Vendée Globe

November 22. 2008 at 14:12Completely naked

Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) is still in the lead today 20628.4 miles from the finish.
"I'm controlling the situation. I'm just managing to sail a bit more quickly than the others. That involves a lot of small details.  It's the details that count.  spend all my time adjusting things around the boat.  This is not a holiday cruise! The boats are being sailed at 100% of their capacity.  Any little pleasures?  Going outside in my birthday suit. The air is warm and the water is above 20 degrees, so it's very pleasant."  

November 22. 2008 at 13:40A big black cloud hanging over Derek

Derek Hatfield (Algimouss Spirit of Canada) currently in 25th place, 1450 miles from the leader sent this message this morning.

"The wind has come back this morning but not until after a slow frustrating afternoon yesterday. A big black localized cloud formed in front of me and I spent 6 long hours trying to get around, through, and under it with wind shifts and velocity changes by the minute. The weather here is very unsettled and I hope it clears up soon. The electrical situation is still the same and I am slowly coming to grips with the fact that we may not be able to do anything about it and that I will have to  be very conservative all the way around. "

 

November 22. 2008 at 12:26Jean-Pierre in the southern hemisphere

Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) is in third place, 36 miles from the leader:

"I got a good rest, as the conditions are stable. The quietest trade wind in the world.  15 knots of wind and I'm advancing at 11-12 knots. I crossed the Equator at midnight precisely. Didn't see Neptune, as I was completely asleep. I went into the southern hemisphere without noticing it.  On board, we're bumping around and getting wet. I'm using the sliders to protect the cockpit. Even if the water is warm, there's no point in getting unnecessarily wet. A great innovation from the Paprec-Virbac design team. " 

 

November 22. 2008 at 11:10Final sight of land for some time

"Just a few words to say I've seen some flying fish.  There are a lot of them, still looking just as clumsy as they take off, but are majestic as they fly.  I was worried they had disappeared. I'm just passing the final Cape Verde islands.  I had to tack away from the wind shadow of the first one, Sao Nicolau. I didn't think it was high enough to produce that effect, but as the wind was easterly, there was a calm zone that I wanted to avoid. Now I'm being slowed down a bit by the islands of Santiago and Fogo, the highest in the group. Around fifty miles from the first one, so I may slow down, but shouldn't stop. It's great seeing land and will probably be the last time I see any for some time."
Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat)

 

November 22. 2008 at 10:32Arnaud's early morning messsage

"Yesterday evening, there was a beautiful cloud.  After the cloud went over, the wind disappeared and the sails flapped.  I caught sight of Foncia ahead of me in the distance.  Then, she got away leaving me standing for two hours doing 1 knot.  Think the Doldrums are behind me now.  Looking forward to the southern hemisphere.  Now, I'm going to be leaning over sailing upwind."

Arnaud Boissières (Akena Vérandas)

 

November 22. 2008 at 09:03Ten in the southern hemisphere

At dawn, Jérémie Beyou and Jean Le Cam joined their friends on the other side of the Equator. The next to cross will be Dominique Wavre and Brian Thompson, currently less than fifty miles from the line. They are currently passing a dozen small volcanic islands called St. Peter and St. Paul's Rocks, which are 1000 km off Natal (Brazil).

 

November 22. 2008 at 08:26Sam planning her Equator celebrations

Sam Davies (Roxy) has made it through the Doldrums and is now in 13th place, 217 miles from the leader.

"Well, the Doldrums was very kind to us this year! Our little group of boats (Temenos, Pindar, Roxy and Safran) managed to slip through without really slowing down. Now we are careening along upwind in the SE trade winds, just North of the equator. The reason that we had no "doldrums" was because I wanted a light patch of wind to re-do a lashing at the top of my mainsail, which meant dropping the sail, working at radar-height  in my climbing harness, and then re-hoisting. So, I had to do it in 16 knots of wind, which was a little challenging, but totally do-able. The good thing was that the re-hoist was less hard as I went to one reef! With just the solent up, we actually didn't slow down too much either.
So, now it is an upwind ride for a while, where I struggle to keep up with these new powerful boats, so I will be trying as hard as I can to keep Roxy at 110% all the time! Tomorrow I will cross the equator, so I shall make my offering to Neptune (he gets champagne and chocolate) to thank him for looking after us so far and to negotiate good winds for the rest of the trip!"

 

November 22. 2008 at 07:57Dee's Doldrums

This message was written by Dee Caffari (Aviva), shortly before she was overtaken by Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) last night.  This morning, she is in 16th place, 341 miles from the leader.

"All was well while we were in clear skies with an easterly breeze, then we entered the Doldrums.  The first black cloud, I laughed at as it barely washed the deck. In fact all it did was make the Sahara Dust run like mud. Then I entered the Daddy of all clouds and ended up seeing 20 knots and after a variety of directions it came from the west. My course now was all over the place as I could only sail in what I was in and the clouds were giving localised effects. The clouds would pick me up and spit me out in no wind calm patches. Getting wet every so often was good as it was really hot but   there was so much to do washing was not an option, still a fresh water rinse is as good in my book! Now it is dark and the fun has vanished. There is no moon and no indication of the clouds. The radar shows you the worst of the cloud but as you sail you are just waiting and feeling for what is going to happen next. I am writing this as I saw a clear patch ahead and I also just had to get out of my wet clothes as I was starting to get cold." 

 

November 22. 2008 at 07:38Upside down heeled over

"We're going to spend quite a few days heeled over to the right – I'd say about a week – and so it is important for the boat to be ready for that.  This latest phase is going to be a compromise between speed and course. I'm going to have to get used to this angle and the lop, but the next few days offer an opportunity to recover before turning off. We now have our sights set on the St. Helena high. Today, it isn't very clear, as it's moving around and trying to establish itself, but that's some time off anyway."  Loïck Peyron (Gitana 80)

November 22. 2008 at 07:02Friday evening hold-up

Message sent during the night by Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia), who was slowed down at the start of this week-end:
«Always the same on Friday evenings heading back home on the motorway.  You must know the toll booth at St Arnoult?  At 17H, you always get stuck and this evening nothing's moving here very fast and then there are the guys telling me I've been driving too fast to get here... So I was kept in for a while and we all get wet in the rain.  22h.  They let me go.  Move along now.  In fact, the trade wind had reappeared and the final dark squall was gone. What a joker, this St Arnoult!  Next?  Saint Helena.  She's not on the motorway to the west, but to the south.  Mich."