Vendée Globe

Roland Jourdain is now slowed and heading for the Azores after suffering keel damage during last night.

At around 0400hrs GMT this morning, Roland Jourdain called his shore team to tell them that he has a problem with his keel. For the moment the boat is stable and continuing on a course towards the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores, some 640 miles to his North East.

Very late in the night while sailing under mainsail and genoa, Jourdain heard a suspicious noise on board Veolia Environnement and went to find out where it came from.  He stopped his boat to check everything he could see but did not find anything unusual.  It was only after trimming the sails on again that the boat took on an abnormal heel.

Jourdain concluded almost immediately that there is damage to his keel. 

For the moment, he does not know whether he has lost the bulb or whether the keel blade has been damaged in some way.

His team say that today’s damage is possibly a consequence of his collision with a sea mammal on 8th January since then boat has had no subsequent impact with any type of floating or semi-submerged objects.

Michel Desjoyeaux has had his bow pointed directly at Les Sables d’Olonne, although he anticipates a couple of gybes and perhaps even tacking on the final stretch but with less than 1000 miles to go his speed is back up after a tough night, Foncia is making 15.5 knots this morning.

Armel le Cleach was 150 miles inshore from the line taken by Jourdain, trying to cut the corner. Le Cleach is making 11.7 knots but still has the Azores ‘lite’ high pressure system to negotiate.

Sam Davies on Roxy was 17 miles to the Equator at 0930hrs GMT this morning, making 9.7 knots. She is 79 miles ahead of Marc Guillemot who is suffering a little with his reduced rig, although he believes he will get better breeze when he exits the Doldrums with a more westerly position.  

Reporting a keel ram problem this morning which means he is running with just one of the two on the starboard side, Brian Thompson is now 163 miles behind Guillemot and is making a knot quicker, he was slowed early this morning but seems to be going a little better now, he is doing 8.2 knots.  He said that he had to stop Bahrain Team Pindar for a matter of hours yesterday afternoon to check the problem and find a solution.

He has Dee still doing 12.3 knots at the moment and she is catching again but she is 150 miles behind. They have caught more than 600 miles on Guillemot and Davies in the last ten days.

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia):  I was sleeping when the phone rang.  The night was ****, so I was tired.  Worse than the Southern Ocean as SW’ly wind varied from 12 to 53 knots in a squall!  Boat reached 31 knots at one point, but sometimes down to 5.5 knots.  This was just to the west of Sao Miguel, but not due to wind shadow effect.  Now 18-30 knots and from 300-320°.  Crossed seas. ETA given last night's conditions difficult.  Not on Saturday though. Sometime during the day on Sunday. If Sunday morning in Bay of Biscay then steady winds.  If later, variable winds ending up with SE winds.  If very late, will mean a series of tacks. In the Azores didn’t see the coast, but could see lighthouse. Last piece of land was Fernando de Noronha.  Whale watch warned him of whales near Azores. Several containers to dodge off Spain.

Marc Guillemot (Safran) 90 miles from the Equator.  In the Doldrums since yesterday evening.  Obviously handicapped with mast track problem.  As he is further west, he should have more favourable winds than Sam on coming out of the Doldrums.  Feels like the home stretch now and that helps psychologically. Needs to be patient now and sail as best he can, but no point in getting frustrated.  It’s great that Mich will be finishing this weekend, but he Marco has had other great moments in the race.

Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air):  Lot of squalls during the night, but steady winds this morning and fine weather, so morale is good.  Starting to get colder, so fleeces back out again.  The Azores high moving around.  Saturday looks like it is going to be difficult.  It’s the only way to pick up the stronger winds afterwards.  Thinks he will finish on 6th or 7th, as will be slowed in Azores high.

Sam Davies (Roxy): It is grey and raining this morning.  The worst is over, as I picked up some more wind late in the night.  The Doldrums weren’t too hard and in fact, it was worse for squalls off Rio.  Thanks to my sponsor I have some great clothes to wear.  Thinks she has same spirit as Roxy

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