Vendée Globe

February 04. 2009 at 06:56Steve looking forward to getting home

“If you went on holiday and the weather was like it has been here over the past few days you would not be disappointed - it has been glorious. The water is just the right temperature for bathing babies, the sun is very strong and right overhead at midday, and the breeze is warm and pleasant at night when you go out to look at the stars. I think this must be where the baby flying fish live - I have not seen any that are bigger than half grown but thre are hundreds of them. Birds are a different matter - just one for a hours only as he flew just ahead of the boat looking for flying fish with his beady eye; he was greeny brown with a pointy tail and beak like a needle and about three quarters the size of a gannet. Since then, nothing, no visible company at all. I have been busy however. The generator needed fiddling with again because as the water and hence the batteries get warmer the way they charge changes, and if you're not careful the generator is overcharging like mad and my nice rectangular batteries are about to become cooked into shapes like egg boxes! A blocked fuel filter was complicating the process of setting it up; I must have had a really dirty fill of fuel from somewhere, but it's OK now. I changed generator engine oil and stopped the water leak from the engine exhaust, so we are a bit drier downstairs now, which is a good thing.

I am really short of cold things to eat - it's hard to summon up the enthusiasm for two hundred and fifty grams of pasta and sauce when it's this hot! However, I'm hardly burning three thousand calories a day or whatever it's supposed to be just moving around and keeping warm like you do in the Southern Ocean! It is strange to think about my position in the race at the moment. I have to be careful what I say as I haven't finished yet, but if you'd have told me before the start that I'd be in eighth place at any point I'd have said it you were mad - it is more than ten places better than my wildest dreams! I think it is a reflection on how strong and simple the boat is as much as anything though. Personally I don't feel any different after my adventures but I am looking forward to getting home now and wearing my slippers by the fire, walking the dogs, bike riding with the kids, and getting set up for the future with renewed energy after my adventures, it's just that the South Atlantic doesn't want to release us without a fight.........still, four days to the North East Trades, steady sailing and the last ocean to cross!”
Steve White (Toe in the Water) in his daily message
 

February 04. 2009 at 06:22The long North Atlantic slog

“It’s a long slog up the tropical North Atlantic against the NE Trades. I am well heeled over with wave after wave hitting the boat. Down below it’s a matter of holding on, not to get thrown against the unforgiving carbon hull. The spray is flying across the deck every 5 seconds as the boat pitches into the next wave. I am attempting to take it easy to the finish with my one leaking ram and my repaired bow structure, so it’s not the conditions I would ask for! But it is very normal for this part of the ocean - and what makes going the other way such fun! I am about half way through this section so there are another three days of this upwind sailing to go, until I am near the latitude of the Canary Islands, and just north of the latitude of Bahrain. Then there will be a high pressure to pass before reaching the westerly winds of the temperate North Atlantic, which should take me past the Azores and to Les Sables. Yesterday I had a failure of the rope purchase that held the J3 headsail down to the deck. The rope just parted after 24,000 miles and the sail flew backwards and wrapped itself around the leeward shrouds which attach to the end of the outriggers. I was asleep at the time and it was pitch dark. I woke up because something felt wrong, and I shone a torch at the bow and there was no sail. There it was, gone! I immediately saw where the sail had ended up, and I bore away and tried to pull the sail out of its tangle around the lower shroud, but it would not budge. I then lowered the halyard and got as much sail on deck as possible and tied it off, to stop it wrapping it further.
Yesterday I had numerous close encounters with large white fishing boats, I went by seven of them, each of them similarly sized and white. They must have been working together but what kind of fishing they were doing I have no idea, as they had no stern reels for putting out nets or lines. They did not appear to be doing any fishing, very odd. Sam had warned me about them, and in turn I let Dee know about them. Otherwise there are no vessels at all. I noticed that something very strange happened to the sun, it was behind me and to the south! For 70 days I had been used to the sun always to my north and for it to be travelling from right to left through the day. Now, back in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun travels from left to right through the day, quite disconcerting at first.”
Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) in his daily message
 

February 03. 2009 at 23:09Cali across the Equator

“At 18H43 GMT on 3rd February, I went from one hemisphere to another; from the south to north. Physically nothing changed, but I really felt like I could see that imaginary line on the horizon. This evening to celebrate I opened a jar of duck pâté and a bottle of champagne I was given at the start. I’ll share that with Neptune and my veranda. This was my sixth crossing of the Equator in the Atlantic. For me, this was a magical moment and takes on a particular meaning in a round the world race.”
Arnaud Boissières (Akéna Vérandas) in his daily message
 

February 03. 2009 at 22:51A virtual winner

Starting on November 9, the Virtual Vendee Globe race organized by www.virtualregatta.com has become a worldwide social phenomenon with more than 320 000 players. Thirty six hours after Michel Desjoyeaux triumphant arrival in Les Sables d'Olonne, another big winner presented himself at the finish line of the Vendee Globe, but this one was a Virtual one. INDERWELTSEIN crossed the finish line at 9am (local time) this morning leaving his nearest opponent more than 80 miles behind. INDERWELTSEIN’s skipper did not expect this victory that emerged in the Azores in the last few days of the race.

February 03. 2009 at 17:55Welcoming home the sailors

No fewer than 32 motor boats and RIBs ensured the finish went smoothly on Sunday. This fleet made up of Antares and a Monte Carlo 37, on loan from BENETEAU and several Pro Open 650 and 850 boats lent by ZODIAC, enabled the winner to be welcomed home in the best possible conditions. Responsible for safety out on the water, contributing to the show, transporting journalists and organisers…none of this would have been possible without the generosity for these partners. The organisers therefore wish to thank ZODIAC and BENETEAU for their collaboration and remind everyone that the Vendée Globe special edition Zodiac is still on sale.

February 03. 2009 at 12:30Latest ETAs

Armel Le Cléac’h, now in second place is expected to reach les Sables d’Olonne between 18h00 GMT on Thursday 5th February and 06h00 GMT on Saturday 7th February.
Samantha Davies and Marc Guillemot are likely to reach the finish between 18h00 GMT on 9th February and 18h00 GMT on 11th February.
Brian Thompson ETA between 12h00 GMT on 10th and 12h00 on 12th February.
Dee Caffari between 00h00 on 12th and 12h00 GMT on 14th February

For Armel Le Cléac’h conditions will be difficult to Cape Finisterre with a NW’ly wind blowing between 35 and 45 knots (gusting 50-60 knots in squalls) and heavy seas with 7-10 metre high waves. The wind is expected to reach its maximum strength between 18h00 this evening and 06h00 tomorrow morning
 

February 03. 2009 at 08:05Rich re-discovers the sun

“What a difference a day makes! Crystal blue skies, sea down, wind down, drifting along first NE then tacked NW to get to new wind a bit earlier, had a shower in the cockpit, had a shave, washed hair (pretty shaggy, will have to cut it soon). I saw a small pod of whales cross our wake about 1/4 mile behind, one pretty big one, and an errant flying fish, heading south, all by himself. I shouted to him "Wrong way! The warm water is this way!", but he paid me no mind. Jonny Malbon called today, what a great guy. He's taking a bit of time to de-stress from his Vendée Globe effort in the French Alps. Had a good chat, talked about wiring the other instruments on the deck somewhere. Really kind of him to call, and I greatly appreciate it. Contemplated going aloft to try to replace one of the instrument sets, but I need to get back to a routine of better sleep and food before tackling that, if indeed I decide to try it. We have a long way to go upwind, and the instrument steering is so much more efficient than compass steering. We'll see, no commitment one way or the other. Still off Buenos Aires, and the air IS good here. Sun was hot today, that is a first since we were in the South Atlantic so long ago.”
Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message
 

February 03. 2009 at 07:20Psychological warfare

“Well, I’m totally becalmed! Just a few puffs now and then with the boat drifting at 1.5-2.5 knots south-eastwards. It’s really hard having to leave the sails up as they are flapping, so I’m worried about them. The cracking, rustling, dragging and clinking, when you are completely parked up at this stage of the race is like psychological warfare. Took advantage of the day to sew up the sail so I can use it two-thirds of first reef. Have also been taking photos and filming and have carried between 40 and 50 manoeuvres trying to get the boat moving since yesterday.”
Norbert Sedlacek (Nauticsport-Kapsch) in his daily message sent yesterday evening
 

February 03. 2009 at 06:57A scary fish and a friendly boat

“The trade winds train continues Northwards with Roxy, and it is starting to cool down a bit. I have got out my fleecy blanket to curl up in when I sleep, and soon the seawater showers are going to be "invigorating!" This morning, as I did the daily flying fish death count and clean-up, I discovered a really scary looking long fish!! He wasn't a flying version, and was probably minding his own business chasing his dinner when his world got churned up and dumped on Roxy's deck, the poor beast got trapped under the outhaul line, and his meal got spared to live another day! I have just crossed paths with a French cruising boat, who is on passage from Cape Verde to Pointe a Pitre! Luckily I have had my radar on as we are also crossing the "Transquadra" fleet. I saw the little blip on my radar cross just a mile and a half from Roxy so I called them up and we had a nice conversation and I gave them the latest weather information! That was the first time I have spoken to anyone on the VHF since the beginning of the race! They told me they'd seen my nav lights and my mast is so tall they thought that Roxy was a ship!”
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message
 

February 02. 2009 at 18:53Bilou moors up

Bilou has moored his boat in Ponta Delgada on the island of Sao Miguel. Welcomed by Nicolas de Castro and Luis Guervos, the sailor managed to bring his Veolia Environnement safely into port. He had repeated on several occasions that the duty of a good sailor above all involves taking care of his boat and not putting his or anyone else’s life in danger. Mission accomplished, even if everyone was looking forward to seeing the boat enter the harbour in Les Sables d’Olonne.