Friday 21st November – 1700 hrs
Gitana Eighty’s race at the front
Loïck Peyron - Yvan Zedda / Gitana SA
The fleet of monohulls in the Vendée Globe is beginning its twelfth day at
sea and since leaving Les Sables d’Olonne, the competitors in this 2008
edition have been battling in close contact as the 76 miles separating the
leader from the 10th placed solo sailor at the 1600 hour ranking bear
witness. Controlling the attacks from his adversaries over the past eight
days, Loïck Peyron is still in pole position. Of course the passage of the
Doldrums has favoured a bunching of the troops, which are gradually making
up their deficit. However, the skipper of the monohull equipped by Baron
Benjamin de Rothschild reindexs at the head of the ranking; a position which
he is shouldering without pressure and without scruples prior to switching
across to the southern hemisphere.
In a fair number of books, the Doldrums is the source of many a tale of
daring… though the zone didn’t show its usual squally, unpredictable face to
the first ten 60 foot Imocas. We could of course speak of the ingratitude of
the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, which hampered the leaders’ progress
for nearly 36 hours – forcing them into a slow march through light airs –
seems to be more welcoming of their pursuers. However, these are the hazards
of this sport which, just like mechanical issues, form part and parcel of a
sailor’s lot. Indeed Loïck Peyron noted this without the slightest hint of
disappointment: “To enter the zone at the front and exit it at the front is
always satisfying, as you know you can lose a lot of ground here. This
Doldrums is revealing itself to be a lot more favourable to those behind,
but it may also prove to be a tricky passage which totally reshuffles the
playing cards! This time that wasn’t the case.” In addition, though we’re
witnessing a bunching of the fleet at the front and the grib files seem to
suggest the pursuers are in for an easier ride, it is extremely likely that
the backrunners would rather change places with those up front as it’s
always nicer to be ahead.
With the Doldrums now in their wake, the leading group has hit the moderate
ESE’ly tradewinds and is sailing upwind towards the equator. A change of
pace, accompanied by the formation of messy seas: “Aboard Gitana Eighty, the
early morning involved a series of stacking manoeuvres and the dumping of
the genoa. This gave me the opportunity to have a good bath at the front of
the boat, followed by a shower in the cockpit to remove the salt!”, said the
amused skipper of Gitana Eighty, before going on to say: “We’re going to
spend a fair few days canted over to the right – around a week I’d say – so
it’s important that the boat is well positioned.” In these conditions, Loïck
Peyron gave us his short term strategy: “This new period will be a
compromise between speed and heading. We’re going to have to get used to the
chop and the boat being canted over again, but the next few days will
unquestionably be favourable for recuperation, prior to tackling the big
turn. The next thing in my firing line is the Saint Helena high. Today
things aren’t very clear. They are moving and sorting themselves out… but
one thing at a time!”
Tonight the monohull in the colours of the LCF Rothschild Group should be
the first to cross the equator. For Loïck Peyron, nevertheless an
experienced hemisphere hopper, this imaginary line separating the two
hemispheres of our planet is a rather formal occasion; indeed it is an
opportunity to make offerings to Neptune in order to obtain his protection
and gain a right of passage through to the southern hemisphere. It should be
noted that during the previous edition in 2004, Jean Le Cam crossed the
equator in 10 days, 11 hours and 28 minutes, which means a slower
introduction to the Vendée Globe 2008-2009.
Ranking on 21st November – 1600 hours (French time)
1. Gitana Eighty (Loïck Peyron) 20,796 miles from the finish
2. BT (Sébastien Josse) 19.6 miles from the leader
3. PRB (Vincent Riou) 33.1 miles
4. Paprec Virbac (Jean-Pierre Dick) 34.6 miles
5. Brit Air (Armel Le Cléac’h) 42.5 miles
Abandons: Groupe Bel (Kito de Pavant), Aquarelle.com (Yannick Bestaven),
DCNS (Marc Thiercelin) and Hugo Boss (Alex Thomson).
Translated by Kate Jennings – Expression
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