New Boat 4 Sled

[sleddog]

Based on current tracker reports, here are approximate distances and sailing times behind DOUBLE-X the hounds are chasing the fox:

PASSAGES (93 miles), 12 hours; CRINAN (115 miles), 16 hours; NIGHTMARE (120 miles), 17 hours; RIFF RIDER (187 miles,) 27.5 hours.

DOUBLE-X owes CRINAN a whopping 48 seconds/mile or ~ 28 hours, 11 minutes for the course with 5 minute difference in start times taken into account.

It would seem CRINAN is currently the leader on corrected time.

Except for Cal-40 RIFF RIDER, the other top 4 boats were built in Santa Cruz....

This race is a long way from over.

 

[sleddog]

In the SHTP, Don on CRINAN is only 131 miles astern of PJ on DOUBLE-X.

For DOUBLE-X to win, PJ has to gain ~16 miles/day on CRINAN for the remainder of the race.

To date, after 8 days of sailing, DOUBLE-X has been gaining, get this, ~ 16 miles/day on CRINAN.

Both boats are about the same length, but DOUBLE-X has 2 feet more waterline and is 1,800 pounds lighter.

CRINAN may have a compromised auto-pilot. Or not.

If things continue as they have been, CRINAN and DOUBLE-X could be within minutes of each other for the overall (corrected time) win.

In the meantime, if you are looking for an indestructible metal boat for the NW Passage, I know a field in Eastern Washington where you can pickup a good project boat for cheap. (Truck is optional.)

 

[sleddog]

It's full speed now for the fleet. Winds are 18-22 knots from the NE with plenty of squalls.

DOUBLE EXPRESSO briefly reports in, sounding busy, with less than 600 miles to go:

It's very squally. I think there may have been a few last night but this late afternoon there were 5, usually rain first then wind. I tried to feel the first few then set the autopilot on a course and closed the hatch. COG about 250T. Since then they just keep coming in ... The boat goes up to 11kts under what feels like wind alone. Then we drop to 7+ kts. Poled out 2 and full main. I took the 3 down to simplify cleaning up the mess, should something happen.


Don on CRINAN continues to impress, losing nothing to DOUBLE EXPRESSO overnight. Looking more like his race to lose, as he's only 17 hours behind DE and maintaining.

 

[Philpott]

The RC is en route, Coomodore Dave via Seattle, moi following on United, Synthia tomorrow and Kristen after that, all hoping to arrive in time to buy mai tai ingredients. Oh, and to do other things as well, like unpack the big anchors from David’s beautifully built crate and to meet up w the Crane Boss, Larry Conklin, who is also the crash .... er ... committee boat boss. Thank goodness Al Germain will also be in Hanalei Bay because he was the only person who knew how to get the boat into and out of gear in 2016. AND of course Dave Morris of “engine by Dave” fame will fly in. No more need be said.

 

[sleddog]

The RC is en route, Coomodore Dave via Seattle, moi following on United, Synthia tomorrow and Kristen after that, all hoping to arrive in time to buy mai tai ingredients. Oh, and to do other things as well, like unpack the big anchors from David’s beautifully built crate and to meet up w the Crane Boss, Larry Conklin, who is also the crash .... er ... committee boat boss. Thank goodness Al Germain will also be in Hanalei Bay because he was the only person who knew how to get the boat into and out of gear in 2016. AND of course Dave Morris of “engine by Dave” fame will fly in. No more need be said.

"No more need be said?" Understatement. I'll say more.

The bi-ennial Singlehanded Transpac Traveling Circus is coming to Hanalei. Besides the racers, this is an amazing rendezvous of people, support gear, and experience, unrivaled anywhere.

Here are just a few things now assembling in Hanalei.

The SHTP Race Committee, complete with its own Commodore, Finish Committee, Welcoming Committee, and radio gear.

The shipping crates, filled with goodies and trophies for everyone.

A welcoming and "follow me" boat, thanks to Larry C.

A crash pad just inland from the beach and finish line range. A lookout house and radio relay station on the Princeville Cliff.

A sail repair crew and equipment, thanks to Synthia and Beetle.

A reporter, journalist, and analyst.

A palm tree, shade, table and sunset for evening get togethers, aka "Tree Time."

A trophy presentation dinner complete with speeches and something for everyone.

A mile long, half moon shaped, tan sand beach for strolling and finding land legs.

A dozen or more waterfalls, with rainbows, appearing at any time of day on the Pali cliffs ringing Hanalei Bay.

The nicest people in the world. SSS of SF Bay, you rock!

 

[sleddog]

A brief e-mail from DOUBLE EXPRESSO raises more questions than answers. Reading between PJ's lines only partially hints at what is going on. The AP failed? What happened then? Why change from the #2 to #3? How was the headfoil damaged? Sheesh.

"It's been a crazy morning. Autopilot went off. It's back on and also charging batteries now with generator. #3 poled out, full main. Will put #2 back up after charging. It did damage the Tuffluff grove in a few places. Should still work ..
A little tired ... But good progress last night.
PJ

 

[Philpott]

Well, here I am at the Lihue airport. The big question: get on the bus for only 25 cents or wait for the commodore, who has rented a car? Hope it’s a corvette! Mahalo this, mahalo that! Everyone is happy to be here. I’m not in Oakland anymore! What a good place to end up after sailing! And I’m not even in Hanalei Bay yet!

 

[Lanikai]

Loving this color commentary and analysis, especially from Sled! Without it, I probably would have just checked the tracker once or twice and thought "The circles are moving toward Hawaii. E is winning. I'll wait for the Lat38 write up."

 

[Philpott]

Loving this color commentary and analysis, especially from Sled! Without it, I probably would have just checked the tracker once or twice and thought "The circles are moving toward Hawaii. E is winning. I'll wait for the Lat38 write up."

Ha! Christine won’t be here today! And Latitude doesn’t come out every day or 24/7 like people on this forum! Plus Latitude is edited! This isn’t! Over the loudspeaker the recorded message is “ have a safe and secure life and return soon” You don’t hear that at Oakland airport! Now where’s that corvette?

 

[sleddog]

Hope Jackie found her Corvette and chauffeur. If you can't arrive at Hanalei by boat, Jackie and the Commodore are proving you can arrive in style.

Also, gaining style points at the tail end of the fleet, MORNING STAR just crossed half-way. MS's displacement should increasingly help as Lee schusses downhill:

Do you think an autopilot can outsail an experienced handsteering helmsperson when surfing downwind? I don't think so, especially when the AP is attempting to hold a compass course. The fastest way downwind is an "S" course, surfing to leeward on a wave, heading up for pressure as the wave passes, surfing to leeward on the next wave, always leaving the wave before it leaves you (by the lee.)

 

[sleddog]

Online news relayed from the SHTP fleet has been sparse to non-existent. I accidentally found the Bay Area online news forum Pressure Drop is publishing some reports from the boats I hadn't seen. If you wish to read further than the SHTP Forum, go seek out Pressure Drop at http://www.pressure-drop.us/forums/content.php?8428-July-1st-SHTP-Update

It is not unexpected the two fastest rated boats, the Olson 30's DOUBLE EXPRESSO and PASSAGES, are leading the SHTP fleet. What is interesting is both skippers have sailed almost the minimum number of miles from SF to Kauai, shorter than any other boats in the fleet by a lot. At times, the tracker shows these two boats going straight, Dead Down Wind (DDW), for hundreds of miles with only minimum alteration to course.

DDW on an ultralight is not the traditional fastest way to Hawaii. Sailing extra miles but reaching up for pressure/speed is, helping the ULDB accelerate to surfing/planing potential, which can be several knots higher than theoretical "hull speed" downwind. (Hull speed doesn't exist for ULDB's).

So how are DOUBLE-X and PASSAGES able to maintain nearly an 8 knot average DDW while sailing singlehanded? Both PJ and Dave have bowed to their relative inexperience with spinnakers in ocean waves and are sailing exclusively with poled out jibs, preferring the simplicity and reliability of that rig to the uncertainties of a spinnaker.

Also likely factored into the non-spinnaker equation is the distance lost every time a sail change is made. Weight on the bow, bald headed in the fore-triangle, dealing with spinnaker nets, the inability of autopilots to steer with a spinnaker in a squall on a ULDB ....

Not saying this poled out jib technique is the future of singlehanded sailing. For example, Cal-40's with good AP's and instrumentation such as NOZUMI, GREEN BUFFALO, and ILLUSION, and expert and experienced sailing skills of skippers like Rob, Jim, and Stan, can carry spinnakers all the way to Hawaii, day/night, squalls, come what may.

It's part of what's fun about racing solo to Hawaii: different things can float your boat and there is more than one "right way" to get downwind.

 

[Submarino]

Yes, it's quite a strange race to see these modulated speeds from the surfers, but I am not out there and in their fatigue. At least the ULDB surfers are a somewhat level field amongst themselves - somewhat the spirit of this race, come with what you have in boat and experience.

I am envious of the 2-3 days of "surfs up" conditions, though. I never got those. In 2014, I was happy to be in squalls and could not get enough of them. A wet grin, sideways view (rods work better at night), and hand driving "S" patterns were both fun and scary. One particular night squall, I was surfing rather blind (could barely make out white wave wash) and relied on the wind vane and changes in boat speed to prevent a submarine into the back of a wave.

I expect Phillipe will accelerate ahead as the stronger winds will reach him soon.

I expect some stories from this quiet group, too!

 

[Dazzler]

Online news relayed from the SHTP fleet has been sparse to non-existent. I accidentally found the Bay Area online news forum Pressure Drop is publishing some reports from the boats I hadn't seen. If you wish to read further than the SHTP Forum, go seek out Pressure Drop at http://www.pressure-drop.us/forums/content.php?8428-July-1st-SHTP-Update

Sled,
I think Pressure Drop is just reposting what’s being posted by the RC on the NEWS section of the SHTP website at http://sfbaysss.org/shtp2018/blog/ plus data from the tracker.

Tom

 

[sleddog]

Sled,
I think Pressure Drop is just reposting what’s being posted by the RC on the NEWS section of the SHTP website at http://sfbaysss.org/shtp2018/blog/ plus data from the tracker.
Tom

Thanks, Tom! Hitting "refresh" has updated my NEWS site, which was 9 days stale. Now I know "the rest of the story." PJ going backwards to Hawaii may not be a good look. At least he got turned back around. There is truth to the old adage "Keep the pointy end forward."

 

[BobJ]

I have the same issue (needing to refresh the page each time). It's always been that way with Christine and Jonathan's site, NorCalSailing as well. Not sure why.

 

[AlanH]

I have the same issue (needing to refresh the page each time). It's always been that way with Christine and Jonathan's site, NorCalSailing as well. Not sure why.

Thanks for the reminder about NorCalSailing.com


I haven't visited in a long time!

 

[sleddog]

Wow. Respect.

I just read Shad's reflection on why he is doing the SHTP on DARK HORSE. It is greatly moving and thanks to Shad's dedication and commitment has a happy ending. I'm just sorry that the Southerly Surge on Day 1 trapped DARK HORSE and her competitive skipper. It was only a matter of a mile and a few stray puffs whether you kept moving west. Or got stuck.

http://sfbaysss.org/shtp2018/2018/07/02/this-is-what-its-about-reflections-from-dark-horse/

We had light rain here in Capitola early this morning. Not drizzle but honest rain. No mention of precip by the NWS, although they are calling for arrival, beginning late tomorrow, of big southerly swells from current Cat 2 hurricane Fabio, southwest of Baja. Fabio will have no effect on the SHTP as he is too far east and south. But hopefully the wetness will help extinguish the out-of-control fires in Northern CA.

I had to laugh at Mike's recent experience on JACQUELINE of hearing pinging noises. Wrote Mike: "While catching some shut eye, I'm awoken by “ping, ping, ping, ping” what the hell is THAT!!!! Why its the mixer ball bearing in the MacLube can. Sir, fancy any lubrication today?"

I once had a similar, but different, experience short tacking WILDFLOWER through the pass at Raiatea. Somehow in the tool locker the lid on the can of WD-40 had come adrift, allowing the weight of a tool to press against the nozzle, filling the cabin with a fine, oily mist. As Mike says, "Fancy any lubrication today?"

They say you can use WD-40 for just about anything, including exterminating coackroaches, preventing snow buildup on your windows, lubing guitar strings, waterproofing shoes, cleaning and restoring license plates, removing barnacles from your boat bottom, catching more fish by spraying on lures and live bait, and renewing faded plastic furniture.

All the above may be true. But I really can't think of any good that came of WD-40 sprayed randomly inside a small boat cabin.

Ah, the Joys.

 

[pogen]

I have the same issue (needing to refresh the page each time). It's always been that way with Christine and Jonathan's site, NorCalSailing as well. Not sure why.

In general, your browser will cache the old content, and doesn't generally notice when a page has changed. One needs to hit the page refresh button manually.

I added a couple of plugins this morning, one that supposedly inhibits browser caching so that won't be such a problem, and one that displays the first picture of a news post with the short excerpt on the Home page. The Home page displays short excerpts (and now pics) for the 10 most recent news stories. I'm not sure if the anti-caching thing is actually working as it is hard to test.

I see that Ray has also done some behind the scenes work in the last few days to eliminate some of the annoying and weird popup behaviors of the embedded tracker. Thanks!

 

[BobJ]

You guys are great and are really adding to the experience for us desk-bound SHTP junkies. I do have a question however.

How come when I switch to Satellite view and zoom all the way in, I can't see the actual boats?

 

[pogen]

Thanks Bob.

The pic excerpt thing is supposed to show on the first pic, but it seems like you see all the pics.

You get what you pay for .