My New Year's Resolutions
Sail around the world
Take a photo of Cape Horn
Stop eating the Nutella out of the pot with my fingers
Do not fall asleep with the motor on charging the batteries
Sponge the bilges every day
Brush hair more than once a week
Eat more
But eat less chocolate
Cancel the above resolution as it is impossible
Catch up some miles on the leaders
Be nice to Chuck, the autopilot
Take no risks
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message
"I could do with some sunshine though because I need to get out on deck and patch up my mainsail because it is falling apart. It needs to come down but to do that I need it to be sunny. I have been patching it for the whole of the Southern Ocean but the patches keep falling off so I am trying something different. All the layers are separating so I need to do something and hopefully I will be able to do it tomorrow because the forecast is for it to be easier and the winds to be lighter. Arnaud and I are in email contact and it is nice being so close. He told me had a lot of sunshine today whereas it has been really wet but I'm not sure if these lighter winds will allow me to gain a few miles. They are saying it is the worst weather the Vendée has ever had. I've had worst weather than when I've been down here before but I was in a boat which was designed for that sort of weather. It's very different when you are racing in an Open 60. But I am really enjoying this. I can't believe I am half way round the world in 50 days. It is really cool doing it this fast."
Dee Caffari (Aviva) in her daily message
"The winds are cooperating for now and I have 23 knots from the south west so I'm being pushed along smoothly towards land. The winds dropped to 13 knots over night and I even ventured to put the staysail up for a while which really helped me along. Now the wind is back in the low 20's so I have taken the staysail down as I don't want to take any chances on over-stressing the mast. Unfortunately, the synthetic rigging on the port side that is damaged is taking a beating as it winds itself up and then unwinds itself and flogs against the spreaders and mast in the process. I'm not sure how much will be usable by the time I reach land. I've been cleaning the inside of the boat and getting all the water out. A case of chocolate boost drink exploded in the rollover so I have liquid chocolate everywhere. It's getting warmer now and it is starting to smell. You get the picture.
I've had a lot of sleep in the last day and the sun is shining this morning so my outlook on the whole situation has improved dramatically."
Derek Hatfield (Algimouss-Spirit of Canada) in his daily message
Three weeks after Gitana Eighty’s dismasting in the Indian Ocean, Loïck Peyron arrived in Perth at 0845 this morning (local time) after sailing over 2800 miles under jury rig. After customs formalities, Loïck Peyron was able to join up with Dominique Wavre and Mike Golding. It was an opportunity for the three sailors to share their thoughts and discuss the terms of the repatriation of their respective boats. In mid-January, Gitana Eighty, Temenos and Ecover are due to be loaded onto the same cargo ship bound for Europe. Once reassured, Loïck hopped onto a plane to return to France just four hours after reaching Australia.
Yann Eliès flew into Paris early this morning with his family on a flight from Perth. He then took an internal flight to Lannion in NW France accompanied by a doctor and nurse. He will thus be back in Brittany with his friends and family to see in the New Year, although it will be in a clinic, rather than in his home. On his arrival in Paris, Yann expressed his thanks to the medical team in Perth, who confirmed the fractured femur and spotted a fractured pelvis and backbone. Following an operation he has been able to move around in a wheelchair and regained a semblance of independence. He now faces 6 weeks of complete rest in the clinic and this will be followed by six months of therapy.
Bernard Stamm arrived on Reunion Island yesterday morning (local time) aboard the Marion Dufresne supply vessel. They were able to unload Cheminées Poujoulat and place her in a secure zone, where a thorough inspection will be carried out.
“We are in the NNW of the island, in a port situated between Saint Denis and Saint Paul and referred to as the Old Harbour in Reunion. We are housed with a local family. Yesterday, after getting off the Marion Dufresne, we thanked the crew and then went for dinner and off to bed. I removed the keel during my stay aboard the Marion and today we’re going to clear away everything we can on Cheminées Poujoulat so that Jacques Le Berre (an expert in composites) can get to work to assess the damage. What happens after that will depend on the results of this analysis. Things are a little better on a personal level, even though it’s high time I saw my family again. In the meantime I wish you all festive tidings and above all a very happy new year.”
