Newswire : Steve's tour of the islands

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February 23. 2009 at 19:45Steve's tour of the islands

"Since I added Flores in the Azores to the list of islands I have seen on my little tour progress has been pretty slow. Sam sent me an e-mail as she went through the Azores and said she was going well in thirty five knots of breeze, but why was there always an island in the way? It's true though, I've seen or had to avoid Madeira, the Canaries, the Kerguelens, Staten Island, Cape Horn which is an island, Fernando de Norohna and then the Azores - three months and not a continent to be seen, just about one island a week though! I got another fishy visitor not long after leaving he Azores who was really unusual. He was obviously tuna family from the pyramidal ridges down his back behind his dorsal fin, but he was really thin like a garfish, and had a very long beak which was like a sailmakers needle at it's tip and pretty fine all the way down too, and about as long as my index finger and gently curving upwards. The whole fish was about a foot long. I suppose he used it for spearfishing like a mini marlin or something, curious anyway. I am really looking forwards togetting in now. I'm currently pounding down towards Cape Finisterre where it is always windier than everywhere else, and sure enugh I have just had twenty eight knots on the nose - not ideal with a broken inner forestay from which the staysail is currently flying, a repaired gooseneck and generally lots of other bits that have now done nearly twenty six thousand miles or whatever it is, and could do without being slammed about. Where the bottom of the boat is so flat, it slams like a tea tray and you do actually get a headache from the sudden stop that the boat comes to every few seconds and the bang that accompanies it. I can't quite win though weatherwise, we have a good wind angle down here but a bad seastate for the boat at this point in the race, and if we tack to the north east, the breeze slowly dies as we approach the high, particularly at night, and then in light airs my tacking angles become huge - over one hundred and twenty degrees, so it's really frustratingly slow progress - a seven hundred mile dead beat to windward for the finish, who'd have though it! The weather is definitely giving me a hard time, still, maybe it's because I need to learn more patience, but I could do with that lesson after the race! It is frustrating with the clan all gathered in Les Sable and me under four hundred miles away - in the South we'd have done that distance in just over a day, but here........it won't be until Thursday morning now I "

Steve White (Toe in the Water) in his daily message

February 23. 2009 at 18:07Roxy heading to Lorient

"I've been on dry land now for ten days and I haven't stopped. After the crowds in Les Sables d'Olonne for my finish, on Tuesday 17th, I began a series of media interviews in France and England. I'm not sure which is the most tiring – sailing around the world or doing these interviews! But now I'm back home again with my cats, my bathroom and my bed. Tomorrow I'll get back with Roxy after a week away from her. Her holidays in Les Sables are over. Roxy is leaving Port Olona today to head home to Lorient. Nine hours later and my Roxy will arrive on Tuesday afternoon at around 13h in Lorient Harbour. Roxy deserves some rest and needs to be taken care of now. Fortunately, my shore team is there, my Roxy boys, and they will be removing her keel, mast and giving her a thorough check-up in the shed. "

Sam Davies in an e-mail today

February 23. 2009 at 10:58Latest ETAs

Based on this morning's weather charts and positions, Richard Silvani of Météo France has come up with the following ETAs for Steve White and Rich Wilson.

- Toe in the Water: between 03h00 GMT on Thursday 26th February and 00h00 on Friday 27th February
- Great American III : from 18h00 GMT on Thursday 5th March

February 22. 2009 at 21:30More adverse conditions for Rich

"Staysail, 2 reefs in mainsail, hard on the wind, as always. Sadly, forecasts look even more difficult, as the high that we have been going to meet to get some boost from the backside, is only going to be in position, as they say in baseball, for a cup of coffee, before moving on, and another high comes in from Nova Scotia area, to present adverse winds, not favorable winds. Sunny today, blue sky, barograph at 1024mb high. My mom is having an early birthday celebration today, spoke with my sister Sarah who is in from San Francisco for a visit. Happy Birthday Mom!"

Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message

February 22. 2009 at 20:08Pictures of Cali finishing

You can view the pictures of Arnaud Boissières finishing aboard Akena Vérandas in the media section. There are pictures of the finish, as he sails into the harbour, arrives at the pontoon and climbs on to the podium, as well as of his press conference. To view the pictures just click here

February 22. 2009 at 16:24Reaction from the President of Akéna Vérandas

Christophe Chabot, Président of Akéna : We intend to carry on with improvements from one Vendée Globe to the next. Arnaud is an incredible lad and I'm pleased to see so many people out for him. He is aware of the luck he has and is always in a good mood. Nothing has been decided yet, but the next project which we hope will be with Arnaud, will be even bigger. He has understood our way of thinking and how we communicate...

February 22. 2009 at 16:10In the canal

And Cali has entered the canal, has been reunited with his little son Hugo, two and a half, and the cheers are just enormous, thousands of people lining the walls of the canal. He is dancing around like mad, acknowledging the cheer and the warm, warm welcome. Flares? Plenty of them, the first are let on the bow as Cali waves to the world as he enters the home port of Akena Verandas.

The sea walls are two and three people deep the whole way along, there is not a space to be had, and on the water you could walk from one side to the other....it is just incredible.

February 22. 2009 at 16:03Cali's first words

"Simply a great pleasure. I've sailed aboard a boat I love. It's not me, who is extraordinary, but the boat. I owe the boat this seventh place. The four year campaign begins now. I want to be aboard a more modern boat that I know perfectly well next time. "

February 22. 2009 at 15:50Cali to enter the harbour shortly

In a few minutes, Arnaud Boissières will be sailing into the harbour in Les Sables d'Olonne aboard Akéna Vérandas after completing the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe. We will bring you his first words shortly...