Barcelona World Race

[PCP]

Following a Marty suggestion I will open a dedicated thread for this race. This race was already being followed on the thread about Solo and Duo sail races, so I will repost here the relevant posts:

Originally Posted by PCP

That's what I call bad luck....

http://www.sail-world.com/Europe/Barcelona-World-Race---Central-Lechera-Asturiana-dismasted/77632

http://riggingnews.blogspot.com/

I hope they can fix the boat fot the race

Originally Posted by PCP

10 days for the Barcelona world race

15 Open60's around the world, almost as many as on the last Vendee Globe.

What's new on this one is the number of Spanish leading skippers (crew of two):

6 Spanish, 4 French, 2 British, 1 German, 1 Swiss, 1 Polish.

It's going to be a great race. Watch out guys, in 10 days

Solo and two-handed, Two similar, but not equal, ways to sail - Magazine - Barcelona World Race

Videos - Multimedia - Barcelona World Race

Originally Posted by PCP

One day to go!!!.... and really bad luck for Alex Thompson from Hugo Boss: Yesterday the guy had to make a surgery to treat acute appendicitis.

Short news - Barcelona World Race

They are discussing with the race organization the options.

The boats are Open 6o, the crew, to guys and the race is a non-stop circumnavigation with gates they have to pass.

Two crew, non-stop, around the world - Presentation - Barcelona World Race

This is mainly a race between Spanish and French. the Spanish are more, but the French have the better boats. There are also some other European teams and an all women crew. The boats are 15 and most are competitive recent or new racing machines.

Follow the race - Barcelona World Race

[blt2ski]

Past 1300 hrs on 12/31 here, so did Thompson get out on hugo boss? They should be off for maybe 12 hrs or so....

I can not seem to see any news at the BWR site.

Marty

[PCP]

Yes you are right, very little information about it. It seems that Hugo Boss is racing but Alex Thomson has been substituted by Wouter, a Dutch sailor.

"For Wouter Verbraak (NED) and Andy Meiklejohn (NZL), the pairing drafted together on Hugo Boss by the sudden surgery required to skipper Alex Thomson (GBR) at 48 hours before the start, it has not so much been a baptism of fire as some tortuously slow hours in the kind of conditions which do rank as the Achilles heel for the fleet’s heaviest most powerful IMOCA 60."

Wouter Verbraak (NED), Hugo Boss: “I’m really relieved that the struggle of the last few days is behind us and we can now focus on the race, but it’s a day of mixed feelings. Like every start you’re excited to go, but it’s hard to say good-bye to the family. So Alex, if you’re listening get better!
“We’ll do our very, very best, the boat is very well prepared, the team is very good, and I’m impressed with the level of preparation.”
“This is a race about keeping the boat together. So we’ve focused a lot on going through systems, going through manoevures with Andy, talking about philosophy. But the good thing is I’ve known Andy for a long time, both personally and in racing, and we’re on the same page. We’ve raced together in the Volvo Ocean Race and several Maxi programmes, so we go way back. It’s all about trust and partnership, and we have complimentary skills.”


A small majority for Président as they pass Cabo de la Nao - News - Barcelona World Race

Le Cam is first, Desjoyneaux is second, very close and the distance between the leader and the 8th is only 8nm. Hugo Boss has already lost 40nm, but they don't know the boat and are happy with the weak winds, just for learning the boat ropes

After all there are an American racing, Ryan Breymaier, racing on Neutragena.

Home

And Also a Newzealander, Andy Meiklejohn on Hugo Boss and he has a big track record:

Round the world regattas:
Volvo Ocean Race 2004-2005 (3rd) on Brasil 1
Oryx Quest 2004 (1st) on Doha 2006
Transats:
Rolex Transatlantic 2009 (1st) on Farr 80 Beau Geste
Norbank Transatlantic (2nd) on Outsider
Other long-distance racing:
Sydney Hobart 2007 (1st) on Rosebud

He has experience in a lot of boats, including Volvo's but none on Open 60's nor solo or duo racing. It is going to be interesting to see how he performs. His partner, wouter, also has not experience as a solo or duo sailor. He is a team player. It is going to be a hard time for these two, before they learn how to sail a powerful Open 60, many times solo (while the other is asleep). As I have said, they have already lost 40nm. Let us see how much time they need to perform as well as the best. Not an easy task

I cannot put to work the router to follow the race. Have you?

Regards

Paulo

[blt2ski]

Paulo,

Have not tried the router since I got up a bit ago, but I have not been able to get it to work either.

As far as HB and the 40 mile loss.....This race is what 90 days? or there abouts any how, and another 20 some odd thousand miles to go.....40 miles CAN be made up in a blink of an eye! The question would be, "How long will it take for them to gell?" and then compete on the same level as the others. Which may put them too far behind to catch up.

I'll go look at the site here in a bit.

Happy new year to you.

Marty

[blt2ski]

Here is the link I found on the news page
http://tracking.barcelonaworldrace.org/
It does seem to be working in the least 3 min or so.

HB appears to be 2nd to last by 105 miles. Two others are just in front and behind for the last three.

marty

[PCP]

That link was not there yesterday and it does not work, at least for me. I think it is overloaded

well, the French are leading, Le Cam is 5th now, and Dick is leading, the first Spanish (Pella) is 4th, the ladies are 9th and Hugo Boss is last. It seems that it is going to take a while for those two to learn how to race solo

Following the race without the race tracker is a bit like being blind...not funny. I hope they fix that tracker fast.

the video from the race start:

YouTube - BarcelonaWorldRace's Channel

And a teaser:

YouTube - Barcelona World Race 2010-11 News Promo

Regards

Paulo

[PCP]

That's a lot better the tracking is on.

http://tracking.barcelonaworldrace.org/

That's a different visual, but that's a nice one. The weather is on the top (on, off).

Weak winds ahead and the leading pack is divided into three different tactical options, Desjoyeaux and Pella are opting for the African coast, De Pavant and Dick are going for the European side. Le Cam and Martinez are going for the Spanish coast and I don't really understand what is their play . The ones that are going on the African side will have more wind on the next 6 hours, but after that it seems that the ones on the European side will have a better angle. Difficult to say who is playing better.

I know very well those waters, crossed Gibraltar strait many times It seems they are going to cross it with a very weak head wind and that is rather unusual, I mean the weak wind.

Regards

Paulo

[blt2ski]

It took a bit for that site to load the first time I clicked on it. Now a refresh occurs in maybe 30 secs at max. I think it is a BIG program to download.

I started clicking things, found all kinds of stuff to look at etc. No I just leave it in an open window. Now that I typed this, I think I closed, or used it to come here! GRRRRRRR>>>..

Marty

marty

[hermitCrab]

Here is a better tracker, in my opinion:
Jean le Cam - Président • Barcelona World Race 2011

I'll join the conversation in coming days. I think Hugo Boss is relatively heavy and not so good in light air, besides the problem of inexperienced open 60 skippers.
Besides the French boats, I think Mapfre and Estrella Damm may do very well.
As a sentimental matter, I would like to see Mirabaud, GAES, and Neutrogena do well. A married couple, each 55 years old, an all-women team, and the only american in the race along with the winner of the Portimao Global Ocean Race from 2009.
This is going to be fun!

[PCP]

Thanks. That one has the name of the boat and the name of the sailors and that is an improvement, but the weather information is worse. That's the usual graphic display on the French races

As predicted the ones that had pointed to the African coast had done better on the last hours but on the next 6 the advantage is from the ones that choose the European coast. We will see who is going to win more, because after the next 6 hours the wind would be the same to everybody: Almost no wind and a very weak head wind .

Regards

Paulo