I think it is really interesting that they have published so much detail about what is basically a failure.

His boat doesn’t look relaxing at the best of times, going into the southern oceans with a diy repair will be terrifying.

wow…that is really badly broken! v impressed if he can mend that sufficiently

Yep, seems quite relaxed about it . We will see…

I am wondering why carry so much repair material rather than put it into the structure already?

Because you don’t know where is going to break before it does, and overbuilding everything would weigh too much. These boats are essentially experimental prototypes.

Because you don’t know where is going to break before it does, and overbuilding everything would weigh too much. These boats are essentially experimental prototypes.

Also the new boat hasn’t had much sea trial time to flush these issues out…

Three things spring to mind from that video – one, that boat is very broken, two, the boat had an awful lot of reinforcement in the bow and three that failure looks looks a design/build failure, not from a UFO.

Rather him than me taking that into the Southern Ocean.

But that the points isn’t it, they should have been extensively sea-tested beforehand. Whats the point of spending so much money without testing it thoroughly? So far thats three foiling boats broken I think….john le cam looks good for the win!

that failure looks looks a design/build failure, not from a UFO.

Absolutely, no doubt. Continuous flexing in the hull.
Let’s not forget that the now is always trying to meet up with the stern due to the rig loads.

So far thats three foiling boats broken

Charal was broken rudders possibly from UFO strike

Corum was mast failure possibly caused by too much sail in gusty conditions (they all have the same mast though and no others have gone)

HB design failure – not really, just underestimating the loading.

The broken piece connects to both the hull and the deck and is very near the bow – may even be the rig loads from the jibs/staysail pulling up rather than compression fractures from bow/stern loading.

Under sail again!

But that the points isn’t it, they should have been extensively sea-tested beforehand. Whats the point of spending so much money without testing it thoroughly? So far thats three foiling boats broken I think….john le cam looks good for the win!

I think that was the plan, before COVID-19 trashed everyone’s testing plans…

Incredibly good videos showing the repairs coming from HB now – no wonder he’s getting far more views than anyone else.

Very impressive 👏

I hope it lasts the southern ocean.
I sure he will check it daily.

Couldn’t tell from the vids, was he breathing all that dust in when he was using his cutting disc? Couldn’t see his mask. He’ll avoid drowning then get black lung (or whatever carbon fibre lung disease is called) 🙄

When dropping off the top of a wave at 30 mph the stress on the broken part of the hull must be immense. The underside of the hull is pretty flat and the ride looks uncomfortable enough at the back of the boat.

He’ll avoid drowning then get black lung (or whatever carbon fibre lung disease is called)

I suspect as you head into the Southern Ocean with a broken boat you are not so worried about the long term issues.

In the bit I saw he was cutting outside.
Strangely, last night I started wondering if he has a dyson cordless vac on board for keeping the place tidy!!!!

His repairs seem to be going ok.
Bit more to do yet. Looks like it’s strong enough for relatively gentle loads (i.e. what he’s sailing in now) with some heavy duty reinforcing yet to be fitted ready for the southern ocean.

Looking forward to him putting his foot down.

Strangely, last night I started wondering if he has a dyson cordless vac on board for keeping the place tidy!!!!

Surely in the ocean he’d be better off with a Shark?

Oh chapeau 😂

LinkedOut has broken a foil – Jean le Cam looking more likely all the while!

Apivia looking fast, so long as it’s in one piece.

LeCam is looking good…

Alex back underway

If trying to keep track of the Vendee boats wasn’t bad enough I have also spotted that 3 Ultime trimarans have started an attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy for fastest time round the world.
Day and a half in and they are already between the Azores & Canaries with avg speeds around 30kts.
Only tracker site I have found is via the Sodebo team here: https://tropheejulesverne.sodebo.com/#cartographie
Anyone know where general news can be found?

I only know of two – Sodebo and Gitana

This Gitana tracker has both those boats (and a virtual third boat which is the current record).

It’s good spectator sport!

Poor progress from Hugo Boss over the last 4 hours, only 5.4 knots VMG at the 2030 UTC report, when others in the same breeze are doing double. I fear his repairs may not have worked.

I fear his repairs may not have worked.

He did say he had more repairs to do, and would do them overnight when it was cooler. So he’s probably working on the repair, and not racing hard.

Alex T posted a video yesterday saying that the repairs were over.

Alex may have got his repairs done in the nick of time. Looks to me as if the leading pack are soon going to escape the high pressure system and get into stronger winds. Hoping Sam Davies can benefit from the decision to head south early and get the strong wind first. She and Louis Burton have had better boat speeds most of the day. Sam seems to be sailing a good race and her onboard reports are great to watch.

I fear his repairs may not have worked.

Def not the case – the repairs looked good and very solid.
He’s just in poor conditions right now, but doing 8 knots in 9 knots of breeze is OK.

And now Alex has lost a rudder.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=5360804197266922&id=124956890851705

Makes you wonder just how much UFO is floating about in the oceans. Gitana has just pulled out of the Jules Verne too after hitting something

Makes you wonder just how much UFO is floating about in the oceans

Basically, shit loads.

Worst are containers and there’s 1000s of them floating around.

Re the rudder – I believe they normally take a spare blade but this maybe sounds more like damage to the steering/stock.

He can do without the starboard rudder at the moment.

Not his race, it seems. He’ll be back, I think.

Tough for Gitana. Some details here.

Alex is out and limping to Cape Town.

matt_outandabout
Full Member
Alex is out and limping to Cape Town

Bolleux…

PRB appears to have been taking on water so Kevin Escoffier abandoned ship and Jean le Cam has picked him up from his life raft.

It’s one problem after another with this race!
I wonder if Le Cam can keep racing with a passenger on board. It would seem a bit unfair for his race to be over due to someone else’s misfortune. Food might become a problem onboard, maybe they could arrange a drop for them, though they don’t get close to land other than Cape Horn.

It’s one problem after another with this race!

At least they’re unlikely to pierce the armco and explode in a ball of flame. Not guaranteed but they can probably cross that off the list.

Le Cam is in the area and has spotted him but not yet been able to recover Escoffier.

In the meantime night has fallen, two more boats sent in to try and fish him out of his liferaft, gonna be a hectic night.

Just checked the tracker and saw JLC at 90 degrees to the track – first I heard about it!

Sincerely hope JLC can pull him aboard

Pretty certain it’s the end of his race according to the rules, which makes it even more fantastic that he’s given up his race to rescue.

I guess it comes as part of the make-up for those willing to race the southern ocean that they’re also prepared to give it up when needed, but still, chapeau.

Did you see Alex’s video earlier? Not surprisingly seemed quite cut up to be pulling out. Best of luck to him.

I guess their competitors are pretty much the only viable rescue service. You’d have to have confidence that anyone would come to your rescue otherwise you’d be completely nuts to sail into that part of the ocean with those risks. It must be one of those unwritten rules (perhaps it is written), you have to enact a rescue if asked.

Did you see Alex’s video earlier? Not surprisingly seemed quite cut up to be pulling out.

He seemed to be a broken man, unsurprisingly