Volvo 70 Design Rule-- 2011-2012 Race

I agree. The Volvo race this year looks like a joke. Transporting through pirate territory on an escort ship has turned the race into a toy of the Gulf sheiks. Moreover, the race route in the Persian Gulf is token at best. What can a skipper do in such a small area with Iranian gun boats scattered about.

Any global race should pass through the southern ocean. If the boats can't hack it then it's not a real race. The Vellux 5 Oceans race is my favorite. It takes real brains and guts to pull that one off.

http://www.velux5oceans.com

All other races are for sissies

 

vor

======================
You're right. In years past the southern ocean from Capetown to Australia was a highlight of the race. Now the only southern ocean part of the course is from Auckland to South America-still southern ocean but not enough for a premier round the world event.

 

vor

Comment that I agree with:
from Scuttlebutt tonight-

TOO MANY CHANGES FOR THE WORSE
By Karl L. Kirkman
(January 10, 2012) - I am thoroughly enjoying the coverage of the Volvo
Ocean Race, and I am truly in awe of those who sail these machines
offshore. The boats are incredible, and the skills of the sailors
tremendous. However, things seem to be changing away from a valid offshore
round the world race to a series of short legs with the contestants carried
on the deck of ships to the next bazaar.

On the first leg we had half the entrants unable to hold together without
what would once have been called outside assistance, we have enormously
expensive logistics operations to fly, drive, and float things ahead or to
catch up when something breaks, and now (as I understand the news coverage)
we have a boat (Team Sanya) getting points for a race they will not even
sail in (see below).

I suppose that is one way to make the results appear close and "exciting".
It is sort of approaching other professional team sports where the teams
play for a "regular season" but then most teams get into the "playoffs"
anyway where the season record is of no importance whatsoever.

As to the coverage, I realized just how silly it had gotten when I found
myself intently "watching" on my screen a presentation graphic of a map of
the ocean with the speed, heading, and distance behind of invisible boats
in the "stealth zone" headed to an invisible finish line an unknown
distance away in an invisible location; then the tents were folded up and
everything loaded on the deck of awaiting ship and everyone was whisked to
just down the coast from the finish line to be off-loaded for a grand
entrance at exactly the right time of day.

A great show; absolutely, but a round the world race? Not even close. It is
pretty clear the sponsorship tail is wagging the dog here. It seems
possible that a podium finish is quite likely for a boat that, strictly
speaking, could not and did not even sail the course.


Overall leaderboard after Leg 2
1. Telefonica (ESP), Iker Martinez (ESP), 6-1-1-1, 66 pts
2. CAMPER (NZL), Chris Nicholson (AUS), 3-2-2-2, 58 pts
3. Groupama (FRA), Frank Cammas (FRA), 5-3-5-4, 42 pts
4. PUMA Ocean Racing (USA), Ken Read (USA), 2-DNF-3-3, 28 pts
5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE), Ian Walker (GBR), 1-DNF-4-5, 19 pts
6. Team Sanya (CHN), Mike Sanderson (NZL), 4-DNF-6-6-0**, 4 pts

** Still racing. If Team Sanya finishes the first stage of Leg 2 under
racing conditions, they will collect four points for sixth place for the
first stage of Leg 2 and then automatically add one more under race rules
for the second stage and a further two points for the Abu Dhabi In-Port
Race.

Tracking/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html
Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos
Course details: http://tinyurl.com/Piracy-121111

RACE SCHEDULE: The five teams are in Abu Dhabi now preparing for the Pro-Am
Race on Thursday (Jan. 12), the In-Port Race on Friday (Jan. 13), and the
start of Leg 3 to Sanya, China on Saturday (Jan. 14). As in Leg 2, Leg 3
will be similar with a Stage 1 short sprint to meet the ship which will
transport the five boats to the safe haven port. If all goes to plan, Team
Sanya will join the fleet there, and all six boats will compete in Stage 2
to Sanya. - http://tinyurl.com/VOR-2011-12-schedule

BACKGROUND: During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which started
in Alicante, Spain and concludes in Galway, Ireland during early July 2012,
six professional teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles of the world's
most treacherous seas via Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around
Cape Horn to Itajai, Miami, Lisbon, and Lorient. Teams accumulate points
through nine distance legs and ten In-Port races. -
http://www.volvooceanrace.com

 

vor

from Scuttlebutt Europe today:

Sanya Enjoy Strong Start To Home Leg

Team Sanya celebrated Chinese New Year's Eve by leading a full strength Volvo Ocean Race fleet off the start line on the 3,051-nautical mile Leg 3 second stage from the Maldives to their home port in China.

In hot and humid tropical conditions the fleet got away cleanly on schedule at 0800 UTC on Sunday (1300 local time in the Maldives) with Team Sanya, the first sole Chinese entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, making the early running immediately after the start of their homecoming leg.

Sanya continued to scrap for the lead in the first few hours of sailing with less than half a nautical mile separating the six-boat fleet.

The boats will take around two weeks to complete Leg 2 with an estimated arrival in Sanya on or around February 6.

Eighty percent of the points for Leg 3 remain up for grabs, after the Stage 1 sprint from Abu Dhabi to Sharjah delivered the other 20 percent to all the teams except for Sanya, who will score full points for this stage*.

* As Sanya were unable to race the first stage of Leg 3, they will score full points for this leg � 30 points for 1st place, 25 for 2nd, 20 for 3rd, 15 for 4th, 10 for 5th, 5 for 6th. The other teams will score points on the following scale � 24 points for 1st, 20 for 2nd, 16 for 3rd, 12 for 4th, 8 for 5th, 4 for 6th.

* PUMA's Mar Mostro (Kenny Read/USA) is the new leader tonight at 1900 UTC, having forced early leader CAMPER (Chris Nicholson/AUS) into second place. However, the entire fleet is split only by 2.90 nautical miles and CAMPER is only 0.10 nm behind Mar Mostro.

This 3,051nm leg will certainly throw in some curve balls in the shape of uncharted atolls, shallows, shipping and ocean debris, but for now, the fleet is enjoying a relatively straightforward first night at sea, on a port tack stretch across to Pulau We, an island on the northwest tip of Sumatra, Indonesia.

All six boats are currently south of the rhum line in order to avoid the effects of a wind shadow from the Sri Lankan coast. Mike Sanderson (NZL) has taken Sanya the furthest south, while PUMA's Mar Mostro is 4.21 nm to weather of the fleet.

Team Telef�nica (Iker Mart�nez/ESP) lost some valuable miles earlier in the day when a fitting on their code zero headsail failed, leaving the sail flogging and threatening to self-destruct. The crew has assessed the damage and is now hard at work on repairs, but is still well in touch and lies in fourth place tonight.s, but is still well in touch and lies in fourth place tonight. www.volvooceanrace.com

 

Vor

Race Tracker: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html

From Scuttlebutt tonight:

LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP

The Volvo Ocean Race and China have a love-hate relationship. Commercially,
the country is a significant partner for the race, particularly due to
Volvo Car Corporation's Chinese ownership. But sailing conditions on the
China Sea have not been kind, forcing competitors to endure its wrath. Here
is an update from Sanya, China - the fourth port of the 2011-12 race:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
* (February 18, 2012) - Team Telefonica held off PUMA by a narrow margin to
win the Sanya Haitang Bay In-Port Race on Saturday and extend their overall
lead to 18 points before the start of Leg 4 to Auckland. It was the second
victory in four in-port races for skipper Iker Martinez's crew, who have
also won all three offshore legs. Telefonica went into the race under some
pressure after a last minute change of rigging and with two poor
performances in the three previous in-port races. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
took the third podium place. -- Full report: http://tinyurl.com/VOR021812

* (February 18, 2012) - Race director Jack Lloyd informed the teams on
Saturday that Leg 4 to Auckland, which was due to start on Sunday, would be
revised for reasons of safety after forecasts of unsailable conditions in
the South China Sea. Every offshore leg in the race starts with a 40-60
minute buoy course to allow for both spectator viewing and live television
broadcast. Only this section of the race would be held on Sunday, with
elapsed time differences at the final turning mark used for a staggered
re-start on Monday. Forecasts on Sunday of winds gusting above 40 knots and
waves of eight metres prompted the decision. -- Full report:
http://tinyurl.com/VOR021812a

* (February 19, 2012) - Team Telefonica took advantage of an astonishing
collapse by PUMA to win the 43.2 nm Leg 4 Stage 1. PUMA had built a huge
lead only to sail into a wind hole, leaving them forced to watch the entire
fleet sail right past them. They eventually finished over 39 minutes behind
the leaders. "I've never seen anything go so bad that started so good,"
said PUMA skipper Ken Read. "We got literally a two-mile lead after sailing
fantastically, park in a hole and then watch the fleet sail by a couple of
hundred yards from us." Groupama was second, followed by Abu Dhabi Ocean
Racing, Team Sanya, CAMPER and finally PUMA. -- Full report:
http://tinyurl.com/VOR021912l

* (February 20, 2012) - Leg 4 Stage 2 got underway at 0700 local time, with
the re-start staggered according to finishing times in Stage 1. Winds were
light at first but on board conditions soon became brutal as winds built to
20 knots accompanied by monster waves. "Needless to say it has become
nearly impossible to do anything at this point on board," reported Abu
Dhabi Ocean Racing Media Crew Member Nick Dana. "The airdrops we are
experiencing off the backs of these sharp waves make it difficult to keep
your feet below you let alone a sail or a steering wheel in your hands.
Down below looks like a war zone. Several people have been sick already,
and the rest just keep swallowing." The lead boat is expected to arrive in
Auckland by March 8th. -- Race website: http://www.volvooceanrace.com

Leg 4 - 4 Sanya, China to Auckland, NZL (5,220 nm)
Standings as of Tuesday, 21 February 2012, 0:02:56 UTC
1. CAMPER (NZL), Chris Nicholson (AUS), 4981.9 nm Distance to Finish
2. Groupama (FRA), Frank Cammas (FRA), 2.4 nm Distance to Lead
3. Telefonica (ESP), Iker Martinez (ESP), 8.4 nm DTL
4. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE), Ian Walker (GBR), 9.2 nm DTL
5. Team Sanya (CHN), Mike Sanderson (NZL), 12.3 nm DTL
6. PUMA Ocean Racing (USA), Ken Read (USA), 26.2 nm DTL

Tracking/Standings: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html
Video reports: http://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos
Race schedule: http://tinyurl.com/VOR-2011-12-schedule

BACKGROUND: During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, which started
in Alicante, Spain (Oct. 29) and concludes in Galway, Ireland during early
July 2012, six professional teams will sail over 39,000 nautical miles
around the world via Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around Cape
Horn to Itajai, Miami, Lisbon, and Lorient. Teams accumulate points through
nine distance legs and ten In-Port races. - http://www.volvooceanrace.com

 

vor

Groupama wins Sanya-Auckland leg despite bow delam causing a substantial leak.....

 

Groupama's angled aft and different keel; maybe that makes all the difference.

 

--------------------
It's remarkable how short the chord is on that keel at the bulb vs the looong bulb!

 

Say what you want about this "race", the coverage and the show especially do wonders for the otherwise slowly declining sport of sailing. I have introduced that show (available on you-tube) to many of my friends, mostly under 30 years old, and it garners real interest. Suddenly sailing is "cool" again. Haha PR it may be, but PR the sailing world needs, especially in this recession...

 

vor leg 5 starts

The race is on again with Telefonica in the lead just out of Auckland. Unfortunately, Team Abu Dhabi suffered damage to a forward bulkhead and had to return to Auckland from 40 miles out.
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/news/5522_CAMPER-lead-as-Abu-Dhabi-begin-repairs.html

 

May I ask how many of your friends have gone sailing as a result?

What sports do your friends do?

What sports do your friends think cool?

BTW when the Volvo/Whitbread was raced in slower yachts that were closely connected to run-of-the-mill boats, the sport was NOT declining!

 

vor

Possible protest against Telefonica for carrying an illegal sail or two in Leg 4:
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/ne...ule-hearing-over-Telefonica-sails-report.html

 

vor

Team Sanya has lost one of her rudders and has a fairly large leak in the aft compartment: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/news/5574_Team-Sanya-working-on-repairs-after-breaking-rudder.html
Sanya was in the lead at the time......
Update: they're heading back to Auckland....

 

vor

Camper(Team NZ) has suffered damage to the forward bulkhead and have had to slow down to effect repairs: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/news/5600_CAMPER-slow-down-for-mid-ocean-repairs.html

 

Look at these waves hit Telefonica. They have some trouble with the boat but they're not saying what so far. http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/news/5612_Leaders-push-on-as-Telefonica-CAMPER-slow.html Camper is going into Chile because of the severity of their damage...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrKQgJykdO4&feature=player_embedded