project tracker gives time at sea and distance covered as 18,121nm and 45 days. Which is an average of 402nm per day or 16.8kts
No distance covered on Sodebo tracker. But, using FP tracker's ruler they are around 1200nm to the south. 18121-1200= 16900nm covered by Sodebo. They have been at sea just short of 29 days. Which is an average of 582nm per day or 24.3kts.
Average speed advantage of Sodebo over IDEC 7.5kts or 45%. Which doesn't feel quite right - so there's probably a major flaw in my logic/arithmetic. But, if not, would have Sodebo arriving first.....

Will be watching with renewed interest. Thanks @Allan !

 

[Allan]

Famous Project tracker gives them 4400nm to go. Sodeboys are around 1200nm south of them. My (fallible) man maths says that Thomas' team would need to sail 27% faster than Alexia's (1200/4400) to finish at the same time. Which seems like a stretch. But I stand to be corrected !

Famous Project have been going for a little over 44 days, Sodeboys for not quite 29 days. Allowing 2days to get to where Famous are now means 31/44. I think it will be close but I'm thinking Sodeboys first.
Allan

 

[John_Silver]

Famous Project have been going for a little over 44 days, Sodeboys for not quite 29 days. Allowing 2days to get to where Famous are now means 31/44. I think it will be close but I'm thinking Sodeboys first.
Allan

Must learn to refresh my screen more often. Think I edited in second thoughts along the same lines while you replied. I did alot of checking & rechecking, because I'd mentally written off the overtake possibility! I think you could well be right.

The big unknown is how the Doldrums treat the two of them. But with their boatspeed, routing team capability and Thomas' hunger for Francis Joyon’s record (by enough of a margin to, perhaps, retire from rtw records and hand over to protégée Benjamin Schwartz?).......

"EDIT ........ Although I've just found myself a fag packet :
Famous Project tracker gives time at sea and distance covered as 18,121nm and 45 days. Which is an average of 402nm per day or 16.8kts
No distance covered on Sodebo tracker. But, using FP tracker's ruler they are around 1200nm to the south. 18121-1200= 16900nm covered by Sodebo. They have been at sea just short of 29 days. Which is an average of 582nm per day or 24.3kts.
Average speed advantage of Sodebo over IDEC 7.5kts or 45%. Which doesn't feel quite right - so there's probably a major flaw in my logic/arithmetic. But, if not, would have Sodebo arriving first....."

Will be watching with renewed interest. Thanks @Allan !

 

[Allan]

No problem. At 10 tonight the boys had done about 16860nm. So you're not far off with your guesstimate. I have a little bet on at home, so I'm routing for Tommy.
Allan
Edit: Do the girls still have to have a reef in? When I looked earlier in the voyage the had broken a sail hook.

 

[John_Silver]

No problem. At 10 tonight the boys had done about 16860nm. So you're not far off with your guesstimate. I have a little bet on at home, so I'm routing for Tommy.
Allan
Edit: Do the girls still have to have a reef in? When I looked earlier in the voyage the had broken a sail hook.

Hook is broken. But drone shots show full hoist is possible on the main. From what I can gather, it always allows the main to go up. But does not reliably lock as reefs are taken. Requiring a mast climb & full sail drop, before putting in a reef. Which probably makes Famous Project slightly conservative on sailplan. Pic from around 2 days before Horn.



Also, since the Leeuwin fishing net incident, the starboard foil has been out of action. Adding only drag, but no lift, on port gybe. Currently lashed as fully raised as it can be.




(Foil pics are from SA. Not seen them on Famous Project / crew social media. Google lens can't find them elsewhere. But look legit)

 

[John_Silver]

Grist to your mill @Allan . Hope you got good odds!

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[John_Silver]

The Sodeboys sniff out windshifts. Inching north, their lead to Francis Joyon 2017, 200nm (6hrs @ 30kts)






Alexia's Famous Project will cross the Equator today and enter the Doldrums.



Bex reports flying the drone "while the boat was doing 25kts" (on today's Live) Full FB video here with damaged starboard foil visible



I make the straight line distance, between the Sodeboys and IDEC, around 1750nm. Was around 1200nm on Tuesday evening. (Pic from the Pacific)

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[John_Silver]

Breakage aboard Sodebo:






From the Famous Project:





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[John_Silver]

Thomas Coville prowls Sodebo's deck. On the look out for damage, after yesterday's J0 tack failure.



The Sodeboys 150nm ahead of Francis Joyon 2017. Delta to the Famous Project around 1500nm.



Alexia's crew are tackling the Doldrums, 2800nm from the Ouessant finish line. The main halyard hook choosing this moment to go on strike, once more. A silver lining is discovery of a leech tear, before it has grown too large......



EDIT Dee has posted a FB video, of "arts & crafts @ 25kts" aka Stacey & Bex perched on the boom, repairing the leech whilst Dee helms.​

 

[John_Silver]

Thomas Coville, from today's voicenote : " I love being so free that there are no restraints.....we are...... "capable of betting everything on a single move." A concept which he draws from the poems of Kenneth Wise. The Sodeboys currently 270nm ahead of Francis Joyon's record. Targetting 34 W to cross the Pot au Noir.



No 'Live' today, from the Famous Project. Whom Alexia described in a FB video as working without respite, the full crew on deck, to repair yesterday's mainsail damage - without reducing speed.



The team currently making 24kts (13 VMC) with 2400nm to go. Alexia's log:

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[John_Silver]

In line with Thomas' "betting everything on a single move" philosophy (above); SiFi and the routing team propose a radical strategy, for the North Atlantic. Due to the Azores high enlarging and extending west, on the predictions.



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