Vendée Globe

November 25. 2008 at 18:36A tiny window to get through

Yann Eliès (Générali) is in 6th place 67.6 miles from the leader this evening, just over six miles ahead of Mike Golding.  
"There is a tiny window to get through at the St. Helena toll gate three or four days from now.  We're going to have to line up behind the leaders, so no one gets away.  If it was to close on those chasing on behind, once in the south, we should be achieving good speeds of around fifteen knots and it would be difficult after to claw their way back...He's (Loïck Peyron), setting the pace and leading the way at the front.  He is really impressive, because he never eases off in light or heavy weather.  With his pace and his precision in all the adjustments, he is truly impressive."

November 25. 2008 at 17:40Dominique kicking up the spray

Dominique Wavre (Temenos) is currently in 12th place, 253 miles from the leader sailing to the west of Brian Thompson and Marc Guillemot.  "We still have at least two days in these types of conditions and then the zone of high pressure seems to want to shift a little to the east, which would let us get past. It seems plausible that the frontrunners may be slowed at that point. If we’re to believe the routing, we may reduce the deficit by a hundred miles prior to the South African gate, but these forecasts have to be taken with a pinch of salt. The weather models aren’t always very pertinent when it comes to the movement of areas of high pressure. As a result it’s very difficult to make reliable forecasts. Though the zone of high pressure is moving slowly, I’m managing to slip along down its western edge and gain a bit of ground. If it shifts quickly I’ll have lost some ground so I’m taking a bit of a gamble on the reliability of the weather models. I’m trying to kick up some spray towards the anticyclone so that it shifts across at the right point! "

 

November 25. 2008 at 17:12Heeling, slamming and wet

Loïck Peyron (Gitana 80) is still in the lead this afternoon, 13 miles ahead of Sébastien Josse.  However, in spite of his sterling performance, even the leader finds the present sailing conditions rather unpleasant...

"Last night, there were storm squalls everywhere… as a result of a small neighbouring cold front! The wind is still fluctuating just as much as before in terms of strength, but the squalls are gradually giving way to greyish skies. I haven’t got sunshine yet, far from it, but we may well be heading towards a clearer spell. For the past 24 hours, the sea really hasn’t been very kind to us. On the nose and crossed… the seas are making life aboard complicated. You constantly have to hang on and watch every move you make in the boat. The current sea state isn’t as big or as powerful as that which we encountered in the Bay of Biscay during the storm of the first hours of racing, but it is considerably more unpleasant. It’s heeling, slamming and wet!   The past 24 hours certainly haven’t inspired me to take any long siestas in my bunk. However, that’s not such a bad thing as the numerous shifts in the wind require my presence on deck, which would leave me little time to sleep anyway. We have a real barrier in front of us! For the time being, we don’t have any choice,   but you still have to keep a constant eye on the zone of high pressure and respond quickly should the latter start to weaken."

 

November 25. 2008 at 16:46Broken wind vane

"Sailing quickly with the seas coming straight at us is tough. You really have to be on your toes, as the boat can go above twenty knots at times… You need to ease out the sails to slow down.  The wind is between 17 and 23 knots and PRB is averaging around 17 knots. I lost some ground in the night, as I had a problem with the wind vane at the top of the mast: I had to take care of the boat, change the pilot over, switch over the vane… We're taking the long way around.  It's quite a detour around the western edge of the high-pressure area.  But that is only what the forecast is telling us for now and we cannot rely 100% on it.  The changes in the trade winds are quite surprising: it's a bit stressful and they're really shaking us up.» Vincent Riou (PRB) on today's radio session.  

 

November 25. 2008 at 15:51Not what the brochure promised

In 2006, Dee Caffari became the first single-handed woman to sail round the world against the winds and currents.  She was expecting the voyage in the right direction to be more comfortable...

"This is not what the brochure promised – I’ve been done! I did this for six months and it sucks. And now I’m in a boat that really doesn’t like these conditions. But the difference this time is the noise. These Open 60 boats are very noisy upwind. I was sold the exciting downwind ride but here I am going upwind again. I’ve been sold a duff! It’s pretty uncomfortable – very wet on deck but still hot and sunny. It is hard to do stuff so its not easy living and it’s quite stressful. The waves are quite sharp and steep and everything jars when the boat crashes. The load is all on one side but there is no option to change anything because the other tack would be horrendous.  I am spending my time trimming, putting ballast in or out, or taking reefs out and putting them back in or looking at the weather or doing emails or checking my bilges. It seems ridiculous that there is so much to do. The wind is currently anything from 10-42 knots. It’s not too tiring but it is wearing because you want the boat to flatten out, to walk around the boat without having to hang on." Dee Caffari (Aviva)

 

November 25. 2008 at 15:15Extra motivation for Derek Hatfield

Derek Hatfield (Algimouss-Spirit of Canada) is currently in 25th place, 1487 miles from the leader.  After being slowed down due to some energy problems, the Canadian sailor is keeping an eye on Jean Baptiste Dejeanty (Groupe Maisonneuve), who is now under a hundred miles behind him.

"Approaching the doldrums now and I'm hoping that I will have as good a passage as the fleet did ahead of me. From the weather files, I might just get a break and make it through quickly. (Knock on wood). It was a great night last night, very dark but steady 19 knots of wind and good speeds.  Today I have all the sail up that I can find (mainsail and gennaker) and have been making good speeds towards the equator. I hand steered for 2 hours this morning and will do the same this afternoon. I'm feeling the heat from Jean Baptiste who is right behind pushing hard to catch up. He is providing me with some motivation to pick up the pace now that I sort of come to grips with the energy problems. All good stuff, as they say.  Take Care
Derek"

 

November 25. 2008 at 14:51Steve the ornithologist

Having crossed the Equator yesterday morning, Steve White (Toe in the Water) is currently in 18th place, 719 miles from the leader. He wrote this message this morning, as he was sailing off Natal at the eastern tip of Brazil.
   
"I spent an hour on deck standing at the back of the boat and just watching, getting the occasional dousing in spray from a warm sea, and bathed in very powerful sunshine. I stood there until I was at risk of burning just watching a sea bird who was a bit like a racing gannet, very sleek and pointy with a brown back, white and brown underneath and with little orange feet. He was flying about thirty feet up directly to windward of the bow of the boat, with his head looking all about the sea surface just in front of the boat. After a short while it became apparent as to what he was doing; every few minutes, and sometimes more frequently, we would scare up one or sometimes a number of flying fish, whereupon he would do his Peregrine Falcon impression and chase them, inches above the water at high speed. On innumerable occasions he was oh so close that I'm sure he could almost taste them, they would go into torpedo mode, fold up their wings and disappear beneath the surface. He never got one, but he never gave up either. I can still see him out there now through the window as I write. I'm sure he'll get one in the end..."

 

November 25. 2008 at 13:44Crossing the Equator with Rich Wilson

Rich Wilson (Great American III) crossed the Equator during the night and filmed the countdown as the GPS went from north to south.  You can watch this video simply by clicking on the video in the media section.  

 

November 25. 2008 at 12:21Jean-Pierre watching Mike Golding closely

Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) sent this message to his shore team this morning:
"The wind shifted earlier for Loïck and Sébastien. They accelerated before me.  I think now I have the same wind as them and am picking up speed.  Further to the west, Golding is sailing very quickly.  I'm going to have to keep an eye on the English fireman.
Today I have a lot of strategy to work on. I'm going to be spending a lot of time at my chart table studying the weather. Things can change quickly, but none of the weather models seem to agree.  There is a huge high blocking our route, so we're going to have to watch that. The route we decide on is a gamble about the future.  Everyone is heading south. There are no other options for the moment as the situation is not clear.  Apart from that, everything is fine on board: I got some rest to deal with St. Helena and I'm looking after my boat before we hit the south."
 

November 25. 2008 at 10:08Fancy meeting you here

Brian Thompson (Pindar) is currently sailing at the latitude of Bahia in 11th place, 241 miles from the leader.  After over two weeks of racing, it is clearly a pleasure to catch sight of someone else.
"Even though it's an enormous ocean I have seen other boats during the race, Ecover near Madeira, Roxy three times and this is the second time I have seen Dominic. I have talked to all 3 boats and it is great to chat just for a few minutes about the extraordinary experiences we are all having out here in the Vendee Globe.  Saw one gannet yesterday with bright red feet, a storm petrel, and several very large flying fish."