Some finish without a Keel and some not!

This Image shows clearly that the Boat Acciona 100% EcoPower has lost its swinging Keel!
This is the 3rd Boat , this VG2012 alone, that lost its Keel, while one more Boat suffered a broken hydraulic rod to push the Keel; other VG have seen also Boats that lost its Keel. 
For sure an item that  needs attention from Imoca to make this Boats seaworthy for a Round the World race.

ACCIONA  capsized, Javier Sanso is rescued and save!

A video of Javier's Rescue

Le sauvetage de Javier Sanso by VendeeGlobeTV

Javier must be a lucky unhappy Sailor. Unhappy that his Boats shed off its Keel and he can not finish this VendeeGlobe 2012 race; Lucky that he is rescued and save.

While Javier was thrown off his Boat into the Water and his boat turned complete over; Jean-Pierre Dick was given the time to react and could save the Boat from capsizing.  The difference outcome is large, Javier is out of the race, while JP has finished, but the circumstances that decide will be a matter of very small margins, of wind strength, the side of the wave you are on and the time the boat takes to heel.

JP Dick has finished the VendeeGlobe 2012 as 4th , sailing some 2000Nm without his Keel and sheltering in a small cove to wait out a storm.

JP Dick finished 4th 

At least he did not have any problems with the times of the tides to enter the channel to Les Sables :wink: He must be the luckiest man of the fleet, seeing what can happen with loosing a Keel.

A video of the arrival of JP Dick can be seen, as well as a video for the arrival of Alex Thompson 

VendeeGlobe 2012-2013 Finished

François Gabart o/b MACIF wins the VendeeGlobe 2012-2013. 

Francois Gabart  o/b MACIF wins Vendeeglobe 2012-2013

In a Video it looks like below, 

Vendée Globe : Le passage de la ligne de... by VendeeGlobeTV

François's victory is with the smallest margin in the history for VG with only 3 hrs, 17 min and  12 seconds; another record broken. 

François made his decisive strategic move in the Southern Atlantic just North of the Falklands, where he moved Norht-Eeast where Armel Le Cléac'h, the later runner-up, moved North-West. After this the distances were like an elastic band between 100-200 Nm. 

François set a series of records but the most important is,

- the fastest VendeeGlobe ever in a record time of 78 days, 2 hours, 16 minutes and 40 seconds; an improvement of the  old record of VG2008 of Michiel Desjoyaux with 6 days, 00 hours and 58 minutes, and 

- he is the youngest winner of any VendeeGlobe with 29 years, - he was fastest from the start to the Equator, 

- he was fastest from the start to rounding Cape of Good Hope,

- he was fastest from the start to rounding Cape Horn,

- he was fastest from Cape of Good Hope till Cape Leeuwing, 

- he was fastest from Cape Leeuwing to Cape Horn, 

- he sailed the longest distance in any 24 hour period with 545 Nm in a monohull, 

François has shown to be a good tactical sailor that keeps smiling all along the way. 

Armel, finished as a second but a long time , those two were battling neck on neck and in the Southern Ocean changed the lead several times. 

Alex Thompson, has continued his route, after JP Dick in his damaged boat had overcome the heaviest winds around the Azoren and has taken the 3rd place with an ETA of Tuesday evening. JP Dick is heading in lower winds to the Portuguese coast and will from there decide to sail on the Les Sable or not. 

Clear path Home for the leaders in VendeeGlobe

The leaders are sailing just south of the Azoren islands, and MACIF has a 90 Nm lead over Banque Populaire. The winds are showing, at the moment a favorable Westerly direction to speed the Homecoming; ETA now expected late Saturday 26 or Sunday 27 January 2013. 

A Happy Leader in the VendeeGlobe 2012

A sad story for Jean-Paul Dick, as his Boat lost its Keel some 2000 Nm from Les Sables. He is still considering his options, but for the moment with these moderate easterly winds, the boat is stabilized by taking in some 7 tons of water-balast. The speed has dropped but is still close to 10 kts. 

Sadly Virbac Paprec3 has lost its Keel

Some adverse winds are predicted on his course, and the question is whether it will be safe for Boat and Skipper to sail on or to visit the Azoren??? 

Alex Tompson, is now catching up and about 120 Nm behind but expected to pass in 1 1/2 day. The Podium seems far away for Jean-Pierre, but  his successor on 5th place is still south of the Equator and most likely not able to pass, even when the boats speed is reduced to the high single digits. 

France spoils the Atlantic Ocean.

IT IS A SHAME THAT FRANCE IS SPOILING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ON A PURPOSELY AND VOLUNTARY MANNER!!!

The crap that is littering the
Atlantic Ocean with France subsidies!

It is sad, very sad to learn that some idiot is spoiling the Atlantic Ocean with plastic litter voluntarily. And the worst of all is that it is called "ART" ???  Though it is also called "The Greatest Floating Craps Game On Earth". 

A France artists, with subsidies from the French Miniseries of Culture, has made some crap from plastic (called good for nature as it is bio-degradable plastic;)( but how long will it take to get out of natures system??? and how many marine live will be killed by eating the pieces???)

Note: I read now in an article in the NewYork Post that this  crap is constructed from " out of plywood, pine, PVC and epoxy,  "(ref:http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/an-artists-game-of-chance-on-the-high-seas/). So  this is again a big lie, as PVC is about the most persistent plastic made on Earth while epoxy is also not really bio-degradable and the glue in plywood is made to last !!! 

Two of these pieces of crap are floating on 12eDecember from  Grand Canaria;  is that not Spanish territory???

The cubes are 16m cubed and left to float freely. 

Fear for the Sailors in the VendeeGlobe is, that they made have a collision with these floaters, mainly the first 4 boats; the VG lost already several boats and had more damages due to collisions with UFO's (un-identified floating objects) 

These are a danger for Marine traffic and marine life. 

I think the people who love nature and the sea, shall ALL protest against this littering of the Oceans. GreenPeace and Plastiki and WWF and other environmental Organisation shall ALL protest to the French President. France better be saving their country from bankruptcy rather than throwing their good Euro's in the Water!!!. 

France and the makers shall be prosecuted in an International Court for polluting the Oceans, endangering ship and boats and their crews and endangering marine life. They shall be hold accountable if any life of a mariner is lost or injured and to any damage to ships and boats. 

Suratna, my Boat in LiveSkipper finished the Sail the Globe Race

In LiveSkipper,virtual sailing site, my Boat Suratna did finish yesterday the Sail the Globe sailing race.  

Suratna sailing in LiveSkipper did finish already

This was an independent sailing race around the Globe, but similar route and starting time as the VendeeGlobe2012-2013. 
I am not with the leaders in LiveSkipper, but still faster as the Real VG Boats and also faster as the virtual Boats in VR. 

Happy to be home and too busy  with all Parties, I have to post this success only a day late.

The Real  boats , the leaders have just passed the Cape Verde Islands and now heading to the Azoren High.

The Heat Is On

"The Heat is ON"!

Banque Populaire in hot pursuit of MACIF

This can be understood in two ways, the leaders are sailing just North of the Equator in high Temperatures, but ..

also Banque Populaire gained back some 200 Nm in the last two days on the Leader Macif. Macif was stopped in the Doldrums, not that active this time, but still. B.P. however is now in the Doldrums and may see his gain stopped or reduced as Macif may speed up again. 

Behind them, Paprec has gained a  lot almost 290Nm on Alex, who lost speed in the lower winds at the Brazilian coast. Alex is now passed Recife and will speed up and hopes for a quicker passage of the Doldrums to catch Paprec. 

The group behind in the southern Atlantic is struggling with a big High that does not allow boatsspeed over 10kts. 

LiveSkipper, virtual boats have finished there Sail the Globe sailing race already. They sailed a whole lot faster, though also in the same boat and sails. Better navigation tools and scheduling options, must have helped those skippers to optimise the sailing better.  Their classifications can be seen in the TAB  RANK above. 

Week 9 Highlights

Week 9 was a week with many events, 

Week 9 Highlights by VendeeGlobeTV

Many Boats passed Cape Horn, some in the dark, some in tumultuous seas but Jean Le Cam in early daily and close distance. He thus could make a nice video of his passing, that give us arm-chair sailors a glance a vivid as can be. 

There was the final verdict of the Jury to "DSQ" Bernard Stamm, for accepting help. Bernard, who after his repairs on the hydrogenerators, lost the function again due to an UFO (un-identified floating object) and left without power generation had to re-fuel after passing Cape Horn. He basically put himself out of the race, keeping the honor on him, before the Jury could reject his appeal. 
Tanguy de Lamotte, found his gennaker drifting alongside his boat as the langyard broke loose and had some big effort to retrieve it onboard.
Alex Thompson, sailing close to the Argentinian coast, gained a lot of miles and for some time took the 3rd spot from Jean-Pierre Dick. 
Francois Gabart however sailed a perfect strategy which extended his lead, as we speak, to over 200 Nm. He has gained a very strong position doing this.