Question
Member Jim asked:
So now that GGR 2022 is in the final stretch – What do you think? Seems like the later start had some benefits – if I recall correctly one boat sank (auto-pilot broke off?) otherwise barnacles seems to be the biggest issue… and kudos to Kirsten!
Answer
Yes, the later start was a great change. That said, I’m still not a fan of Don McIntyre playing God as the sole dispenser of weather information, other than SSB.
And given the amount of damage from broaches, it still would have been a good idea to require a Jordan Series Drogue, in my view.
All that said, I’m following the race avidly and rooting for Kirsten to be the first women to win a round-the-world solo race, although if Abhilash were to win after showing such incredible grit to go back out there after the last race, that would be cool, too.
And if Simon Curwen was first home that would be a fun and just result given the disappointment of having to make a stop.
Incidentally, it’s now pretty certain that the boat loss was due to a structural failure even though she had been almost totally rebuilt. To me this calls into question sending people into the Southern Ocean in boats that are over fifty years old, no matter how well refitted.
My suggestion for future races would be a GGR one-design class of new boats designed and built for the race—might even be less expensive than trying to bring an old boat up to a safe standard.
More on the GGR and the benefits of requiring a JSD.
https://globalsolochallenge.com/ seems like a decent alternative to the GGR. Obviously not a one design race though and still lots of old boats.
We can share most of those thoughts but, as I write amUTC12Mar, Kirsten is struggling to get clear north of a spreading band of light breeze while Abhilash is still making northing in her direction. There are plenty of twists ‘n turns to come.
I cannot agree that chosing a new boat is a panacea against structural failure – think ‘HUGO BOSS’ and ‘PRB’ – both extremely expensive disappointments.
Hi Wil,
Hugo Boss and PRB where designed and built at the bleeding edge of a high tech development class and so I would argue not relevant to a one design class for the GGR which could be designed and built with high safety margins and also benefit from the huge advances in structural engineering in the last 50 years.
A better comparison would be the Clipper one designs or those built by Chay Blyth, which have proved very reliable.
A40 then;-)
Or perhaps new Rustler 36s could be built for about $250k.
If you do 1 DESIGN GGR then it wont be the GGR anymore.
It will just be like all the other races. But Also I dont like new boats at all. I Had a look at the boat shows this year and last just to see whats going on with design, ugly, more like spaceships, too lightly built, not for me anyway…
IMO, Most lack sole and feel and look all the same kinda like cars today..New boats crash and burn just like the older ones. And not all the boats had structure problems in GGR.
So I disagree, that older boats are the problem. Id take my 1985 Lello 34 over any of the new boats for round the world thank you, For strength, sea comfort and (CSF 156) in its size and class its a real impressive little boat..
Look at the stats on the Lello 34 they are some the best of any boat any age for a blue water boat 30 to 35 foot. better that Contessa 32 and all the rest in that class of boat.
So old boats IMO, still can be very good round the world …If I had $500.000 to spend, I would still take an older boat and build it out proper… But then again Im old school, Love Bristol Cutters
they are fast, and hove to like a dream…
Hi Michael,
Each to there own, but if setting out on the GGR I would be far happier in a new boat, rather than a 50 year old one suffering from who knows how much fatigue: https://www.morganscloud.com/2013/04/15/cyclical-loading-why-offshore-sailing-is-so-hard-on-a-boat/
Just because many new boats are lightly built and poorly designed, does not mean that all new boats need to be that way. The problems with today’s light boats are simply because the people who buy them look for the wrong things, not because a good boat can’t be built new.
And if something traditional was wanted, there would be nothing to prevent the new boats being modelled on say the Rustler 35 as PD suggests.
Also, things like hard dodgers and a proper interior arrangement for short handing could be incorporated.
I also can’t see why one design would change the race materially. Rather it would just make it a more fair test of skill and endurance.
Yes I here you John, its just , I dont like the way new boats are being built. Stuff like molded in inter trays they are a bitch if you have to get behind them to fix somthing in tricky spots.
You have cut them apart in most case and they never go back together like factory.Its tuff to inspect a boat with molded in furniture or install in tight spots to use all the space you have..Anyway as you say, to each there own..
I wonder if a JSD were required how many of the boats that broached would have deployed them. Not saying your idea isn’t valid. Just that most of these sailors still seemed to display a racers mentality and I wonder if this would have let them deploy a drogue until it was truly survival conditions. I guess you can always go back to you have to first finish to finish first…
Hi Foster,
Sure, that would be an issue, but if we look at the experience of the leaders of both this race and the last, a strategic deployment would have made them a lot faster. Curwen lost an unassailable lead to a broach and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede very nearly lost the race to rig damage from a knock down. As you say, to be first…