Sydney-Hobart 2014

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by Doug Lord, Nov 25, 2014.

  1. Doug Lord
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    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    Almost time for the 70th Anniversary of one of the greatest ocean races in the world(December 26). One of the great stories of this race will be the contest between Wild Oats Xl and the American boat Comanche.
    This is not just a contest between these two 100' sailboats -it is a contest of design philosophies as well. Wild Oats is narrow with a DSS foil that can develop tons of righting moment in the right conditions and she is a multiple winner of this event on line honors and at least once on handicap and line honors.
    Comanche is a brand new ocean racer sent down to Australia by her American owner specifically for this race-her first ocean race. Her design is sort of scaled up Open 60-very wide with huge righting moment. Both boats use a canting keel.
    Follow the race here: http://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/the-yachts/

    Go Wild Oats!



    Pictures: L to R-1) Comanche by Onne van der Wal, 2) Crew standing on Wild Oats DSS foil by Andrea Francolini,3) Wild Oats Xl 2013 by Carlo Berlonghi :
     

    Attached Files:

  2. schakel
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    schakel environmental project Msc

    My bets are on Comanche. pretty high risk 1:1 anyone wants to bet?
    It might go terribly wrong as well. But if they win: they are ruling.
     
  3. NoEyeDeer
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    NoEyeDeer Senior Member

    I'm cheering for Comanche, just because it will annoy Doug. :D

    So once the motorsailers are finished will there also be a prize for first sailing boat across the line?
     
  4. Doug Lord
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    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    Corinthian class in 70th Rolex Sydney Hobart Race

    Published on November 25, 2014 |
    by Editor

    The Rolex Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race has stood the test of time. Australians share its rites of passage between Christmas and New Year.

    Since 1945 starters in the Sydney-Hobart have raced the equivalent of two circumnavigations of the world, almost 45,000 nautical miles. They have been drawn from the seven seas; they come from all corners of the world; they board boats that range from 100-feet supermaxis to boats littler larger than the Owl and the Pussycat’s.


    - See more at: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2...Rolex Sydney Hobart Race#sthash.6gEt5fLF.dpuf
     
  5. rcnesneg
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    rcnesneg Senior Member

    Comanche looks pretty cool! I bet one of these two will win. I would not be surprised at all if WOXI wins this year, it has a history of it, and comanche is still new. If it is fast enough, it might win, but I doubt all the bugs are worked out of it as well as WOXI.
     
  6. schakel
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    schakel environmental project Msc

    What happens if Comanche loses her keel, capsizes and floats around in heavy seas? Sent a rescue at cost of the average taxpayer?
    I ask this because of the Rambler accident. I read the rescue report at Sailing Anarchy.
     
  7. Doug Lord
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    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    What happens if any boat loses her keel? Rescue forces are there to help people in distress at sea if they're racing or just lollygagging along.
     
  8. CT249
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    CT249 Senior Member

    But arguably it's different if people CHOOSE to sail boats of a type that are vastly more likely to lose keels than conventional yachts, and a thread here or on SA demonstrated that's true in the case of these supermaxi canters.

    Something like one-third of all canting keel 100' supermaxis that have done long ocean races have lost their keels and caused significant rescue efforts. It's a quite extraordinary record and probably not exceeded by any other type of sailing craft.

    It's often said that the average taxpayer is happy to bail out people who take reasonable care of their own safety, but they get annoyed when they have to pay for people who take too many risks. Obviously these are judgement calls, but there WAS a backlash about expensive rescues of yachties in the popular press some time ago when people like Bullimore and Autissier had to be picked up from the southern ocean. There are also complaints about the cost of rescues in the Hobart.

    The fact that some Australian taxpayers don't want to pay for yachties to be rescued cannot be denied, so there can definitely be an impact when boats like Speedboat/Rambler and Wild Thing lose their keels and go over. And if those incidents had happened in the middle of the night, the impact could have been vastly more serious.
     
  9. Doug Lord
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    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    ===================
    I don't believe that one bit. If one third of canting keels fail there must be something awfully good about them or there must be some really stupid billionaires throwing their money at a faulty technology!

    =====================
    IMPORTANT- this thread is about this years Sydney-Hobart, the 70th Anniversary of this great ocean race. This thread will not be hijacked by discussions not pertinent to this years race. If you want to discuss canting keels or fixed keels or rescue policy or anything other than this years Sydney-Hobart-start another thread, please!
    Here is the ideal thread for those who wish to re-discuss canting and fixed keel losses: http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/sailboats/lost-keels-request-information-39377.html
     
  10. NoEyeDeer
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    NoEyeDeer Senior Member

    Relevant points:

    1/ You, yes you, were the first person in the thread to mention canting keels, in your OP.

    2/ If you don't want people to talk about canting keels, why start it?

    3/ Opening a thread does not mean you own it, nor does it automatically make you a moderator.

    4/ Canting keels are pertinent to this year's race. Unless, of course, you would like them removed before the start.
     
  11. Doug Lord
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    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    I've answered you point for point below:

     
  12. whitepointer23

    whitepointer23 Previous Member

    If wild oats had an extra keel fitted they could make a hobie mirage paddle system driven by the 150 hp diesel. That would be cool. A flipper drive motorsailer.
     
  13. NoEyeDeer
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    NoEyeDeer Senior Member

    This man is a genius. :D
     
  14. NoEyeDeer
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    NoEyeDeer Senior Member

    Bonzer. We can work with that.

    So given the high failure rates of large canters, what do you reckon the chances are of a keel dropping off a boat in this year's race? Gotta be worryingly high, don't you think?
     

  15. Doug Lord
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    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    =====================
    See item #4 above-the race hasn't started and therefore there are no canting keel failures that are subject for this thread. I gave you a link above where you can talk all you want about past canting keel failures-or you can start your own thread.
     
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