Virtual Vendee Globe...

[skylark]

I agree it is time to move west for a better angle on the winds and also to avoid the wind hole developing under the bulge of Africa. 

I lost 20,000 places in my recent tack to the west, from about 49k to over 70k.  I am winning back little by little.  I don't put much stock in the placing though.  Someone close to Africa but at the same latitude may have a better placing but I know I am much better off here to the west.

My theory is that the red line track is the general path to follow, and given current wind conditions, I want to be a few degrees to the west of the track.  At our latitude, I think it would be ideal to be at 23W.  I wouldn't go too much further, note that you have to pass through the gate south of Africa at 1E to 11E, so the further west you go, the more you have to make up.

The South Atlantic winds look like they are dead on the nose, we will get some tacking practice there.  It would be nice to be set up to do a long tack down to the gate but its risky, what if the wind shifts and suddenly the easterly fleet gets an advantage.

[skylark]

See this pdf while it lasts:

http://cruisenews.net/whacked/SailPerformance.pdf

[dnice]

I think its a good idea, thats what I'm doing now. The problem with heading down the coast will come after we cross the equator and all the wind is from the south/south east :)
I would rather head west now while the gettin's good, then head south and tack east as much as possible when the wind is right.

I thought 'Hurricane' was out of his mind when he took off west and lost about 10,000 positions. But now I think he's making a smart move. The other race leaders are floundering around in that low wind area near the coast, and still have the entire uphill climb into the southern ocean to deal with.

The other thing to think about... I noticed a set of buoys south west of Good Hope (and I think 2 more sets of them in the Southern Ocean), I am wondering if we have to pass through those to stay in the race. The rhumb line detours into the second set of buoys suggesting that we have to touch it.
So if we do have to go through them, you won't want to be hugging the coast until the last minute anyway.

(edit) skylark answered my question while I was typing :)

[skylark]

I don't know for sure!

[Tim]

Well this should get interesting ;)   

I am figuring that currents are going to come into play. Get on the west side of the Cape Verdes and the North Equatorial Current will be pulling you westward.  Staying fairly tight to the continent should keep you in the Guinea and Equatorial Counter currents until one hits the South Equatorial Current which will once again be pulling west.

My plan is to stay tight to the east until at least 5 degrees N. and then see what it feels like, that appears to be what the 4 or 5 leaders at present did.

Perhaps we can hear from Bill who is down there now.

I am finding this to be very enlightening, I care little about what place I am in but really want to sail it like I would if I was cruising around the world.  8)

[Manannan]

I have heard that people get addicted to  those virtual games... Do not forget to eat, and sleep, the real skippers out there doing it right now take some time for those things...Are you playing in front of your computer with foulweather gear on ? that would be more realistic too, beside having your wife or kid throwing some glasses of very cold and slightly salted water on your face once in a while. OK... I am just envious, would love to play too, but get too frustrated in front of a computer  :D

[skylark]

Well the no wind zone suddenly disappeared from the 36 hr forecast.  Plenty of wind but on the nose.  Looks like a tacking exercise south to the cape.

[dnice]

I wouldn't put too much stock in the 36 hour forecast, they update the wind charts from NOAA every 12 hours. alot could change in a 24 hour time period.
Of course, it could change more to your advantage...so who knows.

[Tim]

I wouldn't put too much stock in the 36 hour forecast, they update the wind charts from NOAA every 12 hours. alot could change in a 24 hour time period.
Of course, it could change more to your advantage...so who knows.

That may be true, but I don't know what else we have to work with in navigating :) though knowledge of the currents may come into play.
I am not sure that I want to just go for the fastest wind at the time, because as you say it WILL change.

[Bill NH]

Perhaps we can hear from Bill who is down there now.

Just hoping that big wind hole closes sooner rather than later.  I chose to sail on the edge of it hoping that a breeze will fill in, and it looks like that's happening.  It should save me a few miles on the leaders in the end.  Just hope it doesn't wait too long as I've been dropping places since lunchtime...

Judging by the number of course changes some boats are making, there's alot of folks who aren't getting too much done at work these days...   ;)

[nowell]

Judging by the number of course changes some boats are making, there's alot of folks who aren't getting too much done at work these days...   ;)

Work is used for my creating my "to do" list on the boat, research, sailfar, and Virtual Regatta! Besides, I work for an Investment Bank, and everyone knows how THAT's going.  ;D

[dnice]

OMG! I have to get home and trim my sails!!!  :D

Have you guys read the latest news thread? Is he actually saying that we could have gone west toward cape horn?

I sure wish they would get around to posting the rules before the race is over  :-\

[Godot]

I don't believe the "west route" is west around the planet, I think it means those who head west, further offshore rather than stay east near the coast.  I think.  Although it sure looks like Hurricane is going the wrong way around. 

It does sound like we have to go through the gates, though.

[Tim]

That's the way i read it Adam.  :) There is a group that when leaving France headed out to the west side of the Atlantic to gain the the favorable winds and currents over there. But they will have to come back eastward.

I think that because of our start near Spain, our only logical choice was to stay over here in the east and it does not look that bad right now (of course right now is a long ways away from the bottom of Africa ;)

Anyway I am happy that it appears the wind will pick back up and I will be able to stay the course.

[dnice]

I think you're right, I just read a generalized version of the actual Vendee rules...and they definately have to go around antarctica clockwise.

I would like to see where this guy 'Aldabra' is, but unfortunately it wont let me search for players today.. I can't tell if Hurricane is nuts or what :) There are a few other boats over there near Hurricane on my chart, So I am assuming that is the west route pack.

It made sense to me at the beginning, to head west a little offshore then south.. but they are just a few hundred miles off brazil!!  It seems like a lot of miles to have to make up for, the time it takes to go west, then the time to make it up in the southern ocean.. but I guess they know what they are doing. The real vendee racers are pretty far out there aswell.

I guess I'll stick to sailing with whatever wind I have and hoping for the best...


(edit) Sorry I guess I missed this whole paragraph :)

"So, Will this descent along the Brazilian end up being catastrophic for my fellow partners from the West?
Are we going to find a low that carry us back to the East at full pace?
Remember the Gate is located very close to the Eastern Group's route? Anyhow, we better find something good down there as we will have to cover many more miles than the boat close to South Africa."

[skylark]

Go here:

http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/

Click on The Race and Race Tracker.

The western group is not too far off of the real racer track.

[skylark]

Have hit the SE winds, started a 211 tack toward Brazil.  What do you think, wise move, or...?

Looking at the wind charts, there are SE winds all over the South Atlantic until well below the Cape of Good Hope.  This will probably change but I have no idea what to expect or where to go to position for a dash to the gate.

What I'm doing now is to maximize hull speed and make as much progress south as possible.

[Tim]

Well I am still able to keep it under 180° but I am racing the disappearing wind.

[Godot]

I'm doing the exact same thing.  I'm not sure I would have if I didn't see where the real racers are hanging.  Going fast is good.  Going west just feels wrong.

I tried to download the pilot charts for the south Atlantic; but apparently they aren't digitized yet.  Bummer.  I figure I'm still a couple of weeks away from the first ice gate (Heck, I'm still looking forward to the equator), so looking at current weather is pointless.  I wouldn't mind checking on the December trends, though.

[CapnK]

Yarrrr! I'm in the race! CapnK

Tomorrow, when I haven't had 3 glasses of red wine, I'll try and figure this thing out. ;D ;D ;D (Yes, I am doing it Frank-style, so far!)

In the meanwhile, you guys better get it figured out - I just read "The Race", so I am up on the RTW tactics! ;D

(PS - A la Chichester, my maxi-racing-cat is beer ballasted - so the farther we get, the faster it will go!)

Beware!!!

;D