Virtual Vendee Globe...

[CapnK]

I'm running up the latitude ladder as well, hoping to sneak between the low wind areas and catch a boost from the west eventually. Magnus is closing the gap, especially after I accidentally left my small spinnaker up too long overnight!

And now Zen is in the race - look for "Zenkaze". :)

[dnice]

ugh!

I've been stuck in these fluky winds for 2 days now...I've made about 50 miles in 36 hours  >:(
I should have kept heading south like I planned (to 40'S) but when everyone else turned east I couldn't handle the frustration of watching them sail away and loosing a few thousand positions a day.. I'm paying for it now though! :D

oh well, its looking up for this afternoons forecast.

[skylark]

Tactical math

Math experts, is this correct?

Lets say I have a desired direction I want to travel.  However, wind direction means that I can go faster in other directions.  If I want to compare the forward progress of various headings, is this calculation correct?

Angle = proposed heading - desired direction

Distance along desired heading = Cosine of Angle times boat speed

Repeat calculation with a number of different proposed heading/boat speed combinations to find the best heading.

Is this a good way to determine which angle to sail at?

[Tim]

I am no math guy Paul, but I think you need to factor in what the wind direction and speed is going to be like when you get to wherever  ;)

Getting in the wrong place seems to be the biggest hamper to speed, I know because I am there  ;D

[Tim]

Well CapnK and Magnus you'all have done a pretty good job of catchin' up. Of course we have been languishing down here waiting for you! ;)  Maybe you will bring a little of that breeze with you!

[CapnK]

That Magnus guy, he just keeps following me. I lost him for a while, but then he snuck back up on a long period of favorable (for him) winds, and now I can't shake the bugger...  ::)

;D ;D ;D

Joe Pyrat is only abot 1/2 day behind me and Magnus, and Zen is maybe a day and a half, but - wow - he is booking along at 21+ kts at the moment...! Looks like we might be able to 'meet up' with nowell and dnice down around Gate 1, perhaps...

[nowell]

Looks like we might be able to 'meet up' with nowell and dnice down around Gate 1, perhaps...

I caught some bad wind and I see you trucking along at around 20 knots. I don't think it will be long before im chasing your rudder also!

[dnice]

I don't know if I'll ever make it to the gate!
Every time I get some forward momentum going, the 'no wind zone' moves just in front of me.  The wind south of me isn't very appealing atm and heading into it could cost me alot more than making east at a slow pace. So I'll just keep chugging along and hope for the best.... According the forecast, I should be in the clear by tonight...but then again, I thought the same thing 3 days ago  :-[

[Joe Pyrat]

This is an interesting sim, but limited in some respects.  I emailed them to find out if the currents were accurately represented and they said they were not included in the sim only the wind, which scrapped my original sailing plan.  The wind sim does seem to be challenging though. 

"A pirate attack is really a test of seamanship..."
                   Blackbeard, Terror at Sea  by National Geographic

[CapnK]

On this latest reload, I find that it turns out that I am sailing alongside one of my heroes from when I was a kid...  ;D

Of course, he apparently has an Open 60 now, and not a tri. ;)

[maxiSwede]

That Magnus guy, he just keeps following me. I lost him for a while, but then he snuck back up on a long period of favorable (for him) winds, and now I can't shake the bugger...  ::)

;D ;D ;D

Who, me? following you?!?  As far as I am concerned your vessel is  just some flaoting debris that incidentally is between me and that goal... erh, gate  ;D ;) ;D

[skylark]

It looks like the leaders are sailing into a low wind zone when the wind map changes about an hour from now.  ???  Maybe I am reading coordinated universal time wrong but it looks like they may have miscalculated badly.

I am planning on sticking to 40S latitude for a while, to avoid the big low wind zone.

[maxiSwede]

On this latest reload, I find that it turns out that I am sailing alongside one of my heroes from when I was a kid...  ;D

Of course, he apparently has an Open 60 now, and not a tri. ;)

Not Tabarly?  He was truly an amazing sailor.

BTW, would you like a bear when I come alongside you?   ::) :P :-X

[skylark]

On this latest reload, I find that it turns out that I am sailing alongside one of my heroes from when I was a kid...  ;D

Is that the Lone Ranger or Tonto?

[CapnK]

Aww, c'mon guys - "Moxie"?!? I know that CJ knows that boat name and who her skipper was, and maybe a few others... :D

I'll be bumping against 40S in a few hours, Paul, and it does look like a good slot for a while. You called it right - the top 5 are all running slower now, between 10-15kts, and you can see the grouping has spread, I would assume as they take different 'strategeries' to find better speeds...

"Destremau" is staying up near 40S for now, too. He lost a lot of places going so far west, but made most of them up. It is up to Bill : get him and beat him! You can do it!!! Show these race guys what a sailFarer can do! ;D I'm doing my best to get up there and give you a hand, but I think it just might still be a little while yet... ;)

Looks like dnice, Joe Pyrat, and Nowell could wind up near each other at the gate. Bend on the canvas and catch 'em, Zen, so that it's a real furball then! ;D

Fair winds and planing speeds, everyone!

[Tim]

OK Capn if I stop holding back now?  ::)  Actually I think this shows how much more of a cruiser than a racer I am. I seem to have navigated a smooth, direct, SLOW course  >:(

But now that the REAL race is on, I'm tuggin' on the sheets.

[dnice]

Finally found the wind again, I only lost 65,000 places  ;D
No problem!

There was about 5 French guys who thought I was one of their pack and friended me, little do they know! I'll be leaving them behind to retake my position back in the sailfar pack :)

I don't know, they could have been pirates trying to steal my icemaker and my satellite array!!! ARGGG!

[Tim]

Finally found the wind again, I only lost 65,000 places  ;D

I feel your pain, a couple of days ago I thought I was about to break under 10,000  :D

Now I am back to 40,000  ???

[Joe Pyrat]

CapnK, how about a sticky at the top of this thread listing all the SailFar boats by name?

[Godot]

I keep forgetting who is who.  I added my boat name to my sig.  I'll leave it there until the end of the race.

I'm mostly watching Skylark/Cruisenews right now.  We where even.  Then I was ahead as he took off further south.  Funny how things change.  It's gonna be awhile, I think, before I'll have an opportunity to make any serious gains on him.  Oh, well.  And now Morning Dove is gaining again.  I was around 22000 and gaining quick.  Now I'm down to 35000 and losing fast.