Vendée Globe, Natale agli antipodi
OceanoVelaVendée Globe 25 Dicembre 2008 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic=1211,250,170,,left]Vendée Globe – Oceano Pacifico – Natale ritardato per Michel Desjoyeaux, almeno sino a quando il tempo migliorerà. Solo allora lo skipper di Foncia aprirà i regali imbarcati prima della partenza in vista delle festività viaggianti, regali, a suo dire, che gli facevano gola da sei settimane. Un Natale ritardato anche perchè, da dodici ore avanti rispetto all’Europa centrale, il gruppo di testa è finito dodici ore indietro. I battistrada, infatti, hanno superato ieri l’International Data Line.
Per Foncia, a meno di cento miglia sud-sudest dal cancello, la leadership è di quasi cinquanta miglia su Roland Jourdain, quaranta miglia più a nord.
Su Desjoyeaux soffiano intensi venti da nordest, ma lo skipper francese si augura che sotto l’albero, Santa Claus lasci il dono desiderato: il giro del vento a sudovest previsto dai bollettini. In tal caso, la risalita verso il cancello si trasformerebbe in una lunga planata.
Jean Le Cam ha vissuto una vigilia di Natale molto produttiva, cercando di contenere i clandestini trovati tra i regali: “…Leone il riccio, Bibi Puffer il pesce e la Pantera che non necessita di introduzioni”. Tutto ciò mentre VM Materiaux mangiava ventisei miglia a Foncia, superando Sebastien Josse, ora quarto.
Natale dei contrasti per Jean Pierre Dick, titolare sino alla rottura di un timone di una solida leadership, felice per aver riparato Paprec Virbac 2, rammaricato perchè il distacco dai primi, pur avendo una barca velocissima, sarà difficilmente colmabile. Buone nuove da Safran e Roxy, accorsi in aiuto di Yann Eliés. I due, separati lateralmente di settanta miglia, sono rientrati a tutta nella regata.
Day 45, 20.00 GMT, ranking
1 – Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) DTF 10769.8 nm
2 – Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) +49.1 nm
4 – Jean Le Cam (VM Materiaux) +129.8 nm
3 – Sebastien Josse (BT) +149.1 nm
5 – Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) +364.8 nm
Per seguire la regata sul web clicca qui.
[flashvideo filename=video/oceano/Vendee_241208.flv /]
Video courtesy Vendée Globe.
CHRISTMAS, DONE AND DUSTED FOR SOME, ON ICE FOR OTHERS
[singlepic=1212,250,170,,left][Vendée Globe Press Release] Michel Desjoyeaux says he has Christmas on ice, waiting until the weather is a little kinder, and taking the gift afforded by crossing the International Date Line yesterday, to pick and choose when he wants to open his bag of presents which the leader says has been winking at him for six weeks.
He has a lead of just less than 50 miles and is about 140 miles SSE of the west extension of the gate. Roland Jourdain is about 40 miles further to the north.
While the leaders have about 30-40 knots of NE’ly to contend with, as it looks tonight – in keeping with the children all around the world tonight – patience is required, for at just the time the early birds in Europe are up seeing what the fat, jolly white bearded one has brought them, so the new SW’lies should arrive to early tomorrow to propel them north to dip up and catch the gate somewhere closer to the eastern extremity.
Jean Le Cam has had a productive Christmas Eve, even trying to contain his furry stowaways – ‘Léon the hedgehog’, ‘Bibi the Puffer fish’ and the ‘Panther who needs no introduction’ who he reports are all up to High Doh because it is Christmas.
Le Cam has gained 26 miles on the lead today and overtaken Seb Josse for third.
Meantime this evening Jean-Pierre Dick is the quickest in the fleet at 16.1knots. Sam Davies has been getting her full Christmas celebrations in early and tonight is making good speed at 13.7 knots, some 60 miles ahead of Marc Guillemot (Safran), some 70 miles to the north of him.
Dee Caffari is now only something like 65-70 miles behind Brian Thompson who is sailing with no main until he can raise it again, which will not be easy having lost one of his lazyjacks.
Steve White is hitching to the north east and has made about 45 miles since he gybed, making between eight and nine knots, waiting for a lighter spell to try and fix his broken gooseneck.
Day 45, 20.00 GMT, ranking
1 – Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) DTF 10769.8 nm
2 – Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) +49.1 nm
4 – Jean Le Cam (VM Materiaux) +129.8 nm
3 – Sebastien Josse (BT) +149.1 nm
5 – Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) +364.8 nm
To follow the race on web click here.
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