Pretty Neat! If these guys swapped out the batteries for equivalent weight of fuel cells and fuel they could get a significant extension to the time in the air... lots of developments over the last few years in fuel cells for unmanned aerial vehicles, with the focus on weight saving.
Joyon is a great ambassador for our sport and a lesson to all the superstars who expect everything done for them with the monster budgets to sustain their egos.
Quite humbling really. Happy days Francis
Excellent article. There is so much noise on Ch 16 that it is hard to monitor in the best of conditions and a distraction while racing. A Mayday call might not cut through the clutter. The personal AIS seems like an excellent solution- we have had AIS receiving for three years and added AIS out this year. Nearby boats standout easily on the chart plotter and, especially if an emergency signal were differentiated, would be crystal clear to nearby boats and lead rescuers to the exact location. Don Mitchell
While I have the greatest respect for the fact that Roland has saied the T with a mixed crew, I find it hard to support the idea that the T is at all suited to being a compulsory mixed class. In addition, Roland needs to understand that his view is tainted by a standard Anglo-Saxon view of size and gives no consideration to others such as those from Asian. Finally, he suggests some might be acting in their own commercial self interests which, knowing the people involved is pretty offensive. If he botheres to check the weight range for the womens skiff and then compared it with, say, the 49er, you would come out with the proposed weight range they have. Sour grapes, bad research and insulting well meaninged people is one of the things that led to the T being thrown out in the first place. While the majority of the cat world learnt from that, it seems that Roland must be a hangover from the bad old days.
Great to hear that everyone is safe, also a very interesting post incident review for us all to follow.
A key area that is interesting is that people didnt hear the may day being put out. The reality is that people do not have Ch16 on all the time where it can be heard. Perhaps manufactutrers of instruments can integrate the intruments to flash visual alerts on deck when a May day is issued by anyone, (not good for RTI maybe!) but this would alert surrounding boats to listem in to ch16
perhaps all ocean racing boats ought to have a look at the IMOCA safety rules, and take them into consideration. especially canting keel boats, where IMOCA has by far the most experience.
having been there done that - thank goodness everyone is safe.
BUT
why no orange on hull /foils?
why was escape hatch avaiable?
why were liferafts not placed to be deployed when inverted?
these are basic multihull and IMOCA60 rules, which seem to have been lost 'in translation'
Main thing everyone is safe
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