How about a The Ocean Race thread?

[Fiji Bitter]

"A word from Charlie".
Just to get a little bit in the spirit of the race.

A WORD FROM CHARLIE AS 2022 DRAWS TO A CLOSE - 11th Hour Racing Team

Cue the riff from Europe’s popular ballad .“It’s the Final Countdown” As I sit here, in cold and blustery Rhode Island, 3,500 miles from Alicante, Spain, we’re just three short weeks from the start of The Ocean Race 2022-23. It’s safe to say that the lead-up to this, the 14th edition of the...

www.11thhourracingteam.org

 

[3to1]

I'm just gonna' say it, imo, those gimp 'foiler' 60's are goofy-ass boats even for the solo stuff. I look at the killer late generation daggerboard 60's with admiration for their refined high-performance pragmatism as offshore racers.

unless something is being missed here by many posters, how do these teams expect to keep these fkg freaks of nature and their rigs from exploding as they attempt to race around the world?

crewed, pro-level 'round the world racing is probably my favorite discipline as a follower of the sport, but it seems like this event will be trying to hang on by it's finger tips 'cause the boats being used are kinda' fkn' goofy (and more fragile than they need to be). I get the financial hurdles, but maybe do it 'right', or not at all?

 

[Liquid]

crewed, pro-level 'round the world racing is probably my favorite discipline as a follower of the sport, but it seems like this event will be trying to hang on by it's finger tips 'cause the boats being used are kinda' fkn' goofy (and more fragile than they need to be). I get the financial hurdles, but maybe do it 'right', or not at all?

IMOCA produces a goofy boat? That's a first....

The IMOCA class has been lapping the planet for 30 years and reliability is way up with OD masts and keels.

Nice and cozy enclosed cockpits! Why go around on anything other than an IMOCA?

 

[3to1]

IMOCA produces a goofy boat? That's a first....

The IMOCA class has been lapping the planet for 30 years and reliability is way up with OD masts and keels.

Nice and cozy enclosed cockpits! Why go around on anything other than an IMOCA?

maybe they're better for solo stuff, you know, their original reason to exist. imo, there are better boats for crewed 'round the world racing (and yes, wetter for the crews).
point taken about reliability improvements for OD rig/keel.

 

[wildbirdtoo]

HOLCIM/PRB (Kevin Escoffier) crew for the first stage(s)... Some very familiar and experienced names here. It looks a talented international mix


Sam Goodchild (UK)
Abby Ehler (UK)
Fabien Delahaye (FR)
Tom Laperche (FR)
Susann Beucke (Ger)
Julien Champollion (Journalist FR/ OBR)
Georgia Schofield (Journalist NZ/OBR)

 

[10thTonner]

I always found it funny to allow foiling but forbid controlled foiling. Without a moth-style pitch control these boats launch and crash and launch and crash all the time. Compare that to the big tris and their smooth and level flying.

OTOH, IMOCAs are one of the most professionally managed, owner-driver controlled classes. So if they want it that way - fine.

 

[Schakel]

Microplastic monitoring announced during upcoming Ocean Race

Nice video as well

 

[cill123]

Is it a boat race or a virtue signaling tree hugging science experiment.

 

[nogetwe]

Most of the sponsorship of the boats works on some sort of sustainability aspect (Malizia, Holcim PRB, 11th hour) which is a stretch for carbon fiber boats who occasionally drop a carbon stick in the water, hit marine wildlife with their foils and keels or disintegrate entirely and sink.
At least they're trying to provide some data from areas where most ships don't go which will help argue for better protection.
Better than a TP52 beach clean up to which the owners arrive in private jets.

 

[Kenny Dumas]

Is Virtue Signaling a bad thing? It’s the primary product of everything from Wall Street to the Vatican after all.
Given the budgets and impact, I think there’s a huge opportunity for drones for impact avoidance and wildlife tracking

 

[Slark]

Last edition of this race was pretty fun to watch. V65's weren't as sexy as the V70's but it was close one design sailing, came right down to the end.... Seemed the move to IMOCA's was supposed to increase entries but that backfired. Not sure it's going to be as interesting with 5 boats (pre breakages), participants basically fully enclosed.

Remember watching Vendee start a while back and someone had a remote out to steer the boat- What are autopilot rules for IMOCA's in this race? Didn't seem to show up in the notice of race.

 

[nogetwe]

Last edition of this race was pretty fun to watch. V65's weren't as sexy as the V70's but it was close one design sailing, came right down to the end.... Seemed the move to IMOCA's was supposed to increase entries but that backfired. Not sure it's going to be as interesting with 5 boats (pre breakages), participants basically fully enclosed.

Remember watching Vendee start a while back and someone had a remote out to steer the boat- What are autopilot rules for IMOCA's in this race? Didn't seem to show up in the notice of race.

I read an interview saying that the reduction in participants was expected and that they consider this race as an interim until the numbers build again next time. Certainly a good amount of marketing language, but we are probably too impatient.

I believe there's no limit to the use of autopilots and they will be used a lot. Some tiller setups such as Malizia's probably do not even allow steering comfortably full time.

 

[Varan]

"Skippers Vendée Globe also rely on sophisticated autopilot systems that require different inputs to steer the boat, and this is a tricky job. However, the autopilot systems to be used on IMOCA 60 for Ocean raceare much more basic and will only be able to steer the course - in other words, they will be used mainly in an emergency or to free the helmsman while sailing. In other words, crews will no longer be able to rely on autopilots to steer the boat, unless of course they want to lag behind."

English link

 

[Fiji Bitter]

With the assembly deadline of January 2, 2023 fast approaching, Mālama and the team left Valencia yesterday morning and arrived at The Ocean Race HQ in Alicante, Spain, late last night. Hello Alicante! 11th Hour Racing Team arrive in Alicante for The Ocean Race assembly period View as Webpage With the assembly deadline of January 2, 2023 fast approaching, Mālama and the team left Valencia yesterday r20.rs6.net

 

[nogetwe]

"Skippers Vendée Globe also rely on sophisticated autopilot systems that require different inputs to steer the boat, and this is a tricky job. However, the autopilot systems to be used on IMOCA 60 for Ocean raceare much more basic and will only be able to steer the course - in other words, they will be used mainly in an emergency or to free the helmsman while sailing. In other words, crews will no longer be able to rely on autopilots to steer the boat, unless of course they want to lag behind."

English link

Thank you for the link!
Is this up to date? I vaguely remember some discussion between the race and IMOCA about the use of autopilots and adjustments to boats required between Ocean Race and IMOCA races. IMOCA was not keen to change much.

 

[Fiji Bitter]

Indeed, I vaguely remember something like that, but don't recall to have seen a definite answer. And the poor covering of the race by the Smorgasbords makes it hard to find the answer.

This old video by 11th Hour gives the impression that a fully functional AP will be allowed:


And also a recent remark by Simon Fisher leads to that conclusion:
"For us now it's really about learning how to survive in the ‘bubble’ where we are covered up and relying on the autopilot a lot to do a lot of the steering.”

 

[terrafirma]

So who do we all have for the Imoca and VOR65 divisions? I think Charlie and Kevin will fight out the IMOCA division but don't have a clue for the VOR65's..? Also anyone care to guess how much the leading IMOCA boat will beat the leading VOR65 boat by.?

 

[Liquid]

Was it the recent Europe Race where the VO65s did quite well against the IMOCAs...



Sorry but kind of a yawn this go around.

Isn't the big question reliability: The IMOCA's ability to be sailed at full potential in any condition, 100% of the time?

 

[M26]

So who do we all have for the Imoca and VOR65 divisions? I think Charlie and Kevin will fight out the IMOCA division but don't have a clue for the VOR65's..? Also anyone care to guess how much the leading IMOCA boat will beat the leading VOR65 boat by.?

IMOCA
11th Hour Racing Team (USA), Charlie Enright
Team Malizia (GER); skipper Boris Herrmann
Team Holcim-PRB (SUI); skipper Kevin Escoffier
GUYOT environnement-Team Europe (FRA/GER); skipper Benjamin Dutreux
Biotherm Racing (FRA); skipper Paul Meilhat

V65
Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team (POR); skipper António Fontes.
WindWhisper Racing Team (POL); skipper Pablo Arrarte
Team JAJO (NED); skipper Jelmer van Beek
Ambersail 2 (LIT); skipper Rokas Milevičius
Viva México (MEX); skipper Erik Brockmann
Austrian Ocean Racing Team Genova (AUT/ITA); skipper Gerwin Jansen

 

[Jethrow]

But none of the VO65's are doing the full lap right, just the sprint stuff?