Route du Rhum - What's the Point ?

[Guest]

Route du Rhum - What\'s the Point ?

Brave girl that she surely is.....

But............

Her weather 'router' tells her where to go.

She then twiddles the knobs to set the boat in that direction.

Is it then just a physical thing of who can stay awake the longest in order to add or take away sail to maximise speed ? They seem to make a very big thing about sleep.

Is this what ocean racing has come to ?

Despite all of the above, I am still logging into the site every day with interest. Hypocrite or what ?

 

[Cornishman]

Re: Route du Rhum - What\'s the Point ?

I think many of us have been asking the same question about these sort of races for a while now, and I think the answer is 'sponsorship value'. Other people such as press agencies make money from their endeavours, too.
By the number of spectators reported to have been at the start the French seem to like it, though.
However, I have just received the latest press news about Conrad Humphreys who seems to be having a tough time of it - his electronics etc keep breaking down caused by physical damage each time Hellomoto crashes off the top of a big wave. Looks like he might have to steer and navigate soon.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Route du Rhum - What\'s the Point ?

Oh! Dear! poor thing, does that mean he will actually have to hold onto the wheel thingy!

 

[qsiv]

Re: Route du Rhum - What\'s the Point ?

I guess it is only marginally more pointless than those of us who leave port in the morning and return in the evening.

Other than advertising the point has to be in the challenge.

For all the shoreside routing - I am sure all the skippers could do their own routing - but as it is allowed they use it. I'm sure all of us can forecast the weather by looking at the sky and the barometer - but as the Met Office provides forecasts we use them.

The main benefit for us has to be in terms of development. Because Humphrey's (and many others) electronics are breaking the marine electronics companies will invest to make better pilots - and we benefit. To be fair HelloMoto (ex Syllogic) has the most sophistacted set of development electronics in the fleet, not run of the mill stuff.

Because these guys are managing huge sail loads singlehanded, the hardware firms enhance their winches and deck gear. I was brought up with watch tackles, we then upgraded to bottom action bronze winches. I would never want either as my primary mechanism for trimming my sails.

I genuinely believe that racing improves the breed - and single handed racing probably benefits recreational sailors more, as the main thrust is to render rigs more manageable.

For those who carp I suggest they catch Jolly Green Gian chopper out to any one of the boats and offer to relieve a skipper, and experience how simple it is to sail one of these boats.

 

[Cornishman]

\'Xackly nm

*

 

[DMW]

Re: Route du Rhum - What\'s the Point ?

The race certainly seems to be a very real test-bed for a lot of new technology - a lot of which appears to be failing dramatically. Some re-thinking seems to be in order for designers of the multi-hulls and components on the monohulls. I'm sure we all admire and respect the sheer guts and courage of all the competitors, regardless of the aids they may have to assist them.

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Re: Not a great deal

I have an inkling that in years to come
and if our namby pamby risk averse society will still allow it

the future yacht racing could be;
send them out there with no gps a barometer an epirb and a vhf and charts and a radar. sort of historic racing.

problem is todays sponsors want real time imaging and emailed updates to post on webs and keep the interest up.

i think there may still be room for an old fashioned race to really test the skills tho'

i am not sure how much new technology has come from races like these. sail has come on leaps and bounds and there is much more forecastings oftware. but sail technology was developing anyway? with new cuts but moreover the avaliability of new fibres and materials. how much of this is harnessing new available technology rather being responsible for it. all IMHO

Come on brain.get this over and i can go back to killing you with beer

 

[Twister_Ken]

It\'s not a wheel

It's a carbon fibre steering interface.

 

[webcraft]

Re: Not a great deal - No GPS?

I fly microlights occasionally . . .

The cheap hand-held GPS revolutionised aerial navigation for the microlight pilot.

The Round Britain Rally - the UK's premier microlighting event - disallows the use of GPS. Aircraft and competiitors are inspected and the discovery of a GPS means instant disqualification. Navigation is by map reading and conventional flight planning.

I am a bit surprised that no yachting event with similar restrictions has emerged yet. I suppose a determined cheat could easily hide a handheld GPS on the average yacht . . .

<font color=blue>Nick</font color=blue> -

BlueMoment.Com
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoment.com/>http://www.bluemoment.com/</A>

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Re: Not a great deal - No GPS?

fair point
it would be easy to secrete a gps away.

i am meant to be having a go at micr lighting soon as weahter improves. i have decided to get in all my danger lusts before i have a wife and family to worry about. althoug i will always carry on sailing.

Come on brain.get this over and i can go back to killing you with beer

 

[Guest]

What did racers ever do for us ?

Bugger all say I !

Other than a trend for making us have unseaworthy griping hardnosed rip your steering arm out at 10 degrees boats that make you have the engine on most of the time.. Steering should be pleasure should it not ?

Things like GRP, better rope , ali masts etc would have evolved anyway. Just like marine electronics came from merchant shipping, VHF, radar gps, echo sounders etc.. In my view racers make matters WORSE.....

What cruisers need are things like keeping our beer ice cold for much longer without having to dock into a bleedin marina every night ! My boat would sink under the weight of those 2000 quid winches.

Yes we do it for the challenge but what about the wildlife, new people new places, new shipmates ?

I do not get paid by Kingfisher when I push me boat out but I can assure you that our Ellen will be getting a mighty big cheque... How much of this will she be giving to the rescue services that will be clearing up after her mates ?

I enjoy watching and following it. But lets be honest,
it's a circus just like F1.

We cannot relate to them because of their tricked up boats that can only be worked by the young, strong, and probably, drugged ( keep me awake) .

Now, if they all went out in Westerly Centaurs, navtex, gps and a clear brain .............

 

[webcraft]

Westerly Centaurs, navtex, gps and a clear brain

Ellen Macarthur lived in a portakabin for 3 years while raising sponsorship to compete in the Mini Transat before eventually managing to buy and refit a 21ft Mini yacht while camping under it in a boatyard. She then raced 4,000m single-handed across the Atlantic over 33 days in the 1997 'Mini Transat' race. No huge onshore support team there - just sheer guts and determination.

Now she's got Kingfisher and an onshore support team - and she's earned it. She's also earned any sailor's respect.

Her story - especially the Vendee Globe video - has done more to attract young people - especially women - into the sport than any other sailor including Chichester, Clare Francis and Tracy Edwards put together.

Let's face it, none of the knockers 'contributing' to this thread have done a tenth of what Ellen has done, or contributed one hundredth of the general good vibes re. sailing.

I think some of you need to grow up a bit.

<font color=blue>Nick</font color=blue> -

BlueMoment.Com
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoment.com/>http://www.bluemoment.com/</A>

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: Westerly Centaurs, navtex, gps and a clear bra

OOOOH!

Why not try getting out of the other side of bed tomorrow morning

~

 

[webcraft]

Re: Wrong side of bed

Did that yesterday.

Hit head on wall.

<font color=blue>Nick</font color=blue> -

BlueMoment.Com
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoment.com/>http://www.bluemoment.com/</A>

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: Wrong side of bed

That explains everything!

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Westerly Centaurs, navtex, gps and a clear bra

It's webcraft again! He does think he's the defender of the poor and underprivilged, defender of the faith, knight in shining armour and forum master extrodinaire etc. e We are all children as far as he is concerned, said it many times, without valid opinions. I tend to ignore him, which I find very easy to do.

 

[tcm]

Re: oh gawd

I'm a bit sick of miserable ellen macarthur, and i'm sure i'm not alone. All that blubbing PLUS always a bit dour PLUS resolutely not very sexy at all, and living in a portakabin is actually quite posh up North. Whereas clare francis is much more sassy, brighter, and a better writer too.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Oxymoron warning

Clare Francis writer

 

[tcm]

Re: Oxymoron warning

Fair enough. I only said "better", though.

 

[bedouin]

Re: What did racers ever do for us ?

Quite a lot actually.

Racing has been the prime driver in developing hull shape, fin design, rig and sail plan.

In particular we can all benefit from the advances in sail design and sail material that have primarily been paid for by the racers.