[January 23, 2001 - 2:27:55 PM]
Yves Parlier (Aquitaine Innovations) : "I’ve just surfed at 21.1
knots!"
"The wind’s done a 360 since this morning, now we’re trucking!
The wind band has formed on my latitide. Still loads of work to
do, as I had to spent today fine-tuning the mast. The lower
shroud is slack. For now I still have the same sail
configuration up and haven’t put any ballast on. I don’t want
to put too much pressure on the shrouds. I certainly don’t
want to stop again to make another jury rig, so I’m being
cautious.
"I’m living a fairly draconian regime. At 0600hrs I have
breakfast, a mix of cereal powder and chestnuts. Midday, I
make up a freeze-dried meal of 80 g and a pudding of 28 g
with perhaps a tin of tuna or sardines. For dinner it’s just 80 g
again and 27 g for pudding with a slice of cake & butter. I’m
not panicking, the boat’s ready for the Atlantic."
[January 23, 2001 - 12:22:05 PM]
Bernard Gallay (Voilà.fr) back in the Atlantic.
"The Pacific Ocean was quite quiet. But yesterday rounding
Horn was quite difficult. I went really near, an amazing
scenery. The last time (ndr: during the Vendée Globe 92-93) I
was a bit too far and I was not racing any more (ndr: Bernard
had to stop in New -Zealand for some auto-pilot problems).
This time the sea was difficult, with a bad visibility. And
suddenly it appeared to me in surf in the same time as some
rays of sun. It was beautiful. I turn the autopilot on and drank
a glass of champagne."
"THe night before was quite long. I haven’t slept, did lots of
manoeuvres. The conditions were very shifty."
"I am still chatting with Patrice (Carpentier) every night.
Yesterday we were a bit fed up with all the manoeuvres."
[January 23, 2001 - 12:16:54 PM]
Mike Golding (Team Group 4): "Now I find myself in an
uncharted weather pattern."
"I kept a reasonable speed up after Cape Horn for a few
hours but now I find myself in an uncharted weather pattern.
Even now I’m struggling to make 5 knots in very light airs. I’m
tweaking the boat the whole time, it’s difficult to keep her
moving, it’s difficult to sleep too. As soon as you shut your
eyes things change. It’s very difficult conditions.
It’s nothing like the forecast. Both models don’t show any
kind of weakening in the wind like this. I’m going to pass the
Falkland’s but have been changing my decision every 5
minutes as my decision must be made on forecasts which I’m
not comfortable with as they’re not good. I have decided to go
to the East now, I’m 170 miles or so from the coastline and
the wind is coming directly from the Islands. It’s unexpected
the weather I’m experiencing.
"I’ve not caught any more rain, as since the last time the rain
has been too short and showery. The sails are fine and I’m
just looking forward to more stable conditions. Cheers for
now!"
[January 23, 2001 - 12:12:11 PM]
Roland Jourdain (Sill Matines La Potagère): "We’re out here to
push the boat and the sport further."
"It’s the first time that I’ve seen those little clouds from the
anticyclone. The smoother sea should allow me to climb up
the mast. Light upwind conditions. Not exactly supersonic
conditions but I’m okay. I’m on port tack sailing close-hauled.
"I had a mini-bubble of high pressure with not much wind for
about 2-3 hours. Not my finest hour. It looks like in the
rankings Michel & Ellen have found a bit more speed again.
Perhaps they’ve escaped the worst of the centre. I’m well over
to the West. To be to leeward of the fleet is not a real drama.
We’ll have to see.
"I take the lighter airs in my stride, best to be philosophical
about it and see how it evolves. It’s our job, to be out here.
We’ve been racing for 3 months, sometimes you have to just
take stock of it all and rest up.
"We’re out here to push the boat and the sport further. It’s
rather amazing, I think. What we’ve been through in 3
months, it’ll be engraved on our memory. I’ve found this race
to be truly adventurous too. But for me a more adventurous
thing to do would be to go and stand at Bombay train station
surrounded by millions of people. To go somewhere, which I
don’t know at all, that’s more of an adventure."
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