Ultime / G-Class Development

GauchoGreg

GauchoGreg

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This part " The automated systems they also regard as security or safety measure controlling the boat from getting into dangerous situations not just for performance " seems very logical and has always had me thinking the consortium Ultim was stupid.... hopefully this will force them to re-think that and recruit Gitana back in with better rules... win-win.

 
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oceanwwgg

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bordeaux france
Not to forget too that technological race has always been (since the sixties) part of ocean sailing race.

For multihull and monohul.  What a stupidity to forbid it.

And a deep scandal that the ‘collectif ultim ’ ( macif sodebo banque pop ) décide on their own ( no FFR or neutral institution involved) to build new rules against Gitana17 during live season ( restriction on foil daggerboard).

It’s like if in formula one Ferrari and Red Bull had a meeting in June to forbid Mercedes to use their new too fast motor for the last 8 Grand Prix. 

Probably they try to give all the chance to these new race for new 32/23 platform.                                                   But there is no excuse to forget sport, compétition and sportmanship.

Congrats !

 
A

Ahstom

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Saint Malo, France
I am pretty sure that the technical regulation will evolve in favor of Gitana if her Jules Verne campaign is successful. A race without the fastest competitor is pointless when your class is called Ultim'. The image of the fastest boats around the globe is too important. Maybe a rule concerning power supply and energy management will appear... 

 
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JonRowe

JonRowe

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I think so too, I think Macif will be on Gitana's side come the launch of the new tri, as Gabart's has been working with MadInTec's "Mad Brain" for the foiling autopilot.

 
J

jb5

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Its seems pretty obvious to me that if Gitana does well in their 2020 program of the Transat and RTW/JV both Macif and BP will want to be able to compete and respond. Why else spend all that money.  There are also almost no class only events. Sodebo I'm not so sure.  They are very much behind the class it seems.  Maybe the others with new boats have more funding? Anyway, it remains to be seen if the class will survive, it should not limit development.

 
yl75

yl75

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Very interesting (and long) interview of Pascal Bidegorry below :

https://www.tipandshaft.com/podcast/

About his whole sailing story (he started quite late at 16 or 17, before that much more into mountain/skiing and rugby, and being Basque in a Britanny world wasn't that easy), and especially regarding the maxi BP episode : they had many structural issues with it (couldn't tell anything about it at the time), for instance they had to replace the nomex core and inner skins and both floats and rear part of the main hull, got the transat record (still standing), then the two unsuncessfull JV seasons (the structural issues took a big part in them), and he indeed took a big hit when he had to leave the program (he is saying he wasn't really fired, not very clear).

Also a lot about the money/sponsoring aspects of the whole thing.

He is currently planning to buy the current Macif.

 
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Laurent

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Very interesting interview! What a trace in the offshore race world.

One other anecdote: on the first leg of the first Dong Feng Volvo campaign, between Alicante and Cape Town, with Caudrelier as skipper, Pascal B. fell inside the boat and breaks neck vertabraes before the Canaries Island... For a while he doesn't feel his hands and his feet... Seriously thinking of stopping in the Canary Islands.

But they continue and arrive in Cape Town, and he goes to the hospital to get an IRM and has to explain that he just arrived from Alicante, by boat... and hurt himself 22 days ago...

 
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Laurent

Super Anarchist
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Houston
Very interesting interview! What a trace in the offshore race world.

One other anecdote: on the first leg of the first Dong Feng Volvo campaign, between Alicante and Cape Town, with Caudrelier as skipper, Pascal B. fell inside the boat and breaks neck vertabraes before the Canaries Island... For a while he doesn't feel his hands and his feet... Seriously thinking of stopping in the Canary Islands.

But they continue and arrive in Cape Town, and he goes to the hospital to get an IRM and has to explain that he just arrived from Alicante, by boat... and hurt himself 22 days ago...

 
JonRowe

JonRowe

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GauchoGreg said:
Maybe I am in the minority, but I just don't see the point in the MODs.
Click to expand...
I am assuming you mean beyond "going quick" which is the basic point of any racing boat, wasn't the original purpose to be a one design record setting ocean racer? Similar to the point of the Ultimes now but with a shared design to reduce cost?

 
J

jb5

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GauchoGreg said:
Maybe I am in the minority, but I just don't see the point in the MODs.
Click to expand...
I think we are lucky to have them around even though the OD class tanked quickly. Most of them have found new homes easily enough around the world. Bit like the ORMA 60s before them. Fun to watch and follow and adds another dimension to the sport. Would be great to see some do the Transat CIC. 

 
GauchoGreg

GauchoGreg

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JonRowe said:
I am assuming you mean beyond "going quick" which is the basic point of any racing boat, wasn't the original purpose to be a one design record setting ocean racer? Similar to the point of the Ultimes now but with a shared design to reduce cost?
Click to expand...
My point is that none are still OD and there are no OD events for them... they cannot compete with the bigger boats, they cannot set records, they are unlikely to win line-honors unless against boats they really should hardly care to race against, they cannot win handicapped events (nor would owners of such boats likely care to try), they are tweeners... too small to really tackle big races (big ocean stuff... see what Bruno Peyron said about them) but pretty awkward to use just for fun.  Yeah, I would love to get a ride on one, and really impressive for what they can do at the price one can secure one for, but I don't see the point in owning one.

 
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