13 November 2008
Day 5: BT Trading Places at the Front as Leading Trio Pull Away
In brief:
- Sailing in steady north-easterly Trade Winds - the leading trio of Loick Peyron, Sébastien Josse and Jean-Pierre Dick are trading places as they push south stretching their lead on the rest of the fleet..."I'm happy about my position because the Trade Winds our a little big stronger in the east"... See Seb's words below and click here http://www.btsebjosse.com/video.asp to watch today's video conference .
- Entering the fifth day of the race, having covered nearly 1,200 miles of the course, the next obstacle en route is the island of Madeira, 85 miles ahead, which can cast a big wind shadow far out to sea [see more info below]
- This race is long and hard, and there's no doubt that at some point BT will encounter problems, big or small, that could slow progress but short terms gains can add up to a one big advantage over the 26,000 mile course
- Alex Thomson officially retires from the race
- Partner of the day: Bollé
In detail:
Since taking the lead yesterday morning, Sébastien Josse on BT has been trading places with Loick Peyron (Gitana Eighty) and Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) through the night and into today. For now Peyron has the advantage, a 13.6 mile lead over 2nd place Sébastien Josse. The distance between Seb and JP Dick (3rd), who is positioned further west, is inconsequential as they push southwards. This trio has eeked out a tangible lead on the chasing pack. The closest rival is Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) 24.1 miles astern and then Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) and Vincent Riou (PRB), winner of the last Vendée Globe, 50+ miles behind. These may be small gains but it is the smaller gains that add up to one big advantage as they race goes on as Seb pointed out yesterday. However, in the back of Seb's mind he knows that at some point BT will encounter problems, big or small, that will slow his progress. But it is the same for all the skippers which is why they push so hard all the time, just to gain a mile here or there. BT has been sailing along at 13-14 knots in the NE Trade Winds but closing on the island of Maderia has seen the wind accelerate up to 30 knots resulting in the need for reduced sail.
Having covered nearly 1,200 miles so far, the next obstacle on the race course is the island of Madeira, approx 85 miles down the track. BT will pass to westward of the island keeping it on his left, but the island will cast a long wind shadow out to sea, the highest point on the island is 6,107ft (1,862m) - get too close and the wind will disappear. At the same time, like a moth to a burning flame, Seb will want to keep BT as close to the direct (and shortest route) that the weather will allow - the most direct route is to his east ie also to his left. It is a fine line to stay in the best pressure, on the best course and get every notch of speed out of the boat.
From Seb today:
"Now we are rushing to Madeira and and the wind build up a bit so that we mean we had to drop the big gennaker and put up the smaller sail. I'm happy about my position because the Trade Winds our a little big stronger in the east and all the times its easier to transform this position if I go down a little bit in speed.
It's not really, really rough but it is wet outside because we have around 20 knots now so lot of water over the boat but hopefully tomorrow I can take off my wet weather gear!"
Madeira...
Madeira Island is the largest island of the archipelago that lies about 360 miles from the coast of Africa - it is approx 30 miles (57km) long, 13 miles (22km) wide with a coastline of 80-90 miles. A mountainous chain form its 'back bone' reaching a mean altitude of 4,000ft (1,220m) - its highest point is Pico Ruivo at 6,107ft (1,862m). Maderia is an autonomous region of Portugal and in Portuguese Madeira means 'wood'.
Other news in the fleet...
Hugo Boss officially announced they had no choice but to throw in the towel, as repairs to the boat would be a matter of weeks. As Alex commented:"It's just awful, not just for me but the team, you know we worked really hard and built a new boat, just to get ready for this one race, and to be out of it just three days in just doesn't feel right at all, it feels very hard to be back here again."
Bernard Stamm on Cheminées Poujoulat restarted his Vendée Globe in the early hours of this morning, 950 miles from the leaders.
Partner of the day: Bollé
Bushnell Performance Optics, a leading supplier of high quality sport optics, is the parent company of the performance sunglasses and ski goggle brand Bolle and has been supporting the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team for over 4 years. The inspiration of Ellen and the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team is phenomenal, representing ambition and humility and the epitome of performance. It is for these reasons that Bushnell Performance Optics chose them to become one of their global ambassadors. Combining award winning technology, serious performance and protection with style, Bolle's superior lens and frame technology offers exceptional vision in the most challenging conditions. www.bolle.com http://www.bolle.com
Follow all the action and find out more about the team at the new website http://www.btteamellen.com
Katie Green
Email: katie.green@ocgroup.com
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