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Thread: LongPac Updates

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    3,484

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    Regardless of whether the boat is vying for overall or just finishing the race, the decision is Bob's to make, and he is a Corinthian sailor. But here's a nice bit: When the call went out from the LongPac Race Chair (Tom Boussie), the RC B Team responded by googling B&G 5000 and Robertson 2000. Huh? The B Team doesn't know what those items are, but supposes that Google will connect the dots, as indeed Google does.

    According to Google, Reliable Marine in Alameda is a certified dealer of something called a B&G 5000. I call their number and Roger answers.

    "Hi, Roger, this is Jackie Philpott."

    "Hi, Jackie."

    "I'm calling about a singlehanded friend offshore doing the Longpac. He's having difficulty with his B&G autopilot. Could you walk him through a fix?"

    "Well, sure, except that I'm in the engine room of a boat right now. The person you want to contact is Eric Steinberg over at Farallon Electronics."

    "Great. Do you have his number?"

    "No, but he's in Sausalito. I'd help but, like I said, I'm in the engine room of a boat just now."

    "Okay, thanks, Roger!"

    So then the RC B team googled Farallon Electronics and called the phone number listed.

    Eric answered. On the day after Fourth of July. These boat people. They're nuts.

    "Hi, this is Jackie Philpott."

    Pause. Very politely: "Hi, Jackie."

    At this point I need to point out that neither of these very civil men has any idea who I am, nor do I own stock in their companies.

    "I'm calling about a singlehanded friend offshore doing the Longpac. He's having difficulty with his B&G autopilot. Could you walk him through a fix?"

    Eric is interested now.

    "Oh yeah? The Longpac, huh?"

    J: Is there any way that you could advise him about a fix for his B&G autopilot by way of Satphone?"

    E: What's the skipper's name?

    J: Bob Johnston with a T.

    E: Oh, yeah. That unit was in the boat when he bought it. He and I talked about it recently. Sure. Give him my personal cell phone."

    I thanked him and passed the information on to the RC A Team. So whether Bob calls Eric or not, or whether he decides to hand steer Surprise! the last 140 nm or not, it is his decision. My work here is done. But remember these two men when you need to buy electronics for your boat, because you can count on them.
    Last edited by Philpott; 07-05-2019 at 03:35 PM.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    Yeah, its Bobs call to make. During the shtp, we frequently talked to each other ... I remember Peter had some trouble with his SSB and the rest of us made encouraging noises about what we thought it might be (although he figured it out himself).... isn't it ok for competitors to help each other?

  3. #13
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    283

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    I guess not:
    10 OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE
    10.01 No physical contact except for the passing of written messages may be made with other
    vessels at sea, and no stores may be received from any ship or aircraft during the Race, except
    for the passing of medical supplies.
    10.02 During the Race, no yacht may receive private or publicly available internet-distributed
    information regarding weather, currents, course routing or other tactical advice, with the
    following specific exceptions:
    [a] Receipt of publicly available radio weather broadcasts.
    [b] Diagrams commonly referred to as “weatherfax” generated by NOAA , or
    corresponding agencies of other countries, along with text forecasts from such publicly
    available sources.
    [c] Communication on open radio channels [without encryption] with other competitors,
    which may consist of information such as current position, weather and sea conditions.
    [d] Solicitation and receipt of information solely about the repair of any equipment on
    board, but not including routing advice.

    [e] Weather data commonly referred to as GRIB files, derived without 3rd party
    manipulation or enhancement from weather models operated by NOAA or analogous
    agencies of other countries.
    [f] The information about each yacht listed in RRC Rule 6.02 (but no other competitor
    data).

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bodfish, CA
    Posts
    433

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    I am wondering while sitting on porch in Prescott - do we have two separate issues, competing in the Longpac and completing a SHTP qualifier. Granted, I am decades out of date.

    If there is a rules violation and the skipper is disqualified from Longpac trophies, does the distance sailed still count as a bonafide qualifier. Not trying to cause problems, but in the past the sailing qualifier was not governed by racing rules.

    Ants

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Montara, CA
    Posts
    803

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    Quote Originally Posted by WBChristie View Post
    Does it make a difference if the boat is vying for the overall.....? This gets interesting if "being in danger" is because you lost your autopilot.
    That's certainly reasonable. There doesn't seem to be any danger, per se, in losing one's auto pilot, but if the person should be able to get outside support just so they can remain racing and not have to hand steer, then I can see that that is just having it both ways. Furshur, Bob know this. Me, I'm just curious about it; I don't have a racer's mentality because if I were faced with hand steering for 18 hours heading toward the gate and those shipping lanes, I'd accept the outside support and just call it.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Montara, CA
    Posts
    803

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    Quote Originally Posted by AntsUiga View Post
    If there is a rules violation and the skipper is disqualified from Longpac trophies, does the distance sailed still count as a bonafide qualifier. Not trying to cause problems, but in the past the sailing qualifier was not governed by racing rules.

    Ants
    My understanding is that the miles still count. He is sailing them. No doubt about that!

    Now, if he gets towed in the last 50 miles, that seems likely it would not...

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,484

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    And let's not forget this:

    ORGANIZING AUTHORITY

    1.1 The Race shall be under the authority of the Race Committee of the Singlehanded Sailing Society (SSS RC), which shall have full power to establish and interpret the rules and conditions governing the Race, to decide all protests, and to reject the entry of any yacht at any time prior to the preparatory signal of the
    Race.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    132

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    Update from the 2019 LongPac RC 1830 7/5/19

    Bob on SURPRISE! has declined outside assistance, deciding instead to "tough it out". That translates to likely 24+ total hrs of hand steering to get home safely. This will not come as a SURPRISE to those of who know, and have sailed against, Bob.

    Good luck to him and the rest of the fleet as they prepare for what could be another tough night.


    RC

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Montara, CA
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    Quote Originally Posted by tboussie View Post
    Update from the 2019 LongPac RC 1830 7/5/19

    Bob on SURPRISE! has declined outside assistance, deciding instead to "tough it out". That translates to likely 24+ total hrs of hand steering to get home safely. This will not come as a SURPRISE to those of who know, and have sailed against, Bob.

    Good luck to him and the rest of the fleet as they prepare for what could be another tough night.


    RC
    All the best to Bob and to the other racers who are toughing it out in those conditions. It's likely to be a long 24 hours for all.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    907

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    Quote Originally Posted by WBChristie View Post
    10 OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE
    10.02 During the Race, no yacht may receive private or publicly available internet-distributed
    information regarding weather, currents, course routing or other tactical advice, with the
    following specific exceptions:
    [d] Solicitation and receipt of information solely about the repair of any equipment on
    board
    .
    Why is there confusion here? The above clearly states that it is ok to get verbal assistance to repair stuff. This is standard across all offshore effects that I know of.

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