vendée globe : News

[Source: Vendée Globe] The passage round the St Helena high pressure system may yet prove decisive in this Vendée Globe, but there is still no shortage of wind for the leaders Michel Desjoyeaux and Roland Jourdain.Jourdain reported this afternoon that they still have plenty of wind. Commenting that it is still very unstable, he said that although they had made the big left turn for home and were heading north a good speeds there were still a lot which can happen.“You maybe start to think...

Vincent Riou and Jean Le Cam arrived in Puerto Williams, the remote Chilean Naval base, this morning, towed there aboard the dismasted PRB, the latest to have their Vendée Globe dreams taken away from them. After rescuing his friend, ...

Jourdain reported this afternoon that they still have plenty of wind. Commenting that it is still very unstable, he said that although they had made the big left turn for home and were heading north a good speeds there were still a lot which can happen. “You maybe start to think about the Doldrums and things like that, but at the moment we are still very much in the Forties and have plenty of wind.” He said. He explained that because he cannot start the motor to cant his keel,...

Received at 1830hrs GMT I am tired today. I guess as a result of yesterday. Working on the mainsail and then within just a few hours having to gybe and then add reefs kept me busy and today I am showing the signs of fatigue. I want to claim my position back from Akena but we are both in the same weather, doing the same thing, heading to the same place so it will be difficult.

PRB arrived in Port Williams, the ‘southernmost town in the world’ at around 0930 hrs this morning. As well as the loss of the rig, there is some damage to the stanchions and deck of PRB. There is very ...

Even with the improved safety, the security ice-gates, the rate of attrition in this incredible race now reaches 60% as title holder Vincent Riou this evening faces up to the cruel reality that his desire to even finish his second Vendée Globe was taken from him when the mast of PRB collapsed last night. As the 2004 winning skipper said today, he and Le Cam had already sailed 250 miles since the rescue from VM Matériaux and only had 50 miles to go before a planned...

The competitors at the front are getting in place to pass through a huge high-pressure system building off the coast of Uruguay over the next few days. The high resulting from several systems coming together will stretch out over 800 to 900 miles within the next 36 hours. Brit-Air will be caught by a cold front off Cape Horn tonight. Further west, the competitors in the Pacific are benefiting from a strong westerly flow with the wind temporarily strengthening as squalls pass over (gusts...

   Today brings yet more sad news about Vincent Riou’s boat, PRB, suffering a dismasting during the night. It really is not fair, especially as the original damage to the deck spreader was suffered during Vincent’s heroic rescue of ...

Dee Caffari took advantage of favourable conditions yesterday to spend some time giving her mainsail some more care and attention. Having to drop the sail completely to make sound repairs meant a considerable drop in boat speed allowing her close rival Arnaud Boissières, onboard Akena Vèrandas, to overtake and assume a lead of 28 miles overnight.

Following the tragic dismasting of Vincent Riou’s boat, PRB, last night, Sam Davies, onboard Roxy, lies in unofficial 4th position in the Vendée Globe solo, non-stop round the world race. Yesterday, after hearing the good news that Jean Le ...