"Unfortunately we all think of the Horn as the end of the big seas and gales, but for me, Dee and Arnaud it is not going to be the case. The biggest storm so far is barrelling across the Pacific to reach Cape Horn at midday Friday. It is going to give very strong winds until well north of the Falklands, so it is unavoidable, unless it decides to calm down of its own accord. I have been following it for a while and I believe it was the tropical gale that affected JP Dick near New Zealand, and then swung into the roaring forties and joined the procession of depressions. Steve White is getting some strong winds from it now, in its early stages. It is really quite disappointing to have to deal with another big gale, but I just have to get as prepared as possible and try to avoid the worst of the conditions. Unlike the last gale it won’t be downwind, there will be upwind in northerlies at first and then reaching in strong westerlies, so it will be tougher on the boat, which I don’t like. I am going to do some extra work to the bow repair once in the calmer conditions past the Cape, and also work on my iridium open port communication system that stopped working in the last gale. As I approached the coast I gybed around some islands that were 6 miles out of position relative to what is drawn on the computer chart. Rather scary as these are small, unlit islands, so very dangerous at night. So mixed emotions on BTP, enjoying the spectacular scenery of the end of the world, and of getting close to rounding the Horn, but also apprehensive of the next 3 days. I do want to get through with no more breakages, and then to be able to race properly again up the Atlantic to the finish."
Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) in a message sent yesterday evening before he rounded the Horn at 04.15 GMT
 

After two months of work in the yard in Les Sables d’Olonne to get the boat back in shape after she was dismasted the day after the start, Kito de Pavant is going to be getting back together with his red monohull to prepare the 2009 season. The boat left Les Sables d’Olonne by road on Tuesday evening to be transported to the Mediterranean.
 

"Tried the storm jib when it got dark last night, but slowed the boat from 10.5 to 7.5 knots, more than even I could accept and I'm very conservative, so went back to staysail. Staysail is too big on the boat, need one smaller as there is too big of a gap between it and storm jib. In front part of new low being spun off of the main low. The forecast seems to change relatively significantly each iteration. Had 2 naps just now, about 1 hour each, last one seemed like 10 minutes. I don't feel very calm right now, very tense and stressful, a lot of load on the boat, and I'm very alone down here in the south and in the middle. Trying to be very careful with everything."
Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message

"Well, yesterday evening was hard work! I was just thinking that now the upwind work has started, things will become quieter - I may even get bored.... That was a mistake to think that, because just as I picked up my book, Roxy lurched and slowed instantly from 10 to 8 knots.... So, I got out my endoscope to inspect what "cling-ons" we had picked up, and discovered that we had been attacked by a forest of giant Kelp! I spent an hour doing back downs (after four years of Figaro I'm good at that) but to no avail. The kelp was probably as long as Roxy as the branches trailed beyond the transom (from around the keel!) I managed to wrestle a bit of it off with the boathook and my hands (disgusting!) So, I realised that I may have to take an earlier bath than planned to free us from our "cling-on"! I stopped Roxy by dropping all the sails - the first time since the two months of the race that Roxy has stopped! I waited to see if this would clear the kelp and had another look with the endoscope - Yes! The forest has gone - thank goodness - no swimming for me today. So, after a lot of exercise (and 2 hours of down-time), I got Roxy up and running again - kelp-free and 2 knots faster! I was totally knackered, I managed to eat an 800 calorie meal, a bar of chocolate and drink pretty much an entire bottle of water! Hopefully today I will not have so many adventures - in fact I am actually quite looking forward to being bored..."
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message
 

"Tell me if you've had enough of my sunsets. I never grow tired of them. It's a better sight than the wall of the block of flats across the road from your foot square bathroom window. This is the view I get from my office, kitchen, bathroom, down below. I've taken a lot of photos, but you never really get everything you would like to show. Not feeling inspired this morning. My inspiration has gone on holiday with the Vendée Globe not yet over, with me heeled over for now and for the next few days and I feel like I've been left in the lurch."
Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia)in his daily message
 

"I had got everything as prepared as possible yesterday for the impending gale, down to making sure I had torches and knives in my pockets in case we got rolled over. In speaking with Dee behind me I knew that the wind was rising rapidly for her, and she was getting 45 to 60 knots and it was still increasing. A nervous couple of hours, until the wind actually reaches you and then you are fine and dealing with it. The anticipation is often worse than the reality, or at least this time it was. In fact, going on deck and steering the boat through the big swells was really exhilarating today, at times like snowboarding a 60 foot board through undulating soft powder. I also had over 60 knots at times, but mostly 45-55 knots. Seas grew all night, but the boat handled it well under 4 reefs and the storm jib, with some ballast in. I did not have the keel fully canted, to give more stability at higher heel angles. I tried to position myself to miss the worst of the forecast wind, by staying a little to the north and east, without running into the Andes. Am now just less than 100 miles from the coast so will gybe shortly to get southwards and lined up for an approach to the Horn from the West. Just over a day away from the Horn now, and that should have been the last gale till I am through into the Atlantic, otherwise should be a mere 25-35 knots."
Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) in his daily message during the night