The start of the 2008 Vendée Globe
This Vendée is as fascinating a Vendée as I can remember. It’s been going for almost four weeks now, and although they’re not even properly into the Southern Ocean yet, the drama of the high seas is already unfolding.
The weather during the first couple of days of the Vendée was appalling. The fleet soon found themselves in the middle of a low, getting battered by six meter waves and 55+ knots of wind: your typical Bay of Biscay storm.
Every boat in the fleet was battered – battered hard. During those first few days, eight boats returned to Les Sables. The rules state that you may start again up to ten days after the official start. Anything other than that and you are disqualified.
The following five boats turned back for repairs:
Dominique Wavre / Temenos II: Electrical problems. He later sorted this out and left on the next tide. He’s now doing well in 12th; about 250 miles behind the leader.
Bernard Stamm / Cheminées Poujoulat: Collision with what turned out to be a cargo ship. Bowsprit knackered. Turned back for repairs and has made good time, passing the rear of the fleet. He’s now in 16th, about 600 miles behind the leader.
Michel Desjoyeaux / Foncia: Leaks in his ballast system resulted in electrical issues with his engine (used to charge the batteries). Previous time around he’d had similar issues, so this time he wisely decided to turn back while still fairly close. (One of my favourite video clips from the last Vendée was Mich Desj starting his engine with a block and tackle, using the wind’s strength across the mainsail to pull-start his diesel.)
He’s made a quick turn around, now caught up to 7th place – less than 100 miles from the leader. That’s some sailing.
Jean Baptiste Dejeanty / Groupe Maisoneuve: Deck panels ripped out in the storm. It took some time to repair; he’s now second-last in 24th, 1500 miles from the leader.
Derek Hatfield / Algimouss Spirit of Canada – At first some electrical problems, but later realized his mainsail track was also in need of attention. This took a fair bit of work, with plenty of help from other teams. He’s now sailing well, having just sailed a personal best of 368 miles over 24 hours. He’s in 22nd, 1400 miles from the leader.
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It should be noted that most (if not all) the boats that turned back for repairs received generous help from other teams, their shore crews providing scarce parts or specialized labour. This was especially welcome for less well-financed teams like Hatfield’s Spirit of Canada.
There have also been several retirements due to extensive damage. What would a Vendée Globe be without dismastings and other assorted catastrophic failures?
Here are the five retirees:
Yannick under jury-rig after dismasting
Yannick Bestaven / Aquarelle: Dismasted. This is not easily repairable in 10 days time, even if you have a spare mast. He was devastated. Yannick’s self-portrait (see right) is my favourite photo of the race so far. Note the height of the mast – that’s probably a jib pole or boom. Normally the mast is three or four times that height. The look on his face says everything.
Groupe Bel / Kito de Pavant: Dismasted. He’d been doing so well, too – right up front.
Marc Thiercelin / DCNS: Dismasted – extensive damage. He eventually made it to La Coruña, in northwest Spain, under engine power.
Extensive delamination on the port-side
Alex Thomson / Hugo Boss: Structural problems. Hugo Boss began taking on water due to some stress cracks in her port-side hull. This is the opposite side from where he was hit two weeks before the race; but my feeling is that that initial collision was so hard that it fucked the whole boat. After getting it on a lift back in Les Sables, it was clear that Hugo Boss wasn’t going anywhere soon. This must be heartbreaking for Alex, having busted so many boats in the past.
Said Thomson:“It’s gutting, I feel very sad not only for me, but also my sponsors and the team. These things happen in sailing, you just have to pick yourself up and move forward, my Vendée dreams are not over.”
Jérémie Beyou / Delta Dore: All of the damage to the fleet had so far occurred during the storms in the Bay of Biscay; Delta Dore’s occurred during her third week at sea, almost in the Southern Ocean. Her spreaders came loose on the starboard side, severely compromising the mast’s integrity. I hate when that happens. Jérémie found a spot to anchor (allowed by the rules if unassisted) and, after surveying the damage, decided it was impossible to repair himself. Jérémie has retired from the race.
An great quote from Jérémie a week before his retirement:
“Everything is fine, except that the lads ahead of me are going really fast. When I match their pace, it really gets to me, as it’s very hard on the boat. I’m surprised about how much of a risk they are taking. I don’t want to lecture anyone, but I don’t feel like sailing in that way. It’s tough seeing them get away. But I always remember that the equipment will let you know at some moment what you have put it through.”
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The dismasted and otherwise terminally damaged vessels all made it back to port unaided, which at least allowed the solo sailor to retain his dignity. This is important – even expected – for the solo sailor. He is self-reliant, resourceful, and maintains a fierce conviction that he will find a way to proceed. After all, he must – there is no one else. And if that involves using a jib pole as a mast then so be it.
For the solo sailor a tow would be ignoble and contrary to all that solo sailing is about. A tow would not be keeping with the spirit if the Vendée.
Mike Golding on Ecover is doing well, though after crossing the line first was told he’d crossed too early and had to turn back around. This left him on his back foot, though he has made up good time. He’s now bouncing around between 5th and 9th, right up there with the top of the pack, less than 100 miles away from the leader.
Dominque Wavre on Temenos II sailing fast
Derek Hatfield in Spirit of Canada (I can’t bring myself to affix the sponsor’s name) is one of the slower boats in the fleet, yet he just did 368 miles in 24 hours. That staggers in my brain a bit.
One of my rituals on my seven-week single-handed transatlantic crossing was the ‘noon sighting’, where I’d find out where I was, then calculate how far I’d come from the previous day’s sighting. Of course, I wasn’t taking sights with a sextant; although I did have one on board. I just used the GPS. My best mileage was somewhere around 150 nautical miles. This says something about these Open 60’s, and probably something about their skippers too. The solo record is some 500 plus miles, which I believe is held my Alex Thomson.
Since the frenetic start (and restart for some) it’s been relatively quiet for the last two weeks. There have been seven different leaders so far.
Sebastion Josse on a well-trimmed BT
In the next few days the leading pack will be rounding the Cape of Good Hope, where they can expect their first major storm of the Southern Ocean, with winds gusting to 65 knots. I can’t wait!
You can monitor the fleet’s position and the skippers’ standings using the Vendée website’s Race Tracker, available from the ‘In the Race’ menu at the top of their homepage.
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