Facebook

Login

Support Sailonline

If you haven't already - join the SAILONLINE YACHT CLUB!

Please also consider making a donation - all amounts are greatly appreciated!

Board » Flag Officers » Races » Figaro Race

Posted by
Blue_Magic


Users avatar

Posts
10
Registered at
2009-01-25 19:10:30
2010-04-21 20:58:09 - Figaro Race
hi all,

I'm enjoying the race to St. Barths but I wonder if the polars for the Beneteau Figaro might not be a bit conservative. I found a site that has an illustration of the boat with polar diagrams, and it would appear that this set shows them to be speedier off the wind in a bit of a blow. That would make sense given the relatively light displacement.

Here's the link:

http://www.brutsailing.com/theboats.htm

Cheers

Nick
Posted by
Incognito


Users avatar

Posts
183
Registered at
2008-12-06 13:43:52
2010-04-21 21:46:19 - Re: Figaro Race
Interesting. But you will notice that these polars are for 5 people on board. This race is doublehanded.

In addition, one thing is to achieve these speeds for a few hours, another to keep that pace for 3 weeks.

Personally, I feel the SOL polar is quite realistic.

Regards,

Incognito
Posted by
Blue_Magic


Users avatar

Posts
10
Registered at
2009-01-25 19:10:30
2010-04-21 22:18:06 - Re: Figaro Race
Agree with you about sustaining speed - but the extra crew weight would help most with the wind forward of around 120 deg. The polars as they sit are pretty close to my 29 ft displacement hulled C&C.- within about a half knot, which looks like extra waterline length to me brought about by the plumb bow on the Beneteau. However, my boat weighs 7500 lbs and should be considerably slower off the wind. Also, the double handed "hit" would be most apparent in sail handling evolutions- and that should show up in SOL by performance loss and slow regain speed after tacking etc.

--- Last Edited by Nick Thornton at 2010-04-21 22:23:26 ---
Posted by
76Trombones


Users avatar

Posts
362
Registered at
2009-08-03 18:04:56
2010-04-27 16:29:45 - Re: Figaro Race
Alternate explanation, that covers many of our SOL boats...

It looks like the our Figaro polar was built from IMS/ORC VPP numbers, which only go to 20 knots on the certificates. Additionally, the data is given in fixed increments from upwind TWA of 52deg to downwind max of 150. Using only these points (see the text polar in the help tab) gives sort of a characteristic "feel" to the polars, including lower speeds in high winds. The 180 point is not supplied.

The certificate data provides extra info in the form of up and downwind VMG angles and speeds, which nicely refine the shape of the curves. The excel tool I've been using includes this extra info and generates SOL-format tables with more detail. The 180deg value can be guessed at pretty accurately by studying the polar, which helps make the diagram "look" nice, even if it isn't a factor in our racing...

Curves for windspeeds above 20kts can be estimated using knowledge of the boat, comparisons to similar types, any extra info that might be floating around and trends in the polar.

The IMS/ORC tables are a great source of polar data for SOL racing. The new boats that we've been adding try to cover the above points!

- 76Trombones
Posted by
captjack1942


Users avatar

Posts
239
Registered at
2008-01-18 03:24:03
2010-04-30 18:03:07 - Re: Figaro Race
One thing IMS Certification numbers do not account for is ability of lighter boats with wide sterns to plane or surf. This can add up to 7~8 knots to boat speed.
Just check the position of the real boats vs our fleet.
http://transatag2r.geovoile.com/

From what I've seen of the weather, the real fleet is not sailing in wind in excess of 20 knots. Rather, it seems the trades that the real fleet is in are in the 14~17 knot range.

--- Last Edited by captjack1942 at 2010-04-30 18:06:28 ---
Posted by
Incognito


Users avatar

Posts
183
Registered at
2008-12-06 13:43:52
2010-05-01 07:18:07 - Re: Figaro Race
I am looking at the real fleet as well. And I have to admit to our polars are clearly too pessimistic.

I do not want to change polars in the middle of a race. But I will ask the race committee (read 76T) to come up with new polars for the Figaro.

Regards,

Francois
Posted by
76Trombones


Users avatar

Posts
362
Registered at
2009-08-03 18:04:56
2010-05-02 14:56:11 - Re: Figaro Race
It's an interesting problem for sure. We're not really *that* far behind the RL fleet. 250nm or so? 10-15% depending on how you juggle the different waypoint.

The polar needs a refresh, but capt is right about the windspeeds we've encountered. The 20kt cap hasn't really come into play.

I still think that SOL weather gets rounded down...

AND!!! (this just in)

We are using the polar for the Beneteau Figaro...

The Transat is being sailed in.... Beneteau Figaro 2s. Guess how much faster they are? ;)

Good polars for both, I'll clean them up and post them.

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m

Current Races:

Beketov by Balloon 2026 - In Siberia


Way-back-when France and England, and Spain as well, were squabbling about who should control what of North America, only to lose the most of it to their own insurging colonists, their eastern European neighbour empire, Russia, was quietly assimilating vast, thinly nomadically populated territory of its own – Siberia! Amongst the many explorers and adventurers that served Russia so well in these conquests was the Cossack hetman Pyotr Beketov. Let’s pretend we’re he and eschewing horseback, let’s travel by balloon from Yekaterinberg to Krasnoyarsk – just a short 2000km (1100nm) section of the Trans-Siberian Express’ 9289km!
Race #1972
INFOby brainaid.de
SOL Balloon PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: BOL - SYC
Race starts: Feb 03rd 13:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

West Papua to Oregon 2026

Our next race in our Ocean Championships is the first of a series of great natural migrations we will track in 2026. The leatherback turtle is the most widely distributed marine reptile on planet Earth, and chooses to breed in warm tropical waters, but prefers to forage in more temperate habitats, travelling thousands and thousands of miles effortlessly annually to maintain this way of life. Our race will follow one of the typical trips of this turtle, from breeding grounds in the seas off West Papua to the coast of Oregon. It’s only 5900nm, so to keep up, but in comfort, we’ll follow in our Gunboat 90.
Race #2006
INFO by brainaid.de
GB 90 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ1 - OCCH - MIG - SYC
Race starts: Feb 02nd 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Race to Up Helly Aa 2026

A-OI!!! The fiery spirit of Shetland’s legendary Up Helly Aa returns, and Sailonline’s annual race to Lerwick is once again upon us. Covering 383 nautical miles from Aberdeen, SOLers will tackle winter waters steeped in Viking tradition. This year, we race the classic Frers 33, a proven cruiser-racer born from the golden era of offshore racing and still a sturdy performer both on the virtual and real water. Can you master the course and reach Lerwick in time for the flames?

SAILING NOTE: Gruney may be approached from any direction but must be passed for rounding purposes as indicated on the chart.
Race #2005
INFO by brainaid.de
Frers 33 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
SYC
Race starts: Jan 30th 17:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Red Eye - Hobart Convict Run 2026

Back in 2010, one of our SOLers of the first hour, AUS_Scott76, came up with this ‘Convict Run’ out from Hobart, past Cape Raoul and the penal colony of Port Arthur, round Tasman Island, up and back down the east coast of Tasmania, to finish with a tight technical run – so Scott called it – up the picturesque D'entrecasteaux Channel, home to Hobart once again. It’s 250nm, ideal for a bit of ‘Red Eye’ in comfortable Finngulf 43’s, and if the original idea was to pick up some convicts on the way for a bit of R&R and sea air, you may always drop’m back before returning to Hobart!
Race #2002
INFOby brainaid.de
FG 43 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: RED - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Monday,
February 2 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jan 27th 12:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

New Ice Age 2026 - Longyearbyen to Browerville


Although we have by no means exhausted the possibilities of ice boating on lakes at high latitudes or high altitudes, it was noticeable that as our 2025 Series progressed, there were calls from time to time for longer-distance challenges, and so in response to these calls we will pretend that global warming has reversed and as a result the coastal waters of Antarctica and Russia and Canada have fully (and smoothly!) frozen over offering us the possibility of a 4-race New Ice Age series in our trusted no-PL DN machines. Our first leg takes us 2600nm from Svalbard’s Longyearbyen east to North Alaska’s Browerville. You’ll be a few days on the ice, so dress warmly and take some provisions; go!
Race #1968
INFOby brainaid.de
DN PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: NIA - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Monday,
February 2 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jan 22nd 07:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rumskib
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Sax747
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member vida
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Kipper1258
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

SYC members have the benefit of access to our mobile/lightweight web client!

The mobile client