Hugo Boss and skywalk.

[BurnitBlue]

Several reasons.

Firstly the Keel is prescribed by the rules, it's the same on every boat. (Well, every boat built since that rules came in) as is the mast. So once you have that you're looking at the foils having the best trade off between the lift they give you and the drag they cause.
With another constraint, which is that OD mast. Currently it is the limiting factor on the whole boat, as if you increased the size of the foils (and therefore their righting moment) too much you will overload the mast and that's the end of your race. Even as it is the top boats have a lot of load monitors in the mast and rigging to sound warnings when the loads are getting too high and telling the skippers to back off a bit...

Then consider the actual conditions you will be sailing in. Teams do enormous amounts of study into where the race will be won and lost, and therefore where they want to be the absolute fastest and where they are happy to be simply ok.

Thanks yet again. I feel a bit stupid really. All these points are known to me yet I have not joined the dots to translate what I do know to the foil world. However with regard to rules it is known that pressure fom owners and designers will get them changed eventually. I remember when the Americas cup was under 12 meter rules despite it starting with enormous Jclass (I think). Look what is raced today.

This brings up Hugo Boss and her competition. Which of the starters in the Vendee Globe is the most modern. Isn't Hugo Boss a bit long in the tooth foil wise. Didn't she break her last set. Can Alex Thomson use his obvious talent for fearless risk tip the scales. There you go, a question that is probably more interesting than the French fleet between them can generate.

Your last post crossed mine which was a crystal ball answer to the question I was too slow to ask

 

[flaming]

Thanks yet again. I feel a bit stupid really. All these points are known to me yet I have not joined the dots to translate what I do know to the foil world. However with regard to rules it is known that pressure fom owners and designers will get them changed eventually. I remember when the Americas cup was under 12 meter rules despite it starting with enormous Jclass (I think). Look what is raced today.

This brings up Hugo Boss and her competition. Which of the starters in the Vendee Globe is the most modern. Isn't Hugo Boss a bit long in the tooth foil wise. Didn't she break her last set. Can Alex Thomson use his obvious talent for fearless risk tip the scales. There you go, a question that is probably more interesting than the French fleet between them can generate.

The Hugo Boss that starts the race in 13 days time is not the same boat as 2016. It's a brand new boat. And by a long way the most radical in the fleet. It's narrower, lighter, with a very different foil philosophy. And in addition its cockpit is entirely enclosed to keep Alex dry and warm.

Alex has really got to win this one. And but for the fact he hasn't had a huge amount of time sailing after it nearly sunk, lost the keel and had to be rebuilt after hitting what is assumed to be a whale in the TJV last year, he would be the odds on Favourite.
Because of the lack of sailing time, you'd have to make Jeremie Beyou on Charal the marginal favourite. Although there are probably 6 boats that have the potential to win it. Hugo Boss, Charal, L'Occatine, Apiva, Corum and Linked out.
And at the same time you have a whole fleet of boats who have no realistic chance of winning, but are there as their own personal Everest. A challenge that's actually much harder than climbing Everest, statistically. Still fewer than 100 people have sailed non stop singlehanded alone around the world.. More people have been into space.

The Vendee really is by far and away the greatest sporting event on the planet. I can't wait!

 

[BurnitBlue]

The Hugo Boss that starts the race in 13 days time is not the same boat as 2016. It's a brand new boat. And by a long way the most radical in the fleet. It's narrower, lighter, with a very different foil philosophy. And in addition its cockpit is entirely enclosed to keep Alex dry and warm.

Alex has really got to win this one. And but for the fact he hasn't had a huge amount of time sailing after it nearly sunk, lost the keel and had to be rebuilt after hitting what is assumed to be a whale in the TJV last year, he would be the odds on Favourite.
Because of the lack of sailing time, you'd have to make Jeremie Beyou on Charal the marginal favourite. Although there are probably 6 boats that have the potential to win it. Hugo Boss, Charal, L'Occatine, Apiva, Corum and Linked out.
And at the same time you have a whole fleet of boats who have no realistic chance of winning, but are there as their own personal Everest. A challenge that's actually much harder than climbing Everest, statistically. Still fewer than 100 people have sailed non stop singlehanded alone around the world.. More people have been into space.

The Vendee really is by far and away the greatest sporting event on the planet. I can't wait!

It is a pity that luck is still a major factor. This is true and necessary in all sports yet must be heartbreaking for the victim of bad luck. Four years of planning and preparation gone in an instant. However it is this luck that makes outcomes of competition so uncertain and thrilling to watch. Racing by computor modelling would be so predictable as to be worthless as an event. Accidents like a broken mast can be avoided with the alarms you mentioned and maybe even damage to the keel but not when a whale or a fishing trawler caused by seperate living entities going their own way get involved. Normally I steer away from such sports because of the stress even when just watching but I reckon I will be unable to resist following this man against man contest spiced with man against the elements. Chaos and luck add to this.

 

[Bajansailor]

That 'skywalk' was certainly very impressive!

 

[LePacha]

Whatever the physics, you have to admire Alex and these stunts. I have my fingers crossed for him in this year's Vendee.

He definitely deserves it.