Concentrating driving for one hour is hard work.

While sailing downwind driving, its real work keeping the
boat moving, pointed in the right direction, while trying
to surf. Upwind there is the danger of pinching or falling
below the groove. If you have some skills, driving a boat
like this can be done fairly well. Novices would have an
easier time sailing upwind than downwind.

Driving well is how a boat gets separation from the fleet.
In my opinion driving upwind well creates the biggest gains
on a race course.

In any case, I agree, rotating the helmsmen evens out the
race. We can safely assume you have the same average
skill levels on each boat with a big crew like this.

Is there ANY other racing situation where this mulitple
driver, everyone drives concept is used in pro-racing?
No. It is more fun for the paying clients.

You can call it a race. But if so, it just barely qualifies.
Put a $1,000,000 purse on the outcome, and see how
the whole event would change. That's why I call it a
phony race, just a notch above a non-racing
circumnavigation--which it is better compared to.

I don't want to seem overly critical of the event. I still
think it is a substantial accomplishment to sail around
the world. Upwind obviously while safer, is harder
work.

And again, I like these boats. I think they are well
designed and built.

Bart

"DSK" wrote

It may be that the 1 hour stints on the wheel are to keep the races more
even, so that no one boat can gain an advantage by having one particular
better helmsman.