Home > Newswire > Celebrations begin

Newswire

 

February 14. 2009 at 01:57Celebrations begin

Sam is up on the foredeck now with the boat under the control of her technical team, the Roxy boys, with two appropriately pink flares lighting up the whole area as she starts the celebrations, dancing on the decks, looking up to the skies and loving the relief and the sheer joy that she made it, and her adventure has been so all consuming, and so fulfilling.

February 14. 2009 at 01:44Sam's time

Sam's time

So Sam's time is 95 days 4 hours 39 mins 01 sec WITH her redress, her shore crew are on board and the scrutineer will go on board to check Roxy's engine seals. Sam looks delirious, and no doubt exhausted, elated and will be sad her great adventure is over. She has sailed impeccably and shared her race widely and freely, without any pretension.  10.87 knots average on theoretical distance of 24840 miles.

February 14. 2009 at 01:35Sam finishes

And Sam Davies finishes the Vendee Globe, third across the finish line early on this Valentine's mornng, and incredible achievement, finishing at 00hrs 41 mins and 01 seconds GMT. Her Roxy boys shore team are on board immediatelyt hugs all round..

February 14. 2009 at 01:26Sam Davies ready to finish

Still a hail of flashguns lighting up the night sky, picking out her huge megawatt smile and her  famous boat Sam gets ready to finish her extraordinary Vendee Globe Her boat looks impeccable, a little rust around the solar panels on the deck, and she keeps trimming and working Roxy all the time as the puffy brreze brings her back upright, slowing from time to time. There is a constant cacophony of cheers and whistles. 500 m to line

February 14. 2009 at 01:24Two miles to go

Two miles to the finish line, and Sam is drinking in the last few minutes of her race, a huge smile on her face, as she contemplates crossing the line in third place, beyond her dreams when she left Les Sables 97 days ago on 9th November.

February 14. 2009 at 01:20Closing on the line

Amazing, amazing, Sam is permanently lit up now in the cockpit of the double Vendee Globe winning boat, a little touch of Hollywood at  sea at 0118hrs local time, the security boats trying to keep some kind of order, but all going well except for a few rogue washes!

February 14. 2009 at 01:15Alongside sam

Pretty crazy out here with spectator boats, Sam has just called the committee boat and she says she thinks she will be at the line in 15 minutes, four miles left of her Vendee Globe, she could scarcely contain herself when she spoke to them. Stil making 12 knots, well heeled in the puffs, with the mulitcoloured Roxy sails lit up by the lights, and every so often she picks out people she knows.

February 14. 2009 at 01:11Alongside sam

There are probably 20 spectator and media boats out here, each sweeping in to take their turn at filming Roxy as she creams along. Davies looks relaxed and content, waving like a lunatic evry time she is lit up by a spotlight. Two very large spectator boats take their turn as well, getting in close within 20 metres of Sam as she surfs the last few miles of her Vendee Globe.

February 14. 2009 at 01:07Alongside sam

We are alongside Sam now in about 12 knots of wind, Rosy is under stsysail and one reef , and the flashguns are popping like Oscar night, Sam is waving and loving every second, making over 12 knots to the line.

February 14. 2009 at 01:027 miles to go

Still 7 miles to sail for Sam about another hour at her current speed. Skies have cleared and there is a ceiling of stars now and a bright half moon. There are already a few boats out at Roxy. Quite choppy.

And we can see Roxy now already surrounded by boats. Flash guns already popping like Oscar night.