Brest Atlantiques 2019 - Ultims

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by Dolfiman, Oct 31, 2019.

  1. Dolfiman
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,515
    Likes: 667, Points: 113
    Location: France

    Dolfiman Senior Member

    The crossing of the Doldrums still finished for Gitana !, without slow-down at the contrary of Macif which faced some no wind periods, one of one hour, so they are now 97NM behind. Doldrums is said by meteo experts to be more dense and less easy to cross for the followers Sodebo and in particular Actual leader 300 NM behind. Another beam reaching leg ahead for the leaders, the speedo should be hot.
    Tracking: Cartographie et classement https://www.brestatlantiques.com/cartographie-et-classement
     
  2. Dolfiman
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,515
    Likes: 667, Points: 113
    Location: France

    Dolfiman Senior Member

    This video from Sodebo, with Dolphins jumping side to the boat, beautiful :
     
  3. Dolfiman
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,515
    Likes: 667, Points: 113
    Location: France

    Dolfiman Senior Member

    The 4 Ultims are now in the south trade winds at an average 28 Knots. Gitana still leading but should make a short pit stop at Salvador de Bahia (where wait its technical team in the context of the Jacques Vabre) to repair their central daggerboard (they hitted something ? , they don't know exactly). Macif second at 180 NM also envisage a pit stop at Rio to change the central rudder broken. Sodebo 3rd at 266 NM and Actual Leader 4th at 500 NM are ok. At high speed, due to the kinetic energy, a small floating object can damage an appendage, and of course there are more small than big objects floating in the waters, that is the Achille heel of the Ultims.
    Tracking, still with the video icons attached to the trace of each boat :
    Cartographie et classement https://www.brestatlantiques.com/cartographie-et-classement
     
  4. Dolfiman
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,515
    Likes: 667, Points: 113
    Location: France

    Dolfiman Senior Member

    Gitana is doing its pit stop at Salvador de Bahia to repair their central daggerboard, and Macif (now leader) should do also a pit stop at Rio to mount a new central rudder, provided by the Banque Populaire team (probably the one they recover from the wreck of Banque Pop IX), a nice gesture of solidarity. That's the opprotunity for Sodebo 3 and Actual Leader to be soon the leaders, and for Gitana and Macif to chase behind, the promise of beautiful speeds during the leg Rio - Cape Town.
    Tracking : Accueil https://www.brestatlantiques.com/
     
  5. Dolfiman
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,515
    Likes: 667, Points: 113
    Location: France

    Dolfiman Senior Member

    Gitana again in the race after a stop of 13h 40 mn at Salvador de Bahia for the repair of the daggerboard damaged by the hit of a floating object just before the Doldrums. She is now 3rd, at 270 NM behind Macif (which should do also a pit stop at Rio) and 150 NM behind Sodebo. Macif, after a slow down, recovers a good wind and is again at high speed, 32 Knots average during the last 4h. For the next leg to Cape-Town, due to the position very south of the St Helen anticyclonic, experts in routing said that the North route will be choosen despite being upwind (?).
    Tracking : Cartographie et classement https://www.brestatlantiques.com/cartographie-et-classement
    Video from Macif :
     
  6. Doug Lord
    Joined: May 2009
    Posts: 16,679
    Likes: 349, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 1362
    Location: Cocoa, Florida

    Doug Lord Flight Ready

  7. Doug Lord
    Joined: May 2009
    Posts: 16,679
    Likes: 349, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 1362
    Location: Cocoa, Florida

    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    Gitana 17 main foil:
     
    Dolfiman likes this.
  8. Dolfiman
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,515
    Likes: 667, Points: 113
    Location: France

    Dolfiman Senior Member

    Gitana has now recovered high speeds, average 32 Knots during the least 4 h, and is approaching the Rio mark. Macif still in the marina of Rio (the one of the Olympic Games in 2016) for the change of its central rudder. So Sodebo is now leading by 135 NM on Macif , 247 / Gitana and 338 / Actual Leader where Yves and Alex have made a complete check of the boat before the second leg.
    Tracking : Cartographie et classement https://www.brestatlantiques.com/cartographie-et-classement
    Video from Actual Leader :
     
  9. Dolfiman
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,515
    Likes: 667, Points: 113
    Location: France

    Dolfiman Senior Member

    Sodebo apparently has found no better solution than U turns towards Rio, in order to avoid a severe gale & sea state prediction ahead, meaning impossible upwind sailing for a route to Cape-Town. Gitana just turns the Rio mark, Macif still in the Rio marina, and Actual Leader approaching Rio. Complete uncertainties on what they will do for the next 2 days !
    tracking : Cartographie et classement https://www.brestatlantiques.com/cartographie-et-classement
    Ventusky forecasts, to appreciate by yourself the dilemma :
    Weather Forecast Maps https://www.ventusky.com/?p=-26.0;-16.2;3&l=wind-10m
     
  10. Dolfiman
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,515
    Likes: 667, Points: 113
    Location: France

    Dolfiman Senior Member

    The 4 Ultims are presently quite grouped (within 120 NM), sailing upwind on the North edge of a big low, yet in 25-30 knots of wind with gusts 35+. It is a cautious strategy, waiting the wind to turn North then North-West more a better route towards Cape Town. Nevertheless, the strategy of the next days is rather tricky, a delicate balance between speed and cautious, "fast but not furious" as said Francois Gabard.
    Tracking : Cartographie et classement https://www.brestatlantiques.com/cartographie-et-classement
     
  11. Dolfiman
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,515
    Likes: 667, Points: 113
    Location: France

    Dolfiman Senior Member

    During the last 24 h, the 4 Ultims were in an oceanic upwind (~ 30 Knots & twa ~ 60 deg) but with a head complex sea state (Actual Leader reported two swell directions at respectively 45deg port and 45 deg starboard of their Route). So the 4th had to adjust their respective speed to not destroy the boat, from 20 Knots (Actual Leader) to 24 Knots (Gitana). Now situation seems a bit better for the leader Gitana, doing 30 Knots in average during the last 4 h (26 for Macif, 21 for Sodebo and Actual Leader)
    Tracking : Cartographie et classement https://www.brestatlantiques.com/cartographie-et-classement
    Video of Macif and Sodebo, ... speed versus sea state :

     
  12. Doug Lord
    Joined: May 2009
    Posts: 16,679
    Likes: 349, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 1362
    Location: Cocoa, Florida

    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    From Gitana 17:


    Go Gitana 17!!!
     
  13. Dolfiman
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,515
    Likes: 667, Points: 113
    Location: France

    Dolfiman Senior Member

    4 Ultims hitting a front-cut swell :
     
  14. Dolfiman
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,515
    Likes: 667, Points: 113
    Location: France

    Dolfiman Senior Member

    Gitana still leading but with less margin / Macif at 50NM. Sodebo 3 at 190 NM and Actual Leader at 315 NM. Average speeds are around 24 to 30 Knots within a sailing between oceanic upwind and beam reaching. Charles Caudrelier well sum up the current situation : "There is wind, but especially a very bad sea, boats suffer, it's hard to know where to place the cursor. We are on the brake, we try to lock on the speed of MACIF, without doing too much. The boat can go much faster but the sea is not good, the difficulty is to go fast without breaking anything in thirty days, it is not easy. "
    Tracking : Cartographie et classement https://www.brestatlantiques.com/cartographie-et-classement
     
    Corley likes this.

  15. Dolfiman
    Joined: Aug 2017
    Posts: 1,515
    Likes: 667, Points: 113
    Location: France

    Dolfiman Senior Member

    Translated/resumed from the race web site news :
    "The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed in the night the longitude of Gough Island, island located in the middle of the South Atlantic, which he passed 4 miles north, along the ice exclusion zone. Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier took advantage of good "skiing" conditions to sign a day at 738 miles between Sunday and Monday morning 8am (average speed of 30.75 knots), which allowed them to increase even more their lead over the second MACIF / François Gabart now at 125 miles behind.
    Behind, Sodebo Ultim 3 has slowed down his race in the night because of the breakage of his starboard rudder due to the hit of a floating object when at 35 knots.....They are waiting for the sunrise to make a more precise inventory….The broken rudder is the one in the water, so they reduced the canvas and the speed (now around 20 knots).
    Actual Leader (Yves Le Blevec / Alex Pella), 392 miles from the leader, should get closer to Sodebo Ultim 3 in the day, the two boats will also benefit from a rise of the anticyclone under which is passing Maxi Edmond de Rothschild in a westerly westerly wind (10-12 knots) to make a more direct route to Cape Town."
    Tracking : Cartographie et classement https://www.brestatlantiques.com/cartographie-et-classement
    Ventusky prediction, for the second half of this leg :
    Weather Forecast Maps https://www.ventusky.com/?p=-36.2;-13.0;3&l=wind-10m
     
    Doug Lord likes this.
Loading...
Similar Threads
  1. Doug Lord
    Replies:
    3
    Views:
    1,844
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.