Virtual Vendee Globe...

Bill NH · January 03, 2009, 08:37:07 PM

I might not stop and wait, but for a different reason than one might think... just found out I'm shipping out in 23 days, and after having come this far I'd like to finish the darn thing! 8000 miles to go, 23 days... that makes almost 350 miles per day. And that includes the doldrums again... so please excuse me if I don't dally!

Tim · January 03, 2009, 09:05:13 PM

Nobody expected you to hang around Bill :), and I am not real sure about anyone else either!

There seems to be a bit of distrust ;D

Pappy Jack · January 03, 2009, 11:38:48 PM

Bill, where are you shipping out to ????

Warm winds,

Pappy Jack

CapnK · January 04, 2009, 05:00:32 AM

Who said anything about slowing down? ??? I am bound for the Cape!

See ya there, either before or after I arrive in the 'holding area' for the up-Atlantic dash (my shorthand name for Magnus' YVATFCDGTYCF-09 race acronym.... ;) ). :D

Bill NH · January 04, 2009, 06:17:05 PM

Check out how the leaders are rounding the horn, passing THRU the Straits de LeMaire, not outside the islands. Could save a bit of time (and confusion) when we get there... ;)

Tim · January 04, 2009, 06:21:46 PM

Honest :D In fact I have found the whole ranking notice thing annoying and wish I could turn it off.

I entered this thing because I thought it would be any EASY way to experience the wind conditions on a circumnavigation. I have enjoyed sailing near other capable sailors because it quickly shows me when I am making a mistake. And although I wouldn't mind getting in front of Paul at least once ;), I have no interest in the rankings.

I also will have some some commitments in another month that will likely take me away from the computer for extended time so I will have to quite literally "Pass" on the up-Atlantic dash

I may in fact just stop in RIO

Joe Pyrat · January 05, 2009, 04:47:19 AM

Sounds like fun, although I'd kind of hate to give up the battle with some of the boats I've been sailing against since the start. I finally got some distance on the one named Pirate. I overhauled him coming down the Atlantic but then he dogged me for quite a while until quite recently when I managed to pull out a couple of hundred on him.

Another thought on this, we don't have to sail their venue, we could race to the Caribbean then, say to the Chesapeake and across to Europe. ;D

skylark · January 05, 2009, 09:06:08 PM

I predict the game application will crash and burn before the race is through. It is getting pretty shaky on my computer. I can't change my course reliably anymore.

Tim · January 05, 2009, 09:13:45 PM

Yep I've been noticing it also, though I thought maybe because I am on dial-up right now.

ronc98 · January 05, 2009, 09:24:16 PM

It has been very very slow tonight. Plus now there are some weird white numbers in the center left side of the screen. Anyone know what these represent?

Gary Guss · January 05, 2009, 09:59:09 PM

I think the numbers represent the time in seconds it takes to load ... it counts up until it loads then the other side counts up until the winds load... its slow and the server crashed yesterday for awhile.

GG.

Joe Pyrat · January 06, 2009, 11:55:48 AM

It was very squirrely last night but seems better today, but still not as smooth as it was a while back.

Godot · January 06, 2009, 01:35:11 PM

I suspect those numbers where added for debugging purposes. As mentioned, there appears to be some real load problems. I suspect that a large percentage of users are going to start getting bored before long (I am), so maybe the performance will increase a bit.

ronc98 · January 06, 2009, 09:46:02 PM

What ever happen in the last 24 hours is scary. It is so smooth now it is scary. Almost hard to set your sail coarse since it so smooth!

Joe Pyrat · January 07, 2009, 07:47:30 AM

And I seem to be getting better speed on certain points of sail then I was before. ???

ronc98 · January 08, 2009, 10:13:55 AM

Has anyone been keeping up with the actual race itself? It has been brutal.
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/8132/a-recovery-process.html

Bill NH · January 08, 2009, 10:21:00 PM

The virtual WanderBird, hard aground off the Falkland Islands... or so I've found her tonight. Not moving, and passed by nearly a thousand boats already this evening. We must have found a submerged rock or something.

As I'm back to sea for real in 15 days and there's no chance of finishing the race in that time, I've decided to leave WanderBird on the rocks here, in company with numerous other fine vessels. We had a good run. Please wave to her as you go by!

Tim · January 08, 2009, 10:27:05 PM

Nice pic Bill it's amazing how fast the elements can reclaim ;D

I did notice you on the rocks. For information sake (not that it could ever happen to me ;) )Is it difficult to get off when one does go aground?

Anyway I cannot feel too bad for you considering what you get to go do.

Have Fun, Tim

skylark · January 09, 2009, 05:10:19 PM

Sorry to hear it Bill, but it is only a virtual race.

So did you learn anything about weather and routing?

CapnK · January 15, 2009, 10:51:30 AM

Well, this is my 2000th sailFar post, as pointed out to me by Craig/Faith.

And it is fitting, then, that it should be to say that we have rounded Cape Horn! W00t!

The weather was pretty calm, a patch of light air fell over us just in time for me to get in close and grab a picture or two. Here is the one that is posted on the VendeeGlobe site.

I'll be poking around down here trying things until we are all assembled for the Giant Acronym Race. ;D

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