Route du Rhum Underway

Big strategy change in process as Coville has tacked away from the approaching zone of no wind and is off into the Atlantic, rather than heading further down towards the Azores. This move takes him closer to the optimal rhum line route to Guadeloupe, followed by Gitana 11 in 2006.

Lots of brain storming in effect right now for the final positioning that will take the leaders down and into the Caribbean.
http://routedurhum-labanquepostale.geovoile.com/2010/?lg=en

 

Guess your favourite made a mistake Chris!

 

An interesting look into the shell of the routing strategy that is now in the hands of Coville. This translated news post from the Sodeb'O site today:

"This morning, Franck Cammas on Groupama 3 has overtaken the leader of the Route du Rhum Thomas Coville. This provisional classification has not tarnished the day the skipper of the trimaran Sodebo that skirted, upwind from the north of the Azores High. He also took the good weather to reconstitute a capital food and sleep.

Do not brag to the sailors of the Route du Rhum grace of the Azores, as the swelling of his peaceful anticyclone their assigned cause of torment! Since last night, the wind dropping slowed the progression of the trimaran Sodebo a dozen knots (22 mph), while Franck Cammas, Groupama 3 on his opponent, managed to sneak along the Portuguese coast where the wind Moderate propelled him to head the ranking of 8 hours. At midday, Thomas Coville tacked edge on the northern edge of the famous Azores and relaunched his machine at a speed of 15/17 knots (27/31 km / h). Second in the standings 15h40, Sodebo posted 65 miles (120 km) behind Groupama 3.

"The tide is slowly gaining strength and we repeat a shift from the West direct route, explained the skipper during his vacation in the afternoon. Our option is betting the wind to pick where it will return gradually becoming louder. We'll have to spend a front, that is to say a depression and there, there is a break: the increasing wind first, and it will turn after U-turn in the rotation of wind that comes down more on the Caribbean. There is a little way before reaching this phase. In the coming days, it will be upwind, in conditions not very comfortable, some have probably not want to pick. "

Aboard Sodebo, Thomas had taken advantage of the night to sleep and eat. "I recovered well to be ready for the second half of the race will be more animated, he foresaw the dawn. The winds are very changeable and it is always difficult when a new weather system arrives, it must adapt to serve his boat. Today I am much maneuvering, move the sails to be the optimal compared to the masses on the boat. It's going to be physical! "

Nothing better to motivate the athlete who has waited until 14:30 to send the transfer edge of the anticyclone. So it's a serene sea that was found at 16 o'clock sharp, for a conversation and broadcast live images on Sodebo voile.com-and I-phone. All that was missing when the smell to share the bowl of mashed vegetable and beef (515 calories on the label, specially prepared by the R & D Sodebo) that simmered Thomas, while sharing his joy of flying time in time on a hull. At the same time, he settled his headsail and explained the operation of the autopilot!

Tomorrow morning, Thomas Coville hopes to double the Azores and thinks of no moment to dawdle. It also relies on a progressive strengthening of the wind from the west, and the afternoon on a new appointment live video to 16h. "Be on time!" Has he warned."

 

If I were this Chris person, you would still need to hold your comments as to mistakes.

There is a great deal of sailing yet to do and the person who thinks they have this figured out at this point is only showing their lack of understanding of the sport and the weather variables.

 

know when to hold em, know when to fold em

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2WiM2MHpQI

 

Careful, Peter, or Apex will dock your rep points for being decidely on point. Some folks just don't like being shown as the goof.

 

Well, it is true, that it is far too early to make any guesses as to mistakes. It was more of a thought, than a comment.
My understanding about weather variables is sufficient, don´t worry.

oh yeah, you have proven that too often.....

Do you know about stylometry Chris?

 

sorry fellas, im just trying to guess what happens next

 

Unless you have crystal balls theres not much chance of that.

 

A small collection of images from the start of the RdR.

Some individual shots of Ultime Class boats Groupama 3, Sodeb'O and one of the faster Class 50 boats, Crepes Whaou

An interesting look at the physical comparison between the Ultime Class, IDEC and the Class 50 multi, Actual.

The last image is of GENERIK - EXP'HAIR en Beauté, which is presently in last place in the Rhum Class, some 663 miles behind Groupama3.

 

http://routedurhum-labanquepostale.geovoile.com/2010/?lg=en sailors may catch a view of solar http://www.planetsolar.org/

 

The latest news report out of Sodeb'O that was put up very early this morning in France. In it, one of Sodeb'O's routers comments as to weather positioning with some ideas as to how things are about to change over the next 24 hours.

"Plotting this morning announced Sodebo is in fourth place behind Groupama 3, Idec and Gitana 11. In this third night of Route du Rhum, he continued circumvention of the Azores high, upwind from the north, while its competitors have taken the path south. Downwind, the latter growing more quickly than Thomas Coville, now pointed to 213 miles behind the leader Franck Cammas.

"This is a difficult, Thomas ate his brown bread while the others are riding, observes Thierry Douillard, one of the routers Sodebo. It must take a long upwind leg, port tack, until tomorrow, then it will play downwind, whereas in the South, his opponents will be downwind and will tack. "

As envisioned, the skipper of Sodebo begins to touch the fresh breeze, by the West, which allows it to accelerate gently. After an early night effete, the trimaran's speedometer hovered between 14 and 17 knots early morning. The day promises to be long for the solo sailor who will serve his boat in order to achieve the best possible performance in an unstable wind (as in force in direction) and a sea uncomfortable (two-meter swells). In summary, the day will be punctuated by Thomas Coville to permanent adjustments, regular changes of headsail (or solent jib), with little rest in perspective."

 

Another report from Coville this afternoon at 1600 hours French time. These Google translations are kinda bumpy every so often, but you can get the flow of his comments and what he is looking to accomplish.

"In the tussle that engage the multihull Class Ultimate top of the Route du Rhum, the Mass is not known. Between the "crampons ice axes" of the way North and South of the slides, the heart of the marine balance. In a camp like in the other, no hasty conclusion to draw from this stage of the competition. North in a wind necessarily SSW 23 to 26 knots, Sodebo speeds and more importantly, on the road!

In mind for Tuesday noon, Franck Cammas is still reaping the benefits of his diving in the South that allows it to slide in the downwind and carbide bit while maneuvering. Francis Joyon (2e) and Yann Guichard (3e) spin in the South but also to 250 miles in the wake of the leader.

If he admires the path and pace of Groupama 3 on which he sailed round the world race this winter with Frank Thomas Coville (4th) did not regret his choice, assuming that the road north is the measurement of quality his boat. Although conditions are uncomfortable up there for him, like Sidney Gavignet (Oman Air Majan - 5th), but this gene Sodebo skipper: "It's hectic at home, tend mountaineer crampons ice axes, but I knew it would be difficult here and I do not care a bit. Sodebo is a boat that can fit in all conditions and who accepts me as difficult. "

Especially as the flow of South-South West is increasing. "The wind came back, it speeds up and there they made the direct route. Nothing is played but we finally reached what we came for, "confided the skipper during the live video of 16-hour Sodebo voile.com. Live, Thomas has even launched his turn headsail change, reducing the canvas of the foresail to the ORC.

The future will tell

The classification of 16 hours, the orange and gray conceded trimaran 306 miles behind the big green but Thomas acknowledges that "if this was really out of the turbulent anticyclone Sodebo is now ahead of routing. The position does not pay now but it is a medium-term investment. "

The trajectories must converge to the Caribbean but when and how? "I do not know if the roads will cross again go again," continued the Trinité. "We can make assumptions but have no certainty. It depends on whether the trade winds below continues to be present or if the wind dies down and goes back. Frank, Francis and Yann could then eat their brown bread too. For his part, the shift from mid-day, Frank was not shown any overconfidence admitting that Tom could reach the front next ten hours before he and reduce its backlog."

 

Looking to the RdR Meteo forecast, it would seem that Coville's strategy is loaded with a nice payback for the nothern route around the Azores high. It is the reality of ever-changing conditions and weather descriptions such as this that make early proclamations of a winner an iffy process, at best, when it comes to long distance, open ocean racing.

http://www.routedurhum-labanquepost...03p02_detail_actu.php?news=2155&categorie=124


On 03/11/2010

Weather situation and outlook from Wed Nov 3
The latest weather situation from Meteo Consultant

"Wednesday: The Azores High pressure system continues to divide the fleet into several groups. Basically those who have got to the east and south of it will maintain F4 winds and favourable seas. Those close to the anticyclone will have to move away to get more wind.
Those in the north, north of 44 deg, will see winds of F4-6 SW’ly with sea condition which will be quite difficult, but for those in the north as the high moves east and the breeze rotates they will be able to make a more southerly course.

For those in the south, the wind flow will head them, going more SE and between these two groups, the anticyclone grows to extend a bigger area of light winds.

Thursday: marks the arrival of a stormy low pressure system to the west of the Azores, which propels the high towards Finisterre.

And so in the south of the Azores the unstable E’ly winds drop and will certainly slow competitors in this area. Close to the anticyclone the winds will be light and hamper progress south. And in general the north will start to be more favoured as this happens.

In the north they will sea a S’ly wind F4-F5, except for this closer to 48 deg who well get more, F5-F6.

Friday: Conditions in the south of the Azores are complex where a large zone of weak, unstable winds will extend. To the west of the Azores the arrival of this active low pressure system generates strong conditions with gusts to F8 with big seas. In the E of this though, the moderate S-SW’ly flow is maintained. And up in the Bay of Biscay the winds are light due to the anticyclone.

Outlook: Return of stronger winds in the higher latitudes. And the return of a cyclonic situation in the west of the Caribbean Sea should support the re-establishment of the trade winds but could develop a big area of light winds to the east of the West Indies.

Currently ranked as a tropical depression, the ex hurricane Tomas, is south of Jamaica. By Friday Tomas will develop to hurricane stage 1 while moving south towards Haiti.

Later, next week, it will track towards the SE of Bermuda. Guadeloupe remains at the edge of its major influence."

 

While all this obvious drama is playing out at the front of the fleet between the Ultime Class maxi-tris, the other multihull entries in the Class 50 are seeing their own testy duel. Current Class 50 leader, Crêpes Whaou! being driven by 53 year old, Franck-Yves Escoffier is presently out in front of the second place boat, Actual, which is skippered by Yves Le Blevec.

These guys are separated by 68 miles after blasting down the same course used by Cammas aboard Groupama 3. In spite of their boats being only half the overall length of the big maxis, Crêpes Whaou! is sitting comfortably just 439 miles behind Cammas and is doing 19.5 knots to the 20.4 knots of Cammas in pretty much the same wind. No matter how you slice it, this is some incredible sailing.