Vendée Globe

November 17. 2008 at 06:57Because it's worth it

"Since the start, I've been trying to find reasons to do the race, which I've just started. That is quite normal, as I have had to put up with two calm zones since Les Sables.  Nothing goes as planned, but I couldn't have imagined this sort of scenario.  This is a universe I wouldn't have signed up for, if someone had offered it to me. I'm a bit like a spectator in this race that I have worked so hard to prepare with all my team for months and even years.  So there was one question that kept popping up.  What's the use?  It seems almost impossible to try to get back up with the leaders, unless there is a series of weather complications, which would favour the tail-enders, and that's like playing the lottery. But that does not mean it's impossible.  If I hadn't given it a go, it would have stayed with me for a very long time, so that's why I had to do it. Among other reasons. At the moment, I'm under spinnaker and full mainsail with between 15 and 20 knots.  Cheminées Poujoulat is gliding downwind with seas that are just crossed enough to make it a bit tougher.  That's why it was worth it." Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat)

 

November 17. 2008 at 06:46Mich Desj' in his slippers

"Ridge of high pressure.  High pressure? Not for me.  I'm sleeping well, or at least trying to. In fact, the problem is I can only find one shoe.  The other one must be buried under the gear.  I don't feel like moving everything just for one shoe, so I'm in my special waterproof slippers (...), which are great to sleep in. A quiet night with just a bit of trimming for the gennaker to keep her going. Much better than what the weather forecasts had predicted.  Let's just hope it lasts."

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia)

November 17. 2008 at 06:18Late night curry for Jonny

"Hi, just waiting for my curry to rehydrate!! Had a very busy couple of days, and I am exhausted.  Managed to get some sleep today and actually lied down on my sleeping bag for the first time. Have made up some miles on the boats in front, but think this evening has been slow, we shall see.  All good on board, had a good tidy up today, the boot and me!  Got a few jobs to do tomorrow, but ticked a load off today – the mast rotation sensor is now working so I don’t have to change the offset manually anymore, which is good news.  Right, I'm starving, see you later – a plus!"

Jonny and Artemis II

 

November 17. 2008 at 05:35Arnaud Boissières getting ready for the Cape Verde Islands

"Nice night of gliding along listening to music.  Dull and wet night. Ready for the start of a new week of work. Shaved, washed. Cape Verde coming up .... ".Arnaud Boissières (Akena Vérandas)
 

November 16. 2008 at 21:28The Life of Brian: Day 7

" Last night was one of very light winds as I am close to a small high pressure,  and I was sure that I would have lost a lot of miles to all except for Sam (Davies) and Dominic (Wavre)  who are close to the same route, but fortunately it was slow for everyone. This afternoon was even slower for me with 6 knots of wind most of the time, and I used the calm conditions to remount the wind generator on the now truncated stern mounting.
 
I was leaning over the stern lifelines whilst harnessed in as well, and the job involved hacksawing the broken piece off, filing down the remaining piece, sorting out the wiring and then putting the generator on to the pole. The hardest part was to pull through the wiring into the tube whilst fitting the 13kg generator on, as it would have been handy to have someone down below to pull the wiring through from below decks.Not allowed unfortunately, so I had to make do with duct taping the generator to the top of the pole whilst going below to pull through the wires. Great stuff duct tape. The whole job took several hours, and now I need to find some wind to test it. Its not the most elegant looking mount now, but should work.
 
Lots more jobs to get through today as this will be probably one of the calmest days of the entire voyage, so good to catch up on boat maintenance. Sails, rigging, plumbing and electronics, all the usual culprits - even Nick, our boat captain is sending me emails reminding me of jobs now, and coordinating with the other shore team who are consulting on their various areas of expertise.
 
Still on the full main and the A2 spinnaker. Wind is starting to fill in so back up to 11/12 knots of boatspeed now. It is astonishing how fast these IMOCA 60s are in light winds, most boats would be motoring and we are gliding along at more than wind speed all the time. Fast sailing to come down towards the Cape Verdes tomorrow, and lets see if we can make some miles on the frontrunners .For sure we will gain when they hit the doldrums but that can be only a temporary, illusory gain, depending on how the doldrums go for each boat -  at the moment they look challenging.
 
Just south of the latitude of Bahrain now, providing the ideal sailing conditions, and heading southwards towards the Cape Verdes. Weather is perfect, warm but not stifling.
 
Have not seen any wildlife the last couple of days, would love to write of schools of kamikaze flying fish, turtles, but sadly nothing to report.
 
Yesterday had a wash and a shave, perhaps a little premature after only 6 days, but good to get rid of all that salt from the Bay of Biscay storm.
 
Spoke to Jeremie Beyou as he was calling Seb Josse but had the wrong number, we had a good little accidental chat, and also had an email conversation with Sam Davies, my current neighbour, and past crewmate on minis and maxicats."

November 16. 2008 at 21:13Dee: Clean boat, clean skipper, faster AVIVA

" Light winds resulted in housework and shower time onboard Aviva. The boat
has been checked from bow to stern and tidied up and also I have taken a
shower and washed my hair which made me feel better despite losing so many
miles. The hard work of gybing and sail changes may have paid off now as we have
come into more breeze allowing us a fast sail south."

 

November 16. 2008 at 21:09Mike Golding, going to the top.

Mike Golding told his support team about his mast climb yesterday: 

"The conditions were enough to keep the boat going and I had been  waiting for the chance to be able to climb the rig without stopping the boat.  The wand itself was fine, it was just everything that it sits in that had broken off the rig.  It was not an easy task as the problem with self climbing is that it is difficult to get high enough, so I was having to work over my head."

 "I finally managed to remove the carbon piece, which was quite big about 200x200mm, as I didn't want it to stay there and potentially   fall into the rig and start chafing halyards etc, so I brought the  whole thing down."

"The other two forward facing wands are OK and I still have my  windgear, so I can count my blessings," .

 "I am annoyed that I have lost a bit of ground on the boats around  me, but I hope that I have now found the right balance and am back on it now.  I am struggling between the gennaker and the spinnaker   and am trying to work out why everyone seems to be going into the Cape Verde Islands.  I want to try and get to the right hand side of everyone as I'm having to deviate from my routing to get round the islands."

November 16. 2008 at 18:18No miracle solution

"For the moment I'm just pleased to be making quick headway towards the south. It's not easy to identify the best way to pass the Cape Verde Islands, which lie straight ahead. I don't yet know what I'll do. The timing is also significant as conditions vary considerably between day and night. I'll be doing it by day, while the three leaders will tackle it earlier during the night. One thing is certain. We're going to have to head off westwards to get through the Doldrums. There is no miracle solution."
Vincent Riou (PRB)
 

November 16. 2008 at 18:01Losing track of time

"It's all gone so quickly...I've completely lost track of time...So we're Sunday today, are we? For me there are no more days or weeks.. The days simply tick by with the arrival of each new weather chart and the scheds."  Yann Eliès (Générali)

November 16. 2008 at 16:50Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty has restarted the race

Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Maisonneuve) left the Vendée Globe pontoon at 16h47. Maisonneuve crossed the start line at 17h17'33". Light 6-knot NNE'ly wind and flat calm sea. Jean-Baptiste is sailing off to Cape Finisterre under gennaker and full mainsail.