Surfing BPE

Trophee BPE singlehanded Figaro fleet roar across the Atlantic

Positions at 0900GMT

Pos	Boat	DTF	DTL	VMG	Lat	Long	Spd	Crs	Spd	Crs	Spd	Dist
							Instant		4hr aver		24 hr run
1	BOSTIK	2588.1	0.0	9.1	35 37.08' N	36 52.50' W	9.6	244	9.3	240.0	9.1	217.9
2	CERCLE VERT	2605.6	17.5	10.9	37 00.60' N	37 02.70' W	10.5	245	10.2	247.0	9.0	215.2
3	CREDIT MARITIME-ZEROTWO	2610.8	22.7	8.5	35 01.20' N	36 11.10' W	9.1	232	9.3	233.0	9.1	218.0
4	AQUARELLE.COM	2624.2	36.1	8.3	36 55.98' N	36 36.30' W	9.4	219	9.5	230.0	8.5	205.0
5	SKANDIA	2675.2	87.1	8.5	35 23.10' N	34 56.64' W	9.4	229	9.8	227.0	8.7	208.0
6	TOTAL	2679.1	91.0	8.2	37 11.82' N	35 30.54' W	8.4	261	7.6	252.0	8.3	198.6
7	BANQUE POPULAIRE	2680.1	92.0	9.6	35 51.72' N	34 59.76' W	10.1	237	10.0	228.0	8.9	213.5
8	COUTOT ROEHRIG	2681.6	93.6	7.9	37 24.48' N	35 32.10' W	10.2	232	8.1	226.0	8.1	194.9
9	GEDIMAT	2743.5	155.5	10.0	33 40.92' N	33 03.96' W	10.7	236	11.1	238.0	10.1	242.1
10	LITTLE BLACK SHARK	2760.1	172.0	9.0	38 12.36' N	34 07.44' W	9.2	246	7.9	246.0	7.1	170.7
11	ENTREPRENDRE AU PAYS DE LORIENT	2782.7	194.7	7.9	35 18.78' N	32 39.78' W	9.2	229	8.8	228.0	8.7	209.2
12	ATAO AUDIO SYSTEM	2796.0	208.0	9.6	31 55.02' N	31 40.92' W	11.4	236	10.3	239.0	8.7	208.8

The Figaros continue to make good progress on the Azores to Turks & Caicos section of the singlehanded Trophee BPE transatlantic race to Cuba.

From being north of the great circle to the Azores, so all 12 boats are now on or south of the great circle. The boats closest to the great circle are at present making the best progress, with second placed Gildas Morvan on Cercle Vert is right on it and Charles Caudrelier on Bostik is just south. Meanwhile Skandia's Sam Davies has pulled up from seventh yesterday morning to fifth place as she and the race's only other female skipper Jeanne Gregoire on Banque Populaire lying seventh maintain a course just south of the leader.

Meanwhile still on his flier 400 miles southeast of the leader, Dominique Vittet on has taken almost 20 miles out of the race leaders in the last 24 hours. The forecast shows Vittet sailing in stronger winds than those to the north so it is likely he will continue to play catch up.

At present the leaders are continuing to enjoy moderate to strong ENEerly winds but these are forecast to decrease in strength and veer further south in around 24 hours time as the boats move further away from the high pressure system now centred over the Azores. Meanwhile for Vittet the wind is set to remain ENE. Vittet is suffering from what could be fractured or at least bruised ribs since he was thrown across his boat five days ago.

With the following wind the leaders have een enjoying a sleigh ride towards the Caribbean. "It was quite weird because it the first time last night where I got in to my bunk with the pilot steering, with the boat doing 14 to 15 knots under spinnaker!" reported Sam Davies earlier.

Skandia was the fastest boat in the fleet overnight until 0400hrs this morning, averaging 10 knots. This morning Sam said she was maintaining good boat speed sailing at 12.4 knots, in an easterly wind of 18 knots with occasional gusts up to 26knots. "I think I’m sailing a bit higher than some people. My objective is to go high and fast at the moment because I don't want to get trapped in the high pressure so I'm going a bit further south."

Sam had an unexpected but welcome visitor on board Skandia this morning, "I went up on deck just as it got light and there was this thing sitting in my spinnaker bag staring at me! It was just the perfect squid - it was so cool! Unfortunately it wasn't alive and I haven't got a frying pan so I couldn't do calarami!"



Email from Sam 0800GMT

FINALLY - the sun came out! (I had actually checked on a satellite image that I received by fax from Boston to see when the cloud ended!) I was a bit too chicken to take off my boots though, because there were still waves coming over the deck (we're just going too fast, you know!) However, the sun was warm, and everything began to dry. I spent the morning tidying up a bit, looking for the next couple of days food (food bag happens to be at bottom of stacking pile!) etc etc...

Obviously, when I am not steering, I am trimming the sails and the pilot controls (settings, damping, gain etc) so that we are going just as fast as if I was steering (sometimes faster!) So, doing anything takes a while, because it is constantly interrupted with trips on deck. Luckily, I have a couple of instrument displays down below, so I can keep an eye and 'feel' how Skandia is sailing without going on deck.

I consciously tried to rest some more today, as I feel I am still tired. It is good to try to take your mind off everything for a little while too, so I have my book for that. I limit myself to only a short period per day, but I find it is the best way to clear my head. The book for this race is 'Feel' - the biography of Robbie Williams. I am only on page 12, but I think it is going to be good.

Then, by midday, I could resist the conditions no longer and I helmed until sunset, sending it as fast as I could get Skandia to hurtle down the waves - what fun!! There were times when there were the 'on top of the world' kind of waves - where you get lifted up SO high on the crest that it is like you have a birds view of the ocean below, then you go hooning down the front for what seems like ever, going so fast that you match the speed of the wind and the sails collapse as there is no longer any pressure in them....

Other times the waves were less co-operative. I have named a few 'wave types' because they fall into certain categories:
1. On top of the world (see above)
2. Boat wash - as the name describes, this one comes on board at the front and rushes down the decks, clearing all debris in its path. Not good if you have your cup of tea placed on the deck. Also advisable to remove all unattached items from cockpit floor.
3. Wildlife delivery - this comes in several physical forms, but does what it says, and delivers very surprised live wildlife specimens to your doorstep. Often in the form of a wriggling whitebait or baby Portuguese man of war, but other items have been shellfish (?) seaweed, pipefish. The best kind is when the wave takes the specimen right through the boat and over the other side (or the back) otherwise a rescue mission is required. The worst kind is the nighttime wildlife delivery that is not discovered until two hot, sunny days later!
4. Lap dancer - this wave is the kind that you see coming, with your name on it, and there is nothing you can do. It slaps the aft quarter, and jumps over the lifelines and lands directly in the helmsman’s lap. The rest of the boat stays bone dry. Normally seen just after removing spray top.
5. Hurler - this is the kind of wave that you don't want to get onto because it is too big and going in the wrong direction. Also, it is normally the wave you can't avoid. It starts with a battle, that has the boat on her ear, straining to get off, then finally you take off with the wave and rocket off down the front at 40 degrees to your route at about 20 knots. You can't get off til the end, then it is messy. Either ending up by a wet faceplant into the wave in front (can be expensive) or just with the boat doing only 2 knots in the wrong direction.
Anyway, there are more, but I can get carried away. I will leave it to your imagination...The wind is shifting aft and I need to go and change spinnakers...
Speak later
Sam xx