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So how to the rankings actually work!?
Warton and Bawbag appear to be virtually on top of each other, yet there's nearly 600 places between them!
Rankings are taken as the nearest in a straight line to the stage finish in Capetown. Even if you were a mile behind someone, due to the numbers playing there will be hundreds if not thousands along the band that is equidistant. I'm out to the West, the new leaders are about 12hrs ahead of me but in the rankings I am still behind a boats as far back as the Canaries because they are nearer to Capetown as the crow flies.
Have a look at [url= http://vr-annexe.akroweb.fr/carte-sat-velux101.php?lang=en ]this map[/url]. It shows the first 10000 on the leaderboard. The sharp edge along the northern side of the boat plots is where it gets to 10000th place. Everyone along that edge is in a similar place on the leaderboard so by moving a little closer or further away from Capetown you will make/lose loads of places.
Think I'm going west of Cape Verde, there seems to be a bit of a lull to the east for a few days just as we get there plus any wind there is is blowing directly due south rather than at an angle.
Doug, can you hear me creeping up behind you, ninja style? i'll be following you to the west of cape verde i think. looks like steve is going to join us over there..
ps what tyres for changing my XTR sails?
Doh. Getting hammered last night really did not help me. Although I do think I mostly got away with it!
bigG, better pass out of arms reach or I'll strap a huge magnet to your keel to fox all those automatic gizmo's your utilizing and spray WD40 all over your posh XTR running gear so the squeaking keeps you awake all night. 😉
Shonen Knife and I (series1) look like we're on collision course!
Never mind XTR. Looks like mine must be Altus from the way I have been going. Have a cunning plan that might get me back to mid table.
772th at the moment, great weekend! have been really busy so just checking and changing course once every 12 hours or so. kept a steady 28ish km all weekend.
making steady progress now, not sure if I should go east, west or through cape verde,, lets see how the winds feel when I get a little closer. I'm guessing that rusty floater & tortoise have done a robert maxwell..
Apparently I'm going to be hugging the coast as I forgot to change my heading yesterday!
Decided on east of Cape Verde (or maybe through the eastern end). Doesn't seem to be much advantage to be gained by taking the longer route west.
I am currently leading the STW Armada. That is all. (until the game realizes the guys in front of me are closer to the finish than me)
Warton, I held that position for a short while till I was skunked by the lack of wind of Gibralter.
I think it highly unlikely that lady luck has finished with her fickle ways. At least I hope not cause some good luck would be a change for!
I am currently leading the STW Armada. That is all.
By 37 slightly imaginary miles! 😈
Actually, I think in real terms you actually are there or thereabouts. You're far enough west to get round, just a bit short of options if the wind isn't quite right!
I fully expect to finish way off my current standing. its pure fluke I am where I am.
jeezo - just logged in after the weekend - dropped 7000 places! That's me knackered then!
I think MTBSTAN needs to change course 😯
****, it's wind-change time and I can't get on!
IS that MTBStan and Shonen with their EPPIRBs going off? Will they have to survive in their upturned hull for days? 😆
22,000 places dropped from best standing, just before the Gibraltar saga and tonight at bed time. Bugger!
Picking up places slowly but surely and making good progress past Verde, now the run into the south atlantic is on. Same question though, just how far west is enough?
Looks interesting ahead though with a beat coming to mix it up a bit. More chances for position juggling.
I cracked. I'm sorry. 😳
Broke into the top 1000 and with the outright leader tantalisingly within reach, that extra knot was too tempting. 😳 😳
No automation though. 😯
As expected, lost 1300 places overnight as the 'real' leaders take up their rightful position at the front of the race.
I've been making good steady progress (series 1) over the past two or three days. I must confess I don't really know what I'm doing. My present course is to to come close to Cape Verde on its eastern side, but the wind looks like it will be much lighter if I'm too far east.
I think I'm hooked...
Stevo, I knew the shiny XTR would attract you in the end, I've broken through the 10000th place barrier overnight and heading to the stronger breezes sw of Cape Verde. The race is on!
Stevo, cheers for the bump up the SO standings 😉
You'll get an even bigger bump up the overall when those east o you hit that still air. The guy in 1st place is already down to 8 knots with those just behind on around 10. They havnt even hit the slowest air yet! The forecast for 36 & 48 hrs looks a bit grim for those guys.
I just hope you haven't stayed too far east.
Not too worried, if it comes to it I can just head south-west for a couple of hours and stay out of the worst of it.
Well at the moment I am second to last of the STW lot. That is if you do not count the ones that have run aground or are heading to Canada.
Hopefully I can make decent progress and make Cape Town for the party at the end of the first leg before you lot drink it all!
Hold on to yer horses Uphillcursing. You're only 400 or so miles ahead of me. 😕
Should have gone west at the start like that lot down there.
Finally managed to overhaul doug and seem to have hit lucky with the winds so far, must avoid the temptation of heading too far west to hunt down the stronger breeze.
For now I'll continue to head south (ish) and hope the strong winds allow for some good tacking action.
Aye, it's going to be a slog for a day or two, then it might get a bit interesting - there are some big winds down south blowing all the way to Cape Town, but is it worth trying to go there?
it's all gone quiet since the winds died down, can you not get a connection from that close to the african coast? or are you scared pirates will kidnap you if you give away your position.
It's really looking it's going to be tacking all the way to Cape Town now. Would be great if a low formed up near Brazil and headed west but I'm not seeing anything in the forecasts.
Ive clawed back warton and njee20.
Next stop dazzlingboy.
Cant wait for the shifty beats - my favourite. Didnt they say an iphone app was due out on Sunday too - just in time to allow me to play the shifts during the night in bed.
All hail Neptune!
Anyone else tried the app yet. Looks like you need to buy per race, or stage?? Not clear as it's in French!
Now in the hunt for the main fleet now. No iPhone here so will just have to start tacking as and when i am online for the great long beat to Capetown..
One of the main reasons I'm so far west is to hopefully avoid all the tacking as I only really have a couple of VR 'windows' per day.
I've given up
What time is the wind change? 20:00 GMT +2 is surely 18:00 GMT - no?
Sorry to see we've had a few that have given up, the going is looking slow to Cape Town now, shame we're not in the southern atlantic in a week, long range forecast has some great looking winds kicking up!
slow drag down to the cape, and I can see it getting tactical as we approach
Should have the Spinny out by tea-time tomorrow. I'm still hoping to get across to the back of that low off Rio as it weakens before the window shuts then be low enough (40S) to ride the front of the next two all the way to CT. :fingers crossed:
i am beating to the east of the rhond line, made a turn back west just now as I read the most up to date wind chart. It is heavy going, I would say the optimal selection seems to have gone west to Rio and steam it across to the east.
Forgot to start the Rhum Baa Baa Route race 🙁 Joined late and both vessels are at the back of the flotilla in around 65,000th 😯