Dropping like flies in the Golden Globe.

Jul 20, 2005
2,422
Whitby 55 Kemah, Tx
I always thought having a spare self steering system was pretty standard for anyone solo sailing on the ocean.
I crossed the GofM, and the Caribbean Sea many times without a true backup (just a bolt on wheel drum to do sheet to wheel if need be) but my autopilot was fairly new and I didn't push it hard. I also hand steered a lot.

Once I decided to head west around the world though I bought a whole new autopilot system that is exactly the same as the one installed, so I could just replace a failed part in minutes and be back at it in no time. I feel much safer now, especially after balancing my rudder so the autopilot doesn't work very hard at all, even when I am pushing he boat hard.

In my opinion, it is the rudder that is most important but mostly overlooked. All boats these days are built with unbalanced rudders as sailors, especially racers, like the "feel" of it and builders also like the safety thing of it swinging back to center when unmanned. I think a boat doing any serious long offshore sailing needs a balanced rudder to take the pressure off the steering gear and helmsman. It is the pressure from the unbalanced rudders is what is causing so many problems with autopilots.
 
Jul 20, 2005
2,422
Whitby 55 Kemah, Tx
...Give a man a few long hours to think about what's really important and directions can change...
- Will (Dragonfly)
Totally agree. When single handling the GofM and Caribbean sea, my mind would have a different outlook on life than when I was in harbor and working. When doing the 30 days from PC to Hiva Oa, it was the same but on steroids. I was even contemplating not finishing my around the world trip and building a house, finding a wife and raising a family on an island somewhere and staying put. But just a day or two back in harbor all those thoughts go away and I'm back at it, planning the next leg.

I found the wife in Tonga and now have that family, but we are a cruising family and I don't have to be alone anymore. Sometimes I miss the days of single handling but I don't miss what the mind does while out there alone for days or weeks.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
Never gave much thought to the specific criteria for circumnavigation. This is an interesting video.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Do as the finish approaches only two boats are competing for first place. One is already broken and they are approaching some low pressure systems. I'm not sure where the finish line is but more bad weather is not what I would want after a trip around the world. I guess there is a dust up about what was or was not communicated over ham radio regarding weather. It sounds like the affected boats are not allowed to receive transmissions regarding weather? How is that enforced? I never liked this restriction on communication for this race and still don't.
 
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Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
At 5 minutes I still don't know how antipodes affect this race course. But the orange made me hungry.
 
Sep 15, 2016
790
Catalina 22 Minnesota
Both boats got news about the weather front coming in over their last Sat Phone interview with the race committee. So not sure how much more dust there is to shake up. Slats is still 2 days behind the leader even if the leader pauses for the weather. Still amazing to have a finish this close with only 5 left in the race.
 
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Sep 15, 2016
790
Catalina 22 Minnesota
Looks like were going to have a winner early tomorrow AM for those that are still following this thread.
Jean-Luc van den Heede is only 64.8 miles from the finish. Last sat call was confirming his arrival time. Mark Slats is going to be 2nd with 401 miles to go and is expected to arrive sometime thursday. Amazingly close race after 211 days!
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Never gave much thought to the specific criteria for circumnavigation. This is an interesting video.

-Will (Dragonfly)
Thats kinda silly and misses the point. An entrant in the GGR needs to do none of those things on that list in the video. This is a sailboat RACE, with a course defined the NOR and SI. You start, sail the course, and finish. First one there wins.

2.5 GGR Route
2.5.1 The Race course is around the world east about.
The start of the GGR will be in the general area of the Les Sables d’Olonne harbour.
The entrants will sail down the Atlantic from North to South.
Leaving:
● An inshore Canary Island mark (TBA) to starboard
● Cape of Good Hope to port
● 44 degrees South latitude to starboard
● Cape Leuwin to port
● to a ‘Gate”(TBA) in Storm Bay Tasmania
● Snares Islands to Starboard.
● Bounty Islands to Starboard.
● Waypoint 46 degrees South Latitude and 174 degrees’ west longitude to
starboard.
● 46 degrees’ south latitude to starboard until east of 115 degrees’ west
longitude.
● 50 degrees’ south latitude and 90 degrees west longitude to port.
● Cape Horn to port
Sail up the Atlantic from South to North. Then to the Finish line outside the harbour
of Les Sables d’Olonne.

Do that and you have sailed the course. Now much of this has been created to create a circumnavigation, including the single waypoint (allowed under the WSSRC) to stretch the shortest line around that waypoints to be longer than 21600NM.