"When I was a teenager there was an electronic game, where you had to eat up the points in a maze,  while avoiding being eaten by the little creatures, who added a touch of spice to the race.  Chasing after the competitors here and catching them reminds me of that game.  Sorry Raphaël.  It was only logical as the boats are not at all the same.  If I didn't catch you it would have been worrying.  So now on to the next.   It's Rich's turn.  He's on a boat I know well ,  as in 2003 it was in  Around Alone sailed by Thierry Dubois, my closest rival.  Once again, the boats are from very different generations.  Today, it's overcast and lots of squalls and it's raining.  It's not as hot now, which is good."
Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) in his daily message

 

Case No. 8 Jury International c/ Bahrain Team Pindar

Facts found
After the preparatory signal (P), Bahrain Team Pindar still had support-crew
on board. They left the boat 2 mn before the starting signal.
Bahrain Team Pindar that acknowledges the infringement prior to the hearing,
states that they did not understand that channel « P4 » was not the « P4 »
already on their VHF and that they did not find the information that it was
in fact channel 24, on their supplied pack.

Conclusion
Bahrain Team Pindar has broken the principle that the Vendée Globe is a
single-handed Race, as stated in the Notice Race 2.

Decision
Bahrain Team Pindar is given a 4 hours penalty, to be taken in accordance
with S.I. 26.4(h) and be completed before the boat reaches the longitude
01°00 East.

Date : 28 November 2008
International Jury
Bernard BONNEAU (FRA – Président) ; Ion ECHAVE (ESP) ; Trevor LEWIS (GBR) ;
Christian PEYRAS (FRA) ; Jean VERMANT (BEL)
 

DECISION DU JURY INTERNATIONAL

Cas n°2 : Aquarelle.com
Cas n°4 : Nauticsport
Cas n°5 : Great American III
Cas n°6 : Toe in the water
Cas n°7 : Artemis


The Race Committee protests boats Aquarelle.com, Nauticsport, Great American III, Toe in the water and Artemis for non compliance with required side of buoy D.

Facts found

After the start, boats Aquarelle.com, Nauticsport, Great American III, Toe in the water and Artemis left on port the buoy D, course mark stated in SI Appendix 3a – Course, as a mark to be left on starboard.
The buoy D was properly laid approximately 2 NM from the starting line, at the position stated in SI Appendix 3b.

Conclusion

The boats Aquarelle.com, Nauticsport, Great American III, Toe in the water and Artemis infringed RRS 28.1 by not complying with the required side of mark D.

Decision

The boats Aquarelle.com, Nauticsport, Great American III, Toe in the water and Artemis are given a 30 minutes penalty.
The penalty shall be taken as described in SI 26.4(h) and be completed before the boat reaches the longitude 01°00 East.

 
The penalty does not apply to Aquarelle.com who has retired.

Date : 28th November 2008

International Jury
Bernard BONNEAU (FRA – President) ; Ion ECHAVE (ESP) ; Trevor LEWIS (GBR) ;
Christian PEYRAS (FRA) ; Jean VERMANT (BEL)

 

Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) is in 11th place, 191 miles from the leader and is currently sailing at the latitude of Uruguay. Like his fellow competitors, he is looking ahead to the southern seas, while enjoying the final days of warm weather, as he explained in his log last night. 
"A stunning day, there is not a cloud in the sky and the water is a sparkling blue. It is starting to feel colder, and I am wearing my foul weather gear on deck for the windchill and the spray. But I am going to remember this bright and sunny day at 30 degrees of Latitude, so that I can imagine it when I am in the cold and drizzle of the South, when you think that there is nothing more in the whole world than the 100 metres of murk around you. It will help to keep pushing when you can say, only 10 more days of this cold and dampness, and then there will be light and sunshine, it is around the corner, just keep going!  Cabin temperature is 28 degrees and water temp is 19.4 degrees.  Seen several birds at a distance, but maybe the water is now too cold for the flying fish, as not seen any today."

 

"OK.  I admit it.  What may in a month's time seem like nothing remains the focus our attention.  I'm talking about the start of the high-speed sailing as here the seas are still choppy and although I'm huddled in my seat, it's not easy to type when you are hitting 40km/h in a ploughed field in a Golf with the tyres pumped right up, so I won't go into the subject for now."  

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) in his e-mail from last night

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) is currently in 14th place, 290 miles from the leader and around fifty miles from his next target, Sam Davies.
"I don’t have the pressure of being with the leaders. I’m driving the boat at my pace and in a more relaxed manner. I’m not going to catch them up in two days… Look at the time I’ve taken to catch up with those with boats with less potential… It’ll be more difficult to catch the latest generation boats, which is entirely normal!  Currently I’m looking as far as the first gate. We should get there around 3rd December and then we’ll bounce from gate to gate, which should take about 5/ 6 days of sea. This will enable us to have fairly high quality weather data, which will make the tactics fairly interesting and not such a lottery."