12th edition of Transat Jacques Vabre: 8 Tris (Multi50 & Maxis) started on Sunday

I went back and went thru that video and at 1:50 in I found what I saw. I had my computer screen tilted and one of the buildings in the background showed up right where I assumed the foil would be. Oh, well...

 

Magnifique Sodebo arrived under fully sails and took 2nd place...

In high professional sports (business) there is the slogan: "The winner takes it all". Indeed, 2nd place already is nothing worth. So the rules in a media centralized world. Its hard reality. But we may not forget who came in on Saturday morning local time front Brazil coast.



While Macif has arrived at early dawn 04:00 am local time (probably the worstest situation for any sponsor as no good images can be delivered to press around the globe) SODEBO came in couple of hours later approaching very slowly the finish line under fuly sails with lots of tagging at very low winds (see the video) and flat water.



Here the video on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/261757749263/videos/vb.261757749263/10153744610909264/?type=2&theater

... and on YT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8484S6jyL8


Congrats to Thomas and Jean-Luc !! - In my understanding they sailed tactically the better race compared with their direct opponent Macif looking back to the Canary Islands where Sodebo still had the lead.

The lesson we learn from this high-tech world of top class sail racing: Having the elder boat with 2 tons more weight and lacking of modern trimming units, e.g. foil system can destroy any chances for winning such a competition.



We look back and remember that Thomas sailed his first Maxi Trimaran Sodebo (launched in June 2007) and in 2008-2009 successfully sailed around the globe in 59 days, 20 hrs. and 47'43''. - In May 2014 Thomas got his new Maxi Trimaran of 31 meter length we now have seen during the TJV2015. Its hard to recognize, that it is already an "old boat". I have my doubts that it will be competitive seeing the new Maxi Trimaran coming in 2017 being built by Gitana Sailing Team. - Racing boats have a very short life in times of Carbon light displacement and computer aided design !

 

Thanks for that. I'm surprised it damaged both float bows too.

 

Why surprising ?? - A Multi50 has 15 meters length (waterline), and 11 meter width (beam). ISO Sea containers exists in different sizes, e.g. the two standards with 20 ft. (6.096 m) and 40 ft. (12.192 m) length http://www.oceancontainer.com/specs.html .

There exist some special oversized sea containers, too. In 2007 container carrier APL introduced the first 53-foot ocean-capable ones.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermodal_container#53-foot_containers

So in worst case a collission of a Multi50 in 90 degrees to the length of a 40 or 53 foot Container could hit and damage all 3 hulls (1x main hull + 2x amas).

 

The Race is yet not over...

The Race is yet not over We still have three classes racing the TJV.

• IMOCA... 1st PRB 946 nm (14 knots) till finish line
• Multi50... 1st FenetreA Prysmian 940 nm (13 knots) to go
• Class 40... 1st Le Conservateur 2307 nm (7 knots) far away from finish line.

I suppose it will take another 2 weeks till we see the last boat crossing the finish line. Its only a short jump over the Atlantic within 2 weeks for the gigantic 110 foot Trimarans sailing their own race.

 

I'm surprised because;

1- to hit a 12.2m object with the extreme points of an 11m wide object means hitting it at pretty close to a right angle. Given the random nature of the boat's course and the container's heading, the chances of that are pretty slim.

On second thought, of course, given the number of such collisions there must be some that are close to 90 degrees.

2- Mainly, I thought at least the windward float and probably the main hull would be flying at the time of the collision. That means they would have been above the container and not suffered bow damage.

I'm not saying they didn't hit anything; I'm just curious about the way it happened.

 

Looking at the damage I would guess they hit the container at an angle, with the port hull hitting the end of the container, breaking the hull outward, then spinning the boat round so that the main and stb hulls hit the side of the container, but with the boat already slowed the impact was less severe on these hulls.

 

Its my biggest fear on a boat during night sailing... beside fire generally. So yes, always good to learn from such accidents.

I will poke Yvan Bourgnon to get more details about the reasons behind. But I suppose there wont be more details than we already know that the Trimaran was under autopilot directed to South on half wind course at 15-16 knots. Such accidents happen too quickly in mili seconds. Not enoough time to notice all details on board.

 

Multi50 Arkema out....

Very pity that Multi50 Arkema had to land on Brazil coast on Monday because of heavily damages of the central hull (from daggerboard up to the bow).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mohbm_rO0U


Lalou Roucayrol and Cesar Dohy were 70 miles from Salvador de Bahia this afternoon. The duo have their technical team standing by to make a laminate repair to the cracks in the main hull which were allowing substantial water ingress, requiring them to pump to keep the boat safe. (Source: Decisive Times in Transat Jacques Vabre >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News)

Citiation of skipper Erwan Leroux on leading Multi50 FenêtréA Prysmian:

 

I need to look thru this subject thread

Meanwhile in case its not been posted I just looked thru this video with LOTS of foiling from all types
Boats on TV's 'World on Water'
Multi 70 at 45knts, The Foiling Week One Design more

lots of exciting foiling


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9zFd7u0U10

 

There is a good article on Voiles et Voiliers about the collision and its aftermath onboard French Tech St Malo.

http://www.voilesetvoiliers.com/course-regate/comment-gilles-lamire-a-ramene-son-trimaran-vivant/

 

========================
Thanks, Brian! Some particularly interesting stuff on the AC 45's from Jack Griffin......

 

I thought that was a good presentation 'graphic' as well,
...in two parts intermixed in the video

 

Preparation Time for Offshore Racing

Interesting observations.

Back in 2000 when the RACE was first happening, I had two friends preparing to go around the world, non-stop, on those new 110 foot catamarans, specifically Team Adventure. I was VERY concerned about their safety, sailing the southern ocean aboard a basically untried new boat. If you fell off down there there was NO HOPE of recovery....PERIOD.

If I remember correctly theirs was one of the last boats to be constructed, and only 2 months before the beginning of the RACE

 

Good posting Doug.
Regrettably it does take extremes and spectacular events to bring out some of the sponsorship monies.

And I am still in awe of the French people and corporations for having pursued these dreams to the extent they have in the past as well as the present. We have all learned a lot about ocean racing subjects as a result.