Figaro Solo Transatlantic race 2005 06.04.2005 DAY 4: SAM LOOSES 2NM AFTER BEING ASLEEP DURING WINDSHIFT... Skandia is a leading provider of long-term savings and pioneer of the highly successful multi-manager investment approach. IN BRIEF: * AT 1000HRS POSITIONS, CERCLE VERT HAS TAKEN THE LEAD, 0.6NM Ahead OF PREVIOUS RACE LEADER BANQUE POPULAIRE... * SKANDIA DROPPED DOWN ONE PLACE OVERNIGHT AFTER SAM FELL ASLEEP AND SAILED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR TWO MILES.... * "IT'S A BIT DISAPPOINTING REALLY BECAUSE I KNEW IT WAS COMING. I WAITED AND WAITED AND WAITED. I SLEPT EARLIER IN THE NIGHT BECAUSE I KNEW THERE WAS GOING TO BE A SHIFT..." * WITH JUST 25 MILES SEPARATING THE MAJORITY OF THE FLEET, THERE IS ALL TO PLAY FOR... IN DETAIL: At the 1000hrs positions, Gildas Morvan (CERCLE VERT) has now taken the lead, 0.6nm ahead of previous race leader Jeanne Gregoire (BANQUE POPULAIRE). SKANDAIA is now in 7th, 0.2nm behind 6th place Yannick Bestaven (AQUARELLE.COM). SKANDIA dropped down 1 place overnight after Sam fell asleep and sailed in the wrong direction for 2 miles. The fleet have been waiting for this cold front to pass through and Sam had been taking 20minute sleeps earlier on yesterday evening, to prepare for the waiting game which was to follow...unfortunately she had one sleep too many... "It's a bit disappointing really because I knew it was coming. I waited and waited and waited...I slept earlier in the night because I knew it would be quite windy and that there was going to be a shift. So I was waiting for the shift, I was inside because it was too cold to be outside. I knew I needed to stay awake. This is the first time I was breaking out of my good eating routine...so I ate a packet of M&Ms to try and keep me awake but still there was no wind shift. Then I dosed off..when I woke up the boat was moving a bit differently and I ran out and realised. I suppose it could have been worse I could have been sleep for a bit longer!" With just 25 miles separating the majority of the fleet, there is all to play for...and mistakes are punished quickly. The majority of the fleet are currently sailing in the post frontal NW winds 16-20knots. They passed through the cold front early this morning. This North-West wind will temporarily reach 25-30knots later today before decreasing to 15-20knots by the end of today. The fleet should be able to set spinnakers for a fast downwind leg to the Azores. EMAIL LOG FROM SAM Good morning! For me it is not a good morning, because I missed the windshift with this cold front, and sailed 2 miles in the wrong direction! Last night was fast upwind sailing in 20-25 knots. I had the solent and full index up and managed to get SKANDIA set up to a really nice balanced trim, so that the pilot was driving really well. It was SOOOOO FREEZING cold that I was happy to be able to shelter inside. However, it is still not really comfortable wedged in a little space as high up as possible to get your weight out in a pitching little boat. I got some 20 min sleeps in early in the night because I knew the cold front would be approaching towards the end of the night and it could be gusty and there was the vital shift to catch..... Sleeping was tricky, even jammed in with my bean bag I couldn't get comfy. Also, I had to make a trip on deck every 20 min to check the trim, balance and check for ships. Normally, my "see me" will sound an alarm if a ship is around, but last night I had a close call with a ship that obviously didn't have its radar on - it was weird also, because it had nav lights on, but didn't seem to be moving...strange! Anyway, in the end, the windshift caught me out and decided to come just when I had nodded off..... Typical! Luckily, the change of motion of the boat woke me up, but it was a very subtle change because I was steering in wind mode.... Still, by the time I had worked it out and tacked, I had sailed 2 miles in the wrong direction. THAT'S TERRIBLE! I will have to work very hard to make up for that! I won't do it again either! Sam EXTRACTS FROM SAM AUDIO (Listen to the full audio from Sam at Audio/Video section of website) What is your sail configuration right now? "I'm two sail reaching at the moment and playing with grib files to work out when to put my spinnaker up - when to go off. i know its important to get south because the wind's better south now." How has it been for you in the last 24 hours? "It wasn't very pleasant, even with all the perfect Musto clothes that I've got it was still so, so cold outside. The trouble is the boat is so full that inside there's no where to go to windward because everything is stacked. I was perched on a corner and I've just got such a stiff neck cos I was crunched in a corner all night trying to hang on to the boat - I dont know how I did actually fall alseep! Another time I fell asleep, the reason i woke up was because I ended up on the other side of the boat after a wave. It's not nice but wasn't particularly windy - it was only 25knots. I'm just really really grateful we didn't start off in a massive depression and 5 days on the nose like the TJV." [Transat Jacques Vabre in 2003, on Team Cowes with teammate Nick Moloney] What is the forecast for the next few days as you head for the Azores? "It's looks like we'll have this North-West wind for a few days. I hope it's going to warm up aswell because I'm still cold. I haven't looked yet today but it should be downwind or reaching all the way to the Azores - and quick. Not really, really strong winds so it shoud be relatively easy." And after the Azores? "There's a depression quite far south and I think we'll end going great circle route to go over the top and slide down the back of the depression - it looks like it's downwind for quite a long time." Until 1000hrs this morning, Jeanne Gregoire (BANQUE POPULAIRE) who you know quite well, and who you have sailed with before, has been in the lead...is that quite a surprise to you? "I'm not surprised at all - Jeanne sails really well and she sails really fast. I know that when we're sailing in a straight line it's difficult for me to keep up with her and at lot of it until now has been straight line sailing. I don't know how much I lost in the night but the gaps aren't too big so hopefully things will be able to change!" Communications thanks to BT Broadband LATEST POSITIONS 1000 BST 6/4/05 (boat name / boat speed /distance to leader) 1. CERCLE VERT / 6.0kts / 3889.7nm to finish 2. BANQUE POPULAIRE / 5.9kts / +0.6 3. CREDIT MARITIME - ZEROTWO / 6.8kts / +6.9nm 4. BOSTIK / 6.6kts / +9.1nm 5. COUTOT ROEHRIG / 7.1kts / +17.1nm 6. AQUARELLE.COM / 5.9kts / +18.3nm 7. SKANDIA / 4.4kts / +18.5nm 8. TOTAL / 6.8kts / +19.3nm 9. LITTLE BLACK SHARK / 6.8kts / +19.6nm 10. ENTREPRENDRE AU PAYS DE LORIENT / 5.6kts / 24.3nm 11. ATAO AUDIO SYSTEM / 6.5kts / +37.3nm 12. GEDIMAT / 5.4kts / +44.6m Click here for full positions report Official race website: http://www.trophee-bpe2005.com (French only) 2005 FIGARO PROGRAMME 3 April: Trophée BPE 2005 (St.Nazaire – Cienfuegos, Cuba) 6-25 June: La Generali Solo 2005 1-28 August: La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro 2005 PARTNER OF THE DAY : RED FUNNEL Official travel supplier to Sam and the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team http://www.samdavies.com/redfunnel Email powered by Active 24 For more information visit http://www.samdavies.com/skandia or contact : Josie Robinson (English) josie@offshorechallenges.com T: +44(0) 870 063 0210 Caroline Muller (Francais) bienvenue@welcomeonboard.fr T: +33 (0)6 80 40 00 24 Other information sources online: Finistère Course au Large Classe Figaro Bénéteau Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE