MoodySabre
Well-Known Member
Pip is serving a short penalty imposed early on when one of her life rafts was knock overboard by a wave. I think this coincided with the time at which position and speed were released.
Vendee Globe and Alex Thomson / Hugo Boss
- Thread starter RichardS
- Start date
Buck Turgidson
Well-Known Member
Anyone want to call the winner or even the top 3 right now? What a cracking race. I've got a sneaky feeling the Boris Herman has a little speed advantage over all but Apivia and could well be up there at the finish.
Frogmogman
Well-Known Member
I've been very impressed with the performance of Louis Burton, making up the 800 miles he was behind the leader when he completed his mast repairs. Bureau Vallée is a quick boat, winner of the last VG, so Louis is definitely a serious contender.
It will be interesting to see how much of a handicap Charlie Dalin and Thomas Ruyant's foil damage proves to be for them on Starboard going up the Atlantic.
Boris has got a quick boat, with both foils intact, and a 6 hour time compensation for his part in the Escoffier rescue, so he's definitely in with a shout.
For me, I still quite fancy Yannick Bestaven to win; also both foils intact and a 10h15 compensation. He's not had much luck with the weather over the last week, but as we all know, that can change just as quickly.
I would love it to be Jean le Cam.
Allan
Well-Known Member
What's happening to Bestaven? He's lost 400+ miles in a few days. It can't just be the weather. I still have him first, just, and Le Cam second after the times are corrected.
Allan
Allan
Buck Turgidson
Well-Known Member
He only had one way to go and it took him into the convergent zone and worse still into the strongest part of the South American current which was against him at about .5 to 1 kt. I heard he did a ridiculous amount of tacks ( >30) over a 3 day period just to keep moving.
LONG_KEELER
Well-Known Member
That's the first time I've heard the term "tacks" used in the Vendee.
You only ever hear "gybe". Is it because it's safer and easier to gybe or wear ship rather than tack normally ?
Frogmogman
Well-Known Member
I think any manoeuvre on an IMOCA 60 single handed is pretty hard work, not just the grinding, but also the re-stowing of maybe 500kg of gear to balance the boat after the manoeuvre. There's more gybing than tacking as it's essentially a downwind race.
There was some comment at the time of Kevin Escoffier's rescue as to the superhuman effort Jean Le Cam had displayed, putting in multiple short tacks.
There was some comment at the time of Kevin Escoffier's rescue as to the superhuman effort Jean Le Cam had displayed, putting in multiple short tacks.
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Buck Turgidson
Well-Known Member
It's because as FM says it's mostly downwind but he was heading upwind at the timeThat's the first time I've heard the term "tacks" used in the Vendee.
You only ever hear "gybe". Is it because it's safer and easier to gybe or wear ship rather than tack normally ?
Tomahawk
Well-Known Member
Boris in third is now threatening the leaders..
It will be a drag race to the finish where one mistake can take it all away.
It will be a drag race to the finish where one mistake can take it all away.
westhinder
Well-Known Member
Or a dose of bad luck in the doldrums
Frogmogman
Well-Known Member
Alex Thomson posted this from Hugo Boss on his delivery trip back to Gosport. Delighted to see that he’s just as enthralled as the rest of us by the way that the race has panned out. I do hope he decides to have another crack at it in 2024.
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Tomahawk
Well-Known Member
He should stop over at Les Sables to welcome the race home...
Frogmogman
Well-Known Member
I think the leaders will be back in les Sables before he gets there
zoidberg
Well-Known Member
It looks tonight that the leading half-dozen or so are 'compressing' as they head into the Doldrums.
What order they emerge in is anyone's guess.....
What order they emerge in is anyone's guess.....
Frogmogman
Well-Known Member
The front runners seem to have got through the Doldrums without too much trouble. Louis Burton certainly seems to be going well; I feel slightly invested in Bureau Vallée as that's where I buy all of my office supplies.
Good to see Pip heading in the right direction again. She clearly made the right decision in diverting to avoid the worst of the storm, yet it sounds like she had a fairly horrendous 24 hours. Frustrating for her, but losing a few miles isn't such a big deal; she's quite right to keep hold of the bigger picture, that finishing the race remains her top priority.
Good to see Pip heading in the right direction again. She clearly made the right decision in diverting to avoid the worst of the storm, yet it sounds like she had a fairly horrendous 24 hours. Frustrating for her, but losing a few miles isn't such a big deal; she's quite right to keep hold of the bigger picture, that finishing the race remains her top priority.
Tomahawk
Well-Known Member
Looking at where they all are now... it’s all to play for in the next two days.. It looks like a weather system will set up in about 96 hours that can be ridden across the Doldrums and up to Les Sables at full tilt of you hit it right ....
At the moment the rankings by distance are really just nominal.
At the moment the rankings by distance are really just nominal.
dunedin
Well-Known Member
Looks like this will be one of the slowest Vendee Globe races in recent times, by a large margin - circa 71 days back to the equator compared to 61 last time and 66 the time before. Wonder when they start to run out of food ?
Alex Thomson was talking about the foiling boats setting a super fast record this time, but clearly the wind has often been frustratingly light and variable in this edition. Even the southern ocean wasn’t the throttle down blast that many would have hoped for.
We will never know, but I wonder if Hugo Boss would have struggled in the lighter conditions, having been optimised for a fast blast along the southern ocean. That would not imply the design was wrong, but you need to optimise for the expected conditions, which don’t always arise. Maybe the boat will set new records next time around? Let’s hope so.
Alex Thomson was talking about the foiling boats setting a super fast record this time, but clearly the wind has often been frustratingly light and variable in this edition. Even the southern ocean wasn’t the throttle down blast that many would have hoped for.
We will never know, but I wonder if Hugo Boss would have struggled in the lighter conditions, having been optimised for a fast blast along the southern ocean. That would not imply the design was wrong, but you need to optimise for the expected conditions, which don’t always arise. Maybe the boat will set new records next time around? Let’s hope so.
flaming
Well-Known Member
I will be absolutely staggered if Alex sails that boat next time.
Looking at L'Occitaine this time around I suspect we'll see a raft of new build Scows. I expect Alex to either be in one, or to be sat in the commentary booth. Someone else will pick up the current Boss, beef it up a bit and take it round the world. If I was a betting man it would be PRB for Kevin Escoffier.
Frogmogman
Well-Known Member
I think you're right, although it'll be interesting to see how keen Kevin will be on taking on another boat with a bow that seems quite likely to fall off .......
flaming
Well-Known Member
Ha, true! There's a few options for skippers who would like to jump into the current Boss, but none with quite such a pressing need for a boat....
Pretty sure Alex will be making a go / no go announcement about the next race within the next 6 months. And that will include new build or not.