No Water Maker Is A Big Problem
Twenty-four hours into Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race and Dongfeng Race Team suffered another set back. Not as immediately devastating as breaking the mast, but with potential serious consequences. Dongfeng OBR, Sam Greenfield, tweeted from the boat: “Broken water maker. No more fresh onboard. Thirsty crew. Bad.”
The VO65 is fitted with an electric water maker turning the salt water they are sailing through into drinkable water, as a back-up they have a manual one but the effort required to produce adequate supplies to not only to rehydrate but to prep the freeze-dried foot, is mind-boggling, a needless distraction from racing, but essential as our Boat Captain put it into perspective “The crew will need to pump approximately 8-9 hours a day to make enough water.”
“They know what the problem is,” said Neil Graham, Technical Director. (Watch video from onboard as Charles explains). “We’re waiting for confirmation form the boat but Kevin should have attempted a repair on the Membrane Pressure Vessel. The plan was to apply some glue and then wrap the end of the vessel, where the leak is, in carbon fibre laminate, to seal it.” We’re hoping our Mr Fixit, Kevin Escoffier, can work his magic once again.
In the meantime, the determined men on board have to keep pumping.
This is perhaps the most complete and interesting document. What jumps out at me is the part about digital charts. I have had a number of conversations over the last 10 years about the accuracy of digital charts. And the description of the consequences of a crash jybe. ( which is encouraged by the quick stop rescue system)
In the end an abundance of caution, which might be classified as seamanship.
“Guinevere” an Alan Gurney design for George Moffett was launched in the spring of 1966 at Jackobson’s yacht yard in Oyster Bay, NY. I sailed my first Bermuda Race aboard her and again in 1968 another Bermuda Race and the Transatlantic race to Germany; the longest race I have ever sailed (24 days); finishing in Travemunde, Germany at the bottom of the Baltic.
George was a wonderful man and a fine helmsman.
Like any long race there are so many wonderful stories; which at this point in my life I have accumulated a few.
66 yachts started the 7th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600, with hundreds of race fans watching the impressive fleet from Fort Charlotte and Shirley Heights. Thousands more are now glued to the tracker and social media feeds. After a classic start in 15 knots of easterly trade winds, the fleet powered past the Pillars of Hercules, heading for Green Island where they will bear away and accelerate towards Barbuda, the only mark of the 600-mile course around 11 stunning Caribbean islands.
Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD 70 Phaedo3, with Michel Desjoyeaux and Brian Thompson on board, had a conservative start with Petro Jonker’s cruising catamaran, Quality Time crossing the line first. Phaedo3lit the blue touch paper at Green Island, blasting through the surf at well over 30 knots. The lime-green machine reached Barbuda in less than two hours, well ahead of record pace and eight miles ahead of Peter Aschenbrenner’s Irens 63, Paradox.
In the second start, 19 yachts in IRC Two and Three started the 600-mile race. For most of the crews racing in the smaller yachts it will be three or four days before they complete the challenge. Ed Fishwick’s Sunfast 3600, Redshift, skippered by Nick Cherry, got a great start at the pin-end with Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48, Scarlet Oyster, judging the inner distance mark to perfection. Andy Middleton’s First 47.7, EH01 and Scarlet Oyster were the first yachts in IRC Two to reach Green Island and it is likely that these two will be neck-and-neck for the duration of the race. In IRC Three, Peter Scholfield’s HOD 35, Zarafa was leading on the water at Green Island. However the Two Handed team racing Louis-Marie Dussere’s JPK 10.10, Raging Bee was the leader in class after time correction.
Jonathan Bamberger’s Canadian J/145, Spitfire and Joseph Robillard’s S&S 68, Black Watch got the best start in the 15 strong fleet racing in IRC One. However, Jose Diego-Arozamena’s Farr 72, Maximizer,revelled in the upwind start to lead on the water at Green Island. Oyster 625, Lady Mariposa, sailed by Daniel Hardy had a great leg to Green Island as did James Blakemore’s Swan 53, Music which was leading after time correction.
The penultimate start featured 21 yachts racing in IRC Zero and Canting Keel, arguably the best fleet of offshore sailing yachts that has ever been seen in the Caribbean. A highly competitive start saw Piet Vroon’s Ker 51, Tonnerre 4, win the pin, while Ron O’Hanley’s Cookson 50, Privateer took the island shore route to perfection. Farr 100, Leopard sailed by Christopher Bake, also had a great start, controlling the boats to leeward heading for the Pillars of Hercules.
Hap Fauth’s Maxi 72, Bella Mente had a sensational first leg of the race, rounding Green Island first out of the IRC Zero class, but all eyes were on George David’s Rambler 88, as the powerful sled turned on the after burners. George David’s new speed-machine could well break his own monohull course record; at Barbuda Rambler 88 was almost five miles ahead of the ghost track of the record set by Rambler 100.
Two of the world’s most magnificent schooners were the last class to start. Athos and Adela started their match race in the pre-start and there is no doubt that the battle of the titans will continue throughout the race. Athos won the pre-start in some style, chasing Adela downwind and away from the line, before rounding up onto the breeze and crossing the line over a boat length ahead of her rival. However, Adela was far better suited to the beat up to Green Island and led as the two schooners continued their rivalry towards Barbuda.
Anyone who has been watching the weather knows that February has been an “Epic” month in the Northeast. The loss of the “Bounty” comes to mind; where the skipper thought he could outrun a hurricane in a boat capable of 6 knots in the best of conditions.
The first question is perhaps: who would leave given the weather forecast? The same question for the “Bounty”.
This is footage from the 2011 race. Already so long ago. The Transatlantic race this summer from Newport RI to the Lizard in England. There will be 3 starts beginning in June, the last start in July for boats like “Comanche” and “Rambler”. I intend to sail with many old shipmates once again on “Snow Lion” belonging to Larry Huntington.
Wild Oats XI has started to break away from Comanche in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race but a change in the weather could favour the American supermaxi.
At the halfway point, Comanche has stalled in the light conditions to be one of the slowest vessels in the fleet.
Travelling at 12-15 knots – almost twice Comanche’s speed – Wild Oats XI has extended its lead to 27 nautical miles with the chasing pack a further 20 behind.
Race spokesman Jim Gale said Comanche was by no means out of the running.
“A lot depends on the strength of the breeze,” he said.
“It’s going to be down to which boat gets the best weather conditions for its design.”
Rachel McInerney from the weather bureau said the wind will pick up significantly overnight and into tomorrow.
“Around lunch time tomorrow, down the east coast of Tasmania we are expecting north-north-easterly winds of around 15 to 25 knots,” she said.
Stronger winds were expected to favour Comanche but the leading boats were not expected to round Tasman Island until early Sunday afternoon.
The race is expected to finish in the early evening.
Comanche was first out of the Sydney Heads and held its lead over Wild Oats running into a strong southerly that forced eight boats to retire.
But as the wind died down, Wild Oates hit the front off Gabo Island at about 10am AEDT Saturday and led the fleet into a becalmed Bass Strait.
Defending champion Wild Oats XI is striving for three straight wins and a record eight in total.
Wild Oats spokesman Rob Mundle said the crew was not taking anything for granted.
“That lead that Wild Oats XI has now could be eliminated very, very quickly,” he said.
It will be a three-boat finish, says Ragamuffin crew
Despite trailing the leaders, the crew of third-placed yacht Ragamuffin 100 said they were still in with a chance of winning the race.
Having slowed down to protect the their boat in heavy seas on Friday night, they said they predicted the wind would turn in their favour and deliver them to the mouth of the Derwent at the same time as the leaders.
“We believe the leaders are going to run into a hole and stop,” said sailing master David Witt.
“And our routing is telling us that it’s going to be very exciting and all three boats are going to arrive at Tasman Light [Tasman Island] at the same time.”
Witt’s boat was gaining on Comanche but not Wild Oats.
“We’re three knots quicker already and that’s just going to build over the next 10 to 12 hours,” he said.
Eight yachts withdraw after overnight battering
Overnight, hopes of reaching Hobart’s Constitution Dock were dashed for Supermaxi Perpetual Loyal and seven other crews.
Perpetual Loyal briefly led the race on Friday but was forced to retire with a damaged hull.
Race officials said it had a delaminating bow and would head back to Sydney for repairs.
Media player: “Space” to play, “M” to mute, “left” and “right” to seek
Crewman Tom Slingsby said the yacht may have hit something at about 9:00pm before the hull started taking on water.
“We’re not exactly sure what happened. We were coming off some big waves, but we also could have hit something during the night when we were falling off these waves,” he said.
The fleet was battered by stiff southerly winds and rough seas until late on Friday night.
Former line honours winner Brindabella was among the casualties.
The 21-year-old maxi was forced to retire after it started taking on larger than normal quantities of water.
Brindabella’s sailing master, Brad Kellett, said the excess water was coming from damages to the yacht’s rudder bearings.
“We were just coming into our own after a risky tactical decision to go offshore paid off,” he said.
the start of the sydney-hobart race courtesy of sailing anarchy. The 5, 100 footers are off. The press for this race is much more successful than any other 600 mile race anywhere in the world.
