Fastnet 2021

[pulpit]

Is it possible HB still worried about fragility?

Did not look anything like full press in the early upwind?

Could it be that HB needs to finish a race and not get another  DNF ? 

With the costs of these boats and sponsors wanting their pound of flesh, Alex may need to finish this race for funding and contract reasons. 

Anyway pushing the boats to there limits in boat breaking conditions at the start wasn't a good option.

Pulpit

 

[Afrayedknot]

It will be really interesting to see what the Race Committee do now with Rambler since it appears they sailed the wrong course?

Or does it take a protest from another competitor?

Maybe the Rambler Navigator knows something we don't but every other boat seems to be keeping the Fastnet TSS to port. 

As I said before. Wish I was a fly on the wall when they find out. IMO they didn’t sail the course so never finished unless they go unwind the string. And again, I agree I said there may be something we don’t know. But.... No one else has done the same. 

 

[Sidecar]

1 hour ago, Thisnametaken said:
Gotta say Rambler looks like they pull off a nice move there at the end.

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Agreed. They seem to be playing the currents more aggressively-differently than their competition.

Best to be placed uptide of the finish line for the final approach, especially in a light/dying breeze. In this case, with an (increasing) ebb tidal current you can’t do that, so the next best thing is to get/stay further out, in less tide and slightly more wind, to get enough easting, so that you can get a good lee bow angle into the finish. Which is what Rambler did. Apivia, being inshore had no choice due to the TSS zone, but to plug straight into a stronger ebb for longer in slightly less wind, until they had made enough easting to do the same. If it had been a flood tide finish, Apivia should have beaten Rambler comfortably.

FWIW (to my own cost in many races races around there), normally, no one is more “aggressive” regarding tidal tactics than the French. And they usually get it right.

 

[terrafirma]

Just to pile on, “line honors” means “first to finish.”  That goes to a small bunch of hotshot French sailors on a fast as hell trimaran.  The Scorpion folks are “first to finish if yu don’t count any of the other boats we don’t want to count.”

There's always been Mono and Multi's where have you been FFS.? 

 

[terrafirma]

I doubt the Race Committee check every boats track so who is going to bring it the Committees attention.? 

 

[Ripple Rider]

I doubt the Race Committee check every boats track so who is going to bring it the Committees attention.? 

Whilst I generally agree with this comment, especially for such a big fleet as the Fastnet I am sure the committee have time to check the track of one of the marquee boats.

What else have they got to do at the moment with the vast majority of the fleet still miles away? 

 

[terrafirma]

Whilst I generally agree with this comment, especially for such a big fleet as the Fastnet I am sure the committee have time to check the track of one of the marquee boats.

What else have they got to do at the moment with the vast majority of the fleet still miles away? 

Let's see what happens then.? 

 

[MasterRobin]

So when they finish, according to the SI's this form has to be completed...

 

[enigmatically2]

Is Scorpios the new Comanche? Time will tell. I am glad that there are billionaires who can fulfil their dreams so that we can share in them

I disagree. I wish the billionaires would stick to aspects of sailing that need billions like Americas cup or provide some funding down to the wider sport. To me there is too much focus on these big boats - where there is no real sailing competition, merely a race to build the biggest and fastest. They get all the attention for what is barely more than a sprint and take it away from where I think the real sailing is - down in IRC2,3,4. Where it will have been more uncomfortable, longer but the competition much harder.

Coffee makers? We don't need no stinking coffee makers

 

[ttc546]

Thats fine - stick with IRC 2,3,4 whilst I, and many others, will continue to drool over the big boys toys as well as watch and appreciate IRC 2,3,4. There is room for everybody

 

[jimmyuk81]

Tut, tut, tut ........ tailender IRC4 boats matter 

Yes, they certainly do - no disrespect meant to IRC4 sailors!   

 

[staysail]

I enjoy seeing boats like Rambler and Scorpios competing. Owners may be mega rich and are probably having fun but for me they are not very relevant in high end professional sailing/racing. Imoca 60 is where its at where the best real sailors actually want to be, and Figaro is where you prove you can sail. Those two classes are what I see as the real ocean racers.

 

[TPG]

I enjoy seeing boats like Rambler and Scorpios competing. Owners may be mega rich and are probably having fun but for me they are not very relevant in high end professional sailing/racing. Imoca 60 is where its at where the best real sailors actually want to be, and Figaro is where you prove you can sail. Those two classes are what I see as the real ocean racers.

It was amusing to see the swan thread get real quiet when Charlie and Paul were ontop of Skorpios.  :lol:

 

[enigmatically2]

I enjoy seeing boats like Rambler and Scorpios competing. Owners may be mega rich and are probably having fun but for me they are not very relevant in high end professional sailing/racing. Imoca 60 is where its at where the best real sailors actually want to be, and Figaro is where you prove you can sail. Those two classes are what I see as the real ocean racers.

I'd completely agree with that, but for neither of those groups is the Fastnet anything more than a side show. To me the Fastnet is about IRC 2,3,4 as i said

 

[terrafirma]

I disagree. I wish the billionaires would stick to aspects of sailing that need billions like Americas cup or provide some funding down to the wider sport. To me there is too much focus on these big boats - where there is no real sailing competition, merely a race to build the biggest and fastest. They get all the attention for what is barely more than a sprint and take it away from where I think the real sailing is - down in IRC2,3,4. Where it will have been more uncomfortable, longer but the competition much harder.

Coffee makers? We don't need no stinking coffee makers

That's why we have handicap and line honors.! Nothing wrong with bigger boats. 

 

[terrafirma]

It was amusing to see the swan thread get real quiet when Charlie and Paul were ontop of Skorpios.  :lol:

I disagree. Apivia was foiling when they kept pace with Skorpios. There is nothing that would keep up with Apivia in foiling conditions in an ocean race. As soon as Apivia couldn't foil she got blown away by Skorpios. She finished over 8 hours later. Horses for courses, Apivia is a F1 single handed foiling machine, Skorpios is a big boat just like Comanche or Wild Oats etc. 

 

[enigmatically2]

That's why we have handicap and line honors.! Nothing wrong with bigger boats. 

No, but a sailing competition it is not.

And I found the commentary on the starting video somewhat patronising. Lots of drooling over the big boats and then comments like "the small boats get better value for money because it will take them longer to finish". Despite the fact that at last one of the commentators has never done it on anything bigger than a 3/4 tonner 

 

[terrafirma]

I disagree. I wish the billionaires would stick to aspects of sailing that need billions like Americas cup or provide some funding down to the wider sport. To me there is too much focus on these big boats - where there is no real sailing competition, merely a race to build the biggest and fastest. They get all the attention for what is barely more than a sprint and take it away from where I think the real sailing is - down in IRC2,3,4. Where it will have been more uncomfortable, longer but the competition much harder.

Coffee makers? We don't need no stinking coffee makers

Stick to the Americas Cup did you say.! That is absurd. The Americas Cup is for the elite of the elite class requiring billions. They are free to do what they want and thats why we have line honors and handicap. It works as it is, really unless you mean you don't like the bigger boats getting all the attention? 

 

[terrafirma]

No, but a sailing competition it is not.

And I found the commentary on the starting video somewhat patronising. Lots of drooling over the big boats and then comments like "the small boats get better value for money because it will take them longer to finish". Despite the fact that at last one of the commentators has never done it on anything bigger than a 3/4 tonner 

There will always be drooling over new boats.! There's drooling over pretty girls too.! Come-on you can do better than that surely.! 

 

[Matagi]

No, but a sailing competition it is not.

And I found the commentary on the starting video somewhat patronising. Lots of drooling over the big boats and then comments like "the small boats get better value for money because it will take them longer to finish". Despite the fact that at last one of the commentators has never done it on anything bigger than a 3/4 tonner 

Matthew Sheahan was onboard Grimalkin in the 1979 tragedy as a young man. He lost his father in that race.