EpicTV Interviews: Alex Thomson, James Bond of The Vendee Globe from EpicTVAdventure on Vimeo.
Did I beat Thomson’s record? I didn’t know, it’s great! And I’m the leader, too, it’s a good start to the month of December! I’m very happy to see the choice I made ten days ago paid off. It’s a true satisfaction, even though the gaps are very small. There are many positive things: We’re in the south, it’s a nice regatta with three boats in a very close race, followed by three others.
There are 28 knots of wind and the sea is quite rough but I have the right sails to go fast without pushing the boat too hard. Our boats have been designed to go that fast. But they do get very noisy. Read More
Thansfully Armel created a big gap of around 140 miles… the southern option will certainly gain some serious advantages for Jean-Pierre Dick, Jean le Cam & Francois Gabart. Rankings will change completely the following 24 hours.
Current position with wind prognoses the next 12 hours
He added “the next few days will be very exciting for the sailing enthusiasts who follow the Vendée Globe, because there’s a big group that will enter the South together.”
The situation for Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire) depends on how much boat speed he can make in the circling lighter winds 10-12kt winds. If he can sail a shorter course he may be able to bypass the high but the risk is that he could end up with less advantageous wind direction and handcuffed by a high pressure.
In direct line with the new Pogo 12.50, we studied a new member of the Pogo familiy for the Structures shipyard : The Pogo 50.
Some nice images :
Winners were decided with one final race at Middle Harbour Yacht Club’s Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship today, when the foretold weather did not play ball, forcing Principal Race Officer, Denis Thompson, and his race crews to wait for the north-easterly wind to fill in.
Vincent Riou tells about his colision with a metal buoy. “I was sailing on port side when I heard a big noise at bow of the boat. The buoy hit the starboard side. This is the first problem and that’s bad but it’s not the worst. I managed to see the boy because I was the navigation station. It was a huge metal buoy, something you find in a commercial port. Because it was almost submerged it must have been at sea a long time. I think the buoy was half air and half water. “After the buoy hit the hull four metres away from the bow, it hit the shroud, the carbon cable which helps to support the mast. The only luck I have today is that it is only carbon composite material, so me and my team are analysing the damage in order to find the best way to imagine some repairs. I have sent all the information to my architect and rigging manager. I expect some repair proposals from them. The Vendée Globe turns on very small details like rubbish you can find on the water. See you (sadly)”
Let’s hope he get good weather conditions giving him the chance to try some fixes.
