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April 10, 2008Kito de Pavant forced to withdraw from The Transat

The skipper of the Groupe Bel monohull has been injured during a sailing exercise. A fractured fibula (left leg) will be immobilising him for at least five weeks. He has therefore been forced to step down from the first race of the season, The Artemis Transat (setting sail from Plymouth in just one month), and to modify his schedule. However, this will not affect his major aim this season: preparing for the Vendée Globe.

April 10, 2008Ecover 3 at JMV with some new team members

Mike Golding’s Ecover 3 is now at the JMV yard, where the team is busy working on the boat’s keel. The past few weeks have been particularly frustrating for the British yachtsman, as following the discovery of cracks in the keel, his planned schedule has been completely upset. During the boat’s delivery to the yard, Mike joined Dee Caffari in Cascaïs for trials on board Aviva, Ecover 3’s sistership. At JMV, the work began with changing the engine and pump system. Later all the modifications carried out in Palma will have to be validated. Moreover, because of the huge amount of work that remains to be done, a new technical team manager has just been appointed. He is in fact Gilles Campan, who previously worked with Yvan Bourgnon. Nick Bubb, known for his achievements in Class 40 and aboard a Mini, has also joined the team to enable preparations for the Vendée Globe to push ahead. Mike still hopes to be able to take part in The Artemis Transat, but admits that it is going to be tough to be ready. Although he still wants to take part (and win!), he nevertheless recognises that his main goal must remain the Vendée Globe.

March 26, 2008Mike Golding, the sixteenth to register

Following his retiral from the Transat B to B, where he was sponsored by Ecover, the British yachtsman, Mike Golding has experienced some keel problems on board his new racing machine. However, everything will be ready in time and we can count on Goldfinger, as Jean Le Cam nicknamed him, to be up with the frontrunners in the Vendée Globe: a race, which he would like to be the first British sailor to win. He certainly has what it takes! Mike is the sixteenth name to sign up, having fulfilled all the registration formalities.

March 18, 2008The Canadian, Derek Hatfield is the fifteenth to sign up

The Canadian, Derek Hatfield is the fifteenth person to sign up officially for the Vendée Globe 2008. By confirming his entry, the former Mountie completes the first half of the fleet to satisfy the requirements to be there at the start in Les Sables d’Olonne on 9th November. Spirit of Canada, his Owen Clarke design, which is easily recognisable with her maple leaf, will have a lot of support on the other side of the Atlantic: following the idea of a campaign of ‘Your name around the world’, Derek Hatfield has already received 5000 signatures from people wanting to see their name written on the hull of his Open 60.

March 15, 2008Dee Caffari back with her Aviva

After spending two days with the weather expert, Jean-Yves Bernot, Dee Caffari is back with her Open 60, Aviva in Cascaïs in Portugal. In the course of the next few days, her shore team will check her keel (particularly following the discovery of cracks in her sistership’s keel , Ecover 3). After her relaunch, the boat will undergo the IMOCA 90° test, which is due to take place early next week. After that, Dee will be able to get back training aboard her. Meanwhile, she has encouraged her team in Great Britain and in Portugal to take part in the Sport Relief Mile, like 400,000 others will be doing in Britain this weekend, in order to raise money for those in need around the world.

March 04, 2008Bernard Stamm, the thirteenth to register

Twice winner of the single-handed round the world race with stopovers (the Velux Five Oceans, formerly Around Alone) he would not have missed this appointment with the Vendée Globe for anything in the world, as this is one race he has not yet been successful in. Bernard Stamm, the most Breton of Swiss nationals, has become the thirteenth name to register officially for the Everest of the Seas. He will certainly be one of the ones to watch in the fleet.