February 2009 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 27.
Yacht Racing News
Update Vendee Globe & Carnage in the South Pacific
(BAHRAIN TEAM PINDAR) continues to Rich Wilson (GREAT AMERICAN III) is
make gains on Sam Davies (ROXY) and is just now just 70 miles from Cape Horn. He is
272 behind her. However ROXY should be in experiencing 20 to 25 knots of wind and
better wind shortly and add some miles be- smooth seas.
tween her and Thompson. Day 78, 26 January: The oldest skipper
Rich Wilson (GREAT AMERICAN III) is in the race Rich Wilson rounded the Horn in
now 320 miles from Cape Horn. He is in great very heavy seas at 1330 GMT. He said, “We
nor’west winds and making 11 knots. He had a few wind shifts coming along here, little
needs to round the Horn before being hit by waves within the system and then a lot of
a huge depression heading towards the Horn. wind this morning, three reefs and the staysail.
During the night Dee Caffari’s (AVIVA) Over the shelf here, where it is a lot more
mainsail repair seems to be holding as she shallow, we had a pretty good sea state but
speeds along at 14 knots. She is now just 75 now it seems to have moderated a little bit,
miles behind Thompson. just in the last half hour or. There seems to be
Day 77, 25 January: The third place quite an angry sea state. Not huge, just a bit
skipper, Armel Le Cléac’h (BRIT AIR) is now vicious.
in the Northern Hemisphere. He made it “It is grey,” continued Wilson, “just
through the Doldrums without slowing much, grey. It is raining a little bit. The clouds are
which did not happen to the two in front of over and it is just grey, grey, grey, grey. It has
him, Desjoyeaux and Jourdain. The forecast been like this for the last couple of days with
for the rest of the race does not show much just the occasional break of blue skies, but
opportunity for any gains between the lead- nothing like that today. Until this weather
ers. system goes by it will remain like this. Desjoyeaux's FONCIA finishing the Vendee Globe in record time. (More next issue)
Desjoyeaux (FONCIA) is now around “I am pretty tired, I have been up for quite VHF radio, and the plane, which was part of the rudder secured by just the transverse
the Azores high and is making good speed, 14 a while. I was up in the night as we were going the Chilean Naval Patrol, called. We chatted linking arm between the two rudders. As the
knots, in a nice westerly wind. His lead over westerly towards Cape Horn trying to sail a bit, they came back overhead several times, boat slowed and then started going back-
Jourdain is now 497 miles and is just 1,900 deep downwind, and because the wind in- and then departed. wards, the rudder began to go under the boat,
miles from the finish and is heading towards struments are not functioning properly we “The boat is holding up well, this is her however Desjoyeaux was able to pull it back
better conditions to the north. He must get by are not able to sail to windward. I need to be fourth time around the world, and it is remark- in place, which was extremely lucky. He re-
the Azores and a low pressure system that is on deck watching the windex at the top of the able that the boat is holding up with this sailor paired the pintle by fabricating one from a
packing winds over 55 knots and these con- mast to see how close downwind we can go, just rattling around inside, trying to make it damaged stanchion and some carbon.
ditions should benefit him. He also must be trying to make the miles to the east. But you also.” Sam Davies and Marc Guillemot con-
careful with the storm that is forming off Cape just can’t trust the autopilot to sail the down- Michel Desjoyeaux (FONCIA) has a tinue their battle, and it is Davies (ROXY)
Finisterre before he enters the Bay of Biscay. wind wind angle. decision to make, stay north or head towards getting the better of Guillemot, who has now
Roland Jourdain (VEOLIA “This afternoon, after the excitement had Cape Finisterre. He explained more about his passed him for fourth place. Guillemot
ENVIRONNMENT) has been pushing hard worn off a bit, I was at the chart table studying problem on Christmas day with his rudders (SAFRAN) developed a problem when his
through the trade winds. However this did the next weather, and suddenly and that if he had not been able to make the starboard runner broke 15 feet from the block,
little in making any gains on FONCIA. VROOOOOOOOOM! We were buzzed by an repair quickly he probably would have been but this was quickly repaired.
Sam Davies (ROXY) is now gain ground airplane. Went on deck, saw it come back, forced to retire. He said that when the port Brian Thompson (BAHRAIN TEAM
on Marc Guillemot (SAFRAN) and is now just low, and bank around the stern, with the word rudder was out of water it was hit by a big PINDAR) has been trying to repair his alter-
76 miles back. “Naval” on the side. I went and listened on wave and the pintle was damaged. This left nator and wind generator.
Help Save this 102 Year old former Reading Railroad Tug
Donations are tax-deductible
We have moved to Brewer where she will spend the winter and have some minor work done at Kustom Steel. Sitting in pure fresh water is
a plus, little to no electrolysis. Plans are also being developed for next summer and what we can do to get her up and running. We need your help!
SATURN is a 117-foot railroad tug built for the Reading Railroad in 1907. She is one of the last railroad tugs in existence and should be saved
for future generations to enjoy. For further information : (207) 223-8846 or make out check to: Friends of SATURN, P.O. Box 710, Winterport,
ME 04496.
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