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5. Vendee Globe 2004/2005
www.vendeeglobe.org - zur Übersicht
Positionstabelle
03.01.2005
Press Release
Monday 3rd January 2005
15h00 GMT rankings
1. Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle) 6979,8 nautical miles from the finish
2. Vincent Riou (PRB) 79,9 nautical miles from the leader
3. Mike Golding (Ecover) 122 nautical miles behind
Mike is back...
The first of the Vendée Globe fleet to pass Cape Horn early this morning GMT was Jean Le Cam on Bonduelle. At the time he had a 190.6 mile lead on his closest rival and had smashed 5 days and 9 hours off the previous record time set by Michel Desjoyeaux. He passed the third legendary cape at 0515 GMT this Monday 3rd January. Mike Golding is just 42,1 miles from second placed Vincent Riou and only 122 miles from the leader.
Jean Le Cam was the first of the Vendée Globe to round the celebrate Cape Horn at 0515 GMT this morning. In so doing he has obliterated the previous record set in the last edition by 5 days and 9 hours. His race time to Cape Horn from Les Sables d´Olonnes is 56 days, 17 hours and 13 minutes. “I’m very happy to have passed the Cape in first place. It was night time but it was twilight so it was awesome. I was like a kid. I saw the island of Fonso just before the cape from which I was within 6 miles of. It’s the first time I’ve seen land since the start. I didn’t expect to have been so slowed down so much. There will be some blinders to be had on the way up the Atlantic. It will be great racing though the weather is not clear.”
Jean was clearly frustrated to be becalmed, particularly as while he has been making around 5 knots for the past 8 hours, Vincent Riou (PRB) and Mike Golding (Ecover) have been making around 3 times his speed as they close in on the Horn. “The concertina effects are always a question of luck’ said Riou realistically. “But we have to see if it lasts. I can see some big clouds ahead and for now the wind is continuing to blow. Mike is coming back too so it’ll be fun.
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Fotos: Benoit Stichelbaut/DPPI
Vincent Riou/PRB Zweiter am Kap Hoorn
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It looks favourable for us too. I reckon to get to the Horn at around 1700 GMT. I’d like to do a bit of tourism as I go past in the daylight. It’s going to be an important moment. The weather looks pretty tricky with a number of small weather systems. I don’t have the best machine to go back up the Atlantic but I also have less pressure on my shoulders than the other two (Jean and Mike) as my boat is less modern. So far everything has gone well so I’ll just keep at it. It has to be said that Ecover is particularly exceptional upwind, and Bonduelle and PRB are probably more versatile, so the Atlantic is going to prove very interesting...”
Mike Golding is now just 42.1 miles behind Vincent Riou and right on target for taking on the Atlantic only 122 miles from the leader. “It is very frantic. It has been a mad night and it is still pretty mad. The sea keeps changing – it is very strange. There are moments when I feel in control and there are moments when it is totally out of control. I spend a lot of time above 20 knots and times doing 27-28 knots. It is mostly the sea state. I have got more sail up than I should have for 40 knots, but that doesn’t seem to make a lot of difference. Even in 30 knots of breeze I can be doing 27-28 knots. It is just a mad surf at the moment. It is a pivotal point. I sat there and waited for the 0400 polling praying that Vincent had slowed down and the rascal hasn’t. So I am left with little choice: keep the pedal down. I could be there in a few hours, but the reality is that the breeze is going to run out. The forecast is for it to be pretty light when I arrive so that could be quite slow that section. But whatever, the quicker it comes the better. I wouldn’t mind if it slows down a bit there. You can get very big waves and very bad storms associated with the area and so it can be a very dangerous passage around the headland itself. It has a strong reputation for that reason.” The English sailor also admitted that sub-90 days would be nice...
1009.5 miles behind Golding, 4th placed Sébastien Josse’s voice could not the hide the tiredness after being caught in a storm over the weekend. “I’ve eaten well and slept well but I’m in some erratic squally winds with winds going from 15 to 30 knots. I’m chasing the squalls whilst trying to reindex on as direct a course as possible. I’m 1133 miles from the Horn and can’t wait to get there. I don’t think it’s going to be as easy to pass as it was for the frontrunners unfortunately. The depression is overtaking me and we should be lacking wind at the Horn.”
Not surprisingly, those towards the rear of the fleet are feeling a little envious of those already passing the legendary point marking the end of the Southern Ocean but the motivation is far from lacking. The ever jaunty American Bruce Schwab (Ocean Planet) in 9th is in great spirits still managing to stave off the attack by Conrad Humphreys (Hellomoto) while the English skipper is happy in the knowledge that he is just 29.7 miles behind him. Conrad also has other concerns having spotted two icebergs this morning. “It’s very stressful sailing and I try not to think about where the leaders are in relation to us. There is still an awful lot to play for and as soon as I can concentrate fully on my race again I’ll be going flat out...”
Quotes from the Boats:
Dominique Wavre (Temenos):
“The wind has become erratic. Pretty unstable conditions. I had to manoeuvre a lot. I’ve got the trinquette up (stay sail to those who aren’t au fait with the modern term), taking reefs in and out. I haven’t been able to rest since the big wind yesterday and could seriously do with some sleep. I’m still hoping I’ll earn back some miles and hopefully, the weather will now allow me to catch the leaders in the Atlantic, though it’s been really tough on me up until now. I’ll be counting the days up to the Horn. I appreciate Vincent’s way of sailing, it’s very clean. Mike too, he was my index competitor in the Transat. His boat upwind is so competitive. Obviously it will be difficult to get into podium position now but perhaps the weather will be better on the way back up the Atlantic. My ETA for the Cape is 9 January.
Anne Liardet (Roxy):
“Hello to you all,
The holidays are over! Not too much indigestion, no hangovers??? For me my little Christmas holidays, my little calm, my little blue sky and my sun, finished at the start of yesterday afternoon and if the return to work and school was as violent as mine was, hold on!! The wind Gods kicked in at 35-40 knots, 45-48 knots in the gusts and we were off!!! It lasted for 24 hours during which time we jumped from one wave to another (and the consequent fall) with the feeling that everything is going to explode. It’s incredible that a boat can cope with such a pounding. Nothing broke, nothing came lose, and nothing waltzed around the boat. It was like trying to stand upright in a washing machine. It’s siesta time after all that now! Have a good day everyone, Anne on Roxy and Andaska.”
Karen Leibovici (Benefic):
“We have the decor and the atmosphere: Since 1st January, I have had a little northerly and north-easterly wind. As a result I am between reaching and close-hauled. The seas are not so built up and I’ve even had the right to a little sunshine occasionally. On the other hand, when the sun sets and rises, there is always a lot of light. For our night from 30th to 31st, I saw my first aurora borealis. What a sight! Initially I thought I was hallucinating. But no it was indeed that. Kisses Karen.”
Bruce Schwab (Ocean Planet):
“We had a scare over these past few days as my radar had conked out. Sea water had leaked into the radar control box that is mounted in the aft compartment and it did not look good. I took the box apart several time to clean, oil, and rinse the salt out of the circuitry. It still wouldn’t run so I was resigned to not having a radar for the rest of the race. In the end I left the power on to the box even though it showed no sign of life, in the hope of something happening. Nothing did, and I forgot about it after a couple of hours. But I had left the power on, and about 3 hours later...ping! The radar network came on and now it is working fine again. Whew! What a relief to have the radar going in spite of the abuse the box received. We are just on the east edge of the approaching ridge, and much of the day was brilliant sun. Which is in contrast to the upwind work and murkiness we had near New Zealand just a couple nights ago. I have been very glad to stay in position with in weather, for we could have been really stuck if we didn’t keep the pace. With luck we can avoid a lot of upwind in the next few days and not get too pummelled by the next storm. Stay tuned and we shall see!”
Source: Vendée Globe 2005
www.vendeeglobe.org
Vendée Globe Press Office
Tel: +33 1 55 56 66 50 - 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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