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Ramona said..
Facebook has been excellent for updating info. Philippe should be just about to pass through the first gate. Interesting also is the old technology in theory but the sails they are all using are far superior to what was available in 1968. All seem to favour full battened mains and the spinnakers are outstanding. I doubt whether any of the original boats in the 1968 race even carried one let alone kept them flying like these boats do.
One of the competitors has a fixed 3 blade propeller! On a 9 month race this is going to add 14 days to his race compared to the others.
Facebook.
"Looks like Kevin is trying to increase speeds and running downwind with any vane requires some sail balance but that means a bit slower so each sailor has to make the best compromise. He made the decision to sail around the world with a fixed three blade propellor dragging through the water and you have to wonder what he is thinking about that now. If it slows the boat .25 of a knot?? that translates to nearly two weeks of extra sailing to finish the course in 250 days?? "

Racing with a fixed prop doesn't seem like a good idea. A folding prop could be worth 12 miles a day, over 300 days thats 3,600 miles!!

Mark Slats twin heady type thing seems to pushing him along. Although I can't see that cloth dodger lasting the trip

The videos on Facebook of the yachts passing through the gate are outstanding!

I read that Philippe had to turn around and go back to the first gate as he mistook a lighthouse and lost a few hours. Looking at the map I think he just missed it.
Fl (3) 30 sec. I presume they are allowed to use RDF,s . I used a hand held back in the day .a pita.
On one MH the navigator used it to get a fix ssomewhere between north west corner of Tas and Stanley. misread it and on the next sked reported our position 6 hours ahead of where we were. Not happy when I plotted running fixes.

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Bananabender said..
I read that Philippe had to turn around and go back to the first gate as he mistook a lighthouse and lost a few hours. Looking at the map I think he just missed it.
Fl (3) 30 sec. I presume they are allowed to use RDF,s . I used a hand held back in the day .a pita.
On one MH the navigator used it to get a fix ssomewhere between north west corner of Tas and Stanley. misread it and on the next sked reported our position 6 hours ahead of where we were. Not happy when I plotted running fixes.

They are using the rules that applied in the 1968 race regarding hailing passing vessels. In this case they head into the buoy and Mr McIntyre tells them where the buoy is and which way to pass the bouy. I think Philippe was some distance off and had to sail back up wind to get to the mark and was probably not all that happy when he was interviewed.

It's a long way to go.
Extract from my sailing.com.au
He is still in first place, but French Golden Globe Race leader Philippe P?ch? threw away a hard-fought 3? hour lead at the first gate in this 30,000 mile solo non-stop round the world race today after mistaking the lighthouse marking the southern end of Lanzarote today.It was not until his Rustler 36 PRB had reached the northern tip of Fuerteventura in the Canaries that the Frenchman realised his mistake and had to turn back into the wind and beat the 7 miles Marina Rubicon at the southern end of Lanzarote,Why he missed the lighthouse's distinctive pattern of flashes in the early dawn is not fully explained. If he had done so, P?ch? would have rounded the the mandatory turning mark at 06:30. Instead, it was 10:30 before he had passed across his film and letters to waiting organisers and had set off again.This time wasting closed the gap between himself and second placed Mark Slats and his Rustler 36 Ohpen Maverick to little more than 9 miles. The Dutchman was delighted. "I'm very happy and feeling strong. I rowed for 6 hours when the winds got very light around Cape Finisterre" he told organisers and after he too had handed across his film, and set off enthusiastically to chase down his rival.
Read more at www.mysailing.com.au/offshore/golden-globe-race-philippe-p-ch-sacrifices-a-4-hour-lead-with-navigation-mistake?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Enews%20July%2013%202018&utm_content=Enews%20July%2013%202018+CID_5f2234571a0ec7d8dfdfce2f84c8cf77&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Read%20more#BAyrxyo1AIVFvfhv.99"

the rustler 36 looks like it slips along nicely !! good looking yacht as well

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SandS said..
the rustler 36 looks like it slips along nicely !! good looking yacht as well

Maybe you S&S guys should swap you S&S 34's for one.

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Jode5 said..

SandS said..
the rustler 36 looks like it slips along nicely !! good looking yacht as well

Maybe you S&S guys should swap you S&S 34's for one.

Tapio is an older S&S and is sitting low in the water.

he should have taken cans instead of bottles !!! hope his anti foul is high enough !!!

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Jode5 said..

SandS said..
the rustler 36 looks like it slips along nicely !! good looking yacht as well

Maybe you S&S guys should swap you S&S 34's for one.

Wash your mouth out with soap.

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MorningBird said..


Wash your mouth out with soap.

Watched Mark Sinclair's buoy rounding this morning. He was a hydro graphic officer. Ever come across him Morningbird?

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Ramona said..

MorningBird said..


Wash your mouth out with soap.

Watched Mark Sinclair's buoy rounding this morning. He was a hydro graphic officer. Ever come across him Morningbird?

I get the feeling from Mark that Kevin Farebrother is going to
give it away .

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Ramona said..

MorningBird said..


Wash your mouth out with soap.

Watched Mark Sinclair's buoy rounding this morning. He was a hydro graphic officer. Ever come across him Morningbird?

Not that I recall. Any idea on his age?

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Bananabender said..

Ramona said..

MorningBird said..


Wash your mouth out with soap.

Watched Mark Sinclair's buoy rounding this morning. He was a hydro graphic officer. Ever come across him Morningbird?

I get the feeling from Mark that Kevin Farebrother is going to
give it away .

Kevin has now officially retired.

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MorningBird said..

Not that I recall. Any idea on his age?

59. Used to have an S&S 41.
goldengloberace.com/skipper/2018/mark-john-sinclair/

There is a nice Tradewinds 35 for sale in the Canary islands. Looks like this is going to be a battle between the various windvanes used. The frail ones are quickly falling apart!

I read Kevin's twitter or whatever where he states solo sailing is not for him , he needs to work within a team and he is returning to the mountains.
To me it demonstrates the point that some people can only succeed within a group whereas others are best operating as a single entity.
Many years ago I was fortunate to do a two week live in management course at lysterfied vic. as well as one at Mt. Eliza Institute . of management and in both I was identified as one who operates best by ones self. I keep telling the misses that when I go out and by a boat or car without consulting her

Down to 13 contestants. Another windvane failure.

so which are the best windvanes ? for say a skeg hung rudder type sv ...... ? thoughts anyone ?

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Ramona said..
Down to 13 contestants. Another windvane failure.

I've tried to work out which yachts are using which windvane. A few are obvious from photos, but there doesn't seem to be a data set of this info. Hydrovane is one of the two listed sponsors, and apparently 6 contestants have their gear. A couple of the leading boats have Monitor systems. Challenging times for contestants, with numerous early equipment failures, including sail damage. A bit like the original globe race, when half the contestants withdrew in the first few weeks - but the original race had a number of contestants setting off in light production yachts. Time to re-read 'A voyage for madmen'!

one of the frenchmen has only one mainsail !!

i thought they would all have a spare !

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SandS said..
so which are the best windvanes ? for say a skeg hung rudder type sv ...... ? thoughts anyone ?

I think it comes down to whether you have a wheel or tiller. If wheel you almost definately want one that has its own rudder not a pendulum servo. Pendulum servos seem to like something to work against like a tiller on an unbalanced rudder.

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SandS said..
so which are the best windvanes ? for say a skeg hung rudder type sv ...... ? thoughts anyone ?

I would say a servo pendendulum such as a Monitor or a Fleming for a rear cockpit yacht. For a centre cockpit I would go for a trim tab / rudder system such as a Hydrovane.

Two of the early failures were with Beaufort units. Failed welds. Apparently too light a construction. The problems now are from fresh downwind sailing. Monitors and Aries would be my pick out of the entrants. I don't think there are any Flemings in the race.

From Facebook..............
URGENT SALE.Kevin's #GGR2018 1993 Tradewind 35 is FOR SALE!! First reasonable cash offer in the next four weeks. Ready to go with a working HYDROVANE, all GGR safety gear, charts, sextant, almanac etc etc etc, 9 months food just step on board and cruise to the Pacific or Caribbean or around the world. Maybe an early start for #GGR2022.email Offers to DON@ www.GoldenGloberace.com This was the designer builders own personal boat specially strengthened and able to sail anywhere in safety. Kevin is headed back to the mountains!! Yes it may be a bargain for someone!?..AS IS WHERE IS Canary Island Marina Rubic?n Sailing Center (TW35 drawing by Francois Chevalier)


Hydrovane and wheel steering by the look of things.

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Not sure how these people come so far and not start off with the right equipment!

From Facebook.................


Istvan Kopar Solo Circumnavigator has decided to head to the Cape Verde Islands and remove his self steering and fit another brand. He cannot continue to hand steer every day and is continually gybing in the downwind conditions with poor windvane steering which he knows is not safe in the Southern Ocean. He will arrive in five or six days and hopes to fly out a new Monitor system. He will move to the Chichester Class when he gets underway again. #GGR2018

He cannot continue to hand steer every day and is continually gybing in the downwind conditions

Pity he can't access the internet,

I guess when your out cruising or nancing about on the ocean, you can always reduce power from your sails to complement your windvane.
Nearly any wind vane or self steering system would be suffice under those circumstances,,, but who wants to de-power if your in a race because your helmsman is not up to the task.
I think that given those circumstances, I would not settle for anything that wouldn't be up to the task on a 50ft ferro boat.

The problem is sailing down wind in fresh conditions and sailing the boat as hard as possible. The servo windvanes will handle the conditions easily enough with a tiller. The problem boats all seem to have wheel steering with the control lines going to drums on the wheels. This gives a fixed ratio which is fine on most points of sail but not down wind where a much faster rudder response is needed. On my boat I have 3 attachment points for the lines. Sailing dead down wind I move the lines down the tiller handle closer to the shaft. Roughly half the distance. This reduces the leverage but the response time is rapid. The servo has heaps of power to overcome the reduced leverage.
There is going to be a lot of downwind sailing in boisterous conditions over the next few weeks!