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February 05, 2008Artemis II taking shape in Lymington (G.B.)

The Artemis Ocean Racing team is now extremely busy working on Jonny Malbon’s new 60-foot Open, which is gradually taking shape at Neville Hutton’s yard in Lymington, near Southampton, England. Yesterday, the hull received a coat of primer and it will shortly be painted with a coat of gloss in the colours of Artemis. Even if the work appears slow from the outside, according to the Boat Captain, Graham Tourell, a lot of progress has been achieved. The ballast tanks are almost complete and the deck fittings ready to be installed, once the final painting is done. The assembly of the deck and hull will be a giant leap forward this week, as afterwards, the team will be able to concentrate on the electronics and hydraulics. The mast and boom are almost ready too, and just waiting for a final coat of paint, while the sails have already received Artemis’s logos. Nevertheless, time is passing by, with the first major voyage planned for Jonny Malbon during the Artemis Transat in May, so there will be little time to fine tune the boat before this transatlantic crossing. However, as Graham Tourell points out, "What really counts for the team is the Vendée Globe, which is our main goal and the Artemis Transat is only a step towards that objective. The Transat does need to be completed safely, so that we can really fine tune the boat to get 100% from her for the major race next November."

February 02, 2008Intensive physical training for Dee Caffari

Dee Caffari has just returned to Britain after spending some time on holiday on Fiji, but will be heading off again very shortly for an intensive physical training course in Bavaria. She will be following a programme developed by a former commando and member of the Special Forces in the Alps. On her return to England, she will continue the gruelling exercises with climbing lessons, which may be very useful when she needs to go up the mast of her Open 60, Aviva. Meanwhile, the monohull is currently on board a container ship heading for Portugal, where sea trials will be carried out next month with her sister-ship Ecover.

February 01, 2008Seb Josse's boat in Lorient

The 60´ Estrella Damm skippered by the Spanish skipper, Guillermo Altadill and the American, Jonathan McKee were forced to retire from the Barcelona World Race due to a damaged rudder. After being transported by cargo ship from Cape Town to England, then crossing th English Channel under sail, the Farr design, which will be sailed by Sébastien Josse is back in her base in Lorient, where she will stay for the winter months in Foncia’s shed. A refit is planned, during which she will be decked out in the colours of BT, Sébastien Josse’s partner for the next Vendée Globe.

February 01, 2008Marc Guillemot and Michel Desjoyeaux ninth and tenth to register

Some top names complete the list of the first ten official entrants for the Vendée Globe : Marc Guillemot (Safran) and Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) have completed their registration, after qualifying during the Transat Ecover B To B. The two highly experienced Breton yachtsmen are up there among the favourites for the next Globe. By coming first and second in the last Transat Jacques Vabre and by doing well in the Transat Ecover B to B, they have shown they are top contenders. Sailing on boats from the latest generation, which were the most impressive in 2007 with their speed, they could both figure on the podium for the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe in a year’s time….

January 31, 2008Arnaud Boissières, the eighth participant to sign up

Arnaud Boissières has completed his application forms for the Vendée Globe. The skipper from La Rochelle achieved his qualification on board Akena Veranda during the Transat Ecover B to B, finishing in ninth place. “Cali” sailed solo in this race after the Transat Jacques Vabre, where he finished twelfth with Jean-Philippe Chomette as his co-skipper.

January 25, 2008De Pavant becomes the seventh man

Having qualified for the Vendée Globe 2008, when he took part in the Transat Ecover B to B, Kito de Pavant, skipper of the Groupe Bel monohull today became the seventh name registered for the next edition of the Vendée Globe. After a single-handed transatlantic race, in which he shone to finish in second place behind Loïck Peyron, Kito has handed over his large red monohull for a winter refit, during which the skipper from Montferrier (South of France), intends to improve her performance capablities still further. One to keep an eye on…