All systems go

As Transat Jacques Vabre fleet break out of the perpetual headwinds

Friday November 7th 2003, Author: James Boyd, Location: Transoceanic

Positions at 0900

Pos	Boat	dtf	dtl	vmg	lat	long	spd	crs	spd	crs	spd	crs	spd	Dist
							inst		1hr av		4 hr av		24hr	24hr

	Open 60s
1	ECOVER	3072	0	12.9	34 28.84' N	19 45.48' W	16.1	191	13.4	187	13.2	190	10.6	254
2	VIRBAC	3091	18	13.7	34 40.00' N	18 14.72' W	16.1	185	15.2	177	15.8	179	10.2	244
3	SILL	3154	82	16.2	36 22.16' N	21 16.68' W	20.0	202	16.2	204	15.7	201	10.3	247
4	PRB	3165	93	16.4	35 58.96' N	19 18.28' W	19.0	201	16.4	201	16.9	200	10.5	251
5	TEAM COWES	3224	152	14.9	36 56.28' N	18 56.48' W	14.9	214	15.2	211	15.3	207	9.8	234
6	VMI	3230	158	15.5	36 47.36' N	18 11.04' W	15.2	196	15.6	196	13.7	200	9.1	220
7	CHEMINEES POUJOULAT-ARMOR LUX	3231	159	14.5	38 06.06' N	21 27.90' W	14.9	186	14.9	185	15.2	184	10.0	240
8	CARREFOUR PREVENTION	3273	201	15.5	37 39.12' N	18 24.72' W	17.0	185	15.6	199	15.3	196	8.8	210
9	ARCELOR-DUNKERQUE	3354	282	13.1	38 35.28' N	16 50.72' W	14.8	175	14.8	175	12.9	183	7.1	170
10	GARNIER	3418	346	8.1	39 31.64' N	16 05.84' W	7.2	226	8.2	215	8.6	247	7.3	176
11	60ème SUD	3524	452	2.8	41 38.68' N	16 45.56' W	4.0	212	6.1	266	7.6	241	4.0	95
12	LOIRE ATLANTIQUE	3524	452	4.5	40 36.40' N	13 41.36' W	5.7	255	6.9	256	6.4	252	8.2	197
13	ADECCO	3528	455	6.7	40 38.12' N	13 39.00' W	9.1	249	8.6	246	5.5	225	7.7	184
14	TIR GROUPE	3633	561	5.9	42 32.32' N	13 30.04' W	7.0	226	7.8	247	8.8	220	8.8	211
ABD	CIMENT ST LAURENT
ABD	OBJECTIF 3
ABD	PINDAR

	60ft tris
1	BELGACOM	3559	0	10.2	40 59.56' N	12 57.60' W	9.4	274	14.1	251	16.3	208	16.5	397
2	GROUPAMA	3563	5	10.5	41 47.40' N	15 00.52' W	14	275	15.7	253	14.7	238	16.4	395
3	BANQUE POPULAIRE	3576	17	10.6	41 30.40' N	13 35.32' W	19	255	13.3	244	13.2	243	16.7	401
4	BONDUELLE	3596	37	13.3	42 25.00' N	14 22.80' W	18.2	227	17.9	248	14.9	226	15.6	374
5	GEANT	3605	46	9.5	42 03.20' N	13 35.00' W	16.2	226	13.7	253	12.5	235	15	360
6	SODEBO	3625	66	11.9	42 07.20' N	12 46.40' W	18.2	231	13	231	14.9	230	15.4	370
7	TIM	3627	68	5.9	42 34.50' N	13 22.74' W	6.2	230	6.3	227	12.1	207	14.4	346
8	SERGIO TACCHINI	3635	76	10.5	43 17.72' N	15 36.40' W	12.1	198	11	221	13.5	229	14	336
9	FONCIA	3648	90	11.7	43 05.80' N	14 16.20' W	14.4	232	14.2	240	5.7	235	12.9	309
10	SOPRA GROUP	3659	100	8.4	43 08.72' N	13 50.28' W	16.3	251	10.8	244	13.2	233	14.2	340
11	BAYER CROPSCIENCE	3663	104	-2.3	43 46.04' N	15 30.84' W	2	333	2.5	9	9.5	256	13.3	319
12	BISCUITS LA TRINITAINE	3668	109	7.3	43 29.24' N	14 23.72' W	18.9	244	14.1	264	6.6	266	12.1	291
13	GITANA	3688	129	3.4	43 43.16' N	13 56.00' W	13	211	3.5	191	4.9	212	12	289
14	BANQUE COVEFI	3959	401	20.8	47 21.16' N	9 53.04' W	23	237	22.8	233	20.7	245	12.9	309

	class 2 multis
1	MOLLYMAWK	3955	0	12.2	45 17.28' N	7 05.76' W	13	204	12.7	199	11.4	198	8.9	215
ABD	ATLANTIC NATURE

	Open 50s
1	STORAGETEK	3530	0	4.9	40 49.08' N	14 00.76' W	8.1	260	7.4	255	6.1	263	6.9	165
2	HELLOMOTO	3543	13	6	41 22.16' N	14 51.84' W	8.4	263	8	247	8.5	238	7	168
3	DEFI VENDEEN	3624	94	5.7	42 25.08' N	13 37.96' W	9.3	234	7.8	249	8.7	225	8.6	207
4	BRANEC III	4078	547	-6.7	47 54.00' N	5 36.00' W	7.2	26	6.9	19	6.8	27	-6.8	-164
ABD	LABESFAL

Monohulls

Finally... the crews in the monohull classes racing in the Transat Jacques Vabre are today breathing a sigh of relief as yesterday they waved goodbye to the last of the severe headwinds which they have been sailing in since they started from Le Havre last Saturday. At present the boats are sailing in northwesterlies and this looks set to continue to clock round to the north and finally to the northeast.

The northwesterlies may see a change in pace of the boats, but we suspect some more than others. The newer boats such as Mike Golding's Ecover and Jean-Pierre Dick's Virbac have proved themselves to have much improved performance over their predecessors upwind. From here on it will be interesting to see if they are also faster off the breeze. It is possible that the older boats, optimised more for reaching and running, could have equally good or better pace in these conditions - but somehow we doubt it.

Mike Golding and Brian Thompson on Ecover are still leading Virbac by 18 miles - a similar margin to yesterday, both boats taking a more easterly route to the chasing pack. Alex Thomson and Roland Jourdain on Sill are still leading those to the west and the last 24 hours has seen Around Alone winner Bernard Stamm head in this direction too. A possible advantage of this is that it might put these boats on to a hotter angle once they're into the northeasterly Trades or it may be that it will allow them to cross the Doldrums further to the west.

See page 2 to read the latest from Conrad Humphreys

Trimarans

Jean-Luc Nelias and Loick Peyron continue to show the 60ft trimaran fleet the way south, although their lead aboard Belgacom is just 4.7 miles over race favourite Franck Cammas and Franck Proffit on board the seasoned Groupama, winner of this race two years ago.

As with the monohulls there is a split across the race track with Belgacom and Banque Populaire holding the east (or left hand), Groupama well out in front of the group in the middle and Karine Fauconnier and Damian Foxall leading the westerly group on board Sergio Tacchini.

The west-east divide may have a more obvious benefit for the trimarans as a north-south orientated warm front passes across the fleet over the course of the day. The westerly group will have to tackle this first, but will then break into following winds. It is likely that later today we can see Sergio Tacchini and Fred le Peutrec and Julien Cressant on Sergio's Irens-designed sistership Bayer Cropscience rising through the ranks.

At 0720am GMT Giovanni Soldini and Vittorio Malingri on TIM heard a big crack on the boat and discovered a crack in the rear beam between the float and central hull, and is taking in water. They have no more electricity, and are now heading at 4 knots towards Portugal in a 25 knot southerly wind. “Everything is okay, but our feet are a bit wet now!” said Soldini. They have not declared that they are retiring, and are currently 200m West of Vigo.

Trimaran positions (for 6 and 7 Nov) and wind at 0900GMT