Cape Leeuwin passed with a new record.

The leaders MACIF and Banque Populaire get richer!

MACIF leading the VendeeGlobe2012

The Leaders have passed Cape Leeuwin (SW corner of Australia) last night in a new record time! The new record is: 
34 days, 10 hours and 23 minutes! This is 2days, 2 hours and 25 minutes faster from Les Sables d'Olonne to Cape Leeuwin as the record from PRB , Vincent Riou set in VG2004.
Macif was 1e shortly followed by Banque Populaire; 1hour and 50 minutes later. 
Both leaders are now in a different and better wind system as the followers, of which Virbac Paprec3 is the closest at 350 Nm. 

As a surprise, Francois Gabart (MACIF) also broke the record between the two Capes, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin, with 9 minutes, now set at 11days, 6 hours and 40 minutes. 

The leaders in the virtual VR are somewhat ahead the real boats. 
I sail already east of New Zealand in LiveSkipper Virtual sailing game. All sailors are sailing a Imoca60 boat, but LiveSkipper does not have so many Ice gates, allowing those Boats to sail more Southerly routes. 

Boats sailing at high speeds in VendeeGlobe

After validating Crozet Ice Gate the leading boats sailing fast Eastwards on Beam. Alex Thompson is setting the highest speeds and climbing to 3rd spot. 

a wave covers the Sailing Boat, which Boat?

What a Fantastic pictures this is with a wave breaking and producing a white water cover of the sailing boat.
The fleet is now heading to the Amsterdam Ice Gate, that is positioned relatively North to keep the boats away from the dangers of floating Ice bergs. 

The Virtual Boats in LiveSkipper have reached the South of Australia already, but in their Sail the Globe race the Ice Gates are less and more to the South, giving the advantage of sailing more South and a shorter distance to the New Zealand Gate. 

VendeeGlobe, and intense battle for the lead.

The last day has seen some 3 different leaders in the VendeeGlobe2012! 

Banque Populaire , only Boat that validated Crozet gate. 

While Banque Populaire is the only Boat that so far validated the Crozet Ice Gate as the Western Bouy, the other 4 Boats have passed, but need to go North to pass the  Crozet Ice Gate still closer to the Eastern Gate.
The other Boats followed a more southerly faster course but are now into calmer winds, while Banque Populaire has come out of the area of wind calm and with better speed towards the South-East is expected to pass again and take over the lead.

The following group of 3 boats, meanwhile is making good speed and closing in on the leaders.
A daily video impression is available on the VendeeGlove website or a link on my TAB "Media", above.

Changing the Lead

The leading boats have now reached the first Gate: Aiguilles Gate, an Ice Gate where Boats have to pass at least one spot North of it. 

Day 23 highlights - Sunday, December 2, 2012 by VendeeGlobeTV

François Gabart (MACIF) was the 1st Boat to validate the Western buoy on the Aiguilles Gate, shortly followed by Jean-Pierre (Virbac-Paprec3) and Armel Le Cleac'h (Banque Populaire). Francois has the honor to lead the fleet into the Indian Ocean, but with the small differences it is by all not sure he will be the first to lead into the Pacific.

Suratna, sailing virtual in LiveSkipper, sailed yesterday already into the Indian Ocean and  would like a more southerly course, but southerly winds force her to sail a ESE course for some days, before a chance will come to go more south.  

The West is gaining ...

The sailors that sailed further west are benefitting now from better winds, direction and strength wise. So we expect Vibrac3 and MACIF to make gains and come close to or maybe even pass Banque Populaire before passing Cape of Good Hope. 

 

Day 20 highlights - Thursday, November 29, 2012 by VendeeGlobeTV 

The virtual Boats are also approaching the Cape, where the ice-gate has been shifted 1 degree to the North, because of floating Ice growlers from Antarctica.

My Boat Suratna, sailing in LiveSkipper is about to pass Trista de Cunha, and not like PUMA in the VOR to make a stop :) 
For the locations of My virtual Boats in LiveSkipper and VirtualRegatta and the leader of the VG, have a look at my Map in the TAB: "ROUTE" above. 

Loy Kratong also for me sailing the VendeeGlobe

Loy Kratong is a traditional Thai festival. It is a Bhoedist tradition and the people celebrate with dance and music. People will make (or nowadays buy) a Kratong, a floating "lantern" and will float it on the water with a candle lit, while making a wish for the coming year.  

Kratong are made from natural materials such as  banana tree leaves and straw, thus not harming the nature. 

A reason for Loy Kratong is: to ask for forgiveness to the Gods because we drink and use the water and we often throw rubbish and waste in the water. 

Sailing on the Oceans, we should remember that the Oceans should be kept clean as there is already too much waste (plastics, containers) spoiling the waters. 

OK Sailing the Atlantic in the VendeeGlobe, I am with my boat in LiveSkipper, confronted with the question how to sail around the St. Helena High? Should I go more south, somewhere along the route of Paprec3 or just East along Banque Populaire? I think today is decision day! 

VendeeGlobe 2nd Week

The 2nd week saw the leaders of the VendeeGlobe 2012-2013 concur the Doldrums and pass the Equator into the Southern Hemisphere. 

Second week’s highlights by VendeeGlobeTV

This 2nd week had 2 Boats retiring from the Race, Gutik(Zbigniew Gutkowski) on Energa could not resolve his electronic problems on the autopilot, and Jeremie Beyou on Maitre CoQ who suffered a broken arm on the hydraulic jack for the tilting Keel. 
Alex made a miraculous repair on a pusher bar for his ruder broken by the hudrogenerator failure. Lets hope the repair will last also in the expected heavy winds and waves of the Souther Ocean. 

On the Virtual sailing front, it is about the  same progress for the leaders, though the boats without options (0$ Sailors) are far behind sailing with the basic sails only.