Vendée Globe

February 05. 2009 at 20:18Brian looking at the big picture

“Windy conditions on Bahrain Team Pindar as I make my way towards the Azores High, which is now just 400 miles ahead of me. Yesterday followed a familiar pattern of light winds during the day, less than 20 knots, and by the evening massive squalls arriving, increasing the wind to over 30 knots, where it continued all night, even once the skies had cleared. Maximum wind was 40 knots. I actually sustained a metre long tear to my mainsail as I was reefing to 3rd reef in the evening squalls, and I will repair that once the spray stops flying across the deck, and before I go back to 2nd reef. All the equipment is getting tired after this marathon event, and everyone’s sails are not as strong as they were at the start after the endless movement and the sun damage. Fortunately the keel hydraulics are hanging in there, despite the bouncy conditions. Interesting racing tactics for the 4 boats going for 3rd place, as Sam has started beating around the east side of the high whilst Marc is going well north to go downwind around the west side, two very different options. Fortunately for me, the High will move south so that I will not have to go so far around it on the West side. Dee is coming up very fast as she needs to get through the high pressure and away to the east before the high moves north again. She is going quicker than all of us, but I have to wait for calmer conditions to cant my keel further and get some more power. It is the slamming that really loads up the keel system, so either flatter water or downwind conditions are going to be suit me better now. I just need to be patient for another 24 hours and nurse the boat through these rough conditions. It’s not easy at all seeing Dee coming up and not being able to put the foot down to match her, but I have to keep thinking of the big picture – finish, finish, finish!”
Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) in his daily message
 

February 05. 2009 at 18:50ETA Brit Air

Latest ETA for Brit Air is between 0700hrs and midday GMT Saturday, 0800hrs and 1300hrs local time.

February 05. 2009 at 09:04Sam in the dark

“The moon is getting bigger and bigger each night. This evening I was lucky enough to have the view of the sunset through the port window, as the moon shone through the starboard one! The moon is a sailors friend, it makes so much difference to have some moonlight at night, even if it is behind the clouds. Tonight there are no clouds and the moon is lighting up the sea, making it shine an oily copper colour. I am doubly grateful for the moon as I "lost" (ask the Imp) my last head torch last night and forgot to look for it in the daylight today, so manoeuvring in the dark is made easier by the moonlight. The other option is either holding a little torch in my mouth (not very safe) or making a makeshift headtorch with elastic, duck tape and the little torch! It is amazing how little light I need now, having lived for three months with no light except a torch and the moon. I have only just changed the batteries in my torch after nearly three months! There is so much you can do by feel, and your eyes quickly adapt to see well in minimum light. It is hard to compare this lifestyle with that I lead at home! However, I must admit to having put my boots on the wrong feet more than once, wearing things inside out and also occasional food disasters / surprises when eating in the dark!”
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message
 

February 05. 2009 at 07:10An easier time for Rich

“After getting hammered again last night, with 35-40 knot headwinds, storm jib and 3 reefs in the mainsail, crashing along, very bad for the boat, finally today, we had wind. Not too much, not too little, in a good direction, so that we could make a good direction and go straight for a waypoint off Rio de Janeiro. Solent and one reef in the main, and making about 13 knots average. Easy on the boat, fairly easy on skipper. Walter Greene, the great designer, builder, racer of multihulls, said to me once, "make the easy miles Richie, there will be plenty of hard miles, so make the easy miles", meaning, when you can go, go, for as long as you can, as hard as you can. Seems forever since we had some easy miles. We needed this. Here's hoping it will last for a day or so more as forecast.”
Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message

February 04. 2009 at 15:30Norbert rounds the Horn

Finally freed by the Pacific, a fortnight after passing the East Pacific Gate, the skipper of Nauticsport-Kapsch today crossed the longitude of Cape Horn. At 14h07 GMT, Norbert Sedlacek became the final competitor to round the legendary cape. The 400-mile gap that has quickly built up between the Austrian sailor and Raphaël Dinelli should start to narrow, as the latter is carrying out a pit stop in the Falklands.

February 04. 2009 at 09:45Latest ETAs

Because of the difficult conditions Brit Air faced last night her ETA has been modified. Armel Le Cléac’h is now expected to reach Les Sables d’Olonne between 09h00 GMT on Friday 6th February and 15h00 GMT on Saturday 7th February.

February 04. 2009 at 08:43A bumpy ride for Dee

“The foulies are back on each time I want to go outside to check the trim or put a reef in or shake it out. The bumpy ride continues with Aviva crashing off some big waves which sends shivers down my spine as the noise is horrible. Each morning is spent with a deck check and the revolting job of throwing the nights collection of flying fish caught by Aviva as she sails back into the water. I have been spending time looking at the weather and at the moment I hope things change as it looks like the group ahead will get through and then the Azores high elongates east to west to shut me out from reaching the favourable winds beyond. Another two days of doldrums will be a cruel blow so close yet so far from the finish!”

Dee Caffari (Aviva) in her daily message yesterday evening
 

February 04. 2009 at 07:46Potential game-ender for Rich

“What a day. After yesterday's recuperative oopportunity, with shower and shave, and light winds, expected more through night, but no. Grib files off by 100% again in wind velocity. Boat took beating going upwind, staysail and 3 reefs in main. Stayed up with boat much of night in cockpit cuddy. Suddenly seemed quiet. The boat was bearing off, no pilot. Grabbed tiller, got organized downwind, rolled staysail, tried backup pilot, no backup pilot. Now what? 25 knots of wind, open 60, dark, no pilots. Remembered heave-to to self steer, but have never done it. Just read about it. It worked, sort of , with tiller lashed in middle, mainsail out, staysail sheeted wrong side, partially opened. Boat sails up into wind. Staysail pushes back down. Balance may be found. Sort of found it. Linkages to tiller ok, except looked as though maybe a bolt missing. OK so that's problem, but how to get another in, because needed rudders all the way over one way or the other, because whole thing underneath traveller track, but how to do that with no one able to steer. Then I remembered, total irony, the key to heaving-to, is to have the rudder hard over to leeward, not centerline, like I had it, and we had already done one total circle out of control with the rudder centreline. We're linked again. Not quite the right bolt, but will not make change until have really calm conditions. That was a potential game ender if some piece that couldn't be replaced here was broken, but King Neptune frowned then smiled on us so off we go.”
Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message
 

February 04. 2009 at 07:22Keeping an eye on Sam

“I had a bit of a shock as there is an eye staring up at me from the cockpit floor! Like in a scary movie! I guess that it has been ejected in a high-impact collision between fish and boat, and I am sure I will find its owner in the morning! I just don't want to tread on it with bare feet! The peaceful days of trade wind sailing are soon behind me as I start to have to manoeuvre around and across the Azores high pressure. I am going to need some big energy to do the manoeuvres and stacking required in the next few days! Maybe, when I tack and change the stack I will find where my Imp has stashed away the headtorches, socks, scissors, winch grease and Nutella..... (well, maybe not the Nutella!) And now the finish is getting nearer I am starting to look forward to things that I haven't thought about much before, like fresh fruit and vegetables, a long hot shower.... and I wonder if I'll be able to lie still for a whole night's sleep?”
Sam Davies (Roxy) in her daily message
 

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