Vendée Globe

November 29. 2008 at 09:56The International Jury's first decision

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)
 

November 29. 2008 at 09:44Second decision from the International Jury

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)

 

November 29. 2008 at 08:40Too cold for flying fish

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."

 

November 29. 2008 at 04:09A bumpy ride

"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

November 28. 2008 at 18:23Mich Desj' looks ahead

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."

 

November 28. 2008 at 17:15Final shower before the south

Vincent Riou (PRB), in sixth place, 10.6 miles from the leader in a message to his shore team.
"I'm under staysail with two reefs in the main. Feeling relaxed. We're not going to change our way of doing things. It's perfectly logical what is happening ahead. It will be stable again for a few hours, then another compression as we enter St. Helena. I'm sticking to my route. This morning I had a huge squall. The wind is getting up again and the seas are confused again.  I think we'll be back to two reefs shortly. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, what with adjustments to ensure the boat keeps moving, and it will be time for a clean up for the boat and me.  It will be one of the final opportunities to take a shower before we hit the south… Afterwards, it will be too cold, so you put off washing for as long as possible."

November 28. 2008 at 16:46Hot, wet and uncomfortable

Derek Hatfield (Algimouss-Spirit of Canada) is in 24th place this afternoon 1483 miles from the leader.  Here is an extract from his daily message:
"More upwind work on the south side of the line. I crossed the equator last night at 21:42 UTC. With the head winds, I'm headed a little bit too much west for my liking but tomorrow the wind should back a little to allow me more south heading. Upwind is difficult sailing in an IMOCA 60 as the boats are wet on deck and the motion is random at best. Inside the cabin is hot so not sure where is left other than the cuddy just outside the door."  

 

November 28. 2008 at 14:11Steve White tears his gennaker

Steve White (Toe in the Water) is in 17th place, 657 miles from the leader, sailing at the latitude of Espirito Santo.  

"Last night I was about to do some filming and send a blog when the mother of all squalls came through.  We broached, and I dealt with it in the usual manner and went back downstairs. Ten minutes later there was a sickening bang, the boat came upright, and there was a papery rustling sound which was my gennaker, or two bits of it. The bolt rope had broken, which meant the sail took all of its load, and the head pulled off it. Not a big repair, but in an important place. It took ages to get it back on deck, it is quite a big thing on your own at roughly twenty five metres by twelve by twenty three! It did not want to go into it's bag either, but I couldn't leave it loose on deck! The only problem is it is about three feet around at the moment, so it won't go down the forehatch.  The worst of it is in between the squalls it is the sail I really need at the moment. I delayed putting it up as it is eight or nine years old, and I didn't want to obliterate it in a squall which is precisely what I did. Poor old sail, but it will live again."  

 

November 28. 2008 at 13:40Petrels and flying fish

"The number of miles to make up is declining each day… I'm pleased about that, but it's only going to last a few more hours, as we're going to get held up.  I'm in squalls, making the route that much more difficult with some cross, choppy seas. There's a long way to go still.  There's no point in trying to get around the high. I'm not getting the same winds, as those at the front.  I'm spending  quite some time inside, but I have seen a lot of birds, petrels and some more flying fish.  My terrace is just great: covered when it is sunny and closed when it is cold… "

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) on this morning's radio session.

 

November 28. 2008 at 13:18Quiberon Bay off Brazil

"Yesterday evening, I fell into a different wind system. I therefore tacked to move eastwards with the other competitors.  The big surprise this  morning was seeing two boats.  It was incredible.  After 18 days of racing, I was sailing within sight of Vincent Riou and Roland Jourdain. It was like being in Quiberon Bay  doing some close sailing, except that we are a long way off the coast of Brazil in the middle of the South Atlantic.  This Vendée Globe is just amazing!"  Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2)