Vendée Globe

February 13. 2009 at 14:30Sam's ETA

The latest ETA for Samantha Davies is around two in the morning (GMT) tomorrow, as early this afternoon, she said she was sailing at more than ten knots. Roxy will remain moored until dawn and then will make her way into the harbour at around 08h00 GMT

February 12. 2009 at 17:14Eliès in Les Sables

Still busy undergoing physiotherapy to recover the full use of his leg, Yann Eliès is planning to be in Les Sables d’Olonne to welcome Samantha Davies and Marc Guillemot : «I'm planning to be out on the water to greet them. I'll be going on board in the protected area in the harbour, where there are no waves and accompanying them up through the harbour entrance, as they experience the final moments of their Vendée Globe. I really want to be there for both of them: I shan't forget that they both did all they could to get to me and support me as I awaited the Australian rescue team. They both deserve a place on the podium. They both had an incredible race. Sam is due to finish on Saturday, while for Marco, it is looking more uncertain, as he continues to sail in a risky configuration… »

February 12. 2009 at 09:55Hurricane force gusts

"Last night was one of the hardest of the race. The forecasts were for winds of around thirty knots. Between midday and one in the morning I had some extremely violent winds with hurricane force gusts. It was a barometric low that caused the wind to shift from east to north-west to south-west. It was completely crazy… The boat was knocked down three or four times with her mast, boom and sails in the water. My video camera is no longer working as it fell into the water and oil, when an oil bottle broke. It got everywhere and is very slippery. There were some real mountains of water where you ride up and then suddenly plunge down. I’m extremely tired after being at the helm for hours in a very heavy swell. Sometimes I had to grip it with my feet as my hands could no longer hold on as the pressure on the rudders was too great. I’ve got a few pinches and my muscles are aching. I’m going to have to wait until it’s light to see how much damage there is and tidy up. There’s still a heavy swell – as soon as the mountains turn to hills, I’ll take some photos and videos to give you an idea of what happened to Nauticsport-Kapsch during the night."

Norbert Sedlacek in an e-mail this morning

February 12. 2009 at 07:39A difficult, frustrating day

“Difficult day with shifting winds, 20 knots 2 knots, east, northeast, north, southeast, black clouds with no wind, sail maneuvers in response to threats, but to no avail, 10 sail changes today, all for naught, go 12 knots in the right direction, then 9 knots in completely the wrong direction, then 2 knots and lose steerage, 6-7' waves with no wind driving them, choppy from different directions, what is going on here? Very frustrating to say the least. Encountered a ship last night, starboard to starboard passing, called him on vhf when abeam 1/2 mile off, suddenly his radar went on, don't think he had any idea we were there. Full moon has been spectacular.”
Rich Wilson ( Great American III) in his daily message
 

February 12. 2009 at 06:55Another karaoke moment

"Roxy and I have had a good day today running away from the high pressure that's chasing us! Under spinnaker all day, doing good speed and fun sailing. This evening the wind has been heading us and after some "yee-ha" spinnaker reaching, with a couple of nice wipeouts that have tidied up my chart table (i.e. sent everything loose off to starboard!) I have wisely changed to solent + ORC.
I have just been in the cockpit having another karaoke moment - making the most of one of my last nights out here on my own! Leaning on the coachroof looking backwards at Roxys wake, lit up by the moon and streaming out for as far as I could see. Singing out at the top of my voice! I wish I could stay out there all night, but I must rest, ready for a tough 24 hours of light wind sailing to get through the high "bubble" that is going to block our progress tomorrow night. So, radar on, to keep watch for shipping, I am going to get some sleep now....."

Sam Davies (Roxy)in her daily message

February 11. 2009 at 20:05Big slow up in the Bay of Biscay

Less than 950 miles to go now, quite incredible to think that only 1/28th of this journey still to complete.  Europe is looming larger on my computer screen with all the familiar landmarks between Spain and Ireland surrounding the focus of Les Sables.  Between there and here I have some fast sailing for the next 36 hours in the low that is pushing me at present and then a big slow up in the Bay of Biscay under the High Pressure that will be forming there.  Wind at present is around 30/35 knots and the seas are up to 5m at times, but it looks like the low will slow up as it approaches Europe, so I will begin to accelerate out of it and back into the calmer conditions ahead of it - a novel experience in this race. In the Southern Ocean the lows just relentlessly sweep over you, this one I have joined from the south just as it is slowing, so I have been able to keep pace with it.

I have all my fingers crossed that Marc reaches the finish safely, he is going really well at the moment. Bilou managed brilliantly to get through a strong gale with his keel-less Veolia and of course in the last race Nick Moloney sailed into Rio and Mike Golding crossed the finish line with no keel, so it’s become more common - maybe there should be a term for it! I think that with these wide flat, bottomed boats with twin dagger boards, they look not unlike a Dutch or Thames Barge with no keel, so maybe ‘barging’ could be the new term. But barges generally stay in sheltered waters for a good reason and Marc is in the open North Atlantic in winter. At least his weather is looking better than average, but it must be a very stressful finish for him. 

Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) in his daily message

February 11. 2009 at 16:15Good speed, high stress

"The sailing should be enjoyable. We have 30 to 35 knots of wind and a blue sky with white fluffy clouds. The boat speeds are fast down the waves and we are closing the miles to the finish. However on Aviva the stress levels are high. 40 knots last night through the mainsail didn't go down too well and another section of fibres parted. I am now holding my breath as we surf along for another 24 hours before the wind eases. Once we reach the light airs I can hoist the mainsail and hopefully leave it. Maybe the high pressure is a blessing in disguise as I am not sure another depression would be any good for the mainsail or my anxiety levels. Unfortunately, to avoid any further damage with the fibres getting caught, I am going to have to wait until much lighter winds before hoisting so I may lose some more miles to Pindar but we all have to float through the high pressure to the finish, so all is not lost."

Dee Caffari (Aviva) in her daily message

February 11. 2009 at 10:25Energy saving measures

“For the moment to save fuel, everything is turned off except the autopilot. I turn on the computer three times a day to see the rankings without looking at the night rankings, as the wind turbine is working, but not producing enough electricity. It is not as much of a problem as on the way down, as I don’t need to keep an eye on others. I think I will have enough fuel to finish, but I’d like to have some left for the Bay of Biscay so I can use my ballast tanks. At night, I leave my navigation lights on and the AIS tracker doesn’t use much. Yesterday, a cargo ship about 9 miles away, spotted me on the AIS. So I’ve stopped watching films and now I just use the iPod when the sun is out. I’m making savings too by not fetching all the weather charts. That doesn’t really matter now, as there’s not much of a race here and all I can do is try to head north. It’s a bit frustrating to have all this equipment on board and not be able to use it.”

Arnaud Boissières (Akéna Vérandas) in his daily message.

February 11. 2009 at 09:18BT back in the water in April

"For the moment, I need to wait for BT to come back home, so I am working on my fitness and use the available time to make sure everything will be perfect for the rest of the season. I'll do some winter racing in Brittany where the scene is thriving, and take out my windsurf gear in the winter gales - that should keep me busy and reasonably in shape!" said Sebasten Josse (BT). Meanwhile some members of his shore team have been busy in Auckland preparing to work on BT. The whole team will be involved in the repairs so the boat can be made ready for the 2009 season. Work on the composites is already underway and once the repairs are completed, BT will be transported by cargo vessel to Europe. She will then be based in Port La Foret for the 2009 season. Sébastien and BT are set to start training again in Brittany in late April.

February 11. 2009 at 08:05The hardest miles

"Aviva and I have enjoyed some great sailing this afternoon. We are sailing around the edge of the high pressure. It has been blue skies and sunshine for the downwind sailing that has now allowed us to surf the waves rather than crash into them. Tonight I shall be sailing between the islands of the Azores and will see the stable winds increase. I have another twenty four hours of breeze before we begin to negotiate lighter conditions once more. Why do the final miles always seem the hardest to complete?"
Dee Caffari (Aviva) in her daily message