Safran will be leaving les Sables d’Olonne tomorrow (Friday) at 7h30 local time, towed behind the motor catamaran Royale, which will take her to La Trinité-sur-Mer. She is due to arrive there in the afternoon after a delivery trip expected to last 7 to 8 hours in fine weather: flat calm seas and a ten knot north easterly wind are forecast.

On Tuesday, the mast will be removed, and she will be taken out of the water and pushed into the boatyard by the Safran Sailing Team, where she will stay for around two months. «We shall be emptying her completely, removing all the ropes, examining the rudders and deck hardware, redoing the composites, where that may be necessary. In other words we’re talking about a thorough service,» explained Thierry Brault, the Team Manager.

There is a long list of work to do, although the most important jobs will involve the keel and mast, as well as a general overhaul that is required after sailing around the world. As for the keel, the team has already set to work on making a new bulb in Spain and Thierry Eluère’s yard has been given the job of making the head for Safran’s original keel. «All of that will be carried out while Guillaume Verdier works on other solutions and I think that by 2010 we shall have a completely new keel, added Thierry. As for the mast, we shall be taking a good look at the one that has just been all the way around the world, but we may decide to fit the other mast that the team has at its disposal, the one that Safran used in the Transat Jacques Vabre.»
The whole refit should be completed to allow Safran to be relaunched in late April or early May.
 

All good things must come to an end and after 105 days of live radio link-ups with the skippers, the final radio session of this sixth Vendée Globe will take place on Sunday 22nd February. However, we have not forgotten those skippers still at sea and will be in contact with them every three days. The recorded conversation will then be made available online in the media (Audio) section.

“Hello to everyone in snowy Europe,
I’ve had some good conditions today enabling me to make progress northwards. We covered a very decent 206 miles towards the finish and I hope that will continue, as that will mean I should be at the Equator in the middle of next week. Spent most of the day doing office work and talking to journalists. I shall rest a bit now and take some time to look at the stars and the Milky Way from here in the Tropics. Everything is fine on board and I haven’t had any more damage, so am on my way to Les Sables”

Norbert Sedlacek (Nauticsport-Kapsch) in his daily messsage
 

"Finally into what I recognize as trade winds, cresting seas, blue water, blue sky, fluffy white clouds. On edge between 2 reefs and 3 reefs, but going to stay with 3 to make it easier on boat. It doesn't mean the tremendous crashing will go away, but maybe it will be just a bit less bumpy if we happen to rocket off waves.  Cleaned the desalinator with biocide today, trying to keep ship systems going. Turning off computer between communication and weather sessions to save battery amps. Have forward ballast tank 1/2 full to help in the pounding upwind, have some apparent leak in the starboard side of the tank it seems, so trying to keep the water off that side. When we get to the lifting trades, will look again up forward. Took 25 buckets of water out of starboard compartment after the big blow off Brazil. Not making a very good course right now, but trying to keep going, laying the boat over a bit to let her land on her side, not her bottom, and keep the speed going. Four-day weather charts show a bizarre circumstance which will not be helpful, with the Azores high pracatically looking like it will move over to somewhere off New England, so we can't go north and wrap around like the others. We will have dead upwind, where those who have already finished the race had downwind conditions. We're not excited about that. Doesn't look as though there are too many alternatives, though, because to the east is a dissipating high which will have no wind in it. Maybe things will change from those forecasts. Hope so."

Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message

The two British sailors Sam Davies and Dee Caffari shared their breakfast this morning with over a million viewers on BBC Breakfast. Dee will be returning to Les Sables d’Olonne on Wednesday evening to await the next two competitors, Arnaud Boissières and Steve White.

"So Arnaud what is your ETA ? You must be in a hurry to finish, now that the rankings are more or less decided? How does it feel to see the others finishing?

A nice day of sailing, with a fine breeze that got up after 18 hours of calm. Under gennaker, surfing along at the helm with the iPod on but not too loud, so I can hear the boat and feel the waves. There are 900, 2000 or 20,000 miles. It doesn’t matter. It’s the present that counts. The boat is happy and sliding along, tossed about a bit by the waves, who want to show who’s in charge. Each mile is a struggle or a pleasure. In any case in these conditions it’s a pleasure and privilege to be here.

And your ETA ?
It’s dull. There are plastic bottles and crab pots floating around. This isn’t the southern ocean, but sometimes the surf makes me think of that

And your ETA?
Ask the wind god. I’m just his play thing or servant. All’s well on the veranda. In a hurry to finish and set out on new challenges

So what are your final days at sea like?
Like the first: It’s a pleasure to be here and a privilege to be still racing

And your ETA ?
The next black 18-metre veranda you see near the Nouch Buoy with one bloke on board means the ETA is not far off. If you want more information call our hotline 0.36 euros /min"

Arnaud Boissières (Akéna Vérandas) in his daily message