Golden Globe Race

[zoidberg]

It looks to me as if Susie Goodall and Uku Randmaa are within VHF range/AIS range, after 25 days and on astro/DR. That, too, is fascinating....

 

[Sandy]

As a voyage yes but not as a race.

 

[capnsensible]

It looks to me as if Susie Goodall and Uku Randmaa are within VHF range/AIS range, after 25 days and on astro/DR. That, too, is fascinating....

Lots of up to date news, calls and texts here:

https://goldengloberace.com/socialhub/

Some explanations too from Don about tactics.

 

[capnsensible]

As a voyage yes but not as a race.

The race for me, adds to the drama and the challenge.

 

[Sandy]

The race for me, adds to the drama and the challenge.

For me a solo circumnavigation would be enough of a challenge and I would prefer to do it in a modern boat; ideally a Boreal 47.

 

[zoidberg]

Poster girl.

 

[zoidberg]

Just six miles, now, and closing.....

 

[capnsensible]

:encouragement:

 

[Yellow Ballad]

ESMERALDA OK

I like this guy's attitude.

 

[zoidberg]

It's interesting to note, today, that the leading pair are under ∆10nm latitude difference from each other, and about ∆410-470nm latitude from the next group of 4 behind them - all heading southwards at present*. Most of them are in similar boats, so that ~4 days' sailing 'lag' or 'lead' must represent a measure of the skills/experience being deployed.

I reckon that the two 'wingers' McGuckin and Slats, way out to the west, took a flyer and on present showing will have lost a week on the leaders.


https://goldengloberace.com/livetracker/


* Of course, all that can and will change. The two leaders Peche and VDH are now angling SE and are about 'level pegging'.

 

[capnsensible]

Interesting article here on the use of HF radio for weather information. Also answers an earlier question about who has what in wind pilots

.http://goldengloberace.com/what-is-hf-and-ssb-is-it-winning-the-2018ggr/

Go, Susie!!

 

[zoidberg]

Go, Susie!!

Not in the least bit partisan, are we?

Is it 'cos she is blonde....?

 

[capnsensible]

Is she really? I hadnt noticed.

Um.

Well I might have just a teensy bit.....

What we did notice yesterday was a fleeting glimpse of the tip of the mast of Francesco Capelletti's mast.

Whilst enjoying the company Friday Debrief here: https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/ShowU...ar-Playa_Blanca_Lanzarote_Canary_Islands.html

we noticed the mast tip with the distinctive orange head bobbing along outside the breakwater. Stout chap, having a go despite everything.

But watta girl, Im definitely a Susie fan. :encouragement:

 

[Yellow Ballad]

But watta girl, Im definitely a Susie fan. :encouragement:

A very tedious link but I sailed a few races against Susie when she and I were younger. The dinghy club I was in and the "rival" club have a week away at Bala and she came along with the rivals. She was good then and you could tell she was going to go far on the water.

I've just noticed her shorts have 73 on them... maybe it was a sign!

 

[zoidberg]

It's been noticeable that the reported Daily Runs, in the RaceTracker 'roll-over' pop-up info blocks for each competitor, have been growing ever more erratic. This evening, around 072100UTC August, Mark Slats' reported DR was 711 miles. Someone else's was 2...... McGuckin, as I recall. They're in the same airstream.

Does not compute. Someone, somewhere, is 'all at sea' with their Traverse Tables....

 

[capnsensible]

783 this morning. The 4 hourly positions from their trackers seem awry. Computer glitch.

 

[zoidberg]

It is reported from GGR Race HQ that Phillippe Peche has broken steering, is lying-ahull until winds abate, and is now out of the GGR Rankings as he 'phoned home'. VDH has also reported problems, but apparently has fixed 'em.

I'm wondering if any of these guys carry 'drag devices'....

 

[capnsensible]

I'm wondering if any of these guys carry 'drag devices'....

I would think that they are too busy fixing things to start dressing up.

 

[zoidberg]

'Ho', and again, 'ho'.


I'm interested in the arguments pro and contra.....

 

[Motor_Sailor]

It is reported from GGR Race HQ that Phillippe Peche has broken steering, is lying-ahull until winds abate, and is now out of the GGR Rankings as he 'phoned home'. VDH has also reported problems, but apparently has fixed 'em. ...

(Stolen from the Boatshed Blog)

Philippe Péché, (pictured when sailing through the Marina Rubicon gate in the Canaries), shows the special alloy telescopic tiller fitted to PRB which snapped later in the race, together with the Beaufort wind vane self steering system which failed two days before when the actuating arm linked to the tiller (circled in red) broke in the same way that it did on Nabil Amra’s Beaufort system two weeks before. Photo: Christophe Favreau

Over the weekend, French yachtsman Philippe Péché has fashioned a repair to the aluminium tiller on his Rustler 36 PRB, but without self steering, has decided to head to Cape Town under reduced sail. This morning, the 57-year old professional from La Trinité Sur Mer, who had led the Golden Globe Race almost continuously since the start from Les Sables d’Olonne on July 1st, was making 2.9knots in 25knot headwinds and expecting to take 13 to 17 days to reach the Cape.

Péché first alerted race organisers to the broken tiller on Friday, but his problems began earlier in the week when the actuating arm on his Beaufort wind vane self steering system sheered off. Attempts to repair the wind vane with spare tube for his special telescopic tiller failed, and when the tiller then snapped in 45-50knot winds experienced at the end of last week, he had nothing left to repair it with.

Péché made an emergency call to the Golden Globe Race HQ at 18:10 UTC on Friday using a satellite phone all competitors carry for use in such situations. Skippers are free to call Race HQ and emergency services at any time, but under the strict rules of this retro non-stop round the world race, can only contact the greater world by radio. Péché then made a second call to his partner, having told Race HQ “I am going to call my partner and I do not care about the consequences.”

Don McIntyre, the Race Chairman confirmed today: “The situation is that Philippe is now in the Chichester Class as if he had made one stop. So if he now pulls in to Cape Town that would be a second infringement and he would be out of the Race altogether. He can apply for a time penalty for the phone call (As Istvan Kopar did after stopping in the Cape Verde Islands two weeks ago) and we will reconsider that, because as far as we can ascertain, he did not receive any materiel assistance other than psychological support. If successful, this would reinstate him in the GGR, and allow him to continue in the Chichester Class after he stops in Cape Town.”

Nabil Amra, the Palestinian/American who was forced to retire from the GGR two weeks ago after suffering an identical failure with his Beaufort wind vane self-steering, has every sympathy for Philippe’s situation. He said today. “I have my fingers crossed for Philippe. This is a bad spot for it to happen. I had a fear that the next blow he got from behind was going to do the same thing [to his wind vane]. The winds may be with him but that doesn’t change the feelings that well up inside when you see that useless bit of gear hanging off the back. 1,500 miles is just possible with a following wind, but he will be completely demolished by the time he makes Cape Town.
Everyone says that you should balance the rig so that the boat sails herself. But to make it do that for any appreciable time when every third wave is knocking you far enough off course that she just starts charging off in errant directions, is not easy. It takes only an hour to realize how futile that is (especially if you are beating into the winds!). You then resign yourself to hand steering for 18 hours a day, which is when the soul sucking starts! This will be when Philippe’s real “race” starts. I’m sure he will surprise us all. This is when he has to dig really deep, from a place that nobody ever sees. When your ship is wounded, so are you!
He is in my thoughts!”

Jean-Jacques Laurent from PRB added. “Philippe has had a remarkable race since the start from Les Sables d’Olonne. We knew that this Golden Globe Race would be particularly difficult. It’s an extreme race. Philippe makes his choices as a good sailor. Our priority is that he arrives in Cape Town in good health and that he can repair PRB. We know how important this race is to him and he has all our support to start again in the Chichester class.”

Fellow Frenchman Jean-Luc Van Den Heede sailing the Rustler 36 Matmut who shadowed PRB’s course down the centre of the South Atlantic, continues to lead the Race, some 575 miles ahead of second placed Dutchman Mark Slats (Rustler 36 Ohpen Maverick) who chose to take the longer westerly Trade wind route. This morning, he tacked south to avoid a high pressure system that may yet entrap Van Den Heede, in expectation of riding the strong favourable winds generated by the next low pressure system sweeping in from the west in the hope that this could close the gap or even leapfrog him ahead of the French leader.

Norwegian Are Wiig (OE 32 Olleanna) has moved up to 3rd place displacing Estonian Uku Randmaa (Rustler 36 One and All) during the weekend. Britain’s Susie Goodall, who reported last Friday ‘IVE DONE A SUPER JOB OF FINDING THE WINDLESS PATCH IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC’ has now found fresh wind again and her Rustler 36 DHL Starlight is moving well in 6th place, but Finland’s Tapio Lehtinen (Gaia 36 Asteria) has yet to find a fix for his solar panel and engine problems and is now very low on battery power.