Vive le rugby

England versus France on board Sill

If Ecover overtakes Sill on Sunday morning then it is likely to be because Alex Thomson and Roland Jourdain will be distracted or carrying out their own on board version of the Napoleonic Wars when France meets England in the Rugby World Cup.

“The Doldrums don’t look that bad after all, so we’re pretty cool about it on board. The one thing that is now distracting us more is the build up to the rugby match on Sunday!" commented Thomson. "Bilou and I are going to wear blue and white T-shirts, write ENGLAND and FRANCE on our foreheads, and I found some American dollars so we’ve got some hard currency to place bets with. The friendly rivalry on board is a good thing, it’s giving us something other than sailing to think about for a change. Bilou has said that in true sporting style we must swap swimming trunks at the end of the match, but the one thing I’m dreading is the forfeit he’s come up with if England lose - I have to eat raw all the flying fish that land on the boat - it makes me want to retch! I can’t repeat what I told him he’d have to do, but the clean version will probably be something like cutting my nails for me or cleaning out the cabin at the end of the race, something smelly and disgusting of course! We’ll be sending you a photo of us ready in our team kit later today, and the video will be out too…"

On hearing that this morning their unusual ‘rugby duel’ story got into The Times on the back page of the Sports section, Alex was amazed: “What..? That’s a laugh, I can’t believe it! Well, thanks to everyone for chipping in, because we are looking forward to watching the match online, and we’re going to call into the shore team - and also Grandstand as well - at half time, so you can get some running commentary and on board atmosphere between us at the nav station from the mid-Atlantic! We’ll have hopefully crossed the Equator Saturday night and be well into the SE Trades by then…by the way, can you email me the match times in GMT as I’ve no idea what day of the week it is still??” [Nor it seems what channel it's being viewed on...]

Meanwhile on the race course the Sill boys are currently reaping the advantages of the Doldrums as they close in on the race leader Virbac, who has slowed up in the unpredictable weather system. Bilou said this morning on the sat phone “Our French rivals ahead are such gentlemen to hang around and wait for us! Actually, it’s more worrying that the English pair behind will also be able to catch up on us when we get into this veritable black hole.” Of course 'pot noire' is the phrase that the French use for the Doldrums, with its fickle winds, violent rain squalls and no-wind zones.