Vendée Globe

On the current schedule the leader in this remarkable 2008-9 Vendée Globe is set to round Cape Horn on Sunday night, which means he should have caught up to be close to the time set by Jean Le Cam in 2004.

There is a major difference between the 2004-5 edition and this one. Because of the Ice Gates, the total distance for the race will be 24,840 miles instead of the 23,680 miles covered in 2004-2005.

This race will be 1160 miles longer, which equates to about three and a half days of sailing at a typical average of 340 miles per day.

The intensity and pace of this race is now confirmed, bear in mind the leaders were two days behind the time set in the last race, as they struggled to get around the St. Helena high pressure system in the South Atlantic.  

So as they traversed the Southern Ocean, despite the challenging and at times very difficult conditions, they will have gained five days.  A huge gain, which certainly explains why some sailors are today feeling exhausted. 

Further evidence, if it’s needed of the pace and intensity of the race can be seen by looking at the number of leaders since the start: 26 in all and nine of the 30 skippers who started held the lead at one stage.

At racing at these speeds mean there have already been a clutch of records, not just for the leaders: from the Equator to the Cape of Good Hope, Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) achieved the best time (12 days, 4hours and 50 minutes) one and a half days less than Vincent Riou in 2004. 

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) with a time of 10 days, 6 hours and 49 minutes improved on the 2004 time between the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin by more than two days. 

And with 15 boats still in the race, half of the skippers that set out have had to retire. That compares to a retirement rate of 46% in 1989, 53% in 1992, 63% in 1996,  but 35% in 2000 and 2004. If we compare the weather experienced, 2008 has been is much closer to what was experienced in 1992 and 1996, while the previous two races have been kinder for the competitors.

Four boats have not yet reached the half way point and the leader has 8418 miles still to complete but already it is being hailed as vintage edition, a remarkable life affirming race, and a truly great sporting endeavour.

From Michel Desjoyeaux’s remarkable comeback, charging back through the fleet after re-starting 40 hours after the start, a deficit of more than 600 miles at one stage, to take the lead, to the true grit and adventurous spirit of Raphael Dinelli and Austrian Norbert Sedlacek who may be 5000 miles behind but their endeavours are equally enriching and inspiring.

Similarly the remarkable British pair Sam Davies (Roxy) and Steve White (Toe in the Water).

Davies’ historic double Vendée Globe winning Finot Conq design surfs 24/7 on Davies’ sheer joie de vie and exuberant passion, while White’s dogged determination to fulfil his dream to do this race of more than 10 years, his ability to not just make a silk purse of a race from a sow’s ear of a shambolic, last minute start has been amazing, but he does so with such a down to earth ego-free frank, and often whimsical approach that he is the ‘everyman’ racer.

The dramas and personal loss, the long held ambitions cruelly washed in seconds by a rogue wave or gust, may in time become the race’s legacy, the historic tapestry, but the raw human emotion exposed, time and again, has very few equals on the global sporting stage. Yann Eliès’ injury and rescue, Jean-Pierre Dick, whose megawatt smile had no  sooner beamed out his New Year wishes, than mere hours later, his one remaining undamaged rudder was snatched off the stern of Paprec-Virbac 2 when he struck a second semi-submerged object. First time he lost the lead, second time his race is over.

Whether they prove the ultimate winner, a midfleet battler, a resolute adventurer, or one of the 15 skippers whose dreams have already been taken away, each can take huge pride in having been part of this magical race in 2008. 2009 is only just started and the race is far from over.

3^rd Jean Le Cam: Jean le Cam (VM Matériaux): The voyage down to the Cape Horn looks as it always looks with strong winds and fronts.  I'm feeling rather tired. Yesterday I had a good sleep and I was about to take another one. After a certain time,  all this exercise takes its toll.  I'm feeling tired and stressed and tired because of the stress.  If there's one thing I'll remember from this 2008 version of the southern seas, I think it will be the directors' decision to modify the gates.  Fortunately, we had these gates, as otherwise it could have been dramatic, considering the fast speeds we have seen from the skippers.  If the Gates weren't there, it would have been just too much.  We're sailing more quickly than four years ago. That means we are closer to the limits of the boats, and that plays on the nerves. It's very tiring being on the edge.

5^th Vincent Riou (PRB): “ I'm really looking forward to the climb back up the Atlantic. It's a part of the course, where life on board the boat is much more pleasant. There may be opportunities to go on the attack… When you're sailing on a north south axis, you cross the planet going from one season to another at high speed.  There are a lot of things to do. One day is never like another.   In the south on the other hand, the nights are short and it's always stormy. It's often very dull and monotonous.  On the way back up the Atlantic, conditions start to improve. There are perpetual changes. The climates, the winds, nights of various lengths…Everything changes quickly.  That makes the voyage back up very interesting and varied… When we find ourselves in the Atlantic, we're going to have a lot of manoeuvres.  I'll be ready to take off again and let the brake off.”  

6^th Sam Davies, GBR, (Roxy): “ I have a little bottle of champagne lined up for after I have done my sail change. I have to put my big gennaker up and it is the middle of the night, so I said to myself it is probably not wise to drink the champagne until it is up in the air.”

“Things are calming down a little bit, it was a fantastic day’s sailing and obviously it is night for me now, but it was one of those days that everyone tells you about, big beautiful easy waves to surf, 20 knots of wind, a little bit of sunshine and Roxy just going easily and effortlessly. It is great, just really nice sailing and hitting 25 knots at times. Now it is calming down and we are doing 25 knots at times just on the bigger surfs, but there is a little bit less wind.”

“ I am touching wood and hoping the second half of the race is going to be as good as the first half.”

“I don’t talk to my boat but I talk to Chuck my autopilot and various other things around, but not to the boat. We have a relationship where she knows what is expected of her. I do get my pen out when people send my nice messages, or encouraging things, or if I want to motivate myself I have a few things which I have written on the dashboard in front of the chart table.”

“It is very hard to keep a balance. For sure I am always in ‘kick ass’ mode, but then I was talking to Jojo (Seb Josse) today and I promised him I would be careful, and I am not allowed to go and try and do average boat speeds.”

15^th, Norbert Sedlacez, AUT (Nauticsport-Kapsch) “I made a little party yesterday with some little parcels which I opened and drank a little champagne which I drank together with Neptune and I had a small conversation with him where I explained to him that he should take care of me in 2009 also.

The genoa came when a pin in the furler went and there was quite a heavy swell and so it went down under the boat and so I had to fight more than two hours to get the sail back on board. And in the end I could get it all back and so yesterday I stitched it and so I can still use the sail, and when the wind comes down and the seas are smoother I will fix the furler and then can use the sail again.

The furler hit the deck with the sail and made a small hole but it is not really bad, a few square centimetres.”

Infos précédentes :