Page 59 - (DK) Ocean - The Definitive Visual Guide

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Ocean Yacht Racing

Ocean yacht racing is the sport of competitive sailing,
EQUIPPED TO WIN
held over long distances and in open water. These
races range from short but robust challenges lasting
a few days, such as the famous Fastnet Race off
southwest England and the annual Sydney-to-Hobart
race, to long, multi-stage, around-the-world races,
which can involve up to 6 months at sea. Some races
are multi-handers, with crews that can be as large as
20 or more per yacht; others are single-handers. The
participants are typically highly experienced sailors.In
multi-handed races, there will be a skipper/tactician,
a navigator, and general crew whose responsibilities
include sail changing and trimming. Solo racers have
to do everything themselves. One race, the Clipper
Round the World Yacht Race, is unusual in that its TRIMARAN Most ocean yacht races are for monohull yachts, but
a few are open to multihulls (catamarans and trimarans), while some
crew consists of amateurs, some with little previous MULTIHULL RACING are for multihulls only. Multihulls are faster than monohulls, and
sailing experience, who have paid to take part under although easier to capsize, they stay afloat even when severely
damaged. Here, the trimaran Foncia is sailing on just one of its three
the leadership of a professional skipper. hulls during the 2005 Grand Prix de Fécamp, off Normandy, France.
To make races as equitable as possible, usually
competing boats are identical or a handicapping
system is used to adjust the times of different classes
of boats. The use of computer technology is paramount
in modern racing. Navigation is electronically assisted,
and computers are employed to monitor and help
optimize boat performance. Vast amounts of weather
data are downloaded via the Internet during a race. ALL HANDS ON DECK The crews for some races are large—
An important skill is to be able to interpret this data, YACHT CREWS in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race there are typically as
so as to know, for example, where the most wind is many as 18 on board at any one time. For this race, the crew, who
are recently trained amateurs, participate in all duties on the yacht,
likely to be in the area ahead. Otherwise, doing well including trimming sails, navigating, helming, cooking, and so on.
in a race is mainly down to tactics and seamanship—
for example, knowing how to get the best out of a CONTROL CENTER
Technology is all-important in
boat in both strong and light winds, or judging when modern racing, including the
HIGH-TECH AIDS Here, Frenchman Marc
best to tack (change course when sailing upwind). use of electronic charts and
global positioning systems.
Thiercelin prepares for the
Racing Around the Globe Vendée Globe 2005–06 in
Three of the most famous ocean yacht races are global the control center on his
yacht Pro-Form.
circumnavigations. They go “round the right way” in
the Southern Ocean (west to east, the same direction as the
prevailing winds and currents). The Volvo Ocean Race, held TURNED TURTLE In 1997,
every three years, is a team event and includes stops. The Velux the lone British yachtsman
5 Oceans Race and Vendée Globe are Tony Bullimore capsized in the
single-handed races, each held every Vendée Globe Southern Ocean and was trapped
Velux 5 Oceans for five days in his upturned
four years. The Velux 5 is in stages, 2010–11
whereas the Vendée Globe is nonstop. Volvo 2014–15 yacht before rescuers arrived.

HANGING ON The crew of the yacht Astra (shown here) risk being
Göthenburg swept overboard, the greatest disaster that can befall a sailor. To
Les Sables-d’Olonne
Newport Lorient assist recovery in this eventuality, crew members usually wear
La Rochelle
Charleston Lisbon Alicante PACIFIC radio beacons. It is also usual to be attached to the boat via a
OCEAN safety harness in anything other than calm daylight conditions.
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