Telecom Italia - the runaway train?

Class 40 leaders now hightailing it towards Brazil in the Transat Jacques Vabre

Thursday November 22nd 2007, Author: James Boyd, Location: Transoceanic

Images courtesy of Expedition Navigation Systems

Pos	Boat	Crew	Lat	Long	Spd	Crs	Spd	Crs	Spd	Dist	DTF	DTL
					Inst		4 hr aver		24 hrs
	Open 60s
1	Foncia	DESJOYEAUX Michel/LE BORGNE Emmanuel	17j 2h 37m 5s								0.0
2	Safran	GUILLEMOT Marc/CAUDRELIER Charles	17j 3h 31m 55s								0.0
3	Cheminées Poujoulat	STAMM Bernard/CARIOU Tanguy	17j 5h 19m 2s								0.0
4	VM Matériaux	LE CAM Jean/MORVAN Gildas	17j 7h 50m 13s								0.0
5	Ecover III	GOLDING MIKE/DUBOIS Bruno	17j 16h 9m 33s								0.0
6	Groupe Bel	DE PAVANT Kito/COL Sébastien	17j 17h 44m 15s								0.0
7	Brit Air	LE CLEAC'H Armel/TROUSSEL Nicolas	17j 21h 13m 6s								0.0
8	Gitana Eighty	PEYRON Loick/LEVAILLANT Jean Baptiste	18j 7h 33m 55s								0.0
9	Generali	ELIES Yan/AUDIGANE Sébastien	18j 7h 40m 56s								0.0
10	Roxy	DAVIES Samantha/GREGOIRE Jeanne	13 01.73' S	38 00.40' W	14.9	262	11.9	223.0	12.8	306.4	33.6	0.0
11	Maisonneuve	DEJEANTY Jean Baptiste/LAURENT Hervé	11 47.09' S	37 03.83' W	11.1	213	13.7	220.0	12.8	307.8	118.0	84.3
12	Akena Vérandas	BOISSIERES Arnaud/CHOMETTE Jean Philippe	10 08.42' S	35 26.01' W	13.5	214	13.4	210.0	13.6	325.6	255.6	222.0
13	Cervin EnR	BESTAVEN Yannick/GUERIN Ronan	9 07.55' S	34 54.15' W	10.2	210	11.4	210.0	13.1	314.8	321.6	288.0
14	Aviva	CAFFARI Dee/KING Nigel	8 33.84' S	34 37.96' W	14.8	204	12.9	204.0	13.9	332.5	357.7	324.1
15	Pakea Bizkaia 2009	BASURKO Unai/GANDARIAS Gonzalo	5 21.64' S	32 22.56' W	11.4	207	11.4	209.0	11.9	285.1	592.2	558.5
16	Great American III	WILSON Rich/BIRCH Mike	0 21.38' N	26 52.12' W	9.3	217	9.3	201.0	8.8	212.2	1066.0	1032.4
ABD	Artemis	MALBON Jonny/TOURELL Graham

	ORMA 60s
1	Groupama	CAMMAS Franck/RAVUSSIN Steve	10j 0h 38m 43s								0.0
2	Gitana 11	LEMONCHOIS Lionel/GUICHARD Yann	10j 9h 49m 6s								0.0
3	Banque Populaire	BIDEGORRY Pascal/RAVUSSIN Yvan	10j 16h 57m 57s								0.0
4	Brossard	BOURGNON Yvan/VINCENT Jacques	11j 1h 15m 9s								0.0
5	Sopra	KOCH Antoine/GENDRON Grégory	11j 11h 23m 30s								0.0

	50ft multis
1	Crèpes Whaou !	ESCOFFIER Franck Yves/FAUCONNIER Karine	15j 22h 27m 37s								0.0
2	Laiterie de Saint Malo	ERUSSARD Victorien/DAHIREL frédéric	12 58.36' S	38 30.94' W	0.1	284	0.9	353.0	9.8	235.8	0.8	0.0
3	Croisières Anne Caseneuve	CASENEUVE Anne/HOUDET Djamina	9 31.85' S	34 57.04' W	17.4	211	14.8	207.0	15.4	368.7	294.2	293.4
4	NIM Intérim Management	ROUCAYROL Lalou/VAN DEN BROEK Pierre	8 34.72' S	33 10.85' W	16.1	201	15.7	218.0	16.3	391.7	410.1	409.3
5	Négoceane	LANGEVIN Roger/LANGEVIN Alexis	2 23.94' S	29 15.13' W	11.5	210	11.4	215.0	10.3	246.3	847.5	846.7
6	Victorinox	MONNIER Dany/DUPUY Pierre	3 18.74' N	27 42.17' W	4.6	228	4.8	238.0	6.7	160.8	1181.7	1181.0
7	DZ energy.com	DE CARLAN Hervé/DE CARLAN Nolwenn	8 15.31' N	24 58.61' W	7.6	216	8.5	210.0	7.3	176.0	1515.9	1515.1
ABD	Avocet 50	LILTI Jean-François/GOSSELIN Xavier

	Class 40s										*
1	Télécom Italia	SOLDINI Giovanni/D'ALI Pietro	1 17.44' S	29 01.12' W	9.2	210	9.3	209.0	9.1	218.1	908.1	0.0
2	ATAO Audio System	VITTET Dominic/CHABAGNY Thierry	1 05.56' S	28 34.80' W	8.2	219	9.4	215.0	8.8	211.7	933.7	25.6
3	Chocolats Monbana	GRIMONT Damien/Le Roux Erwan	0 10.20' N	28 38.32' W	5.0	209	7.2	210.0	7.7	185.6	992.4	84.3
4	A.ST Groupe	EMIG Marc/de BROC Bertrand	0 05.80' N	28 28.08' W	7.4	204	7.6	208.0	7.7	185.2	994.7	86.6
5	Appart City	NOBLET Yvan/MORVAN Patrick	0 01.98' N	28 06.84' W	7.8	202	7.9	204.0	7.9	190.6	996.7	88.6
6	Groupe Partouche	COATNOAN Christophe/LEBAS Christophe	1 52.88' N	28 30.16' W	5.4	194	5.7	198.0	6.8	163.1	1083.4	175.3
7	Vecteur Plus - Groupe Moniteur	JOURDREN Bruno/PICHELIN Nicolas	2 23.36' N	28 44.20' W	8.0	199	6.9	219.0	7.9	188.6	1103.0	194.9
8	Novedia Set Environnement	DE LAMOTTE Tanguy/BUBB Nick	2 39.88' N	27 24.40' W	7.0	264	2.8	264.0	4.0	96.8	1158.0	249.9
9	Deep Blue	ARTHAUD Florence/POUPON Luc	3 08.56' N	27 52.76' W	4.4	216	4.8	224.0	5.3	127.4	1167.6	259.5
10	Mistral Loisirs - Elior	BOUCHARD Thierry/KRAUSS Oliver	3 13.88' N	27 51.36' W	6.4	222	5.4	235.0	6.8	162.0	1172.9	264.8
11	Sidaction	AUBRY Arnaud/CARPENTIER Antoine	3 27.12' N	28 04.40' W	6.4	215	6.7	233.0	7.0	167.4	1178.0	269.9
12	Siegena Aubi	LE PESQUEUX Marc/CUBILLOS Felipe	3 06.56' N	27 27.36' W	3.8	216	5.4	250.0	4.5	108.3	1178.9	270.9
13	40 Degrees	HARDING Peter/LIARDET Anne	2 59.96' N	27 05.24' W	3.4	122	3.4	247.0	5.6	134.5	1185.3	277.2
14	Thirard	DOIN Pascal/DEFERT Eric	2 57.18' N	26 48.36' W	4.9	231	6.9	226.0	7.3	174.9	1187.6	279.5
15	En avant les enfants!	BERREHAR Yvon/BIBOT Gérald	3 20.32' N	27 01.24' W	6.6	238	4.2	247.0	6.0	143.4	1204.5	296.4
16	E Leclerc Ville La Grand	VIANT Jean-Michel/MAGRE Olivier	2 53.08' N	26 02.04' W	5.8	222	6.3	205.0	7.8	186.6	1215.9	307.8
17	Pindar 40	ROYLE JO/BARRIER Alexia	3 08.72' N	26 09.76' W	3.6	218	5.6	213.0	7.2	173.3	1223.9	315.8
18	Merci les amis !	POUJOL Cecile/BEAUVAIS Rémi	2 50.72' N	25 45.52' W	2.6	196	6.0	195.0	7.1	171.4	1224.0	315.9
19	Clarke Offshore Racing	CLARKE Simon/LINDSAY David	3 19.52' N	26 24.20' W	4.4	224	6.7	232.0	7.6	183.4	1224.4	316.3
20	Jardin Bio - Prévoir	PARNAUDEAU Benoît/CASO Jean-Christophe	2 49.20' N	25 37.68' W	5.0	191	5.9	208.0	7.4	177.7	1227.6	319.5
21	EDF Energies Nouvelles	AUGEIX David /MARCHAND Nicolas	4 46.80' N	26 49.04' W	4.2	200	6.1	197.0	8.1	194.7	1281.9	373.8
22	Commerce équitable	CRIQUIOCHE Jean-Edouard/DUC Louis	4 44.24' N	26 11.24' W	6.2	182	6.5	188.0	7.8	186.1	1302.1	394.0
23	Nous Entreprenons	FOURNIER Jacques/JANTET André	4 15.16' N	25 27.80' W	7.6	182	7.1	187.0	7.4	177.8	1302.3	394.2
24	Concise	GOHL Dan / GALL Tom	4 37.00' N	25 51.08' W	8.4	186	7.4	191.0	8.0	192.2	1307.0	398.9
25	Groupe Sefico	REGNIER Lionel/CAVAN Pierre Yves	5 35.88' N	25 49.64' W	9.4	177	8.9	178.0	7.6	182.7	1357.2	449.1
26	Grassi Bateaux	GALMARD Eric/GRASSI Olivier	5 55.52' N	25 53.40' W	7.0	173	8.3	173.0	7.0	168.1	1371.9	463.8
27	Merena	GUILLAUME Alexis/BOON FALLEUR Bernard	7 44.12' N	26 44.20' W	8.4	202	8.2	198.0	7.6	182.7	1442.7	534.7
28	Gonser Group	LEFEBVRE David/GONSER Florian	8 42.48' N	23 08.96' W	7.6	184	6.7	182.0	6.2	149.3	1600.6	692.5
ABD	Fujifilm	BENNETT Alex/PEDLEY Ifor
ABD	Kazimir Partners	VAN DER WEL Lenjohn/VAN DER WEL Peter

With more than half of the Open 60 fleet now into Salvador de Bahia, focus in the Transat Jacques Vabre is now turning to the Class 40s where race leaders Giovanni Soldini and Pietro d'Ali on board Telecom Italia ( click here to read more about this boat) is not having it all her own way. After coming through the Doldrums on a course to the east of the Italian boat, Dominique Vittet and Thierry Chabagny's ATAO Audio System is still in contention, and this morning is just 25 miles astern. However there are two aspects working in the Italian's favour - they have been first to feel the effects of the strong breeze being both south and west, but also their Guilaume Verdier designed boat is one of the beamiest, most powerful Class 40s in the entire fleet, compared to Vittet's off the shelf Lombard-designed Akilaria. Already we have seen Soldini and d'Ali extend their lead over the last 24 hours from 19.5 miles to 25 miles, although this morning both boats have averaged much the same speed.

Behind in third place Damien Grimont's Chocolats Monbana is having a match race with Figaro sailor Marc Emig on AST Groupe, but they are some 80 miles off the lead and then there is another similarly large gap back to Christophe Coatnoan's Groupe Partouche, the only JPK 40 in the fleet.

While the two leaders are into the trades, the boats behind are out of the Doldrums, but waiting for the wind to build. Generally compared to the Open 60, the Class 40s have had an easy time of it in the Doldrums. On the Pindar 40 for example Alexia Barrier said that on Tuesday morning they experience four squalls, with the wind getting up to 24 knots, but other than this they have got away lightly.

At present this is nothing in the forecast to suggest that the remainder of the race will be anything other than a procession for the Class 40s with the wind slowly backing from southeast to east as they reach Recife and backing slightly further as they approach the finish line. However it will be an interesting speed test for the boats, as it was in the Open 60s.

Open 60s

In the Open 60 fleet nine boats are now home with the latest arrivals being Loick Peyron's Gitana Eighty and Yann Elies' Generali, the two boats finishing just seven minutes apart, both crews slightly having egg on their face. Peyron, one of France's most successful offshore sailors, will be fuming about his Doldrums crossing that saw him plummet from second place, while Yann Elies' Finot-Conq designed Generali just doesn't seem to have the necessary legs compared to the other new generation Open 60s.

Expected soon is Sam Davies and Jeanne Gregoire's Roxy who had 33 miles to go at 0800.

Questions and Answers with Concise

With more and more boats completing the race everyday now, we caught up with Dan Gohl and Tom Gall, skippers of Concise to find out how they were doing and what they’re up to.

Position: 10.06.6N 24.59.3W
Speed: 7.5
Estimated finish date: 29th Nov

What sail combinations are you finding you are using the most at the moment
and why?
Tom - Full main and a very heavily repaired A2. This race has so far been down wind almost all the way. Not that I'm complaining!

Most useful piece of equipment on the boat?
Dan - PBO kite sheets supplied by Marlow ropes, they will last for ever!

What are your tactical plans for the remainder of the race?
Tom - There are over 1700 miles to go, so there are a lot of factors ahead of us that we will have to wait and see before we can make more of a game plan. Over the next few days we are sailing in the trade wind's which is like a motorway taking you to the Doldrums. Every one is on it and pretty much on the same course so boat speed is what we are working hard on.

Being towards the back of the fleet is now being described as having its
advantages in the Class 40 fleet, as you have the ability to watch the progress
of the boats ahead. What are your opinions of this point of view?
Tom - I'd rather be at the front looking back!

Being the youngest sailors in the fleet, many thought that depression would
be a major issue for you both. What are your reactions to this statement?
Tom - who said that? Rubbish, age has nothing to do with anything. It's all about experience. Why would we be depressed about sailing a Class 40 in the TJV?

What does this experience mean to you?
Tom - I have followed the TJV since I was young. To me the TJV is one of the top ten events in sailing so to be competing is awesome. Having the chance to race against great sailors like Giovanni Soldini is inspiring. I'm trying to learn all I can from them.

What position are you now aiming to finish in?
Dan - Well we were hoping and thinking a top ten wasn't out of the question but now I think we'd be happy to get out the 20's.

What has been the best part of the race for you so far?
Tom - The start was amazing with all the Helicopters and spectator boats. Sending it through Biscay was good, and sailing off the coast of Africa at sun set and watching the clouds of sand blow off the Sahara.
Dan - The wipe out that killed the A2, amazing!

And the worst?
Dan - The wipe out that killed the A2, rubbish. It was out of action for 24 hours while Tom fixed it up. Frustratingly, the next boat ahead of us before we lost it gained about 5 places.
Tom - Loosing the A3 in Biscay after sending it too hard! Then blowing up the A2 after sending it too hard again!!

Most common phrase used on board the boat?
Tom - Shake n' bake!

What nasty habits of the other have you discovered since the start of the race?
Tom – We eat the same food, at roughly the same time and Dan still manages to make more nasty smells than me!
Dan - Tom is actually ginger, well his facial hair and he has a thing for cotton buds.

If Alex Thompson on Hugo Boss (currently on the Barcelona World race) were to sail past you what you say to him?
Dan - Good Luck!

If you got stuck on a desert island, what 5 items would you take with you?
Tom - a boat, lots of water, food, an Ipod, and a few mates. Then sail home!

What's your favourite variety of meal on board the boat?
Tom - Freeze dried chicken noodles. Yum!
Dan - Anything as long as there is loads of it.

What are you missing the most?
Tom - Other people (no offence Dan!) Proper food, my bed, a razor!
Dan - WIND! And well I guess I have to say the girlfriend to that.

What are you most looking forward to when you reach dry land?
Tom - Launching it at the Salvador yacht club bar! And then sleeping it off!