Vendée Globe

October 31. 2008 at 19:34Live from the pontoons

A new feature for the start of the 2008 Vendée Globe, each day from 11 in the morning, there will be a radio broadcast in French with Pierre-Louis Castelli and Frédéric Ottenhof, "Live from the pontoons." The first broadcast will take place on Saturday 1st November with the guests: Michel Desjoyeaux, Unaï Basurko, Dominique Wavre and Jean-Pierre Dick.
Each day from eleven to noon, experience the atmosphere of the pontoons in Port Olona and hear all the excitement leading up to the start on 9th November at 13h02. To listen, just click on the live feature on the home page.

 

October 31. 2008 at 11:40Meanwhile, the race directors…

With less than ten days to go before the start, the Vendée Globe race directors led by Denis Horeau, are hard at work going through the final formalities. Mathias Lallemand is responsible for completing the safety files in order to update the Rescue site (bringing together all the useful information required by rescue teams). Marc Dahringer, in charge of the work area, is preparing the logistical aspects of the start: there will be eleven buoys to put in place to mark off the exit channel for the 60-foot boats, the race area, the start area and safety zone. These arrangements require the use of 60 RIBs. In addition to the organisers\' armada, there are the boats around the racers, (2 RIBs allowed for each competitor, so in all around sixty boats), and then the policing arrangements out on the water, including twenty boats supplied by the French authorities. Finally, Julian Hocken is responsible for relations with the foreign racers. Around ten briefings are planned for next week. In the wings, the pace is stepping up.

 

 

October 31. 2008 at 09:21Dull with some light rain

Over the past three days, the weather has been more like winter. The maximum temperature today (Friday) will be around 11 degrees, with overcast skies and some light rain late this morning. A 10 to 15 knot north-easterly wind (force 3 to 4) will reach 20 knots locally at times later today with gusts up to 30. The sea is slight. There is a strong wind warning in force along the south coast of Brittany right down to Vendée.

 

Tide times

High tide: 5h18 (5.05m) and 17h35 (4.88 m)

Low tide: 11h47 (1.27m)

Coefficient: 80 :77

 

October 30. 2008 at 18:21Out of the shed

All going well Hugo Boss should be emerging from the shed very early tomorrow morning, ready to go in the water for a prelminary sail Saturday. Alex Thomson has returned from the UK to Les Sables d'Olonne. (Audio previewing sailing plans with David Duff on www.Vendeeglobe.org)

October 30. 2008 at 17:34Down on the pontoons

Jean Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2), inside his Farr designed boat: «I´m in the middle of re-reading the race instructions, going through all the problems that may arise over the course. I have just come back from a few days in Corsica and inland from Nice. I´m feeling calm, yet being kept busy all the time, and I´m very pleased to be back with my team.»

Karen Leibovici, who took part in the last Vendée Globe: «No, I´m not feeling nostalgic about the race. I don´t have any regrets when I see all the boats lined up here. I no longer think about what it was like four years ago. I´ve got other things to take care of. I´ve been working with Yannick Bestaven (Aquarelle.com) since last May. I started out as an assistant preparing the boat. Now, I´m looking after the logistics. I´m just getting ready to deal with getting the supplies on board the boat.»

Arnaud Boissières (Akéna Vérandas): «Since Sunday, we´ve noticed a distinct change in the weather. Time to get something warm on our heads and meanwhile the stress is gradually building. The boat is ready, and now we have to take advantage of these final ten days, particularly with the sponsors. This evening, the boat will be open to the employees of Akena and their families for two and a half hours.»

October 30. 2008 at 11:29Thundery showers

There were some strong gusts of wind during the night in les Sables d’Olonne. Today, you still need to think about bringing the waterproofs and a hat, if you are going to visit the harbour. Minimum temperature: 5 degrees and maximum 12 degrees. Some thundery showers are expected during the day. Out at sea, the general synopsis is that a 983 hpa low over the English Channel is moving slowly south eastwards, while a high pressure area dominates over the Azores. The wind, force 4 to 5 northwesterly with stronger gusts will veer north easterly during the afternoon. The sea is slight to moderate. Given these conditions, the few boats planning to sail today will perhaps remain moored up, if the weather does not improve… That in any case were the plans discussed by the shore teams of Delta Dore, Akena Vérandas and Aquarelle.com.

October 29. 2008 at 17:13The worlds of Hugo Boss still spinning

The latest from the Hugo Boss repairs: Boatworld. Bulkhead repairs are now all done and the final internal fastenings are being added to the hull. The team remain on target for final painting and post-cure tomorrow night with the doors opening for the trip to the port at 0700hrs Friday. Rigworld: The mast has had its final lamination and is now being cooked to perfection. Once complete, the only evidence that anything has changed will be a slight bulge where the join is (think 'very tall ostrich that has swallowed one of its own eggs'). The new standing rigging is on order and should arrive tomorrow, ready for fitting on Friday morning. Elsewhere in Spliceworld, the mainsail is having a final once over and main halyard block is in place. Logistically everything is coming together despite the incredibly tight deadlines. A detailed plan of military precision is in place for Friday to ensure the boat is transferred safely to the commercial port, keel and rig attached ready for a successful launch on Saturday.

October 29. 2008 at 15:30Marc Thiercelin blowing out 48 candles

The skipper of DCNS is celebrating his 48th birthday at home in Marseilles, before he heads back to les Sables d’Olonne in a few days to prepare for his fourth Vendée Globe start. Not far off the big fifty, the yachtsman is nevertheless in fine shape. In any case, he looks after himself. At the start of the month he climbed the hills of Corsica during a week´s trekking with a climb up and down of around 1200 metres each day… Time to enjoy the green scenery before everything turns blue...

October 29. 2008 at 11:11Seb Josse on record breaking.

It is a very cold, clear morning around Port Olona where the crowds continue to arrive and make their pontoon promenade. Going sailing this afternoon BT skipper Seb Josse wears his usual radiant smile despite losing his 24 hour distance record overnight. Seb was the skipper of ABN AMRO 2 when they set the record of 563 nautical miles on 11 January 2006. Last night it was, again, another design from ABN 2 designer Juan K, Ericsson 4 which has pushed the mark of Josse and his team up to 589 miles, and building. “I think that 589 miles is quite a lot compared to ours but they have done a really god job with their campaign and of it is a Juan K design." said Josse this morning, " Well done to Ericsson and Juan K. It is not so much of a surprise because ABN AMRO 1 beat the record in about the same place last time, all the time it is the same there, flat water and big pressure, and you can take the first low pressure and go for it. It is very good there for records. 600 miles is possible, but it does become harder to break records by much, maybe three, four, five miles. When we see the boats are a lot faster in this race then the lap record may fall, with a downwind start you can gain two or three days straight away. If it is an upwind start then it will be hard. Single-handed I am sure that the record will go in this race, but I am not the man to do it. I would rather win the race than the record.”

October 29. 2008 at 10:43Six boats at sea this Wednesday

Six IMOCA monohulls will be taking advantage of the sunshine today (Wednesday 29th October) for a trip in the bay off Les Sables d´Olonne. Marc Guillemot (Safran) was the first to leave the pontoon in Port Olona this morning at seven. He will be followed this lunchtime (around one) by 5 other boats: Derek Hatfield's Algimouss-Spirit of Canada, Sébastien Josse's BT, Roland Jourdain's Véolia Environnement, Unai Basurko's Pakea Bizkaia and finally Raphael Dinelli's Fondation Ocean Vital (at around two).