08.12.2007
Dear all,
Please find today’s latest news from Temenos after the sad retirement of PRB
following a broken masthead; as well as the latest from the Transat Ecover BtoB.
Word has it that we're having a more 'Anglo-Saxon' day during tomorrow’s radio
sessions, live on the race website from 1400 to 1500 UTC, after technical issues
today! Furthermore, Francis Joyon looks set to slice around 4 days off Ellen
MacArthur’s time!!
Kind regards, Kate
As the days go by, the competitors in the Barcelona World Race have endured
mixed fortunes. Yesterday we celebrated the establishing of a new record aboard
Hugo Boss, and today we're lamenting the retirement of PRB, whose masthead has
broken and the damage is so severe that the crew have been forced to withdraw
from the competition.
Aboard Temenos II, Michèle and Dominique were awaiting the imminent arrival of
the depression. The latter, progressing a little slower than forecast, should
concern the tandem over the course of the afternoon. Everything is ready aboard
as Dominique confirmed when contacted early this afternoon.
“The depression has kicked in later than forecast; the weather models announced
them last night but its progress has slowed a little. The biggest gale should
pass to the South of us, but we’re still expecting some gusts of 40 knots. We’ve
reduced to the fourth reef and put the storm sail in place.
Last night the wind was unstable, dropping to 15 knots in places. Some little
light zones are being created between the two fronts. The lack of large gennaker
has penalised us, but it did enable us to have a fairly good night and to be
able to rest a little in view of the gales.
For the matter of trajectory we are trying to get as far South as possible, and
that isn't giving us the best angle in relation to the wind. After this
depression there are some high pressure zones which will settle over the area;
this is why we’re trying to drop South as far as possible.”
Inevitably the lack of large gennaker is penalising the performance of the
monohull, but Michèle and Dominique will have to wait a bit longer before they
can get the sail back out of the sail locker. The manœuvre is a tricky one,
requiring virtually no wind.
“We’ll have to get the sail right out, finish unrolling it on deck and hoist it
again in order to be able to add some pre-stressing. It's a manœuvre which will
require some time as we will have more than 300 square metres on the deck,
without protection, so we really can’t have any wind that day.”
Such calms may well lie ahead of the tandem if they don't manage to escape the
coming high pressure, but it’s out of the question nevertheless for Dominique to
go and lie in ambush in the calm zones, the risk of being trapped for several
days on end much too great.
Limping through the Tradewinds
After reading the latest rankings from the Transat Ecover-BtoB, it would seem
obvious that several monohulls have been experiencing more or less serious
damage over the past few days. The radio session confirmed this impression for
Marc Guillemot, Yann Eliès, Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty, Dee Caffari... There aim
will nevertheless be to complete the race without pushing their machines too
hard.
A leader who has made good his escape despite being handicapped by the lack of a
mast wand, a competitor who has been systematically dropping places in the
chasing pack, daily averages which don’t correspond with the weather conditions
on the race zone... The questions were flying around this Saturday as to the
reasons for these seemingly inexplicable differences… barring technical problems
aboard. The first to reveal all during the radio session at the Paris Boat Show
was Marc Guillemot (Safran): "Whilst hoisting sail this morning, I heard a loud
'crack': the end of the keel cylinder shaft which enables you to cant the keel
had broken. It took me an hour to insert a blocking pin into the head of the
keel which was swinging around. I even gybed involuntarily during this manoeuvre
and I was sent flying. I felt pretty groggy and I've got quite a few bruises. A
big calm zone is on its way though and even if we're not really racing anymore
my aim is to finish and qualify for the Vendée Globe..."
Next up was Yann Eliès (Generali) who was leading the fleet yesterday, conceding
over thirty miles this Saturday afternoon but keeping his woes close to his
chest! “I've lost some ground on Loick as I have shifted across a bit to where
he is. The boat is not at 100% either as I've got a few sail issues, which I
don't intend to share with you! (laughs). The situation is virtually ideal with
trades for returning to Brittany, just about on the same tack the whole way. A
Friday/Saturday finish would be tip top!” For the leader of the fleet, the
seascape is slightly different, Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) observing that he
was progressively working his way into the Azores High: "The wind is gradually
easing and I'm pleased to have got away from the fleet again. It's good to get
worked up sometimes! I think I was actually better off without my mast wand
yesterday (the latter broken). A big squall hit but I kept everything up and was
heeled right over going through it. If I’d have known the wind speed I'd have
probably been too frightened to do it! It looks like we're moving in the right
direction in relation to the high pressure and we should get through it but it
will be very close. I've been fine physically since the start but there will be
a bit of work to do on the boat over the winter.”
Behind them the race rhythm is not letting up either as the boats have really
been put to the test since the doldrums with some powerful tradewinds. Dee
Caffari (Aviva) sounded in great shape nonetheless and managed to do just about
all the radio session in French!: "I’m a bit tired. The wind has dropped and the
conditions are better. There's a load of water washing over the deck and the
wind is very shifty and it’s very uncomfortable. I've got some small problems
and cannot fix them until the weather has improved more and the wind has
dropped. There's a hole in my indexsail but I’m doing ok and 'c'est parti mon
Kiki’!’ Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Maisonneuve) was also able to be contacted to
explain his dip in the ranking over the past few hours: "I’m not doing well.
I’ve got massive problems. I’m unable to use any of my headsails. It's a right
bloody mess. The solent got pulled out 3 days ago and I've got no use of my
genoa or staysail either. It was a great race until I lost a stay and narrowly
avoided dismasting. I've got power problems too and other small issues but all
those I can deal with. Right now I'm heading towards Brittany under indexsail and
ORC alone. I've never retired from a race and I don't want to start now. I did
envisage making a stopover but neither option will get me home any quicker so
I'll just stick with it. I just hope this doesn't happen during the Vendee
Globe!"
Armel Le Cléac'h (Brit Air) meantime is still under jury rig making just three
knots as he waits for a charter yacht to supply him with diesel and freshwater.
Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) is one of the only ‘limping boats’ to have
made up some ground over the past few hours: "The wind has dropped a little but
we’re still on the same point of sail with eased sheets: it’s slamming less,
it’s calmer and I think that Mike Golding must have more worries than me for me
to be able to pass him like that! I have a few little concerns too but nothing
that affects the boat speed too much. I have broken my indexsail traveller car
but I've rigged up a repair and it hasn't slowed me down a lot..." In short, the
only solo sailor without any issues is British sailor Samantha Davies (Roxy):
"I’m doing well and it's good to be on the water. I've got 20 knots of wind but
it has been dropping off for 2 or 3 days now. I've got 13 knots of boat speed
under 1 reef and staysail. I'm trying to catch Yannick (Bestaven), which is
really motivating. He’s going really fast though so I’m battling to stay in
touch and I can’t see him anymore. I’m trying everything though. I’m happy but
frustrated not to be the boat in front!"
Whilst the leaders have nearly sailed two thirds of the course and are sailing
off the Canaries, hardly any of our solo sailors are free from damage, to a
greater or lesser extent: three days against the wind in choppy seas weigh heavy
on the structures, the sails, the appendages, the rigs... and the sailors. A
number of them will go into ‘preserving gear' mode but the competition stakes
reindex high and the easing high pressure should enable each of them to get some
respite and recharge their body batteries a little. Attempts at resolving at
least some of the technical issues may also be part of the game plan. After the
storm, which will sweep across the coast of Brittany on Sunday, the solo sailors
should be greeted by downwind conditions to complete this Transat Ecover-BtoB,
which will have taught the sailors and shore crews alike a good number of
lessons...
Quotes from the boats:
Armel Le Cleac’h (Brit Air): “I’m making headway slowly. I’ve been motor-sailing
under jury rig for the past 2.5 days using my reindexing starboard outrigger and
a little storm sail. The latter doesn't really serve any purpose other than
making the boat a bit more stable. I'm making 3 knots towards the NW and closing
a little on Cape Verde, though it's still 400 miles away! It'll be a good week
before I get there so a yacht is liaising with me from Saint Vincent to supply
me with diesel and water, so I can make the island later on.
Marc Guillemot (Safran): “It’s a right mess down below but the keel's still
there!! I've called Kito (de Pavant), not to frighten him but simply to warn him
about the problem in case there's a fault in the system given that we have the
same boats.”
Yann Elies (Generali): “I was away with the sandman there as I’ve just finished
hoisting the sails and tidying up a bit after 3 fairly intensive days.
Conditions have eased a little. I’ve got 16/17 knots of wind and it's not
slamming anymore. It's also a little less wet. It certainly makes a pleasant
change from crawling around on all fours down below.”
--
Kate Jennings
Expression.
P.O. Box 26,
Dartmouth,
DEVON.
TQ6 0YG
United Kingdom
+44 (0)7795 116699
|
