Transat Jacques Vabre 2019, Hugo Boss first test

[Roberto]

It's amazing how the fastest Class40 are sailing together with the rear group of Imocas
Also, they are around the Canaries where the second leg of the MiniTransat 6.50 has left a couple of days ago, that makes a lot of racing boats of all sorts

 

[Daydream believer]

Lessons were learned. The old foils were hollow, the new ones are solid.

I'm not really sure what your point is? .

Ok from the last round the world race he did, there was a 1 in 20 chance someone would hit something-- it was him. (I am basing that on a guess that there were about 20 boats & one hit something & did damage. If less then the odds were different)
So having put so much into the development, how is he going to factor that in?
Just ignore it & hope it will go away:ambivalence:
Did not in this race did it ?

 

[Iain C]

Ok from the last round the world race he did, there was a 1 in 20 chance someone would hit something-- it was him. (I am basing that on a guess that there were about 20 boats & one hit something & did damage. If less then the odds were different)
So having put so much into the development, how is he going to factor that in?
Just ignore it & hope it will go away:ambivalence:
Did not in this race did it ?

Actually, if you check the facts on the last VG when the old HB lost a foil and they examined the boat once back home, they came to the conclusion that it had probably just failed of it's own accord rather than due to any impact.

It's fair to say that Alex does seem to have more than his fair share of bad luck. That said, I'm 99% sure one of the new generation boats is competing with only one foil, having lost it on the way to the start rather than after.

But what are you suggesting he and the other skippers should do?

 

[bbg]

Actually, if you check the facts on the last VG when the old HB lost a foil and they examined the boat once back home, they came to the conclusion that it had probably just failed of it's own accord rather than due to any impact.

It's fair to say that Alex does seem to have more than his fair share of bad luck. That said, I'm 99% sure one of the new generation boats is competing with only one foil, having lost it on the way to the start rather than after.

But what are you suggesting he and the other skippers should do?

Yep - they don't get the big sponsorship money with a goal of finishing 11th. They are in it to win it, and it is pretty much a lock that one of the new gen boats will win the race. If all the foiling boats prove to be too fragile and the race is won by one of the older, non-foilers, there might be a re-think. But that seems unlikely.

I suspect many of the big sponsors would rather fund a boat that has a chance of winning and being spectacular and accepts that there is a high(er) chance of failure, rather than sponsor someone who knows that they will finish behind all the foiling boats ...

 

[bbg]

As an aside, I've got a couple of friends racing on one of the IMOCAs near the rear of the fleet.

As they passed through the Canaries they streamed a live video of a gybe on Facebook. Kind of cool, if not extremely hectic. Measured, prepared, completely undramatic.

 

[bbg]

Apparently the keel is held on, now, only by the hydraulic ram. They were reportedly doing 25 knots, so the 'bump' - whether whale or container - would have made their eyes water.

It's not yet clear which port of refuge - Madeira or Azores - they'll try slowly heading for.....

They have cut the keel away. Filled ballast tanks and extended foils. Now working on a plan to get the boat back to port.

If it were me I would have the life raft on deck somewhere, ready to float free in the event of an inversion ...

 

[Iain C]

They have cut the keel away. Filled ballast tanks and extended foils. Now working on a plan to get the boat back to port.

If it were me I would have the life raft on deck somewhere, ready to float free in the event of an inversion ...

The liferaft is on the stern rail, as this picture I took shows (and that's me taking the picture, Vendee Globe webmaster, despite you stealing my images and watermarking them as yours!!!!)

 

[Kukri]

Do we take it that she has a double bottom arrangement in way of the keel.

 

[Kukri]

The liferaft is on the stern rail, as this picture I took shows (and that's me taking the picture, Vendee Globe webmaster, despite you stealing my images and watermarking them as yours!!!!)

Do you reckon those fenders are big enough?

Seriously, I’m impressed by the idea of cutting the keel away, pressing up the ballast tanks and using the foils as leeboards.

 

[Roberto]

sponsoring sailing!

Hello Flaming,
MACSF has abandoned the race, here the images of the lifting out, keel removal, etc.

r.

 

[Triassic]

edit...

If it were me I would have the life raft on deck somewhere, ready to float free in the event of an inversion ...

An inversion would be a tad inconvenient and probably scupper chances of getting her back to port under her own steam, but without the weight of the keel I don't suppose she'd sink particularly fast, if at all given her construction. Much like a multihull really. Heck, I don't even carry a liferaft although admittedly I'm not crossing oceans........

 

[Spyro]

No mention so far of the Transat Jacques Vabre? The first serious test of AT new machine
About 30ish Imoca and 30ish Class40 left le Havre a couple of days ago, arrival is at Salvador, Brazil.
A low pressure system has currently split the fleet in two, Alex Thomson took a hell of an option with a western route together with a few others, whereas the other racers are struggling with southerly winds around the Spain/Portugal area.

The tracker is here
https://player.georacing.com/player_tjv/index.html?event=101861&race=97515&application_id=12


View attachment 81285

Alex admitted later the western route was chosen for him due to a badly torn sail. He really does attract a lot of bad luck

 

[Allan]

An inversion would be a tad inconvenient and probably scupper chances of getting her back to port under her own steam, but without the weight of the keel I don't suppose she'd sink particularly fast, if at all given her construction. Much like a multihull really. Heck, I don't even carry a liferaft although admittedly I'm not crossing oceans........

The use of the words "inconvenient and probably" make that possibly the most British post I've ever read!
Allan