10.12.2007
Dear all,
Please find today’s offerings below from Temenos (Barcelona World Race) and
Safran (Transat Ecover BtoB). Do go onto www.transatbtob.com website and read
the latest press release, I love the quote from Bernard Stamm : ) Oh, also, I
had a message from Groupama today, they’re not due to set off on the Jules Verne for at least another 5 days – phew!!
Kind regards, Kate
"Appalling” seas
After PRB, it was the turn of Estrella Damm, victim of serious damage to the
rudder, to re-route for Cape Town. For the time being the two co-skippers have not expressed any intention to retire from the race. Both of them are waiting to obtain a full technical analysis during their pitstop prior to making their decision.
At the front of the fleet, the leaders are continuing to make headway with a
fast moving front, but for Temenos II and, to a greater extent its pursuers,
unfortunately this front is no longer on today’s menu.
Contacted at midday, Michèle and Dominique gave us the latest news from onboard.
heading South the monohull was trying to escape the high pressure, which was
stretching across to the South of Africa. The passage of the front, and the
rotation of the wind to the South, have generated particularly chaotic seas. The sky is still grey, the cold omnipresent and the icy seas continue to sweep across the deck of the boat, so nothing new, but aboard Temenos II the averages are nothing like those encountered the day before. The euphoria of the surfs is over and there's no chance of the duo reaching the 34 knots of yesterday. Since last night, the sea state has been hampering the monohull’s progress and the gear has been taking some big knocks.
“We gybed last night in the pitch black under driving rain with a front that
passed over very quickly. Just after that we ended up in vile seas, the wind
coming from the South, with a still W'ly orientated swell. The boat was slamming horribly. This morning I felt bad for the boat. We’re sailing upwind full and by, but Temenos II cannot develop speed, it is constantly slamming in these abrupt, confused seas. It makes you feel like you can break gear very easily in these types of conditions, I’ve rarely seen that. The wind is set to become more favourable and the seas should slowly become less disorganised but for the time being we’re still being shaken around like plum trees” recounted Dominique.
The particularly difficult seas are forcing the sailors to double up their
vigilance during the manœuvres on deck.
“With this sea, you really have to be careful” insisted Michèle, “it’s very
difficult to hold on when you’re on deck. These boats already have a tendency to
move fairly dryly and brutally in normal weather, so right now it's imperative
that you remember to put on your harness, a tether being insisted upon, and if
one of us forgets, the other reminds them systematically.”
Nobody aboard the boats in this fleet would say the contrary, double-handed
sailing is a good thing...
Finish in order to qualify
The breakage of the keel actuator rod, suffered by Safran on Saturday, is now
preventing Marc Guillemot from battling for victory. However, the index objective
of this Transat Ecover B to B reindexs: to complete the race in order to obtain
the very precious qualification for the Vendée Globe 2008.
“The index aim is to finish this race in order to qualify for the Vendée Globe”
said Marc Guillemot prior to the start of this Transat Ecover B to B which saw
him at the head of the fleet until Saturday 8th December, when the keel actuator
rod gave up the ghost (see press release and video from Marc explaining the
damage). Though he’s clearly disappointed not to be able to defend his chances
at 100 % and to do battle against Loïck Peyron – with whom he contested the
leadership until Friday - the skipper of Safran must go back to basics: finish
this race at all costs, even under reduced sail area, handicapping his boat “by
around 30% of its potential” he estimates.
Reindex positive
Thanks to the emergency system, Marc has managed to lock the keel vertically
with the help of a false actuator rod, which will enable him to continue his
course on towards Port-la-Forêt. The technical incident is part and parcel of
mechanical sport. Though it is cruel and infuriating, better that it happens
during this stage of the programme rather than eight days after the start of the
Vendée Globe…. The whole of the Safran Sailing Team will be able, with the help
of the engineers at SAFRAN, analyse the causes of the damage and resolve them
prior to the grand start of the Everest of the Seas at the end of 2008.
The head of the fleet at the Azores
Marc Guillemot couldn’t be contacted at the lunchtime radio session, whilst at
the head of the fleet at the Azores. Doubtless too busy driving his damaged boat
and sorting out his steed in order to prevent him from retiring, like Armel Le
Cléac’h on Brit’Air (dismasting) and Mike Golding on Ecover (various damage).
Even in these conditions, and this is a great performance in itself, Marc was
managing to keep Safran in 4th position at the latest ranking at 1400 hours. The leadership was still being controlled by Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty), 1,100
miles from the finish.
From La Baule on France’s Atlantic coast, Peyron had a 37
miles lead over Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel) and the invincible Michel Desjoyeaux
(Foncia), was back to within 48 miles of the leader. Next up, Safran is 84 miles
off the lead, Generali 101 miles back. These five leaders have a lead of between
100 and 200 miles over the chasing pack, led by Bernard Stamm (Cheminées
Poujoulat, 6th and 203 miles from the leader).
First arrivals in sight…
With a S’ly wind – downwind therefore – expected to kick in from this afternoon,
the pace should pick up towards Port-la-Forêt, where the frontrunners may well
be expected from Thursday evening. The focus then will be on not losing too much
ground since the leading group will benefit from steady, favourable wind.
Unfortunately, a forecast wind shift may well force the rest of the fleet to
finish off the race upwind, thus creating massive deficits in relation to the
winner. Will Safran be able to stay in the same system as the three or four
leading boats? This is the big question, even though Marc Guillemot’s boat
should logically suffer from its keel being locked in the axis of the downwind
conditions as opposed to those upwind. There are still a few days of sea and
adventure reindexing before the qualification is in the bag!
Kate Jennings
Expression.
P.O. Box 26,
Dartmouth,
DEVON.
TQ6 0YG
United Kingdom
+44 (0)7795 116699
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