Vendée Globe, finalmente a est
OceanoVelaVendée Globe 29 Novembre 2008 Zerogradinord 0
Vendée Globe – Oceano Atlantico – Finalmente l’alta pressione di Sant’Elena. Finalmente si va ad est; lunga parabola verso destra. Chi è più a sud si trova a indicare la via verso l’Oceano Indiano.
Guida Sebastien Josse su BT, incalzato da un Loick Peyron in grande spolvero e poi, ennesima sorpresa di una regata più tirata che mai, Eliés Yann. Lo skipper di Generali si affaccia così ai piani di alti di una classifica cortissima, aperta a ogni possibile soluzione. Inutile azzardare pronostici, davanti c’è ancora il grande sud, dafinito da Buona Speranza, Leeuwin e Horn.
Altre notizie dalla flotta giungono da Cheminées Poujolat, in rimonta sul leader, ora lontano 766.2 miglia. Per Bernard Stamm, da oggi quarantacinquenne, il sogno di ripetere il gesto di Mike Golding che, nella passata edizione, recuperò un distacco analogo, finendo al terzo posto. Problemi al fiocco per Dee Caffari, costretta notte tempo ad avanzare con passo ridotto.
Il meteo non è dei migliori. Da est a nordest per poi andare a nord, il vento ce la mette tutta per aiutare i solitari. Ma è solo una cosa passaggera. Da fresca, la brezza si andrà pian piano intiepidendo. Nel mezzo dell’alta pressione si dovrà vivere all’erta, per agganciare i refoli e i salti di vento. Otto-dieci nodi e una sola certezza, quella che i primi avranno modo di dare spi prima degli altri. Usciti dall’alta, venti da ovest, per poggiare in direzione del primo cancello.
Day 20, 20.00 GMT, ranking
1 – Sebastien Josse (BT) at 19430.0 nm to finish
2 – Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) +9.7 nm
3 – Eliés Yann (Generali) +12.1 nm
4 – Jean Le Cam (VM Materiaux) at +15.2nm
3 – Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) +38.5 nm
Per seguire la regata sul web clicca qui.
[flashvideo filename=video/oceano/Vendee_291108.flv /]
Video courtesy Vendée Globe.
ZONING IN…
[Vendée Globe Press Release] The leading bunch begin to turn left as the centre of the St Helena High finally approaches: Josse (BT) resumes pole position as the most southerly boat, closely followed by Loick Peyron (Gitana Eighty), and Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) celebrates his birthday with the fastest 24-hour averages of the fleet…
Another five hours, and another roll of the dice, as the positions shuffle once more in this afternoon’s schedule (15.00 GMT). Sébastien Josse (BT) resumes his place at the front of the rankings as the most southerly boat, with Peyron on his tail, about eight miles behind (currently in fourth place).
Josse is around 52 miles south of the next most southerly skipper, Armel Le Cleac’h (Brit Air, 5th), but as the fleet start to turn left it is those to the east who are showing well in the position reports — Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) bounces back up to second, about 110 miles north of BT. Whether Le Cam’s high-risk strategy is rewarded in the long term, is of course an entirely different matter.
Behind them the chasing pack advance on a sliding scale — Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) about 20 miles closer to the leaders than yesterday in 11th place, Sam Davies in 13th (Roxy) 40 miles gained, Arnaud Boissieres (Akena Vérandas) 50 miles closer, and Jonny Malbon (Artemis, 18th) about 70 miles nearer to the front than he was yesterday.
Bernard Stamm on Cheminées Poujoulat celebrates his 45th birthday today — and as a timely present, he passed Raphael Dinelli (Fondation Océan Vital) to move into 21st place. He has also covered the most miles over the past 24-hours of any boat in the fleet. Currently 766.2 miles adrift of the leader, Stamm can take heart from the fact that in the last edition of the Vendée Globe Mike Golding was 800 miles behind at this stage of the race, yet pulled up to finish third overall. Stamm has advanced over 130 miles nearer in the last 24 hours alone…
Whether and when the leaders get away again, of course now depends on how they negotiate the high pressure zone. The current easterly wind is forecast to ease and then back ENE’ly this evening, before becoming northerly and fading to around 10 knots as the enter the high pressure zone. What happens in the middle will likely vary mile by mile, but the front runners should be popping a kite up early tomorrow morning. Then, after the tense calms of the centre, they will suddenly be into the slingshot westerly weather systems of the south. The situation looks similar for the group chasing behind, who are likely to cross the high in roughly the same place, even as the anticyclone moves slowly north-eastwards. Those competitors further north, meanwhile, will have to content with a thundery low developing off the coast of Brazil, which will be moving south-eastwards and then south in the coming days.
Elsewhere in the fleet it was a tough night for Dee Caffari (Aviva), who suffered headsail damage which briefly forced her off course. Rich Wilson (Great American III) has also completed a penalty for crossing a buoy on the wrong side shortly after the start of the race in Les Sables d’Olonne. The International Jury imposed a time penalty of half an hour, which Rich carried out today at a waypoint agreed with Race Management.
Day 20, 20.00 GMT, ranking
1 – Sebastien Josse (BT) at 19430.0 nm to finish
2 – Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) +9.7 nm
3 – Eliés Yann (Generali) +12.1 nm
4 – Jean Le Cam (VM Materiaux) at +15.2nm
3 – Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) +38.5 nm
To follow the race on web click here.
No comments so far.
Be first to leave comment below.