Root the rum

[tome]

Is this some kinda joke?

"This is a list of those boats and crews in the Route de Rhum that have retired, been rescued, returned to make repairs or just given up.

Groupama (Franck Cammas) Capsize. Banque Covefi (Bertrand De Broc) Gives up solo-sailing. Eure & Loir-Lorenove (Francis Joyon) Capsize. TIM (Giovanni Soldini) Structural problems. Gitana X (Lionel Lemonchois) Broken mast. E-Sat/Tri Séléctif (Pascal Quintin) Electrical and various damage. Chaleur Fioul Elan (Didier Le Villain) Electrical problems. Apics A3S (Christophe Huchet); Collision with a freighter. La Rage de Vivre (Loïc Pochet) Collision with a freighter. VMI (Sébastien Josse) Dismasting. Temenos (Dominique Wavre) Damage to the foresails. Rexona Men (Yvan Bourgnon) Capsize. Virbac (Jean-Pierre Dick) Dismasting, en route to La Coruña. Fujifilm (Loïck Peyron) Damaged starboard float, skipper on a freighter. Sopra Group (Philippe Monnet) Capsize. République Dominicaine (Yannick Bestaven) Keel problems. Groupe France Epargne )Patrick Morvan) Leak and electrical problems. Hellomoto (Conrad Humphreys) Dismasted. Sodebo (Thomas Coville) Structural problems to the float and beam, en route to Lisbon."

 

[tony_brighton]

Maybe its not the best time of year to run this race.

 

[Cornishman]

It's no joke, and Christophe Huchet's collision with a freighter just goes to prove that Rule 5 rules who- and where- ever you are! The remainder were just ill prepared for this type of event.

 

[Twister_Ken]

>The remainder were just ill prepared for this type of event.<

I know what you mean, but I'm not sure 'ill-prepared' is the right descriptor. How about "had made the wrong assumptions when making their boat selection & weather analysis"?

They were probably as well-prepared a bunch of headcases as ever set out to race single-handed across the Atlantic, but they'd got some essential sums wrong before they even got within months of the start line.

 

[bedouin]

They just gambled and lost.

I don't think it's so much "ill-prepared" as taking a gamble.

A boat that was strong enough to guarantee to stand up to the conditions they have would simply not be competitive. Lighter=Faster, so you can't win in a strong boat. Therefore they take the gamble and go light-weight. For the winner, the gamble will have paid off. For those who don't finish it won't.

I don't approve, but I don't see how you reverse the trend - it is very difficult to regulate construction strength.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: They just gambled and lost.

>it is very difficult to regulate construction strength.<

Howsabout - all boats shall be built from quarter inch steel plate?

 

[tcm]

Re: They just gambled and lost.

They're french, so they would drill holes in the steel plate to save weight.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: They just gambled and lost.

The list sounds like a normal formula one retirement list!

 

[tome]

Sorry, this was out of date news. Since then a further 3 cats have retired. Conditions out there are in no way unusual for the race, and there's still a long way to go /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif

 

[tome]

Couldn't find this story, do you have a link?

 

[Jeremy_W]

Re: They just gambled and lost.

I thought there were standards like Lloyds 100 that can be applied. The other method is to stipulate a minimum weight for the bare hull.

 

[blinkhorn]

Holding it earlier would mean more risk of hurricans on the other side. Sailing an open 60 monohull is close to the edge much of the time. Sailing an open 60 tri is close to the edge some of the time and over the rest. Doing this singlehanded is as above, only more so
Alex.

 

[tome]

Now down to 3 multihulls out of 18 starters!

 

[Roberto]

Switzerland great moment

Unfortunately RdR Swiss tri capsized when in first position, leaving EMcA to possibly finish first, first time a mono arrives before multis.

Otherwise: swiss tri in RdR, Alinghi team in America s Cup, Stamm first on one of the leg of the solo round the world.

What about going sailing in Lac Leman?

 

[ponapay]

But more exciting! NM

 

[ponapay]

Just proves Cats and Tris are NOT ocean safe

vessels.

I can understand the craving for speed but common sense dictates that there is a higher need for safety, and Route de Rhum has proved it conclusively.

Well done Ellen.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: Just proves Cats and Tris are NOT ocean safe

I think you have to distinguish between racing machines and purpose-built cruising cats/tris, some of which are very sedate, not a lot quicker than an equivalent length mono and have very modest sail areas.

 

[Strathglass]

Re: Just proves Cats and Tris are NOT ocean safe

Unfortunately the built in lightness is just one part of the game.
This time the weather and the construction strengths were not compatable. The next time most will probably finish, but it's racing, how many F1 cars finish each race?

Yet road cars in general have superb reliability.

I see that Kingfisher had about 200 miles to go at seven this morning and Mike 85 miles behind.

BTW the UK R de R site has a lot of worms. It often seems to give out of date results.
Click on the Franch flag to get correct current results from the French site.

Iain

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by iainsimpson on 22/11/2002 08:43 (server time).</FONT></P>