Vendée Globe

December 11. 2008 at 19:02The Indian living up to its reputation

"Air and sea temperature falling (to around 5°C).  The sea is very confused and tiring, tossing me all over the place.  the wind is around thirty knots (which is about the average around here). Some waves ars so big that the boat goes from 10 to 22 knots in a few seconds. Not easy to see to all that! This morning I broached for the first time.  A wave literally swept over the stern of the boat and we swerved off course. I was under gennaker with one reef and it wasn't easy to get back on track!  Besides, I'd only just woken up and wasn't dressed to go outside. You can imagine the scene.  On top of that, we have a huge low arriving in the coming days and you can see that the Indian Ocean is living up to its reputation!"

Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Groupe Maisonneuve)

December 11. 2008 at 18:25The options are weighed up by Loick and the Gitana Team

From the Gitana Team this evening:

24 hours after Gitana Eighty dismasted in the Indian Ocean, operations to recuperate the monohull equipped by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild are taking shape. At the same time as these logistical aspects which are mobilising the members of Gitana Team, Loïck Peyron has been organising his life aboard. Since yesterday evening, he has been sailing under jury rig; a spar which he managed to erect after some long and exhausting hours of work on deck.
 
From Gitana Team’s office, based in Saint Philibert in the Morbihan, the shore crew have been in regular contact so as to offer their skipper the maximum amount of possibilities. This afternoon, after several exchanges with Loïck Peyron, there are still several valid options and they have yet to come to a final decision.

To get to Australia, some 2,700 miles away, under jury rig, remains a possibility as the winds naturally propel Gitana Eighty in this direction. However this crossing of the Indian Ocean under reduced sail would result in a long, laborious route for the sailor from La Baule. Another possibility is to charter a ship to make for South Africa, Madagascar or Reunion. Among these towing possibilities in the open ocean, one in particular requires an explanation. In fact, there is one boat currently on zone close to Gitana Eighty, which is the Marion Dufresne. A 120 metre vessel, this ship is based in Reunion and was launched in 1995, and usually serves two main roles. It carries out oceanographic research for the IPEV (French Polar Institute Paul Emile Victor) as well as some logistical and refuelling missions for French Austral Territories in the south of the Indian Ocean. Passing between the islands of Crozet and Kerguelen this Thursday, the Marion Dufresne may be able to meet up with Loïck Peyron and Gitana Eighty on zone."
 
Faced with these various options, the skipper and his team are giving themselves and extra night to consider the matter: “Under sail, I would take as much time to make South Africa as I would Australia. However, various towing options have been studied and may shed new light on things. Right now I’m going to set a course to the NNE for the next few hours so as to as to enable me to choose between hanging a left or a right. We will have all the necessary elements to make a decision tomorrow” explained Loïck Peyron this afternoon.

GITANA TEAM PRESS
 

December 11. 2008 at 18:19Sam: The Need for Speed

Well, today is a day of experiments and learning on board Roxy.

I have been frustrated by the fact that Bernard and Brian are going faster than me and I am trying to do something about it! I have the NEED FOR SPEED!

It is too windy for the big gennaker, but last night I decided to try out the Code 0, which is a smaller gennaker that flies from the masthead. So, this morning, I got to work and set everything up, which is not easy in 25 knots of wind and big surfs, as sometimes the bow is completely submerged in very cold water!

Now we are sailing with the Code 0 instead of the Solent, but the trouble is, I'm not sure we're going any faster; if anything Roxy is feeling a little less happy. The infuriating thing is that every sail change costs miles and quite a bit of energy! So, after writing this, I will be back on deck, reverting back to our original configuration.

However, it wasn’t all for nothing, as I have learnt something more about my little pink boat and how I should sail her, and in a bit of a masochistic way, it’s quite fun manoeuvring out on deck in the cold, wilderness down here. Apart from anything else the manoeuvre keeps me warm and I get to appreciate my surroundings a little bit more.

Once finished playing with the boat to find the right configuration, I will be treating myself to a nice lunch and a big hot chocolate to warm myself back up!

And a last little thought from me about Loick - "The Jedi Maister" as Dee calls him - I was gutted to hear about his dismasting. It is incredibly sad to loose one of the race's heroes from the rankings and yet another reminder of just how vulnerable we all are out here.

S x

December 11. 2008 at 17:02Living on the edge

Mike Golding, GBR, ECOVER 3, said recently: 

"All of us are playing the knife edge as to what we can physically cope with and what the boat can physically cope with. The reality is, if we push on too hard there's a risk of breakage and we certainly don't want to be turning left too soon."

"I couldn't wish for a better place than where I am right now. The race is not about leading at this moment but it's about being in touch and I couldn't be more in touch than I am right now.. So very clearly the race is up for grabs by any one of the top 10 boats."

"I think a lot of us out here are, without communicating it to each other, are realising that there's little to be gained by surging forward. Our job really is to keep in contact and if opportunities arise obviously take them. More important than that, however, is to keep the boat together, get yourself to Cape Horn and then enjoy one hellava race up the Atlantic."
 

December 11. 2008 at 16:28Difficult 18 hours for Derek

The last 18 hours have been very difficult. A localized system caught me unknowlingly starting late afternoon yesterday. I was expecting only moderate winds overnight in the 18 - 24 knot range and just after dark (why do these things happen after dark) the wind started to build. I
seemed to be over pressed from then on and I changed sails down to the next gear, always never really getting the boat settled before another sail change was needed. By midnight gusts to 40 knots and the seas building. Anyway, a long tiring night with no sleep and lots of sail
changes as I went from full main and gennaker to 3 reefs and solent by this morning. At one point I was attempting to put in the 3rd reef and the boat took off on a surf down a wave and got up to the mid twenties before plunging into the back of the wave in front, causing a wall of water down the deck and into the cockpit.

This morning the winds are back to where they were yesterday as if nothing happend. It's been a lot of grinding on the main halyard to take the mainsail back to full hoist. I wasn't on a favourable jibe to start with so I've lost a lot of miles as the VMG's are terrible. I had to cut the
live radio session with the Paris Boat Show short as the boat was out of control  at 24 knots just after I got the main all the way up. The weather is not totally settled and the seas are very large, making it a bit difficult to get good average speeds. I've had some breakfast and the boat
is headed in the right direction, that's all I can ask for right now it seems. Let's see what tonight brings.

December 11. 2008 at 11:56Iceberg spotted

"Ice at 51°09.04S and 61°02.07 E at 10h05 UTC, 42 Miles  98° of the position R10: length out of the water around 30-40 metres, height above water 5 metres, very blue ice, very beautiful. Passed  about 0.5 miles away. Visibility around 2.5 miles, very cross seas."

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) by e-mail this morning.

 

December 11. 2008 at 10:26Sam feeling a bit frustrated

"I have been frustrated by the fact that Bernard and Brian are going faster than me and I am trying to do something about it! It is too windy for the big gennaker, but last night I decided to try out the Code 0, which is a smaller gennaker that flies from the masthead. So, this morning, I got to work and set everything up (not easy in 25 knots and big surfs, as sometimes the bow is under (very cold) water! Now we are sailing with the Code 0 instead of the Solent. The trouble is, I'm not sure we're going any faster, but Roxy is less "happy"  and my "surfboat" is feeling a little bit tippy! All that work for nothing! And on top of that, each sail change costs some miles and quite a bit of energy! So, after writing this, I will be back on deck, going back to our original configuration!"
Sam Davies (Roxy)

 

December 11. 2008 at 09:04A cruel law

"We're not going to have the same conditions in the next few days.  Later, a strong SW'ly is coming, blowing at around 30 knots for quite a while. The others have narrowed the gap, but that is all part of the game.  I got stuck in a zone with less wind, but we'll soon be off again.  I'm feeling confident…"

"Can someone explain how in one second the work of so many people can be wiped out?  Can anyone explain how you get this far in the Indian Ocean, having achieved so much. I can't accept this rule of sailing, where you can go from a proud racer to a floating wreck in a few seconds. Ir's the terrible law of mechanical sports, but it's certainly very cruel!"
Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2)

Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) talking yesterday evening.  

 

December 11. 2008 at 08:15Over 200,000 players

The Virtual Regatta has gone wild: a month after the start in Les Sables d’Olonne, 218,979 players are racing around the oceans. 80% of them are French, 5% British… The average length of time spent per day is an incredible 90 minutes!  The current leader is «Pitibou» which is sailing under the Kerguelens, with a slight advantage over the real sailors in the Vendée Globe…  

 

December 11. 2008 at 07:36Unaï's adventure continues

After retiring from the Vendée Globe, Unai Basurko (Pakea Bizkaia) has decided to sail his boat home.  If the weather conditions and the boat permit it, Basurko could reach Getxo in the middle of January.   The Basque sailor estimates that with only one rudder he cannot exceed 10 knots, even when the conditions are good. Basurko is considering several options: 'On the way to the Equator I have in mind Saint Helena Island and Ascension. Most of the time I will sail on a starboard tack, so with the good rudder functioning and protected by the centerboard from possible collisions, although I am conscious that there is a risk'. The SE winds during the next 2000 miles will help him to reach the Equator. Then he will go North trying to reach the Canaries. Once there, he will decide between the different options (Portimao or the Azores) depending on the forecast.