"The wind has eased off and it's much quieter.  I did a few acrobatic tricks in the night. I broached at one point and hurt my foot, but nothing's broken. As a result of that, I don't feel like hoisting any more sail.  As far as the decision to move the gate is concerned, I think that's very wise.  Sending us off to play in the ice would make no sense.  Well done to the organiser."  

Vincent Riou, PRB, on this morning's radio session.

 

Dee Caffari (Aviva) talked again today about her knee infection.
"I still have to be careful and am shuffling everywhere on my bum. I am wearing a knee pad all the time and trying to stay off it but it is amazing how many times you wedge yourself in using your knee – I never realised how much I did it. Even if you are putting a reef in and leaning over a winch, you generally bend your knee and wedge it against something but I can’t do that with that leg.  I have been doing 22 knots and the boat felt like it was a juggernaut but it’s not because it is really windy. She just catches a wave and she’s off on one. It’s a bit weird It’s like being on a train on the edge of control. The noise is awesome - down below you are thinking this is absolutely horrendous then you go up on deck and the boat is fine. The noise does not relay how good it is. ."
 

 

Discover what it is like to plough through the southern seas by watching the latest video sent back by Yann Eliès on Générali. Wet, noisy and thrills guaranteed...  Just click here to view this short clip

 

"Conditions are not making it easy to sleep. There are sudden gusts of wind, where you have to be very cautious. Yesterday, there was a lot of hard work.  I decided to go on the attack, as I was feeling on form. I kept the small spinnaker up. There was a large swell, but the boat sailed well and kept on track without pitching.  The trim tabs are down and I have stacked everything at the rear.  I spent a  long time at the helm and I'm back in the running. Even if it took a lot of energy, it was worth it. The toughest moment was gybing in the night. I'm heading for the ice gate, which I should reach tomorrow.  this morning, I'm grabbing some rest as there is a steady 25-knot wind." Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) talking to his shore team this morning

 

"Here I am in the "Roaring Forties" and I am going slower than I did in the Doldrums!  An incredibly frustrating night on Roxy. My weather information didn't show that this light spot, otherwise I'd have avoided it. Being pitch black - I didn't see the cloud! I spent a lot of time gybing to try and wriggle out of the clutches of Mr Nasty Cloud. The trouble was, as it was pitch black it was hard to see the best way to go. Obviously, each time I gybed the wind shifted round so I had to re-gybe! In the end, at about 4am, I started feeling some more steady wind, I had to consolidate my route S to escape towards the East. I managed to snatch a bit of sleep right at the end of the night, so I missed the sunrise AGAIN! I am SO frustrated to have lost these miles. I can see that I was the slowest of the fleet all day. The leaders have done a runner, and those behind me have caught up. It is very annoying. It means I have some work to do to make up....." 

Sam Davies (Roxy)

 

Norbert Sedlacek (Kapsch-Nauticsport) took advantage of some good downwind sailing conditions yesterday to carry out a few odd jobs around his boat, such as the messy job of filling his diesel tank from a can and  he also replaced his faulty satellite beacon.  During his clean up operation, he discovered a small leak around a hatch as the deck has warped slightly, leading to some dripping in the bow section. He is paying attention too to his feet, as treating a fungal infection, which he hopes will clear up before it becomes necessary to wear boots all the time in the deep south.