Vendee Globe Yacht race starts this Sunday, great footage of the new gen yachts

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.. 😆

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Finish prediction close, but not close enough 🙁

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

Interesting wee chart/article about UFO’s and their effect on the race.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2017/01/daily-chart-17

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…