Newswire : Rich going nowhere fast

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December 09. 2008 at 16:16Rich going nowhere fast

"None of the files showed the flat calm this morning for a whole bunch of hours. Found myself at 1.7 knots desperately trying to go S for more wind, so headed SW, bizarre, but loss is really in going nowhere at all, not going nowhere in the wrong direction. Wasn't far enough to the east in the strong wind train of the last days to get to the corner where it wrapped around the high and gave the mid-pack group a chance to gybe south, so when I got a shift myself, went south east, but not enough, and lost a lot. In calm, switched pilot to fixed boat speed, then when the breeze finally came back, and with full main and reacher we were surging to 17/18 knots, pilot was wildly all over the place, why? Racking brain for solution. Finally, the little molecule of a solution came into my tired brain (only 45 min sleep in last 20 hrs) - put it back on boat speed! Did, and what a difference it makes when the pilot is not trying to steer at 18 knots thinking its only going 4 knots, and when it can actually make a True Wind Angle calculation. Need a blackboard in the cockpit to write notes to myself."
Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message

December 09. 2008 at 15:05Speed in the southern seas

In the latest video clips sent back from the southern seas , we get a good view of the fast conditions that Loïck Peyron (Gitana 80) and Dominique Wavre (Temenos) have been experiencing. As Loïck says "The wind is starting to blow!" To see the southern surf for yourself, just click here.

December 09. 2008 at 14:39Typical Southern Ocean for Derek

"I am slowly making my way south, away from the high pressure system and and into better winds. It's been a bit frustrating but I am making good headway now towards the southern highway that heads East. The conditions today are typcial southern ocean, overcast and grey but suprisingly flat seas. There is no sign yet of the large swells that we sometimes get down here. I've done a thorough check of the boat and all seems ok. I took all the small amounts of water from the different compartments and the boat is dry inside, a real bonus for sure. It's getting colder now and clothing does not dry at all once it's wet. It probably won't dry now until after Cape Horn."
Derek Hatfield (Algimouss-Spirit of Canada) in his daily message

December 09. 2008 at 13:58Dee past the Ice Gate

"I had a very busy night pushing quite hard with gusty conditions of up to 33knots of wind. It resulted in quite a few sail changes and some very cold hands. I am now chasing east as fast as possible to stay out of the clutches of the lighter winds following behind. It has been a much more south-westerly breeze seeing us near reaching which has been noisy and wet. I think I prefer the surfing, which is a less violent movement. I was so busy with the sail changes and lack of sleep that all I wanted to do this morning was sleep and warm up as I was really cold and I clear forgot about the ice gate and letting the race office know. So after a quick photograph and email, I was able to catch a few zzzz's and focus on the next goal, which is…..another ice gate. There is one to the south to keep us north of Heard Island and then one just before Australia. The ice reported has been quite far north and to be honest I saw more than enough of the stuff on the Aviva Challenge to last a lifetime so I have no desire to push my luck south."
Dee Caffari (Aviva) in her daily message

December 09. 2008 at 10:36Sam cuddling up in her sleeping bag

"Yes, it's getting cold down here now! So much so that I couldn't work out if the drizzly rain last night was frozen or not! I had a slightly annoying night - just not managing to find the right sails or angle to the waves, so struggling to go fast. The night started under gennaker, with a building breeze. I was soon past my wind limit for the big guy, and the waves were such that Roxy would take off, accelerate and risk face-planting the next wave - a risk I couldn't take as a faceplant in 30 kt with the big gennaker up puts a lot of load on the top of my mast. So, I went to roll. When nearly rolled, I paused to check the roll with a torch. Unlucky for me, I must have paused when the thin bit of furler line was on the drum, there was a gust, and the whole thing unfurled itself! I'm starting to wonder really if my gennaker does have a warped sense of humor! The rest of the night seems to have gone very quickly, as I took reefs, shook out reefs, changed headsails... all in search of the right sail combination. Pretty frustrating really, as I never was totally happy with my choice. At least with all those manoeuvres I wasn't cold! I have been adapting, and yesterday I broke out two of my secret weapons: my Roxy Moon Boots and my super thick sleeping bag. I slept so well and even managed to dream a bit! The boots are a success too - warm feet all the time - and I am almost sure that soon I will even be sleeping in them (yes, inside my sleeping bag!)"
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message.

December 09. 2008 at 09:42Dejeanty discovers the south

"It's the most astonishing thing that has happened to me in the race! After 23 days of racing (the longest I have ever raced) I have entered the south, which is smiling and sunny. Blue skies and calm seas, but the dark colours suggest a different mood! A few sea animals and lots of birds. The sun is shining enough to offer me autonomy using the solar panels and I haven't started the engine for two days. Yesterday was a day for cleaning up and repairs. This is the first time I have been anywhere with such clear skies, so many nuances of colour and with an impressive range of animals presided over by a magnificent albatross ... "
Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Maisonneuve) in his daily message

December 09. 2008 at 08:02A sponge that repels water

"I've had a busy day so far today. I have removed as much water as possible from the whole boat. That means crawling around in all the dark bits on your hands and knees with a bucket and sponge, all the while hoping that the pilot will be ok. If it had a problem, then it would be very unlikely that I could get up on deck to sort it out before it became major. You can hear the boat accelerate, and decelerate on the waves very clearly, and the motion of the hull, how much she rolls, gives you an indication as to how well the pilot is coping. Still it's a nervy time especially when you are surfing at 20 knots!! Anyway the pilot coped very well, and I got as much water as possible out of the old girl. Luckily the boys have provided me with some very amusing sponges! They are the kind of sponges that you would buy for your mum at an exotic beach retreat. Great in bath I'm sure? but they appear to actually repel water! Now this makes mopping out bilges good fun, and really quick!! I think it is quicker to let the water evaporate than use the sponge! They look like natural ones, so top marks for greenness, but zero for practicality!"
Jonny Malbon (Artemis) in his daily message yesterday evening

December 09. 2008 at 07:30Bernard passes the Kerguelen Gate

"Hi there,
Time of passing Kerguelen Gate: 23h 01' 15''(UTC) to the north of the western end of the gate. The wind has now strengthened considerably. First there were just 30-knot gusts with a steady 18-20 knots. Not easy to get sails just right, especially downwind. By daybreak, at around 3h UTC, the wind had strengthened to a steady 30 knots and came around, so now I'm close reaching. Just changed the sails again, but don't think it will last. Managed to get some sleep between manoeuvres. Going back to bed now."

Bernard Stamm, (Cheminées Poujoulat), in his night message

December 09. 2008 at 06:56Véranda slips on a banana skin

"Hi there, During the night, my veranda slipped on a banana skin. The boat broached in a fairly powerful squall. On her side, ballast on the wrong side. In a calm, I managed to gybe. The result is it's game over for the wind turbine. There are only three blades left. Everything else appears to work. I was afraid I'd broken the battens, but all is fine."
Arnaud Boissières (Akena Vérandas)

December 08. 2008 at 20:05Greatest distance over 24 hours

Today, Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement), currently in second place 37.5 miles from the leader, sailed the greatest distance towards the finish. Between 19h UTC on Sunday evening and this evening, he covered 364.7 miles.