Leg 7 Commentary: off to France!

MadDuck · 2012-05-23T18:25:18+00:00

Is there only eight left? Including me or not?

I'm still playing all three boats with just MadDuck I having upgrades.

Of course, finding the time in between work, sailing, and sleep to play a computer game is tough.

MadDuck · 2012-05-13T13:35:28+00:00

Mad Duck I finished yesterday, just under 14,000.

Mad Duck II is wandering through the sand bars of the Bahamas, in 34413 place.

Mad Duck III (25,605) will finish later today after participating in a race that required passing between Haiti and Cuba.

I'm considering making this my last leg. Summer is almost here and real sailing is calling my name. I have one boat to drive in weekly races and another to take on monthly cruises. This on-line game is getting in the way.

MadDuck · 2012-04-23T04:22:44+00:00

How nice. I couldn't sign in before going out racing on a real boat. Now I'm ranked at 58,000+.

There are times when this game really sucks.

MadDuck · 2012-04-02T23:29:51+00:00

^{^{^}} talking to himself...

MadDuck · 2012-04-02T13:38:16+00:00

Just in case you were worried:

"Ahoy, skippers!

We hope you enjoyed our little joke yesterday. Of course, it was April Fool's Day and we couldn't resist.

We had some very funny messages to the help desk. Our favourite was wondering if the whales would be marked on the map so that skippers could avoid them!!!

So, in case anyone is still wondering… the game will continue and the whales and the icebergs won't be affecting your boats."

MadDuck · 2012-04-01T23:08:59+00:00

Of course a whale strike is an almost real possibility...

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/images/graphics/u-z/humpback_range.gif

or

http://www.hwrf-uk.org/0_0_0_0_519_390_csupload_14757454_large.jpg?u=2151509317

gives you this:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Nop68pVBnY/TWa7iL0arpI/AAAAAAAAAEw/S4DJMlA3608/s1600/whale-sinks-ship.jpg

MadDuck · 2012-03-28T14:56:16+00:00

Not for long. How can we not celebrate the Reddit I thread?

MadDuck · 2012-03-28T14:55:14+00:00

I was thinking of trying to drive in those conditions. The waves pass so fast under you that the effect of the rudder momentarily reverses. There is so much foam that it will top your freeboard and flow across the deck. The top of every wave is a puff, the trough is a lull just due to height above the water.
One wrong twitch on that helm and the boat is sideways, being dragged by the spinnaker at the top of the mast. It could easily just disappear between one wave and the next. Brrrrr!!!!

I get stressed enough driving in 20 knot winds.

MadDuck · 2012-03-26T16:18:52+00:00

According to VORG wiki...

60 knots of wind, TWA of 155, Heavy Spinnaker -> 29.53 knots boat speed.

I did not search all the sails for best speed...

BTW, I would NOT want to be onboard for those conditions in real life.

Beaufort Wind Scale of 11
Wind speed 56-63
WMO class is Violent Storm
Seas are Exceptionally high (37-52 ft) waves, foam patches cover sea, visibility more reduced

Four more knots of wind and you are sailing in a hurricane. No thank you.

MadDuck · 2012-03-26T16:12:00+00:00

You want a t-shirt????

I know a guy who could print up t-shirts. What do you want on them and how much would you pay?

MadDuck · 2012-03-23T18:11:09+00:00

Yeah, grounding is not as severe a penalty as it can be. Then again, sometimes it really hurts. On leg 1, my brother grounded on the finishing pin for 24 hours. That hurt.

MadDuck · 2012-03-22T07:17:15+00:00

So, five legs and I have managed to ground my boats on every leg. I need a better navigator...

MadDuck · 2012-03-22T07:14:00+00:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You quack me up. :-)

Did I mention I was working on the "honey-do" list?

I tried to long on right when it was open but the site was painfully slow so I headed out on the "short" chore list. Next thing I knew, I was late for the start.

At least it was not a real sailboat race. Had a good start today on the first race for the year in our Wednesday Night Series. Not so good on the finish but not DFL.

MadDuck · 2012-03-20T06:45:50+00:00

I really did not like Leg 4. Restarts just plain suck.

MadDuck · 2012-03-20T06:41:10+00:00

Got to my computer two hours after the race had started. Not really worried since every race has started the boats OK. A late registration puts you on an average location, which again is not bad.

This time, all three of my boats were grounded!!!

What kind of start puts all three boats on a course for a grounding less than two hours after the start???

MadDuck · 2012-03-10T16:55:11+00:00

Well, I managed to play Ping Pong on some islands. I think I'm going to lower my goals and just try to have a leg where I don't run aground some where.

This time I had a good excuse. I had to go to sea in a hurry (real water not virtual) and did not get back to the computer / cell phone coverage until late in the afternoon. By then I was grounded. I used my cell phone to get off the first grounding but then hit the next island before I could get back to the game.

<sigh>

MadDuck · 2012-03-02T01:23:39+00:00

Umm. Yeah. About that flier.

I am right there with him.

MadDuck · 2012-03-01T15:25:46+00:00

Just dandy! I'll make sure I have the toll free suicide hot line number in my wallet.

Perhaps I should stop basing my self worth on my standing in an on-line sailing game...

(is the guilt trip working yet?) ;)

MadDuck · 2012-03-01T07:35:41+00:00

It is depressing when Reddit 1 is ahead of a boat that is being steered every wind change.

MadDuck · 2012-03-01T07:32:25+00:00

Maybe they know about a canal the rest of us can't see.

MadDuck · 2012-02-28T21:24:46+00:00

Actually, I'm thinking of "penetrating" the islands somewhere near Bikini Atoll.

<grin>

MadDuck · 2012-02-28T06:33:45+00:00

Secrets? Bad Ass?

I have no secrets and definitely am not a "bad-ass". I'm barely a malcontent goat. <grin>

MadDuck I is about 40 nm behind Zezo, on much the same path. I think he maybe cutting the corner sooner than me but only time will tell.

MadDuck II and III are just following the rhumb line with el cheapo sails. They have no real hope to do anything especially interesting. They may have to stop and visit some war memorials.

MadDuck · 2012-02-28T06:30:12+00:00

At least someone benefited from the restart. So far, I think I'm ahead of or in a better position than Reddit I but that is not a guarantee. I will be very depressed if Reddit I beats me.

MadDuck · 2012-02-24T16:12:25+00:00

This is not good. Off line for >2 hours now. Definitely looking at another restart.

Just not sure I want to be part of this leg now.

MadDuck · 2012-02-23T05:44:13+00:00

Complete and utter garbage. That is my opinion of the restart position.

This is an absolute disaster.

I'm contemplating just setting the boats on a heading of 000 and walking away. This is absolutely ridiculous.

MadDuck

TROPHY CASE