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11:05 AM Tue 13 Jan 2009 GMT
in the Vendee Globe, Roland Jourdain is back on the hunt again as breezes have moderated and veered for the front runners in this Vend?e Globe and the Veolia Environnement skipper is going faster this morning than leader Michel Desjoyeaux. The twosome look set to have just light to moderate E'ly and NE'lies for a while as they parallel the Brasil coast. Jourdain looks to be reaching in winds of around 10-15 knots and has been nearly two knots faster, but still has a deficit of 319 miles to try and make up on Desjoyeaux.
That may a thought occupying the mind of Armel Le Cl?ac'h's, after his profitable progress over the past 24 hours.
In the 0400hrs rankings yesterday, the Brit Air skipper was still 791.7 miles from the leader, but this morning the gap has narrowed to 688.7 miles, a gain of more than 100 miles over the two frontrunners. It The weather conditions have been more favourable for him, but it would be surprising if Le Cl?ac'h, with his competitive spirit, is not thinking that there could just be a way between now and the finish in les Sables d'Olonne. Between the gains of Le Cl?ac'h on the water and off - his 11 hours of redress was confirmed last night - and Jourdain's recent speeds, the only certainty about the podium positions is that Vincent Riou (PRB) is credited with a share of third.
Le Cl?ac'h has had a little wind hole to deal with, indented into the low pressure he has been sailing across, but he has picked up speed again.
Is it time to take risks or engage in tactical ploys to go on the attack or try to catch up? Or is preservation the watchword, where it is wiser to make do with a very honourable place, especially when we see what has happened so far in this race? It would be too much to expect to learn from Michel Desjoyeaux about his strategy plans, as he is the mindgames master of, offering just the right amount of information to unsettle his rivals.
They may be left constructing various hurdles ahead of Foncia in their minds: unfavourable weather conditions, the leader easing off just to match the pace of those chasing after him, and maybe even a technical problem requiring a pit stop? And one look at the 50 knots Atlantic low pressure system Thomas Coville is about to tussle with as he fights to the finish of his solo record attempt, is a stark reminder that the North Atlantic in January has teeth every bit as sharp as the Atlantic and the Pacific, and that is not even considering the attrition rate in the first 48 hours of this race.
Only Desjoyeaux knows his tactics and his two closest rivals have no other choice but to do their best without letting all this play on their mind.
Sam Davies in fourth place has been making stately progress on Roxy and reported that she was buzzed by a playful fighter jet as she passed the Falklands Islands. Her ascent of the South Atlantic now looks a sticky one as a high pressure zone, more than 750 miles across, is in front of her. Marc Guillemot, 325 miles in her wake, suffered the same fate as Davies, in the virtually the same spot, slowing to a crawl in the transition zone on the corner of the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Five hundred miles still to go to Cape Horn in stormy, gusty winds Brian Thompson reported that he had set up Bahrain Team Pindar well for the blow setting a storm jib and deep reefed main for the 60-70 knots gusts. He has spoken several times to his compatriot Dee Caffari (Aviva) in the teeth of the gale, each offering mutual support and advice. Thompson has taken as much easting as possible to try and allow the worst of the gale to slide down to his west, and Caffari has followed suit.
Steve White is on typically robust form on Toe in the Water, 70 miles to the final gate, he has rebuilt the motor for his back up pilot, and so now has a full suite of autopilots as back up. Reaching in 20-30 knots of breeze with a three metres swell, White reported last night that he know no feeling in the world better than his boat hitting a sweet spot for minutes at a time, surfing steadily across the long Pacific swell.
Rich Wilson has been making slow progress as he crosses a protracted ridge of high pressure, while Norbert Sedlacek, in contrast, is tacking upwind into very strong easterly winds in conditions he calls 'stressy'.
From the boats:
Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) in his daily message:'A good day on board Bahrain Team Pindar, as we are in the lull between two gales at present, one that came through yesterday and another, stronger one, that will be with us between 0300 till 2100 tomorrow. The weather is sunny and the winds are moderate as I gybe my way down towards Cape Horn. I am trying to miss the worst of the approaching gale, that is showing over 40 knots at its centre on the grib files (which means steadily over 50 in reality), by heading slightly to the East to let the system slide down to my South West. The only problem is South America, so I am trying to position myself so I do not arrive at the coast until the bulk of the gale has blown through. That's the difficult thing about Cape Horn, you have little room to manoeuvre to avoid the gales, as you are funnelled into a corner. The closer you are to Cape Horn the less options you have, as there is ice to starboard and the Andes to port. Worst case is that I have to slow down a little to let the gale pass over, but I hope that I will not have to do so. It's good to get all the jobs ticked off, and today I got the primary autopilot and ram working again and its noticeable how much faster it works than the previous generation pilot. I feel much more secure in these big waves with the faster response. Also, I went up in the bow to tighten the bolts on the previous repair on the forward longitudinal. It's creaking a little so not 100% happy, but it does not seem to be moving, so it will be fine till Cape Horn. Dee and I are going to stay in touch through this gale to compare notes on its progress.'
Rich Wilson (Great American III) in his daily message:'After making 10-11 knots since the ice gate, trying to outrace the approaching storm and intermediate no wind zone, we've been overtaken by the no wind zone, and the speed went from 12.5 at the start of a nap, to 3.0 in the middle of the nap, and the slatting sails and banging boat in the leftover sea woke me. Its the type of sea and wind situation where putting up the 1st reef or full main won't help, it will only risk the rigging with the crashing and banging, stability is the goal, so we've headed up closer to the wind to try to make some apparent wind and get going. It seems to be working with a speed now of about 6 knots. The latest weather file suggests that maybe we will catch a break, and the low pressure system will elongate and partially diminish when it stretches and becomes two lows. It's odd, it forced its way between two highs, and then the highs will squeeze back when the low is vulnerable and a long trough. It does leave that other low sitting there, perhaps able to recoup. It is very complicated forecast for getting to the next ice gate. But here, perhaps we can wrap around the front portion of the low as it goes by to the northeast of us heading southeast, and hopefully the westerlies will reassert themselves and we can go along. We'll see. Anyway, I've stopped looking at the race for the time being, and am only looking at our situation with this low. The wave forecasts show bad sea conditions, but mostly to our northwest, we have escaped that part possibly. Was concerned possibly about 3 icebergs for which the last gate was moved a bit north, but their drift shows that they will not be a concern. We have the radar going on a one minute in 10 watch. It's cold again. I did get some good naps in last night, and we're making a bit of progress, so that's good.'
0400 HRS GMT. Rankings, (FRA, unless stated)
1. Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) at 4894 miles
2. Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) at + 319 miles
3. Armel Le Cl?ac'h (Brit Air) + 688.7 miles
4. Sam Davies, GBR, (ROXY) at + 1679.4 miles
5. Marc Guillemot (Safran) at + 2001.1 miles
6. Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) at + 2737.3 miles
7. Arnaud Boissi?res, (Akena Verandas) +2877.1 miles
8. Dee Caffari, GBR, (AVIVA) at + 2911.3 miles
9. Steve White, GBR, (Toe in the Water) at + 4116.9 miles
10. Rich Wilson, USA, (Great American III) at + 5053.7 miles
11. Norbert Sedlacek, AUT, (Nauticsport-Kapsch) at + 6494.8 miles
12. Raphael Dinelli (Fondation Oc?an Vital) at + 6756.2 miles
RDG. Vincent Riou (PRB) at 3rd
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