Maisonneuve has been moored in Port Elizabeth since yesterday morning: «I have just spent my first night in a bed for 40 days. The wind was blowing and woke me up. I thought I was still in the boat and it was time to reduce the sail… » On Monday afternoon, a few miles before arriving in Port Elizabeth Bay, the wind got up to 75 knots. "The atmospheric pressure climber 20 millibars in 5 hours. I was under staysail with three reefs in the main and the boat was still doing twenty knots. I have never seen anything like that at sea. I was really afraid. The seas were white and all I could see was foam. Overhead the clouds sped by at the speed of fighter jets... I shall return with one or two crew and some equipment early in January. We shall have a few days of work to do on board (halyards, pilots, sails) before sailing the boat home."

Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Maisonneuve) by e-mail.
 

Since HUGO BOSS arrived back in Gosport on the 29th November she has been in the shed at Endeavour Quay, and has had a team busily surveying and working on her repairs.

"The first thing to do was to check the structure of the hull. after 2 fairly major impacts we were really unsure what we would find" said Boat Captain Ross Daniel, "for 5 days we undertook a process called laser chorography - which works by attaching giant suckers to the side of the hull, and pulling the carbon layers apart to see if there is any movement. This lengthy process determines if there is any damage to the structure of the hull, and we are pleased to report that the only damage that has been detected is localised - around the area of the crack."

 The next step in her repair is to patch the damaged area. A large hole has now been cut away around the crack, extending over 5 metres, and a mould prepared to make a new panel which will then be fitted and re-sprayed in the new year - a very similar process to the one that was carried out in Les Sables d'Olonne following the accident with the fishing vessel. The work is fairly straightforward, and Hugo Boss is due to be back in the water sailing by mid February.

"Today's programme: go and find a little pine tree in the forest, plant it in a bucket, with some earth and take it home to decorate it with garlands. Careful with the nativity scene, take out Jesus for later. Careful with the candles as the firemen are having their own little party. What about Father Christmas? That's easy. Old Bilou has always got his costume with him as he sails around the world and he's not far away. I'll put my name down on his list and am sure he will deliver. (...)So there's Jean and me, waiting for Bilou, like two little kids in front of the fireplace. "Hey Jean, do you believe in Father Christmas?" "No, it's just to see if Bilou can get down the chimney!" The front door is open. Is anyone bringing ice cubes?"
Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) in his daily message
 

Based on radar pictures from the Envisat satellite identifying the possible presence of ice on the race course between the New Zealand Gate (Gate 8) and the Western Pacific Gate (Gate 9), the Race Directors have decided to modify the position of the latter. Its new position is 45°30 south, between 145°00 west and 136°00 west (previous position: 50°30 S, between 151° W and 141° W).
 

"Conditions are foul. I have just had a squall with 50 knots in it pass over, leaving me with 19 knots. Really difficult to find a sail set that works for this range!  I have 4 reefs and the staysail at the moment. The sea state is enormous, and the only good thing about the situation is that the sun is out its going to be like this for Christmas Day and Boxing Day as well – I am really going to miss my big Christmas lunch and then a sleep on the sofa by the fire!! It couldn’t be more different being on board that’s for sure. Its really difficult to get any sleep – as soon as I set an alarm, it goes off which leads to a very very stressful environment. Big winds forecast for the next 48 hours and an even bigger confused sea state"

Jonny Malbon (Artemis) in his daily message

"We are reaching with 25knots of wind and a bumpy sea! That makes doing anything pretty much impossible, as if you were living on a roller-coaster! Changing or trimming a sail requires me to be in full drysuit, which is easier said than done - try putting a dry suit on on dry land? Then tilt the land to 30 degrees, make the floor wet (so if you put that foot down before it is in the drysuit your sock gets wet). Put a blindfold on. Then start the roller-coaster!"

"Just earlier, I noticed a big bulge in the reef of my mainsail. There was a fold of sail that had been collecting water and it was fully loaded up, which is not at all good for the sail. I tried everything, luffing up, bearing away, its too windy to shake the reef.... nothing would get rid of the bulge. I then bore away, got a bucket, and got in there and bailed it out! 10 buckets - so at least 100kg of water in my sail! I re-adjusted the lazyjacks and got going again..... only to see that the bulge is back! So in the end I got a knife and pierced some holes in it so it would drain. I'm hoping my drain-holes will keep it at bay...."

"I opened my Christmas dinner package today! Romain has prepared a super meal for me - a delicious fish soup, with rouille and croutons! I can't wait! The only thing is that I think it is almost impossible to eat soup in these conditions!! I might have to postpone my Christmas dinner to when its calmed down a bit, otherwise I will be wearing more of it than eating it!"
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message