Vendée Globe

December 05. 2008 at 17:05Loïck teasing his friends

"Today’s conditions will favour me as I should continue to stay in the wind, whilst my friends will still be battling their way through the zone of high pressure. In theory however, I shall be doing the same thing in a few hours time with a considerable reduction in pace on the menu. After that, there may be a reversal of fortune as the wind direction may prove less favourable in my part of the world. Being the leader may be temporary but it’s already a very good thing to have got closer to the thick of the action and be able to tease my friends. The wind peaked at 35 knots and Gitana Eighty recorded a surf of 28 knots whilst I was in my bunk. It was a bit full on… With the wind on our tail, gybing under the cover of darkness in big seas, the scene depicted is never a comfortable one. In fact I broached on several occasions, one of which ripped off my Sat C aerial, which used to be at the rear of the cockpit"
Loïck Peyron (Gitana 80) talking to his shore team today

 

December 05. 2008 at 16:21Some excitement for Rich

"Had 2 excitements in last 24hrs. Last night, at 0230z, with staysail and 2 reefs, hitting 22 knots (fast for this boat and very fast for this skipper!), decided to go to 3rd reef. Broad reaching, trying to do more quickly than my usual methodical self.  Ended up with a mess up against the mast, spreaders, rigging, eventually got halyard and tack right, but clew reef line #3 was wrapped around wrong side of sail, so needed to go out there. So out I go, back to the cockpit, not quite sorted, out I go again, and don't anybody send that picture to my mother, hanging off the end of the boom, pitch black dark of night, boat still going 18-20 knots in the surfs, and the skipper is out there. It's when you're glad of good autopilots."

"Today, trying to conserve amperes, turned off computer, network, inverter, monitor, between navigation sessions, back to cockpit, and then alarms sounding, pilot alarms, leap to the tiller, but its still steering, but on compass, not wind. What's up? Turn off, hand steer, wait for a calmer patch, leap below, turn off instruments, back to tiller, minute later back to turn on instruments, back to compass pilot. OK, then notice no wind speed. Look aloft. Anemometer still there spinning, and that's a long way up there. Can switch to backup, but can't get past thought that turning off the inverter had something to do with it, too. Coincidental, within 30 seconds, after a while, windspeed reappeared, for about 3 minutes, then off again, then 20 minutes later, on again for 5 minutes, then off, then came on again and has stayed on for 3 hours straight. There is so much electronics going on in such a small space that maybe it was a big software glitch. Let's fervently hope so. Anyway, still on compass pilot, not quite daring to use wind quite yet, but rocketing along nonetheless."

Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message.

 

December 05. 2008 at 15:51Indian Ocean conditions

"The waves were typical of the Indian Ocean.  That means short and steep, with a height sometimes reaching more than 6 metres. In those conditions, the boat nose-dives and takes a few bad hits, but we've come out of the gale unhurt. Yet the nervous tension takes its toll in terms of fatigue, and I feel the need to take some rest, I think I'll sleep well tonight.  The weather is still hard to decipher, and when Yann and myself crossed the first Ice Gate, heading North was definitely not an option. This route opened up after our passage, and the guys behind us logically took it while those further South bumped into the windless zone, which in theory should have moved out of their way!"
Sébastien Josse (BT) talking to his shore team today.

 

December 05. 2008 at 15:18Vincent's sore foot

"I'm still recovering on stand-by looking after my foot. I've been in pain for two days (after falling over, editor). A knock caused an inflammation of the Achilles tendon and the arch of my foot. It's not easy to stand, especially in the sort of weather we just had. It's quite a swelling. If I don't leave it rest, it will continue to be a problem for a long time.  Now we're sailing slowly through the high.  We should get underway again during the night. I'm making 6-7 knots with about the same strength of wind. I'm heading south to get to the other side of this zone.»
Vincent Riou (PRB), on this morning's radio session.

 

December 05. 2008 at 14:10No sleep for Derek

"Another fast and sleepless night as the winds got up to 30+ knots and boat speeds in the low 20's. I still don't have the confidence in the  autopilots to actually go to sleep and leave them on their own. It's like teaching a teenager how to drive, confidence in them is gained after a period of time and experience. I've had a nap this morning to ward off the drowsiness and it's almost time to make a sail change. I'm watching the high pressure off to my left like a hawk as I'm nervous that it will start back my way and I will get caught.  The clean up of the oil spill has not progressed very well as the deck is still awash in water from surfing so much. I hope to have a better picture of the mess later today."
Derek Hatfield (Algimouss-Spirit of Canada) in his daily message

 

December 05. 2008 at 13:02Rock'n'Roll Manoeuvres

"There was a lot of wind during the night.  Waves kept sweeping over the deck. Paprec-Virbac 2 was sailing between 17 and 25 knots. It was certainly exciting!  On board the noise was deafening with the waves hitting the hull, keel and the wind whistling, as we surfed along... It was quite chilly at the same time with the sea and water temperature down to 5°C.  I let the automatic pilot do the steering to avoid getting soaked, as that is very tiring. The manoeuvres on deck are rock’n roll: the waves just keep coming at you.  Welcome to the deep south!"

Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) talking to his shore team this morning
 

December 05. 2008 at 12:19Surfer girl

"Roxy and I have had a great 24 hours of super-fast sailing! The wind has been between 35 and 40 knots and we've been hooning along. At one point I decided that things were a bit "crazy fast" so I took another reef. The thing is, that didn't slow us down!! The speed seems to be determined by how Roxy wants to surf the waves - she is a surfer, after all, and probably knows a whole lot more than me about the subject! So, I took confidence in my super boat and let her decide where to go, and at what speed! And the result was a great 24 hours sailing! A couple of "oh crumbs how is this one going to end?" moments when I found myself clutching to the chart table a bit tight as we careened sideways off a big breaker - but each time for no reason, Roxy just picked herself up, shook off the water, and lined up the next wave....."
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message

 

December 05. 2008 at 11:45Where are the brakes?

"Sorry but the conditions weren't really favourable for writing at the moment.  Zooming along.  there are times, when we would like to slam on the brakes and apply the handbrake!  The weather conditions are ideal for us 25 - 30 knot winds and broad reaching, that helps.  Since the start it feels like I've gone off the official ski run on a mountain.  The fleeces are back on now and I'm sailing with the door shut.  feels like the south.  Almost in the Roaring Forties, while I'm still scarred by the Roaring Tens and my back is peeling for he winter.   The boat is in fine shape, but there are a few daily jobs to do, but no real worries.  it is however very wet! Impossible to stay at the helm, and manoeuvres are punishing in these conditions.  Fortunately, this time I've got my foulies with me.  Apart from that, a bit stressful in the surf.  A bit worried, but you mustn't think about it too much.  Listening to music to cut out the jet engine sound -  a lot of rap at the moment. "
Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Groupe Maisonneuve) in his daily message

December 05. 2008 at 09:22A chance encounter

Pete Goss, who finished 5th in the 1996 Vendée Globe, is currently sailing from Cornwall to Australia aboard a replica of a traditional fishing lugger.  He was surprised this week to spot the lights of an Open 60 off the coast of Brazil and after investigation discovered he was within a mile of Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Groupe Maisonneuve).  Astonished to see such a boat in the vast expanse of the Atlantic, he also discovered that although out of sight, Raphaël Dinelli (Fondation Ocean Vital) was also nearby.  In the 1996 race, Pete Goss went to the rescue of Raphaël after his boat overturned in the southern seas.

 

December 05. 2008 at 08:29Nasty scare for Steve White

"I decided to change down to a Code 5, which is like a rolled up mini spinnaker for stronger winds, as the breeze was hitting 30 knots regularly. I went through the motions, rolled away the gennaker, took it down, bagged and stacked it at the back of  the boat on deck, and as I was preparing the Code 5 there was a big bang that I felt through the boat - "Oh, we've hit something" I thought - not an unusual occurrence if you sail in the English Channel which is absolutely full of flotsam from shipping and rivers, and so I carried on and put up the sail, but when I unrolled it I could not get the boat to steer. Without further ado I rolled it up again, which is no mean feet in 30 knots of breeze, and looking over the back of the boat I convinced myself that the wash was different from the starboard rudder and the earlier collision had broken the tip off it. What went through my mind was pretty grim, the thoughts of coming so far to wind up in Cape Town to do a rudder repair or retire if I didn't have enough materials on board to fix it. At the very least I'd be re-starting at the back. I went all through the steering gear checking that the rudders hadn't been knocked out of alignment and everything seemed OK, so in desperation I gybed the boat with the ballast on the wrong side to get the rudder out of the water - it was OK! minus a big chunk of it's orange paint, but otherwise unscathed. So what was wrong with it, why wouldn't it steer? I put a second reef in and then - we were off with me feeling like a fool! The size of the swell and the increased breeze during the sail change just meant that the boat was going too slowly (ten knots) for the rudders to work, and I had heard the bang, put two and two together and made six! It's there in the Ladybird book of sailing on page three "If the steering doesn't work and the top guardwire is underwater, try putting in a reef!"  
Steve White (Toe in the Water) in his daily log sent during the night.