LongPac Updates

[tboussie]

Latest update as of 0830 7/4:

Dura Mater - retired, confirmed back in berth
Daisen’s Den - retired, visually sighted back in the Bay headed to Alameda
Mulan - retired, confirmed back in berth (charging issues)
X-1 - retired, confirmed back in berth (sea sickness, extremely rough seas)

Sunquest - turned around, approaching GG Bridge (reports taking on water, but safe)

Rainbow - turned around and then turned back racing (no report)

10 boats still racing in what looks to be wind dropping into the high teens. Surprise due west, remainder of fleet south as far as Monterrey Bay.

 

[tboussie]

Messages from Will on S/V SEA WISDOM (Hinckley 42) at 1100 this morning:

I'm doing well. Conditions NW 20-30 kts, seas 7-10 ft. Last night was rather rough, NW 30-40 kts.

I am 100 nm from 126.40. I should make turnaround point around 2-3 AM tonight.

It is rough. I am lucky to have a bigger and more well protected boat. I don't know how those smaller boats could deal with these kinds of conditions.

 

[tboussie]

Mulan Update

Got following text messages from Michael on Mulan:

9:13 PM (near the Farallones): Heading back - battery not charging!

12:45 AM: Just docked, whew... Plus I fell and I think I broke a rib or two [RC note, he is a physician]. Oh well, hope the other boats are through the worst part. Really gnarly!!!



LP RC

 

[tboussie]

All of the boats still racing successfully sent manual "life aboard" messages to the RC today, as did SKYE who are bearing off for Moss Landing.

Their comments:

LIBRA - I'm still alive!
SURPRISE! - Rough race but easing a bit. ETA at turnaround is currently midnight. All is well.
RIFF RIDER - I'm okay.
TORTUGA - All is well on Tortuga. Big sea making it giddy up!
GALAXSEA - All is okay.
RAINBOW - Rainbow is sailing and all is well.
SEA WISDOM - (see previous post)
SHARK ON BLUEGRASS - All well on Shark. Wind 12-15, bumpy ride.
NIGHTMARE - Checking in, everything is ok.

 

[tboussie]

Latest update 1030 7/5

SKYE has made it back safely to her home port in Moss Landing.

All other boats except RAINBOW have touched and turned for SF. Can expect RAINBOW to do so later today.

NIGHTMARE appears to have turned back before the 126'40" mark.

SURPRISE! reports autopilot issues and is hand steering while attempting repairs. The RC is in communication with Bob and will update this forum on his status.

 

[Philpott]

Bob would be the first person* to analyze this:

Rule 41 Outside Help
A boat shall not receive help from any outside source, except

(a) help for a crewmember who is ill, injured or in danger;
(b) after a collision, help from the crew of the other vessel to get clear;
(c) help in the form of *information freely available to all boats;
(d) unsolicited information from a disinterested source, which may be another boat in the same race.
However, a boat that gains a significant advantage in the race from help received under rule 41(a) may be protested and penalized; any penalty may be less than disqualification.

* well, once he has rested up

 

[tboussie]

Outside Assistance

Bob would be the first person to analyze this:

Rule 41 Outside Help
A boat shall not receive help from any outside source, except

(a) help for a crewmember who is ill, injured or in danger;
(b) after a collision, help from the crew of the other vessel to get clear;
(c) help in the form of *information freely available to all boats;
(d) unsolicited information from a disinterested source, which may be another boat in the same race.
However, a boat that gains a significant advantage in the race from help received under rule 41(a) may be protested and penalized; any penalty may be less than disqualification.

I believe Bob is aware of the outside help rule. The nature of his message suggested that he was soliciting advice and that remaining in the race was secondary. I will confirm with him before communicating anything that would constitute outside assistance.

Tom

 

[tboussie]

All boats still on the course successfully sent in manual "life aboard" messages today.

Their comments:

LIBRA - S/V Libra, daily checkin. 1st night was rough with a sporty head sail change with winds above 30 knots. Solent up and genoa is fasten on deck since then […]
[...] Yesterday conditions have been better. Wind 20 to 28kn. Last night was quiet. Turned around at W126'40" at 6:15am today. Now heading back home! […]
[...] Btw, the 1st night, despite the rough sea and weather, was an absolutely beautiful sky, to be remembered, with gorgeous views of the Milky Way. S/V Libra
SURPRISE! - Surprise! is having difficulties but okay for now.
RIFF RIDER - Im nk
TORTUGA - All ok on tortuga!. . C265 S5.5. . . 36. 00. 49. . . 126. 27. 10. Almost to turn around.
GALAXSEA - All is ok.
RAINBOW - Rainbow is sailing and all is well.
SEA WISDOM - So happy to be on a beam reach finally!
SHARK ON BLUEGRASS - All well on the shark, on my way home, light wind but bumpy ...
NIGHTMARE - Checking in, everything is ok.

 

[Gamayun]

I believe Bob is aware of the outside help rule. The nature of his message suggested that he was soliciting advice and that remaining in the race was secondary. I will confirm with him before communicating anything that would constitute outside assistance.

Tom

My understanding of "outside help" is that it doesn't extend to help on fixing equipment that is integral to the safety of the skipper and vessel. The same thing happened to Mike on Jacqueline in the 2016 SHTP and many other times that I've been told about.

 

[WBChristie]

My understanding of "outside help" is that it doesn't extend to help on fixing equipment that is integral to the safety of the skipper and vessel. The same thing happened to Mike on Jacqueline in the 2016 SHTP and many other times that I've been told about.

Does it make a difference if the boat is vying for the overall.....? This gets interesting if "being in danger" is because you lost your autopilot.

 

[Philpott]

Regardless of whether the boat is vying for overall or just finishing the race, the decision is Bob's to make, and he is a Corinthian sailor. But here's a nice bit: When the call went out from the LongPac Race Chair (Tom Boussie), the RC B Team responded by googling B&G 5000 and Robertson 2000. Huh? The B Team doesn't know what those items are, but supposes that Google will connect the dots, as indeed Google does.

According to Google, Reliable Marine in Alameda is a certified dealer of something called a B&G 5000. I call their number and Roger answers.

"Hi, Roger, this is Jackie Philpott."

"Hi, Jackie."

"I'm calling about a singlehanded friend offshore doing the Longpac. He's having difficulty with his B&G autopilot. Could you walk him through a fix?"

"Well, sure, except that I'm in the engine room of a boat right now. The person you want to contact is Eric Steinberg over at Farallon Electronics."

"Great. Do you have his number?"

"No, but he's in Sausalito. I'd help but, like I said, I'm in the engine room of a boat just now."

"Okay, thanks, Roger!"

So then the RC B team googled Farallon Electronics and called the phone number listed.

Eric answered. On the day after Fourth of July. These boat people. They're nuts.

"Hi, this is Jackie Philpott."

Pause. Very politely: "Hi, Jackie."

At this point I need to point out that neither of these very civil men has any idea who I am, nor do I own stock in their companies.

"I'm calling about a singlehanded friend offshore doing the Longpac. He's having difficulty with his B&G autopilot. Could you walk him through a fix?"

Eric is interested now.

"Oh yeah? The Longpac, huh?"

J: Is there any way that you could advise him about a fix for his B&G autopilot by way of Satphone?"

E: What's the skipper's name?

J: Bob Johnston with a T.

E: Oh, yeah. That unit was in the boat when he bought it. He and I talked about it recently. Sure. Give him my personal cell phone."

I thanked him and passed the information on to the RC A Team. So whether Bob calls Eric or not, or whether he decides to hand steer Surprise! the last 140 nm or not, it is his decision. My work here is done. But remember these two men when you need to buy electronics for your boat, because you can count on them.

 

[WBChristie]

Yeah, its Bobs call to make. During the shtp, we frequently talked to each other ... I remember Peter had some trouble with his SSB and the rest of us made encouraging noises about what we thought it might be (although he figured it out himself).... isn't it ok for competitors to help each other?

 

[WBChristie]

I guess not:
10 OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE
10.01 No physical contact except for the passing of written messages may be made with other
vessels at sea, and no stores may be received from any ship or aircraft during the Race, except
for the passing of medical supplies.
10.02 During the Race, no yacht may receive private or publicly available internet-distributed
information regarding weather, currents, course routing or other tactical advice, with the
following specific exceptions:
[a] Receipt of publicly available radio weather broadcasts.
Diagrams commonly referred to as “weatherfax” generated by NOAA , or
corresponding agencies of other countries, along with text forecasts from such publicly
available sources.
[c] Communication on open radio channels [without encryption] with other competitors,
which may consist of information such as current position, weather and sea conditions.
[d] Solicitation and receipt of information solely about the repair of any equipment on
board, but not including routing advice.
[e] Weather data commonly referred to as GRIB files, derived without 3rd party
manipulation or enhancement from weather models operated by NOAA or analogous
agencies of other countries.
[f] The information about each yacht listed in RRC Rule 6.02 (but no other competitor
data).

 

[AntsUiga]

I am wondering while sitting on porch in Prescott - do we have two separate issues, competing in the Longpac and completing a SHTP qualifier. Granted, I am decades out of date.

If there is a rules violation and the skipper is disqualified from Longpac trophies, does the distance sailed still count as a bonafide qualifier. Not trying to cause problems, but in the past the sailing qualifier was not governed by racing rules.

Ants

 

[Gamayun]

Does it make a difference if the boat is vying for the overall.....? This gets interesting if "being in danger" is because you lost your autopilot.

That's certainly reasonable. There doesn't seem to be any danger, per se, in losing one's auto pilot, but if the person should be able to get outside support just so they can remain racing and not have to hand steer, then I can see that that is just having it both ways. Furshur, Bob know this. Me, I'm just curious about it; I don't have a racer's mentality because if I were faced with hand steering for 18 hours heading toward the gate and those shipping lanes, I'd accept the outside support and just call it.

 

[Gamayun]

If there is a rules violation and the skipper is disqualified from Longpac trophies, does the distance sailed still count as a bonafide qualifier. Not trying to cause problems, but in the past the sailing qualifier was not governed by racing rules.

Ants

My understanding is that the miles still count. He is sailing them. No doubt about that!

Now, if he gets towed in the last 50 miles, that seems likely it would not...

 

[Philpott]

And let's not forget this:

ORGANIZING AUTHORITY

1.1 The Race shall be under the authority of the Race Committee of the Singlehanded Sailing Society (SSS RC), which shall have full power to establish and interpret the rules and conditions governing the Race, to decide all protests, and to reject the entry of any yacht at any time prior to the preparatory signal of the
Race.

 

[tboussie]

Update from the 2019 LongPac RC 1830 7/5/19

Bob on SURPRISE! has declined outside assistance, deciding instead to "tough it out". That translates to likely 24+ total hrs of hand steering to get home safely. This will not come as a SURPRISE to those of who know, and have sailed against, Bob.

Good luck to him and the rest of the fleet as they prepare for what could be another tough night.


RC

 

[Gamayun]

Update from the 2019 LongPac RC 1830 7/5/19

Bob on SURPRISE! has declined outside assistance, deciding instead to "tough it out". That translates to likely 24+ total hrs of hand steering to get home safely. This will not come as a SURPRISE to those of who know, and have sailed against, Bob.

Good luck to him and the rest of the fleet as they prepare for what could be another tough night.


RC

All the best to Bob and to the other racers who are toughing it out in those conditions. It's likely to be a long 24 hours for all.

 

[jamottep]

10 OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE
10.02 During the Race, no yacht may receive private or publicly available internet-distributed
information regarding weather, currents, course routing or other tactical advice, with the
following specific exceptions:
[d] Solicitation and receipt of information solely about the repair of any equipment on
board.

Why is there confusion here? The above clearly states that it is ok to get verbal assistance to repair stuff. This is standard across all offshore effects that I know of.