Vendée Globe 2016-2017

[Andrew E]

Todays video update from Alex....



Mentioned he's got a problem with his engine :ambivalence:

 

[grafozz]

Alex is now leading !

 

[{151760}]

I wonder how far west they're going to go?

 

[SimonFa]

Seems odd tha Alex is the only one to go to windward of that island, especially as he reckoned he'd need to be 100m further west to escape the Lee, or have I missed something?

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Great night for Tommo, stretching his legs.

 

[Robert Wilson]

Great going so far. Intriguing as to why Alex went to windward of the island, as SimonFa mentions.

I'm sure it will be obvious when you tell me, but what is the little red symbol, with red arrow pointing "east" with a red "1" beside - Alex and Armel Le Cleac'h.
Joint first-positions?
But the stats show Armel is 27.2nm behind Alex

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Great going so far. Intriguing as to why Alex went to windward of the island, as SimonFa mentions.

I'm sure it will be obvious when you tell me, but what is the little red symbol, with red arrow pointing "east" with a red "1" beside - Alex and Armel Le Cleac'h.
Joint first-positions?
But the stats show Armel is 27.2nm behind Alex

I think it's a media link but doesn't work on my browser. I stopped using the vendee site. I use this link : http://alexthomsonracing.geovoile.com/vendeeglobe/2016/tracker/

 

[geoid96]

Seems odd tha Alex is the only one to go to windward of that island, especially as he reckoned he'd need to be 100m further west to escape the Lee, or have I missed something?

With a couple of gybes, he passed between Porto Novo and Mindelo and appeared to make good ground on the others. Maybe there was a wind funnel effect between the two islands.

 

[Robert Wilson]

I think it's a media link but doesn't work on my browser. I stopped using the vendee site. I use this link : http://alexthomsonracing.geovoile.com/vendeeglobe/2016/tracker/

Thanks for that link.

No wonder he's going so well, he has a much bigger boat there................

 

[SimonFa]

With a couple of gybes, he passed between Porto Novo and Mindelo and appeared to make good ground on the others. Maybe there was a wind funnel effect between the two islands.

But wouldn't the other teams be aware of that as well? Its the fact that he was the only one to choose that route that intrigued me.

 

[{151760}]

But wouldn't the other teams be aware of that as well? Its the fact that he was the only one to choose that route that intrigued me.

I don't know if they all have exactly the same software and data. Are they allowed shoreside weather routers? If not then Alex guessed better than the others.

 

[E39mad]

Alex is really pushing this fleet hard - a 32 mile lead and the top seven are within 100 miles already. Le Cam is tenth at 223 miles behind.

All can change and quickly but Hugo Boss appears to have a speed advantage

 

[Buck Turgidson]

But wouldn't the other teams be aware of that as well? Its the fact that he was the only one to choose that route that intrigued me.

A.T. was the most easterly of the leaders and would have taken the biggest hit gybing earlier. The mor westerly boats would have had to take a hit coming the other way. So I think it was more a result of where they were on the approach rather than any genius weather routing.

 

[geoid96]

I don't know if they all have exactly the same software and data. Are they allowed shoreside weather routers? If not then Alex guessed better than the others.

All teams have the same uninterpreted weather data available to them. Onshore weather routing is not permitted. Software used varies team to team.

There is an analysis of the Cape Verde acceleration for Hugo Boss at:
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/16053/weather-analysis-the-cabo-verde-acceleration-for-hugo-boss

 

[BigJoe]

But wouldn't the other teams be aware of that as well? Its the fact that he was the only one to choose that route that intrigued me.

3 of the other boats gybed to move further to leeward of the island I believe

 

[BigJoe]

All teams have the same uninterpreted weather data available to them. Onshore weather routing is not permitted. Software used varies team to team.

There is an analysis of the Cape Verde acceleration for Hugo Boss at:
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/16053/weather-analysis-the-cabo-verde-acceleration-for-hugo-boss

Thanks for the link

 

[BigJoe]

Alex's 24 hrs average faster than any of the chasing pack, as he stretches his lead.

Soon to enter the doldrums, where things may change considerably

 

[Andrew E]

 

[oldvarnish]

Andrew - thanks for posting these. Saves a lot of hunting

 

[SimonFa]

Just been looking at the weather over the next few days. Once they get through the Doldrums it looks like it's going to be a hard slog to windward.