A spell of more peaceful life in the Pacific is proving something of a welcomed tonic for the two Vendée Globe leaders. Despite the fact that Armel Le Cléac’h and François Gabart - side be side just three miles apart - have been forced to concede 300 miles since Boxing Day to the fast moving Jean-Pierre Dick, second placed François Gabart asserted today that the interlude of lighter winds has been good for him to recuperate and to check Macif before the race rookie’s first passage of Cape Horn.
Dick was 685 miles behind the leading pairing on Boxing Day. Even this afternoon he was still winding them in with his speed advantage of five knots. Most recent routing predictions still have Virbac-Paprec 3 catching to within 18 hours of the leaders who are expected at Cape Horn during the middle hours of January 1st.
Bernard Stamm raised his anchor at around 0600hrs UTC this morning from his spot off Allan’s Beach at Dunedin NZ and, without fanfare, returned quietly to the Vendée Globe race course. Having repaired both his hydrogenerators it was an exhausted rather than elated Stamm who briefly joined Vendée Globe LIVE to confirm he is back in the race. His first concerns were to make sure that his batteries charged successfully, then to get some very much needed sleep. With both of the hydrognerator propellors re-attached to the back of the boat he started slowly, but by the late afternoon was making 14.7kts. The hard driving Swiss skipper has lost six places since his power generating problems hit but he is no stranger to playing catch up. His initial target is a fast moving one, Arnaud Boissières on Akena Vérandas, is some 60 miles ahead in ninth place.
Can it be "The Mysterious Island"?
Oh no, it's the Campbell Island, perched away on the other side of the world! An uninhabited island for good reason, it is far from everything (or close to anything if you want)!
In any case, it is as beautiful as mysterious or strange!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.