Vendée Globe, Le Cam al comando
OceanoVelaVendée Globe 17 Novembre 2008 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic=789,250,170,,left]Vendée Globe – Capo Verde – Grazie all’ottima strategia adottata nell’approcciare le isole di Capo Verde, Jean Le Cam a bordo di VM Matériaux ha preso la testa della Vendée Globe. Localizzato ottanta miglia a est di Loick Peyron, il solitario francese si è buttato nel mezzo dell’arcipelago, e fa rotta verso l’isola di Santiago, che sfiorerà, passando nel canale che la separa dall’isola Fogo.
Gitana Eighty, leader nel corso delle passate ore, ha perso terreno quando si è trovato costretto a strambare per evitare l’isola di Sao Nicolau ed è stato sopravanzato anche da BT di Sebastien Josse.
Interessante sarà vedere se la scelta di mantenersi a ovest di Capo Verde assunta da Vincent Riou e Jean-Pierre Dick, impegnati a bordo di PRB e Paprec-Virbac, alla lunga finirà per pagare. Ad essere al momento evidenti sono le ottime medie tenute dalla coppia che nel corso della notte ha ridotto sensibilmente il distacco dai primi.
Battaglia non solo nel gruppo di testa. Anche nelle retrovie i duelli sono serratissimi. Mike Golding, su Ecover 3, ha guadagnato due posizioni ai danni di Jeremie Beyou (Delta Dore) e Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement), risalendo all’ottavo posto.
Day 8, 05.00 GMT, ranking.
1 – Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) a 21.532,4 miles to finish
2 – Seb Josse (BT) at +1,6 nm
3 – Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) at +9.3 nm
4 – Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) at +87.7 nm
5 – Le Cléac’h Armel (Brit Air) at +107,4 nm
Per seguire la regata via web clicca qui.
LE CAM LEADS
[singlepic=790,170,250,,left][Vendée Globe Press Release] Le Cam had yet to reveal which passage he will take past Santiago island, but his speed gains overnight in better breeze were significant. Managing the significant wind shadows and disturbances is key to the short term game, but the western pack were making gains overnight too.
The crucial Cape Verde strategies among the top five boats have yet to really play out and provide their net result, but Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) became this Vendée Globe’s sixth skipper to lead the race when he eased ahead during the passage through the Cape Verde Islands.
Le Cam’s direct route choice, some 80 miles to west of Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) – who had lead since Thursday morning – seems to have paid off.
Gitana Eighty made two sharp turns last night to pass to the west of the island of Sao Nicolau, while Seb Josse (BT) remains a steady second. Gitana Eighty is third 9.3 miles behind.
In their east Le Cam has made better speeds overnight, more than three knots better than Peyron’s net average. Le Cam was heading directly for Santiago this morning and may pass between that island and Fogo, to the west.
Some eighty miles to their west Vincent Riou (PRB), the 2004 winner, and Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac) lead the pack which have chosen to go to the west of the island group. Dick is some 87 miles behind the leader but gained about 17 miles on the lead overnight, and this pack – Riou, Dick and Le Cléac’h – all posted good average speeds overnight and looked to have good winds.
Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3) gained two places overnight, overturning the advantages of Jérémie Beyou (Delta Dore) and Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) to lie eighth. His compatriot Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar), gained from his westerly move yesterday, and cut about 20 miles from his deficit to the leader, lying 11th.
After re-starting yesterday evening, the last skipper to do so before the line closes Wednesday, Jean Baptiste Dejeanty had a steady first 12 hours on the race course, posting 10 knot averages as he heads across the Bay of Biscay.
Day 8, 05.00 GMT, ranking.
1 – Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) a 21.532,4 miles to finish
2 – Seb Josse (BT) at +1,6 nm
3 – Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) at +9.3 nm
4 – Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) at +87.7 nm
5 – Le Cléac’h Armel (Brit Air) at +107,4 nm
To follow the race on the web click here.
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