I was glued to the box yesterday, watching the start.
I have nothing but admiration for these guys. Just to get around and finish is a massive achievement, regardless of the finishing position. There are many more people to have climbed Everest than have sailed single handed around the world without stopping.
That there are 4 British entries (3 of them women) in what is a very French event, is fantastic. For those who aren't VG fans, Alex Thomson skippering Hugo Boss is competing in his 5th VG, having finished 2nd last time, and 3rd the time before. His team have the biggest budget, his boat the very latest. The pressure is on him as race favourite.
Sam Davies in Initiatives Coeur is in with a shout. She is very experienced, with a 4th place in 2008/9, and her boat, although built in 2010, (so previous generation), has been converted to foils.
Further back amongst the older boats (without foils) we have Miranda Merron and Pip Hare. I don't know much about Miranda, but one of the guys I occasionally race with sometimes sails with Pip. They finished 2nd in the 2017 3 peaks race (sailing AND running up mountains) two handed. She is incredibly fit, and very determined. Her entry is very Corinthian in nature; her objective to get to the finish in her 20 year old boat, and to beat Ellen MacArthur's second-place time in the 2000/2001 event. If she manages this, she will have done brilliantly.
The latest boats are extraordinary looking things, as you say Peter, they are flying machines. I would dearly love to have a sail on one. What remains to be seen, is how many of the foiling boats manage to get around with foils intact. In the last event, Thomson damaged a foil, but still managed to finish 2nd by only a few hours.
Much though I love this event, I do however have some deep held reservations about long distance single handed racing. COLREGS Rule 5 states: "Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions" This is just not possible for a single hander, who has to sleep occasionally. In many ways, I'd rather see these sort of events as two-handed races.
Last edited by pandy; 09/11/20 10:18 AM.
