These are wonderful boats. Again, for me it is all about the weather routing, as a race. Sailing really well in the wrong direction will not win the race.
Banque Populaire V has been slowed by the weather presently, and are positioning themselves for the next system. Meanwhile they have lost some ground to Groupama
The earlier video seems to have been blocked.
The rule 69 hearing which has resulted in Ben Anslie having been disqualified form two races in the Olympic regatta in Perth, may just be the pivotal moment in Ben’s life. See photos HERE.
The fact that rule 69 even exists is a sad statement about us. It is regrettably necessary. I again am aware of other similar stories. I have had my course impeded by a photographer’s boat, who justified his actions as the freedom to take pictures. This past September I was driving a boat for the film crew for Rolex, for a major regatta; where I positioned the boat as close to those racing as I could. I would like to think I never made them feel that the racers might need to alter course because of our boat.
Banque Populaire V has a 2300 mile lead over the phantom Groupama, the present record holder. We tend to focus on the boat and the crew. The real story for me is the weather routing. The departure of Banque Populaire from Ushant occurred not because there was wind that day, but rather after exhaustive study the low systems globally appeared to be lining up favorably. So far, it is brilliant.
NEWPORT, R.I.—A barge that sank in Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay after the October snowstorm is back on the surface.
The U.S. Coast Guard says efforts are now under way to remove 3,900 gallons of diesel fuel that were on the barge when it sank Oct. 31 following the Nor’easter.
The 120-by-30-foot barge flipped upside down when it sank in more than 100 feet of water. Crews decided to right the vessel and bring it into shallower water before removing the fuel.
The barge was operated by a contractor hired to paint the Pell Bridge, which connects Newport to Jamestown.
The Coast Guard is working with a salvage company to raise the barge. Officials say the operation could end this week depending on the weather.
“This solution means we still have the exciting race finish into Abu Dhabi as always planned, while steering clear of the most dangerous waters off the Eastern African corridor” – Knut Frostad
Race organisers announced in August that the route for Legs 2 and 3 would be re-drawn because of the increased threat of piracy in the Indian Ocean. With the fleet set to depart Cape Town for the start of Leg 2 on Sunday, Race Director Jack Lloyd has made parts of the plan public for the first time.
The six boats will leave Cape Town as scheduled on Sunday, December 11 and continue to be tracked as normal until they reach a point in the Indian Ocean. From there, details about the boats’ location will be switched off to the public as they sail on to a Safe Haven Port. At that port, the boats will be loaded on to a ship protected by armed guards and featuring other security measures and transported to the northern Emirates.
Once unloaded, Race Management will decide where exactly to re-start the race for a short competitive sprint into Abu Dhabi, which is hosting the event from December 31 to January 14. The sailors will not be on board the ship.
The scoring system has been modified, so that 80 per cent of the points of Leg 2 are based on the race between Cape Town and Safe Haven 1 and 20 percent for the short sprint into Abu Dhabi. For Leg 3, the operation will be reversed, with a short sprint from Abu Dhabi at the start of the leg. The boats will go back on a ship and be transported again to a Safe Haven Port. From there, they will sail on as normal to the Leg 3 finish in Sanya, China.
Race Director Jack Lloyd said: “It is unfortunate that we have to take these measures but we have followed professional advice every step of the way. It is still very much a race around the world and we believe we have found a fair points system that will help make it an exciting sprint into Abu Dhabi.
“The teams all understand the situation and have given us their full support.”
Lloyd and Knut Frostad, the CEO of the race, have worked closely with Dryad Maritime Intelligence plus government agencies including European Union Naval Force Somalia (EUNAVFOR), UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the Maritime Security Centre, Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) as well as the sport’s governing body, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).
Frostad said safety had always been the highest priority in getting the teams through the areas worst affected by piracy.
“Piracy is a threat to the entire race and the measures we are taking are designed to keep the sailors, the shore crew and the boats as safe as possible, while preserving the competitive nature of the race,” Frostad said.
“This solution means we still have the exciting race finish into Abu Dhabi as always planned, while steering clear of the most dangerous waters off the Eastern African corridor.”
Piracy is a well-organised and highly lucrative business and it has expanded into a vast area off the coast of Somalia. According to figures from Dryad Maritime Intelligence,1,181 seafarers were kidnapped by pirates in 2010.
Dryad’s Graeme Gibbon Brooks said pirate operations in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean had been significantly restricted.
“This factor as well as very careful planning has reduced the probability of an encounter to as low as reasonably possible,” he said. “But while the probability is small, the impact of an attack when it happens is extremely high.”
Like Abu Dhabi, Sanya is hosting the race for the first time. The Chinese tourist city in Hainan Province will open its Race Village from February 4-19.
This is definitely not the Volvo Ocean race we envisioned. How good is your shore crew? It is drama of another kind.
Meanwhile Banque Populaire V is at 50 degrees south speeding along watching for icebergs.
Banque Populaire V is blazing along. Their lead over Groupama 3 after 11 days is more than 1800 miles. Banque Populaire is a massive trimaran at 40 meters. The web site is very well set up with as much information as you could ever want to know and very easy to navigate.
Mar Monstro (puma racing) lost her rig, motored to Tristan de Cunha. The first ride passed them up, here they are being loaded onto a ship to get to Capetown, SA and meet up with their replacement mast. It has been said “A race within a race”
Banque Populaire V now has a lead of 1030 miles over the ghost of Groupama, the present holder of the record around the world. I remember when Geromino, with Olivier de Kerusauson, had a 7 day lead closing on France, less than a thousand miles, and do not finish in the limit.
