After the NZ stopover has your interest in the VOR changed?

[Fogg 427]

So, did their visit bring the race to life for you?

[Clipper 343]

There is no option to say something like:

 

I loved the inport racing, loved the boats, but the race has become even more of a joke to me.

 

It just emphasised how rediculous the race is, wioth the huge weighting on the inport raceing, and th fragility of boats that delam on the way down the coast, and broke before colville..

[Battleship 100]

Stop being such a miserable bugger, they have been half way round the world to get here and much of it upwind into huge seas, I'd say the structural problems have been surprisingly light.

[BelowPAR 0]

What about 'ive been living 3 hours at a time since the boats left Alicante' ?

[PaulR 3]

Stop being such a miserable bugger, they have been half way round the world to get here and much of it upwind into huge seas, I'd say the structural problems have been surprisingly light.

 

I disagree. so far 5 starters out of 6 have had major problems

Masts down, hull broken, delamination, and now bulkhead popping out => 83.33333% structural failure with out starting to look at sails and why they tore / failed.

 

Simple Comment: The boats are NOT strong enough.

 

Now they are off to Cape Horn and Antartica ETA within 9 weeks of MID-WINTER. I wonder why the reputation of this area has been widely reported and this leg is spoken of as being the toughest?

 

Not wishing it to happen but if one, two or even three boats are lost what will everybody say in hindsight. I will not be surprised. The amount of water comming up over the bows as per videos and even in the sheltered calm waters of Auckland Harbour at the speeds they were doing. is a tremendous weight.

 

Now make that water very cold, add in lots of small lumps of ice e.g. a 10 litre bucket size, nothing to worry about boat wise but lumps like that hitting the exposed crews on deck at night, flying through the air will, (N.B. WILL not may), be dangerous.

 

Hypothermia with all that cold water flying about will be a serious factor. Concentration and energy will be at low levels. So it will be easy for a solid 6ft / 2m green wave come onboard and sweep weakened crews overboard.

 

Safety harnesses these days are a lot better with 2,000 kgs breaking strain but are very small when down south.

 

We used to lash ourselves to the sheet cleets with 50mm sheets, one over each shoulder as well and even then hung on like mad when surfing at 20+ knots and the bows dropped 35ft into the next wave, with solid green rolling aft and filling the cockpit. Then roll to beam ends, let the water fall off, then up 3 waves surfing and then jump again.

 

Ice gates. Good idea possibly but also could be bad as well as the boats are held too far north and will possibly strike more easterlies and south-easterly storms, right on the nose. That's storms and hurricanes, not just a calmer gale

[Battleship 100]

Time will tell, I wasn't including rigging failure as a structural problem/failure as IRC the stays failed not the structure.

These things have always had a lot of water across the decks as did the 60's before them nothing new what makes you think the designers have not allowed for this, they are pretty heavy boats at 14 odd tonnes so they are no lightweights.

[PaulR 3]

It will be interesting indeed.

[Fogg 427]

Interesting to see that Camper have just completed mixing carbon to make running repairs to a bulkhead delam problem, in the latest update.

[Battleship 100]

Oh dear, I was hoping not to have to eat my words so soon

 

Did it come out which one had the soft spots? My money would be on Group.

[Fogg 427]

Coming at it from a different perspective... You could argue the perfect race boat or even race car falls apart as it crosses the finish line - otherwise it was over engineered? You obviously can't design that accurately around the world due to the unpredictable loads, it might be a harder or lighter race than average. So argue that they build in a bit of extra toughness but don't over do it. Which would possibly take you to where we ate today ie by and large the boats make it in one piece but not intact, they need a bit if servicing in the pit lane to keep them going for the next leg.

 

So maybe they are perfectly designed after all?

 

A bit of a stretch analogy I know but you get the point!

[Guest]

If you could magically transform into a crew member on one of these 6 boats would you jump at the chance, or be a little circumspect?

[Guest]

If you could magically transform into a crew member on one of these 6 boats would you jump at the chance, or be a little circumspect?

 

Jump at it. There would be no other experience like it even if the rig came down.

[Megwyn 2]

If you could magically transform into a crew member on one of these 6 boats would you jump at the chance, or be a little circumspect?

 

I am with Stephen. What an awesome opportunity!

 

Of course, everyone would say I was selfish . . . putting my life at risk.

[Atom Ant 0]

There is not 1 molecule in my body that would want to do this race. Especially on boats in which I feared they may fall part under my feet.

 

People have died and not too long ago, and I'm not ready to go just yet.

[banaari 27]

If you could magically transform into a crew member on one of these 6 boats would you jump at the chance, or be a little circumspect?

Hell yes

[Fogg 427]

If I could press a big button and magically be aboard a VOR boat then probably yes. As long as the same magic button was still there to get off again - mainly due to fear of chronic seasickness weeks from land! Without the 'button home' option it would take a bit of a bit of reflection..... but yeah I'd probably go.

[Guest]

No "home " button, I was really asking about the integrity of the boats.

[PaulR 3]

No "home " button, I was really asking about the integrity of the boats.

 

and he was making sure the "HOME" button was fully operational

 

That's his integrity test.

[Fogg 427]

No "home " button, I was really asking about the integrity of the boats.

 

In that case yes I'd still go.

 

Even if there was a drama you are talking about boats with highly experienced, professional, resourceful and able-bodied crews aboard - with the added security of a fleet of other boats in close proximity, easy communication access to shore crews and expert advisers. Plus they have the eyes of the world on them.

 

So for all these reasons I'd rate my chances a lot better being aboard a Volvo boat than AC in bad conditions.

[Guest]

I would much prefer to be on a volvo boat with these guys than on a clipper boat with a bunch of house wives and school teachers.