Vendee Globe 2012

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by Doug Lord, Apr 6, 2012.

  1. tomas
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    tomas Senior Member

    Alex Thomson correctly focused on the keel issue towards the end of his press conference.

    I agree with your post but I think the issue is not about design itself. All the teams posses more than adequate engineering abilities and are able to produce a good keel design. IMO, it's the design choices that are being made by some of the teams by focusing too much on weight saving.

    What good is it to shave 2% or 5% off the weight of the mechanism if it means potentially losing the keel, which ends the boat's racing ability and possibility jeopardizing the skipper's life? (Jean-Pierre Dick described his boat as being like a bar of soap after losing the keel.) Why should Thomson have to worry about JP's safety and alter his course to follow him out of concern because someone decided that X amount of Kg was a priority?

    I suspect (I have no hard information) that this same issue is at the core of Samantha Davies' demasting debacle.
     
  2. sharpii2
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    sharpii2 Senior Member

    If he makes it, will he be the first to complete the race without a ballast keel?

    I'm more interested in him than than the other competitors.
     
  3. Doug Lord
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    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    Vendee

    From the Vendee site: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/...p-in-north-of-spain-but-does-not-give-up.html

    Dick will not give up!

    Racing without a keel for a week now, at 2100hrs French time (2000hrs UTC) this Wednesday evening Dick made the decision to seek shelter and anchor in the bay at San Ciprián, and so avoid the strong gale force winds which are about to sweep the Bay of Biscay especially between Thursday and Friday. The skipper of Virbac-Paprec 3 hopes to return to the race course late Saturday or early Sunday, seeking to make the final 290 miles across the Bay of Biscay to the Vendée Globe finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne.
     
  4. EvanStufflebeam
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    EvanStufflebeam Junior Member

    I agree with keeping IMOCA's one design, I'm very dissapointed in the decision that they made for the Volvo, but hopefully they are just used for the 2 races and the economy can rebound and we can go back to an open class. I think changing to a one design would be a huge mistake for the 60's.
     
  5. Doug Lord
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    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    ===========
    Evan-it appears you miswrote, right? Your first sentence doesn't agree with your last...
     
  6. EvanStufflebeam
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    EvanStufflebeam Junior Member

    Yes, sorry, I meant keeping IMOCA's open class.

    I'm not a big fan of any one designs, unless it is something like the ACWS to get people familiar with a new concept.
     
  7. capt vimes
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    capt vimes Senior Member

    no - there have been precedences...
    golding lost the keel in the northatlantik once a 1000 miles from the finish... and another one also limbed home at one stage... that's from the top of my head in early mornings - so no guarantee giveen... ;)

    but non had so many miles to go like JP dick...
     
  8. capt vimes
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    capt vimes Senior Member

    regarding one design:
    i also think it would be a step backwards...
    and while it is legitimate for the VOR - there are no other races i know of for these type of boats - it would be hard for the open 60...
    there is a world championship, all the ocean crossings, the barcelona world race, all the single handed races, etc - they all race with open 60s being the class designed for solo/two-handed racing...
    i do not think that IMOCA can kill of all this races in one go... they could of course but it would not be wise or a good political decision...
     
  9. capt vimes
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    capt vimes Senior Member

    on another note:
    i just read that a giant-wave-surfing record has been broken yesterday or the day before... and it happened on the portuguese coast - right where JPdick sailed about...
    see the image below how nasty the sea can be - and was recently - in that area... ;)

    oh - btw the old record was 23,77 m (78') and the new one is 30 m (100')... just to get a sort of scale... ;)
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Doug Lord
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    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    Vendee-JP uses his engine

    from Scutllebutt tonight:

    2200 MILES WITHOUT A KEEL

    (January 31, 2013; Day 83) - With nine skippers yet to have completed their
    Vendee Globe, the plotline today revolves around a tired, lonely,
    Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec 3) moored keel-less to a buoy for three
    days with too much time to think and not enough food or fuel.

    After 24 hours of surfing the coast to round Cape Finisterre in 30 knots of
    wind, rough seas, amongst the busy maritime motorway of cargo ships and
    fishing boats, a sleep deprived Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec 3) has
    found shelter along the Galician coast, in the mining port of San Ciprian
    (San Cibrao).

    His moored yacht would be facing the incoming gale expected between late
    Thursday lasting until Friday. He also indicated that he had used his
    engine, which broke the engine seal, in order to finalize his approach to a
    mooring buoy. He must write a report to the jury to explain the facts. A
    second report will be issued to specify the start time. The jury will then
    decide his fate.

    The big question is when he will be able to resume his route to Les Sables
    d'Olonne. A potential weather window opens in just over 48 hours, which JP
    indicates must not exceed winds of 25 knots. If he returned to the race on
    Sunday morning, realistically he could complete the remaining 291 miles by
    Monday night. A double victory, fourth place and also, managing to
    successfully sail 2200 miles without a keel.
    Tracking: http://tracking2012.vendeeglobe.org/en/
     
  11. capt vimes
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    capt vimes Senior Member

  12. EvanStufflebeam
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    EvanStufflebeam Junior Member

  13. Doug Lord
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    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    ==============
    Thanks for that, Evan. I haven't been able to find anymore....

    -----
    Jury decision on the matter of JP Dick using his engine:


    DECISION of CASE 6 - COMPLAINT OF 2 February 2013 –

    RACE COMMITTEE AGAINST VIRBAC PAPREC 3

    Findings

    After suffering the loss of her keel on January 21, Virbac-Paprec 3 still carried on the race and continues sailing towards the finish line.

    January 30, weather forecasts indicate winds of 30 to 35 knots in the Bay of Biscay. VP3 skipper decided to find shelter and wait for easier conditions for crossing the Bay of Biscay, to avoid capsizing or overturning.

    Approaching the port of San Ciprian, JPD unsealed the engine and anchors, anticipating possible difficulties while he was mooring to a buoy.

    When mooring up in the morning of January 31, JPD usedengine taken for 3-4 minutes to facilitate the maneuver.

    VP3 remain moored until February 3, 7:20 Z deciding to sail again towards the finish in Les Sables d'Olonne.

    Conclusion

    The skipper made ​​all docking maneuvers and starting on his own and did not receive outside aid.

    In breaking the seals then using the engine at its mooring to a buoy, VP3 violated Articles 13.2 and 13.3 of the Notice of Race.

    Using the engine only to secure the docking maneuver and during a very short time (3-4 minutes), the skipper acted as good seaman and did not benefit from his breach of the articles cited above.

    The jury concluded that VP3 is a minor offense.


    Decision

    Under the Notice of Race 11.2.6 (a), the jury decided not to award a penalty to VP3.

    February 3, 2013

    The International Jury

    Bernard Bonneau (FRA), Ana Sanchez (ESP), Trevor Lewis (GBR), Jack Lloyd (NZL; Georges Priol (FRA)
     
  14. EvanStufflebeam
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    EvanStufflebeam Junior Member

    No official report yet, but the word is that Sanso has been rescued by the helicopter and is on his way to the Azores. His team are on their way to meet him to work on boat recovery plans.
     
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  15. Doug Lord
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    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    From Scuttlebutt tonight:

    Also dealing with troubles was Tanguy de Lamotte, some 440 miles to the SWof the Cape Verde islands, who had hit something in the water which damaged his rudder, daggerboard and daggerboard casing. His starboard rudder is broken and his port daggerboard is crushed, jammed in the daggerboard casing whilst it and some cracks around it are letting in water.

    "The daggerboard took the first of the impact, it is completely tilted back
    and cracked the daggerboard case, explained Tanguy. "There is water
    entering the boat. I have been going slowly since and that allows me to
    limit the amount of water which comes in, especially protecting the boat's
    electrics. The situation is under control but it is vital that I remove the
    daggerboard so I can plug the holes."


    Tracking: http://tracking2012.vendeeglobe.org/en/
     
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