LAJ

I'm pretty sure the concept of "racing" is lost on you.

But that's OK. Not everyone is wired the same.

Mojo31

Dems da rules.

Stopping and tying up would relieve some of the stress of being at sea for so long alone. It's an endurance race. Allowing stops would remove one of the challenges. For example, if one competitor finds himself 12 hours ahead of another, he could stop, tie up, get a shower and nap, new change of clothes, etc., etc. That would give him an advantage for the later parts of the race. That game is as much mental as it is physical.

WhyFi

-3°F and ~15mph winds. No ride, but shoveling the sidewalk was, uh... fun?

rjones28 

Incorrect

DougRNS

Doctors are people too!
Do you have fake ride planned? I'm taking today and tomorrow off. #Slacker

datlas 

wut

bampilot06

builds character.

datlas 

Possibly. I am actually thinking of trying to get a quick real ride in this afternoon before the flood. Tomorrow is 50-50 based on weather etc. but hoping to do real miles this weekend despite the cold weather.

#HTFU

DougRNS

Oh?

Velo Vol 

What do they do when they sleep? Is there a sailing equivalent of autopilot?

Velo Vol 

WhyFi

Plastic shovels were seen quivering in fear at the prospect of being put to use in earnest.

LAJ

This is the US bike race equivalent. It's much different that RAAM.

Trans Am Bike Race – The premier self supported road race across the United States

MoAlpha

They sleep on a watch schedule. Yes, autopilots are standard equipment on offshore sailboats, but their use is often forbidden in fully crewed races.

MoAlpha

The are round-the-world races, e.g., the Volvo, which are like big European stage races with legs from port to port, in-port races, and much local hoo-ha. Busted boats can get repaired on shore during the race.

DougRNS

I have nothing derogatory to say about @Velo Vol

Mojo31

Yes there is an autopilot. They can also trim sails to maintain a course relative to the wind. Sleeping typically comes in short intervals, and sleep management is an important part of the race. The race can take anywhere from 2.5 to 5 months, so there are physical endurance issues, equipment failure issues, the risk of hitting things in the water (whales and cargo containers are all over the place), etc. Have to be prepared to be totally self-sufficient for the entire time. You are allowed to anchor, but you cannot leave the boat or allow anyone else on it. All repairs have to be done by the sailor.

The race is currently running, and the first boats are expected to finish mid-January.

By the way, autopilots are pretty common. I even have one on my lake boat. Allows me to go below to fix a drink or take a pee. Also allows me to sail single handed and step away from the wheel to trim and hoist sails and the like.

DougRNS

Off topic:
I just listened to the new Paul McCartney album, McCartney III. It is a good listen and anyone who enjoys classic Rock and McCartney specifically will like it. There are 1 or 2 duds on it but those aside it is solid. The opening track is the best on the album and is a gem. It is on YouTube without interruption.

phrantic09

Unless there’s a Polish mafia, I don’t think so.

MoAlpha

Clearly charted islands too!

Mojo31

There is: Polish-American organized crime - Wikipedia

Perhaps your wife hasn't told you everything about her.

Mojo31

Clearly sucks to be "that guy"! I wonder how the boat got inside the reef or is it on the reef?

From Sam Davies earlier this month in the Vendee:

Sam Davies this morning on the audio call, “I was sailing last night I had gybed in the shift in the front, there was 30-35kts of wind for the gybe and that had gone well, and I was happy with where I was. I was sailing on starboard gybe heading east, and obviously the sea state was quite chaotic which it has been for the last two days. And obviously I know I was in these currents and I know these risks are there but I was sailing really nicely, as well as possible given the sea state. So speeds between 15 and 22kts and I was actually just making a hot meal after the gybe and the stack and everything and it was just starting to get dark. I hit something. I did not see anything. I did not know what it was. It was pretty much dark when it happened. But it was as if I had run aground on a rock at the time. The boat speed went from 20kts to zero. The boat nosedived on the impact with the keel. I knew it was the keel. I heard a crack coming from there. I and everything else flew forwards, including my dinner which has repainted the entire inside of my boat. Everything moved. I went flying into a ring frame, luckily, because that could have been worse. It was really violent. But luckily I have just hurt some ribs. It is not serious but really painful. But I stopped the boat, dropped the main, and went to check around the keel, the bearings and the bulkhead. The bulkhead, the main bearing bulkheads (which support the keelbox) are intact as far as I can see. The keel bearings are intact. The longitudinal structure around the keelbox is all cracked. That has taken the shock of the impact of when the boat moved, that is cracked on both sides. The keel ram, because the keel ram goes through the sidewall of the keelbox, that had all moved and there is a watertight seal on the ram and that was knocked off. There was some water coming in but I have a really good immersion pump which I got going really quickly and permanently to keep the water down. For me the most important thing is to stabilise the boat. It is still is really bad, 30kts of wind, so I have the boat on a course which will minimise all the strains and effort on the keel and the bulkheads. And then I ran a whole lot of checks with my team who mobilised really quickly, the architects and the structural engineers just to check I was not in immediate danger. We did that really and the news was reassuring, they were really confident that I am not in danger unless I sail fast, so there is no bad noise and the keel is still in its bearings and not moving at all. I cannot sail at any speed, so I am heading slowly towards Cape Town because that is the nearest shelter and we are continuing to assess the damage and what to do with my shore team who are being amazing.”

genejockey 

If the Flat Earther folks are right, that's the long way around.

BillyD

I had the same thought. My conclusion is that it's not so much a race, it's more a demonstration of endurance and self reliance, and stopping "to rest" is frowned upon. The racing aspect I suspect developed over time as the prospect of torturing oneself just for the heck of it grew in popularity.

big john

A guy in my club, I can't really call him a friend but I know him, did RAAM 3 times. First try he DNF'd with hyponatremia in Colorado. His feet swelled up so much he couldn't put his shoes on.
Second try he finished and became the first finisher over 60. He learned enough in his failed attempt to get things sorted and even had time to get his crew a motel at one point.
Third time he became the first finisher over 65, I think. The only problem he had was falling asleep on the bike near the finish. He wasn't hurt and remounted and stayed awake.
These races were 2005-2008 I think. I think he skipped one or two years. He said each effort cost about $30K including renting a motorhome, fueling the motorhome and chase car both ways, feeding the crew, etc. He may have included lost wages in there.
He got some sponsorship, the best of which was gas cards. He also got free clothing but I forgot from whom. He fueled on a product called Spiz and I think they gave him cash as well as product.