Author Topic: Long distance sailing  (Read 5895 times)


Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #1 on: 08 November, 2016, 11:31:49 pm »
Quite a boat.  All the best to Alex Thomson, 'foiling' in the southern ocean can't be for the faint hearted.  Amazing to think it was 16yrs ago that Ellen MacA raced.
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #2 on: 09 November, 2016, 07:24:36 am »
Truly bonkers. Imagine being totally shit-scared for whole months at a time.
Rust never sleeps

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #3 on: 12 November, 2016, 06:32:10 pm »
AT currently in the lead.
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #4 on: 12 November, 2016, 06:52:24 pm »
Hydrofoiling can give more speed, a better ride and a more upright boat.

Still bonkers in the southern ocean.
Quote from: Kim
Paging Diver300.  Diver300 to the GSM Trimphone, please...

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #5 on: 13 November, 2016, 08:36:26 am »
Also technically illegal as I understand it, not keeping a watch at all times
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Vince

  • Can't climb; won't climb
Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #6 on: 13 November, 2016, 08:43:35 am »
Hydrofoiling can give more speed, a better ride and a more upright boat.

Still bonkers in the southern ocean.

One of those strange ironies is that the skippers who don't push their boats, tend to find they start failing.
216km from Marsh Gibbon

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #7 on: 13 November, 2016, 09:22:48 am »
The boat that won't break won't win.
Rust never sleeps

Vince

  • Can't climb; won't climb
Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #8 on: 13 November, 2016, 09:40:42 am »
I think it is more to do with the fact that the course through the southern ocean they have following seas, so pushing the boat to do a couple of thousand miles on the plane* is safer that dropping of the back of a wave and to be hit by the following wave.

ETA: Planing is when the boat is going faster than its own bow wave, which lifts the bow out of the water and reduces drag, giving a much high speed than the theoretical maximum hull speed.
216km from Marsh Gibbon

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #9 on: 14 November, 2016, 04:31:46 pm »
Last December on a delivery trip we were getting over 12kn in a displacement 34 footer off Dover with a wind going over 50 knots. Unfortunately only 2 of us could steer the boat in such conditions (the autohelm couldn't) and we'd been going over 24 hours so we put into Ramsgate for the night instead of going on to Harwich.   We were punished for our timidity next day by having to motor some of it.
Move Faster and Bake Things

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #10 on: 14 November, 2016, 07:49:14 pm »
That sounds like fun. We'd hit those sort of speeds in a 3/4 tonner in a decent blow with a following sea and the spinnaker up. Anywhere within about a mile of the Dover harbour wall can be really lumpy. In 50 knots I am guessing it would have been really unpleasant.
Rust never sleeps

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #11 on: 14 November, 2016, 07:56:15 pm »
That sounds like fun. We'd hit those sort of speeds in a 3/4 tonner in a decent blow with a following sea and the spinnaker up. Anywhere within about a mile of the Dover harbour wall can be really lumpy. In 50 knots I am guessing it would have been really unpleasant.

I seem to remember getting a similar speed on a delivery trip with a No. 2 Jib and a main, albeit in lighter winds.

;D

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #12 on: 14 November, 2016, 07:59:49 pm »
That sounds like fun. We'd hit those sort of speeds in a 3/4 tonner in a decent blow with a following sea and the spinnaker up. Anywhere within about a mile of the Dover harbour wall can be really lumpy. In 50 knots I am guessing it would have been really unpleasant.

I seem to remember getting a similar speed on a delivery trip with a No. 2 Jib and a main, albeit in lighter winds.

;D
:-)  You remember it well, though that was short bursts on brief wave rides. With everything up it was possible to sustain those speeds for quite a bit longer.
Rust never sleeps

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #13 on: 15 November, 2016, 07:18:52 pm »
That sounds like fun. We'd hit those sort of speeds in a 3/4 tonner in a decent blow with a following sea and the spinnaker up. Anywhere within about a mile of the Dover harbour wall can be really lumpy. In 50 knots I am guessing it would have been really unpleasant.

It was a bit lumpy.  I had been awarded the forepeak berth and I've no doubt the boat left me suspended in the air several times.  I still got some sleep.

IMO a good yacht race beats watching F1 racing any day of the week, especially with modern yachts and Sir Ben Ainslie challenging for the Americas Cup.
Move Faster and Bake Things

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #14 on: 15 November, 2016, 08:13:40 pm »
Ha ha !  Put one of your only two viable helmsmen in the forepeak. Not a good strategy.

Agree with you on the entertainment value of a boat race. However, I'd still much rather be doing it than watching it.
Rust never sleeps

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #15 on: 26 November, 2016, 10:16:41 am »
Bit of a duel in the southern ocean going on atm...
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #16 on: 30 November, 2016, 07:03:21 pm »
Bit of a duel in the southern ocean going on atm...

It looks like Thomson has the slightly faster boat, but I fear that the loss of his hydrofoil will be decisive in Le Cleac'h's favour when they get back to the Atlantic, if Thomson is even still in the running then (a bit unlucky to have spent 20 days on a port tack...).

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #17 on: 30 November, 2016, 07:25:30 pm »
From what I read it's when he turns the corner at Cape Horn that he will be on the tack which uses his remaining foil. If that is the case, and he is still ahead at the turn, then he will be in a strong position.
Rust never sleeps

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #18 on: 02 December, 2016, 10:32:19 am »
Check out the video towards the bottom of this page.

As said upthread, truly bonkers.
Rust never sleeps

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #19 on: 02 December, 2016, 10:33:26 am »
And Thomson is back in front.
Rust never sleeps

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #20 on: 15 December, 2016, 10:11:30 pm »
Looks like any hope of Thomson winning has gone (unless Le Cleac'h has a serious mechanical), as a result of some bad decisions in the last 2 days to head North in an attempt to find some wind, but instead ending up becalmed. Le Cleac'h is having a blinder though.

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #21 on: 19 December, 2016, 08:22:19 am »
Yes, AT is at +515nm now.
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #22 on: 19 December, 2016, 04:20:23 pm »
Ooo. That's growing by the day. Not good news for AT.
Rust never sleeps

Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #23 on: 26 December, 2016, 06:49:32 pm »
AT pulling back some miles, now at +380nm...
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: Long distance sailing
« Reply #24 on: 26 December, 2016, 09:12:40 pm »
AT pulling back some miles, now at +380nm...

Oh, nautical miles, not nano-metres.  Otherwise, it's a VERY close race.
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup: