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XS Racing is a Racing Organization and a Daily Online News Source for the High Performance Sailor
Visit Several Times Each Day for Your Daily Sailing News as it Breaks!
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Wednesday, December 17 - 2008 - After dismasting, there is still a long way to go to get to Australia for former Vendee Globe leader Loïck Peyron - 1,800 miles this Wednesday 17th December - and after 31 days of intense racing, the end of the voyage is proving to be quite 'special' for Loïck Peyron. Sailors who are racing put up with - or almost relish you could say - the noise and the impact of the sea, but when progress is no longer motivated by the appeal of the competition, it becomes more difficult:
"This situation isn't very pleasant for a whole host of reasons, primarily because I'd really prefer to be racing rather than where I am! said Peyron. "Without a mast it's very uncomfortable to make headway, especially as there's a steady wind at the moment - around 35 knots since yesterday - and the seas are big and very complicated. Gybing under jury rig are pretty full-on... but luckily there's not many manoeuvres. Fortunately I've got my big collection of books, so I'm trying to pass my time reading them. I'm also mulling over the light winds to come and on rigging up a third sail so as to make better headway in the light conditions."
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At 1015 UT, Dominique Wavre contacted his shore crew to alert them that the imposing steel part weighing close to 100 kilos, which had been attached to the head of the keel in Kerguelen, wasn't able to withstand the considerable stresses currently placed on this area of the boat.
Surprised by weather conditions which were more violent than forecast, heightened by the strong venturi effect around Kerguelen, the skipper is currently negotiating a solid cold front and is struggling to make headway in cross seas and a wind oscillating between 30 and 40 knots. For the time being there is no way Dominique can envisage returning to Kerguelen. Were he to turn back, the boat would end up in headwinds, tacking upwind, slamming against what is already a very bad sea state. The damaged keel would stand no chance of withstanding that.
Dominique finds himself in the same situation as when he arrived in Kerguelen. Though he's not requested assistance, the skipper has transmitted a PANPAN (emergency message). The CROSS (emergency services) and the Vendée Globe race management were immediately alerted to the skipper's situation and are ensuring the regular monitoring of the boat's positions. Though the skipper is currently preparing his grab bag and getting into his survival suit, he isn't abandoning the boat for the time being.
Dominique is sailing at a reduced speed, with all his ballast tanks filled so as to make the boat as stable as possible. The two lowered daggerboards are also limiting the boat's movements as much as possible as it gets tossed about in the big seas of the Indian Ocean. In this configuration, Temenos II is managing to make headway under reduced sail, three reef mainsail and storm sail, making between 8 and 10 knots.
Dominique will only be able to escape the strong winds by climbing northwards, but the keel damage is limiting the points of sail which are possible for the boat. Currently the skipper is managing to maintain a course of 45°, a heading which is still not far enough North to stand a chance of extracting himself quickly from the continuous flow of australe depressions, however it should progressively get him away from them. In order to make more manageable conditions forecast at around 46 degrees South, Dominique still had 200 miles of northing to make. However, prior to being able to reach this latitude, the skipper still has to negotiate strong winds forecast tomorrow morning. The next few hours are likely to be difficult aboard Temenos II.
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Wednesday, December 17 - 2008 - Day four and everywhere on board the conversation for the past 48 hours has focused on current affairs. And top of the news agenda are the tidal gluepots which have tested the patience of navigators to the full.
The progress has been painful with up to 3.5 knots of adverse current off the southern tip of Sri Lanka.
The fleet has been in the grip of the tidal clutches owing to the two waypoints positioned to keep them a safe distance from the Sri Lankan coast - pirate territory.
There is a north-south divide in the fleet with over 680 miles of the 1,950-mile journey from Cochin to Singapore wiped off the log. The leaders are within 700 miles of the scoring waypoint of Pulau way off the northern coast of Sumatra.
By the 16:00 GMT Position Report, Telefonica Blue clung to their overnight advantage to hold a 20-mile Distance To Leader cushion over Green Dragon, who like Bouwe Bekking's men are lurking south.
Ericsson 4 (+21 DTL) were appearing menacing in third from Telefonica Black (+30), the Spaniards opting for the middle of the course and getting the better of the pack in the north headed by PUMA (+32). Ericsson 3 (+38) have lost further ground while Team Russia (+63), the northern-most boat and Delta Lloyd (+80) continue to flounder.
It's a slog in the 6-12 knots winds on offer with maximum boat speeds hovering around 10 knots and moods swinging. Ericsson 3 are weighing up whether their current position is down to luck or judgement, according to media crew member Gustav Morin.
In response to a query from Volvo veteran and E3 team-mate Magnus Olsson about the probability of landing two black followed by a red number in roulette, he says: "Roulette, that is how this leg feels. Easy to say when you are behind I know, but I do think it is a bit about luck. Yet we haven't been lucky and we haven't sailed very well.
"Last night we were working hard with stacking and trying to tack with the shifts, but it hasn't paid off. The last scheds (position reports) have not been very good, probably because the boats in front got out from the current before us. It has been quite extreme ever since we passed the first waypoint, more than 36 hours ago. It peaked at 3.5 knots on our nose.
"But I think that we are in the groove now. We have come out of the current and are sailing in 10 knots of fairly steady breeze, doing 10 knots of boat speed. I hope that it is our turn to use the 'bungee-effect', that the others stop in lighter air and we get the chance to catch up and get a restart." Story by By Cameron Kelleher. Photo Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.
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Tuesday, December 16 - 2008 - Having only just taken the overall lead in the Vendée Globe British solo skipper Mike Golding was cruelly dismasted in the Indian Ocean this morning at 0647 hrs GMT reporting to Race HQ shortly afterwards that the rig of Ecover 3 had collapsed when he was caught in winds of over 55 knots. Golding is about 940 miles SW of Perth, Australia
The British skipper had gained a lead of 30 miles over Jean-Pierre Dick,
who himself had suffered rudder damage yesterday. Golding and had been
sailing under a changed sail configuration when the sudden rise in wind
speed forced Ecover 3 over on her side."I was just out on deck when a squall came through with winds of 55-knots.
I had the main with two reefs and a reacher and had been like that for two
hours. Overnight we had winds of up to 45k so I had two reefs and a
staysail and then changed to the new configuration in the early morning,"commented a very calm Golding this morning."It basically went from being a near gale to a hurricane, and the mast
didn't like it."
Golding had managed to secure a 30 mile lead over second-places Paprec
Virbac after 36 days of racing.
"I was just getting into my jacket when the boat rounded up and then heeled
right over. I heard a bang and immediately went back below deck and waited
until the noise had stopped. The whole rig is down, there is not even a stump left.
"Once everything had settled down a bit I went back out and the mast was
lying across the deck and was acting as an anchor. When things stopped
moving about dramatically I set about cutting off the rig. There is some
superficial damage to the boat, but nothing major.
"My options now are controlled by what I can set up as a jury and
unfortunately I don't have much left. I am about 1500nm south of Perth and
Adelaide, so whatever the deal will be to try and cover 1500 miles
somehow.
"I managed to save the boom but have lost all my sails, other than storm
staysail but this will probably fit and then I will how have to work out how to
fly something off the back of that.
"But whatever I do, I will only be able to reach and will not be able to go
up or downwind. I am gutted. But there is not much I can do about it."Photo Mark Lloyd/DPPI.
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Tuesday, December 16 - 2008 -It was a punch-up between Team Ceeref and Banco Espirito Santo for fleet racing honors in the Puerto Calero RC44 Gold Cup, and also for the 2008 season title. Nothing was certain until the boats had crossed the line in the final high-wind race in Lanzarote.
Having dominated proceedings all week in the Puerto Calero RC44 Gold Cup, Igor Lah nearly let victory slip from his grasp as Team Ceeref struggled to make sense of the big windshifts that tumbled off the mountains of Lanzarote in gusts that sometimes blew up to 27 knots.
Meanwhile the Slovenian's closest rival - both at this event and for overall honors in the 2008 RC44 fleet racing season - was having a much better time in the tricky, puffy conditions. Owner of Banco Espirito Santo, Patrick de Barros credited Russell Coutts for making sense of the 40 degree shifts as the Portuguese boat picked up a 1,2 in the first two heats while Team Ceeref struggled with a 3,4.
The Portuguese were now within striking distance of the Slovenians for winning the event in Lanzarote, and were looking more secure in the defense of their lead in the 2008 rankings. Going into today, de Barros held a slim 3-point advantage over Lah in the season points scoreboard, and Ceeref had been the class act of the past week. Now de Barros had a bit more breathing room, and if he could win the final race with Ceeref last then perhaps he could steal the Gold Cup trophy too. With the strength and variable direction of the northerly wind, anything was possible.
Unfortunately Artemis had to bow out of the final race as keel problems forced Torbjorn Tornqvist to head home early. The battle for the remaining five boats was intense, with the whole fleet nose to tail at the leeward mark. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero led round that mark and while the other four boats tacked inshore, Daniel Calero kept on driving out to the right. When Calero tacked back to converge with the fleet, he was well ahead. The local spectators were getting excited at the prospect of a surprise win by a young and inexperienced team over some of the best professional sailors in the world.
The Canaries crew sailed a beautiful beat to lead handsomely around the final windward mark. However the chasing pack poured down behind them in a huge gust. At this stage Team Ceeref was way back in last place, and looked in danger of losing the Gold Cup if Banco could find their way through to first. But Ceeref tactician James Spithill called for an early gybe with the new breeze as the Slovenian boat hit 22 knots boatspeed in a gust of 27 knots. BMW ORACLE Racing was next to gybe and these two boats were locked in a high-speed battle for the lead. Ceeref prevailed, surging across the finish line in first place and securing victory in Lanzarote, to go with their match racing victory three days earlier.
Banco Espirito Santo was second in the fleet racing, followed by Team Aqua who edged third place by just a point from BMW ORACLE Racing.
Any disappointment that Patrick de Barros had for not winning the Puerto Calero RC44 Gold Cup was easily compensated for by his season victory. And Daniel Calero was happy despite having lost that last race which seemed to have been his. He is hugely encouraged by his team's progress over the past week, and will be training harder than any team in the two months before the fleet returns to Lanzarote in late February. Photo Gilles Martin-Raget / RC 44.
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Tuesday, December 16 - 2008 - IN the world of 18-foot skiffs, the Rag & Famish Hotel team of John Harris, Peter Harris and Scott Babbage became the 2008-2009 NSW champions in unusual circumstances on Sydney Harbor yesterday.
Originally, the regatta was due to conclude on the previous Sunday (7 December) but Race 3 of the championship had to be re-sailed yesterday after strong winds forced its postponement three weeks ago.
The re-sail was due to decide the new champions between Harris' Rag & Famish Hotel and Seve Jarvin's defending champion Gotta Love It 7.
All competitors left the shore but once again strong winds prevented the race from being sailed.
Officials decided late yesterday to abandon the race and reduce the five-race regatta to four races - with the best three to count.
Rag & Famish had a win, second and an average points in Race 2 for a total of 4.7 points with Gotta Love It 7 in second place overall with a win, a third and fourth placing for a total of 8 points.
The win caps a great 2008 for John Harris who also won the International Moth World Championship at Weymouth, UK in July.
The fleet will now have a racing break until 11 January when the Australian 18 Footers League will conduct Race 1 of the Australian Championship.
That regatta will be the final hitout before the world's premier event, the JJ Giltian Championship, which commences on Sydney Harbour on 13 February.
The 2009 Giltinan Championship will have an international fleet from USA, UK and New Zealand as well as NSW, Western Australian and possibly Queensland teams representing Australia.
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Tuesday, December 16 - 2008 - "There's been an icy rain for hours and neither my shouts nor my tears change a thing. All of a sudden it stops. The boat stalls. The speedos which have been in the red start spinning as the S'ly wind kicks in. That's what we were waiting for! This wind is coming straight off the ice floe and it nips at my wet fingers. I run forward and switch the immense sail to the right side of the stays and then go back to the maneuvres and sheet her in like my life depended on it. All of a sudden the boat kicks into life again. You feel her sit up and get going again. You recognize this behaviour and the apparent wind created by the speed whistles past your cheek. We're off! You have to believe in it again. The wind has indeed kicked in and I treat myself to a flight lasting several minutes, the central pod completely clear of the water supported by the end of the daggerboard. High, very high, as if I was sailing off Quiberon, except that I'm at 49° South and 96° East. A single magical moment to wipe the slate clean and retrace my wake."
Still a few miles from Tasmania yesterday, Thomas won't have any regrets about leaving the Indian behind him, an Indian which has left him smarting. He has lost time and time is all that counts in a record attempt. It is this alone that the sailor is chasing. At midnight last night the Maxi Trimaran crossed the longitude of Cape Leeuwin after 25 days and 9 hours at sea with a deficit of 2 days 18 hours in relation to Francis Joyon's time. It's not drastic but it is annoying, especially as the skipper of Sodeb'O has worked hard and had made up part of his deficit midway through the week. Even though he knows he's quick, very quick even, even though he has complete trust in his 32 meter trimaran, he knows he is powerless against time.
"I feel a competitive rage once again, mixed with the vanity of knowing that time is trickling away and that you have no control of it whatsoever. It is a very masculine pretension to believe that you can plan, anticipate and understand everything and put it all in boxes." From the entry into the Indian, a spiteful zone of high pressure brought him to order, barring the way to him. After that it was a fabulous, long run, some beautiful days slipping along before being brought to a complete standstill before Cape Leeuwin by a killer transition phase which reared up between two lows:
"Zones where nothing can be decided and where you are subject to anything; nightmarish zones which set sailors nerves on edge."
Thomas will have lost a day and a half between the Cape of Good Hope and the southern tip of Australia. This evening he is less than 800 miles from Tasmania, which will bring an end to the Indian and open the door to the Pacific, which he is set to reach in around two days time.
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Tuesday, December 16 - 2008 - Yesterday a delicate and carefully executed operation re-floated Bernard Stamm's stricken Cheminées Poujoulat off Portes de Francais in the Kergulen Islands.
Both Stamm and his compatriot Dominique Wavre - skipper of Temenos II which was also forced to take refuge there to effect repairs - had to jump into Cheminée Poujoulat's liferaft at the last minute before the Open 60 was driven ashore in 45 knot winds late on Sunday night. They were taken ashore by Navy divers.
The refloating operation took three hours and involved maneuvering with a truck, the supply vessel Marion Dufresnes of the Territorre Austral et Antartartic Francais and a team of divers.
"This morning it took us almost three hours to get the boat off with the help of the Marion Dufresnes and all the teams did a great job. Now the boat is afloat, but I don't think she can sail. We're waiting to see what Bernard Stamm wants to do. Yesterday evening, he was completely dispirited about leaving his boat. It really got to him. I think that after a night's sleep, which was very short and probably not very restful, he is feeling a little better this morning." Said Frederic Martineau of TAAF. For more go to Vendee Globe.com
Photo THIBAULT VERGOZ.
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Monday, December 15 - 2008 - Avoid crowded shopping malls and shop online this year. Buy one of our featured Henri Lloyd products and receive a free gift from Henri Lloyd. Don't delay! Outfit your favorite sailor this holiday season with high performance product from the leading manufacturer of premier foul weather gear.
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Monday, December 15 - 2008 - Vendee Globe leader Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac) is sailing at reduced speeds after a violent collision with an unidentified object in the water.
The impact of the collision caused the starboard rudder to kick up. As he tried to get it back in place Dick realized that the connecting arm which joins the two rudders is broken and that the rudder stock is also damaged.
Dick, who has lead the solo round the world race since last Wednesday Paprec-Virbac 2 has slowed and is sailing with just the port rudder down and will need to ride out the storm which had already brought the leaders 35- 40 knot winds this afternoon.
Dick is evaluating his options as to how he might effect a repair.
On the 1500GMT position report Paprec-Virbac 2 was making 11.8 knots.
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Monday, December 15 - 2008 - With just five miles separating the top three boats, there's not time to let your guard down at the front of the fleet. Ericsson 4 remains on top of the table at 16:00 GMT this afternoon, but Torben Grael and his men are just hanging on.
PUMA is just one mile back, while Telefonica Blue is hanging tough as well, five miles behind Ericsson 4. All three of the leading boats have tacked over the past three hours as the wind veers slightly to the right. It's a move that's been anticipated by Team Russia navigator Wouter Verbraak.
"Over the next days, the crucial question is when to tack north," he wrote earlier today. "It is clear that there is consistently more wind up there in the Bay of Bengal, but we want to find a good opportunity get there. Go further east to get that better right hand shift, or go earlier to get to the stronger wind first?"
Looking at the track of the leaders, it appears they may have been able to do both. The 2D tracker shows them tacking shortly after the 13:00 position report and from that point onwards they've been curling to the right on a gentle right-hand shift.
An adverse current of up to three knots is slowing the progress of the entire fleet over the ground, but progress is steady, if not spectacular.
"At the moment, we are sitting in first place with both Telefonica Blue and PUMA only a couple of miles to leeward. While we have generally been able to maintain a reasonable boatspeed though the water, adverse currents of up to 3 knots are really putting a halt to the distance we are covering over the ground," noted Ryan Godfrey from Ericsson 4.
Behind the leading three, only Anders Lewander on Ericsson 3 has decided to break to the north. Telefonica Black, Green Dragon and Team Russia have continued to sail their southeasterly progress. Just six miles separate Ericsson 3 in fourth place, from Green Dragon in seventh.
The forecast over the next couple of days is for the tense conditions to continue, as wind speeds are predicted to increase slightly. Race meteorologist Jennifer Lilly says jumps up and down the leaderboard are to be expected over the coming position reports.
"The fleet can expect winds near 10 knots for Monday, building slightly on Tuesday, and then filling to the mid teens on Wednesday. The direction will range between NNE and ESE, and the likelihood of squalls will increase as the fleet continues east.
"Over the next 48 hours the weather will provide plenty of opportunities for gains and losses across the fleet; nevertheless, with 1000 miles to go before the scoring gate, it is still anyone's race." Photo Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.
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Monday, December 15 - 2008 - Although 2008 was a year principally influenced by Groupama 3's reconstruction following her capsize in the Indian Ocean on 18th February, 2009 will provide a wealth of opportunities for Franck Cammas and his crew to get out on the water, with three record attempts in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and finally around the World. In addition to these ocean-going journeys, Team Groupama will be participating in the entire iShares circuit and will compete in five events in France, England, Germany, Switzerland and Holland.
Traditionally the Nautic (Paris International Boat Show) provides sailors who are not racing with the opportunity to present their projects. Franck Cammas, skipper of Groupama, is no exception to the rule and it gave Frédérique Granado, director of Groupama's external communication, the chance to speak about their partnership:
"We are about to start our twelfth year alongside Franck Cammas. This relationship clearly illustrates Groupama's long-term commitment which is based on both loyalty and ambition. When Franck and his crew had to give up on their Jules Verne Trophy record attempt, we reaffirmed our commitment the day after the capsize. Today we are looking forward to seeing Groupama 3 sailing, both in France and abroad. As such we are going to share our commitment with Groupama colleagues based in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Tunisia, Spain and Portugal."
After a relaunch scheduled for 9th February 2009, Groupama 3 will sail off Lorient, Brittany for three weeks: "Following the breakage of the port float, we've built two new floats whose outboard sides are made of monolithic carbon. They are heavier as well as stronger. In order to avoid making Groupama 3 heavier overall, the team has worked a great deal on other sectors so as to save weight. We've been particularly focusing on energy generation which will consume less and enable us to carry less diesel." explains Stéphane Guilbaud, team manager.
As for performance Franck Cammas said: "We've been working on the finer detail on deck, with the positioning of aerodynamic housing which has already been tested on Groupama 2. Added to that, we've been studying the hydrodynamics and finally the ergonomics so as to make maneuvres easier."
Sporting her brand new livery, Groupama 3 will cover nearly 30,000 miles in 2009. In order to get the very most out of the trimaran's potential Franck Cammas will be gathering together a top-level crew. The trimaran already holds four records including the prestigious North Atlantic record of less than 100 hours and the most distance covered in 24 hours after racking up 794 miles:
"We're going to use our time on the water in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic to select the crew for the Jules Verne Trophy. The core crew remains unchanged but some have headed off to work on other projects. We're going to embark sailors who have already gone around the World, preferably in a multihull." continues the skipper of Groupama 3, who is following the Vendée Globe closely.
Very much at home in a competitive environment, Franck Cammas is also training up a Groupama crew who will participate in the iShares Cup organized by Mark Turner and Ellen MacArthur:
"I participated in two events in 2007 and 2008 aboard these 40 foot catamarans. They are really lively and very sensitive boats. We're going to race in France, Germany, Holland, England and Switzerland. Tanguy Cariou will be in charge of putting together the crew and the training when I’m sailing on Groupama 3." Photo Yvan Zedda.
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Monday, December 15 - 2008 - Less than 24 hours into the Portimao Global Ocean Race the fleet has split tacks with the boys on Beluga Racer, alongside the leading solo sailor Michel Kleinjans on Roaring Forty, have chosen a south-easterly course away from Cape Point. Heading due south are the early race leaders Kazimir Partners, and the British entry Team Mowgli. Two different strategies for tackling the critical first stage of the race.
After a rousing start to Leg 2 from Table Bay things quickly changed as the yachts found pocket after pocket of light patches. First to slow up was the early leader Michel Kleinjans who found his own private wind hole off Sea Point. He was quickly followed into the hole by Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme on Beluga Racer. Seeing their dilemma the Chilean team of Felipe Cubillos and José Muñoz headed offshore in the hope of better luck and could only look on in dismay when the wind filled in closer to land. They also found themselves in a bit more counter current as the ice cold Benguela Current drifts slowly northwards up the coast.
Then, in a fitting way, the South Africans aboard Kazimir Partners found their own private winds and took off. "They were right alongside of us," Boris Herrmann lamented. "The wind got to them and not us and before long they were out of sight over the horizon." While Beluga Racer sat going nowhere slowly with old nemesis Roaring Forty alongside, the brothers on Kazimir Partners, Peter and Lenjohn van der Wel jumped from zephyr to zephyr and took off. "I think we were lucky," Lenjohn said in an email. "But then again I think we deserved a little luck." Photo Brian Hancock.
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Friday, December 12 - 2008 - At 1420 GMT this Friday afternoon Swiss skipper Dominique Wavre notified the Vendée Globe Course Directors that he had broken the head of the keel of Temenos II which means that the keel can no longer be held at a canted angle.
The skipper reported that he is safe and sound, but says that the keel is now swinging free under the boat.
The keel head is the top part of the keel blade located inside the boat. Connected to two hydraulic rams, it is the lever that enables the keel to be canted to one side or the other of the boat.
If the keel head is broken, the blade and 3-tonne bulb are now no longer fixed in position. The Swiss skipper is aware of the danger of losing his keel or losing control of it, with the risk of damage to the hull. Wavre is concerned about these dangers and are considering the all of the options, including abandoning the boat. That is not yet the case. Dominique Wavre and the skipper and his team are working on all contingencies.
He has reduced sail and filled Temenos II's ballast tanks and is going to attempt to sail at reduced speed in the direction of the Kerguelen Islands approximately 151 miles to the North East or Australia.
Wavre has now confirmed that he is making NE under two reefs and small headsail with the mainsail twisted off as much as possible. He anticipates arriving at the Bay of Moribhan around 0900hrs GMT Saturday morning. Photo DPPI.
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Friday, December 12 - 2008 - Challengers entered in the 33rd America's Cup continue to work with the Defender Alinghi and the Spanish Challenger of Record towards a Match in Valencia as soon as possible, in either 2010 or 2011. The Protocol for the 33rd America's Cup is being amended and is expected to be published next week and teams have agreed on three AC events in Valencia in 2009 regardless of BMW Oracle's ongoing appeal in New York.
Representatives of the entered teams (16 registered and four undergoing the administrative entry process) gathered in Geneva today for a further Competitor Meeting hosted by the America's Cup Defender, Alinghi.
Order of the day was the Protocol, the event governing document, and after further discussions the amendments were agreed in principle and the updated version is expected to be published next week.
Teams will continue the planning sessions despite the pending BMW Oracle appeal and will join in defining the Competition Regulations, the Event Regulations and the new Class Rule. The latter is on track to be issued on 31 January 2009.
It was decided that racing be guaranteed next year with three America's Cup Class Version 5.0 regattas confirmed: one in July and another in October organized by AC Management, followed by the Club Náutico Español de Vela annual regatta organized by the Spanish Challenger of Record.
The meeting - the last before the entry deadline on Monday 15 December - concluded with a joint message from the 33rd America's Cup teams:
"We disagree with BMW Oracle's legal strategy and still hope that they will choose to enter the 33rd America's Cup before Monday's deadline. Nevertheless, we have to continue working towards a multi-challenge event. The challengers are satisfied with the existing process with the Defender, the Protocol has been discussed at length and amended with the agreement of entered competitors and we are looking forward to getting back on the water and racing next summer."
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Friday, December 12 - 2008 - At the World Yacht Racing Forum, marketing - as it relates to sailing - is one of the big agenda points. The iShares CUp is thought to be one of the more succesful efforts. Here's what they had to say on the subject:
Despite the global economic downturn, the signs are strong for the future of the iShares Cup, with sponsors and teams already committed to the 2009 series. Racing close to the shore in front of huge crowds at Kiel for Round 4 of the iShares Cup Racing close to the shore in front of huge crowds at Kiel for Round 4 of the iShares Cup
"An Extreme 40 team, boat and entry into the iShares Cup costs between £350,000-£500,000, dependent on exploitation levels, yet can generate fantastic returns for every kind of sponsor in terms of pan-European exposure, global media coverage, business to business networking, and the unique hospitality opportunities afforded by the 'fifth man' positions and exciting track-side viewing at each iShares Cup village," explained Mark Turner. "We're big supporters of other higher cost campaigns like a £3-5 million IMOCA Vendée Globe investment or a £9-30 million Volvo Ocean Race team, but we are happy to have a product in the iShares Cup where teams can keep sponsors excited in the next few years at a much lower level as well - or use to supplement the bigger campaigns with a 40 that is tactically an excellent tool to help ROI across multiple territories.
"Recession doesn't mean disaster for the sport - in fact after a few decades of continuous growth, it will I'm sure help the sport get more organized, sharpen up the sponsorship delivery, and separate the product offerings that provide excellent returns from those that don't."
To find out more about sponsorship opportunities in the iShares Cup, click here.
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Friday, December 12 - 2008 - Here's what Dee Caffari had to say as she sails into the south in the Vendee Globe:
"Boy is it cold. This south westerly air flow comes from Antarctica and it is bitterly cold. My extremities are like icicles. I have piled the layers on now and look forward to running the generator as it adds a little heat. Today was exciting as was a new food bag day. I packed my food into ten day bags and to open a new bag is always a treat, as I can't help but eat my favorites first so the last few days are always the boring food. Now I am back to treats again."
"I really don't really want to see any ice because I saw enough last time round to last a lifetime. It is clearly marked but I don't want go anywhere near it! It's so hard to see anything when you are going at this speed and you can't go on deck for any length of time because it's so wet and cold. It's the so called little ones - the growlers that are less than 50 meters, which I reckon are still pretty big - that are the dangerous ones but you can't have a strategy for icebergs. You just have to be vigilant. There is no point in sitting on deck for 24 hours a day - you can't see in the dark." Photo Marl Lloyd/DPPI.
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Friday, December 12 - 2008 - Check out this vid of the VOR up close. These guys have really got their act together as far as documenting a race. Enjoy....
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Thursday, December 11 - 2008 - The combination of cross seas nearing the Kerguelen Plateau and gusty, squally winds have proven extremely testing for the leading Vendée Globe skippers today. Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) moves up to second. He reported a 30-40m long piece of ice, five metres high which he passed about half a mile from.
Top five boats have only fifty miles in it as they slant north to make 230 miles wide passage between the Kerguelens and leave Heard Island to their starboard.
Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3) is fourth, 33.5 miles behind leader Jean Pierre Dick, but says he has been on the edge of control for two days. Loick Peyron still making 6-7 knots under jury rig north east.
Speeds of 18.7, 18.3 and 18.1 knots displayed by the top three boats over the hour before this afternoon's poll confirm that few concessions are made among the Vendée Globe vanguard since the dismasting of third placed Loïck Peyron early yesterday, nor indeed the report from Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) that he had spotted a large ice floe less than half a mile away today.
The fleet are converging, being channeled through the gap between the Kerguelen Islands and Heard Island. It is about 230 miles wide but this hostile channel, where the seabed shelves quite sharply, is part is responsible for the difficult, confused seas which several skippers today reported having to deal with. Factor in gusty, squally winds which make it hard to manage and set a sail-plan - under-powered and you lose miles, or get pushed around by the 5 metre seas, over-powered and the auto-pilots can barely cope and the consequences are expensive in terms of lost energy and miles.
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Thursday, December 11 - 2008 - The Southeaster, Cape Town's notorious summer wind that whips up and over Table Mountain and howls along city streets, has been blowing for three straight days. It usually has a three day cycle but this particular show of force by the wind gods is forecast to continue for another two days, at least. With this in mind and the fact that the breezy conditions have made it very difficult to prepare boats for the gruelling leg to Wellington, Portimao Global Ocean Race Officials have decided to postpone the Cape Town start by 24 hours.
"Our entire ethos is to have an event that is competitor friendly," said Race Director Josh Hall. "Sending them out into the teeth of a full-on gale is hardly the right thing to do and since the forecast is for the Southeaster to continue to blow through Saturday, we have decided to push the start back a day. The leg to New Zealand will be tough enough as it is without sending the sailors off into rough conditions."
The wind has also made it difficult for the skippers to prepare their boats. Most of the yachts have had their masts removed and inspected, a normal course of action prior to a long Southern Ocean leg. The problem, however, has been that with the wind howling re-stepping the masts has been impossible. Finally late Wednesday afternoon all the boats were returned to their berths in front of the Royal Cape Yacht Club with masts in place, but that is not the end of it.
"With the wind blowing like it has, none of the skippers have been able to go out sailing to tune their masts," Hall continued. "You need moderate conditions to inspect and tune rigging. Add to that many of the skippers have also bought new sails. It simply does not make sense to send them out until they are all fully prepared. Our goal is to get everyone safely around the world so with that in mind, this is a prudent thing to do."
The new start date is December 14 and the start will take place at 10:30 local time, 08:30 UTC.
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