Vendée Globe 2016-2017

Looks like Alex is slowly reducing the deficit. He seems to be forever on the unflavoured (for him) port tack, and the wind prediction on the tracker does not show much change. The upside is, if he can keep up on port, hopefully he can make some significant gains when he eventually gets onto starboard.

C'mon Alex:-)

Angus
 
Alex is doing OK and thankfully Thomas Ruyant is 'safe' with the coastguard transferring off two experienced sailors together with big pumps and other kit and he is in relatively calmer waters. You can achieve a lot with three pairs of hands. I think he was pretty close to losing the boat.
 
Alex is now in better winds and is likely to remain so for the next 36 hours, so he may nibble a wee bit back from Armel maybe 50- 75 miles.
 
MoodySabre said:
And now it's SMA with problems - a cracked keel ram. The attrition rate has increased a lot in the last three days.
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Well that's it for me! My money was on PRB at the start and then SMA. They were the fastest boats without foils and, as an old bloke, I thought the older steady boats would win. I've always hoped that Alex would do it but thought it was too much to ask.
Do all you Solent sailors know that his Dad looked after your safety for many years?
Allan
 
Thomas Ruyant has safely reached Bluff. A major feat of seamanship.
Hope Meilhat will reach NZ as well, but he has 2000 nm to go. Fortunately he has been able to fix his keel midships. An emergency system that I believe wasn't there in the last VG
 
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Allan said:
Well that's it for me! My money was on PRB at the start and then SMA. They were the fastest boats without foils and, as an old bloke, I thought the older steady boats would win. I've always hoped that Alex would do it but thought it was too much to ask.
Do all you Solent sailors know that his Dad looked after your safety for many years?
Allan
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I'm keeping an open watch on Didac and Rich Wilson.

All credit for the guys fighting hard at the tail of the field.
 
Robert Wilson said:
I'm keeping an open watch on Didac and Rich Wilson.

All credit for the guys fighting hard at the tail of the field.
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Yes, I very much agree. Sébastien DESTREMAU may be at the back but he is sailing a boat which is a few generations behind the leaders. Not only does he not have foils, he has a fixed keel! That makes him like us.
Allan
 
yotter said:
Alex now sub 500 miles. :-)
Angus
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I think he'll claw back a few more miles before the horn. Armel may get caught out with fickle winds in around 30-36 hours. I don't think he can get there before that as he'll have to gybe south at some point then east again. his VMG will drop off and Alex will be able to hold a direct course. All just wishful thinking of course.
 
Allan said:
Well that's it for me! My money was on PRB at the start and then SMA. They were the fastest boats without foils and, as an old bloke, I thought the older steady boats would win. I've always hoped that Alex would do it but thought it was too much to ask.
Do all you Solent sailors know that his Dad looked after your safety for many years?
Allan
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Was he on India Juliet then? Oh, how I miss that sight and sound around the Solent. Did a 360 round my house once, very low. Made the windows rattle. I was building my boat in the garden and there had been an inland EPIRB activation they were trying to get a fix on. Must have seen my boat and figured I was a likely candidate. Anyway, GO Alex, Go.....
 
Spyro said:
I think he'll claw back a few more miles before the horn. Armel may get caught out with fickle winds in around 30-36 hours. I don't think he can get there before that as he'll have to gybe south at some point then east again. his VMG will drop off and Alex will be able to hold a direct course. All just wishful thinking of course.
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he should be flying now and he's not????
 
Andrew E said:
Cheerful update from Alex...

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Yes. I would like to go on whatever brain reprogramming course he has been on. These elite athletes seem to be able to always look at the positives. I have noticed Andy Murray always says "I thought I played pretty well" after he loses now. The power of a positive mental attitude.....
 
Alex has lost a little bit of ground to Armel today who also has the best winds for the next 36 hours BUT he is being pushed way North of the rhum line. Hopefully Alex can start to make more of an easterly course in the next few hours and may even get onto starboard tack at sunrise (undamaged foil). There is a slim chance Armel may hit a wind hole on the west coast of the Horn ( here's hoping not that I am biased). A really chipper update from Alex today on YouTube.
 
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