Spindrift 2 2019 Jules Verne attempt

[yl75]

I wonder how many miles they did since they changed the ama rudders, clearly not enough, but could they have done much more ?

 

[Foiling Optimist]

Are you *&#%+!$ kidding me?

 

[NeedAClew]

Either all these high tech ocean racers are sooo fragile or the ocean is toooo full of junk. Or both.

 

[TPG]

Time to put her on the auction block and build a foiler. IMO they've done what they could with her and even if they did take the record, I don't think it would last very long with Gitana and Macif around (and soon BPXI).

 

[Ahstom]

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/news/major-rudder-problem-spindrift-2-forced-abandon



At 20h UTC, Yann Guichard, Spindrift 2’s skipper, made the decision to turn around and end the current Jules Verne Trophy record attempt.





 





A difficult decision following a sudden loss of control, which required the intervention of two sailors at the wheel to recover the situation. This malfunction has damaged the steering system which makes the boat unsafe to be sailed in heavy weather conditions. All the crew members are safe and sound. Nevertheless, the multihull’s condition does not allow it to continue its world record attempt. The trimaran is currently returning to la Trinité-sur-Mer in Brittany, France. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

 

[Ahstom]

I wonder how many miles they did since they changed the ama rudders, clearly not enough, but could they have done much more ? 

The boat is ready, so is the crew they said ! No need to train and test the machine.

I think rudder stall is typically something you can detect and solve beforehand !

 

[Laurent]

The boat is ready, so is the crew they said ! No need to train and test the machine.

I think rudder stall is typically something you can detect and solve beforehand !

Agreed.

Either they hit something, got some damage to the rudders, which triggers the premature stall issue and you are just unlucky...

OR, the rudders are just fine, and you discover after 24 hrs in you round the world run that they have a tendency to stall prematurely, in sailing conditions that are totally acceptable for this beast. And then, it is a severe lack of preparation...

 

[Ahstom]

Either they hit something, got some damage to the rudders, which triggers the premature stall issue and you are just unlucky...

I didn't thought about that possibility, maybe they will communicate on that later...

 

[stief]

Well, the JVT rules say Spindrift can still restart this attempt:

An attempt of the "Jules Verne Trophy" is considered as committed as soon as the competitor crosses the starting line of the course between the 1st of August of the current year and the 31st of July of the following year.

During this period, hereinafter referred to as the "attempt year", the competitor will be allowed to return to the starting line as many times as he wishes without having to re-pay the entry fee.

http://www.tropheejulesverne.org/reglement/ 

So, Pit Stop? The rudder/ steering systems still needs fixing anyway unless Guichard decides to totally write her off.

 

[Ahstom]

The rudder/ steering stems still needs fixing unless Guichard decides to totally write her off.

Given their stand-by ends on December the 15th because after that, they prefer to train on the tf35 on the Léman lake, I doubt they will go again this year. 

 

[stief]

Given their stand-by ends on December the 15th because after that, they prefer to train on the tf35 on the Léman lake, I doubt they will go again this year. 

Yeah, I doubt they'll go too, but if he wanted to try for the Atlantic record, the Spindrift systems need the fix anyway. 

 

[yl75]

The boat is ready, so is the crew they said ! No need to train and test the machine.

I think rudder stall is typically something you can detect and solve beforehand !

Sure (at least for detecting),  they didn't push hard enough, but I forgot when they got the boat back in the water after they abandoned their last year tentative around Australia (they started in January  so in fact this year), and redid the rudder Shafts (maybe the complete rudders) at Persico.

In the end clearly not enough commitment on this project, but they didn't have that much time either probably (also due to the issue with the new rudders during their stand by).

In any case too bad, nothing to follow now !

 

[stief]

In any case too bad, nothing to follow now !

Well, still nervously following https://gis.ee/leaucommotion/  

It's his 3rd attempt too. Fingers crossed he makes it.

 

[stief]

Ouch. From https://twitter.com/Astrid__VDH/status/1201942868652363776?s=20

 

[PIL66 - XL2]

Sorry but this is becoming the norm...... yawn

 

[SCARECROW]

 

[Keith]

TFB...

She's such an amazing machine...

 

[yl75]

They got the boat back in the water on Sept 16 :

Spindrift 2 was put back in the water on Monday 16th September in the presence of Dona Bertarelli, Yann Guichard and the Spindrift racing team.

The world’s largest racing maxi trimaran has spent the past few months being further optimised, as well as being fitted with new load bearing rudder plates, following the structural failure of the starboard rudder plate during the Jules Verne Trophy record attempt last winter. The whole team was onsite at the Multiplast boatyard in Vannes this morning to help with the launch operation; this required careful attention down to the smallest detail, as the 40m trimaran was gently lifted into the water.The operation was overseen by team co-founder Yann Guichard and Spindrift 2’s boat captain, Erwan Le Roux, who had also ensured that each stage of the refit went smoothly. “We carried out a complete structural study of the T-rudders and worked on the aerodynamics, saved some weight and also did a complete check-up of the boat’s structure,” explained Erwan Le Roux.

Once its 38m tall mast is fitted, the trimaran will sail to its home port of La Trinité-sur-Mer.  There, the technical team will finish configuring the maxi trimaran for record mode, before the Jules Verne Trophy squad begins a series of ‘inshore' and 'offshore' training sessions during September.

The Jules Verne Trophy remains the team’s goal, with the two-month stand-by period starting on the 1st October.

The challenge is to beat the record time of 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes and 30 seconds set by Francis Joyon on Idec in 2017. Alongside the new racing season and the team’s future challenges, Yann Guichard and Dona Bertarelli are also delighted to announce changes to the management team at Spindrift racing. Léo Lucet, who, as Executive Director, has been one of the pillars of Spindrift racing since its creation in 2011, has taken over the management of all of Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard’s private affairs in Switzerland, of which Spindrift racing is a part. 

"This represents a new challenge for him and is a development of the role he has had alongside us while managing Spindrift racing.  Léo will remain in his capacity as Executive Director until the end of the Jules Verne Trophy attempt,” explains Dona Bertarelli.

Lucet will be succeeded as Executive Director of the Spindrift racing by Jean-Sebastien Chénier Proteau, who will be joining the team at its Saint-Philibert base in mid-October. A key player in the industry for several years, the 36-year-old Canadian has worked on major international projects such as the America’s Cup with Groupama Team France, the victorious Dongfeng Race Team in the Volvo Ocean Race, as well as Oman Sail and SailGP. Chénier Proteau, who has a Master’s in Business and Administration, will be in charge of organising the administrative, technical and sports teams.

"We warmly welcome Jean Sebastien and are delighted that he is joining the team. He will continue Léo’s work and use his broad international and managerial experience to continue developing our sports programme, both for the Jules Verne Trophy attempt this autumn, and also for the arrival of the TF35 in 2020,” concludes Yann Guichard.

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/news/launch-spindrift-2-and-new-appointment

(some very "corporate" talk there ...)

So indeed not that much time, but could it have been quicker ? Most probably ...

Previous news is on the M32 program :

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/news/m32-world-championship-starts-lake-garda

 

[stief]

Sad.  

SPINDRIFT 2 STOPS ITS ATTEMPT ON THE JULES VERNE TROPHY: YANN GUICHARD EXPLAINS 

December 5, 2019

At about 19:00 (French time) on Thursday, December 4, Spindrift 2 lost control of its steering.  The windward rudder was unable to operate correctly once the boat speed went beyond 35-40 knots, resulting in the black and gold trimaran being unable to stay on course.  These issues are in line with problems detected a few weeks ago, which had resulted in erratic performance of the appendages.

“We seem to have had rudder issues for a year now.  We broke one in the Indian Ocean last February and, as a result,  decided to build two new ones. We had delivery of them in late September, and have carried out several sea trials with them. We thought we had sorted the issue when we left La Trinité-sur-Mer on Tuesday, however these rudders are like a 'sword of Damocles’.  The favourable weather conditions around the start at Ushant, gave us the opportunity to check their reliability one last time, before heading into the Southern Ocean,” report Yann Guichard on the phone from Spindrift 2 this afternoon. 

"We tried a number of  times to solve the problem, but it keeps reappearing at high speeds and we can not control Spindrift 2, even with two crew on the helm. It is not prudent to continue like this, because there is a risk of total loss of the trimaran at high speed, which in turn is a not only a risk to the crew but the steering system could become severely compromised.  Though we have managed to regain control of the boat now, we cannot race around the world with this technical problem ... "

The reality is that if Spindrift 2 cannot sail with confidence above 35 knots of speed, there is little chance of improving on the existing reference time for the Jules Verne Trophy, which stands at 40d 23h 30 '30’.

Spindrift 2 had already hooked into the Portuguese trade winds and was in manageable seas with about 25 knots of wind further underlining that, even in benign the conditions, the situation would not improve, however much the crew intervened.

"We are now heading back towards La Trinité-sur-Mer in a moderate easterly wind, but will go through a ridge of depression tonight.  We will wait for the winds to abate before entering the channel and we should be back on the pontoon on Friday evening. Given the problems we have to solve, at the moment, I do not think it is realistic to leave this year for an attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. This is a massive disappointment for the whole team because we had found a good weather window to leave." Concluded the skipper of Spindrift 2.

Fundamental design flaw?

 

[yl75]

Sad.  

Fundamental design flaw?

Yes looks like it, maybe also due to the T foils ? But obviously others know how to make them work. ... Or a too thin cord ?

As BP V it didn't have T foils (at least at the beginning) :

Also quite strange that it is the windward rudder causing the issue 

Edit : windward is a translation mistake , in the French version it says leeward