Vendée Globe

January 05. 2009 at 05:3082 hours for Marc Guillemot

On 18 December at 11h30, under Direction de Course approval, Safran alters course to give help to the injured skipper of Generali. Safran who was sailing South East alters course to North, then to North-East in order to approach Generali’s position. Since at position, Safran remained close to Generali until the injured skipper had been rescued. On 20 December at 11h30, Safran continues in the race on a South East course, in disadvantageous wind conditions compared to boats having followed southern proper course. In order to facilitate assistance process, the skipper of Safran broke the propeller shaft seals. After the skipper has been rescued, the Australian Navy vessel delivered to Safran’s skipper a box with some fruit and a cap.  Simulation made by Météo France expert states that without alteration of course, Safran should have reached longitude 136 E approximately at the same time as PRB and BritAir with uncertainty of more or less 1h30. Safran’s skipper estimates that a time bonus equal to his delay on PRB and BritAir at a longitude close to Auckland Island, before he changed course towards it for some repairs, should be a fair compensation. The gap between Safran and PRB/BritAir was 82h (+/- 1h30) at longitude 136 E, and 80 hours at longitude 155 E (close to Auckland Island longitude).

Conclusion and decision
Safran is entitled to redress under rule 62.1(c). Safran infringed notice of race 2.2 by receiving supplies and 12.3 by breaking propeller shaft seals. Safran is given 82 hours redress to be deducted from his finishing time. Infringements to notice of race 2.2 and 12.3 have been committed in relation with the assistance process; therefore Safran is exonerated under rule 62.1(c). However, the skipper shall set a system that will prove at the finish that the propeller shaft could not move. Photos of this system shall be sent to the Race Director.
 

January 05. 2009 at 05:2732 hours for Sam

On 18 December at 11h30, under Direction de Course approval, Roxy alters course to give help to the injured skipper of Generali. Roxy who was sailing South East alters course to East, then to North East; the skipper considers she deviated from optimum course from 19 December at 00h00. Since the injured skipper was rescued, on 20 December at 11h30, Roxy was still a few hours apart from Generali position.
Roxy then continues in the race on a South East course parallel to Safran course, in disadvantageous wind conditions compared to boats having followed southern proper course. Simulation made by Météo France expert states that by staying in the wind system Roxy was sailing in before she altered course, she should have reached longitude 136 E on 21 December between 9h00 and 15h00. Roxy reached longitude 136 E on 23 December at 01h00, about 37 hours after above estimated time with uncertainty of more or less 3 hours. Roxy’s skipper estimates her prejudice being between 17 and 30 hours. Gap at some longitudes with leading boats as PRB and BritAir show that lag increase after Roxy changed course is about 30 hours.

Conclusion and decision
Roxy is entitled to redress under rule 62.1(c) and is given 32 hours redress to be deducted from her finishing time.
 

January 05. 2009 at 04:30At the Horn

«That's done. Foncia has just entered the Atlantic. It was 3h 10 GMT when I passed to the south of the Cape. Squally weather with 35-40 knot winds, gusting to 45 knots. Pitch black, so no photos, or videos of the rock at the bottom. Both lights are on - the Cape and the Eastern tip. The seas are finally calm and the wind reasonable: 23 knots, quiet weather if you like! Now off to some new adventures on the way back up.»

Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) by e-mail this morning on rounding the Horn. 
 

January 04. 2009 at 17:33Save the krill!

"Just through half my fuel last night, so used 110 litres to go 14000 miles – pretty economical motoring! Should be ok to the finish with the additional solar and wind power. I have enough food for another 50 days. The repair to the forward structure seems to be holding well. Outside the clouds are ragged as I am so close to the low pressure, with 2% blue skies, the first blue sky I have seen since before New Zealand. Yesterday the sun came out for just a minute, it seemed a very unusual experience, like experiencing a reverse solar eclipse. A few big albatross have paid visits on their long oceanic flights, and seen several storm petrels flitting about the waves, but out here in mid Pacific there does not seem so many birds as in the Indian Ocean, where there are more islands, whilst in the Pacific there are none between the islands close to New Zealand, and the South American coast. I go through stretches of water with lots of krill in the sea, and then stretches with none, at the moment the mesh rope bags have a couple of inches of krill in each one, I need to give them a clean out, as it is starting to smell like a whale in the cockpit! Krill is starting to be fished for human consumption, I just hope that not too much is taken, as it is the basic food for all the wildlife of the Antarctic and sub Antarctic, though I feel that my small catch is not going to upset the ecosystem too much."

Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) in his daily message

January 04. 2009 at 16:35Rich all alone

"Sad news today is Artemis/Jonny Malbon retiring from the race due to mainsail delamination. Jonny and I are like iridium pen pals after talking nearly every day through the gales of the Indian Ocean. A very tough decision for him to make. He'll head for Auckland, New Zealand now. En route we'll continue to talk, and he said that once ashore, he'll give a  call every couple of days. it was important for him too to have a soulmate in the gales out there.  So we enter the Pacific alone.  Steve White is 1000miles ahead and going faster and away. Norbert and Raphael are about 1000nm behind and going similar speed to us. it was great to have Jonny within 100 miles."

Rich Wilson (Great Amercain III) in his daily message

January 04. 2009 at 08:04Cali, the perfect housekeeper

"The sea and wind conditions are better now, particularly the sea, which is not as rough. Between manoeuvres, I have been reading Erik Orsenna "Portrait du Gulf Stream", one of my Christmas presents. A book you can put down and pick up without losing the thread. An excellent book from someone with passion. One that you want to read more of! I shall be passing the gate on the eastern edge. My veranda is holding out. The hour of sunshine this morning was really nice. Cleaning, bailing out, shaving. Cali, the perfect housekeeper has worked miracles. Everything smells nice inside if we forget the omnipresent damp and the charming smell of diesel. From the veranda in the Pacific on the slalom run between two gates."
Arnaud Boissières (Akena Vérandas)in his daily message
 

January 04. 2009 at 07:11Sam admits one litle fear

"Yesterday I passed a special mark in my personal voyage around the globe. Eleven years ago, Royal and SunAlliance was dismasted at 52S 129W during our Trophee Jules Verne record attempt.  I was ony 23 and unknowingly on the adventure that would pave out the path for my carreer. I think I was almost too young really - I remember suffering so much from the cold, fatigue, fear and discovering how to go way beyond my limits for the first time.  We all learnt so much on that record attempt. In fact we were sailing our catamaran to record pace when we were dismasted which made the blow even harder to swallow. We had been hit by a huge wave, residual from the 60-knot storm we had recently ridden out.  We had all promised that we'd be back, and this is my part of that promise, eleven years on!  Ever since the start of this Vendee Globe, there has been just one little fear that I have not talked about to anyone because it is stupid - and that is to get beyond the longitude of our dismasting, safe and well. So, now it is done - Roxy has passed over 129W and I have toasted our mast, and given Neptune some chocolate. I feel like a little weight has lifted off me and I can now really aim for Cape Horn!"

Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message

January 04. 2009 at 06:16Weed in the cockpit

"Incredible! I knew Moitessier grew lentils or peas, to get his supply of vitamin C to ward off scurvy, and that others are seaweed to fight against boredom. I've seen weed growing on the transoms of boats where the water can be stagnant. But this is a first, there's weed in the cockpit on the floor. I can't tell you what kind or variety, but it's definitely not paint or dirt. It just shows that we're in the wet all the time and it never dries off. I'm going to call in the surgeon to fit me out with gills considering the circumstances. But meanwhile this is going to have to dry out. If all goes well it will be a question of hours now..."
Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) in his daily message
 

January 03. 2009 at 23:09Tricky conditions for Aviva

"It has been a difficult past 24 hours. The wind has been gusting 47 knots and in the lulls been as low as 22 knots and the sea has been huge having a large impact on the speed of the boat. Poor Aviva has been over powered at times and hugely under powered at times.  It has been difficult progress but we hope the worst is through now as the gusts have not exceeded 37 knots recently but I can tell you the waves are still massive. We can be screeching along at 25 knots or stuck between waves at 9 knots of boat speed. So a little uncomfortable and it has meant a restless night for me so I will be trying to sleep some more when I can and that will be easier when the wind stops whistling through the rigging."

Dee Caffari (Aviva) in her daily message this evening

January 03. 2009 at 17:04News of Unaï and Derek

Derek Hatfield (Algimouss-Spirit of Canada) sailed into the Derwent River Estuary off Hobart, Tasmania this afternoon and was due to step ashore at 16.30 GMT. As for Unai Basurko (Pakea Bizkaia), he signalled his arrival at 14h this afternoon in Cascais, Portugal, where he will be staying for a few days before continuing all the way home to Bilbao.