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Page 26. MAINE COASTAL NEWS December 2008
Yacht Racing News
Update Vendee Globe & Rich Wilson's GREAT AMERICAN III
with Dr Chauve (race doctor) and I think that to stay on top of the weather situation, it has pace into the Southern Hemisphere tonight. the mast without running the risk of getting
the consensus with Dr Weinwalt in Boston been an equally difficult day. Heat and hu- With about 190 miles to the Equator this my head chopped off by the piece of car-
is that in all likelihood I have cracked a rib, and midity on board the leading boats leave the morning, Peyron’s lead is at 16 miles over his bon… I think the mast itself may have been
I have a pretty sharp pain on one side and so skippers dripping with sweat. And tonight most consistent shadow Seb Josse (BT). damaged. I’m doing all I can to make sure the
that is making the sail changes a little painful, promises to be as long and tricky. No one Vincent Riou (PRB) has progressively eased mast stays up until we reach Brazil. It is the
needless to say. I did just have an e-mail from wants to be separated from the pack as they east of Jean Pierre Dick (PAPREC-VIRBAC 2) mechanical parts that broke. I can’t possibly
a friend who came to Les Sables d’Olonne to work their way through the light, usually to occupy third, but there is still just 32 miles manufacture them on board the boat: I have
see the start and he told me that the Marine random winds. between second and sixth places. stuff to repair everything except the mast and
Corps have a saying that pain is weakness These are the days of a crucial Doldrums With a matter of hours until the leaders the keel. We fitted new parts just before
leaving the body, and so I am thinking about regatta, a fascinating tussle with nine boats break the Equator into the Southern Hemi- setting sail and checked it all in Les Sables
that.” within 100 miles of the lead, in two main sphere, the pace is two days behind that of d’Olonne.”
groups, fighting to see who will win the big Jean Le Cam in 2004, when the fleet were sent On radio Vacations, Rich Wilson
16 November advantage of emerging into the Southeast- on their way by favourable winds across the (GREAT AMERICAN III) recalled his re-
Seven days into the sixth Vendée Globe erly trade winds first. Bay of Biscay and enjoyed a fast passage markable rescue off Cape Horn 18 years ago,
and there has been a small break. Heading for It is the wily master Loïck Peyron on south. saying, “It has been an anniversary that is
the Cape Verde islands 230 miles to the south, GITANA EIGHTY who is setting the plays While the common consensus among pretty important to me. It is 18 years ago that
GITANA EIGHTY leads by 22.5 miles, gain- and the pace, holding on to a lead of over 30 the leading pack was how atypical the con- we were rescued off Cape Horn, Steve
ing an additional eight miles during the night miles on Seb Josse (BT). As the leader slows ditions have been for them through the Dol- Pettengilt and I were in a 60 foot trimaran, the
over VM MATERIAUX. BT remains third, progressively so Josse has managed to drums – no long stops, no big clouds, no first Great American, trying to break the
30.5 miles behind. squeeze back eight miles back in the last four squalls – many remarked today that even if record from San Francisco to Boston. We
Rich Wilson (GREAT AMERICAN III) hours, partly gained as he slanted slightly they have had it ‘easy’, the passage for the were caught in a storm for three and a half
made a gain of two places making a better west to east to cross Peyron’s wake. group chasing some 100 or so miles behind days, covering about 700 miles under bare
route past the Canary Islands passing both Dr Richard Lapchick, USA, (Chair of looks set to be quicker. poles, with about 1000 feet of line trailing out
Unai Basurko, ESP, (PAKEA BIZKAIA) and Sports Management at the Central Univer- Rich Wilson (GREAT AMERICAN III), of the back of the boat. The seas just kept
Raphael Dinelli, (FONDATION OCÉAN VI- sity of Florida), renowned authority on anti said, “We have had pretty nice, fast sailing building, until eventually on Thanksgiving,
TAL). discrimination, gender issues, conflict reso- these last 24 hours, full mainsail and big the US holiday, in the morning, the boat was
Dinelli sailed west of the Canaries, while lution and social and cultural diversity: speak- gennaker, nice beautiful sailing, you could side-on to the waves when it capsized about
Wilson and Basurka both chose to pass ing to Rich Wilson on the Radio Vacs in Paris, not get much better than the last 24 hours. I 400 miles off Cape Horn. About an hour and
between Grand Canaria and Fuerteventura, said, “I just wanted to express my apprecia- have been back on it a lot more, the back is a half later a wave re-righted the trimaran, the
GREAT AMERICAN III close to Grand tion for what you are doing with school feeling a little bit better, so I can just engage first time I think that has ever happened. 17
Canaria’s east shore, Basurka paralleled close children, and the fantastic mission that you a few more sail manoeuvres and push a bit hours later the ‘New Zealand Pacific’, the
to the west coast of Lanzarote and have in addition to the sailing to help educate harder, but it is pretty toasty down here. I am longest registered container ship in the world
Fuerteventura. GREAT AMERICAN III is children.” always rooting for a guy like Unai out there, then’, was able to find us, and in the most
now 19
th
. Wilson added, “We try to excite kids taking a risk, if he can pull it off I will be marvellous feet of seamanship imaginable,
and let them find their own paths, so if I can delighted for him. For the first week I was came alongside in the middle of the night and
17 November show them things or maybe expose them to taking a little bit easy, but the back seems to we were able to have that ‘one shot, at
Jean Le Cam’s direct Cape Verde strat- things out here that they would not other- be a little bit easier, and with a few less sail jumping on to a rope ladder on the side of a
egy has paid off for the moment and he leads wise see, then they will maybe get interested changes in the steadier going it has been a ship.” “So the anniversary of the capsize was
the Vendée Globe by 1.6 miles from the con- in something, As well we have team of ex- little easier on it. yesterday, and the anniversary of the rescue
sistent threat of Seb Josse (BT). GITANA perts back working on the web site, five is today. So today is a very important day for
EIGHTY lies third. doctors in Boston, a professor from MIT, the 22 November me, a lot better to be racing here in the Vendée
The crucial Cape Verde strategies among head of Maritime Affairs of the US Govern- There are many different phenomena in Globe.”
the top five boats have yet to really play out ment, and so on, and so we are not trying to the Southern Hemisphere, but the Peyron
and provide their net result, but Jean Le Cam say you have to learn how to sail, what we are principle is still the same, hammer down, sail Day 16, 25 November
(VM MATÉRIAUX) became this Vendée saying is find what it is you love and go after fast and keep the chasing pack behind. Psychologically, being in the lead is not
Globe’s sixth skipper to lead the race when he that.” GITANA EIGHTY lead into the Southern necessarily very relaxing. The frontrunner
eased ahead during the passage through the Hemisphere, on the wind, and the fact is that has to find the way, take each wind shift and
Cape Verde Islands. 20 November the top five boats have all shown very close bend, each line of new wind, and avoid taking
Canadian Derek Hatfield (ALGIMOUSS The leaders are making slow but steady average VMG speeds overnight, just the way the wrong road. The slightest hesitation and
SPIRIT OF CANADA) has picked up a little progress through the Doldrums and have we want it. the pack will pounce. Some skippers admit
speed now but has had a tough weekend in some more sticky winds to negotiate, but The top three positions have remained that they prefer to be a bit further back,
very light winds, battling down the north of their penance may have been paid by to- the same overnight with eight boats across although not too far, of course, in order to
Spain and along the Portuguese coast. He night. the Equator into the Southern Hemisphere observe before making their move.
made an average of just 5 knots overnight. After a slow spell before about midnight by the 0400hrs GMT poll, Loïck Peyron The South Atlantic saw a slight reshuf-
In 19
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place, Rich Wilson (GREAT last night the leading Vendée Globe pack can (GITANA EIGHTY) still leading by 21.2 miles fling at the front of the fleet this afternoon,
AMERICAN III) continues to make good his see light at the end of the tunnel, with another from Seb Josse (BT). In third, Jean-Pierre with a new name in the top three, as Armel Le
escape from the clutches of his Basque rival 150 miles or so of light, fickle winds before Dick (PAPREC-VIRBAC 2) has lost less than Cléac’h climbs into third place, from fifth
Unai Basurko, ESP, (PAKEA BIZKAIA) but emerging into more solid breezes. two miles overnight to the leading pair, but yesterday. The pace of the leading group has
he is just 2.6 miles ahead this morning. Unfor- It has been another hard night’s work, gained against fourth placed Vincent Riou eased slightly, and second-placed Seb Josse
tunately the afternoon’s advance by but especially rewarding for Loïck Peyron (PRB) by just under five miles as the leaders has crept to within 13 miles of leader Loïck
Desjoyeaux negates one of the two places who has gained some15 miles more on sec- pace each other upwind in the Southeasterly Peyron, while the hunting pack of Le Cléac’h,
gain by Wilson. ond placed Seb Josse (BT). tradewinds. Jean-Pierre Dick and Vincent Riou have also
So Seb Josse has managed to keep go- Canadian Derek Hatfield has still got 400 gained a few miles on the front runner.
18 November ing twice as quickly as Peyron. While miles to make south to the Cape Verdes.
With memories of last year’s Transat GITANA EIGHTY has been ghosting along Day 17, 26 November
Jacques Vabre perhaps well to the fore in his at between two and five knots, averaging 3.3 Day 14, 23 November Sad news today that Jérémie Beyou,
mind, Loick Peyron made his move last night knots, Josse’s average is a much more healthy Jérémie Beyou faces a huge challenge as skipper of DELTA DORE, is unable to repair
to gybe back to the west and cover any 7.6 knots. Weather forecasts suggest that he heads for Brazil with damage to two upper the damage to his spreaders and has offi-
further gains from the trio of Jean-Pierre Dick the leaders should emerge into the first of the spreaders on DELTA DORE. When lying cially retired from the Vendée Globe. Beyou
(PAPREC-VIRBAC 2), Armel Le Cléac’h (BRIT trade winds later this evening, but they have ninth in the Vendée Globe fleet very early this reached the Brazilian port of Recife early this
AIR) and Vincent Riou (PRB). a period of unstable, variable 4-7 knots breezes morning he realized that his leeward rigging morning, and indentified five separate prob-
On the 1000hrs GMT standings this to contend with to get there. While Jean- was slack and that he has suffered damage to lems with his rig, including broken titanium
morning the lead swung back to Jean Le Cam Pierre Dick (PAPREC-VIRBAC 2) has re- his two upper spreaders. He is in no immedi- spreader attachments that he cannot repair
(VM MATÉRIAUX) who is closest to, in- gained third placed, Vincent Riou (PRB) re- ate danger but has reduced the load on the unaided.
deed, virtually sailing down the rhumb line appears from ‘stealth mode’ in fourth place, rig, slowing down and bearing off towards For the leaders, it’s more of the same on
just now. He is judged to be 1.3 miles ahead 30.8 miles behind Peyron, having gained 30 the Brazilian coast, most likely to make for the direct route south, with small gains and
of Loïck Peyron (GITANA EIGHTY). Seb miles since yesterday evening, very much a Salvador de Bahia. He added, “I was inside losses to be fought for. Loïck Peyron
Josse (BT) remains in third 26.5 miles behind reduction commensurate with his position in during the night sailing upwind in 22 knots of (GITANA EIGHTY) has again extended over-
Le Cam. the pack, the engine room driving the pace. wind under staysail and full mainsail. I heard night — after second-placed Seb Josse crept
During the night the advantage line has In broad terms the 7-10th boats gained around a cracking sound…. On the leeward side, the to 10.1 miles of the leader’s transom yester-
swung back in favour of Peyron. Le Cam has 20 miles, the 10
th
– 15
th
somewhere around 30 second spreader was hanging off: The whole day evening, Peyron pushed overnight to
consolidated, coming west to be 55 miles east miles. spreader root was broken. The shroud got rebuild his lead to over 15 miles. After
of Peyron’s navy blue hulled Farr design. entangled in the runner and then the top yesterday’s reshuffle, the previous order
VM MATÉRIAUX is now second again with 21 November spreaders broke away too. I immediately has also been restored, with Jean Pierre Dick
a deficit now of 22.5 miles. Moving in to increasing east southeast- slowed down and bore away, making sure I reclaiming third and Mike Golding moving
After a long hard night, changing sail erly winds Loick Peyron is into his eighth day didn’t gybe, as that would have caused the back up to sixth.
combinations in the more fickle breezes, an- at the front of the Vendée Globe fleet on mast to fall. The spreaders were turning ECOVER (Mike Golding, GBR) was one
ticipating the moves of their rivals, and trying GITANA EIGHTY and looks likely to set the around and around: it’s impossible to climb of the fastest boats on the course overnight,
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