Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Volvo Ocean Race 2012

145791039

Comments



  • I was out in the bay in the thick of it on a friends yacht the last time it was excellent being out there, got so close to the action. That's the plan again this time.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 378 ✭✭I_smell_fear


    People actually watch the boats?


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,357 ✭✭✭squonk


    People actually watch the boats?

    I know! They'll entertain me for about 20 minutes whereas the free gigs and shenanigans will entertain me for far longer. I've done some sailing but I'm not mad into the whole thing. It's great they're coming but if all this ado was going on for a container of monkeys being unloaded at the docks, I'd be equally as interested!


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,198 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    Chicken1 wrote: »
    Looks great on the tv but standing on the prom at Salthill watching sails a few miles away is not very exciting. I watched the last time and quite honestly there is nothing to see unless you are out there, not knocking in any way but when they are well away from the coast its boring.

    There'll be plenty of commercial boats offering day's out on the water.

    I don't know about costs etc. but if I recall from last time it was about 35euro a head - not bad for a day out on the water.


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,594 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Aiel wrote: »
    On top of the hill beside Silver Strand beach is a great place to watch the in-port race,... It will be jammed with cars down there though so walk or cycle there if you can

    On a fine day, Silver Strand is pretty accessible by public transport too, about 15/20-ish minutes walk from Knocknacarra. (No 6, Barna neighbourhood map.)


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 239 ✭✭Chicken1


    When are the boats due to arrive in Galway, the Volvo website says the boats are due to depart Lorient on the 1st of July that means it will be a few days before they get to Galway, if the weather is calm it could even be longer. That could cause a lot of grief for people coming to see them.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,198 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    Chicken1 wrote: »
    When are the boats due to arrive in Galway, the Volvo website says the boats are due to depart Lorient on the 1st of July that means it will be a few days before they get to Galway, if the weather is calm it could even be longer. That could cause a lot of grief for people coming to see them.

    They're due in on the 3rd but there is no guarantee. It's sailing, spectators will have to deal with it


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,374 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    JohnCleary wrote: »
    They're due in on the 3rd but there is no guarantee. It's sailing, spectators will have to deal with it

    :pac: just saving this quote for another time :pac:


  • Registered Users Posts: 217 ✭✭yeehaw


    Define 'a lot of grief'? Vast majority of spectators are unlikely to be heading to Galway until the weekend.


  • Registered Users Posts: 239 ✭✭Chicken1


    yeehaw wrote: »
    Define 'a lot of grief'? Vast majority of spectators are unlikely to be heading to Galway until the weekend.

    There are two weekends for the event, I thought the boats would be in for the start which is the 30th June, I am sure there will be a lot more thinking this as it runs from June 30th to July 8. That means people arriving the 1st weekend will not see any boats.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭McTigs


    JohnCleary wrote: »
    They're due in on the 3rd but there is no guarantee. It's sailing, spectators will have to deal with it
    Reminds me of my mum the last time round. She reckined the boats should have been instructed to wait around the back of the aran islands and then arrive in to the bay at a "reasonable hour.... like after 12 o clock mass"


  • Registered Users Posts: 217 ✭✭yeehaw


    Chicken1 wrote: »
    There are two weekends for the event, I thought the boats would be in for the start which is the 30th June, I am sure there will be a lot more thinking this as it runs from June 30th to July 8. That means people arriving the 1st weekend will not see any boats.

    People arriving the first weekend were never going to see any boats anyway.

    Who gives a **** about boats?


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,198 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    Chicken1 wrote: »
    There are two weekends for the event, I thought the boats would be in for the start which is the 30th June, I am sure there will be a lot more thinking this as it runs from June 30th to July 8. That means people arriving the 1st weekend will not see any boats.

    If people are too lazy to at least check the timetable/schedule before 'booking time off' etc. then they've no one to blame but themselves.

    Regardless of when anyone comes between June 30th - July 8th, I suspect they'll still have a ball.

    I've my case of Buckie and berth in the Docks booked... bring it on


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭McTigs


    I was out in the bay in the thick of it on a friends yacht the last time it was excellent being out there, got so close to the action. That's the plan again this time.
    Did you wear your Dubarrys for the occasion?


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,198 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    McTigs wrote: »
    Did you wear your Dubarrys for the occasion?

    The weather was awesome so i'd say he was barefoot, I certainly was :D (got burned though) :(




  • McTigs wrote: »
    Did you wear your Dubarrys for the occasion?

    No, didn't have a pair at the time.
    JohnCleary wrote: »
    (got burned though) :(

    i got scalded too, not a tube of sun cream between about 8 of us, we had beer though :D.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,198 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    i got scalded too, not a tube of sun cream between about 8 of us, we had beer though :D.

    I wear a light factor sun-scream when i'm on the water anymore, even if its cloudy. Must be the old age kicking in


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,842 ✭✭✭Rob A. Bank


    yeehaw wrote: »
    People arriving the first weekend were never going to see any boats anyway.

    Who gives a **** about boats?

    Great to see the ancient Irish art of belitteling and begrudgery is alive and kicking in Galway !

    But I am also sure many people come to Galway for Race Week without ever darkening the stand in Ballybrit, although many horse racing fans would say they are missing the essence of the week.

    This 50 minute look at the sometimes tragic history of round the world ocean racing might help to put the significance of this global event into focus.

    It's an awful lot more than the narrow parochial view of seeing how pissed you can get, or how many free concerts you can crash !



  • Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    I don't give much **** about the boats, I do however welcome the mighty craic this will be!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 673 ✭✭✭GekkePrutser


    biko wrote: »
    I don't give much **** about the boats, I do however welcome the mighty craic this will be!

    Same here, it will bring so much fun to Galway! Last time it felt like it was the center of the world, if only for a few days...

    I never saw much of the actual race, it was so far out in the bay that all I could see were some boats slowly maneuvering. :) But I wasn't really looking for it either tbh... Hope the weather will be as good this time.


  • Advertisement


  • In general I have no interest in boats either, sure I can hardly stand being on one as I get sea sick very easily but the Volvo open 70's are the formula 1 of boats and they really are brilliant pieces of engineering. Its a pleasure to watch them racing up close for a few hours.


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,594 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    McTigs wrote: »
    Reminds me of my mum the last time round. She reckined the boats should have been instructed to wait around the back of the aran islands and then arrive in to the bay at a "reasonable hour.... like after 12 o clock mass"

    Whereas i'm pretty sure they were asked to wait out somewhere, and arrive in conveniently just after the clubs closed. Seriously, and hour earlier or later and the crowd would have been a lot smaller.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,842 ✭✭✭Rob A. Bank


    JustMary wrote: »
    Whereas i'm pretty sure they were asked to wait out somewhere, and arrive in conveniently just after the clubs closed. Seriously, and hour earlier or later and the crowd would have been a lot smaller.

    Last time the leg from Boston to Galway was 2,550 Nautical Miles, and most of the boats arrived over a 12 hour period. This time the leg from Lorient to the finish line at Mutton Island is only 485 NM (the shortest leg in the race)

    That’s only a skip and a hop for those boats, so the chances are that they will all arrive in the bay within minutes of each other, sometime on Tuesday July 3rd. (with the usual ‘weather dependent’ caveat)

    And believe me…. There will be no “wait out” on the far side of Aran… they will be fighting like dogs for every meter of the race!


    :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,842 ✭✭✭Rob A. Bank


    Update just into the 7th day of racing… The fleet have been sailing in light winds and the gulf stream. They are spread out below the ice exclusion zone, about half way across the Atlantic.

    They expect to hook onto a weather system, which should carry them almost as far as Portugal, with the boats farther north having an advantage. (ETA Lisbon 31st May) And in fact Abu Dhabi have done just that and are building a big lead after beating the fleet to a low pressure system that packs the power to catapult them to within a couple of hundred miles of the finish.
    Live tracking here: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/racetracker/rdc.html

    This visualization from NASA shows the vagaries of the gulf stream, and the difficulties for the boats not ending up in a eddy current, pushing them back the wrong way in light winds !



    B.T.W. There is a free competition to join the crew on board one of the Volvo Open 70s for the duration of a whole race, during the Pro-Am races on Galway Bay on Friday 06/07/2012.

    Details here: http://fanclub.volvooceanrace.com/en/index

    :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,842 ✭✭✭Rob A. Bank


    Update on the VOR.

    Overall leader board after Miami to Lisbon leg:

    Place Boat (country) Points

    1. Groupama (France) 183
    2. Telephonic (Spain) 180
    3. Puma (USA) 171
    4. Camper (NZ) 162
    5. Abu Dhabi 104
    6. Sanya (China) 32

    The two Irishmen in the race were on the winners' podium for the leg of the race from Miami to Lisbon.

    Justin Slattery from Cork is the bowman on Abu Dhabi which won the leg and Damian Foxall from Kerry is Helmsman/Trimmer aboard Groupama, the French boat which has taken over the overall lead in the race. (The links are to articles on both men)

    I particularly liked Damian's answer when asked about the highs of his career:
    In a career of highs, the 2008/9 Volvo Ocean Race is right up there, particularly the moment when the fleet arrived in Galway in May, 2009, when it was chosen to host a leg of this most gruelling race. As Foxall recounts in Ocean Fever (his book), the crew expected to be greeted by a few die-hard supporters as it was 3am in the morning. In fact, it was like All-Ireland final day.

    "Out of the darkness, a RIB pulled up beside us, her crew dressed for offshore conditions and all cheering madly. Nice welcome, we thought. But as we crossed the bay, the fleet around us grew and by the time we were getting closer to the port where the channel narrows, the fleet was huge: you could have walked from one boat to another and in the middle of the night. And we were still trying to race."

    There was more to come. In the dim moonlight, as the fleet crept towards Galway docks, the Green Dragon crew could just make out the enormous crowd lining every spare bit of space on the docks.

    "We could see the sheer scale of 9,000 people gathered at three o’clock in the morning. We never expected this." On the dockside was Foxall’s wife, Suzy-Ann, smiling with tears in her eyes as she passed their 18-month-old son Oisín up to him

    Still looking good for an exciting finish in Galway.


  • Registered Users Posts: 31,802 ✭✭✭✭Mars Bar


    Saw Doctors manager said on Facebook that they'll be playing for the Finale on the 3rd of July.


  • Registered Users Posts: 663 ✭✭✭Funk It


    Mars Bar wrote: »
    Saw Doctors manager said on Facebook that they'll be playing for the Finale on the 3rd of July.

    Please let this be true.

    From The Kanyu Tree Facebook page:

    "The Kanyu Tree
    Friday
    Just wanted to let you all know we are not playing the Mumford and Sons aftershow in Galway on June 9 - we're at Helium in Ballymahon that day! Catch us in Galway at the Big Top w/ Coronas & Bressie on July 27 or at the Volvo Ocean w/ Maverick Sabre on June 30.."

    Definitely booked the flights home for the right day. Had some friends at the O2 in London for the Guns N' Roses, but they were impressed by Thin Lizzy more so apparently.

    Saw Doctors will get the place rocking, they always do.


  • Registered Users Posts: 31,802 ✭✭✭✭Mars Bar


    Funk It wrote: »
    Please let this be true.

    From The Kanyu Tree Facebook page:

    Direct quote from Ollie Jennings,
    The Saw Doctors are playing a free open air show in Galway for the Volvo Ocean Race Finale on Tuesday July 3.

    Don't think I'll be able to go to it but it would be an ideal way to ring in my birthday on the 4th!


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 1,842 ✭✭✭Rob A. Bank


    Mars Bar wrote: »
    Saw Doctors manager said on Facebook that they'll be playing for the Finale on the 3rd of July.

    That is the day when they expect the boats to arrive from France.. not the Finale. I guess the Saw Doctors will appear at the 'Welcome to Galway Arrival party'.

    The VOR plan for Galway looks like this for that day:

    Tuesday 03/07/2012... Fleet expected to arrive from Lorient (weather dependent)
    Tuesday 03/07/2012... 20.00 hrs Welcome to Galway Arrival party at the Docks.


This discussion has been closed.
Advertisement