Jean Le Cam (SynerCiel), in his inimitable fashion, was broadcasting his own message to the fleet and particularly those he believes are in his sights. “The boat is going so fast, I left the Swiss (Dominique Wavre (Mirabaud) behind and it’s now time to attack my British friend. The next ones to pass are foreigners. First Golding, then a Swiss (Stamm), then another Brit (Thomson), I’m definitely into international hunting.
The skippers after them are all from Lorient or Port-la-Forêt, not as much fun. I don’t care about my actual speed, I just want to make sure I’m faster than the others. And I am faster than Wavre and Golding.”
It was fighting talk from Le Cam and half tongue in cheek (perhaps a quarter with regard to the Brits) and he is only six miles ahead of Wavre and still 50 behind Mike Golding (Gamesa) as the second chasing group head south, losing a little ground to the leaders.
Most of the skippers are masters at showing sang-froid in live broadcasts even if all hell is breaking out on their boat. Thomson was certainly very interested in Stamm’s news (he has been unable to use his genoa) when he heard it on the Vendee Globe live broadcast on Friday. “Did I hear you say that Bernard has blown his genoa?” Thomson, who has been busy with his own repairs on his hydrogenerator, asked.
Fleet news:
Alex Thomson, after averaging a couple of knots slower than the leading boats over the last 24 hours, was 118 miles behind Le Cléac’h at the 1600hrs (French time) ranking, but has closed his Atlantic workshop after fixing his hydrogenerator.
“The hydrogenerator back down and working which is relief and it’s nice to be able to concentrate on something other than fixing stuff,” Thomson said. “The temperature wasn’t too bad but it’s a really fiddly job; drill, clean, screw, while you’re doing that stuff at a 30 degrees of heel.
“I’ve been struggling a little bit over the last 24 hours to keep the speed up, but now I’ve got a more wind. There’s no question the guys at the front will slow a little bit as they get further down towards the ridge, but in these conditions the leading boats are a little bit quicker than I am.”
Mike Golding (GBR, Gamesa):
"Opportunity will come at some point but I have been losing to them. So it is gratifying on this most recent poll to see we are on the same heading [as the boats in front]. I hope I have been able to stop the rot. I just have to be a bit brave now and consider that the opportunity to get back to the leaders will come but it is not going to be very soon. It is a bit frustrating but when I look at the guys behind me, I see I have made the same sort of big gain on them. Looking ahead it is messy for sure. There are a few options: one seems to be to try and cut the corner a little, to stay to the east, you are more on the wind and at the moment it looks quite risky.”
Ranking at 1600hrs (French time)
1 Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire), 20,601.9 miles to the finish
2 François Gabart (Macif), +51.9 miles to leader
3 Vincent Riou (PRB) +69.6 miles to leader
4 Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec 3) +84.4 miles to leader
5 Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) +96.1 miles to leader
6 Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) +118.6 miles to leader
From : Vendee Globe
Credit : M.Lloyd/DPPI
The skippers after them are all from Lorient or Port-la-Forêt, not as much fun. I don’t care about my actual speed, I just want to make sure I’m faster than the others. And I am faster than Wavre and Golding.”
It was fighting talk from Le Cam and half tongue in cheek (perhaps a quarter with regard to the Brits) and he is only six miles ahead of Wavre and still 50 behind Mike Golding (Gamesa) as the second chasing group head south, losing a little ground to the leaders.
Most of the skippers are masters at showing sang-froid in live broadcasts even if all hell is breaking out on their boat. Thomson was certainly very interested in Stamm’s news (he has been unable to use his genoa) when he heard it on the Vendee Globe live broadcast on Friday. “Did I hear you say that Bernard has blown his genoa?” Thomson, who has been busy with his own repairs on his hydrogenerator, asked.
Fleet news:
Alex Thomson, after averaging a couple of knots slower than the leading boats over the last 24 hours, was 118 miles behind Le Cléac’h at the 1600hrs (French time) ranking, but has closed his Atlantic workshop after fixing his hydrogenerator.
“The hydrogenerator back down and working which is relief and it’s nice to be able to concentrate on something other than fixing stuff,” Thomson said. “The temperature wasn’t too bad but it’s a really fiddly job; drill, clean, screw, while you’re doing that stuff at a 30 degrees of heel.
“I’ve been struggling a little bit over the last 24 hours to keep the speed up, but now I’ve got a more wind. There’s no question the guys at the front will slow a little bit as they get further down towards the ridge, but in these conditions the leading boats are a little bit quicker than I am.”
Mike Golding (GBR, Gamesa):
"Opportunity will come at some point but I have been losing to them. So it is gratifying on this most recent poll to see we are on the same heading [as the boats in front]. I hope I have been able to stop the rot. I just have to be a bit brave now and consider that the opportunity to get back to the leaders will come but it is not going to be very soon. It is a bit frustrating but when I look at the guys behind me, I see I have made the same sort of big gain on them. Looking ahead it is messy for sure. There are a few options: one seems to be to try and cut the corner a little, to stay to the east, you are more on the wind and at the moment it looks quite risky.”
Ranking at 1600hrs (French time)
1 Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire), 20,601.9 miles to the finish
2 François Gabart (Macif), +51.9 miles to leader
3 Vincent Riou (PRB) +69.6 miles to leader
4 Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac Paprec 3) +84.4 miles to leader
5 Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) +96.1 miles to leader
6 Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) +118.6 miles to leader
From : Vendee Globe
