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5. Vendee Globe 2004/2005
www.vendeeglobe.org - zur Übersicht
Positionstabelle 09.12.04
09.12.2004
Press Release Thursday 9 december 2004
Thursday 9 december, 15:00 GMT ranking
15:00 GMT ranking
1. Vincent Riou (PRB) 14 697, 3 nm from the finish
2. Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle) 59, 9 nm from the leader
3. Roland Jourdain (Sill et Veolia) 326,1 nm from the leader
And then there were 17...
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Kein Trost für die Aufgabe des Rennens
Foto: Norbert Sedlacek/BROTHER
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Having slowed slightly up front Vincent Riou (PRB) continues to run the show with a lead of 59.9 miles over his hottest pursuer, Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle), the latter having gained in northing during the day to get higher than the Riou. The weather forecast for the coming days seems to favour speed, the depressions organising themselves into fairly regular trains running every 24 to 36 hours synonymous with the Indian Ocean. The situation is looking clear as far as Cape Leeuwin (south-western tip of Australia). The only hiccup is a depression heading to the south-east from Madagascar which will prove ‘interesting’ for the trio of Roland Jourdain (Sill et Veolia), Sébastien Josse (VMI) and Mike Golding (Ecover), tonight, with a possible 45 to 50 knots of wind. Overnight this particular trio have made up considerable ground on the lead duo. The whole fleet is going to shift onto a ‘luxurious’ westerly wind corridor establishing itself over the roaring 40’s. Vigilance is the order of the day as they watch out for depressions coming up on them from behind and then time their shift north into favourable winds in relation to the centres. Still in Simonstown this afternoon, English sailor Conrad Humphreys may be able to head back out into the race at around midnight tonight. Compatriot Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) arrived safely in Cape Town this morning having been forced to retire two days ago and Austrian sailor Norbert Sedlacek (Brother) has just informed Race Management that he too is retiring following serious keel damage. Better news for the French contingent with Joé Seeten making amazing “on the hoof” repairs in the early hours to replace his starboard rudder broken clean off last night, mid Indian Ocean.
Vincent Riou (PRB) sounds like a man who is completely in phase with the south and himself: “I’m reaching and the boat’s slamming annoyingly making 14/22 knots of boat speed. We’re already beginning to be under the influence of a depression, the full effects of which we should experience this evening. We’re in the traditional atmosphere of this zone. This system will then stay with us for a few days and immediately north there is a fair bit of wind. The sea state is what is making things tricky, but in terms of wind, these conditions are much more restful for the nerves and so it is much less stressful. The water is now at 9 degrees and we’re heading for new horizons, which is psychologically better. I don’t feel like the next southern gateway is a constraint because we’ve all got to do it and I wouldn’t want to go any further south anyway. The key now is to find the right pace and settle into it, safe in these fine machines under autopilot, preparing yourself for any eventuality and anticipating your moves. The hardest thing is to be vigilant for 3 months. You have to apply yourself as it’s human nature to be lazy and you have “sail by ear”, listening to the boat and any distortion in the familiar sounds which indicate a problem”.
Conrad Humphreys’ fantastic achievement in replacing his starboard rudder yesterday has been mirrored by Joé Seeten (Arcelor Dunkerque) in the early hours of this morning after 6 hours of work. Incredibly Joé Seeten revealed at today´s radio session that he has replaced his broken starboard rudder, at sea, stopping the boat for just 20 minutes in the 2 m waves, in 28 knots and later 22 knots of wind, otherwise making 6 knots mid-repairs. Apparently Joé thinks he must have hit something in the water and the impact was so violent that the rudder blade came right off cleanly without cracking the surrounding support. He has replaced the broken starboard rudder with his sole emergency rudder.
Second in the index bulk of the fleet (7th overall) Jean Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec) is surprised at how easy it is to change your habits and become environmentally friendly. He is still trying to repair his spare generator after his engine gave up the ghost completely. As a result he is deprived of electric other than that provided by his solar panels, thus rationing the use of things like his automatic pilot, his radar, information on the weather, the air and water temperature, heating and so on, “feeling his way in the dark’ almost and almost enjoying not being ‘polluted’ by all the various readings and information. “I’m at 48 degrees south. I wanted to helm a bit last night but the cold is cataclysmic, especially with water permanently covering the deck, even in a hat and gloves. I try to helm for at least 4/5 hours as when you’re broad reaching you can’t attach the helm. At the moment, rather than using up lots of energy putting the radar on, I quickly turn on the index control panel just a couple of times a night to check the wind as well as the temperature of the water, especially since Mike (Golding) spotted an iceberg yesterday.“I’m soon going to gybe for the Kerguelen Islands so I won’t be going south for much longer. Mentally I’m fine about my electric problem now. It’s amazing how much energy you waste on a boat and interesting how little you need to survive. There isn’t much sun for the solar panels. It’s a uniform grey with some squalls and the wind is around 30/35 knots rising to 40 at times. There are a lot of pretty little black birds and an albatross.”
Jean Pierre said he found it stimulating to be sailing near Dominic (Wavre) Temenos, the latter giving him a call a couple of days ago to give him his support. Around 20 miles ahead in 6th place, Dominic was keen to point out that conditions just a little further along the racetrack were brighter with some rays of sun escaping. He is well known for his love of high speed sailing in big conditions and is obviously having an absolute ball going downwind. “I’m in difficult abrupt, crossed seas. It’s fast and it’s to get the right sail configuration to stop you from burying in. It’s slamming and it’s tiring but the scene is spectacular with the waves coming in from every direction. The water is a temperature of 3 degrees and the air 5 so I try to make any trips up on deck as short as possible. I only need to run the engine for 1/1.5 hours to get enough heat. I’m making south-easterly on starboard tack as I can’t do anything else, but I’ll gybe soon. I’ve managed to patch up the leak I had in the cockpit but with the current conditions it fills right up sometimes and can’t drain away quick enough. I’ve also made repairs to my indexsail halyard and the only little worry is that I couldn’t receive my weather info this morning – I think there’s some problem with the synchronisation.”
Thirteenth placed Anne Liardet (Roxy) entered the Indian Ocean today while fourteeth placed Benoît Parnaudeau (Max Havelaar Best Western) is set to pass the same symbolic longitude of the Cape of Good Hope this evening. Having just feasted on camembert and pasta Benoît was in find spirits making 13 knots of boat speed.
With his sights set initially on getting back with this pair, Conrad Humphreys (Hellomoto) has re-threaded his halyard gennaker and bandaged up the cap shroud. After modifying the head of his indexsail to stop the chafe re-occuring, the English sailor hopes to return to the race at around midnight tonight. Meantime, compatriot Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) has made it safely into Cape Town with Austrian Norbert Sedlacek to follow suit having sadly just announced his retirement from this Vendée Globe 2004.
Quotes from the Boats:
Conrad Humphreys (Hellomoto):
“Last night we had 50 knots across the bay and I was in the water again to put a 3rd line out to secure Hellomoto. I spent 5hrs up the rig this morning and bandaged the cap shroud, re-threaded the gennaker halyard in the mast, so now I'm fixing the indexsail headboard and could even leave 12hrs earlier than expected, maybe midnight tonight.”
Mike Golding (Ecover):
“It is a real tricky situation, there are so many pros and cons. At the moment I am just sailing my best speed and semi-ignoring the island. I know there is a shift coming the question is how big the shift is. If it is not that big I could go to the south, but if it is what is expected - which I think it will be - it will hook me up and over to the north. So at the moment I am just waiting for the next weather files. In fairness I have had three weather files in a row all saying much the same thing so the opportunity for me to get around the bottom of island is slowly slipping away.”
Source: Vendée Globe 2004
www.vendeeglobe.org
Vendée Globe Press Office Tel: +33 1 55 56 62 95 - Fax : +33 1 55 56 62 90
@ : press@vendeeglobe.fr
French Media: Caroline Concetti, Anne Millet and Soazig Guého
International Media: Sabina Mollart-Rogerson, Ophélie Théron
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