Sydney to Hobart 2019

[Grande Mastere Dreade]

all i'm going to say about that leebow,  if people consider that too close ( yeah their 100'ers) i'm showing that video to my competitors here so everyone can get a good laugh..

 

[Liquid Assett NZ]

It's fine move on

 

[Grande Mastere Dreade]

bit of swapping going around...  Com now in first , infotrack taking second , and scally falling to third...   boy it would be nice to get some drone footage of those boats right now..

also an idle thought about the start..  it would be nice to have virtual start line graphic , would make the start that more interesting .

 

[trt131]

They used to put a virtual line on the picture but they drew the line to the pin end from the VIP boat that has the cannon and not the start boat.  I guess the Producers are not sailors and cant read flags.

 

[terrafirma]

The Big Indian on the charge. Stan has engineered them a very nice angle to Tassie with some breeze to boot. They"SHOULD" put some miles on the other 100's you'd think? The 1st 4 positions on handicap are TP52's...

 

[Sheetinmaxout]

Probably.  But Scallywag has no rights while tacking, they were already downspeed (had just tacked a few boatlengths ago) and, it would have been "easy" to go bow-down a little and force them to hurry their tack.

Not saying it's the right thing to do.  Just saying it's nice WOXI didn't do it.  Would have been a (perfectly legal) dick-move.

Used to be called "hunting". I believe still allowed in match racing.

 

[Sheetinmaxout]

The Big Indian on the charge. Stan has engineered them a very nice angle to Tassie with some breeze to boot. They"SHOULD" put some miles on the other 100's you'd think? The 1st 4 positions on handicap are TP52's...

Yep, Comanche running 10 degrees deeper and a few knots quicker, according to Windy Tracker. They will open out the lead til the next soft patch.

 

[AWASP]

Used to be called "hunting". I believe still allowed in match racing.

Hahah now who would have done that Indian V Oats in 2017 ends with Spitthill , just saying ......

My concern at the time is that if Oats didn't tack they would have been plucking their wind instruments out of Scally's main .......

 

[Varan]

Comanche already up 2nm, but the race between the 100s is still extremely close with oats only 13 back.

 

[shanghaisailor]

Used to be called "hunting". I believe still allowed in match racing.

In match racing if your helm is not centred then you are altering.So if you ask for a penalty it will be greened every time and if you continue altering while the give way boat is doing everything it can any contact will be penalty on you. When, as the right of way boat, you alter course you have to give them room to keep clear RRS 16.1 Nothing in Appendix C changes this.

 

[SCARECROW]

Comanche already up 2nm, but the race between the 100s is still extremely close with oats only 13 back.

if the forecast on windy is right, big boat are going to get slapped hard with another drifter at the finish.  Could we be about to see the smallest overall winner in years?

 

[terrafirma]

Comanche and Wild Oats the two fastest 100's. BJ taking a long time to get past Scallywag and it will. Oats will pass SW as well based on sheer consistent speed advantage. The Indian stretching and it may need to? The Indian needs to get to Tasman Island 10 miles ahead IMO. The rest will be with the Gods. 

 

[Francis Vaughan]

Seems we had this exact same conversation in 2017.  Nothing if not consistent. 

IMHO the only thing that makes the tack look close is the amount of money involved if they touched. Otherwise SW nailed the move, unlike WOXI in 2017, when MR overcooked it, badly. 

 

[bodega87]

if the forecast on windy is right, big boat are going to get slapped hard with another drifter at the finish.  Could we be about to see the smallest overall winner in years?

Going to be interesting to see where that hole ends up and who navigates through/around it. Looks like it will get realll light near Hobart around the time the big boys will be wrapping up. Could be close.

 

[FinnFish]

Comanche and Wild Oats the two fastest 100's. BJ taking a long time to get past Scallywag and it will. Oats will pass SW as well based on sheer consistent speed advantage. The Indian stretching and it may need to? The Indian needs to get to Tasman Island 10 miles ahead IMO. The rest will be with the Gods. 

They also have some nice pressure just before heading into the river. If 25-28kt is accurate C will absolutely smoking with that better approach angle. 

 

[FinnFish]

Going to be interesting to see where that hole ends up and who navigates through/around it. Looks like it will get realll light near Hobart around the time the big boys will be wrapping up. Could be close.

Tidal flow?

 

[trt131]

However the wind angle looks to have them VMG running which is not particularly strong for Comanche.

 

[Kenny Dumas]

Naval Group first in irco worked the transition really well. Their track shows some sweet jibe angles   

 

[terrafirma]

However the wind angle looks to have them VMG running which is not particularly strong for Comanche.

If she's 10 miles ahead she'll be ok IMO. She's 14 Miles ahead of Oats now and I think Oats is her biggest threat. BJ not so fast ATM thought she would have been quicker. Oats is 2nd quickest ATM according to the numbers

 

[shanghaisailor]

Zonc didn't say it was a IMO requirement (which is >300t). The IMO reference was to underpin HF technology and it's status in safety communications. HF voice ceased being monitored by AMSA at Charleville and Wiluna years ago.

DSC HF as a mandatory requirement in World Sailing and Australian Sailings Offshore Regulations for Cat 1 Races is as follows.

WS.

3.29.10 an MF/HF marine SSB transceiver (GMDSS/DSC) with at least 125 W  transmitter power and frequency range from at least 1.6 to 29.9 MHz with  permanently installed antenna and earth.

AS

3.25.1 The following waterproof or marine standard communication equipment shall be provided:
(a) (i) Permanently installed HF transceiver.
(ii) All new HF transceivers shall be DSC capable.
(i) It is recommended that all HF transceivers be DSC.

(c) A satellite phone is recommended. The satellite phone should have coverage of the race area, and be connected to the main power or have a spare battery.

Hi Jack

AS you so rightly highlight The requirements of World Sailing for Cat 1 Offshore racing kind of blows the posters on here that argue that "The CYCA are the only organisers that insist on HF". 

It is in there for good reason, In times of distress when well out of sight of land it is by far and away the most reliable method of the distress signal getting through.

I wanted to make sure  so I reached out so someone NOT involved in the forum discussions for their opinion. He instructs an IMO ratified course on "Restricted Certificate of Competency in Radiotelephony (Long Range)" It is a bit - that's a joke - it is WAY above the standard of course than the typical 1 day VHF course and they know more about this sort of stuff than anyone I have ever met.

Their response

[SIZE=11pt]"The problem with Satphones is talking to satellites - satellites are outside the atmosphere so to get to them takes a very accurate signal, or a very strong signal. The accuracy comes from a dish - famously difficult to keep a dish antenna pointed at a satellite in rough weather of course. Or if no dish it means it is an omnidirectional system which means either low speed data only (Sat C) or a low earth orbit satellite system. LEO systems are problematic at sea on small boats as in storm conditions the direct line of sight to the satellite is easily blocked by big waves.

Short summary - in weather upto Force 7 satellites work well on small vessels. After that they dont. Small vessels tend to get in difficulty from F7 onwards. Satellite systems are poor emergency communication systems for small vessels at sea. DSC equipped HF radio is unquestionably the most reliable distress communication method for small vessels at sea."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The also added in a separate email[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE]  [SIZE=11pt]Yes you can take a bearing. Of course with range, and signal bounce, this will quickly become less accurate once you are out of line of sight.

But in these days of Meosar compatible EPIRBs and DSC equipped (and therefore GPS attached) HF radios why would you want to do this?[/SIZE] "

So this backs up those who argue that for safety the HF (with DSC) is a much better (read safer) system and when it really kicks off that is surely more reassuring. But I defer that as the 'specialist' says it is of limited value for homing in especially as this is already available with VHF when line of sight.

Let's hope none of us ever need to really put it to the test.

Cheers

SS