Vendee Globe - Loick Peyron regains lead

by Vendee Globe media on 18 Nov 2008
Leaving the tricky Cape Verde Islands astern, it appears to be business as usual for Loïck Peyron on Gitana Eighty as he emerges back at the top of the Vendée Globe fleet Monday afternoon with his margin re-established back at 24.3 miles over Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux), who lead for a period this morning.

Peyron admitted today that he had endured a long night as he worked through the islands, making sure of avoiding the worst of the wind shadows and disturbances created by the high volcanic island topography. While Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) in the east made an early, straight lining through towards the more SE’ly group of islands, he has lost ground since, also gibing now working back to the west on a slower, more downwind angle. Peyron admitted:

'It was a tough old night with a lot of hard work and it's not over yet. I had to gybe a few times and that's never easy on these big boats. In fact I didn't get to sleep in spite of the dark, as the wind strengthened, then fell away completely and between the islands, it was a slalom.

I'm now under spinnaker with 12-14 knots of wind. It's still very irregular, as the islands aren't really that far off. And we're certainly not moving towards a better world. The weather charts are not that clear for the route through the Doldrums. Choices are going to have to be made. And choosing means giving up something.' Peyron told today’s radio broadcast.

After a gain to the west through the early part of the day by a group lead by Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec), including 2004 Vendée Globe winner Vincent Riou (PRB), and Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) their advance has stabilized for just now, but Le Cam said today that he feared the west may play out better.

Mike Golding’s passage through the islands required a last minute change of strategy due to a wind shift but he has consolidated his gains since leaving the islands and is up to seventh place, his best so far on this his third Vendée Globe. He is now 109 miles behind leader Peyron as the leaders plan their strategy for the next obstacle, the Doldrums.

Michel Desjoyeaux continues to work his way up through the fleet. Foncia gained two places today and now lies 19th.

Unfortunately this afternoon’s advance by Desjoyeaux negates one of the two places gain by Rich Wilson, USA. After jumping to 19th he was passed by the 2001 winner this afternoon and now Great American III lies 20th.

Boat Blogs

Steve White (Toe in the Water)

'It's like an oven here today, we have complete unbroken cloud cover and it is very hot and humid indeed, although I suspect it will get more so as we are a way off the equator at the moment. I am further south than I have ever been I think, having just passed the latitude of the Bahamas. That's the thing with sailing, point the boat in one direction for a few days, and you finish up in a completely different world - if I had some good (very good) binoculars I could see Cuba to my right, and lions and such like to my left, which is incredible if you think about it, we only left home a week ago. Somehow I don't expect this when I go sailing, it's not like flying where it is never a surprise to disembark in a foreign and different country; but when you step ashore in a new country from a boat, you feel so much more like you've earned the right to be there.'

Sam Davies (Roxy)

Today has been a busy day. In the early hours, the wind came aft enough to need the spinnaker. I waited to check it wasn't a momentary shift, and then went to change from gennaker to spinnaker. Unfortunately, the wind decided to play games today. After a couple of hours great spinnaker running, the wind increased.... turned.... that's not the end! In total, here are the sail combinations used today: (in the order of changes)

Gennaker + full main
Spinnaker + full main
Spinnaker + 1 reef
Solent + 1 reef
Solent + full main
Gennaker + full main

and the day is not yet over! I have a feeling another couple of changes yet, especially as the Cape Verdes will probably change the wind all over the place. So,as you can imagine, I am quite tired...'

Dominique Wavre (Temenos), spoke to his shore team.

'It’s grey weather; the light is very white. I have between 15 and 20 knots of wind and, for the time being the seas aren’t really big and I have all the sail aloft. The automatic pilot is doing a good job but I go and help it at the helm from time to time because there are few waves so the boat is having some difficulty surfing. I’ve had more wind since midnight, and as the pilot was helming well that enabled me to get a little sleep. I am happy with my W’ly option, even though it cost me some miles yesterday. I was caught by a zone of high pressure and I lost ground but I tried to make up as much as possible of that today.

I have a good angle in relation to the wind, which is allowing me to make some fairly good averages. It was a position based on gains in the long term. Statistically it’s the ideal trajectory but from time to time there are zones of high pressure dotted about the course, which can spoil even the best calculations. The different American and French models don’t concur, but on average neither of them give too much wind so it’s clearly not a lively tradewind. It is fairly spread out at the moment. I’m targeting a little gateway that I spotted, which may work on Thursday or Friday, but we’re still a long way off for the forecast to be reliable. Down below it is sticky and heavy so it’s more pleasant to be at the helm.'

Derek Hatfield (Algimouss Spirit of Canada)

'The high pressure that has captured me has my full attention. A bit of bad luck on my part had me sitting becalmed yesterday and last night for long periods. In my anxiousness to get around Cape Finisterre, I think I cut the corner just a bit too tight as the wind hole there will be one to be remembered. I've always said that light air and no wind is much more stressful than too much wind. As I jibed south this morning, the wind is slowly building from 4 knots and the weather files show it gradually building to 15 knots from the North East. It's a long race and I will be able to catch up at certain points for sure. I will certainly try hard knowing that all the supporters back in Canada are watching. '

'It's getting warmer as I head south, it's 26 C inside the cabin today so almost time to take off a mid layer but it's much cooler on deck, especially in the shade. It won't be long before I'll be into shorts. I had a visit from a large pod of dolphins just before sunset yesterday. There must have been 50 or more, all playing around the boat. They always cheer me up as they look like they are having so much fun. More tomorrow. '

Vendee Globe - 15:00 HRS GMT. Rankings, (FRA, unless stated)

1- Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) 21,408 to the finish
2- Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) at + 24.3 miles to leader
3- Seb Josse (BT) at + 27.4 miles
4- Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) at + 82.6 miles
5- Vincent Riou (PRB) + 84.8 miles

Selected International

7- Mike Golding, GBR, (ECOVER 3) at + 109.6 miles
11- Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) at + 203.9 miles
12- Sam Davies, GBR,(ROXY) at + 268.5 miles
14- Dominique Wavre, SUI, (Temenos 2) at + 303.6 miles
16- Dee Caffari, GBR, (AVIVA) at + 422.4 miles
17- Steve White, GBR, (Toe in the Water) at +477 miles
18- Johnny Malbon, GBR, (Artemis) at + 498.7 miles
19- Rich Wilson, USA, (Great America III) at + 653.9 miles
20- Unai Basurko, ESP, (Pakea Bizkaia) at + 655 miles
23- Norbert Sedlacek, AUT, (Nauticsport-Kapsch) at + 882.5 miles
24- Bernard Stamm, SUI, (Cheminées Poujoulat) at + 1322.1miles
25- Derek Hatfield, CAN, (Algimouss Spirit of Canada) at + 1705.9 miles

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