Vendée Globe

November 21. 2008 at 07:37Invasion of the giant African insects

Steve White (Toe in the Water), now in 18th place after Michel Desjoyeaux has overtaken him, reports the arrival of some strange visitors this morning:  

"If I thought it was hot before I was mistaken, now it is really hot! I made the mistake of slowing the boat right down to do a sail change, and as soon as you stop the cooling breeze coming over the deck then it really hits you, it is roasting and the sun is very powerful. It makes it difficult to sleep except for at night, and it takes your appetite away too.
 
I have had some strange visitors in the past 24 hours - first a small fly with disproportionally large wings, then a moth at the lights at the chart table, a sabre toothed giant fruit fly that went for a swim before it could bite me, and then the daddy of them all, a giant black cricket who was as fat as my thumb and as long as my index finger, not counting his antennae and three pronged forked tail. He was lovely, and sat on my finger for a moment, until I decided he had better take his chances and fly off to wherever it was he had come from. I launched him - and he didn't fly. I felt terrible, either he was flightless and got here by some other means, or he had a real short term memory problem and just forgot to flap. I couldn't keep him really, I don't think I'd have had enough food on board! What's so strange about a few insects I hear you ask; well nothing, except we are 700 miles downwind of Africa and 400 miles from the Cape Verdes!"

November 21. 2008 at 07:09Frustration and joy

Yesterday Dee Caffari (Aviva) was trying to chill out by listening to some music.  It seems to have paid off, as over the past 24 hours, she covered 268 miles.  She is currently in 15th place, 268 miles from the leader.

" Well I guess that is what music does when sailing onboard Aviva. We have made great progress and had two days of fantastic sailing. All fast and in the right direction for a change. In fact my team will probably fall over when they read that I was even reluctant to drop the spinnaker this afternoon. It had been up since early the day before and I was relaxed and quite happy with it. This is an amazing progression as it is the first time I have used the spinnaker racing solo before on an Open 60. I was scared of it and had some coaching from Tanguy Leglatin to overcome my fears. Now I can honestly say it was great. The sail change has left me reaching south towards the Doldrums; I just hope the wind stays with me for a little longer."

"It is incredible to think how far I have come in such a short time and not just in this race. Three years ago today I set sail on the Aviva Challenge having never sailed solo before. Every day I learnt something and many days were lived in fear or discomfort. Now I am more than happy with the sailing and being alone. I am still learning every day, but this time from the tactics and strategies used in the racing. There have not been any tears yet … I am sure they will come… but just frustration at the miles lost or joy at the miles gained."
 

 

November 21. 2008 at 06:48Today's geography question

Message sent by Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) at 01:50 last night:
«Dark night. Came across a tanker on ber way to "Bonny". No idea where that is. Must be the Gulf of Guinea, I suppose. The light winds have eased off. Cross seas that are not easy to deal with. Getting shaken around and not making good headway. But managed to get some sleep. Sleep well. Mich.»

In case you are wondering, the mystery is solved. «Bonny» is indeed a large bay between Nigeria, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.

November 20. 2008 at 19:58Less pressure on Stamm

"For several days, Cheminées Poujoulat has been sailing under spinnaker towards the Equator and the Doldrums. Looking at the speeds in the last scheds, some competitors look like they intend to moor up in the Doldrums.  I must not get too cocky though, as my time will come soon enough.  Life on board is starting to fall in place and I've got into a rhythm with the weather data and meals that I try to organise for the same time as back ashore. The rest of the time I spend getting the boat moving as fast as possible downwind, which means there is a lot of work.  I have to keep making small adjustments, work on the trim, change the sails and steer.  In amongst all that I need to remember to rest in order not to get run down.  It's not always easy to do. For me it may be a bit easier as the pressure comes from the clock and not from being surrounded by ten other competitors."

 

November 20. 2008 at 19:31Dee Caffari, your tourist guide

Passing through the Cape Verde Islands, Dee Caffari (Aviva) is your tour guide in her latest video, which you can view by simply clicking on the video in the media section

November 20. 2008 at 19:15Yann in his boxer shorts

"I have a very light easterly wind and the heat is intense. We're close to the Equator and you feel that with the extreme stickiness inside and outside the boat. To be honest, I'm in my boxer shorts, wearing a hat and covered myself in sun cream.  Fortunately we got away from the autumn lows ten days ago: the body has had time to get used to this huge type of change in the weather! "

 

November 20. 2008 at 18:23Ready for the Doldrums

Contacted by his shore team this afternoon, Dominique Wavre (Temenos) is about to enter the Doldrums.
"Since this morning, I’ve had a steady wind and I’m making due south. It’s not very fast but we’re back in a classic NE’ly air flow again. The lack of trade winds yesterday was really unexpected. What’s happening today is already more normal; it’s as if there was a 24 hour delay in the forecast. This morning I was able to sleep, which enabled me to rest as much as possible. I’m in good shape and on the attack for the Doldrums. We should hit it tonight or tomorrow but for the time being, I still can’t see the characteristic cloud formations on the horizon. That would suggest that the entrance doesn’t lie within the next 30 miles.  The Doldrums has been shifting southwards since yesterday. If ever we go through it at the point where it climbs northwards from the south, that could be a good opportunity to get through it a little easier at its narrowest point, which would be a good thing. I’d prefer not to get ahead of myself though; this zone may still have so many surprises in store for us.”  

 

November 20. 2008 at 17:00Don't fear your mistakes

From Dee Caffari on Aviva, today:

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one."

~ Elbert Hubbard ~

“This was sent to me and how right it is. I am so aware of how visible every loss or gain is for everyone watching the race and my biggest fear is letting people down. So I have grasped today and am concentrating on sailing Aviva ever closer to the Pot au Noir as that is my next obstacle.

“Following that we can celebrate the Equator with Neptune. I will make mistakes and I have seen some already but the greatest fact of all is being out here to make them. My sponsor and team have given me a fantastic opportunity and I can't wait to put everything I learn from this voyage into the next races.

“Already my feeling for the boat grows and after a few thousand miles we will be pushing a greater pace I am sure. So we continue south Aviva and I with little hitches to the west hoping for a favourable crossing of the doldrums and looking at what those ahead are encountering at the same time.

“To celebrate my sailing south the iPod has finally been retrieved from the bottom of a kit bag and we have been cruising to Mika and Nickelback in style today.”

Dee and Aviva

November 20. 2008 at 13:40The Life of Brian Day 11

From Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar): "It’s been a day in the sail loft for me on board Bahrain Team Pindar. I have been working on the A3 sail since 10am yesterday, through much of the night and will take at least all of today to get it finished. Hopefully then I can put it up to furl it and see if she stays up.

Much of yesterday was spent laboriously unwrapping the sail, as it was furled in 2 sections, above and below the luff to the tear in the middle. I had to unwrap the sail around and around the luff cable. With a 15m foot length you end up with a lot of sail to wind underneath and over its own luff cable again and again.

After finally exposing the luff cable, which I was most happy to see, it was a matter of finding out whether any bits of the sail were missing, by following the tear on both sides. That was fortunately fine and so then on to the actual repair, which is a combination of cuben fibre sticky back cloth, sikaflex and spray glue. No stitching required, according to our sail designer Yann.

It’s a long and tedious job, but the effort will be well rewarded with the joy to come if the sail goes into the air and stays together. That will be a nervous moment! I spent much of the night working on the sail, out of the sun with the light of the headtorch. Took a few naps on the folds of Cuben cloth, with the stars above and the boat doing 8 knots, it was great, its not often you can do that on a round the world trip..

Fortunately, I had this ideal weather window now where there was no water on the deck to unroll the sail, and little apparent wind to blow the sail off the deck once it was unrolled. I need to take advantage of this time, as otherwise I will be working in the forepeak in the SE trades, which won’t be nearly so pleasant. Certainly there was no way I could have unrolled it by myself in the forepeak..

Had a close encounter of the Roxy kind yesterday, I was busy unwrapping my Cuben fiber early Xmas present on deck when in came Sam on starboard, She gybed about a mile ahead and we spent most of the day glued together. We had a chat on the telephone as one of our radios must be acting up, and all is well on board Roxy. During the night I lost sight of her, and this morning she crossed my bow on starboard, heading out to the SW.

Sailing with Sam reminds me of sailing these same waters in the 2001 mini transat race which we both did, together with Arnaud Boissiere and Yannick Bestaven. Four mini sailors from one edition of the Transat now doing the Vendee, quite remarkable. It’s a big shame that Yannick had his dismasting in the beautifully revamped ex Aquitane Innovation of Yves Parlier. It’s certainly very different sailing on the IMOCA 60 with internet access, phone lines and access to expensive weather models. In the mini there was no access to the outside except your short wave radio receiver and your VHF. Having the information now is fascinating ( and essential for safety in the South) and being able to call home and tell everyone you are ok is priceless, but there was that simplicity in the mini to have more time just to sail the boat and be in the elements. The IMOCA 60 is part boat, part workshop, part weather station, part media company and part general office. But what a boat!

I think I will stay on port for now, as the doldrums should be clearing out as I get there.I am very happy to have got the westing in the day before yesterday as there was always much lighter wind to my east till now. Also this gybe is much better for the sail repair, so an added bonus. I should have a slight net gain on the leaders for this doldrum crossing if the weather models are right, though the leaders will start to make some progress today as the wind fills in for them too.

Currently on A2 spinnaker and full main and wind is up to 10 knots.

Naturewatch Ocean:  Saw a second stormy petrel today, and some flying fish.

34 degrees in the cabin today, water temp 27.9 degrees at 925N 2744W.

Brian."

November 20. 2008 at 12:39A wash and shave for Unai

You can see the latest video from Unai Basurko (Pakea Bizkaia), with his boat gliding along to the south-east of the Cape Verde Islands.  Just click on the video in the media section.