Irishman in 'voyage for madmen' yacht race.

[Belker]

The Two leaders Kirsten Neuschäfer and Abilash Tomy getting fairly bombarded by the weather off the west coast of Chile and it ain't looking much better fer the next few weeks even if they manage to round cape horn then the weather on the other side is not predicted as being any better. Captain Gugg sitting in Third place seems to be avoiding all of it so far.

[Belker]

Kirsten first around cape horn in unexpected good sailing weather and on the home straight back up through the Atlantic.
Abilash is 3 days behind her but he has serious windvane (self-steering) problems.
Capt Gugg is a further week behind holding a conservative 'steady as you go' course.

The race is all Kirsten's to win if'n she can keep the boat going ??

[silverbullet]

Kirsten first around cape horn in unexpected good sailing weather and on the home straight back up through the Atlantic.
Abilash is 3 days behind her but he has serious windvane (self-steering) problems.
Capt Gugg is a further week behind holding a conservative 'steady as you go' course.

The race is all Kirsten's to win if'n she can keep the boat going ??

Ah sure, whatever floats your boat!

[Bob Shillin]

Kirsten first around cape horn in unexpected good sailing weather and on the home straight back up through the Atlantic.
Abilash is 3 days behind her but he has serious windvane (self-steering) problems.
Capt Gugg is a further week behind holding a conservative 'steady as you go' course.

The race is all Kirsten's to win if'n she can keep the boat going ??

Those windvane things seem to be too delicate for their level of importance in a voyage like this. The same thing seems to have put out Lawless, Curwen, and Tomy. As to why some have serious problems with barnacles, and others don't , I have no idea.

[silverbullet]

Kirsten first around cape horn in unexpected good sailing weather and on the home straight back up through the Atlantic.
Abilash is 3 days behind her but he has serious windvane (self-steering) problems.
Capt Gugg is a further week behind holding a conservative 'steady as you go' course.

The race is all Kirsten's to win if'n she can keep the boat going ??

Those windvane things seem to be too delicate for their level of importance in a voyage like this. The same thing seems to have put out Lawless, Curwen, and Tomy. As to why some have serious problems with barnacles, and others don't , I have no idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHxTwjnTE-E

[Belker]

.... Those windvane things seem to be too delicate for their level of importance in a voyage like this. The same thing seems to have put out Lawless, Curwen, and Tomy. As to why some have serious problems with barnacles, and others don't , I have no idea.

The whole self-steering issue seems to be very flawed, I'm surprised that they have only limited spare parts. It also put out Damien Gulliou who was the Fav to win the race.

The barnacle issue is a bit of a mystery, Don explained that the barnacles could be like an underwater cloud and it's the luck of the draw if you run in to one or not.
Have a look at the barnacles on Jeremy Bagshaws boat in the video below, you will get the idea after the first minute of watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq2hgsylzto

[Bob Shillin]

They seem to have the leaderboard backwards now.

[Bob Shillin]

They seem to have the leaderboard backwards now.

They've corrected it.

[Belker]

They seem to have the leaderboard backwards now.

They've corrected it.

The leaderboard often has glitches on it.

I watch 'Dons daily tracker review' every day,
it's on the GGR homepage.

[Belker]

The UPDATED Betting; (Sample prices only, not for betting). (Time advantages included).

Kirsten Neuschäfer (SA); 4/7, (1.57).
Abhilash Tomy (India); 6/4, (2.50).
Micheal Guggenburger (Austria); 12/1.
Ian Herbert-Jones (UK); 100/1.

All 4 Quoted.

[Belker]

The UPDATED Betting; (Sample prices only, not for betting). (Time advantages included).

Abhilash Tomy (India); 4/7, (1.57).
Kirsten Neuschäfer (SA);6/4, (2.50).
Micheal Guggenburger (Austria); 16/1.

All 3 Quoted.

[Bob Shillin]

The UPDATED Betting; (Sample prices only, not for betting). (Time advantages included).

Abhilash Tomy (India); 4/7, (1.57).
Kirsten Neuschäfer (SA);6/4, (2.50).
Micheal Guggenburger (Austria); 16/1.

All 3 Quoted.

Apparently she's out of the doldrums, and back on track to catch Abilash. all the time that she was in the lead she was unaware of it.

[Belker]

The high pressure wind systems around the Azores islands next week seem to be the key to this race, whomever best negotiates this last hurdle and gets in to the Easterly winds above the Azores first should be GGR winner, unless the Bay of Biscay (Stormiest bay in the world) where the finish line is has other ideas !

P.S.  Good to see Pat home safe and well in Dingle, Kerry yesterday. 

[Belker]

Ian Herbert Jones in big trouble in the southern ocean, rolled, demasted, mast hanging over the side, taking on water, gashed head, back injury and still in the eye of the storm, distress calls have been sent but no chance of a rescue fer 12 hours.
https://goldengloberace.com/day-218-epirb-activation-in-extreme-storm-puffin-golden-globe-race/

[Belker]

After about 9 months of racing and with just about 12 days to go the 2 leaders Kirsten (SA) and Abilash (India) are locked in a very tight battle to the finish line in France, most likely the wind weather will determine the winner.