Vendée Globe

December 26. 2008 at 16:37Water water everywhere

"The days and nights are full of 35-45 knots of wind, big seas, some as large as 25 feet I think, and babysitting the errant auto pilot, who for some reason loses the plot and decides to head north. Life on board changed drastically about two days ago as far as comfort for the skipper inside the cabin. I was in the cockpit and we came over the crest of this big 20 foot wave and
for some reason the pilot turned and went straight down the wave with the bow going into the trough all the way to the mast. I ducked down and grabbed something to hold onto as I knew there would be some heavy water following. After the plunge into the trough the boat stopped so suddenly that the boat slewed sideways and the rolling water came crashing over the side and into the cockpit. I found myself waist high in water for about 15 seconds before it cleared out the transom. The travesty of all this is that the cabin door was open as usual and when inspecting down below, I found that a lot of water had managed to come in the door and soak the cabin. Damage report: nav station soaked, computer making funny beeps and eventually lost the mouse and USP ports for charting software. All the instruments were soaked but I managed to dry them and keep them going for now. The real travesty was my bed; totally soaked. Both sleeping bags onto the floor and into the water, all my dry foul weather gear that I have been so careful about keeping dry, soaked without going outside."

"The mainsail is now down on deck as the three broken battens were shredding the sail. It was a tough decision to take it down but I need to fix the sail so we can race again. It may be a few days before I can get it fixed. Right now I have only the staysail up and we still are doing over 20 knots at times. I need the wind to come down so I can cut and fit some new battens and then climb into the mainsail and try and replace them. The pilots are not so happy but managing. I
tried switching to the backup pilot but cannot get the wind instrument for that pilot to work. The pilots need the true wind reading to operate well when going down wind. I have four wind instruments on board and only one is working right now so I'm trying to resolve this. So, all in all a tough couple of days thus far and I'm not sure any respite is in the works. The low pressure systems are back to back and as soon as one moves on, another one develops right behind it. I don't think it's always this way."
Derek Hatfield (Algimouss-Spirit of Canada)in his daily message
 

December 26. 2008 at 14:13Survival mode still on Great American III

"I cannot in my memory now discern the different lows that have gone by, they just all blur together over about the last 4-5 days, and by the forecast, we have another 2 days of this to go. The staysail is mostly too much sail, the storm jib is right for the 45-50+, but too little for the 35. Very difficult. Big breaking seas that throw the boat around, and all the contents, including skipper, inside. Have had 2 autopilot alarms today, very startling, very nerve-racking. We have a fault somewhere in the wind speed sensor system. Fortunately , if sailing on a wind parameter, the pilot defaults to compass, and hopefully this will hold until the sailing instruments can get reset. Checked the stern compartment where the autopilot rams are today. Needed to crawl back through the boat, very cramped, and luckily only a bucket of water in there, compared to the 8 buckets I took out of forward compartments yesterday. Everybody's nervous here in our pack, we're in survival mode. Last night, thinking that the grib file showing 30 knots might be correct, I set the 3rd reef in the main, a very difficult manoeuvre downwind, entailed sailing upwind into 20 foot seas with the storm jib so the mainsail would flag away from the mast, and so I could try to hoist it through the lazy jacks, took an hour, then, instead of 30 knots we had 40-45, too much for the pilot. A horrendous night."
Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message
 

December 26. 2008 at 13:21Forgetting to zip up

"I have a tricky problem: I want to go on the attack and I want to finish the race. I put up the sail at the right time, but I lower it earlier than usual so as not to put too much pressure on the damaged rudder. I'm spending a lot of time doing odd jobs. I'm looking aftr theinitial repairs and strengthening them with some additional parts. I have just produced a little brother for Ivory: Ebony! That all takes a long time and that's how I'm spending most of my time. This is a different race from before, when I was concentrating on sailing. I'm spending a lot of time in the cockpit. Something funny just happened. I went out in my dry suit, but I forgot to zip it up. A huge wave arrived and came right inside my oilskins. the water is at 3°C and it certainly feels cold. I was soaked and had to change everything."

Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) in his daily message
 

December 26. 2008 at 12:27Desert island fix

Auckland Island is a volcanic island located at 50°42 of latitude south and 166°50 longitude east. Belonging to New Zealand, it measures 43 kilometres in length and 20 kilometres in its widest part. It is one of the most remote and wildest places on the planet, where just a few scientists and animal photographers go to study and record pictures of some exceptionally well preserved flora and fauna. Its windward side has fabulous basalt cliffs measuring 300 metres in height. On the eastern side, the lee, has a series of fjords including Port Ross, to the north east, where Marc Guillemot plans to shelter.  The climate is of course rough at all times of year at this latitude, in the Furious Fifties. This explains why the main island holds the record for being the shortest human settlement: two years and nine months with a small British colony. Marc Guillemot will be following in the footsteps of the great French sailor, Jules Dumont D’Urville, who explored these islands in 1839.
 

December 26. 2008 at 11:08Dee's Christmas treats

"Well what more can a girl ask for?  Clean knickers, chocolate and smellies. After a good baby wipe session I put on my Christmas knickers, changed my base layer and felt like a new woman. The smellies will have to wait until I am in the Atlantic again and the water is warm enough for them to be used! My Christmas dinner was absolutely delicious. This is real food in a packet, boil the kettle, add hot water, stir and wait ten minutes and magic. The only washing is a spoon as the packet goes in the bin! I did spend time speaking to friends and family and it was great to know they were all well. The day finished with a chat on the VHF. The last time the VHF heard voices was in the Atlantic and yet here was Brian Thompson calling me. I answered and then realised that he was about a mile and a half to leeward of me. It was a real treat for Christmas to have sailed all these thousands of miles and be alongside another boat talking to someone that I could almost see. He had just finished tackling his repairs and done a fantastic job so he was ready to tidy up and get sailing again. He was still to sleep and do his Christmas thing so I wished him well and was grateful to be so close to someone at this time despite being solo racing."

Dee Caffari (Aviva) in her daily message
 

December 26. 2008 at 08:35Whatever happened to ...

Four years ago, Conrad Humphreys was sailing to the south of Tasmania in the 2004-2005 Vendée Globe. Today, he is to the north of Tasmania taking part in the annual Sydney-Hobart Race on the 70-foot Australian boat, Ichi Ban, currently in third place.  Meanwhile, Pete Goss, who came fifth in the 1996 -97 Vendée Globe reached Cape Town yesterday in the first leg of his voyage from Cornwall to Australia on board a replica of a 37-foot traditional fishing lugger. 
 

December 26. 2008 at 08:10Living in a fridge

"I hope that Father Christmas delivered to expectations, and that you have all eaten, drunk and watched too much Christmas TV.....Out here it is life as normal, trying to squeeze that extra half a knot of boat speed out of Roxy in less than ideal conditions.... oh well, that's the luck of the draw and I'm making the best I can! I was just having some "foie gras" on toast for lunch today and I noticed the little phrase on the packet "once opened keep refrigerated" It's a phrase which causes much anxiety normally, in temperate conditions, and one is challenged to find the coolest spot on board, and then quite often defeated into throwing the rest away for fear of food poisoning! I reflected on the phrase, realising it has not at all bothered me in the last few weeks....So does that mean I'm now living in a fridge?"
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message
 

December 26. 2008 at 07:39Power problems for Raphaël

«This morning I climbed the mast and managed to refit the port lazy jack. To deal with the starboard side, I climbed to within a metre of the second layer of spreaders, but failed, as it was too difficult and too risky. 30-35 knot winds, heavy seas, but the boat was pushing forward in these high winds. The boom and mainsail battens were damaged, the wind generator is broken and a large section of the solar panels on the coach roof are damaged. I'm finding it more and more difficult producing the energy I require. the boom and badly furled sail on the deck are blocking some of the solar panels. Still sailing under staysail. Both arms are hurting. Resting for the rest of the day. Sorry I didn't wish you a Happy Christmas earlier."
Raphaël Dinelli (Fondation Océan Vital) by e-mail this morning 
 

December 26. 2008 at 07:07Jonny's horrrendous Christmas

"We finally passed the longitude of Cape Leeuwin, last night at approx 2000 utc.  The conditions have been horrendous for Christmas, wit the worst sea state I have ever seen.  The wind was 25 to 55 in the gusts again yesterday and I have really been struggling to keep the boat and myself in one piece.  Don’t know how to sail fast in these conditions – and that’s all I want to do, sail fast for home, and try catch up with the guys in front.  Have to say that I am having a really hard time at the moment, as I'm sure the others are too.  Just want to make some good progress towards home.  It wasn’t a great Christmas, but I know that I will make up for it big time when I get home.  Hopefully it can only get better!"
Jonny Malbon (Artemis)
 

December 26. 2008 at 06:45No sign of the wind letting up

"Christmas aboard was a day of fighting with Autopilots, leaking ballast tanks and broken battens trying to jump out of the mainsail. The wind has been at 42kts all last night and today, showing no signs of letting up. The mainsail is looking pretty sad with the top portion of it unsupported, not holding it’s shape at all and I cannot do anything about it until the wind drops off hopefully there will be less wind in about 12-16hrs further to the south."

Derek Hatfield (Algimouss-Spirit of Canada)