The Essential Foiling IMOCA Fleet Comparison 

Because sailing is not that popular of a sport!

Because sailing is HORRIBLE at marketing and relies on BS green energy sponsors and virtue signaling which is cheap and a huge turn off.

@@SeanFChannel sailing is not that popular because it's not that's crowd friendly! And freaking boring to watch!

@@lester8403 And even more boring to watch with the introduction of foiling boats. I've loved the Volvo race for years and I'll tune into this from the start but I don't think this will sustain the interest of past years. I reckon I'll be chucking it after one episode. Please prove me wrong! The onboard film from previous races was gripping. This looks very different. "A steering seat from inside the boat...you're in your little cave downstairs..." The VO65s might be interesting.

It’s consistency. About the time they get close to getting loads of subscribers the race ends.

We’re leaving planning to do that! Have you seen Niall’s interview with Juan K on our channel?

@@TheOceanRace Exactly like that. I am in love with these high tech sailings. The fact that no one knows what is the right answer for this or that makes this sport so thrilling.

Good question. The IMOCA mast is a 'standardised mast' built by LORIMA. If a lot of boats snap their masts before the start, either training or doing events then there are less masts to go round as spares. But then there was a limited number of VO65s masts for the last edition. When I said to Xabier Fernández that it was impressive their repair boat was waiting in Ushuaia during 2017/18 to repair their main - he said they had always done that. So i'm guessing the teams have plans in place now for any expected breakage.

That's a GREAT question. Here's my thinking... Definitely agree with you there is a weight factor. Tillers are better for helming, they are connected (normally) straight on top of the rudder stock, so the feedback is right in your hand and your helming input is fed directly to the rudder foil. Wheels will tend to be connected through ropes / chain / wire / hydraulics to the rudder so there is an element of 'slack' in the system that can kill the feel. Also the boats must take an emergency tiller as per the rules, so why not just have a tiller anyway. Plus a wheel is bigger and takes up room. Yes for big offshore boats holding a wheel is easier in rough weather than working a tiller, but with the IMOCAs you don't helm much - or none if you are solo. So might as well have a tiller... direct control, less weight, saves space, and needed for the rules anyway.

Should just add that Sea Explorer's tillers on their roof are linked via rope to the rudders, but those tillers are only for starts and minor use.

Merci ! Nous sommes content que ça vous ait plu

She's definitely the best IMOCA of the 2016 generation, and has been optimised by 11th Hour Racing Team for a couple of years, including putting in new foils.

They aren't going towards Newport they are taking the closest route to shore. Team Holcims mast got delivered to Newport yesterday and the boat is ariving on the 18th on a containership

There are things they are open and proud about, and things they don't like to share. But I'll keep asking until they give up the goods.

It's the defacto home for most of them. Along that stretch of coast there are a few ports (Concarneau, Lorient, etc) where you can find them. When I visited it was an event on the IMOCA calendar, so everyone was in town.

They're currently in Saint-Malo, Brittany where the Route du Rhun will start next weekend.

@@TheOceanRace Ah cool, thanks!! So the route du rhum is before the ocean race? Will they make it back to Spain on time or are there different teams/boats?

@@timmholzhauer3342 It is yes, and they will definitely be back in Spain on time! The 4 IMOCAs participating in the Route du Rhum and The Ocean Race will be delivered from Guadeloupe to Spain in December (approximately).

I got onboard for a sail in a bit of wind recently. It's strange - very disorientating. You have to keep looking at the read outs to keep a sense of things. There are a lot of sailors from more 'traditional' open boats who say they don't want to do IMOCA sailing because the enclosure is too hard on them, rather than it being something to make it easier.

Indeed, however the Mini 6.50 class is much more open in terms of design rules than IMOCA. The Mini are even considered the lab of offshore sailing in France and the first scow IMOCA (L'Occitane en Provence, now Bureau Vallée) came from a proven Mini architect.

Will pass it on - you never know, it might have been over looked.

​@@niallmyant-best8923 It is standard practice to put a bit of dish detergent (i.e. glycerin) on the inside of a scuba mask for exactly this reason. Works a treat.