Vendee
Globe - The Adventure That Is The Vendée
Globe...
After
passing into the western hemisphere the situation
for the leading duo isn’t looking too bright
for the coming days, caution preventing 100% concentration
on the race. The curiosity of leader Jean Le Cam
(Bonduelle) has taken him to within 100 metres
of two further icebergs and Vincent Riou’s
(PRB) more northerly course may enable him to
slip behind a depression south-east of New Zealand
and be the first to get more favourable north-westerly
winds as the depression dips south. The latter
has already made up nearly 20 miles on the leader
in the past 4 hours. Behind Mike Golding (Ecover)
and Sébastien Josse (VMI) will be able
to reap the benefits of both better speed and
a better heading. With the complication of the
weather systems their ETA at Cape Horn is today
forecast for between Monday 3 and Wednesday 2
January and a possible finish at the end of that
month.
Making
the situation for the Vendée Globe fleet
more complicated in the coming days is the descent
of a depression from the north which will drop
towards the south-east. It is going to be devilishly
important to negotiate the system well as the
first to escape will hit north-westerlies generated
by this latter system and will be able to take
to their heels, Vincent’s trajectory looking
slightly more favourable. The upwind conditions
in a persistent, prevailing easterly have slowed
the progress of our two leaders over the past
days; the small transition phase between the current
situation and that of tomorrow afternoon not having
helped things.
The
anxiety had gone from Jean Le Cam’s (Bonduelle)
voice today, admitting to being almost used to
slaloming through the icebergs now. “I have
seen 2 other icebergs. I was curious to see them
up close somehow so I got to within 100 meters
of them. It was a very pretty sight with greeny-blue
seas around. One of them was fairly small while
the other was around 150 square metres, and 40m
high. I also clearly saw one big growler. It’s
always impressive to see them. You see nothing
6 or 7 miles away. Between the moment you see
the iceberg on the radar and the point that you’re
on top of it, there’s just half an hour,
and that’s upwind when you’re slower.
I slept for about half an hour but it’s
not a very restful situation. The biggest problem
though is the breaking seas, even in the calm.”
Still with a mind on the race, Jean believes that
his course will pay.”
Just
31.5 miles behind him, Vincent Riou (PRB) also
feels like he’s been through the mill. “I
haven’t seen any more icebergs since the
ones I saw yesterday. I spotted the first of them
at nightfall with the radar and the second I could
feel the presence of while I was standing on deck.
There was a fine drizzle and I could feel the
cold, dense air around it. I spent the night on
the deck doing return trips to the radar, but
it’s good to be on the helm in those kinds
of conditions. I would really like to see a change
in the class measurements so that it was necessary
to have more powerful radars. We really got shaken
up yesterday. It was a dramatic day and it’s
rare to get shaken like that in 30/35 knots of
air. I’m looking forward to no upwind –
no 5/6 metre waves with the wind on the nose.
There’s nothing you can do when it’s
like that – it’s catastrophic.”
Yet to make the ice field Mike Golding (Ecover)
was more hopeful of his passage, though contrastingly
less optimistic for PRB. “It’s a huge
ocean and there’s plenty of sea that doesn’t
have ice in it. The forecast ahead doesn’t
look too bad. It looks like a fairly fast run
to Cape Horn. We’re close reaching now,
and we should be running in two days’ time.
We’re in a lift, whereas the leaders are
more headed. PRB may be on the edge of a calm,
and a tack for her now would be horrible.”
Hanging
admirably onto the stern of Ecover, 24.2 miles
back, Sébastien Josse’s first remark
from VMI was key. “I’ve limited the
damage” he said at the morning radio session,
pleased to be sailing in much easier conditions
now that the wind has veered round to the south.
“I’m making 12 knots straight down
the road now having eased my sheets. The wind
changed in the middle of the night and now we’re
on a proper course. The weather situation ahead
looks pretty favourable for Mike and I and we
should be able to get on the same train as Bonduelle
and PRB. My spirits are up again as a result.
Tonight I’ll be on watch, I don’t
feel like sleeping for some reason. I’ve
been sleeping a lot in preparation.” Competitive
as ever, Sébastien joked of Mike adjusting
to his course rather than the other way round.
“I thought I’d lose more 27 miles
but I have been working hard changing tack. Right
now I’ve got 25 knots of wind and the visibility
is good.”
Over
the Christmas period there doesn’t appear
to be anything too nasty up ahead although the
tail of the fleet are likely to get a good blow.
Part of the rear of the pack in 14th place Conrad
Humphreys (Hellomoto) was in good spirits joking
about cooking up an Albatross for Christmas dinner,
though all was not quite as it should be aboard
Hellomoto. "Things aren’t too bad.
I’m very dirty as I’m covered in oil
thanks to a problem with the generator. It broke
around 24 hours ago and I’ve been working
on it for hours. I really don’t know if
I can fix it, there’s oil everywhere. If
I can’t get it going I can still get a charge
from the main engine but it is not as efficient
and will use up more fuel. For Christmas day I’m
expecting the wind to veer from the north-west
to the south-west then back round to the north-west.
I expect the wind to fill to 40/45 knots fairly
quickly, with the possibility of as much as 50
knots. The situation will be quite dangerous with
some strange cross seas. It’s going to be
important to be on top of the sail changes but
I am rested and well fed. I need to watch the
weather over the next 24/48 hours. I’m going
to try and escape the big blow by getting east
as quickly as I can while the depression moves
south. For now I’m running blind without
the radar on. The conditions are very foggy in
a north-westerly wind system. It’s fairly
warm and the seas have been fairly flat for the
past few days.”
Quotes
from the Boats:
Nick Moloney (Skandia): "I’m feeling
good. The weather was very nice today (night time
in the southern hemisphere now). The sun is out
but the winds have been a bit light. I’ve
been having some trouble with the wind shifts
but I’m just concentrating on heading east.
It’s proving difficult to get past Australia.
My objective is to be south of Tasmania at Christmas.
It’s a pleasure to be here. I’m focussed
on passing Cape Horn and making the finish. The
boat is great now, I just need wind from the right
direction. I’m worried about being north
as we’ll be forced close to Tasmania, but
at least we’ll be north of the ice field.
Since the big storm I wouldn’t say that
I was stronger necessarily, but I am certainly
wary. The Pacific has traditionally been a nice
seaway and very cold as you have to go very far
south to round the horn. It’s also normally
faster than the Indian. I’m hoping to enjoy
the southern ocean with some great sunsets and
the southern lights. For Christmas I’m going
to get the best of both worlds, I’ll open
my French present on Christmas Eve as the French
do and then I’ll open my Australian presents
on Christmas Day..."
Bruce
Schwab (Ocean Planet): “Drat! After a lot
of agonizing, I have decided to head north to
fix the radar. It´s too bad as I am set
up in a good position for a long starboard jibe
run to the south which is the fastest route. But
there is no way I´m going to get up the
radar tower in these seas. It looks like the only
chance for lighter air in the south would be in
the centre of a depression which was a possibility,
but I decided not to chance it. Heading north
also has its perils, as in a few days there may
be very strong southerly winds near Tasmania and
it would be good to be farther south then, but
that is several days off and the weather predictions
could change. This move will cost us a LOT of
miles which is a bummer since we had just got
set up to cash in with the long starboard jibe.
But that´s the way it goes, if I want to
have the radar working before Tasmania. I spent
hours all geared up today hoping for a chance
to go up, but every time I thought it was possible
the wind and waves convinced me otherwise. Once
we get in good conditions the fix should be fairly
quick and then it´s back to the races.”
Marc
Thiercelin (Pro-Form): “It will doubtless
be a rather sad Christmas for me. I’ve known
better but I’m telling myself that there
will be others. I’m going to read. I read
quite a lot at the moment. In fact I’m afraid
that I haven’t got enough to last me.”
Jean
Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec): “I am trying
to repair my rudder quadrant inside the boat and
for now I’m using an emergency rudder. I
may have to stop the boat to make decent repairs
when the weather conditions allow.”
Patrice
Carpentier (VM Matériaux): “After
a bit of respite and reflection, I have decided
to continue my normal race course. I’ve
made a work schedule to repair this damn boom
which comprises cutting up part of the spinnaker
pole and then adjusting it to use as an insert
so as to join the two pieces of the boom and then
make it rigid from the outside with the help of
some spare mainsail battens. This repair will
enable me to sail with two reefs in the mainsail
which is less painful…”
Source : Vendée Globe 2004
www.vendeeglobe.org
