Vendée Globe

December 22. 2008 at 09:49Sam and Genevive's double act

"Roxy is still gliding along "Black Pearl" style happily on her own under big gennaker, which has enabled me to cash in some good sleep into my "sleep bank"! I think I have managed at least 8 hours in the last 24, and I must be almost back in credit!

Genevive - the big gennaker - is enjoying stretching her cloth out in the sunshine after having been cooped up in Roxy's port bunk for rather a long time! But soon, we will have the usual struggle between her and me to get her rolled up, back down in the boat again. That manouver takes at least an hour, as we (me and Genevive) have to get down the forehatch, through the small hatch in the mast bulkhead, over the keel rams, in front of the nav station (without touching any of the switches!) round 90°, then folded into the bunk!

Another little treat today - the Roxy boys have told me I'm allowed to open the Christmas decorations box, so I've been putting up tinsel, and I've even got a christmas tree!"

Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message

December 22. 2008 at 09:14At the Horn in the New year

The Vendée Globe race directors are beginning to calculate the dates for rounding the Horn, the third of the legendary capes in this circumnavigation. If the leaders keep up the current pace covering 350 miles a day, the leaders should be rounding the tip of South America early in the New Year on 2nd January. They still have around 4000 miles to cover before that...
 

December 22. 2008 at 08:45What happened to....

Bernard Stamm and his Cheminées Poujoulat are still aboard the Marion Dufresne, which is continuing her mission as supply vessel in the Indian Ocean. She is currently at Amsterdam Island, 750 miles north of the Kerguelens. They will be finishing their voyage in early January in St Denis (Reunion Island). As for Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty, he has almost completed his voyage. The skipper of Maisonneuve was only 285 miles from Port Elizabeth (South Africa) yesterday evening. Finally, Unaï Basurko (Pakea Bizkaïa) intends to sail all the way home by himself. He is heading for Bilbao, and yesterday was 260 miles south of the Cape Verde Islands.
 

December 22. 2008 at 06:31Yann Eliès on his way to hospital

The frigate HMAS Arunta arrived in Fremantle this morning at 3h10 GMT. He was immediately transferred to the Royal Perth Hospital.

Jean-Baptiste Epron's declaration after a short conversation with Yann Eliès in Perth this morning: «The Arunta moored up just after 3. We spent five minutes with Yann before he was taken off. He is in a suit which protects his chest and leg. He is talking very slowly due to the medicine. The medical team are with him and the captain came to say goodbye. Yann thanked him and they agreed to see each other, when he is better. The ambulance was waiting just outside. there were 6 or 7 in the team to take him off. You can tell that he cannot stand moving and is still suffering in spite of the medicine. I think he was pleased to see us and was waiting to go to hospital. It's not easy leaving him like that. With Philippe (editor: Laot, Team Generali's technical director), we'll be setting off in a few hours to recover his boat. That will be one thing less to worry about.»
 

December 22. 2008 at 05:30Yann Eliès taken off in Fremantle

The frigate HMAS ARUNTA arrived in Fremantle at 3h GMT and moored at Victoria Quay. Yann Eliès was taken off and is currently being transferred to the hospital.
 

December 21. 2008 at 21:12What has happened to Generali?

Yann Eliès's boat is due to be recovered in the next few days by Philippe Laot and Jean-Baptiste Epron from the Generali team. The two men are due to arrive in Australia tomorrow, where they will use a motor boat to get to the area and then sail the boat back with a short-handed crew. The 60-foot boat is currently drifting northwards, 700 miles south of the coast of Australia. She still has the same sails up (three reefs in the mainsail and staysail) and is equipped with two beacons indicating her position.
 

December 21. 2008 at 21:00Five hour penalty for Dinelli

On 12th December, the race committee was informed by the Race Directors that Fondation Océan Vital had not passed the Atlantic Gate as laid down in Race Instructions. On 10th December, the boat approached the line to around 10 nautical miles before moving away again. Informed by the race committee, the skipper firstly declared he believed he had crossed the line, but was later to recognise that due to a software problem, that may not have been the case. The Jury today concluded that Fondation Océan Vital had not left the gate to starboard and although there was no intent to deceive, Raphaël Dinelli has broken article 3 of the Notice of Race as modified by the rider 4, and appendix 3a of the Race Instructions. He is therefore being given a time penalty of five hours that he will have to carry out according to 26.4 (h) of Race Instructions and before reaching 20°S in the Atlantic.

December 21. 2008 at 20:05Greatest distance over 24 hours

Over the past 24 hours, Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) sailed the greatest distance towards the finish. Between 19h yesterday and this evening, the leader, currently 11785.5 miles from the finish, covered 375.9 miles.

December 21. 2008 at 18:54Another race for Jean-Pierre Dick

"As you know I am now sailing with the starboard rudder down (the one that was damaged last week following a collision with a UFO)! The operation appears to have been successful, although we mustn't count our blessings too quickly. The use of the system needs to be tested, in particular the top attachment and I'm going to have to get used to it. Lots of ropes were attached to deal with this and the work was very tricky. So now I'm setting off again watching how I sail and paying attention to the speed, while at the same time knowing I will have to ease off if necessary not to break something. I'm gradually stepping up the speed to allow me to get back in the race and move up the rankings if possible. It's hard knowing I gave up the lead because of such an incident, and had to suffer after doing so well. But that's life. Tthat's sport. Now we're in another race. Let's hope that it remains a pleasure! "
Jean-Pierre Dick in an e-mail sent this afternoon
 

December 21. 2008 at 16:10252,000 skippers in the virtual Vendée Globe

252,000 players are currently sailing around the world based on the real sea and wind conditions.  Just as in the real Vendée Globe, the Virtual Regatta skippers are having to deal with similar worries to those that the Vendée Globe skippers are experiencing: sail changes, sleep management, strategic planning, race tactics, etc.
As more than 252,000 players have registered this year for the virtual round the world race, it is becoming a real addiction, as if you want to have any hope of moving up the rankings, you need to keep a permanent eye on the boat's progress, watch out for wind shifts to find the best trajectory and draw up the finest strategy.
Sébastien Destremau, a skipper in the real world is taking part alongside many other skippers in this virtual round the world voyage. Here are his comments: "Having gone through a few emotional moments, I am now comfortably installed in the warm in front of my computer analysing the weather situation in the virtual Vendée Globe.  When I look at the charts, I can imagine the scene. Around me, there is this hostile wilderness, where everything is grey. Sitting curled up in our armchairs, we find ourselves where our boat has taken us after a few harmless clicks on the mouse.  It doesn't take long to see that the race leaders have got a long way ahead and it's going to be long, hard and tricky, if we want to catch them."