A rigid routine

News

November 23. 2008 at 08:03
A rigid routine
© JEAN MARIE LIOT / DPPI / Vendée Globe

For the leaders Sunday morning feels just like Saturday morning. The sounds on board at the same, the weather is the same, the wind angles are very similar, the routine is settled, the pace is close but there is still no time to lose concentration and let the mind wander

 

Into the third week at sea later today, and Loïck Peyron has lead on ten days so far, and as the leading pack stretched past the island of Fernando Noronhao – 200 miles or so to the east – yesterday evening, life on board retains an incredible similarity, minute to minute, hour to hour and, eventually day to day. Gains and losses are down to progressive  bends in the wind, small sail or ballast trimming differences or changes of course, and the simple matter of very small differences in optimization between the leaders.

 

Gitana Eighty is judged to have made a three mile gain, sailing slightly higher as the wind backs a fraction more easterly, but behind the regular pace is metronomic. After two weeks of racing Vincent Riou (PRB) in fourth and Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) fifth are just four miles apart, racing virtually side by side, as if attached by string.

 

Seventh placed Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3) continues to post impressive average speeds on the Owen-Clarke design and is chipping steadily away at Yann Elies (Générali). From being 8.6 miles behind last night, Golding is now 3.9 miles in deficit.

 

Around 100 miles north and a little east, the battle for 11th and 12th has lost none of its needle as Dominque Wavre, SUI, (Temenos) keeps Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) in check for the moment. Five miles of difference last night is four this morning.

 

As they struggle out of the Doldrums Steve White, GBR, (Toe in the Water) and Jonny Malbon, GBR, (Artemis II) are licking their wounds. Malbon has lost in the region of 206 miles in two days, White, about 238, while it is Rich Wilson (Great American III) who is struggling in the light winds glue pot this morning.

 

Swiss skipper Bernard Stamm, (Cheminées Poujoulat) gained his first place this morning, since re-starting, passing the Austrian Norbert Sedlacek (Nauticsport-Kapsch), to lie 23rd.