10.11.2005
DAY 6: A QUESTION OF PACE AS THE LEADERS RACE SOUTH…
IN BRIEF
SILL ET VEOLIA 26 MILES BEHIND leader Virbac-Paprec as the speed and temperature onboard begins to rise…
OPEN 60 FRONTRUNNERS SILL ET VEOLIA AND VIRBAC-PAPREC, on ideal route south as they pass west of Maderia and lining up to keep to the west of the Canaries…
JOURDAIN AND MACARTHUR FEELING FATIGUED AFTER FIVE FULL-ON DAYS of racing from the upwind bash to the downwind roller-coaster - demanding constant sail changing, trouble-shooting and repairs to keep Sill et Veolia on track
“It’s very fast sailing - and the sun has come out. It is a little hot, but the skies are blue and generally the weather is good”
IN DETAIL:
The fifth night of the two-handed Transat Jacques Vabre race saw more breeze than expected as Roland Jourdain and Ellen MacArthur sailed through varying north-easterly winds of 17-35 knots. At approximately 1100GMT today, Sill et Veolia passed the island of Madeira 50 miles to the west on starboard gybe, as they chased hard on the heels on Open 60 leaders Jean Pierre Dick and Loik Peyron on Virbac-Paprec. “Virbac are a little slower than us at the moment, and we are sailing the boat as hard as we can in the conditions that we have in order to make up some miles,” said Roland Jourdain today during the radio vacation.
The two leading Open 60s held onto the breeze for longer yesterday allowing them to gybe which today has allowed them to keep well to the west of Madeira. Chasing the leaders, Jean Le Cam took Bonduelle east of the islands and has managed to sneak ahead of Mike Golding’s Ecover (4th). Golding,who elected to sail between the islands trailing Le Cam by 6 miles at 1700 GMT. Pro-Form (5th) and Skandia (6th) also cleared the islands to the east, with Marc Thiercelin and Eric Drouglazet gaining an upper hand over Skandia skippers Brian Thompson and Will Oxley.
Now firmly in the North-Easterly Trade Winds, Jourdain and MacArthur are taking advantage of the strong 25-30 knot as they sail south, clocking up average speeds of over 18 knots and a 24-hour run of 381nm. Ahead lie the Canary Islands some 168 miles ahead. The current routing shows they are expected to pass the Canary Islands well to the west in the early hours of tomorrow morning, avoiding the wind shadow of the giant peak that dominates La Palma rising 2400m above sea level. What happens to the chasing pack reindexs to be seen – will they manage to sail low enough to avoid the islands or risk getting caught in the ‘Canaries trap’.
French Sill et Veolia Skipper Roland Jourdain speaking onboard today:
“It’s very fast sailing. We were a little concerned about sailing west of Madeira, but by this morning everything was good. The sky has opened and the sun has come out. It is a little hot, but the skies are blue and generally the weather is good. Last night, we saw variable winds of 17-35 knots, which have now stabilised to 25-30 knots. Today Ellen and I took our wet weather kit off for the first time, and of course two hours later we were hit in the head by what felt like fifteen buckets of water! It was one of those things, but luckily we saw the funny side and although very tired, we are in good spirits onboard. Although I think I have been hallucinating, as last night I was helming onboard and I had the feeling I was sailing a Figaro!”
OPEN 60 RANKINGS 1700 GMT:
1. VIRBAC-PAPREC / DISTANCE TO FINISH 2888.7 MILES
2. SILL ET VEOLIA / +26.7 MILES
3. BONDUELLE / +36.6 MILES
4. ECOVER / +42.9 MILES
5. PRO FORM / +99.2 MILES
6. SKANDIA / +101.4 MILES
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