Woods’ TP52 takes Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
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Perfect conditions for round four of the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
And finally the Vendee Globe front runners are able to head east
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
They won leg 1, took full points in the scoring gate in leg 2 and were first into Kochi, India.
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
[Source: Ericsson Racing Team] Ericsson Racing Team won Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race today when Ericsson 4, skippered by Olympic gold medalist Torben Grael of Brazil, crossed the finish line at 04:22:30 local time, 2252:30 GMT on Nov. 29.
Ericsson 4 completed the 4,450-nautical-mile leg from Cape Town, South Africa, in 14 days, 11 hours, 32 minutes and 30 seconds. The crew earned 12 points on the leg - 8 points for the leg win and 4 points for first at the scoring gate. Ericsson 4 now has 26 points total and retains the fleet lead.
“Everybody’s very happy. It was a very tough leg with so many different conditions,” said Grael. “It’s just the beginning of the race, and there are some difficult legs ahead of us. A lot of unexpected things can happen, it’s good to be in the position we’re in.”
Ericsson 4 arrives in Cochin victorious. Cochin, 29 November 2008. Video copyright Ericsson Racing Team
Ericsson 4 had an adventurous leg, one that navigator Jules Salter described as beginning like a lion and ending like a lamb.
The first week was spent in rough conditions just north of 40S latitude, and the weather took a toll on both crew and gear. Sails were damaged and the crew suffered from lack of sleep, but Ericsson 4, a second generation Volvo Open 70 from designer Juan Kouyoumdjian, didn’t suffer any significant damage.
“We learned a lot from Juan K last time, and have taken that forward to this generation. We have a lot of confidence in the structure,” said David Endean, Ericsson 4 pit man and boat captain. “This generation of boat is stronger than the last.”
The International crew led the fleet past the scoring gate on Nov. 20, and then sprinted up the Indian Ocean to the Doldrums, swapping the lead with teammate Ericsson 3. Ericsson 4 made its break from the fleet on Thursday when it scampered through the Doldrums and then benefited from strong westerlies on the Equator.
Ericsson 4 arrives in Cochin victorious. Cochin, 29 November 2008. Video copyright Ericsson Racing Team
In the end, Ericsson 4 was made to wait painfully for this victory. It took nearly nine hours to complete the final 65 nautical miles, a snail’s pace for the speedy VO 70s. While they were drifting to the finish, the fleet was closing up from behind.
“We’re very happy to be here. Very relieved and very satisfied. Relief is a common emotion after how light it got at the end,” said watch captain Stu Bannatyne. “There’s always a risk to get overtaken when you park up. The others can see where you’re parked and it can all disappear very quickly. Fortunately we had enough.”
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
A significant day ahead for the Vendee Globe frontrunners
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
[Source: RNZYS] The fourth and final day of the New Zealand Match Racing Championships was held in extremely frustrating conditions for the competitors and the Race Committee alike. A light southerly breeze prevailed for most of the day but was very shifty, so the volunteers aboard the mark laying boats work hard to maintain a fair and equal course.
The three remaining flights of the second round robin were completed in the morning, as the final charges for the four semi final places began. It was a tight contest between the leading six teams, and the day was sparked by an upsetting race for Dean Barker, when his winning streak was cut short by Ben Ainslie who beat him by 30 seconds. Rod Davis claimed a win over Adam Minoprio, whilst Laurie Jury beat Adrian Short, securing his spot in the semi finals. Minoprio fought back hard in the next flight, clawing a vital point back with an impressive win over Ben Ainslie. Minoprio then went onto beat Dean Barker in the following flight; however it wasn’t quite enough to see him through to the final four.
Phil Robertson’s last hopes of making the semi finals were dashed by Laurie Jury, who beat Phil and put him out of the running for the top four. With Rod Davis securing a spot in semis, the four teams were decided. Ainslie, Barker, Jury, and Davis were then to fight it out for the match racing title.
Barker won the first race of the semi finals against Jury, who put up a fight in the second race to equal the scores. However the third race saw Barker into the finals and it was Ben Ainslie who was going to match him. After defeating Rod Davis, Ainslie took his spot in the final two, and it was all on from there!
The petit finals and finals saw some close racing as teams battled to get the 1st and 3rd placing. Jury had two wins over Davis, putting him in third place overall, whilst Barker had three consecutive wins over Ainslie, giving him the Auckland Match Racing Cup and making him the 2008 New Zealand Match Racing Championships winner.
With a day to spare the regatta came to end, with a forecast of very light winds tomorrow, the Race Committee was pleased to complete two round robins, semi finals and finals within four days. A very successful event, and after four exhausting days, the sailors, umpires, race committee, and all the volunteers will sleep well tonight. We’re looking forward to another exciting regatta next year!
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
Ericsson 4 expected to be first home later today on leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
[Source: Vendée Globe] Like birds migrating south, the leading bunch seem have fallen neatly into each other’s slipstreams as they head down the latitudes, with Sébastien Josse showing the way.
No change among the front-runners at this evening’s update (1900hrs GMT): first placed Seb Josse has pulled a couple more miles out on Loick Peyron, whilst the distance to the next seven boats has increased marginally as their VMG picks up again. But if the speeds are picking up, what does that mean for the St Helena High?
Most of the skippers are playing their cards close to their chest, but we can certainly expect another day or two of unsettled weather as they cross the high pressure zone. After last night’s swing to the south, the predictions are for the wind to start backing northerly. When the westerlies will kick in is still open to speculation! With nine hours between scheds overnight, this could be a real opportunity for some night manoeuvring — we won’t know who comes out best until 0400h (GMT) tomorrow.
Highlights from day 19 of the Vendée Globe. 28 November 2008. Video copyright Vendée Globe
Some of the positions are a little misrepresentative of where the skippers are in the real race — the race to get south. For example, ninth placed Mike Golding (Ecover, GBR) is 55 miles further south than Jean Le Cam in fourth. Le Cam’s radical south-easterly track appears to have been a temporary hitch in response to a shift, and he is now on a similar heading to the rest of the fleet.
In fact the boat closest to Le Cam’s latitude is 10th-placed Safran (Marc Guillemot), who made rapid progress south over the past couple of days and looks set to rejoin the leading group. Few would even rule out that Michel Desjoyeaux, currently in 14th, could catch the front-runners — Foncia is now around 55 miles further south than Sam Davies (GBR), but approx 125 miles to the west, which means that the Roxy skipper is showing as one place ahead. Swiss sailor Bernard Stamm is currently barreling down the track most rapidly, taking 120 miles from the leaders in the past 24 hours in Cheminées Poujoulat in 22nd place.
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
[Source: Vendée Globe] Like birds migrating south, the leading bunch seem have fallen neatly into each other’s slipstreams as they head down the latitudes, with Sébastien Josse showing the way.
No change among the front-runners at this evening’s update (1900hrs GMT): first placed Seb Josse has pulled a couple more miles out on Loick Peyron, whilst the distance to the next seven boats has increased marginally as their VMG picks up again. But if the speeds are picking up, what does that mean for the St Helena High?
Most of the skippers are playing their cards close to their chest, but we can certainly expect another day or two of unsettled weather as they cross the high pressure zone. After last night’s swing to the south, the predictions are for the wind to start backing northerly. When the westerlies will kick in is still open to speculation! With nine hours between scheds overnight, this could be a real opportunity for some night manoeuvring — we won’t know who comes out best until 0400h (GMT) tomorrow.
Highlights from day 19 of the Vendée Globe. 28 November 2008. Video copyright Vendée Globe
Some of the positions are a little misrepresentative of where the skippers are in the real race — the race to get south. For example, ninth placed Mike Golding (Ecover, GBR) is 55 miles further south than Jean Le Cam in fourth. Le Cam’s radical south-easterly track appears to have been a temporary hitch in response to a shift, and he is now on a similar heading to the rest of the fleet.
In fact the boat closest to Le Cam’s latitude is 10th-placed Safran (Marc Guillemot), who made rapid progress south over the past couple of days and looks set to rejoin the leading group. Few would even rule out that Michel Desjoyeaux, currently in 14th, could catch the front-runners — Foncia is now around 55 miles further south than Sam Davies (GBR), but approx 125 miles to the west, which means that the Roxy skipper is showing as one place ahead. Swiss sailor Bernard Stamm is currently barreling down the track most rapidly, taking 120 miles from the leaders in the past 24 hours in Cheminées Poujoulat in 22nd place.
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
BMW ORACLE RACING’S TRIMARAN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES
PHASE I OF SEA TRIALS IN SAN DIEGO
– State-of-the-Art Trimaran Will Undergo Modifications to Improve Performance and Start Phase II Sea Trials in San Diego in Late January
– BMW ORACLE Explores New Racing Options for Trimaran
San Diego, California, November 28, 2008 – Russell Coutts, CEO and Skipper of BMW ORACLE Racing, today announced that BOR 90, the syndicate’s state-of-the-art trimaran, has successfully completed Phase I of its sea trials in San Diego.
The 90 foot high-tech trimaran now will undergo further modifications to improve performance based on the team’s experiences with the trimaran on the Pacific Ocean off California since October. Over the next few months, a number of design changes will be implemented in order to make the trimaran an even faster, more responsive boat. In addition, decisions will be made about the optimum crew size and placement.
The boat will return to the water in late January for several additional months of testing in San Diego.
The BMW Oracle trimaran sailing in San Diego. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
Said Coutts, “We’ve had some great sailing over the past seven weeks. Our team worked hard and pushed the limits of the boat, identifying its many strengths as well as several areas where it needs improvement. We saw it can consistently sail one-and-a-half to two times the speed of the wind, regardless of sea and wind conditions, and it has remarkable agility. Overall, it’s an amazing machine – none of us have ever sailed anything like it. Its extreme engineering enables extreme performance.”
Coutts also announced that BMW ORACLE had begun to explore opportunities to race the trimaran. “Our racing options for sailing a multihull are not limited to the America’s Cup. Indeed, a Deed of Gift race is only a default option forced on us if Alinghi declines to agree to a multi-challenger event after we win the appeal. It remains our hope that we will reach an agreement with the America’s Cup Defender that will enable a traditional, multi-challenger America’s Cup in monohulls.
“With that in mind, we are exploring a number of other ways to sail the boat, including match races, regattas or even an attempt at one of the sailing speed records,” he said.
Coutts added, “On behalf of all of us at BMW ORACLE Racing, I want to thank the people of San Diego – the reception we’ve gotten from the sailing community and everyone else has been wonderful.”
The Phase I sea trials followed several weeks of “shake-down” testing in Puget Sound off Anacortes, WA earlier in September.
The BMW Oracle trimaran sailing in San Diego. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
Steve brings out the Sikaflex and sail repair kit on board Toe in the Water
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
Guy Swindells talks to Volvo fleet crew as they approach the finish of the second leg in Cochin
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
Alex offers his comments on the race so far, which has seen the lead group slow
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
[Source:RC 44] The RC 44 Gold Cup will take place in Puerto Calero (Canary Islands, Spain), on December 10-14. This event is the last regatta in the RC 44 2008 Championship Tour. The season’s match, fleet race and long distance champions will be crowned. The pressure is rising: there is a lot at stake.
The season champions of the RC 44 Class will be crowned on December 14 in Puerto Calero, on the Island of Lanzarote (Canary Islands), at the end of the RC 44 Gold Cup.
The best RC 44 teams, including some of the world’s best sailors, will participate in the event: Team Aqua, Ceeref, BMW ORACLE Racing, Artemis, Banco Espirito Santo, Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano and the new local Team Islas Canarias Puerto Calero.
The Gold Cup is the season’s most important regatta and it promises to be intense. In the fleet race ranking, Armando Giulietti’s Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano benefits from a fairly comfortable margin although he will have to sail well to confirm his earlier results. Indeed, places are hot in his wake with three teams fighting for two spots left on the podium. Patrick de Barros’ team Banco Espirito Santo, Igor Lah’s Ceeref and Chris Bake’s Team Aqua are merely separated by 24 points and a reshuffle is possible.
The DHL Trophy ranking is even hotter, with the two leaders – Banco Espirito Santo and Hiroshi – separated by just one point. The DHL Trophy is the long distance contest of the Championship Tour; a regatta that allows teams to discover the surroundings of the race sites such as the Palm in Dubai or the upper part of Lake Traun in Austria. The Gold Cup long distance DHL regatta will remain a windward-leeward circuit, sailed alongside the stunning Island of Lanzarote.
The RC 44 match race contest is one of the toughest in the world, with three times America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts sailing against Team New Zealand’s helmsman Dean Barker, James Spithill, Cameron Appleton, Sébastien Col and many more. James Spithill is in a good position to win the annual ranking although his boss at BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison, will do his best to beat him for the third time in four races. Ellison didn’t compete in the first regatta of the season and can therefore only win the yearly ranking if he wins the Gold Cup whilst Ceeref finishes last. With 13 points on the scoreboard, Ellison will also have to seriously control the boats behind him: Banco Espirito Santo (14 points), Hiroshi – Città di Milano (16 points) and Team Aqua (17 points). No doubt this will be a fascinating contest!
A new team joins the RC 44 fleet for the Gold Cup: the local team Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, sailing on board Beecom. José Maria Ponce will be at the helm; he is well known in Spain as the backup helmsman for the TP 52 Bribón. Most of the team is made up of members of Daniel Calero’s GP 42 campaign, whilst some members of Desafio - the Spanish entry for the America’s Cup - will reinforce the crew. Their local knowledge is a serious asset.
Organised by Puerto Calero, a superb real estate development on Lanzarote’s seafront, the RC 44 Gold Cup will begin on Wednesday December 10 with the match racing event. After a full round robin held in two days, the team owners will take (or keep, depending on the cases) the helm for three days of fleet racing. The DHL Trophy regatta will take place on Sunday; the winner of this race will be awarded with the DHL Trophy, whilst the points of the regatta will be incorporated in the fleet race ranking.
The teams involved in the Gold Cup:
BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison / Russell Coutts
Ceeref, Igor Lah / James Spithill
Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano, Armando Giulietti
Team Banco Espirito Santo, Patrick de Barros / Mark Mendelblatt
Team Aqua, Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton
Artemis, Torbjorn Tornqvist / Dean Barker
Islas Canarias Puerto Calero – José Calero / José Maria Ponce
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
RC 44s to have their final 2008 show down at the Gold Cup in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
Initial sea trials of maxi-tri end in San Diego
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
As OK class publish their World Ranking List
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
As Bouwe Bekking’s team climb to second in the Volvo Ocean Race
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
Just 20 miles separate the first eight skippers
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
Just 20 miles separate the first eight skippers
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
As the gloom of the Doldrums is put behind them the fleet march on India
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
The Hugo Boss skipper looks ahead in the Vendee Globe
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
An update on the hardships of the Vendee Globe on board the good ship Artemis
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
[Source: Vendée Globe] Peyron reclaims the lead overnight, but there’s nothing to split the leading three – all within two miles. Just 20 miles divide the first seven skippers after 18 days of racing — is the Vendée Globe set to restart in the Southern Atlantic?
Neptune decided to throw in some wild cards last night, as the leaders entered a zone of virtually random conditions with squalls, calms, grey skies, lower temperatures and variable south-easterly winds averaging just 10 knots. The high pressure area is now being felt, with sudden wind shifts of more than 40 degrees in the small hours of this morning.
Loïck Peyron (Gitana 80) and Armel l’Cleac’h (Brit Air) were able to carry on a straight course for the south-south-east, moving Peyron back up to the lead in this morning’s rankings — these two can no doubt see each other, as they are just seven miles apart. Similarly Vincent Riou (PRB), Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) and Yann Eliès (Generali), are practically next to each other at this extraordinary point in the race.
Yesterday evening Sebastien Josse (BT) had wrestled the lead from Peyron. He is now showing in second place, just 1.2 miles behind Peyron, but by being on the east of the front runners Josse has managed to stay on port tack as the wind shifted more southerly. He is currently heading south-south-west with relative speed in these light conditions — a radical move which may yet pay off as BT is also the most southernmost boat.
The biggest effects of the southerly shift were felt to the west of the course, where Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2, 7th) and Mike Golding (Ecover, GBR, 9th) were forced to tack during the night, losing ground as they headed on an easterly course on starboard. They will now be experiencing similar conditions to the leading bunch, as the fleet converges yet further.
Jean le Cam (VM Matériaux), out on the east of this group, has moved up to fourth place this morning as the leading pack sail towards his line.
As the leaders slow, the chasing bunch of Marc Guillemot (Safran), Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar, GBR) and Dominque Wavre (Temenos, SUI) have kept the pace on, with Temenos currently the fastest boat on the course. Thompson for instance is 55 miles closer to the leader than he was yesterday morning. Meanwhile in 22nd place Bernard Stamm (Cheminées-Poujoulat) is doing his best to eat up the miles, covering the greatest distance in the past 24 hours.
Last night Derek Hatfield (Algimouss Spirit of Canada) became the 24th skipper to cross the Equator, with just Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty remaining in the northern hemisphere.
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
[Source: Vendée Globe] Peyron reclaims the lead overnight, but there’s nothing to split the leading three – all within two miles. Just 20 miles divide the first seven skippers after 18 days of racing — is the Vendée Globe set to restart in the Southern Atlantic?
Neptune decided to throw in some wild cards last night, as the leaders entered a zone of virtually random conditions with squalls, calms, grey skies, lower temperatures and variable south-easterly winds averaging just 10 knots. The high pressure area is now being felt, with sudden wind shifts of more than 40 degrees in the small hours of this morning.
Loïck Peyron (Gitana 80) and Armel l’Cleac’h (Brit Air) were able to carry on a straight course for the south-south-east, moving Peyron back up to the lead in this morning’s rankings — these two can no doubt see each other, as they are just seven miles apart. Similarly Vincent Riou (PRB), Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) and Yann Eliès (Generali), are practically next to each other at this extraordinary point in the race.
Yesterday evening Sebastien Josse (BT) had wrestled the lead from Peyron. He is now showing in second place, just 1.2 miles behind Peyron, but by being on the east of the front runners Josse has managed to stay on port tack as the wind shifted more southerly. He is currently heading south-south-west with relative speed in these light conditions — a radical move which may yet pay off as BT is also the most southernmost boat.
The biggest effects of the southerly shift were felt to the west of the course, where Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2, 7th) and Mike Golding (Ecover, GBR, 9th) were forced to tack during the night, losing ground as they headed on an easterly course on starboard. They will now be experiencing similar conditions to the leading bunch, as the fleet converges yet further.
Jean le Cam (VM Matériaux), out on the east of this group, has moved up to fourth place this morning as the leading pack sail towards his line.
As the leaders slow, the chasing bunch of Marc Guillemot (Safran), Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar, GBR) and Dominque Wavre (Temenos, SUI) have kept the pace on, with Temenos currently the fastest boat on the course. Thompson for instance is 55 miles closer to the leader than he was yesterday morning. Meanwhile in 22nd place Bernard Stamm (Cheminées-Poujoulat) is doing his best to eat up the miles, covering the greatest distance in the past 24 hours.
Last night Derek Hatfield (Algimouss Spirit of Canada) became the 24th skipper to cross the Equator, with just Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty remaining in the northern hemisphere.
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
[Source: RNZYS] Competitors were greeted with a fresh easterly breeze of 15 – 18 knots as they sailed out into the third day of the Match Racing Nationals. The heavier conditions made for exciting spectator viewing, as boat handling and crew work was critical to maintain control of the boats.
Another brilliant performance from Dean Barker today saw him leave the water with 17 wins, and is yet to lose a race. If anyone was to disturb this winning streak, it was the young team helmed by Phil Robertson, who really put the pressure on the Emirates Team New Zealand crew during the early stages of the day. After a very tight and exciting pre-start, both boats sailed neck and neck to the top mark, where Barker rounded in front by a mere three seconds. Robertson, known for his fast downwind sailing, managed to creep past Barker on the downwind leg, coming out just in front at the bottom mark. With only one leg to go, Barker fought his way back in front and extended his lead to a 12 second victory at the finish line.
Robertson continued to threaten the leading sailors, with a tough race against Ben Ainslie. On the last downwind leg the boats gybed all the way to the finish, and after an intense luffing dual just before the finish line Robertson was given a penalty which saw Ainslie claim the race. The penalty which was given to Robertson occurred after serious contact causing damage to their two boats, thus both teams were deducted half a point for failing to avoid a collision. Unfortunately for Robertson, he still had to complete his penalty before he could finish the race. Nevertheless an excellent effort from the young helmsman!
While Barker and Ainslie look safe to make the semi-finals, the next three flights are critical in deciding who will fill up the other two spots. With Rod Davis on 12 wins and Adam Minoprio on 11, they will be fighting for the spots as Laurie Jury and Phil Robertson are not that far behind. The Race Committee got six flights away today, so still have three flights to complete the round robin. With Ben Ainslie, Rod Davis and Dean Barker yet to match each other in this round, we are looking at an exciting start to tomorrows racing!
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
Seb Josse takes control as leaders encounter high pressure
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
News of 2009 Solent Raymarine Warsash Spring Series
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
We look at the star of the Earls Court boat show - Key Yachting’s Santa Cruz 37
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
71 to compete at Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
Neil Pryde’s HiFi is the boat to beat in Thailand next week
Original post by Bruce and software by Elliott Back
[Source: Vendée Globe] For the first time in 14 days, the 2008-08 Vendée Globe has a new leader. At this afternoon’s 1500hrs (GMT) updates, Seb Josse on BT has taken pole position from long-time pace-setter Loïck Peyron.
But whilst place-changes among this leading group can sometime be misleading — it is after all measured from ‘distance to finish’, which doesn’t take account of the fact that the front pack are having to dive south rather than take the most direct route to the Cape — Josse is also further south and showing better boatspeed than Gitana Eighty to stretch out a lead of 15.3 miles. Over the past five hours Peyron’s average speed has been little more than five knots, and his 24-hour distance covered has dropped to under 200 miles for the first time in six days. His track shows a number of tacks, apparently the result of squalls as Peyron finds himself sailing under a black cloud — in every sense.
Peyron wrote today: “This morning, I ended up stuck beneath a squall for three – four hours. There wasn’t a breath of air and I was manoeuvring in every direction to try to get out of it all. We’re hitting a buffer zone and as I was leading the way, I was the first to land in the shit! It’s no surprise though, I’d be preparing for it for several days. This isn’t the important thing: you mustn’t be distracted by the rankings and the changes in hierarchy as things really only get serious further down the track…â€
Jonny Malbon on Artemis gives a very interesting account of sailing in the Doldrums. 27 November 2008. Video copyright Vendée Globe
Behind this duo the place changes are less clear-cut, Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2), who was third this morning, is currently showing as fifth, but is still the next most southerly boat in this race to the 40s. That means Armel le Cléac’h (Brit Air) has moved up to third, and Vincent Rio (PRB) to fourth. But the leading seven boats are now packed within just 40 miles, and who is actually in front will be open to debate while we wait to see the effect of the high pressure system. Currently showing in eighth place, Mike Golding (Ecover, GBR) is to the west of this leading group, and has conceded a few miles to Yann Elies (Generali).
Still consistently quick, Marc Guillemot on Safran is just over 150 miles off the leader —having halved the distance of one week ago — and other boats are coming down with him; Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar, GBR) and Dominque Wavre (Temenos, SUI), who have reversed yesterday’s order with Thomspon now 10 miles ahead.
Michel Desjoyeaux on Foncia continues to clock up the miles to the west, although Dee Caffari (Aviva, GBR) has been doing a good job of hanging onto his coat tails, showing the greatest mileage over the past 24 hours.
The fastest boat on the course is currently Bernard Stamm’s Cheminées Poujoulat (SUI), averaging over 13 knots in his pursuit of Raphael Dinelli (Fondation Océan Vital).
In this morning’s radio broadcasts the chasing skippers were all hoping for the opportunity to make some gains and close up with the leading pack, but the real chances will come for whoever can exit the high pressure system in best shape. In the meantime it’s time to keep on top of any ongoing maintenance and perform some final checks before the plunge south — a trip up the rig is in order for many of them.
Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Valencia Sailing) and software by Elliott Back
[Source: Vendée Globe] For the first time in 14 days, the 2008-08 Vendée Globe has a new leader. At this afternoon’s 1500hrs (GMT) updates, Seb Josse on BT has taken pole position from long-time pace-setter Loïck Peyron.
But whilst place-changes among this leading group can sometime be misleading — it is after all measured from ‘distance to finish’, which doesn’t take account of the fact that the front pack are having to dive south rather than take the most direct route to the Cape — Josse is also further south and showing better boatspeed than Gitana Eighty to stretch out a lead of 15.3 miles. Over the past five hours Peyron’s average speed has been little more than five knots, and his 24-hour distance covered has dropped to under 200 miles for the first time in six days. His track shows a number of tacks, apparently the result of squalls as Peyron finds himself sailing under a black cloud — in every sense.
Peyron wrote today: “This morning, I ended up stuck beneath a squall for three – four hours. There wasn’t a breath of air and I was manoeuvring in every direction to try to get out of it all. We’re hitting a buffer zone and as I was leading the way, I was the first to land in the shit! It’s no surprise though, I’d be preparing for it for several days. This isn’t the important thing: you mustn’t be distracted by the rankings and the changes in hierarchy as things really only get serious further down the track…”
Jonny Malbon on Artemis gives a very interesting account of sailing in the Doldrums. 27 November 2008. Video copyri