Vendée Globe 2016-2017

I realise all models are wrong but the snapshot at 0500 shows that in the last four hours that Alex has lost 24 miles to Armel and is now 134 miles behind him. The data has captured Alex doing less than 2 knots in 7 knots of wind while Armel is doing 7.5 knots in 3 knots of wind?

Update from the 0800 data - And 3 hours later 154 miles behind doing 4 knots in 8 knots of wind while Armel is apparently doing 5.7 knots in 3.2 knots of wind.
 
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NormanB said:
I realise all models are wrong but the snapshot at 0500 shows that in the last four hours that Alex has lost 24 miles to Armel and is now 134 miles behind him. The data has captured Alex doing less than 2 knots in 7 knots of wind while Armel is doing 7.5 knots in 3 knots of wind?

Update from the 0800 data - And 3 hours later 154 miles behind doing 4 knots in 8 knots of wind while Armel is apparently doing 5.7 knots in 3.2 knots of wind.
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Anyone have an answer to the reasoning behind that odd set of statistics?
Did Alex indeed hit a whale?
Is it sea currents?
Is it seaweed round his keel?
Or is Armel sailing freer off the wind?

Or what?
 
NormanB said:
That's very true. It is an achievement to get to the start, to get to the finish is herculean.
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It requires unusual skills, certainly these days.

The individual must be at the top of his profession, and he must be able to maintain that skill for 24/7 for 2 -3 months. So its not like a sprinter nor high jumper. He needs to be comfortable in total isolation (which is very unusual in the 21st Century) but has to be personable for the daily live interviews and I'm guessing a series of presentations before and after to keep funding secure.

Exceptional people.
 
Robert Wilson said:
Anyone have an answer to the reasoning behind that odd set of statistics?
Did Alex indeed hit a whale?
Is it sea currents?
Is it seaweed round his keel?
Or is Armel sailing freer off the wind?

Or what?
Click to expand...

The true wind speed and direction data displayed for each boat on https://gis.ee/vg/ is from the GFS model, not from the boats themselves. They are clearly experiencing something slightly different.
 
I hope all of you good people are checking in to the daily highlights on YouTube.
A good 2 or 3 minute daily summary, in English if you look for the prefix D and not J.

https://www.youtube.com/user/VendeeGlobeTV/videos

Also, Alex tries to do daily updates when he can.
This one interesting as the J1 tack attachment pin appears to have broken, needing a challenging rescue of the flogging sail and part of the roller.
That lost him around 30 miles to rectify.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRFk8_fQxD8
 
Well this is edge of the seat stuff and it will be a day or two before the situation with the leaders sees a post doldrums resolution. Alex has had the best of the last 4 hours but comparing their performance over the last 24 hours shows there is barely a fag paper between them (well 2 miles - but you know what I mean). Jeremie Beyou has profited 200 miles as the leaders slow but he may well hit the same holes soon. Rich Wilson is doing well in the Pacific and has made significant gains on the group ahead.
 
If only that foil hadn't broken! :(
Jeremie Beyou will be snapping at both the leading pair's heels soon.

The winds up ahead seem all over the place. Tough week ahead for our boy.

Belay that last wind assessment, just looked again at Windyty. Winds might just turn in the leaders' favour for rapid sailing.
 
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Robert Wilson said:
If only that foil hadn't broken! :(
Jeremie Beyou will be snapping at both the leading pair's heels soon.

The winds up ahead seem all over the place. Tough week ahead for our boy.

Belay that last wind assessment, just looked again at Windyty. Winds might just turn in the leaders' favour for rapid sailing.
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The gribs are pure fiction at the moment. It's anyones guess what the wind will be north of the doldrums.
 
Now 67 miles, but AlC has moved into more wind and is pulling away...:disgust:

after 61 days of racing there is 0.00004% between them... If this was a 100m job it would be too close for a camera finish.
 
Tomahawk said:
Now 67 miles, but AlC has moved into more wind and is pulling away...:disgust:

after 61 days of racing there is 0.00004% between them... If this was a 100m job it would be too close for a camera finish.
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no... 24,000miles so far ....so 2,400 is 10% ....and 240 is 1% ....so about 60nm is 0.25% ... which if of 100m would be 25cm or approx 10 inches
 
A great 24 hours for Alex who is now less than 3000 NM from the finish and only 67 NM behind Armel, but as commented above it will be a battle to thread through the wind systems to Cape Verde and then they will be off like a cork out of a bottle - nail biting stuff. A good 24 hours for Jeremie Beyou who has closed further on the leaders and is now 500NM from Alex and will cross the equator today. Meanwhile Nando Fa is set to Horn it later this morning, Conrad Coleman seems to have got himself sorted now and is beginning to make real progress. Further back Rich Wilson (18th) continues to hunt down his group and should start moving up the table this week, albeit it he is near 9000NM behind Armel (the current race leader);-)
 
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