Our Mate Alex Thomson’s Races

[rocket]

holly, have to say that I like that guy, even if I think that this is totally…

[Giles]

He is as mad as feck….

[Seul]

That's brilliant 

[Chris]

The dive at the end makes it insanely cool to me.  That, and the attempt when the boat went down on top of him.

Mad as feck, indeed.

[Giles]

Notice that they do not have the rudders down (see rudders in water in first post).  That would have been too dangerous and had Alex been hit by one of them, it sure would have wiped the smile off his face,  so they are steering that boat on sail alone.  Amazing…..

[Chris]

Holy crap, I didn't even notice that.  That makes it so much more impressive.

[Finn666]

damn, that vid is fekking amazing…looks like fun to me

[Giles]

And the reason that the Keel is all the way over to the port side is that it is a canting (moveable) keel, so they have canted it all the way to port, typically it would be canted the opposite way to have as much vertical keel in the water as possible.  So that boat is being sailed with no keel and no rudder….

[Chris]

Again, damn, that makes it even more impressive.  I (being virtually completely ignorant of sailing technicalities) thought it was some sort of inverted V shaped keel, which would leave one arm still in the water.  I had no idea it was moveable.

[Giles]

Actually, I think I'm wrong.  I'll need to talk to Alex and double check.  Thinking about it logically, the keel wants to be canted to windward to give the most righting movement, that is try and get the mast and thus the sails vertical which is where they are most effective.  This though does mean the boat will be pushed downwind as the hull will tend to slide over the water…..

[rocket]

I have no real clue about sailing, but that make sense to me Giles….

anyway, it is very impressing and your mate def deserve a lot of  props for doing...

[Giles]

@rocket:

could be the keel ankle wise moveable ?

? ? ? ?

[rocket]

ignore that, I said I'm tired as hell 

[Simon]

The keel is canted to windward to keep the hull flat and rig vertical when it's most efficiant.

Alex always was (dangerously) crazy! If he can keep his urge to break stuff in check, he'll do well 

[Giles]

Come and have a coffee soon Simon.  Miss you…..

[Giles]

P and me popped down to "the bar" tonight to say goodbye to Alex.  He leaves UK shores for the Vendee a week on Monday and we will not be here to say goodbye.

We had the pleasure of meeting Christophe who does the photography for Alex.

Do me a favour and go visit his site…..Amazing images...

http://sealaunay.photoshelter.com/gallery-list

[Mild7]

Nice pics album.  The shots from up on the top of the mast are off the hook.

[Giles]

http://sealaunay.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Alex-Thomson-Hugo-Boss-Trans-Atlantic-Sailing-Record/G00001oQjE_8Gf_w/I0000BbajQY5KLkk

[Giles]

I popped down to The Marina this morning to have a quick look around Alex's new boat as I can't be at the start of the race…

All the control ropes come back to the cockpit.  I stopped counting when I got to 38

This is the kitchen, not altogether surprising that Alex will lose 20lbs during the race…

[Seul]

Lotsa blue with some green on the side never hurt anyone.