12 November 2008
Day 4: Seb strikes out on his own and puts BT in the lead!
In brief:
- BT takes the lead! Seb moves into first place at the 1000GMT rankings today - choosing not to stick with the leading pack, confident of his decision, his tactics pay off.
- Happy to be in the lead but psychology changes as Seb is now the 'hunted' not the hunter.see Seb's words below, and click here http://www.btsebjosse.com/video.asp?cat=video&ttl=Day+4+-+Video+conference+ENG&vidid=1917449861 to watch today's video conference with BT.
- Memories of the brutal battering at the start recede as BT heads into stable, calmer and warmer conditions.
- Send your message of support to Seb - hundreds received already and a huge motiviation for the skipper. Click here http://www.btsebjosse.com/contact-seb.asp to send a message.
- Partner of the day: BG
In detail:
BT in the lead!
Sébastien Josse took BT into first place at the 1000 GMT rankings today - gaining a slim 6.3nm lead on Jean-Pierre Dick in second. On the pace since the start on Sunday, Seb has been with the leading pack that has been led by Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement), Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) and Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac) over the last 24 hours or so, but Seb has gained a tactical advantage by choosing a more easterly option, closest to the direct (and therefore shortest) route where there was more pressure, hence more speed. Choosing not to stick with the leading pack, Seb is confident in his decision-making and his tactics pay off.
Seb is happy to be in the lead but the psychology changes as he is now the 'hunted' not the hunter. In fact, Seb expects to momentarily lose his hold on the lead as the frontrunners trade gybes as they head south towards Madeira and onto the Canary Islands - check out the positions map here http://tracking.vendeeglobe.org/bt/ later today.
heading south into warmer climes.
Things could not be more different from the first 48 hours of race that saw the fleet in survival mode as a vicious storm swept across the racecourse with devastating effect for some of the competitors [see other news below]. Now BT is sailing at 12-13 knots under spinnaker towards Madeira (400 miles ahead) in a N-NE breeze skirting the eastern edge of the Azores High [see info below]. The wind is expected to increase to 18-23 knots this afternoon and veer ENE, which will see BT gybe on to starboard.
Life onboard has improved considerably - drier conditions, rising temperature, flatter seas and Seb will have found time to rest and eat, recharging his own batteries that were running close to empty following the storm. Managing your own physical conditions is just as important as managing the boat. Click here http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/magazines/5528/simply-the-worst.html to read an insightful view on what the skippers will have been through in the early stages of the race.
From Seb today:
"This afternoon I will make a gybe in a few hours and this gybe is really important because it's a long door to the Doldrums. The weather is the Trade Winds, 15-20 knots downwind and the swell is 2m high, it's not really sunny but no rain which is more important!
"Now the life on board is a little bit better, it's the first time I open my third day bag of food any I had my first hot meal yesterday. All is not tidy inside but after the gybe I promise you I tidy the boat, video the boat and check the boat, but there is no big problem today.
"I think for Mich it is really hard to start again because when Mich does a race it is to win and now he is in the last position. But I think he knows it is a really long race and he hopes for some good weather to come back or some technical problems for the other boats. It can be really hard for a sailor to come back in this kind of race.
"Yes, I'm happy because all the time it is good to be first but now it's not so easy to react because all the boats are behind but we have to wait for the gybe because maybe some boats can cross in front of me in a few hours. But the good thing is that I'm in the top 5 or top 3, or even in the first position, but the more important thing is that with this part of the fleet."
Other news in the fleet.
Foncia restarted the race yesterday morning, now 450 miles behind BT. No one is underestimating Michel Desjoyeaux's comeback into the race.
Three official retirements from the Vendée Globe following their dismastings: Yannick Bestaven (Aquarelle.com); Marc Thiercelin (DCNS) and Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel).
Swiss skipper, Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) has fixed his broken bowsprit following a collision with a container vessel and is expecting to re-step his mast this afternoon and departer later tonight. British skipper, Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) has arrived back in the start port of Les Sables d'Olonne to assess the damage from a crack in the hull structure on the port-side. Thomson will, once again, be up against the clock as the competitors are only given 10 days from the start to receive assistance from their team back in the start port (after that they are on their own). Jean Baptiste Dejeanty (Maisonneuve) is still assessing the structural damage to his boat and Derek Hatfield (Spirit of Canada) is attempting to fix his electrical problems and replace his wind generator that was ripped off the deck.
Azores High.
The Azores High is a semi-permanent anticyclonic region with relatively consistent high pressure (ie little wind) positioned over the Atlantic Ocean at around 30 degrees North in latitude during the winter. More info, available here http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/wxfacts/The-Azores-High.htm
Partner of the Day:
BG have long been proud partners of Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, providing comprehensive global support to BT Team Ellen.
For 52 years BG has welcomed the constant challenge to develop the most accurate and reliable Instrument and Autopilot systems. Harnessing technical developments and providing proven solutions has kept BG on the leading edge of marine electronics. Innovators of record-breaking display, sensor and pilot technology, BG are renowned for tried and trusted solutions used by the best single-handed racers.
High-resolution images of the BT Open 60 are now available for download via the media website http://www.btsebjosse.com.
Don't forget to sign up for press updates, with images, video and audio files available to download.
Follow all the action and find out more about the team at the new website http://www.btsebjosse.com
For further information on the BT Team Ellen contact:
Julie Royer
BT Team Ellen Communications Manager
Email: julie.royer@ocgroup.com
Tel: +44 7500 787 812
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