Not plain sailing

An update on the Figaro class' singlehanded Trophee BPE singlehanded transatlantic race

Positions at 0900GMT

Pos	Boat	DTF	DTL	VMG	Lat	Long	Spd	Crs	Spd	Crs	Spd	Dist
									4hr aver		24hr run
1	CREDIT MARITIME-ZEROTWO	1252.2	0.0	8.1	25 53.22' N	60 22.26' W	8.3	251	7.3	258.0	6.6	157.8
2	BOSTIK	1271.3	19.0	8.1	26 01.86' N	60 03.36' W	8.2	247	7.7	248.0	6.7	161.1
3	CERCLE VERT	1327.4	75.1	9.2	27 58.92' N	60 01.62' W	9.4	225	9.4	228.0	6.7	160.0
4	COUTOT ROEHRIG	1363.4	111.2	7.5	27 12.12' N	58 46.14' W	7.7	256	6.9	252.0	5.9	140.4
5	BANQUE POPULAIRE	1373.2	120.9	7.1	26 02.10' N	58 01.44' W	7.8	233	6.6	230.0	6.1	145.2
6	GEDIMAT	1389.6	137.4	3.7	25 34.92' N	57 32.16' W	4.7	250	4.0	276.0	6.2	149.0
7	AQUARELLE.COM	1396.4	144.2	7.9	27 29.46' N	58 14.34' W	7.9	238	7.6	235.0	5.9	142.3
8	TOTAL	1421.4	169.2	5.9	27 20.52' N	57 24.12' W	7.0	234	6.8	223.0	6.7	161.4
9	ATAO AUDIO SYSTEM	1443.0	190.8	6.4	24 28.92' N	56 13.26' W	6.9	290	5.5	283.0	6.9	165.1
10	ENTREPRENDRE AU PAYS DE LORIENT	1476.1	223.8	3.9	26 23.94' N	56 08.58' W	3.0	274	5.2	261.0	6.3	150.7
11	LITTLE BLACK SHARK	1572.8	320.5	8.4	29 55.14' N	55 54.30' W	8.0	243	7.3	233.0	4.8	114.8
NL	SKANDIA

The leaders in the Figaro class' Trophee BPE are now through the transition zone and into the northerly flow associated with the high pressure system to their northwest (to the east of Florida).

Not featured in these results is Sam Davies on Skandia who is still understood to be holding third place, but is suffering problems with her ARGOS position tracking beacon.

Still way to the north Gildas Morvan on Cercle Verte hasn't made the big gains it looked like he might make yesterday but has succeeded in pulling out four miles on the race leader in the last 24 hours and currently is making the best progress in the fleet.

At present it is the boats to the south that are suffering. Gedimat for example is right in the middle of the transition between the two weather systems at present and making 3.7 knots VMG while Dominique Vittet on ATAO Audio System, still the further south is sailing in light headwinds from the southwest with the transition zone still ahead of him. The forecast is not looking good for him.

The wind is forecast to veer to the northeast in 24 hours time, but before the boats encounter their first Caribbean islands a small localised depression is due to form right in their path to the north of Puerto Rico. This is likely to favour those to the north who will be able to make use of the favour easterlies on its north side, while those to the south will find themselves upwind. This depression is forecast to move northeast across the path of the fleet over the course of Thursday/Friday.


Sam Davies reports from on board:

Hello

I am writing this right now because it is the only way I can guarantee that I will stay awake until my 03.10 vacation radio. I need to stay awake because I am so tired that I know my alarm (it is a full-on claxon!) will probably not wake me up (that has happened before.)

The reason I am tired is because it has been tricky sailing to get through this front. It all started last night with some rain-squalls. That meant constant trimming to keep up with the shifts (no rest). The squalls continued and the wind veered during the day - it was so unstable that it was better if I helmed (no rest!) The biggest squall that came through was a 30 knot one. Then, the wind started to drop and continued to veer as we approached the front so I continued to helm (no rest)

The front went through very clearly (a real "auto-tack" - directly onto a reach -very impressive) and then we were fast reaching. I knew that this wind would be only temporary, and would shift all the time, so, again, no rest! And, in the end the wind has dropped right off and it has been all over the place, so I have been watching it, changing trim (or sails!) all the time. I don't want to miss the new wind when it comes in, so I have been working the boat all the time.

So, added to being already a little tired (due to spinnaker repairs) now I am REALLY tired. I am struggling to stay awake, even now. I catch myself nodding off mid-sentence and falling off my seat (must be funny to watch, but it isn't funny here!) Now I know how it feels when you have taken a sleeping pill and you try to stay awake!

Today I saw a MASSIVE whale jumping. I am not up to scratch with my whale types, but she looked likea blue whale. She was jumping out until her fins were out, and then falling back onto the sea with a big splash. The first time I saw her I thought I was dreaming, but then she did it again - absolutely incredible, and absolutely ENORMOUS! Just her front half (to the fins) was almost the length of Skandia! I ran to get my camera, and she must have heard me because I never saw her again. It was such an amazing sight - I have never seen a whale that big before. It made my day!

Other wildlife (not so nice) was that as the sun came up this morning, I discovered various skid marks where Kamakazi flying fish had met their messy end. One big one on the mainsail and one on the genoa. Both were impressively high altitude stunts by the aforementioned fish. Only one fish discovered under a spinnaker on the rail just before the tack, very smelly!

And other interesting things - I found a rope on my keel earlier - a huge rope, must have been about 30m long, because I could see it behind my boat (under the water for as far as I could see! I did a back down and luckily it fell off! It is just frustrating that there are things like this floating around the ocean.

Now, I have made it awake to my vacation, and the wind is filling in, so things are looking up!

I had photographer's block today - sorry - and after the whale, nothing was going to compare.

I'll keep my eye out.........

Speak soon
Sam x