Foils or no Foils?

[dgadee]

What's the thinking on foils? I note that only one foiling boat is in the top 6 in the Vendee Globe at present.

 

[RichardS]

That's because most of the foiling boats are taking a different route to pick up different winds which they believe will assist foiling. It's difficult to tell who is really ahead until they come closer together.

Richard

 

[LePacha]

Not even sure if it's because they think it will assist foiling, I have the impression that they can not sail as close to the wind as the older boats. SO they need to keep it as much as possible on a reach and tack quite often... SO they are much faster but have to sail a greater distance for the same result apparently... all fairly balanced so far... but as soon as they will have the wind on an established reach, they will go twice as fast... Interesting though....

 

[dunedin]

Suspect there will be quite a bit of “throttling back” going on amongst the foilers - danger if they let the boats go at full speed they will smash things to bits hurtling into and over waves at 20 knots. All to lose in the first few days upwind, and limited gains. As LePacha says, once the waves flatten a bit and / or go astern watch for the after burners to be lit amongst the foilers.

 

[cherod]

canny move from Le Cam staying inside, only non foiler in top 6 but in the lead,, wonder if he will stay inside or head out. personally i prefer the non foilers , the foilers looks so undignified !!

 

[E39mad]

The next 24 hours are likely to be key in getting down the North Atlantic - those to the North and West such as Hugo Boss will hit the favourable wind direction change first and charge South. Alex is 19th at the moment - I wouldn't be surprised if he will be in the top ten this time tomorrow.

Both the Hugo Boss and Vendee sites are great and allow you to overlay the wind conditions.

 

[cherod]

The next 24 hours are likely to be key in getting down the North Atlantic - those to the North and West such as Hugo Boss will hit the favourable wind direction change first and charge South. Alex is 19th at the moment - I wouldn't be surprised if he will be in the top ten this time tomorrow.

Both the Hugo Boss and Vendee sites are great and allow you to overlay the wind conditions.
[/QUO




i dont know if the foilers , sitting much higher up just now have any other choice than try to get over the top of that storm tho will certainly get a good run afterward but it is a risky strat re damage and will not make much speed throo it, wheras Le Cam might just stay inside and do the slowly slowly game , looks like he might get some wind in another 24 hrs an can maintain his southing ,, he is a willy fox , worth a watching

 

[Seven Spades]

Alex will probably take the lead later today. If you look at the stats he did the second most miles in a 24 hour run and he is just about to hit hugely favourable winds

The best place to look is on the Alex Thompson site not the Vendée globe site because you can overlay the winds on the yacht positions see here

Hugo Boss • Vendée Globe 2020

Just hit the wind button near the bottom on the right hand side. I was very surprised by the route all the boats took when they turned south together, if it had been me I would have kept going west for longer to get into the south westerly wind system earlier. Alex and Linked out are going to really pull away from their main competitors very soon. The weather system is moving east which possibly means that they are already shifting South. If they are quick enough they can ride the system but the trailing boats are going to miss their chance and we are going to see a classic “rich get richer” situation in the next 24 hours.

 

[Frogmogman]

Alex will probably take the lead later today. If you look at the stats he did the second most miles in a 24 hour run and he is just about to hit hugely favourable winds

The best place to look is on the Alex Thompson site not the Vendée globe site because you can overlay the winds on the yacht positions see here

Hugo Boss • Vendée Globe 2020

Just hit the wind button near the bottom on the right hand side. I was very surprised by the route all the boats took when they turned south together, if it had been me I would have kept going west for longer to get into the south westerly wind system earlier. Alex and Linked out are going to really pull away from their main competitors very soon. The weather system is moving east which possibly means that they are already shifting South. If they are quick enough they can ride the system but the trailing boats are going to miss their chance and we are going to see a classic “rich get richer” situation in the next 24 hours.

I don't know about the Vendée Globe site, but the map showing positions etc on the Hugo Boss site is the one that appears on the VG App on my phone.

 

[Seven Spades]

The Hugo Boss chart allows you to overlay the GFS wind. It gives a much better insight to what is going on than the app.

 

[Frogmogman]

The Hugo Boss chart allows you to overlay the GFS wind. It gives a much better insight to what is going on than the app.

I can do that on the VG app too.

 

[E39mad]

I can do that on the VG app too.

Indeed - clearly doesn't read the other posts properly beforehand.

Looking like Hugo Boss maybe in a three way fight for the lead soon with Apivia and Linked Out. These two are on the same track as Alex but currently ahead.

 

[E39mad]

Beyou one of the race favourites has rudder damage and is heading back to Les Sables d'Olonne.

Tripon is heading to La Coruna to effect repairs and PRB has been leaking water badly.

 

[Frogmogman]

Puts what Alex Thomson was saying about just not wanting to break anything at the stage into perspective.

 

[capnsensible]

Personally, I reckon that when something breaks early in a trip as it so often does, that's preferable than when you are mid nowhere and still got to get...somewhere. ?

Or worse, a third of the way somewhere when going back is uphill and very bumpy.

 

[Seven Spades]

It is not good for the sport to have early retirements like this. Some of the sponsors will have put millions into this effort and to be out of the running now is really bad news. next time they might not bother.

 

[SimonFa]

On the last VG I seem to remember that in the app you could select a number of skippers and they'd be permanently highlighted on map. Has anyone one figured out if that can be done this time?

 

[Seven Spades]

Alex did over 61 miles in the last 4 hours and he was the fastest in the 4 hours before that.

 

[Frogmogman]

It is not good for the sport to have early retirements like this. Some of the sponsors will have put millions into this effort and to be out of the running now is really bad news. next time they might not bother.

AIUI it’s not a retirement yet for Charal. Competitors have 10 days to return to Les Sables d’Olonne and restart, so long as beyou can effect his repairs and be off again within that period, he is still in the race.

 

[dunedin]

It is not good for the sport to have early retirements like this. Some of the sponsors will have put millions into this effort and to be out of the running now is really bad news. next time they might not bother.

Getting out of the Bay of Biscay in late Autumn, typically a tough upwind bash, has always taken its toll of starters in the early days. Been this way since the first race decades ago.
Sponsors will know the risks associated with racing.