Sam and Sidney - happy on board. Image copyright Artemis Ocean Racing.
by Artemis Ocean Racing media
Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet onboard Artemis Ocean Racing set out from France for Costa Rica in the Transat Jacque Vabre double-handed transatlantic ocean competition on 8th November. The pair are currently mid-Atlantic, south of the Azores, and about to switch into high speed ‘Trade Wind’ downwind sailing mode which will come as a relief compared to the storm-force chaos that has played out in the opening week.
Since leaving Le Havre on Sunday November 8, the 14-boat IMOCA 60 fleet has been pounded by North Atlantic storms, with three retirements and one dramatic mid-ocean rescue as Sébastien Josse and Jeff Cuzon were airlifted to safety after BT suffered severe damage to her coachroof and had to be abandoned. The latest casualty of the race is Hugo Boss, as Alex Thomson and Ross Daniel reported this morning that they had struck a submerged object and were taking on water, and they have just confirmed their retirement as well.
Many of the remaining 10 competitors are struggling with gear failure, sail damage and electronics problems following days of sailing through 30-50 knot gales, with gusts up to 60 knots (70mph), and mountainous seas. By heading south, Sam and Sidney managed to ride out the worst of the storm, and are still in the race, albeit with a slightly ‘clipped wing’. Artemis Ocean Racing has experienced her share of damage – including mainsail problems that saw the pair racing without their largest sail for around 20 hours, and most recently an autopilot failure. Sam and Sidney have reconfigured the mainsail battens but the reality is that the mainsail, which is effectively the boat’s power, will not be at 100% of its performance. However, Artemis Ocean Racing has avoided the kind of terminal breakages that forced DCNS and BritAir to retire.
Sam Davies smiling on board Artemis Ocean Racing. Image copyright Artemis Ocean Racing.
The safety of the south came at a price as the boats that took a more northerly route and survived the storm have managed to pull out a lead of over 500 miles from Artemis Ocean Racing, who is currently in tenth position with just over 3,000 miles to the finish in Costa Rica. After the battles of the first week, the race is about to enter a new phase, with high-speed downwind surfing conditions anticipated over the next couple of days as the fleet enter the Trade Wind zone.
Sam and Sidney are tired from a hard week’s racing and repairs, but keeping positive while Artemis Ocean Racing flies towards the Caribbean Sea at 15-20 knots boat speed.
Sam updated her team this afternoon: “A very belated message for today as we had a very, very, very busy night - yet more DIY and new (worrying) things on the job list!
Sidney works at the winch. Image copyright Artemis Ocean Racing.
“Just at the end of my watch, the pilot did a “wipe out” and then refused to work. That is always a worry (even double-handed we use the pilot a lot). So, I went straight to work to find the problem and put my electrician’s hat on. Sidney in the meantime was at the helm. Four hours work fault-finding and I managed to trace the problem to the central pilot brains themselves (after the race we’ve had I forgive the pilot for having a brainstorm) and replaced them. And YIPPEE!!! We have a pilot again. I will give him a name later today, he has a new brain (wish I had one too!).
“We still have a lot on our plates! BUT the photo shows we are still SMILING and enjoying the challenge, even if the goals have changed a little bit since our start…!”
Artemis Ocean Racing
Transat Jacques Vabre
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