LogBook / Damage to one of the foils of Hugo Boss after hitting something, Alex Thomson : " I didn’t see anything in the water"

Damage to one of the foils of Hugo Boss after hitting something. Both Alex Thomson and the boat are fine. Alex Thomson said "Having had pretty quick night where the boat was sailing high averages and the boat was super uncomfortable I had retracted the foil 30% early this morning and was sailing the boat pretty conservatively in a building breeze. 

Logbook / "This racing is a crazy life! " Sam Davies, skipper SCA

Compared to the last two legs, this leg is much less hectic in many ways: manouvers (and therefore disturbed off-watches), conditions (less physical, less extreme), climate (warmer, drier.) This has given us the opportunity to get a bit more rest in our off watches and, believe me, we need it. I feel like the last 7 months of racing is taking it's toll on my body and I am trying to play catch-up in order to be able to do my job properly. I was planning to write this blog about ten days ago and just have not found a single minute to spare. This racing is a crazy life!

LogBook / “Everybody on deck, we’re gybing!” Yann Riou on board média Volvo Ocean Race

Yann Riou’s blog describes the building fatigue, right when they need to rest before the big storm at Cape Horn, due to the continuous gybing in full on race mode that requires everyone on deck, whether you are on watch, standby or just got in your bunk. Dongfeng on board!

Logbook / The Race For Water Odyssey is getting shaken! (Images)

The Atlantic crossing is certainly no easy ride for the R4WO crew! With winds exceeding 25 knots, the trimaran is navigating at high speed, still upwind, and reaches a speed of 20 knots…the crew is getting shaken! 

Logbook / Charles Caudrelier : "It's one hell of a baptism"

“For Wolf and Black its one hell of a baptism, and for our team, the big challenge of this Volvo Ocean Race”. Dongfeng skipper Charles Caudrelier sent his first report from onboard Dongfeng on Leg 5 to Itajai, Brazil:

Credit : S Greenfield

Logbook / Academy Alumni sailor Jack Bouttell reports from Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race

Artemis Offshore Academy Alumni sailor Jack Bouttell is currently on route to Sanya, China with Dongfeng Race Team. At just 24 years old, Jack is the first British skipper to have won to coveted Rookie division in the 2000nm solo Solitaire du Figaro race, has two Solitaire du Figaro assaults and a RORC Transatlantic Race win under his belt and is now fulfilling his dream of competing in the Volvo Ocean Race. 

Crédit : Sam Greenfield

Logbook / "We need to fight for another 15 days " Charles Caudrelier leader of the #VolvoOceanRace

Two more obstacles to jump on our route to our home port of Sanya.
The wind shadows of India and Sri Lanka are behind us. The wind, like a river, doesn't like obstacles, and tries to go around them - leaving a wind hole behind the mountain ranges and some big accelerations on the sides.

Logbook / Double European Champion in 2013 Tornado - Victory in the Open and Mixed classification for TeamGaebler

Behind us are difficult months and it is a really great feeling to sail such a constant series in various winds on Lake Constance at the Tornado European Championship. With the single places of 1-1-3-1-1-3-2-2 we could beat the favorites from Greece, who finished overall second and third. Also the renewed victory in the Mixed ranking makes us very happy. A total of 31 teams from 8 countries took part in the European Championships of the Tornado Class.

Credit : Martina Barnetova

Vendee Globe / Mike Golding's feeling about Bernard Stamm, Alex Thomson in the direction of Cape Horn [#VG2012]

Commenting immediately after being told the news that Bernard Stamm was disqualified from the Vendée Globe for receiving outside help, Golding said, "While the decision might technically be correct, it doesn't feel right. Bernard, perhaps more than others, has worked extremely hard to get to this Vendée Globe and is a great competitor.

Credit : M.Golding/Gamesa

Logbook / Alex Thomson :"As long as i have wind I don’t give a monkeys! " [#VG2012]

Day 46 - "The wind over Christmas day eased down and allowed me to catch up on some much needed rest as the previous 24 hours had been hard work with many sail changes and reefs in and out. I expected the wind to be stable but it was fluctuating from 22-40 knots, not aggressively but still kept me on my toes.

When the wind dropped it also shifted towards the west and I gybed and went south east. The shift did not stay as long as expected so i did not get as far as i would have liked but it wont affect my route to the next gate too much. 

Logbook / Alex Thomson :"The boat bury’s her nose deep into every wave"

Day 38 - "Conditions have changed considerably since yesterday, currently sailing in 23-36 knots of wind with a very disorganised sea. I am struggling to make the boat go fast as i am sailing she constantly bury’s her nose deep into every wave we go down. I have to prudent but am very aware that Bernard’s boat with her fat bow will have less trouble with these conditions than i am having. Cest la vie! When the waves become more organised I will be able to increase sail and go faster but the last thing i need right now is a problem.

It is nice to be finally heading in the right direction as I have not been able to do that for some time. I am sailing towards this low pressure system in westerly winds which will back to the south in half a day before eventually settling back to the west again. The southerly wind will be very cold and i have prepared all my winter clothes"

Alex / Alex Thomson Racing

Logbook / Alex Thomson :"All concentration is on the ex Cyclone Claudia"

"The last 24 hours have been fairly pleasant sailing VMG downwind in 15-20 knots of wind with a few gybes thrown in. I have still got a fairly big swell from the west so we still get up on a good surf every now and again.

All concentration is on the ex Cyclone Claudia and where I need to meet her to get the maximum gain. I am studying two weather models, the GFS model from the US and the ECMWF model from Europe. They pretty much agree on what is going to happen in the next 36 hours but after that some details are different.

Logbook / Javier Sanso : "About 40 cm missing from the rudder"

"Hello to everyone from ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered. Today has been a night with light, very shifty winds but in the last few hours I have been able to sail a good heading with good speed.

Credit : J.Sanso

Logbooks / Alex Thomson back in the breeze, Mike Golding back on track

Day 29 – "Morning, after a few painful hours last night where the wind died right down to about 6 knots, I’m back in the breeze again this morning and am up and running. It’s quite gusty, as high as 28 knots at times, so no Sunday morning relaxing for me as I’ve been busy putting reefs in and taking them out again.

Credit : A.Thomson

Vendée Globe / Mike Golding and Alex Thomson in tough conditions

After a brutal 48 hours of tough, unstable conditions, big, untidy seas and winds which varied massively in strength, Mike Golding is consolidating this morning in slightly lighter winds making 13-14kts as he tries all he can to stay in touch with the leading group of five on the Vendée Globe.

Credit : M.Golding/Gamesa

Logbook / Alex Thomson :"At the moment, the rich are getting richer"

Day 23 – “It got light at 3am this morning and it was great to see some blue sky and the see the sun rising. Right now I have 15 knots of wind from the SW, due to go round to the west and increase this afternoon. The sea is pretty bumpy and little confused but nowhere near as bad as yesterday. With the bumps and the heel yesterday it was very difficult to type a tweet let alone write an update, but I tried my best!

Credit : Ch.Launay

Logbook / Alex Thomson :"Looking ahead for me is how I get to the southern ocean"

"I’ve just heard the news about Vincent Riou having to retire from the race this morning. I really do feel very sad for him, it’s a real injustice to be out of the race because of hitting a buoy in the water, it’s such bad luck. He has a great boat, probably the most optimised of the fleet, and he’s sailed a very sensible race so far, and I really fancied him to do so well in this edition, so I just feel so sorry for him.

Credit : A.Thomson

Logbook / Javier Sanso :"Complicated to choose exactly where to enter the doldrums"

"Hi everyone,
Today has been a day for getting everything sorted inside the boat, organizing things and having a look at where we are going to go through the doldrums. I think those ahead of us will have it a little easier, and when we get there the doldrums will have extended out to almost latitude 0 (the equator) which is quite rare.

Credit : Javier "Bubi" Sanso

Vendee Globe / Alex Thomson :"Back into stronger winds and going quite fast" (video)

“I had a good night last night, with a just a few light patches, but we’re now back into stronger winds and going quite fast. I’m pretty pleased with my position this morning, happy to be keeping pace with Virbac Paprec and keeping some separation between Mike and Jean Le Cam over to the East. 

Video / Vestas Sailrocket 2 becomes a 60-knot sailboat!