24.12.2007
IN A FEW HOURS TIME, THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
Despite a far from perfect weather sequence since the start, Sodeb'O is currently sailing at 2 degrees North and is likely to pass the equator tonight, after a little over 7 days racing, that is with a day and a half's lead over Ellen and a few hours extra than Francis Joyon's record time. It has to be said that Thomas Coville has been going flat out since Ushant despite harsh conditions and that it's at the cost of some intense physical effort that he'll pass into the Southern hemisphere this Christmas Eve.
The night is bound to feel slightly different even though the skipper of Sodeb'O recognises that above all else this is an important night for children and that he had to make his own little ones understand that “their father is a sailor and that he has to spend part of his life at sea. I teach them that happiness doesn't position itself on these exact dates."
The Christmas Eve supper is likely to be pretty much the same as usual except that Thomas has planned to benefit from the equatorial night, that is around 25 degrees in temperature, and settle himself outside on the terrace under the stars. No roast turkey or yule log on the menu, just some soup and a slice of wholemeal bread for starters, followed by a little hot Sodeb'O dish with a rice base accompanied by a drizzle of olive oil. Mr Bougro (co-founder of the Vendée enterprise) has nonetheless managed to slip a little foie gras aboard, of which he holds the secret, a sliver of which is likely to be washed down with…. an energy drink in the guise of some champagne. Desert will be pure indulgence with a powdered fruits of the forest yoghurt!
In the coming hours, Sodeb’O will hit the SE’ly tradewinds. The squalls are gradually becoming rarer even though, mid conversation with us at the start of the afternoon, a rather ominous black cloud was climbing quickly towards him. This type of cloud is typical of the doldrums and brings gusts of violent wind. They’re forcing the solo sailor to stay on the look out for fear of capsize. Indeed in the early hours, Thomas had a real fright. Dozing after a night spent manœuvring, he was woken by violent rain and only had time to let the sheets fly once he realised that the boat was very high on one hull.
The underperforming weather part of the scenario will become more complicated with the obligatory rounding of the Saint Helena High, which is barring the route in the middle of the Southern Atlantic and is today preventing him from benefiting from the shortest route for joining up with the roaring forties and the big downwind conditions in the West.
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