Vendée Globe

April 30. 2009 at 15:37Five Imoca 60s in Douarnenez

Five Imoca monohulls will be back in the spotlight in Douarnenez in Brittany this weekend for the Petit Navire Grand Prix. The winner of the last Vendée Globe, Michel Desjoyeaux's Foncia and the runner-up, Brit Air (Armel Le Cléac'h) will be battling it out against Sébastien Josse's BT, Marc Thiercelin's DCNS and Jonny Malbon's Artemis. The programme for the weekend involves two days of runs in front of the public and two days of coastal races starting and finishing off Rosmeur harbour in Douarnenez.

April 30. 2009 at 15:11Artemis and BT to carry out sea trials together

Since her return from the Vendée Globe, the Artemis Ocean Racing shore team has been busy preparing the IMOCA 60 for the new season. The monohull is back in the water in Southampton after a few weeks of work on her. Jonny Malbon and a few members of the team will shortly be setting sail for Douarnenez to take part in the Petit Navire Grand Prix. Following this event, Artemis will be taken around to Concarneau in SW Brittany for some training sessions and sea trials alongside Sébastien Josse (BT). In mid-May, the boat will return to England for a short refit before taking part in Cowes Week and in the Artemis Challenge race around the Isle of Wight.

April 19. 2009 at 16:25Dominique Wavre re-elected Imoca class President

The new board of IMOCA was voted and agreed on this Friday in Barcelona.
President: Dominique Wavre (Temenos);
Vice Presidents: Pascal Chadail (Safran) and Jacques Guilbaud;
Secretary General: Bernard Stamm (Cheminées poujoulat).
Technical committee President: Pascal Chadail (Safran).
Events Committee President: Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux).
To complete the Executive Committee: Yann Eliès (Générali) and Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss).
Treasurer: Luc Talbourdet (Paprec-Virbac).
 

April 16. 2009 at 17:324 Vendée Globe skippers at the Spi Ouest France

Four skippers from the last Vendée Globe took part last weekend in the Spi Ouest-France in La Trinité sur Mer in Brittany. Sébastien Josse (BT) was given the job of tactician on Thomas Rouxel's Open 7.50 Défi Mousquetaires, which won the event in that category after twelve races were run in Quiberon Bay. The Open 7.50 Safran finished seventh. Marc Guillemot had entrusted the boat to Sébastien Audigane. Still in the same category, Arnaud Boissières (Akena Verandas) was on board F. Leonart's O’Tomate, but had to be satisfied with finishing sixteenth. As for Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2), he was accompanied by Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, the CEO of the Paprec Group on board the Sinergia 40 Paprec-Recyclage which was skippered by Stéphane Névé. The crew came second in IRC-1 just behind the Grand Soleil 43, Codiam. Finally, Samantha Davies (Roxy) was working as mainsail trimmer and helping out with tactics aboard a J-80 in the BMW Sailing Cup.

April 15. 2009 at 12:27IMOCA General meeting

The general meting of the Imoca class will be taking place in Barcelona this Friday (17th April) from 10h30 to 17h00. It will be preceded on Thursday by preparatory meetings on the following themes: technology, class rules and safety, the IMOCA championship and race calendar, the organisation and running of the class, communications and partnerships. The Fundació Navigació Oceànica Barcelona (F.N.O.B.) is taking care of the logistical aspects of the event and the closing evening, where Armel le Cleac’h will be receiving the title of 2008 Imoca world champion.

April 15. 2009 at 11:20Brian Thompson honoured in Bahrain

Following his fifth place in the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe on Bahrain Team Pindar, Brian Thompson was yesterday awarded the Order of Bahrain in a ceremony conducted by the King of Bahrain, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The prestigious accolade was awarded for Thompson's historic completion of the Vendee Globe - the first time a yacht carrying the Kingdom of Bahrain livery, has sailed around the globe. Speaking from Bahrain, Thompson stated once again that he would like to take part in 2012 … and will be aiming to win the race.

April 13. 2009 at 09:00Telefonica with a 60-foot boat

According to Jose Benavides, the manager of the FNOB*, which has just bought Gitana Eighty and Paprec-Virbac 2, the Spanish phone company, Telefonica, which has two boats taking part at the moment in the Volvo Ocean Race is watching closely the developments in the IMOCA class. It would not be surprising to see Telefonica becoming involved in the 60-foot ocean racing circuit... «Spain is making up for lost time in this area», explained Jose Benavides.

* FNOB : the Barcelona Ocean Racing Foundation (Fundació per la Navegació Oceànica de Barcelona)
 

April 10. 2009 at 09:00Jean-Pierre Dick's Verdier-VPLP design

The construction of the Verdier VPLP-designed 60-foot boat for Jean-Pierre Dick is due to begin this summer in a yard in New Zealand. Her launch is planned for April 2010. Still with the support of his partners Virbac and Paprec, Jean-Pierre Dick has already announced that he intends to take part for a third time in the Vendée Globe. The prospect of building two sisterships, as the French team did four years ago, remains a possibility.

*VPLP : Van Peteghem – Lauriot-Prévost

 

April 07. 2009 at 16:43Party time for Aviva

With the end of the Vendée Globe campaign for 2008-2009, and after a busy time with the media, Dee Caffari was able to take off on holiday for a few days, but has not forgotten all those, who worked with her over the past few months and years. Last weekend, a big party was organised for the whole team. Too many people to go aboard Aviva, but a celebration at sea seemed appropriate, which is why 200 people went a mile off shore off to Spitbank Fort, which was originally built to ward off a potential attack from the hostile French in the mid-nineteenth Century…

April 06. 2009 at 15:15Toe in the Water going home

Six months after setting out from Weymouth, Toe in the Water is due to return to her home port on Thursday. After his eighth place in the Vendée Globe 2008-2009, her skipper Steve White will be sailing her home in the company of Sir Robin Knox Johnston, who has already expressed his admiration for the young British round the world sailor, who had so many financial worries before lining up at the start of the Vendée Globe. Toe in the Water will now be based in the new marina, which has just opened in Portland, which will be one of the host sites for the 2012 Olympics. Steve is due to receive a rapturous welcome at the Royal Dorset Yacht Club early on Thursday afternoon before celebrating with Dee Caffari and Brian Thompson in the evening.