Bernard Stamm talking about Cheminées Poujoulat early this afternoon
“She is floating albeit low in the water and heeled over. Everyone here has given me a hand and Dominique Wavre also helped me out a huge amount. If we manage to load Cheminées Poujoulat in time, I will also embark on the Marion Dufresne bound for Reunion or elsewhere. I don’t yet know what’s going to happen but there’s a lot of work ahead. The most pressing matter is to get the boat out of the water. It’s not possible to leave her in the water in the Kerguelens. This Vendée Globe started off badly and has ended painfully, because there’s nothing worse than seeing your boat driven onto the shore."

 

From Rich Wilson, USA , (Great American III):

"No position 0930z but i'm ok, beacon problem i guess, under storm jib alone, no mainsail, another 50 knots of wind, not forecast on charts, did broach then crash gybe this am w/pilot, terrible big seas, boom into runners, they held, grabbed helm, crash gybed back, then trimmed in storm jib to go upwind to let me lower 3rd reef  mainsail to boom, no mainsail now, tied down, only storm jib had to gybe for iles crozet, now think might  have been good to have gone other north side side, baro going down again as i approach big center, but file shows less wind there, until the back side comes along, then more wind then up to now, and i don't know what that means, i had 45/50 when it showed 25/30, so what happens when it shows 35/40?"

"The barometer is back in normal territory at 1012 after dipping all the way down to 984 millibars during the low over the weekend. Today it's sunny and cool with temperatures around 8 C on deck. The winds are light after the storm and I have full mainsail and genoa flying. Raising the mainsail from the third reef takes approximately 1 hour of grinding on the winch pedestal and I can feel the work out in my arms and shoulders after the past few days. I had a great sleep last night, actually took my boots off and got into the sleeping bags (using two now) and feel much better today. It's always nice to have some steady winds after a storm so I can catch up on some sleep. Makes the whole world look different. I'm coming up on Prince Edward Islands and the bird life around is amazing. Thousands of birds, maybe millions, live on these islands to hatch their eggs. Seems that at least a third of them have come out to greet me this morning as the sky is full of birds wheeling around. I often wonder how they don't run into each other. The next low pressure system arrives tonight and this time I'm on the correct side of it so it should give me good winds for the next few days,hopefully I will be able to make up some time on the fleet and to the finish."
Derek Hatfield (Algimouss-Spirit of Canada)

 

Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty was making slow headway this morning and informed the race directors that he had been a victim of a series of technical problems: autopilots, torn genoa and damaged mainsail halyard.  The skipper of Maisonneuve said that he would be sailing at slow speed for several hours to head for lighter winds. He is currently in discussion with his shore team trying to find a solution to his problems.  Over the past 48 hours, all of those at the rear of the fleet have suffered two stormy lows: winds averaging 45 knots with gusts to 60.

 

"It's windy here today!! There are 40 knots of wind out here and big waves, and Roxy is flying along, for the moment, just about under control! Although, it was difficult to keep my tea in my mug this morning! I think that luckily the depression is a bit less nasty than it was for those a bit further back, and hopefully 40 knots is the most I will see! I am on a mission to stay in front of Brian for as long as possible!  We spoke on the phone yesterday and said to each other we must keep in touch as our routes will converge and we're not sure who'll be ahead and we don't want to literally "bump" into each other! I have just seen 45 knots of wind and Roxy did a GPS speed of 28 knots.... We were on the top of a huge wave and everything went quiet because nearly all of the hull was out of the water on the surf! I think I'd better get ready to take the 3rd reef.... just in case...."
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message

 

"A gruelling few days.  The low passed through yesterday leaving slack winds and a horrible sea state. Decided to tack north to be above the centre of the next low that I am in now.  Its going to take me north of Kerguelen, which is not great miles wise, but it does help me escape horrible upwind conditions.  I must focus on keeping the boat together, and of course me.  It seems relentless now, with so much strong breeze, but also the appalling sea conditions.  Its really hard to go fast in the boat downwind at the moment which is not great. Fells like I have lost touch with my little group ahead, who have handled things better.  But that’s just how it is and I am ok, just concentrating on making the right decisions and progressing. Really tired from the last few days, as I have not been getting enough sleep, and worrying too much – to much looking at the numbers, but when they are reading over 60, its hard to sleep anyway!!  Always planning the next manoeuvre or escape route/plan.  Its difficult when you hear the guys at the front are in perfect conditions- blue sky, 25 knots and a great sea state!!  I guess that won’t last forever and I will get some of that at some point, hopefully."
Jonny Malbon (Artemis II) in his daily message