January 04, 2001 - 5:29:15 PM]
Mike Golding still trying to sort his technical problems
After numerous attempts to contact Mike Golding today his
shore team finally received a fax from him which helped
explain why voice communication had been impossible. His
report follows:-
"I have no comms at present, I think it’s just a blank spot in
the B coverage - hope so anyway...
Not much happening, steady weather, occasional rises and
falls in the breeze and the barometer enabling steady if not
too exciting progress. I am trying not to get shoved too far
south as the wind from the north west seems to be more solid
and the forecast gives much the same for some days ahead.
Still it is grey, cold and rather dreary, though no rain which
would help top up my stock of fresh water. I still haven’t
tackled the watermaker problem - I want working pilots before
burying myself in that one I am using the easier weather to
continue the battle with the pilot and do a few indextenance
jobs which, with all the problems, have fallen behind.
It’s strange that two weeks ago the NKE was the problem and I
was reliant on the B&G. Now it’s the complete reverse.
From what I can gather there is a lot of ice a few days ahead
of me and running for the time being on minimum power
means minimum use of the radar which is a big consumer. I
am running a completely black ship during periods between
charging just pilot, GPS and instruments. Worst of all is the
inability to use the heater - it’s frustrating knowing that the
boat would be warm at the flick of a switch but being unable to
afford the fuel."
Source: MPR
[January 04, 2001 - 5:22:38 PM]
New berg on Bilou’s route
Roland ‘Bilou’ Jourdain, Sill Matines La Potagère’ skipper, has
seen a new iceberg today. He immediatly sent a brief
message to the Vendée Globe office and the other
competitors :
"Big ice tracked by 55°40 S - 131°45 W. Water temperature:
4°C."
[January 04, 2001 - 4:52:34 PM]
PRB’s engine starts again!
At 14h45 french time Michel Desjoyeaux told us that his
engine, whose starter had melted on the first of January, was
working again. After many unfruitful tests in last couple of
days, the leader of the Vendée Globe finally managed to fix
up a new system to start his Yanmar engine of 37 Hp. «
Yesterday in one of my last trys, the strap I had installed
around the block of my alternator was too stretchy, so today I
put a rope in Spectra with a screw in the block to hold it all.
Then I put a rope with the help of other blocks unto the back
of my boom. I went to a broad reach, brought the boom in the
wind’s axis. There were 20 knots of wind, it was hot as the
boat was lying on his side. I left everything go and the engine
started!». Michel was clearly very tired after all this days he
spent helming: « I was steering from 9am in the morning until
6pm (local time). And as I wanted to avoid too much wind, I
arrived in a zone where my wind generator couldn’t charge
anymore as it requires 25 knots of wind (35/40 knots of true
wind downwind). I have never worried about my option but it
was really, very very hard. I don’t know how far I could have
gone. Many thanks to all the guys who have helped me". The
system is still a bit complicated to install, but just to know that
he can restart his engine is good for the morale of the
skipper: « I will not be able to do that every day so I will keep
saving my energy, but at least I know I can do it. It will be
difficult up to Ste Hélène (the high pressure in the south of
the Atlantic ocean, around 30/35° degrees south in latitude)
and after the sun will do». Mich’Desj did not forget the race for
that: « I saw that Ellen was doing 16 knots. It’s a good thing
that my engine is working again. In the next three days the
wind should push us to the Horn, after it will be more
complicated but it will be ok».
Communiqué Eric Coquerel - Carré Mer
[January 04, 2001 - 4:47:27 PM]
Ellen MacArthur: "Southern Ocean: it wants everything you
have and more"
"The last 24 hours have been quite hard going, with a wind
strength that has not stayed the same for more than half an
hour. Earlier on, I was sat at the chart table, in 19 knots of
breeze, gennaker up. Suddenly I had 32 knots and the boat
surfed wildly down a wave, broached [spun up in to the wind
and Kingfisher laid flat on her side], the tack line let go, the
barber hauler broke, and all hell let loose.
I dashed outside, with just my thermals on to sort it out. 20
minutes later, soaked to the skin with freezing Southern
Ocean water, I crawled back in to my sleeping bag.
Just another hour in the Southern Ocean!
Since then I’ve been sail changing without stopping - reef in,
reef out, Solent up, Genoa down, Gennaker up, Genoa down,
reef out... A small depression formed to my west, and then
sank off to the south very quickly, making the wind turn from
SW to NW to West - and making for a lot of hard work.
The biggest issue occupying my mind at present is that of
Cape Horn - and positioning for it. Even though it is still 2000
miles away, I need to make my choice within a few hundred
miles of where I want to be for the run in to this ’gate’ in to
the Atlantic Ocean. Right now there is a depression sitting to
the North West of the Horn, which makes it a very difficult
choice.
The Southern Ocean is unique. It wants everything. When you
have nothing left, it wants twice as much again. I will be happy
to get in to the Atlantic Ocean.
ellen"
Source: Kingfisher Challenges
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