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Yes but I've lost about 3000 places - got some work to do!
Armel smashes the record to Cape Horn by 5 days set 4 years ago. Pretty much perfect weather for his rounding. Alex T should round Christmas morning which despite trailing by 600+ miles will make it pretty special. As a race it's all over
Yup, once Alex dropped to 300 miles behind it was over for him. Ok, Armel could have a disaster but now they're hugging the Argie/ Brazilian coastline Armel can only put more miles on Alex.
Almost forgotten whose in third 😕
Alex now within 34 nm of the lead. In front by tomorrow?
Look at the wind and east/west separation, the distance to finish (and hence calculation of the lead) is misleading. I'd love to think Alex is "back in it" but I suspect not.
Why do you think that (genuine question, I'm interested in your reasoning)?
I get that Alex is downwind based on the current prevailing winds, but it's not like they're going to have Westerlys all the way home, and in fact if the winds stayed the same as they are at the moment it looks like a more Easterly course might pick up better winds.
But then I'm not an ocean sailor and haven't even been playing the game, so I might be missing something. Though in any case it's certainly looking a lot closer than seemed likely a few days ago.
Just the way the new wind will likely fill in. It's normal when you approach a lighter patch for the sailor behind to catch up, if Alex was directly behind Armel that would be one thing but there is a big East/West seperation. IMO Alex has taken a gamble knowing he will hold better wind to the East and why not as if he follows Armel he knows he's lost.
This is from Mark Turner who ran Ellen McArthur's operation (co-owened it I think), he's the new CEO of Volvo Ocean Race, lives in Switzerland and does quite a bit of road biking. Met him in Geneva airport once off loading his bike bag. You can follow him on facebook if you wish.
Armel v Alex reminds me in some ways (but not all) of Ellen coming back up to MichDesj from 600 or so miles behind in the 2000/1 Vendee. She took the lead for a few hours even up the Atlantic in very similar fashion, but there was not much doubt Mich would indeed get to the new wind first, if only just in the end. Seems like Armel should be safe further west once through the light patch, just like Mich was 16 years and 4 editions of the race ago (OMG, that long?!)...but I guess you never really can be sure...
I did post earlier before I had seen Mark's post but it's not a unique insight, wind always looked like it would fill in from the West imo
Well I'm not going to use the App again. Quick course tweak this morning on my phone. Came onto the PC an hour later and some how I was sailing south. I think thats the second time I've exited the app going the wrong way....
Only a few days until the leaders will be finished now....
Alex is only 95 nautical miles behind Armel at present. That's about 5 hours at the speed they're currently doing. Keep thinking there is no realistic chance of Alex winning, but then he closes the gap right down again.
The last bit in to the finish will have to be on port tack, so Alex will need to overtake and build up a lead before then if he's going to win. A very big ask!
Nail biter for sure... If onlyAlex hadn't broken a goil.....
NewRetro I am really not sure he's that much slower without the foil, the foil only helps in certain specifc conditions. 95 miles keeps the world interested but being mr grumpy he is only 5 hours behind only if Armel stops completely.
It's certainly been an incredible race
Alex "boat is on fire" 🙂 not literally of course
Gap down to 88 miles now...
It's crazy, but as I predicted.
Will Alex close the gap enough that they match race to the line ?? That would be something.
Come on Alex!
[url= http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/18129/alex-thomson-has-smashed-the-24-hour-record ]New 24hr distance record[/url]
What an impressive performance by both guys - but especially AT with a semi-broken boat for a huge amount of the race.
He may not win but chapeau chap (+ for the designers, builders, riggers, sailmakers, etc. - that boat looks simple awesome.)
You have to lov Alex and Armel really, brilliant fight
Oooh, this is fun.
Armel, well done.
That said.
COME ON ALEX!
Edit: forgot to say - wiggly rudders at speed 😯 done that in a 505, but a 60'er is 😯 80 80
This is looking like a more exciting finish than I'd anticipated - amazed that Alex closed the gap by 11 miles in the last 3 hour update. At that rate, he stands a chance - fingers crossed for him!
Also exciting in the virtual fleet:
- Stapleford Flyer, having been over 1,000 miles ahead of me (Kapow) and Ampthill, is now just 100 miles or so in front.
- Ampthill and I have been within about 50 miles of each other for the past month - he's pulled a nice move to the North to re-take the lead which I think he'll hold until the end, but still only 20 miles between us!
Exciting finish ahead!
COME ON ALEX!
Gap now down to 42 miles - Alex has taken off another 15 miles in 3 hours. Getting very interesting - I wonder if Armel has an issue??
Looks lik they have rather different stratergies at the moment. Alex looking like he is going further but faster. Armel trying to cut the corner. It's a night mare the more direct you dgo the worse the wind angle and speed. I have to say if I do the Volvo next winter I will have to pay for at least one route planing option so i can evaluate routes. I've just been trying to estimate the best VMG and find the lay line into Sable' by holding a set square and a silver compass on my computer monitor
I expect I'll do the Volvo, but I'll probably take a 'no-paid-options' approach as it levels the fired with others I'm likely to be playing alongside.
About 45 hours to go, 42nm and 0.8 knots in it. Outrageously close
Nick if you do it free so will I
I'll be up for the Volvo ('tis a long haul though)
36nm separation, Alex faster by 2 knots over last 24 hours but Armel faster the last 2hrs.
The breeze should pick up on the last turn into LeSable....
*bites nails*
Its such shame that they are going to have to tack onto port
I have no nails left, i'm expecting Armel to win with Alex about 2nm behind.. fabulous racing.
Sad to have lost Seb and Vincent early on or we'd have Team Racing finish for sure.. 😆
The gap is very hard to read now as Armel has tacked. But before the tach he was about 4 hours ahead. The 36nm sepertion is measured on the shortest route and not that helpful at the moment, as they aren't takig the shortest route
Armel has tacked
From Mark Turner
For my non sailing friends, beware of the sometimes misleading power of numbers!! It's a great story with Alex so close - but he didn't really get closer in past 24 hours even if the Distance To Go DTG reduced. It's measured as a straight line to finish and the fastest way there is not directly as that is where the wind is coming from in simple terms. Secondly 34 miles at speeds of 10 knots is the same amount of separation in time, which of course is what ultimately matters, basically as 70 miles gap at the previous 20 knots. So yes it's a close finish (actually very similar to the last edition), but the only way for Alex to win now is a major breakage for Armel - amazing effort from them both though and Armel will need a good sleep on arrival after being hunted for so long!
It's good for the fans but 30 miles ahead with the finish upwind means Armel holds all the cards. My guess is they will finish 1-2 hours apart which is amazing for a single handed round the world race.
Armel wins. Live now on facebook etc
He sailed the whole Atlantic without his largest headsail too 😯
Well done Armel!
Alex has now crossed the line, must have been one helluva relief.
There are still some sailors 6k to go 😯
An amazing effort by all concerned. I can't imagine the stress they have been under for so long.
What a race, and congratulations to them both
Alex is stuck outside the port and will have to wait for the tide 😐 A bit like a race to Deauville or Honfleur !
Congratulations, he too has broken the 2012 winners time.
Mean while the Forum race is so stressful
I think I'm .2 NM further from base than jambalaya. So i think he beats me as I'm being headed and he is being lifted
Nick has 40 Nm further to go than me. But as above he'll speed up i won't. I think this one is really close....
@amphill not me, the app didn't work at the start so I didn't bother - jambalaya_racing was me
Missing foil
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Interesting wee chart/article about UFO's and their effect on the race.
[url] http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2017/01/daily-chart-17 [/url]
Could any of the teams knocked out by UFO collisions realistically go after the owners/operators of the MOL Comfort as it's their fault there are so many containers bobbing about in the ocean?
Article is behind subscription wall.
The ocean is full of containers from very very many ships. Alex has no idea what he hit, he was asleep below. Loud bang, boat swung round, foil gone and rudder "kicked up" as it had hit it too. It may have been a container or a whale or many other things. Tree trunk - they had all spotts of stuff wash up the in California after the Japanese Tsunami
Three boats due in today 4th, 5th and 6th - amazing to be so close after a RTW race
Anybody else still watching?
Conrad Colman was dismasted off the coast of Portugal and has just spent four days hove to, to jury rig his boat. Back under way now, 700Nm to go at 3 or 4 knots.
I'm still checking in weekly...