Vendée Globe 2016-2017

'Meanwhile, back at the ranch...'

Thomson/'Huge Boss' is now under 100nm in a tailchase of ALC/'BP', gaining by 2-3nm per hour with 3-4 days predicted to the Finish. They're shaping to pass just east of The Azores, and need to navigate clockwise around a complex and unstable weather feature west of Biscay. That suggests they may well need to route down towards Les Sables d'Olonne from NW of Ouessant.

One of three things could decide this: a) individual sail-racing abilities b) breaking something important c) hitting something hard. ( Yeah, yeah! 'No shit, Sherlock!' )

This could be a nail-biter neck-and-neck 'match race' to the finish, and you can bet French navy and news helicopters will be out looking for the pair.

I wonder where the returning Russian carrier force is now?
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Interesting Alex continue to chip away at Armel's lead but the Remora model holds fast predicting that Armel will slip across the finish line 2 hours ahead of Alex. Armel must be pretty stressed with Alex bearing down upon him and the release of the 'Hugo Boss is on fire' video was a well timed psychological input.

Of course it ain't over yet and equipment failures can hit any of the competitors at any time.
 
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You cannot keep a good man down.

True grit and determination.

This copied verbatim from the Vendee.org website

Although officially out of the race, O'Coineen says he aims to complete the circumnavigation that cruelly ended when his boat dismasted south of New Zealand on New Year's Day.
Just over two weeks later and the 61-year-old Dubliner has set sail from Dunedin in the south of New Zealand's South Island bound for Auckland with a temporary mast and sails donated by local sailor Blair McNabb.
Once in Auckland, some 800 miles away, O'Coineen will source a new mast and rig before restarting the voyage which will take him back into the Southern Ocean, around Cape Horn and through the Atlantic to the Vendée Globe's home port.
If he completes the voyage he will become the first Irishman to circumnavigate the globe solo.
“It’s a personal goal and I would never live with myself for not at least trying to complete the objective,” he said. “It will also promote the Atlantic Youth Trust Charity, connecting youth with the ocean and adventure. Completing the voyage also gives us another chance to refine the schools programme and roll it out once again to children across the country.”
O'Coineen will return home to Ireland before returning to New Zealand later in the year or in early 2018 to resume his circumnavigation. He said he did not plan on returning to the Vendée Globe in four years but hoped his boat would be on the start line.
“I have made many friends in Les Sables and I look forward to getting back there and then home to Ireland,” he added. “On completing the circumnavigation I will have no desire to go again but I hope that Team Ireland will move forward to do the Barcelona two-handed Around the World Race and perhaps the Vendee in 2020.”
 
AT still not showing up AIS?? Something fishy going on there :cool:

P.S. If Hugo Boss wins she'll become the first British yacht since Suhaili to win an around the world yacht race (I think).

Bring her home Alex!!
 
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marktrigg said:
Thanks for posting this link ... :)

It has been AND continues to be an amazing race ; nail-biting stuff right down to the wire.
(Though, like AndrewE, I can't yet see AT on the AIS :nonchalance: either ... whatever that means)
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looks like ALC just put his AIS recently to cross likely shipping lanes and had snooze at 24knots.

I have done this speed in that area actually, although not solo and it was a power boat, not sail. And played table tennis...
 
Andrew E said:
Hugo Boss is on fire! Go Alex!!!

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You have to admire the bloke.

You'd think he had been out there for only a week.

Just gets on with doing whatever needs to be done and doesn't waste energy worrying about the past or future.

I've decided that's what I'm going like to be starting from now. :)
 
Halo said:
Could it be a tactical move ?
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Just a guess but we know he has no masthead anemometer data from 2 separate units. That could point to general problems with connectivity with wires running up his rotating wing mast, which Could mean he has no masthead VHF as well, which would limit the range of his AIS to the shore stations that picked up Armel's signal.
 
If Armel is saying he will keep himself between Alex and Les Sables... wherever Alex goes

it is the best thing Alex can do. Puts pressure on Armel who is into guessing where Alex is going to.
 
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