Positionstabelle
05.02.2005
Press Release
Saturday 5th February 2005
15h00 rankings:
1. Vincent Riou (PRB) in 87 d 10 h 47 m and 55 s
2. Jean Le Cam (Bonduelle) in 87 d 17 h 20 m and 08 s
3. Mike Golding (Ecover) in 88 d 15 h 15 m and 13 s
4. Dominique Wavre (Temenos) 533,8 miles from the finish
5. Sébastien Josse (VMI) 61 miles astern of the fourth boat
The return of Conrad Humphreys
- What an incredible return Conrad Humphreys has made! Setting out from South Africa at the rear, he is now in seventh place in front of Joé Seeten (Arcelor Dunkerque)
- A difficult night ahead for Dominique Wavre (Temenos) and Sébastien Josse (VMI) off Cape Finisterre (Spain)
- ETA for the next arrivals in Les Sables d’Olonne: Late afternoon on Monday 7th February, Early Tuesday morning
“Things are just the opposite from yesterday. I’ve got 25-35 knot winds and choppy seas. It’s completely different. The wind will be getting up in the night!” said Dominique Wavre (Temenos) during today’s radio report. Sailing 300 miles to the west of Cape Finisterre (Spain), Dominique and Sébastien Josse (VMI) have gone from the quiet weather they had yesterday to a real battering today. The northerly wind is there to welcome them 600 miles from the finish, promising them a really tough night. “For the moment, there are 2.5m-3m metre troughs and it’s clearly getting worse. I’m sailing with the staysail and indexsail with two reefs and I’m waiting to take in a third this afternoon.” What an atmosphere! It should be said that it’s never good to have to face head winds and heavy seas 60 hours or so from the finish, as this is an additional strain for the boats, which have already covered 23,000 miles. They are keeping an eye on the rigging, and need to be fully alert in these tricky sailing conditions, especially as there is a major shipping lane just ahead, and the sea state is worsening as they approach the continental shelf. Sébastien Josse (VMI) was unable to be present at today’s session, because of that. Whatever is going on out there, the battle is certainly raging between the two protagonists, who are only 60 miles apart in the 3 o’clock rankings. It was Dominique, who got away yesterday: “Because of my position off to the south, I can open up the canvas a little more than Sébastien, who is probably close-hauled. There is a 1-knot difference between us, and that can be felt in the rankings.”
The return of Conrad Humphreys!
Incredible Conrad! Setting out at the rear from South Africa after repairs to his broken rudder, Conrad Humphreys (Hellomoto) is now up in seventh place. He slipped in front of Joé Seeten (Arcelor Dunkerque) between 4 and 10 this morning, after a lightning passage through the Doldrums. Clearly the faster of the two, Conrad has the same wind conditions as Joé, with a 15-18 knot wind in choppy seas caused by the north-easterly trade winds. Both under staysail and indexsail with one reef, Joé can’t seem to find a way to get back up there with the Plymouth-based yachtsman: “I have tried every combination imaginable, but I just can’t seem to go fast enough. I don’t want him to get too far ahead, but for the moment, I don’t have much to grumble about. Since Africa, he has regained 7 days, 2 of which he has grabbed since the Horn. A fine performance!”“ Although Joé has always reindexed calm throughout all his radio sessions since the start of the race, he admits he turned the music up all the way on board Arcelor Dunkerque : “I’m really thinking about Dunkirk, as tomorrow is the big day. There will be seventy to eighty thousand people dressed up in the streets for the carnival. I put on the Carnival CD, when Hellomoto wasn’t far off. Like that, I was able to put the worries out of my mind.”
ETA for the next arrivals
No major changes since yesterday. The next arrivals back in Les Sables d’Olonne will be Dominique Wavre (Temenos) and Sébastien Josse (VMI), who are forecast to finish sometime between late Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.
Quotes:
Dominique Wavre (Temenos):
“I don’t need to get away from the direct route and I’m pleased I don’t have to sail close-hauled. As for our ETA, the charts say Monday evening, but I think I’ll be slowing down and so it’s more likely to be Monday night. Apart from that everything is fine on board. I still have some dry clothes left! I’d like some better conditions to pass through the shipping lanes, as they are always a bit tricky when there is reduced visibility …”
Benoît Parnaudeau (Max Havelaar/Best Western):
“I have 5 knots of wind and am making 5-knots headway. How long did it take Titouan Lamazou to reach the Equator? 94 days? I’ve 4 days left then to get there. I’m still 900 miles away, so it’s not going to be possible. Moreover, the 48-hour forecast says there is no wind. So I’m busy reading. I had fifty books with me for this round the world trip. As for food, I set out with enough for 120 days. As usual you eat what is best to begin with, so I’ve only got the other stuff left. I told myself it took me 20 days to get home from Salvador de Bahia on the Atlantic challenge. I think I can better that by one or two days. So that should mean I’ll be arriving in Les Sables d’Olonne at the end of February.”
Raphaël Dinelli (Akena Vérandas):
“A couple of days ago, I had a great day, covering more than 300 miles. I was doing 16, 17, 18 or 20 knots, which allowed me to make good headway on my route. Now I’ve only got 5-6 knot winds and I’m sailing with the gennaker almost close-hauled. I’m managing 9-10 knots, which is better than the wind. I’m not doing too badly considering the wind conditions. It’s nice sailing, but the forecasts aren’t too hopeful. As for my food, everything is fine. I have around three”
Joé Seeten (Arcelor Dunkerque):
“We had an incredible trip through the Doldrums. It’s the first time I have made it through so easily. Conrad is a great guy. He has had fine weather in every zone and as he’s alongside me he’s sharing these favourable conditions with me. I have tried every combination imaginable, but I just can’t seem to go fast enough. It should be said that while the boats are similar, his boat is fundamentally lighter. Moreover, I think I have a little problem with the front of my keel, which hit something, when I had the problem with my rudder. My rudders aren’t in the best of shape, with one old one and another I repaired. I don’t think my drainage is that good.”
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