Golden Globe 2018 - 50th Anniversary

[Norman]

Comment was made earlier in the race when other less experienced skippers were having serious wind vane problems, that the leaders had the same one.  The vanes are definitely the Achilles heels of the racers.

Van den Heede has also had a bolt shear, and replaced it, so even though they are not into the really demanding seas and wind, nearly every one has had some wind vane malfunction. We do not know if he has had any other 'minor' repairs that remain unreported.

Without a reliable vane steering the vessel, life is extremely hard and dangerous.

When Robin's vane controlled rudder broke, he installed the spare, then hack sawed the handle off his large pipe wrench, inserted it in the square tube, riveted it in pace with heated nails, for a spare, and kept on going.

Moitessier had many failures, but his system was so strong in its key parts, and so weak in the vane itself, that only the vane failed.  It was intentionally fragile, and he had many of them.  They were held in place by a single bolt, and easily replaced.

I am surprised that Peche did not have enough spare parts to do a repair on the tiller and also the vane steering gear.

4 days ago, Slats was in 12th place, today he is in second.  Although he is many miles behind first, his route is proving to be a good choice, putting him ahead of all but the fastest boats in the fleet, and we do not know if their lead was at the expense of driving their boats too hard.  Robin Knox Johnson often worried whether he was driving too hard, and risking equipment failure, and sometimes eased of a good bit, reasoning that to win, you must finish.

Since I do not read french, I have not been attempting to keep up with the old leaders daily comments, so do not directly know if they have been reporting earlier failures.

Norman

[Phantom Jim]

In the excitement of the start of the GGR, it was easy to view the race as a sprint.  The GGR is a marathon and should be sailed that way.  RNJ was correct in his statement "you have to finish".

[SeaHusky]

I also get the impression that it was very stressful to find and buy a suitable boat, refit and equip it, sail it the required distance and get it to fill all the requirements even though they had 2-3 years to do it in.

[Norman]

 Phantom Jim said

"The GGR is a marathon and should be sailed that way"

The point is correct, and I agree, far from a sprint, but even a marathon is over in a single day.

Way off topic, I have known a dedicated marathoner.  He ran the Takoma Park, MD July 4th marathon every year, rain or shine.  His occupation was a high voltage transmission line patroller for Potomac Electric Power Co.  I worked there too, in the substations associated with the lines, and met him from time to time.  To build up for a marathon, he ran the power line right of way from Washington DC to Baltimore, and back, about 50 miles, up and down hills, mostly on dirt or gravel.

When he was older and retired, he eased off and ran only one way, his wife met him and drove him home.  He quit marathons at about 80, when, finally he became the last one to the finish line.  He hated to be the guy with the ambulance following him!

He doubtless had a bit in common with the older competitors in the GGR.

Robin had more equipment problems and failures than any of this years entrants, to this point of the race, yet he found solutions and carried on.
He was knocked down before he reached the 40's or turned the Cape of Good Hope, which shifted the cabin on the deck, and cracked two of his three water tanks, his batteries were tumbled out of their shelf.  Al that had to "put right" to continue.  Cape Town was ahead, but he declined to quit.  He woud not give up the advantage of an early start that made it possible to beat the faster boats, such as Moitessier's Joshua, that were two months behind him.  He knew that arriving early risked storms, but he also needed the early start to reach the Horn before the mild weather there ended.

He was just as tough as his Suhaili, it was not broken, and neither was he.

Norman

[Bubba the Pirate]

I find it interesting that Peche had a custom specialized tiller, but used the spares for it to repair his windvane. I don't know what the tiller was but I don't like gadgets; complexity makes for fragility in my opinion.

[Norman]

Peche's tiller was "telescoped alloy tubing", and when the wind vane failed, apparently structurally, he used some of that tubing for the repairs.  I do not read french, so do not know if he reported that in a form that the general visitors to the site could know about, certainly I did not.  That failure and repair may have been many days ago.

A larger supply of the materials was needed, and in hind sight, both devices should have been more robust.  50 years ago, a supply of wood was a near universal repair store, and if a shortage of a particular size occurred, pieces of the vessel itself were scavenged for use .  That is harder to do on a plastic and metal vessel, so more pieces of metal need to be on board.  Fiberglass repairs material is more generic, more "one size its all".

There is a new issue coming up that I did not foresee, in the structure of the race rules.  The original GGR gave the entrants full discretion as to route, and both RKN and Moitessier avoided land and shipping lanes, even if it increased the distance sailed significantly.  Survival was paramount, and land or ships were the greatest hazard in foul weather or fog, when accurate navigation was impossible, and visibility was poor.

This GGR requires going through a "gate"close onshore, for inspection to prove the monitor box has not been unsealed.  This requires accurate navigation near a dangerous shore, and passing in and out through the shipping lanes at the Cape.  It is not safe or logical to require that route segment be sailed without GPS or active AIS displays for this short "dive in, run out".  These "inspections" suddenly make no sense to me, they are too dangerous to the participants.  In addition, they significantly increase the duration of the race, as the participants are leaving the best winds, and carefully feeling their way into the equivalent of port.  Experienced cruisers often heave to off ports until the weather is very good before committing to a close approach to the land.  The racers have no real option, giving up days is out of the question.

Moitessier considered the ocean west of the Cape the most dangerous of the circumnavigation, and passed as far south as he could.  The wind and current in opposition create very dangerous seas for a thousand miles.  The racers are required to enter and sail in these wasters for many days, in order to visit the check point.

The inspectors, presumably have a power boat, with GPS to hold station, AIS to prevent being run down, plus radar to see all around for small craft without AIS.  I hope that they at least track the GPS from the racers and give them guidance into the gate, especially if the sky is overcast or sea foggy.

This scares me.

[SeaHusky]

The first checkpoint at the Canary islands was called a "film drop". I haven't seen any material from the competitors but I assume a big part of the financing for this event will be documentary material taken by the competitors themselves. Possibly there is editing of material from the first drop going on as we speak so the film will be ready soon after the race is over and that is the reason for the compulsary check stops?

[Bubba the Pirate]

I did not really understand the 'gates.' I agree they are not very logical or seamanlike.

[Norman]

At the gate, you can drop film, audio tapes or letters.  You are inspected to see that the emergency package is still sealed.

The safety issue is requiring sailing vessels with variable accuracy navigational gear to enter coastal waters at racing speeds.  For safety of the competitors, the gate should be 100 miles off shore, and movable to meet the advancing vessel.  The racers should be following the wind, not threading a needle in a dangerous place.  The gate vessel should move to meet them wherever that takes them.

Unfortunately, these rules were set down by the organizers for their comvenience, and for the entrants, it was take it or leave it.

There seems to only be 3 or 4 of us following this topic, which is pretty far from the cruising theme here.

Many here have read Moitessier's books and Robin Knox Johnson's, but there is little interest in this race.  I follow it as much to see what means are used to overcome the unavoidable failure as they sail through challenging conditions.  I just finished Moitessier's 3 weeks ago, and am now reading RKJ's as the race moves forward.  Many years ago, I read RKJ's book and enjoyed it very much, but have forgotten many of the details.  I an enjoying it just as much this time. 

The race organizers had quite a blurb about meetings RKJ had with Abilhash Tomy, and theorized that he would give him advice on routing, learned from 50 years ago.  That is not relevant in this race.  RKJ drove down past Brazil, continuing south to get to the 40's a soon as possible, and drive east far from Capetown.  Moitessier did similarly, he considered the seas east andsouth of Capetown the most dangerous of the circumnavigation, and stayed well south. These racers cannot do that, as they must stop near Capetown.

Norman

[Bubba the Pirate]

I need to reread RKG's book; it's right on my Kindle.

I was fascinated by the section where he was coming around either Australia or New Zealand, his radio was broken, he hadn't had a good sight in a few days and he was trying to determine what land mass he was looking at to decide which way to go. If the land was one possibility, he needed to go one way around; vice versa was opposite. It struck me that it is basically impossible to be in such a precarious situation today, even if you wanted to.

RKG can be a bit of a surly curmudgeon it seems, but such guts! True of almost all those 1968 competitors, of course. Moitessier has always been more of a hero to me personally. I'm more equanimous than competitive.   

I am going to cross an ocean soon, but I don't think I'm ambitious enough to go all the way around. I'm certainly not ambitious enough to raise the money required even to just cruise it.

[Norman]

Peche has regained control of his boat, and is making good time toward either the gate, or shore repairs.  Since he made a sat phone call to his partner, he is technically out, but they may consider an appeal, and reinstate him.  There is no official news on this point.  I am inclined to believe that his "partner" is his sponsor, and he gave them the choice of whether he should struggle on at great risk to the boat and him, or quit, and they said quit.  Since then things have gone better than at the early call on conditions, and he may very well have control of the boat.

Personally, I vote for full reinstatement, with maybe a 24 hour penalty for the sat phone call, advancing him back out of Chichester class, as they did for Kopar.  It is unfortunate that he did not make that call by HF SSB relay, but with an out of control boat and 50 knot wind, hasty judgement calls are made.

Cousot may well like having company in the Chichester class.

Peche's track had a wild swing and pause, then good progress, presumably that was the failure of his vane steering, Next, another wild swing, and a longer confused time, the calls by sat phone, followed by gradually improving sailing toward Cape Town.  Without the technical disqualification, he is solidly in second, and holding on to his lead over Slats.  I suspect that he has made suitable repairs to the vane system, and may also have a working jury rig on the tiller. If those are now solid, he may not stop in Cape Town, and remain in competition.

The rest of the fleet is shifting around as the wind favors one or another, and no clear-cut changes are taking place.

There are amusing bits here and there:
Fish are caught and grilled, several reports of that activity.
A stove explodes and is useless, a day or two later, the problem is fixed.
One is running out of fresh water due to lack of rain, another has filled the tank and taking fresh water baths.
Clouds are a source of admiration and grumbling.
Seas are flat, or pounding the boat.

Generally the fleet is advancing with only normal events taking place in the last few days.

Norman

[Owly055]

     There was a comment recently implying that there are very few of us watching this drama play out..........  I suspect that there are far more than he imagines.  It is extremely unfortunate that a forum like Facebook should be the primary source of information and updates.  It excludes many of us who are "Facebook Hostile".... often for very good reason from the latest news.   FB did not exist in 1968........... and we would be better off without it now!!

     To me there is something compelling about these sorts of competitions, as compared to the unlimited money driven events.  I do find it unacceptable that multihulls have been excluded entirely, being passionate about multihulls myself...........   

     There are important lessons to be learned here about equipment and safety, about simplicity and repairability of systems.   The failures that happen on GGR are the same failures that global cruisers must prepare for.  We may not sail in the roaring forties or the furious 50's, but these guys are testing the limits, and we can learn from them.   In reality I'm a conservative guy..... in the true sense of the word, not the currently twisted sense.    I don't really expect to ever round the three great capes of the world, but my nature draws me in that direction........... Wind against current of the Aghulas versus the bureaucracy and graft of Suez, and high cost of the Med.... makes the Cape of Storms a no-brainer.   I have to go through the Panama Canal at least once, and Cape Leeuwin  is pretty much unavoidable when traveling east to west.   ... but I'd probably be going the other way... through the Torres Straits and the Indian Ocean.   The Horn of the Americas is positively magnetic.... It draws me like a moth to the flame.  The fast empty lands of Southern Argentina, and the maze of Fjords of Southern Chili draw me far more than the emerald isles of the Pacific....... I love the lonely places and the people who inhabit them.   Zoom in on the southern tip of South America........... Norway without the Norwegians ;-)........... Actually most of my friends are Norwegians.   Likewise who could resist the Skeleton Coast of Africa north of Swakopmund, or the thousands of miles of wilderness coast from Darwin to Perth....... It's such a bit world out there and I've seen so little of it.................   The American Northwest Passage....... Greenland, Baffin Island, Hudson's Bay.....Prince of  Wales, Victoria, Sommerset, Banks.....islands......... Places where explorers just a few generations ago died...... The lonely remote places have always drawn me.

                                                H.W.

[Norman]

Places more local that I have gone, and recommend:

The trip up through the inside passage is one you will never forget.  There are such unending side trips among the islands and fjords that you may not make it all the way the first try.  If you can still get a permit to go into Glacier Bay, I suspect that you will remain for more than one day.  We were only there with a 1 day permit, and stayed half a day, but there were a number of kayakers camping there, and at that time, such campers could get week long permits.  We were there in early September, so toward of the end of the season in the inside passage.  A little further north, we experienced snow in the second week of September, a little one, just an inch, all melted 2 days later.

I have had friends who have plied the waters of Alaska, including the Aleutian chain of islands, and up to the north slope.  They speak of the adventure and challenge there.  That would be a great shakedown voyage starting in your first spring.  The terrain and bays have many similarities to the Cape Horn region, except that the natives scattered about speak English.  There are long stretches without any population at all, and if you go ashore, the wild life is all there is to share food with.  The fishing is excellent, and varied.  I have flown light planes over the southern tip of Argentina, and 3 different regions of Alaska, including glaciers at both ends of the Americas, and there are amazing differences and similarities.

Be sure you head back south early enough.  One of my sailor friends found a foot of snow on deck when the morning came.  The further north you go, the less sailboats you will see.

Norman

[Norman]

Technical update, the gates do not include inspection of the emergency gear, just a drop of film, mail, etc.  The present tracks imply that the leaders are not planing to pass through the Cape gate, and will keep going.  Peche is the only one navigating toward Capetown, and is estimating up to two weeks for repairs.  He has not decided if he will continue.  He is controlling his boat with sail balance, as the vane is not very useful after the repairs he made.  He has also jury rigged a 1 meter long tiller, and is hand steering when the sail balance is not adequate, and reporting fatigue.

The site has a new feature, a skippers update, which is translated from the sat phone conversation with the race control.  Now, there is much more information of the problems, repairs, and also good news from each skipper.  This makes the whole experience of the internet followers much more complete and enjoyable.  Click on the skippers name, scroll down most of the way, just above the digital clip in their native language.     https://goldengloberace.com/skipper/jean-luc-van-den-heede-13/    for the present leader.

The rules have been changed, moving the southern limit from 40 degrees to 38 degrees latitude, due to more severe winter storms at this date.  Robin Knox Johnson experienced similar storms in his race due to leaving earlier than recommended.  I wonder what the penalty will be for skippers who have extended overcast skys, and venture too far south with out knowing it until too late?  The race organizers will know immediately by GPS. Will they sat phone the skipper that he is approaching the limit, and advise turning north?

Norman

[Norman]

PS, the translation is imperfect, but completely understandable.

[Bubba the Pirate]

Did anyone else catch the juicy tidbit that Van Den Heede, the current leader, is 73 years old. He is only 6 years younger than RKJ, so he was already 23 when Knox-Johnston completed the race 50 years ago!!!

Gives me hope as I am starting late. (Not that late)

[Norman]

Van den heede is the truly senior skipper, Peche was a bit miffed when "the old man" pulled ahead, and said he was driving harder to catch him.

Whether that had anything to do with the following failures, only he can know.  That is a part of racing, you must always strive to overtake the competitor ahead of you.

That is kin to setting a distinct calendar of places to be sailing.  Dates set in stone often result in names set in stone.  Real challenging wind and sea state are just ahead, and I hope that Van den heede has the physical stamina to handle all that comes his way.

The field continues to spread out, and first to last seems impossible to overcome, but anything that compromises VDH will put 4 or 5 boats in close competition for the lead.

Peche did sail by balancing his sails, a slower technique than sheet to tiller steering.  What is important, though, he could then get some rest.  Difficult decisions are poorly made when excessively fatigued.  Some shut eye and food brings in a better skipper to make the decisions.

There have been a surprising number of trips up the mast, 5 replaced halyards, and a halyard block.  Are Wiig commented, love those steps, after replacing the block.  Some may not have failed, but are being replaced as preventive maintenance before reaching the southern ocean storms.  Moittessier climbed and inspected his monthly, lubricating both the blocks and the halyard where it rode on the sheave.

The daily run of the leaders is now topically more than 100 no, reflecting the stronger wind.

Looking to your personal future, watching the weather signs you can see, plus listening to available broadcasts, and taking the choices with the safest sailing conditions are key to both safety and enjoyment.  Either sit tight where you are, or go where the weather takes you.  Every new port is a surprise, and new opportunity to explore.  Eventually, you will reach your intended destination, or not.  If it was really important to get there, you would have taken a plane!

More than once, I have sat on solid ground, and watched my boat rolling 60 degrees each side, (swing keel up, to reduce wear) for two days.  They were on secure moorings both times.  The wind came across a narrow, long point, and the waves diffracted 90 degrees, so beam waves twice as high as the hull.  One time, there was a 30 foot fixed keel boat there too, three people on board, two sea sick for a day and a half.  If they had lifted anchor and moved out from behind the point, the waves would have been higher, but on the bow.  The would have rode much smoother, as the motion would have been on the long axis.  The were on the 4th day of a trip from Michigan to Florida.  The lady was ready to quit, and stay home.

Just my opinion, of course, but both sailing and flying a small plane, I have found myself in places that I had never heard of, and enjoyed so much that I returned as many as 3 times (Jekyll Island, Georgia, Zanesville, Ohio).

Norman

[Bubba the Pirate]

Good advice thru & thru, there.

Off topic:
I helped deliver a junk-rigged Allied Princess in April, Oriental to Charleston.  We were bound and determined to hit the tide right at Charleston and so we sailed the rhumb line rather than adjusting course for comfort (offshore Capr Fear to Charleston). The swell was coming from just behind the beam and we rolled and lolled  back and forth all thru one of my watches. I went below offwatch for about 10 seconds and bounded back up the c'way to donate my lunch to the fish. I can't remember ever being sick on a boat but that side to side roll will get you. :-)  And that was a version of sailing to a schedule.

The trip was fantastic anyway!  No complaints!!

[CharlieJ]

single handed a Roberts 40 over that same stretch once with a seasick skipper/owner down below!  Was a very long day and night. had planned to come in at Jacksonville. at 0200 ilaid a course for the Charleston sea buoy.
we completed the trip inshore!!

[Norman]

Now there are 11.

Are Wiig's vane steering broke in high winds, and after extended hand steering, he hove to, and he went below.  He was rolled 360, lost his mast and a porthole.  He cut all the standing rig except the fore stay, which with the attached mast and sails, formed a sea anchor.  In that configuration, he is making 3.9 Knots to the east.

He notified the race committee that he is not in a mayday condition, needs no rescue, and is sealing the porthole.  When the seas abate, he plans to jury rig and sail to Capetown, 400 miles away.  All of his radios are functioning, and he will tidy up the mess in the cabin when the seas abate.

He is definitely a tough sailor, and I expect that he will put together an effective rig for the sail to port.

Van den Heede continues to extend his lead, with Mark Slats and Gregor McGuckin following in 2 and 3.

Peche is in port, and retired from the race.

The storms of the southern ocean are meeting the racers as they turn east to pass Africa.  The weakness of skipper and vessel will be tested over and over in the months ahead.  The odds of anyone with a marginal vane system continuing is not good.  That has been the link that has failed and removed competitors so far, and the wind and wave conditions have not been severe for any length of time for anyone yet.

Robin Knox Johnson sailed as far south as 47 degrees, on purpose, but these racers are limited to 38 south at the present time.

Norman