Ahhhhh don't you just love a new hype for yourself that just when you have a moment of spare, that there is some background that you just can put on and just watch, learn and enjoy.
This time this is the Golden Globe Race, which is a sailing race around the world. But this isn't just any kind of race, where sailing at has a lot of options in all kinds of apps and equipment which can help you out.
But the Golden Globe Race has a different set of rules. It is with a bunch of solo racers which is already a really big deal crossing oceans all by yourself. But this race is done in the style of 1968 where the first Golden Globe race was held. It is done by yourself without using any type of modern technology.
No GPS, no weather forecasts on Windy, no support from some Starlink on Youtube checking out when something is breaking how to fix it, no provisioning food or water along the way.
Ho-ly crap!!!
Positioning
For me it would already start with the simple positioning. 'Where are you at that moment', the simplest base question which is all so normal for the most of us. Using landmarks to directly lay next your chart or map to give a conformation of where you are.
Or at the moment I guess everyone would usually use google maps to see where they are. A paper map is already quite a bit extra for the people who didn't grow up with this.
But when boating around, normally you use your GPS position on an app like Navionics which actually is the google maps on the water. See your speed, see your route, see how much time there is left until you reach the goal towards where you want to go.
Nothing in this race.
Wikipedia
This ancient device is called a sextant and you use it to position yourself at a certain time every day to compare how high the sun is compared to the horizon of the ocean. From there on some calculations start and with your current speed and compass position (not even with the variation and deviation of the metal boat giving a discalculation on your compass because of the metal in there). And with that...you don't even have an idea of what the ocean current is doing and with the waves bouncing you up and down this is also not the most accurate device.
And...there is no confirmation of you calculations if they were right. Tomorrow the fuck up might even be bigger is you use a wrong starting point.
And this is what these guys will use the next 8-10 months of sailing. Again....ho-ly crap!
Following these guys
So.....the race started last Sunday and the races are off. Racing is not even the right word, it is all about survival honestly. Because the rout goes South from France, passing the Canary island towards the South of Africa around Cape the good Hope, heading East towards Austrialia, passing the South side of Australia towards New Zealand, and from there on heading further East (turning the map now) towards Cap Horn with is the South part of Argentina. After that, back up to France again. What a journey, what a trip.
That means into all of these months of sailing the distances between the boats can get quite big. And that is where the live tracker comes in to see what is going on.
https://goldengloberace.com/live-tracker/
Because when looking at the wind, it means these guys can have very different winds and for instance that the one lying in front has a big weather front going on and there is no movement anymore, which means you front spot can be gone on any given day.
So the live tracker is already quite fun to check every day how much progress there is made. But even more fun is the Youtube live feed, which has some cameras on a couple of boats broadcasting what they are doing every day for hours at a piece.
That is where it becomes interesting....!!
The current live feed, only sending and no receiving any for of messages
Because these guys have to be on their watch literally the whole day to make sure the aren't crashing into another vessel or into land. In sailor term it means that when you have no GPS seeing other boats, it will take about 20 minutes to head towards the horizon where another boat comes from there in speed before you see it.
That means that these guys ahve to take a look outside every 20 minutes, and that 24 hours a day, and that 8-10 months in a row. What the heck does that mean for the state of your brain.
So now the live on Youtube is screening nice and fresh sailors. But what will this look like in about 3 months when these guys haven't seen a soul throughout the whole time, and when the sleep deprivation is starting to pile up and things are starting to break on board.
Remember...the ocean has no slack for anyone one it. You have to deal with all types of weather, deal with all types of unconsidered circumstances on the boat, and the ocean is an unforgiving creature for any type of safety.
Ow yesss
So...for the upcoming months I will see the juice on what is happening in the race, learn on how these sailors live and what they see and do on board.
Maybe this is the ultimate reality show broadcasted on Youtube 24-7 for the next upcoming months.
Let's just hope that all of these sailors fulfill their dreams, sail around the world and get home to their loved ones safely again. In the mean time, in some spare moments I will totally check what they are doing and hope that they also see a buck out of it to help in all of the costs of fixing and sailing their boats.
Ahoyyyyyy!!!