Week of 16th - 22nd January 2001
A Planetary Regatta
Tuesday 16 January
Michel Desjoyeaux watches his lead dissolve
The top six Open 60’s in the Vendée Globe have now passed from the
Southern to the Atlantic Ocean by way of Cape Horn, signalling a return
to the regatta style racing, which is characterising this
circumnavigation. The leading skippers were putting their hopes in a new
game of snakes and ladders in order to shake up the rankings before the
finish.
Leader Michel Desjoyeaux (PRB) was the first skipper to slide. His 600
mile lead over Ellen MacArthur (Kingfisher) was slashed to 420 miles.
Desjoyeaux did not analyse any great risk to his position. " PRB was
designed partly for this stage of the race sailing upwind in the
Atlantic. I can’t really see Ellen being able to sail faster. In the
English Transat for the first 4 - 5 days, my boat was ahead, not the
yellow and blue one! "
Thomas Coville (Sodebo) remarked: " This final stage of the race will be
heart-stopping. Now it’s a battle of nerves. This will be a Vendée Globe
which will be remembered as a high level regatta. "
Meanwhile the adventure at the back of the fleet continues. Didier
Munduteguy (DDP - 60ème Sud): " Sunday, it was really stressful, more
than 45 knots, big seas, the boat was knocked down two times, it was
slamming a lot, I’m covered with bruises... It’s the biggest storm, not
in duration but in intensity. I felt I was on the edge, sometimes it
didn’t feel good at all. "
News in also from Pasquale de Gregorio (WIND) via telex: " Yesterday
morning WIND was surfing over 15 knots and, two, three times, over 20
knots, but handicapped like the boat is (emergency shroud) I find it
unlikely to catch Didier. The idea now is to gain sea eastward as fast
as possible and leave behind me the South passage of New Zealand, which
has a reputation of violent and suddenly variable weather. "
Wednesday 17 January
Yves Parlier sets off
Ellen MacArthur (Kingfisher) succeeded in coming back to within 350
miles of PRB and was sailing consistently around three knots faster. She
was guarded about her achievement though: " It’s been a struggle. We
certainly are not yet in a stable weather pattern. The forecasts are
subtly changing daily. " Stress is enemy number two as the fleet head
into the fickle winds associated with the Saint Helen system with the
Doldrums further ahead.
Roland Jourdain (Sill Matines La Potagere) predicted an " awesome final
stretch " to this Vendée Globe and yet resounded that " the Atlantic is
testing our nerves to the limit ". He was relieved, though, by his
success in hoisting the index sail in full, and his slightly superior
speed from his Lombard designed boat over those ahead and behind is
proving that the Breton skipper is back on form. He was still hampered
by the fact that he has to be cautious in reefing with the repair to his
mast track still not 100 % sure.
Yves Parlier (Aquitaine Innovations) finally set off from his temporary
shelter off Stewart Island, New Zealand at 0700hrs UT with a
self-constructed 18 metre mast - simply an incredible feat after 9 days
’in build’. " I set off just under staysail and this morning I hoisted
the storm jib and the index sail to the 4th reef,giving me 80m2 of sail
area, which is perfect for the gusty Pacific conditions. I’m over the
fatigue limit though, I dozed off on deck three times unwittingly. "
Russian Fedor Konyoukhov (MUH) still hasn’t been able to climb up the
mast and release the index sail halyard, which got twisted at the top of
the mast. As a precaution he was heading more North towards
Australia/Tasmania. Even the Russian President Vladimir Putin was
informed of his struggles and valiant efforts to continue in the Vendée
Globe in the true spirit of adventure, and sent words of encouragement
to the skipper himself.
Thursday 18 January
High Pressure
The Vendée Globe had a gear change for the top six boats still spurred
on by thoughts of reaching the podium. With 5500 miles to run, equal to
two transatlantic crossings, these top six were within just three days
of each other. This should make for a knife-edge regatta right to the
finish.
The only veteran Vendée skipper in the top six, Marc Thiercelin (Active
Wear), admitted to the reality of a previously underlying pressure:
"Nervous tension - it’s been with me since the start. I’ve got a clear
head though. I’m still managing to distance myself mentally. What
worries me is the comeback from the guys behind with favourable winds."
Thiercelin had every cause to be anxious, with the whole port side of
his rigging still loose.
The first woman ever to complete a solo, non-stop round the world race,
during the 3rd Vendée, Catherine Chabaud (Whirlpool), finally celebrated
her second and final solo passage round Cape Horn at 0230hrs UT. " I
passed Cape Horn over Wednesday night. I could still make out its shape,
like a phantom in the darkness. It was quite a busy time because it was
windy, and I had to avoid a cargo ship and also the rocks surrounding
the cape. Something about this place compels me to return, to Patagonia,
but not on the Vendée Globe! "
On a more creative note, Italian skipper Simone Bianchetti
(Aquarelle.com) informed the Race HQ that he has published a collection
of poems entitled "Poemetti Furiosi Di Un Navigatore". Passionate is
certainly the defining word for these 46 poems written by Simone whilst
at sea. "Some of them are quite fiery, others more melancholic, all are
passionate but none of them make my boat go faster!"
Friday 19 January
The Need for Speed
The wind was blowing some logic into the race still and slimmed the
options down for the leading boats to simply following each their own
course and getting the best out of the boat in whatever conditions they
have. Therefore, it comes down to the potential speeds of these leading
boats to make a significant difference.
Thomas Coville (Sodebo) didn’t think so himself. He was hoping for a
chance to take a risk, which might land him nearer to his rivals ahead,
but knew that this kind of strategy was easier for him: " I’m sort of an
outsider where I am and could try something radical. Catherine is far
behind me so I’ve less pressure than those just ahead of me, who need to
hold on to their position in the fleet. " It’s been hit and miss for
Coville though, as he spent 18 hours crawling along at 1 knot, but then
managed to get 100 miles back on Jourdain (Sill Matines La Potagere) and
away from Wavre (UBP) in 24 hours.
Dominique Wavre (UBP) and Mike Golding (Team Group 4) both shared the
fastest boat award at 15.3 knots, in different oceans though. Golding
passed both Bernard Gallay (Voila.fr) and Patrice Carpentier (VM
Materiaux) in one day and has reached 9th place, inside the top ten at
last. He may have Josh Hall (EBP/Gartmore) in his sights and just 550
miles ahead, but he was down to 8 litres of fresh water, after suffering
continuous problems with a troublesome watermaker.
Saturday 20 January
And the rain came down on Golding
Michel Desjoyeaux, who had a 640 mile lead at Cape Horn, has been
fighting against the calms of the anticyclone moving North together with
him. Ellen was only 225 miles away from him, going 6 knots faster than
the leader. A real nightmare scenario for " Mich’ Desj’ " whose
comfortable lead was melting ’like snow under the sun’. " There is
nothing I can do. Saint Helen is annoying me. I am waiting for the
system to change. But when I look at my weather files it doesn’t get
better for me. The race is going to see a new start so I am preparing
for the final sprint. "
Marc Thiercelin (Active Wear) suffered yesterday from a big squall with
winds up to 60 knots in the gusts : " I was upwind when the others were
downwind, so obviously, they are catching up with me. I am getting
closer to the head of the fleet but I can’t watch my back. The weather
is really complicated. It’s all very vague, there are things happening I
can’t even see on my wind files. "
Josh Hall (EBP/Gartmore) passed the Cape Horn for the second time in his
single-handed life and he managed to round at 0210hrs UT, just three
miles away from the lighthouse. " I am half way from The Horn up to
Islas de Los Estados and feel very very good after rounding the cape and
seeing a north east course on my compass! The last 30 miles to The Cape
were slow but the scenery was magnificent! It was really quite pleasant
to have a prolonged look at the fantastic mountains of Tierra del Fuego
with glaciers pouring over them. I had The Horn in sight for nearly 5
hours as we struggled in very light wind but about an hour after dark
the wind filled in and I was soon chatting to the Lighthouse keeper as
we passed close by. "
Mike Golding (Team Group 4) was relieved when it finally rained. He
slowed his boat down for two hours to just fill his tanks. He managed to
stock fifty litres, and he drank as much as he could to re-hydrate.
Filling tanks with rain on a racing boat is not an easy manœuvre. The
index sail helps to recover the water but it is very salty so it needs a
lot of rain to rinse the sail, the skipper must slow down or stop the
boat to avoid the waves to mix with the fresh water. Two hours were
enough for Mike to store 45 litres of clean water.
Sunday 21 January
Ellen walking on sunshine
Michel Desjoyeaux (PRB) is still suffering from light wind conditions
slowing him down in his progression to the North while his competitors,
who were two days behind him, are inexorably catching up on him. Never
since the start of the Vendée Globe has a weather system followed them
for so long.
Behind him and Ellen MacArthur, the wind is still favourable and the
four others boats (Thiercelin, Jourdain, Coville and Wavre) were
catching up quickly. The unlikely scenario of a regroupment of the six
leaders and a new start of the race for the final sprint was looking
more realistic.
Dominique Wavre (Union Bancaire Privée) kept a clear mind about it : "
It’s true that we are all going to end up together but PRB will be the
first to restart. However the gaps between the boats will be small and
it might be possible to try a few options. Some might pay off. For the
moment, we can only guess but many things might happen on the route to
Les Sables d’Olonne. As a racer I love this situation. Going round the
world and finishing in a sprint, I couldn’t dream of a better scenario !
"
Roland Jourdain (Sill Matines La Potagère) was again the fastest boat of
the fleet with 15.9 knots. " We take what we can. I am waiting for the
next calms to climb up in my mast and repair my genoa problem. When this
will be done, I will have all the potential of the boat back. The boats
are tired, in case we have to do a final sprint, I will still be
careful. "
Ellen MacArthur said that it was the first time since Cape Horn that she
had a clear blue sky and that the sun was shining : " I am ahead of the
front and I hope I will stay there as long as possible. I think it’s a
fantastic situation. All the boats getting together and we well see an
amazing end of race. My boat is in perfect shape and I am in good form.
"
Cape Horn roundings so far:
1. Michel Desjoyeaux - PRB - Wednesday January 10th at 18:07 UT
2. Ellen MacArthur - KINGFISHER - Friday 12th at 18:53 UT
3. Marc Thiercelin - ACTIVE WEAR - Saturday 13th at 16:08 UT
4. Roland Jourdain - SILL MATINES LA POTAGÈRE- Saturday 13th at 19:45 UT
5. Thomas Coville - SODEBO - Sunday 14th at 19:00 UT
6. Dominique Wavre - Union Bancaire Privée - Monday 15th at 9:40 UT
7. Catherine Chabaud - Whirlpool - Thursday 18th at 2:30 UT
8. Josh Hall - EBP Gartmore Esprit PME - Saturday 20th at 2:10 UT
Monday 22 January
Looking back on the Southern Ocean
On day 75 of the Vendée Globe, with under 5000 miles to the finish, the
distance separating the two leaders, Michel Desjoyeaux (PRB) & Ellen
MacArthur (Kingfisher), decreased from 130 to just 70 miles. Michel
Desjoyeaux, slowed up for a week now, has been clocking around 6.5
knots, nearly 3 knots slower than Ellen, who is becoming quite a real
threat.
Thomas Coville (Sodebo) was bashing through 25 knot headwinds, and
launching his next offensive against Roland Jourdain (Sill Matines La
Potagere): " I wanted to go wide round the Horn and then come back up
reaching but I never wanted to end up so far in the West. Sodebo isn’t a
war horse upwind, whereas Bilou has an excellent upwind boat. I still
have a trick up my sleeve, it’s risky, but if I try to catch him on pure
boat speed in the same winds, the prize of some 30 miles isn’t a lot and
I’m not going to be content to just sit in his wake. "
Mike Golding (Team Group 4) passed Cape Horn at 2130hrs UT, and had Josh
Hall (EBP/Gartmore) in his sights just 299 miles ahead. Hall, passing
the Falklands at present, was in shock to see his fellow Brit storming
up behind him, having had some 1000 mile gap in the Pacific.
Patrice Carpentier (VM Materiaux), leading Open 50, and Bernard Gallay
(Voilà.fr) will be the next skippers to round the Horn, and the forecast
predicts big weather for their passage. However, Carpentier didn’t wish
to give an ETA as he was sure that the weather will change again
beforehand. " I was ready for the strong stuff, bracing myself for the
wind to whip up, but…it died off instead! My thoughts on the Southern
Ocean? It won’t really be a deliverance as I have sailed through pretty
moderate conditions. I must have reefed to the third line only twice,
and I never had more than 45 knots of wind. I think I used my spinnaker
more down here than in the Trades! "
Joé Seeten (Nord Pas de Calais - Chocolats du monde) was 400 miles from
the Horn and finally established telephone communication with land. His
only comment on his experience in the desolate waters of the Pacific:
"Well, I was pretty lucky to see Mike Golding cross me!"
As the weather continued to play tricks for all the Vendée Globe fleet,
the unpredictable could still happen.
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