Vendée Globe Continues to Rocket Around the World
Don’t blink or you’ll miss it. The Vendeé Globe race around the world got off to a slow start on November 10 in Les Sables-D’Olonne, but once the breeze filled in crews began pushing their IMOCA 60s at a blistering pace. Current leader Charlie Dalin, aboard Macif Sante Prevoyance, has already sailed over 8,000 miles and is deep into the Indian Ocean with about 15,500 miles to go. That’s averaging about 350 miles per day. In the process of racing around the world the IMOCA 60s have been outpacing previous 24-hour distance runs, with the current record now standing at 613.33 miles, set by second-place Sebastian Simon aboard Groupe Dubreuil. That’s an average of over 25 knots for 24 hours!
Charlie Dalin and Sebastien Simon are currently the farthest south and staying close to a potentially battering low pressure. It could launch them far into the lead or cause serious damage. They’re also racing in about 46-degree air temp and 43-degree water temp. That’s extra-cold at 25 knots. The next group went north to stay in steadier breezes. After about 24 days of racing, around 4,000 miles lie between first and last place.
On a solo, unassisted circumnavigation, the skippers are running the boats, navigating, and not receiving any outside weather-routing assistance. Somewhere in all of this they get some sleep.
British female skipper Pip Hare is in her second Vendée Globe with an updated boat, thanks to her San Francisco-based sponsor Medallia. She’s running in 17th place (out of 40) but has had to deal with a broken keel ram, which she’s now repaired. She also has a torn sail that will require serious mid-ocean repair work.
At this pace the lead boats will be finishing back in the Bay of Biscay in early February, presuming they avoid damage to their powerful but on-the-edge flying 60-footers. You can follow the fleet here.
Caption Contest(!)
We’re getting right into December with an early Caption Contest(!). Here’s a photo we found on the internet recently. Make it a good one, it’s our last for this year!
You’ll find November’s Caption Contest(!) winners in December’s Loose Lips.
Steering the Dream With Hydrovane
Hydrovane is your best crew member: an independent self-steering windvane and emergency rudder/steering system … ready to go!
- General Sailing
- Racing
- Cruising
- Circumnavigators
- West Coast Sailing
- Northern California Racing
- Good Jibes
Good Jibes #168: Lions, Honey Badgers, Polar Bears, and Red Bras (L38 Verbatim)
In this episode of Good Jibes, we bring you four stories from Latitude 38’s November issue. Tune in while host Ryan Foland reads “Randall Reeves and Harmon Shragge Complete a West-to-East Transit of the Northwest Passage” by Tim Henry, “Blue Flash’s Pacific Cup — Lions of the Sea” by Fernando Rosero, “J/24 Worlds in Seattle” by Jay Leon and Christine Weaver, and “Red Bra Regatta” by Kim Stuart and Christine Weaver.
Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- What is an Ocean Cowboy?
- The benefits of doing the Around the Americas voyage the wrong way
- The three kinds of sailboat racing
- Being in the right place at the right time
- The feeling of getting high speed while sailing
Follow along and read the articles using the links below:
Randall Reeves and Harmon Shragge’s West-to-East Transit
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots — follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!
Yacht Rock “Dockumentary” Launching on HBO
Have you always been hip to “Yacht Rock?” We have to admit we’re not the type who could describe it. According to NPR, this could all be cleared up by watching a “Dockumentary” that’s soon to be released on HBO.
We asked ChatGPT what it is, and it described the phenomenon like this: “Yacht Rock is a subgenre of soft rock music that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s, characterized by smooth melodies, lush harmonies, and themes often associated with leisure, romance, and affluent lifestyles. It features artists like Steely Dan, Michael McDonald, and Toto, and evokes the vibe of carefree sailing or lounging on a luxury yacht.” Sounds like you right? The movie trailer and some local yacht rockers are below.
California sailors should know that Wikipedia says “yacht rock” is a California thing. According to Wikipedia, “Yacht rock (originally known as the West Coast sound or adult-oriented rock) is a broad music style and aesthetic commonly associated with soft rock, one of the most commercially successful genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. Drawing on sources such as smooth soul, smooth jazz, R&B, and disco, common stylistic traits include high-quality production, clean vocals, and a focus on light, catchy melodies. The term yacht rock was coined in 2005 by the makers of the online comedy video series Yacht Rock, who connected the music with the popular Southern Californian leisure activity of boating. It was considered a pejorative term by some music critics.”
Obviously many local sailors are those who love the “popular Southern Californian leisure activity of boating.” So the question for readers is, “What is your favorite ‘yacht rock’ song or band?”
Why do people do this? Like a lot of sailing, it’s just for the fun of it, as too much of life is taken way too seriously. Music and sailing are a way to set you free.
If you have a shot of your crew in “yacht rock” mode you can upload it to our Sailagram page here.
If you don’t want to send one of yourself, we understand. Send one of your best friend. You could add your favorite yacht-rock songs in our Comments section below.
Vallejo Marina: Gateway to the Bay, Delta, and Napa River
40′ to 45′ foot slips are now available at $9.97/ft. www.ci.vallejo.ca.us