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Vendee Globe 2008/09 - Foncia/Michel Desjoyeaux/F
www.vendeeglobe.org - Übersicht
Friday 7th November 2008
A SLAMMING BISCAY, A STALLING PORTUGAL...
- Wind and seas on the nose in the Bay of Biscay.
- Subtle passage of the front...
- Light airs and uncertainty off Portugal.
48 hours to go... Though the team are taking charge of the final preparations relating to the 60 foot monohull FONCIA, Michel Desjoyeaux is pouring over the grib files for the first days of this Vendée Globe in increasing detail, with "60% of the time spent at the chart table". The global trend is taking shape and the meteorological "spaghetti" is beginning to reveal its secrets. The start is approaching and though land still has some meaning for Michel the landsman, Michel the sailor has already headed off to sea. What will be the menu for these initial days of racing? We take a tour of the horizon...
The Bay of Biscay will be the warm-up for this Vendée Globe. It is a zone renowned for its severity since it is a breeding ground for W and SW'ly winds generated by the lows which relish making their presence felt as they close on the Atlantic coast. And though the wind may be problematic as it will be on the nose for those dipping south to round the horn of Iberia, it's the seas which become a real issue as the waves gain height with the funnelling effect of Biscay. headwinds, powerful waves which can break over them at any point, the heaviness of the boats which set off laden to the hilt... Suffice to say that the very start of this course isn't the easiest stage in this circumnavigation of the globe. From the outset, the boats will be subject to a powerful showdown and Michel Desjoyeaux on his 60 foot monohull FONCIA, like his fellow sailors, will have to control the power of the boat, the severity of the elements and the optimising of his course.
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Foto: © Yvan Zedda
Foto: © Yvan Zedda
Foto: Gilles Martin-Raget
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Confrontation...
"We're going to set off in a 15/20 knot SW'ly, filling during the course of the evening and overnight... it could reach 25 to 30 knots locally at the leading edge of a cold front which is labouring along in the Bay of Biscay, says Michel, eyeing the meteorological spaghetti of the isobaric charts. We'd certainly all prefer to set off in the same conditions as four years ago... That would have been simpler for all concerned, especially as the start is always risky. We're already going to have to make sure we are careful with each other given the number of boats at the start and we shouldn't underestimate the considerable fleet of spectator boats, which are always keen to get as close as possible to us... Following that we're going to have to put in some westing until Monday evening in my view... Once we've hit the NW'ly behind the front, we'll make the most of it to make headway towards Cape Finisterre. Though the weather situation is fairly clear, the strategy isn't totally in hand. I think a few subtleties will creep in with the wind potentially oscillating in direction..." We rather suspected as much... Michel continues: "It's clear: we're not going to sleep the first night! It'll be in our best interests to be on top of things and take firm control of the tack changes... We'll have to don full foulies. From then on the wind will be hitting us from the same direction as the waves so it shouldn't be too difficult for the boat". He's right into his game plan of that there is no doubt!
Not as clear as all that...
Once out of the hellish Bay of Biscay it's around the wretched Cape Finisterre at the NW tip of Spain, a huge granite headland looming 600 metres out of the water and situated in La Coruña in Galicia: here we have the menu for the initial days of racing. From there the boats are likely to trip up as they round the Cape. Indeed, the problems here will be numerous and Michel will have to confront: 1. The sudden rise of the ocean floor which makes the waves break right across the impressive rocky promontory; 2. The shipping lane which skirts the coast with its steel giants hurtling along at over 20 knots whilst reindexing on their ‘trade route'; 3. The fishermen which benefit from the fortunes of the continental shelf to track down fish and shellfish in the Atlantic; 4. A wind which can switch suddenly and scramble the charts. They will then have to choose to either round this landmass offshore, prepared to rack up some extra miles, or play the more risky option of ‘pebble-hopping' with the benefit of being on a direct course. It's not easy... "It's true that after that it's not very clear continues Michel. The Azores High is finding it difficult to position itself and there is a little uncertainty along the Portuguese coast for the time being as well as in the downwind descent. The wind will be light and the conditions will be tricky..." This will be the case as far as Lisbon where a more established air flow should take hold. Some light downwind conditions with a heavy boat (due to being laden with 3 months' fuel) is the likely scenario for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Some stiff conditions at the start, an upwind negotiation of the Bay of Biscay, a Cape Finisterre to be rounded with the utmost care, a light wind off Portugal... This Vendée Globe has doubtless already begun on paper and the initial days on the water are going to involve a great deal of choices!
The 60 foot monohull FONCIA leaves the pontoon: Sunday 9th November at 1103 hrs
Start of the Vendée Globe 2008/2009: Sunday 9th November at 1302 hrs
http://blanconegro.extranet-e.net/public/fo101008-0014ORYANOO.jpg© Yvan Zedda
http://blanconegro.extranet-e.net/public/fo101008-0148oryanoo.jpg© Yvan Zedda
http://blanconegro.extranet-e.net/public/_DSC4707download.jpg
http://blanconegro.extranet-e.net/public/FonGMR_0876.jpg
© Gilles Martin Raget
http://blanconegro.extranet-e.net/public/FonGMR_1128.jpg
© Gilles Martin Raget
http://blanconegro.extranet-e.net/public/vg091108-0084oryanoo.jpg
© Yvan Zedda
http://blanconegro.extranet-e.net/public/CPFONCIA_J-2_0711_en.pdf Communiqué
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