Vendée Globe

January 13. 2009 at 09:45Jean-Pierre Dick in Auckland

Jean-Pierre Dick reached Auckland yesterday evening aboard Paprec-Virbac 2 after abandoning the race officially on New Year's Day

"I've just reached Auckland after more than 1800 miles (3333 km) of sailing in the Indian Ocean with a damaged rudder. It made the sailing very tricky. After my second rudder broke on 31st December 2008 following a collision with a UFO, my goal was to take my boat to a safe harbour. So now I have done that , even if it feels very strange being here in New Zealand. 13 days ago, I was racing in the Vendée Globe, and now I'm stepping ashore on the other side of the world, where the boat was built."
 

January 13. 2009 at 07:26Little room to manoeuvre

"A good day on board Bahrain Team Pindar, as we are in the lull between two gales at present, one that came through yesterday and another, stronger one, that will be with us between 0300 till 2100 tomorrow. The weather is sunny and the winds are moderate as I gybe my way down towards Cape Horn. I am trying to miss the worst of the approaching gale, that is showing over 40 knots at its centre on the grib files (which means steadily over 50 in reality), by heading slightly to the East to let the system slide down to my South West. The only problem is South America, so I am trying to position myself so I do not arrive at the coast until the bulk of the gale has blown through. That’s the difficult thing about Cape Horn, you have little room to manoeuvre to avoid the gales, as you are funnelled into a corner. The closer you are to Cape Horn the less options  you have, as there is ice to starboard and the Andes to port.  Worst case is that I have to slow down a little to let the gale pass over, but I hope that I will not have to do so. It’s good to get all the jobs ticked off, and today I got the primary autopilot and ram working again and its noticeable how much faster it works than the previous generation pilot. I feel much more secure in these big waves with the faster response. Also, I went up in the bow to tighten the bolts on the previous repair on the forward longitudinal. It’s creaking a little so not 100% happy, but it does not seem to be moving, so it will be fine till Cape Horn. Dee and I are going to stay in touch through this gale to compare notes on its progress."
Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) in his daily message
 

January 13. 2009 at 06:50Take my breath away

"Since Cape Horn, we keep having islands spring up right in our path! The closest one was a little tiny island 30 miles South of the Falklands called Beauchene Island. We actually had to swerve to avoid it, and I passed about a mile and a half to leeward. It was a bird-heaven, and Roxy was surrounded by all kinds of sea birds, and passing to leeward of the island was a smelly mistake as it smells of bird poo! I even had a duck (or what looked like a duck) flying round Roxy. It was so funny because it was trying to do what the albatrosses do and play in the updraft of Roxy's sails, but the duck doesn't glide, she had to keep flapping her wings, and she nearly ended up crash landing on the foredeck! I guess Lucky would have been happy to find a real friend on board! I was down below and I heard a really scary noise - like the daggerboard was breaking - and I shot up on deck to see what it was.... and there, zooming past my head was a fighter jet! Maverick and Goose came to see me! The jet did a couple of circles around Roxy, really low altitude, to say hi... they must have seen me in the cockpit so then they sped off in front of Roxy and gave me a show-off display by doing a vertical climb terminating in a barrel roll right in front of us! As you can imagine, the little girl in her pink boat stood there wide-eyed, big smile, totally bewitched by these Top Gun heroes who just made her day!"
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message

January 12. 2009 at 20:10Complicated weather for Rich

" After making 10-11 knots since the ice gate, trying to outrace the approaching storm and intermediate no wind zone, we've been overtaken by the no wind zone, and the speed went from 12.5 at the start of a nap, to 3.0 in the middle of the nap, and the slatting sails and banging boat in the leftover sea woke me. Its the type of sea and wind situation where putting up the 1st reef or full main won't help, it will only risk the rigging with the crashing and banging, stability is the goal, so we've headed up closer to the wind to try to make some apparent wind and get going. It seems to be working with a speed now of about 6 knots. The latest weather file suggests that maybe we will catch a break, and the low pressure system will elongate and partially diminish when it stretches and becomes two lows. It's odd, it forced its way between two highs, and then the highs will squeeze back when the low is vulnerable and a long trough. It does leave that other low sitting there, perhaps able to recoup. It is very complicated forecast for getting to the next ice gate. But here, perhaps we can wrap around the front portion of the low as it goes by to the northeast of us heading southeast, and  hopefully the westerlies will reassert themselves and we can go along. We'll see. Anyway, I've stopped looking at the race for the time being, and am only looking at our situation with this low. The wave forecasts show bad sea conditions, but mostly to our northwest, we have escaped that part possibly. Was concerned possibly about 3 icebergs for which the last gate was moved a bit north, but their drift shows that they will not be a concern. We have the radar going on a one minute in 10 watch. It's cold again. I did get some good naps in last night, and we're making a bit of progress, so that's good."
Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message
 

January 12. 2009 at 19:01Jury decisions on PRB and Brit Air

The international jury has made its decision concerning the redress requested by Vincent Riou (PRB) and the redress claim for Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) for the rescue of Jean Le Cam.
Armel Le Cléac’h is awarded 11 hours for taking part in the rescue of Jean Le Cam. These eleven hours will be subtracted from his final finishing time.
 

Vincent Riou, in third place when he was called to the rescue of Jean (taking into account that Jean was already out of the race following his capsize), will be ranked third equal in the Vendée Globe with the competitor, who finishes third.
 

January 12. 2009 at 11:09Another mast climb for Brian

"Now less than 950 miles from the Horn and starting to make some good speeds towards the famous Cape. The wind is starting to build to 30 knots as one low passes. Looking forward to seeing Cape Horn come up over the horizon on Wednesday, the first land I have seen since the Kergeulen islands, way back in the middle of the Indian Ocean. After my repairs I have a little race on again with Aviva and Akenas.  I am looking forward to getting back into warm conditions in the middle of the Atlantic section. The repairs to the bow area seem to have stabilised the area. There are a few creaks under the floorboards I bolted either side of the damaged longitudinal, but outside there is no movement and the damage does not seem to be spreading. Will have to watch this area carefully, especially when sailing upwind in the Atlantic.Had another busy day yesterday with more stacking and tidying of the boat for the rough weather to come, making water from sea water in the ballast tanks, and then an unexpected 4th mast climb in the South. In the 60 knot winds I had near Tasmania I found it very difficult to get the mainsail completely down from 4th reef as there are no ropes to pull it down, and wind pressure and friction seem to hold it up against gravity. So in case I needed to drop it again near the Horn, yesterday I reefed the sail down to the 4th reef and then climbed to almost the head of the main to attach a downhaul rope. Though I don’t relish going up the mast it was satisfying to get this job done and feel prepared as possible. By yourself an operation like this takes several hours, with a crew it would take just a few minutes and it would hardly disrupt the pattern of sailing. Some people would call that a frustration, but its also the challenge of solo sailing, working out how to do things that would normally take numerous people, just by yourself on a very powerful 60 foot boat."
Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) in his daily message
 

January 12. 2009 at 10:28Marc at the Horn

Marc Guillemot (Safran) as he rounded the Cape:

«It's starting to become light. I can see the moon between the clouds to my NW. The wind is easing off and the seas are calmer, but there's still a westerly swell pushing us along nicely. We passed 8.85 miles to the south of the rock (Cape Horn) at 7H31 UTC at 56°08.885 S and 67°12.729 W Pleased to have finished with the Pacific even if it went well for me, but it was very tiring with all the stress and the adventures in the race. I can't see anything. I hope the GPS is working... A dark shadow over there? Could that be it?»
 

January 12. 2009 at 08:05The Bat's home

"My boat is pretty untidy at the moment! After I had finished the repairs here was some mast climbing to do, so there are still a few things out of place. Basically, I live in the bit between the mast bulkhead and the companionway bulkhead, so a space of about four metres long by over
four and a half wide at deck level - the ballast tanks down each side make it quite narrow. In the middle, where I am sitting now is the nav sation which faces forward, on a sort of "vee" bunk  / seat across the boat. It is too short to stretch out on fully and has no sides, so it is difficult to sleep soundly here because you don't feel secure, but it is therefore ideal for catnaps! At the chart table I have a stuck down mouse with a ball in the top - you spin the ball rather than moving the mouse - much easier when the boat is bouncing around. The camera charger and my i-pod sit in an ice cream container glued down with sikaflex. I still have my Christmas CD and a Patty Griffin CD which were both presents, and my elephant pencil case Kim bought me when I did my RYA Day Skipper in1996! Another thing which  has never left the chart table is my stereo manual, every day I learn something else about it, it is so complicated! Next to the stove, right by the door is a deep locker with my camera, nurofen, instant energy things from MX3, nail clippers and a torch, kitchen roll etc all ready for immediate use. Below the stove is a draw of sailory type things - needles and palm, tape, almanac, batteries, mini socket set, passport, binoculars and other stuff like that. Below the sink are my pots and pans and the orange plastic salad servers that I keep taking off the boat and which somehow keep getting back on! There is a bunk on each side of the boat; you sleep with your head by the companionway bulkhead so you can see the instruments, and your feet go forward and stop level with the chart table. I sleep on the low side and stack my spares on the high side, that way the weight distribution is good, and I don't fall out of bed when the boat heels suddenly. That would be a bad thing as the floor is wet all the time - I have many leaks! I have some art too; on the ceiling is a mural by Didier Becet which is fantastic! It shows penguins, gulls and flying fish, big ones in the centre and smaller ones all around the edges in little groups wearing sou'westers and other things, some dancing, some "chilling out", and the flying fish have fantastic expressions - some human and some are definitely pure flying fish - they do have expressions believe it or not! I like it best because you see something different every time you look. Also there are little drawings of bats in strategic places - my nickname is Bat, and Kim draws them here and there so that I remember she loves me - very important!"
Steve White describing his boat in an e-mail
 

January 12. 2009 at 07:15Cape Horner Sam

"I am now a Cape Horner! And in true style, rounding the mythical point in 40-knot winds and mountainous seas. However, also in true Cape Horn style, within a few miles of the point, the wind started to drop and I quickly found myself in less than ten knots of wind. So, after a hard 48 hours in strong wind, I had no rest allowed, as I shook out reef after reef and changed up headsails. The little wind there was also shifted all over the place, so I even ended up tacking Roxy in order to wriggle ourselves through the transition zone. Also, there was work to be done inside, shifting the gear that was stacked aft for the strong downwind conditions back to the middle of the boat to keep the trim perfect! Now, we have found the wind, and I have worked my way back down the reefs and reduced headsail again! We are reaching towards the Falklands in a very bumpy sea. It is night time and there is a full moon that is lighting the deck like a spotlight, it is so bright! I have my sleeping bag in my sights and I am finally going to get some rest!"
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message
 

January 11. 2009 at 18:06PRB moored in Ushuaia

As expected, PRB was towed into Ushuaia yesterday evening (GMT) and was able to moor up. Jean le Cam, met up with his wife and they are due to fly back to France shortly. Vincent Riou will follow later in the week once a few of his team are ready to take over from him. The goal is to bring PRB back on a cargo ship as quickly as possibly. Jean Le Cam was interviewed in Ushuaia: "We managed to bring the boat around to Ushuaia thanks to a really great crew. It's extraordinary to find people everywhere who put helping others above everything else. Over the past few days I've seen a huge amount of human kindness. It's been a time in my life when humans have been more important than the material concerns we normally worry about throughout the year. It gives you a different perspective on things. It's been an amazing experience."