Shore Crew report 11 December 2007

Derek is well today and in better spirits as he has some more wind
and it doesn't seem so much like he is back in the doldrums. This is
the hardest part of racing for the skippers, most people that have
sailed before can make a boat sail with 10kts of wind but few can
make the boat go well with very little wind and that is what Derek
has been dealing with for the last couple of days, no wind. For Derek
the pressure rises as the wind velocity falls.

Some of those following the race today will notice that Derek has not
shown up in the last 2 position reports, all is well aboard the boat
but the Satellite C unit used for polling the boat has switched ocean
regions without us knowing it so we have adjusted and informed race
committee so all should be good again for the next report.

We are sorry to hear about Delta Dore today losing their mast in the
Southern Ocean, our best wishes for safe return to land for the crew.
Delta Dore is competing in the Barcelona World Race which is double
handed around the world non stop. Any of the Open 60 fleet that are
vying for a position in the Vendee Globe are either doing the Ecover
B2B or the Barcelona World Race as these are the first chances for
new boats to qualify for a position in the Vendee Globe.

Status report from Derek:

The wind is back which does wonders for my motivation. No wind is
stressful. I m really missing that genoa now though as we are going
upwind in 10-12 knots. The boat is not fully powered up but moving
along well at between 6 & 10 knots upwind. I have the gennaker and
spinnaker at the ready, if ever we get some downwind work. The
weather files show at least two more days of this light air and then
possible some sailing directly towards Port La Foret and the finish.
It will be good to get this race over with and start working on the
long list of improvements that we can make for the Vendee Globe. As I
mentioned, this race has been a steep learning curve.

I had an email from Jack today (his mom actually); I guess they talk
about Spirit of Canada and this race over dinner each night; and Jack
had this question: why is he going so slow? I wonder that myself
Jack but here is my answer: tell Jack that if I could get it to go
any faster be assured I would, I don't want to be out here any longer
than I have to. (I miss Sarah too much). Unfortunately the autopilot
that steers the boat has some work issues and doesn't do a very good
job. The pilot has turned the boat around a number of times when I've
been sleeping and the result is broken equipment. Also, I don't have
all the sails available now in some wind ranges due to damage to the
forestay, so the boat is not performing at its best. AND, I need more
practice.

If any other students have questions, please email them to:
derekonboard@spiritofcanada.net and I will do my best to respond.

Otherwise, everything is fine on board. I have a leak in the ballast
system that requires bailing about five buckets a day from the engine
compartment, but otherwise we are ok.

Take Care,

Derek

...is your name on the hull?...get onboard at www.spiritofcanada.net just
in time for Christmas...

Monday 10 December 2007:

Seeing all of the damage reports coming in from the fleet after the
upwind pounding we were getting, I was hoping to get away with little
damage. But, just as the wind started to weaken, disaster struck this
morning when I discovered the outer forestay very loose. Upon
checking the fore peak and assuming a pin had come out of the
hydraulic tensioner, I discovered the compartment full of hydraulic
oil from the cylinder. I'm assuming the hose has ruptured due to the
pounding away in the front of the boat. I've taken the genoa forestay
down and stowed it away for the rest of the race as this is something
I cannot fix during the race. It's very disappointing at this point
to be hampered without the genoa but unless something else happens,
we should be able to finish the race without a problem, just a little
slower than anticipated. The goal is to qualify for the Vendee Globe
and that's what we aim to do.

Otherwise it a great sunny day outside and the waves have subsided to
the point that the boat doesn't bang anymore.

Status report:

Its been a long frustrating day for the back end of the fleet I
suspect. I know these slow days are the most stressfull type of
sailing as you cannot leave the deck for fear that you miss an
opportunity to make a small adjustment to the sail trim or the
compass in order to gain a fraction of boat speed. So I have been on
deck since yesterday literally 98 % of the time. I lay down in the
cockpit for small naps but thats it. The miles to the finish line
look long indeed at 3.59 knots of boat speed. I had a visit from a
very large dolphin today, the first of the trip. I'm hoping he or she
will bring me some better luck. The learning curve on the Open 60 is
very steep right now but slowly it is starting to feel more like the
first Spirit of Canada.

Saturday 8 December 2007:

It's been day three of banging and splashing our way upwind in 28 -
30kts. Who ever came up with the idea of an upwind race in Open 60's
was out to test the determination of the skippers for sure. Anyway I
feel that the trade winds are much stronger right now, probably
because we are going upwind at the moment. Not much opportunity for
passing anyone, AVIVA seems to keep her distance well no matter what
I do, most likely it will be a long procession up to France and the
finish line. The fastest boat in this weather pattern will depend on
how long the skipper can stay on deck while getting a fire hose
shower every 30 seconds, a very cold shower. It is like being back in
Canada in a car travelling through sleet and snow, sticking your head
out the window and getting showered. Inside the boat the movement is
so very much like being inside a washing machine, you must hold on
all the time as the boat lurches around so much, especially when you
are trying to get your gear on to go back out on deck. Sleeping is
almost impossible but it still does happen after getting so tired you
just lay down in the bilge, listening to the water rushing by just an
inch or so on the other side of the hull then every once in a while a
wave will hit the bottom of the boat and actually lift you up, truly
amazing.

Thursday 6 December 2007:
Today was a long day exiting from the doldrums and into wind, plenty
of wind. Most of the day the boat was upwind at 26kts True. Welcome
to the northern trades and then some. The air is much cooler tonight,
an indication of whats to come by next week. After all, we are only
weeks away from Christmas. What a strange feeling this is.

Position: 12 08 19N  030 52 023W

Speed 11.3 kn  Direction 009 degrees

Wednesday 5 December 2007:

The leading group in the Transat Ecover BtoB has escaped the doldrums: Loïck Peyron is leading the dance in a fifteen knots NE'ly, a sign that the tradewinds have now kicked in. The chasing pack led by Sam Davies should extract themselves from the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone in a few hours time...

Prior to joining the tradewind motorway situated on the South edge of the Azores, the boats have had to extract themselves from the doldrums 'traffic jam'! In the end, the choice made by Michel Desjoyeaux (26°30 West) to the East or that of Marc Guillemot (29°20) to the West have not been as conclusive as they'd have hoped. Indeed, it is the central option (at 28° West) on which Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty) has been first to escape this Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, followed along the same lane by Yann Eliès (Generali) and Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel). Whether the latter was the best solution remains debatable but one thing for sure is that has been led astray to the East and his lateral separation will not be sufficient to make up for his longitudinal deficit of 70 miles!

Those that have suffered the most in the doldrums are unquestionably Michel Desjoyeaux, Mike Golding (Ecover) and Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat). And though the Sailor of the Year on Foncia clearly took a poor option, the same cannot be said for Golding and Stamm who were on the same route as the leader pretty much, but were simply unlucky not to have quite the same conditions.

Heading the chasing pack, Sam Davies (Roxy) is under pressure again now as her pursuers have bunched together again! Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Maisonneuve), Arnaud Boissières (Akena Vérandas), Yannick Bestaven (Cervin EnR) are now just a stone s throw away again... Further back the three Anglo-Saxons, Dee Caffari (Aviva), Derek Hatfield (Spirit of Canada) and Rich Wilson (Great American III) have tackled the doldrums differently but conditions are such that they are likely to slip further back as the hours go by! Given the acceleration at the front of the fleet, the first arrivals are expected as early as 13th December...

Tuesday 4 December 2007

Here we are in the middle of the doldrums with rain showers and wind holes. We, the boat and I are slowly recovering from a rocky first few days and I look forward to being able to perform better. Autopilot issues still plague the steering but we are slowly starting to figure it out. I'm having dinner early tonight as it will be a long night on deck watching for rain squalls. I lost the radar and other antennas from the mast in one of the many accidental jibes that the pilot took us thru so now I must keep vigilance on deck for the many squalls in this area.
Position: 03 48 474N 030 33 201W

Speed 8.5 kts direction: 006 True

Saturday 1 December 2007

Hot Inside!

The fleet of the Transat Ecover - B to B has split into two groups after 48 hours of racing: the first is bunched tightly together for a passage of the equator scheduled for Sunday evening, the second already stretches back from Maisonneuve and latecomer Aviva...

Under the sticky, stifling heat of the equatorial climes an unforeseen parameter can be added to the already hectic schedule ahead of our solo sailors: whilst you have to be on deck to adapt the sail area and trim in line with the slight variations in the Easterly tradewinds, whilst you often have to be in front of your computer screen to download the weather files, whilst you regularly have to take a little break to recuperate, you also have remain on virtually permanent watch to ensure your own safety and that of the boat! You have to keep a look out for the eight leaders, who are neck and neck after two days at sea, but also for the considerable amount of shipping off the Brazilian coast: "I have an enormous tanker homing down on me at eighteen knots whilst I'm heading towards it at ten knots & we are on a collision course! In fact, there are a fair number of boats around as I m sailing quite close to Recife" indicated Samantha Davies (Roxy). Indeed, though the sailors are alone on their monohull, they are far from isolated on the water. This is the case for the eight frontrunners, who are just a few tenths of a mile apart... as well as for those behind since, other than the 'soloist' Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Maisonneuve), who is marking the fleet by gaining easting in order to anticipate the shift of the wind to the East, the leading pack is also progressing in pairs (Roxy and Akena) and in a quartet (Spirit of Canada, Great American III, Cervin EnR, Aviva). Herds of Bretons?

Up front, the race has the air of a Solitaire du Figaro! Eight boats are sailing within sight of each other, not prepared to let the others past. This is evident by the hierarchy this Saturday afternoon, which reveals just one little option early this morning: "There was a little upset in the situation this morning when Generali shifted slightly upwind: as the tradewinds aren t totally regular, there was a little more pressure to the East and even with just one or two miles of lateral separation, he was able to get the better of us..." specified Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia).

Marc Guillemot (Safran) explained the phenomenon to us:
"You get ahead and you lose ground. At the moment, I've fallen into a zone of calm and there are only 9 knots of wind! It's not very important now because we are all in contact with each other, but we're already thinking about what is going to happen in three days time once we've crossed the doldrums..."

Indeed, the racers are concerned about the arrival of a front from the West Indies, which has recently swept across the Caribbean. With this in view, the point of impact in the inter-tropical zone of convergence is capital! For the time being the leading group are following each other like sheep, watching each others moves and positioning themselves for the long term rather than for an immediate pole position. Afraid of making a move too soon and losing vital ground, they are instead remaining in contact with each other in order to check that the trimming is good, that the speeds are identical and that they're on a similar heading. Under the cover of darkness it may be time for them to make a move because not only is there little moonlight to see where your rivals are hiding but also no position reports supplied by the organization of the Transat Ecover-BtoB between 1700 and 0500 GMT. Half a day (a whole night below the equator) to thread your way along on a particular option in the hope that Sunday morning will have a positive outcome!

In any case, Yann Eliegraves (Generali) was very happy with his lot this Sunday afternoon. "Good news! I m making fourteen knots in "gliding mode". The tradewinds are establishing themselves to the East and conditions are ideal for both me and the boat Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel) confirmed this as even though he is experiencing problems with the satellite transmission of his positions (the reason for which he wasn t ranked this Saturday at 1300 hours GMT), he is indeed in the leading group. "You couldn't dream of better sailing conditions! In addition, the whole world is in the same place". We re slipping along effortlessly, the seas are less messy but we're already thinking about the nasty doldrums".

In this way, though the battle is fierce for clawing back a few metres and gaining the upperhand, the top eight players aren't showing any significant differential: same speed, same heading and the same intense heat. I ve fashioned together a little air vent to get some air down below because it's torrid down there, especially given the amount of work there is to do! "The wind is capricious; it shifts a few tenths of a degree in direction and by a few knots in strength... That is just enough to keep you on your toes. For now, we're on a direct course towards Port la Foret, but it'll soon be decision time for entering the doldrums" observed Loick Peyron (Gitana Eighty).

In fact, we'll know a little more about the approach of this zone by each of our solo sailors by the end of the weekend. However, given that each of them are doing their own routing without the help of anyone on shore and the fact that the weather files will be identical and that they're within a stone's throw of each other, what could possibly encourage them to leave the group? It's hot up front, it's hot inside, it's hot outside... and the situation isn't going to get any better with the passage of the equator on Sunday!

Mike Golding (Ecover III): "I am getting back into the routine of solo sailing after a year away from it, so far no more than a couple of 20min sleeps as with boats all around it is too risky to sleep longer - not just from the point of view of colliding but also because conditions are changing and the boat needs constant attention is we are going to stay in the frame. It's a bit of a deadlock right now as all the boats seem quite even on this point of sail. I'm still struggling to understand what configuration is best for these conditions with the new boat - clearly I haven't found the sweet spot yet. Still will get there and it will be fascinating to see what strategies are employed in the Doldrums and beyond in a few days time, it's an interesting forecast - we had a "shocker" here on the way down - lets just hope that the Doldrums are kinder this time around!

Dee Caffari (Aviva): "After the frustrations of yesterday I have settled into my life alone onboard Aviva. A clear sky allowed me to fly a full main and Solent again today but tonight has left me fully powered up with one reef back in the mainsail. The wind is trying to lift us which is great and has reduced the need to keep tacking and should allow us to clear Recife. I was pleasantly surprised fleet not to far away from me so I hope to make up some ground tonight.

Derek Hatfield (Spirit of Canada): "It has been a fairly uneventful first 24 hours alone on Spirit of Canada. The race start looked good for me until I was locked in behind another bad air for five minutes - this put me well behind and needing desperately to catch-up. By the first mark on the South point of the reef outside Salvador Spirit of Canada had moved into the leading group of boats. Now 24hours later, whilst there has been some extension from the lead boat, Safran - I can just about see everyone in the lead group".

Transat Ecover B to B Ranking 14:00 (French time)

1 Generali Elies Yann at 3706.80 from the finish

2 Gitana Eighty Peyron Loick 2.50 miles behind

3 Ecover Golding Mike 2.90 miles behind

4 Foncia Desjoyaux Michel 3.30 miles behind

5 Brit'Air Le Cleach Armel 4.10 miles behind

6 Safran Guillemot Marc 5.30 miles behind

7 Cheminées Poujoulat Stamm Bernard 8.60 miles behind

8 Maisonneuve Dejeanty Jean-Baptiste 57.10 miles behind

9 Roxy Davies Samantha 60.70 miles behind

10 Akena Veranda Boissiere Arnaud 66.20 miles behind

11 Spirit of Canada Hatfield Derek 84.50 miles behind

12 Great American III Wilson Rich 88.20 miles behind

13 Cervin EnR Bestaven Yannick 90.40 miles behind

14 Aviva Caffari Dee 109.00 miles behindNL Groupe Bel De Pavant Christophe

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