Strange Course?

[Dave100456]

I know they know more than me but .... Anyone tell me why the lead boat in the ARC is jybing through 90+ degrees downwind. Is the VMG so much better with such a big deviation off rhum line given they've got 15-20 knts wind?
see
http://www.worldcruising.com/arc/arc/eventfleetviewer.aspx

Thanks

 

[TallBuoy]

Presumably because it's a VO65 so a big asymmetric which doesn't do well going dead down wind.

 

[dunedin]

If it is the Leading boat, as your post states, therein lies your answer

 

[flaming]

Looks like pretty standard VO65 gybing angles to me.

 

[bbg]

Presumably because it's a VO65 so a big asymmetric which doesn't do well going dead down wind.

I smile when I see things like this. "Asymmetric doesn't do well going DDW". OK, that's true to a point. But traditional displacement boats don't do well going DDW either, even with a spi pole. They are both slow DDW.

The difference is that boats like the VO65 and other planing boats start going really well when they head up a bit and that big asymmetric starts generating some apparent wind.

So a traditional boat goes DDW slowly but for many boats that (or near DDW - say 170 or 175 degrees?) might be their best VMG. Planing boats will add a bit of distance and gybe a few times in order to get a lot of speed.

Believe me, when you start winding a boat like that onto the plane offshore, it is fun. A lot of fun. More fun than I've ever had in a traditional lead-mine with a poled-back kite. And, I should add, it is safer and more comfortable than rolling around as you waddle DDW or near to it.

 

[Dave100456]

Thanks
Dave

 

[doug748]

Taking huge steps there. Interesting to see.
But I guess 300 miles is short enough when you are doing 20kts

 

[TallBuoy]

So a traditional boat goes DDW slowly but for many boats that (or near DDW - say 170 or 175 degrees?) might be their best VMG. Planing boats will add a bit of distance and gybe a few times in order to get a lot of speed.
.

Thats really what I meant, you just explained it better !

 

[Birdseye]

I know they know more than me but .... Anyone tell me why the lead boat in the ARC is jybing through 90+ degrees downwind. Is the VMG so much better with such a big deviation off rhum line given they've got 15-20 knts wind?
see
http://www.worldcruising.com/arc/arc/eventfleetviewer.aspx

Thanks

Looks like it. They are making 18kn and the faster other boat I could find was 11 kn.

Only found one boat with a 3 at the front of its length so far. Most seem to be 5s. And there was a time when I thought my 35 footer was a decent big boat!

 

[flaming]

Thinking about it, the big question to me is, what the hell is a VO65 doing in the ARC, when the RORC transatlantic race is also running, with a much racier fleet?

 

[Birdseye]

There are some people who just want to come first and if that means choosing weak competition..... Dont know if thats the case here but we certainly have one of those in our fleet.

 

[savageseadog]

There are some people who just want to come first and if that means choosing weak competition..... Dont know if thats the case here but we certainly have one of those in our fleet.

I've seen that happen within a race fleet on an offshore race where a one design boat entered a different class and won the overall prize. I can't remember the details now but I'll make enquiries, it was a bit of a scandal at the time.

 

[Keen_Ed]

Thinking about it, the big question to me is, what the hell is a VO65 doing in the ARC, when the RORC transatlantic race is also running, with a much racier fleet?

Arc is bigger. More publicity.