Zezo forum:

Post by Micke | 2014-10-28 | 13:04:44

Just saw this tweet:

Mark Turner
@oc_markturner
#VOR just implemented ice exclusion zone at 42deg South (20W to 10W) as routings suggest deep south route could be best, in to ice area!

Would change the routing and strategy considerably.

21 Comments

Post by feriber | 2014-10-28 | 14:31:04

here you have more info:
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/watchlog.html

Ice exclusion zone
To avoid the risk of running into icebergs or growlers, this exclusion zone is formed by the line of longitude 20�W south of 42�S, the great circle line between positions 42�S - 20�W and 42�S - 10�W. These lines are the obstruction that the boats shall leave to starboard.

Post by feriber | 2014-10-28 | 19:37:29

Seems you have added the ice gate. Now routes to 40s and Cape town do not go further 42s.

Thank you a lot.

Post by zezo | 2014-10-28 | 19:41:19

No, just the weather has changed.

I'll add the gate if/when it appears in the game.

Personally, I hope they don't add it, because boats in the High will get unfair advantage at this point. It's not an issue for the real fleet because none of them is headed for the parking lot.

Post by feriber | 2014-10-28 | 19:51:21

Thank you for the explanation !!!

Post by lotsemann | 2014-10-29 | 14:01:52

The ice exclusion zone is now in force...

Post by samarador | 2014-10-29 | 14:15:21

Ice gates are there!, all the advantage now for the boats in the high, and a real bluff for the west pack, :(

Post by zezo | 2014-10-29 | 14:22:17

Added to the router.

With current forecast it won' t affect the outcome too much. Currently the East group has an advantage, gates or no.

But those low pressure systems are quite unpredictable right now.

Post by samarador | 2014-10-29 | 14:24:10

Thanks a lot Cvetan!

Post by obloviate | 2014-10-29 | 14:33:28

Suggest emailing the 'Gods of the Game' on help menu and explain the difference between the real fleet grouping and the virtual groupings, as doesn't matter they did this last minute to them since all heading the southern route, but on the Virtual???? I'm glad I'm not one of the leaders on the southern route as a slap in the face for sure. I wrote a note and used on-line English to French translator so they can read. If my boat disappears from the game I will know my translator was a nasty one :) Fair winds all, on to Capetown.

Post by karriv | 2014-10-29 | 15:24:47

I think the impact on the situation between eastern and western groups was significant, close to 30 nm. The western group was trailing the eastern group by about 10 nm before introduction of the ice-exclusion zone and now the difference seems to be 40 nm.

Post by GeorgeBest | 2014-10-29 | 17:27:47

I think it's totally ridiculous to introduce an ice gate in the virtual game ..

Post by paradolf | 2014-10-29 | 20:08:44

I am in the east group, but I still think that this is the thing they should add in the begining of the leg not during the leg. I was suprised in the begining of the leg that there is no restriction to go south that much.
Fais winds to everyone.

Post by feriber | 2014-10-29 | 20:32:08

Once reached 42�S - 10�W gate, will it allow us to go even further south?

Post by Mousetrap | 2014-10-29 | 21:33:59

So can we be clear about this? Are we allowed to break south below the 42th parallel between the marks as long as we ultimately leave the two of them to starboard? Or is is like a black flag start where you're out if you break south of the line at all?

Post by obloviate | 2014-10-30 | 15:10:14

See their video explanation of the ICE boundry today on the boat in the west that is grey with and X on it. I think it will be a leg DQ, but as usual not clear. I sent them a note yesterday in my 'perfect' French and they sent me back a note about my 'baggage' in English (or pig latin???) Like our hulls are going to be holed and we will all be lost at sea! It might not even matter in the end, but we all know that isn't the point and at least maybe they will think about mid-leg rule changes in the Virtual in the future. Fair winds all, may we get 25kts soon.

Post by zezo | 2014-10-30 | 15:56:34

THOU SHALL NOT CROSS, eh?

With other games there has been a speed penalty below certain latitude, with boat speed dropping gradually to zero, which is reasonable thing for a game to do

Post by Snowpetrel-2 | 2014-11-10 | 04:44:31

Looks like the penalty may be ranking at the bottom of the non-grounded fleet for the whole leg. Take a look at the green track line for the boat Team4Tigers. The boat appears to have overshot the ice boundary by 309m (10 seconds of latitude) on a jibe. He/she remained on track to finish at around 300-400th, but the boat now sits on the red finish ring with a 69,152th rank, apparently having been bounced off the checkered flag! I suppose there are other examples, but I don't know how to interrogate the whole rank list. I just happened to be watching that boat.

Post by zezo | 2014-11-10 | 08:36:48

That boat crossed the line on purpose, as experiment and protest against the change.

What happened was that the entire line acted as starboard mark, adding the distance to the West buoy to the DTF. You should probably go back and pass it to port again in order to clear the penalty.

Post by Snowpetrel-2 | 2014-11-11 | 01:19:13

Yikes! When you say "pass it to port again" I suppose you mean return to the West buoy, where the whole line begins? Otherwise, a DNF? Kind of important to know, as there may be a repeat obstacle in Leg 5 (NZL->BRA), but hopefully not as an afterthought.

Post by zezo | 2014-11-11 | 08:32:22

The real life sailing instructions don't specify what will happen if you cross the line:

The Ice Exclusion Zone Marks are positions used to form the lines that are an obstruction that Boats shall leave to starboard. The exclusion zone shall be formed by the line of longitude ... these lines are the obstruction.

In previous editions the gates have been implemented as marks, both online and IRL.

Post by karriv | 2014-11-11 | 22:08:10

Effective word here being "Probably". This was never communicated by the race organizer. Extremely poor communication IMHO, on top of the poor decision.