[March 15, 2001 - 1:21:21 PM]
VIZZAVI TO HOST EXCLUSIVE LIVE WEBCAST OF YVES
PARLIER’S ARRIVAL
Live Chat this weekend with sailing star Ellen MacArthur on:
http://www.vizzavivendeeglobe.co.uk
15th March 2001, Les Sables d’Olonne, France. Vizzavi, the
international multi-access portal and title sponsor of the solo,
non-stop, around the world Vendée Globe 2000/1 yacht race,
will host live and exclusive online coverage of Yves Parlier’s
arrival on his jury-rigged Open 60 ’Aquitaine Innovations’ in
Les Sables d’Olonne, France, to a world-wide audience of
millions.
The Vizzavi Webcast team will broadcast live the entire arrival
on Friday afternoon for two hours; from Parlier sailing across
the finish line, to stepping on to dry land for the first time in
127 days. Moreover, spectators will be able to watch Yves
Parlier giving his initial impressions of his extraordinary
adventure to repair and race his dismasted boat all the way
home, completely unaided, surviving on a ’cast-away’ diet of
seaweed and flying fish.
The Vizzavi Webcast team, on
http://www.vizzavivendeeglobe.co.uk will also bring you an
exclusive live-chat in French and English right after Yves’
arrival with sailing star, Ellen MacArthur, who finished this
Vendée Globe just over one month ago in 2nd place.
Beginning at 1900hrs GMT, Ellen MacArthur will be online to
talk about her summer sailing programme. She will be
teaming up with French legend, Alain Gautier, on board his
60ft trimaran, ‘Foncia’, and hoping to race her Open 60
‘Kingfisher’ in a new, mammoth transatlantic race.
Building up to and during the weekend of Parlier’s arrival, all
visitors to the site will have access to the webcast, regular text
updates, and one webcast feature daily, and a live webcam
showing the view of the race pontoon during the day. As well,
there is an archive of the webcast coverage of the other
skippers’ arrivals and press conferences, with interviews and
commentary in both English and French.
To take part, log on to http://www.vizzavivendeeglobe.co.uk
and follow the on-screen instructions.
The Vizzavi Vendée Globe Team
[March 15, 2001 - 11:44:12 AM]
Yves Parlier (Aquitaine Innovation): "I’m not having to push
myself to get to the finish because I said I’ll arrive on Friday
afternoon…so I ought to arrive on time!"
"It’s perfect out here, it smells like spring on board Aquitaine
Innovations. I’m enjoying my last day at sea, taking things as
they come, slowly but surely. It was like turning up to a
maritime festival last night, I saw dolphins, small whales,
dancing on the long, deep Atlantic wave crests. Even a few
little crabs landed on the deck and turned into my breakfast,
freshly served! Life is sweet on board Aquitaine Innovations. I
was privileged to watch a magnificent sunrise, the weather is
mild and calm, it’s just as it should be to end this
circumnavigation on a softer note.
"Yes, I am preparing myself to be ripped away from this boat.
She’s kind of a part of me, I was involved closely with her
construction, I’ve been her master. I’ve experienced some
special moments with her, both on the race course with Eric
Tabarly for the New York/San Francisco, the Transat Jacques
Vabre with Ellen… in short, she’s an extraordinary boat,
high-tech and reliable. It cuts my heart in two to say to myself
that I won’t race on her again. I don’t need to push myself to
get to the finish because I said I’ll arrive on Friday
afternoon…so I ought to arrive on time! All being well, I’ll
arrive all clean-shaven for Les Sables d’Olonne."
[March 15, 2001 - 9:59:41 AM]
Pasquale de Gregorio (Wind) : "Only today I have realized
how much these two last weeks have left me weary, with little
energies"
We have reached longitude -6.32, 395 miles from the
Equator. Again today has been a positive day, in spite of the
many wind fluctuations, both in intensity -due to the clouds
that once they’ve passed leave flat conditions around for
about an hour- and in direction -with continuous shifts
between E-SE and SE. The evening and the first part of the
night were also positive with more stable airs from E-SE 12-15
knots and with no menacing clouds around.
Only today I have realized how much these two last weeks
have left me weary, with little energies. I notice it from the
way I move around and also from my mood. I think that with
a couple of good nights sleep and specially with the passage
of the Equator, I’ll start feeling better."
Source: Oriana Ubaldi
[March 14, 2001 - 1:36:17 PM]
PARLIER’S ARRIVAL CONFIRMED
By Philippe Jeantot
Yves Parlier (Aquitaine Innovations) confirmed this morning
during the radio chat with the Vendée Globe Race HQ that
given the current, favourable weather forecast, he should
arrive in Les Sables d’Olonne at around 1700hrs French time,
Friday 16th March. The tide will not allow him to enter the
channel before 1745 hrs. However, that is the rising tide and
so one can lessen the margin either side for safety’s sake.
Yves insisted that he wanted to get in as soon as he possibly
could, in mind of the enormous media schedule he will have
to plunge into as soon as he returns.
For the time being, Yves Parlier is managing not to get
distracted by thoughts of what awaits him on arrival. "I still
have a few days left sailing my boat, I know they will be my
last miles with her, because she will be put up for sale after
the Vendée. So I must benefit from this time as much as I
can. I want to savour every moment. I’m already thinking
about my future boat, the multihull."
Parlier’s race is not over yet, and he is being especially
mindful of the sudden increase in shipping around him, now
that he is coming round Cap Finisterre into the Bay of Biscay.
""I have passed quite a few boats this morning, they smell of
the coastline. There was a container ship and two fishing
trawlers stretching out a line between them both. Thankfully I
didn’t end up passing between them either. I’m actually
parallel to the shipping lane, so when I will gybe, I’ll cut
through the lane squarely so as to sail through it for the least
amount of time as possible."
And as for his boat performance, Yves is making a steady
average of 8 – 9 knots. "There’s a 20 knot SW breeze, and
I’ve got the genoa, which I managed to repair a bit, flying
again, so I have about 228m2 of sail up between the genoa,
staysail and the index with 2 reefs. That’s a fair amount of
cloth, I’d say!"
Still in the race and in the North Atlantic, Didier Munduteguy
(DDP/60ème Sud) has left the strong North Easterly Trades
and is under the influence of slightly calmer winds approaching
the Azores. "We managed to make good progress to the
North in the last few days, and now the wind has died off a
little I am sailing at around 7 knots, it’s certainly more
bearable for the boat now. I am much more optimistic for the
last 10 days of my race. I have never been afraid for myself
during the Vendée, but when the boat suffers, or I don’t
handle her properly, I don’t feel good myself."
Pasquale de Gregorio (Wind), the valiant Italian skipper,
bringing up the rear of the fleet in his Open 50 footer, has
finally succeeded in gaining sufficient miles to the East after a
short back track yesterday. "By tomorrow, if things stay as
they are now, we should be completely free from the Brazilian
coast, meaning that, if the wind happens to turn back on our
nose, we’ll be able to bear away all the way until Panama!"
Able to make a proper heading North in more Easterly winds,
Pasquale is now a few degrees from reaching the Equator.
Pasquale is now a few degrees from reaching the Equator.
[March 14, 2001 - 12:12:37 PM]
Yves Parlier (Aquitaine Innovations): "I will still be hungry to
get sailing after the Vendée Globe, and nothing else will
satisfy me."
"I’m on a broad reach for a descent towards Les Sables
d’Olonne. I have passed quite a few boats this morning, they
smell of the coastline. There was a container ship and two
fishing trawlers stretching out a line between them both.
Thankfully I didn’t end up passing between them either. I
didn’t speak with them, you see, conversation I don’t miss as
yesterday I spent the whole day on the telephone talking to
journalists.
"I’m actually parallel to the shipping lane, so when I will gybe,
I’ll cut through the lane squarely so as to sail through it for
the least amount of time as possible.
"The genoa, which I managed to repair a bit, is flying again,
Pasquale is now a few degrees from reaching the Equator.
[March 14, 2001 - 12:12:37 PM]
Yves Parlier (Aquitaine Innovations): "I will still be hungry to
get sailing after the Vendée Globe, and nothing else will
satisfy me."
"I’m on a broad reach for a descent towards Les Sables
d’Olonne. I have passed quite a few boats this morning, they
smell of the coastline. There was a container ship and two
fishing trawlers stretching out a line between them both.
Thankfully I didn’t end up passing between them either. I
didn’t speak with them, you see, conversation I don’t miss as
yesterday I spent the whole day on the telephone talking to
journalists.
"I’m actually parallel to the shipping lane, so when I will gybe,
I’ll cut through the lane squarely so as to sail through it for
the least amount of time as possible.
"The genoa, which I managed to repair a bit, is flying again,
so I have about 228m2 of sail up between the genoa, staysail
and the index with 2 reefs. That’s a fair amount of cloth, I’d
say.
"The weather forecasts still confirm my ETA for Friday
afternoon. For now, Hervé Corbière and my shore team are
taking care of everything for my arrival, I am trying not to
stress about it myself. I’ve had so many things to think about
and I don’t want to lose my head, but enjoy these final
moments of such a magnificent project.
"I’d really like to sail on the other skippers’ boats after I get
in, and during the time, in which it takes for my multihull to be
built. I will still be hungry to get sailing after the Vendée
Globe, and nothing else will satisfy me."
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