- Renault Z.E Sailing Team approaching Cape Horn now
- We Are Water in Wellington
What to wear when approaching Cape Horn on Estrella Damm... (Is there actually a person inside this outfit??!) Image copyright Estrella Damm.
by Barcelona World Race media
Relief, Release and Recharging will be especially welcomed by the peloton of five Barcelona World Race duos which are due to start passing Cape Horn imminently.
And a Restart in the south Atlantic for this group is possible.
In fact for Renault Z.E Sailing Team’s Pachi Rivero and Toño Piris, who were due to pass the mythical rock at around 1800hrs UTC this evening there will be huge satisfaction to be passing in third place, a great interim for a team who have known each other since their formative sailing days in Santander but which only joined forces ten months ago.
Although they have three Cape Horn passages between them, it was to be the first time that both of them will have passed on a non-stop circumnavigation. Rivero was last here with Bubi Sanso on Mutua Madrileña in the first edition of the Barcelona World Race, while Piris’ third passage today, at the age of 47, comes after two Whitbread/Volvo Round the World races 17 years ago on Galicia Pescanova and then 13 years ago on Chessie Racing.
Of the five who are due to pass the lonely rock with around 28 hours between Renault Z.E. Sailing Team and their Barcelona sister-ship Estrella Damm, due on Wednesday evening, only really Renault Z.E. Sailing Team and Groupe Bel, which stopped in Wellington, have been approaching Cape Horn at close to their optimum. Neutrogena have had their technical issues and Boris Herrmann sounded today like he was very keen to get around the corner in the Atlantic. Mirabaud also are sailing conservatively as are Pepe Ribes and Alex Pella on Estrella Damm.
Herrmann admitted that Neutrogena had been knocked flat, or nearly flat four times yesterday in winds which gusted to 62 knots. He recalled: “ Yesterday we had up to 62 knots and four knockdowns. I would say we had an average of 40 knots yesterday, and that one gust of 62 knots which lasted about a minute but that was enough to throw us on our side and it was a little bit of a shake up.
We are 360 miles from Cape Horn so I think we will arrive in darkness. I think it will be like the start of a new race after Cape Horn, with Groupe Bel, Estrella Damm and Mirabaud and Renault and Hugo Boss will not be very far behind and there are going to be so many tactical options, and actually the most tactical thing is just ahead of us when we re-enter the Atlantic.
We are a bit stressed from this weather and with our technical problems, I feel with every hour we get closer to the Horn more and more relief. We are going to be safer as well, a bit safer after the Horn.”
While some are certainly compromised, either boat or crews or a combination of both, the South Atlantic and the ascent through or round high pressure systems promise a new race for this group, placing a whole new set of demands on the crews. But, initially, after a demanding Pacific, there will be the welcome chance to return to an Atlantic rhythm.
Jaume Mumbrú and Cali Sanmartí from Barcelona, on We Are Water in Wellington. Image copyright Mike Clare/DPPI/Barcelona World Race.
We Are Water arrived in Wellington this morning. Jaume Mumbru and Cali Sanmarti will make full use of their 48 hours technical stop to repair their electronics, restock their supplies and perhaps even get some proper rest. They dropped sails and started motoring in Wellington bay at 1236hrs UTC and their lines to the dock at 1348hrs UTC thereby starting their 48hours mandatory stop.
And at the head of the fleet the two leaders strategies for the south Atlantic high pressure system are now lined up with both MAPFRE and Virbac-Paprec 3 opting east, a fact which seems to have allowed Jean-Pierre Dick to breathe a little more easily, but the winner of the first edition of the race still confirms that this stage of the 25,000 miles course prove be one of the keys to overall victory:
“As far as being followed we are quite content for the moment. It is not easy because we there are always pros and cons. MAPFRE has some options the way they are coming, but if they had gone the other way then it would have been more uncomfortable
The South Atlantic is usually a place to make gains, but then of course there is always the Mediterranean, but I think the South Atlantic is an important component in winning this race.”
Rankings at 1400hrs Monday 7th March 2011
1. VIRBAC-PAPREC 3 (Jean-Pierre Dick - Loïck Peyron), at 5.512 miles to finish
2. MAPFRE (Iker Martínez - Xabi Fernández), at 219 miles from the leader
3. RENAULT Z. E. (Pachi Rivero - Antonio Piris), at 1.435 miles
4. NEUTROGENA (Boris Herrmann - Ryan Breymaier), at 1.640 miles
5. GROUPE BEL (Kito de Pavant - Sébastien Audigane), at 1.752 miles
6. MIRABAUD (Dominique Wavre - Michèle Paret), at 1.878 miles
7. ESTRELLA DAMM (Alex Pella - Pepe Ribes), at 1.934 miles
8. HUGO BOSS (Wouter Verbraak - Andy Meiklejohn), at 2.471 miles
9. GAES CENTROS AUDITIVOS (Dee Caffari - Anna Corbella), at 2.721 miles
10. FÒRUM MARÍTIM CATALÀ (Gerard Marín - Ludovic Aglaor), at 4.571 miles
11. WE ARE WATER (Jaume Mumbrú - Cali Sanmartí), at 6.038 miles
12. CENTRAL LECHERA ASTURIANA (Juan Merediz - Fran Palacio), at 6.038 miles
RTD FONCIA (Michel Desjoyeaux - François Gabart),
RTD PRESIDENT (Jean le Cam - Bruno García)
Quotes:
Boris Herrmann (GER) Neutrogena:“It is very windy, we are going fast. Yesterday we had up to 62 knots and four knockdowns. I would say we had an average of 40 knots yesterday, and that one gust of 62 knots which lasted about a minute but that was enough to throw us on our side and it was a little bit of a shake up. We are now changing between the second and third reef and the Solent and the trinquette so we have rather small sails, reaching here, trying to be gentle on the boat and not surf too crazily against this very confused seas. It is very cold, you really feel it on your fingers, and it is raining and that hurts you because it is so cold, it is like ice rain, The water is cold now 5.5 degrees. It is cold.
We are 360 miles from Cape Horn so I think we will arrive in darkness. I think it will be like the start of a new race after Cape Horn, with Groupe Bel, Estrella Damm and Mirabaud and Renault and Hugo Boss will not be very far behind and there are going to be so many tactical options, and actually the most tactical thing is just ahead of us when we re-enter the Atlantic.
We are fine, we have a spare sleeping bag which go damp when we broke our ballast but now we have it out because we could not deal any longer with just our thin blanket, it was getting too cold. We are a bit stressed from this weather and with our technical problems, I feel with every hour we get closer to the Horn more and more relief. We are going to be safer as well, a bit safer after the Horn.”
The remains of Central Lechera Asturiana's rig, Chaffers Marina, Wellington. Image copyright Mike Clare/DPPI/Barcelona World Race.
Alex Pella (ESP) Estrella Damm:“I am looking forwards to passing Cape Horn for the first time. It is something mythical and exciting, but most of all I am just looking forwards to pointing the bow north, to have fewer waves, and for it all to be a little calmer. It is hard and difficult, with complicated conditions, and the stress of possible failures. So we have a great desire to pass. It will be like a great ufffffff. As if to lift the weight of the East Indian and the Pacific off all at once. We saw the Sodebo yesterday. We called to them by radio but it didn’t work, we called them on the small hand held and later when we were on deck we heard something in the radio, but it did not work or we could not answer. He was peculiar, and to think that it is alone on that boat in a front of 40 knots!
Xabi Fernandez (ESP) MAPFRE:“We are trying to sleep a little more and to rest all that we can. In the end we go to the east, we waited as long as possible to make the decision, and in the end here we are going by the east. Possible one because still they are many days and are destroyed after the beating we have taken in these last days. In the end we go by the East. We were waiting for all the possible one to make the decision, going high, and in the end we go this way. We fire up the computers as little as possible and connect to the satellites as little as possible, trying to save power and energy.
Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA) Virbac-Paprec 3: “ We will pass to the east of the anticyclone and the wind will drop and they will catch, we do not know how much difference there will be when we get clear of these weather features, but the effect will be that of the rubber band. On our part it is important not to lose the morale. Our morale is good, we are in the lead of the race, we have a good boat and the race is well on. After so long now you can start to see the end and what we want, that is to win this race. Even if we get back into zones of lighter winds we will try to keep the boat moving nonetheless. We still need to vigilant, because in only two minutes many things can happen. The conditions improve, but we would rather have more wind.
We have not had much sleep up until now but now with Loïck we try to sleep as much as possible at the moment because we do not have very fixed watches. It is not like it was with Damian when we were very disciplined, but Loïck brings a more Latin outlook maybe. But then I am much more experienced and less stressed. The decisions we take are with more flexibility.
As far as being followed we are quite content for the moment. It is not easy because we there are always pros and cons. MAPFRE has some options the way they are coming, but if they had gone the other way then it would have been more uncomfortable
The South Atlantic is usually a place to make gains, but then of course there is always the Mediterranean, but I think the South Atlantic is an important component in winning this race.”
In French:
Encore un pur Horn, toujours un "cap dur"...
- Renault ZE attendu à partir de 18h30 au cap Horn
- Le « cap dur » dans la tempête
- Bataille stratégique dans les eaux de l’Atlantique
We Are Water approaching Wellington. Image copyright Mike Clare/DPPI/Barcelona World Race.
Au 66e jour de course, cinq équipages de la Barcelona World Race continuent leur face à face avec un Pacifique survolté au passage d’une dépression dans la plus pure tradition de ces latitudes hostiles. A 60 milles du rocher noir, Renault ZE doit en finir avec cet océan à partir de 18h30 (HF) ce lundi. Dans leur sillage, les tandems en lice, et en ordre de marche, pour les honneurs prochains du rocher mythique connaissent une progression plus chaotique sur une mer démontée. En Atlantique, changement de décor : place à un anticyclone qui n’a pas fini de préserver le suspense sur la route du retour. Au dernier pointage, 220 milles séparent Virbac-Paprec 3 et MAPFRE, qui progresse cet après-midi comme un avion...
« Le Pacifique ne pouvait pas nous laisser le quitter sans nous présenter sa nouvelle collection automne de tempêtes australes : des grains tout neufs, bien virulents, une mer forte, mais pas trop longue avec quelques délicates déferlantes, une brise régulière de plus de 35 noeuds moyens et une lumière 2011 particulièrement blafarde.»Dans leur dernier message Kito de Pavant et Sébastien Audigane plantent, non sans humour, le décor qui entoure Groupe Bel en approche du cap Horn, le premier du co-skipper méditerranéen.
Au cœur de la tempête...
Sur cette édition de la Barcelona World Race, la chose est entendue : le cap Horn se mérite. Dans ce contexte, les équipages doivent redoubler de vigilance pour esquiver les coups et éviter les violentes et éprouvantes sorties de piste sur le croisement chaotique des trains de houle qui contrarie fortement les excès de vitesse. Pas étonnant donc que depuis quelques heures, la progression saccadée du petit groupe en approche du caillou noir connaisse des hauts et des bas au gré de coups de frein soudains et d’accélérations tout aussi sporadiques. Dans ce contexte, les estimations des heures des prochains passagessont à prendre avec des pincettes. Ce lundi après-midi, si Renault ZE semble en passe de bientôt dire «Adios » au grand désert liquide dans tous ses états, ses poursuivants n’ont pas encore fini d’en découdre avec les éléments en furie. A 15h30, Neutrogena pointe encore à 270 milles du rocher mythique, Groupe Bel à 380, Mirabaud à 405, et Estella Damm à 460. Pour ces huit marins, les eaux plus calmes de l’océan Atlantique vont se laisser encore désirer pendant plus ou moins 24 heures. Elles n’en auront que plus de saveur.
Dans les méandres de l’anticyclone
Aux avant-postes, le duel entre Virbac-Paprec 3 et MAPFRE se poursuit sur un air d’accordéon avec des écarts qui vont se réduire, puis se retendre à mesure que les deux bateaux vont progresser dans les méandres de l’anticyclone en poste au large des côtes argentines. A l’instar du duo Dick-Peyron, les deux complices du 60 pieds espagnol misent sur une route par l’Est - avec sans doute un soupçon d’Ouest quand même - histoire de rajouter un peu de suspense !
Comme on l’a vu dans le début de la traversée du Pacifique Sud, la paire olympique, qui profite de plus de pression plus en arrière de l’anticyclone, affiche une bien meilleure vitesse entre les deux derniers classements : plus de 19 nœuds contre près de 12 pour leurs prédécesseurs. Si l’histoire se répète, elle promet encore son lot de surprises et de rebondissements...
The shattered carbon of Central Lechera Asturiana's mast. Image copyright Mike Clare/DPPI/Barcelona World Race.
Classement du 7 mars à 15 heures (TU+1) :
1 VIRBAC-PAPREC 3 à 5512,1 milles de l’arrivée
2 MAPFRE à 219,2 milles du leader
3 RENAULT ZE à 1435,2 milles
4 NEUTROGENA à 1640,2 milles
5 GROUPE BEL à 1752,2 milles
6 MIRABAUD à 1878,5 milles
7 ESTRELLA DAMM à 1934,3 milles
8 HUGO BOSS à 2471,5 milles
9 GAES CENTROS AUDITIVOS à 2721,6 milles
10 FORUM MARITIM CATALA à 4571,7 milles
11 CENTRAL LECHERA ASTURIANA à 6038 milles
12 WE ARE WATER à 6038,2milles
ABD FONCIA
ABD PRESIDENT
Ils ont dit:
Pachi Rivero (ESP) Renault Z.E.:« Ça nous procure vraiment beaucoup de joie de passer troisièmes le Cap Horn, c’est un grand passage même si rien n’est encore fait ! Nous devrions le passer dans environ cinq heures. Nous aurons une bonne lumière, mais pas beaucoup de visibilité. Car on attend une journée de grosse tempête, où il devrait beaucoup pleuvoir. On fait les routages en attendant de voir comment sera la météo après le Cap Horn. On étudie les routes des deux premiers également. Nous laisserons les Malouines très certainement à bâbord. Ensuite on verra bien comment vont se placer l’anticyclone et les dépressions.
Le Pacifique aura été vraiment dur, heureusement que nous le laissons derrière nous. Rien n’aura été facile ! Passer le Horn, ce n’est pas signe d’arrivée, mais ça signifie quand même la sortie du Sud et des zones de grosses tempêtes. Et même si après on peut en rencontrer aussi, la terre est plus proche et ça change beaucoup la donne ! »
The remains of Central Lechera Asturiana's rig; not really anything to smile about... Image copyright Mike Clare/DPPI/Barcelona World Race.
Boris Hermann (GER) Neutrogena :« Il y a beaucoup de vent. Nous allons vite. Hier nous avons eu jusqu’à 62 nœuds et quatre départs au tas. Je dirais qu’il y a eu environ 40 nœuds de moyenne hier et la rafale à 62 nœuds a duré près d’une minute. Elle a été suffisante pour nous faire partir au lof. C’était comme dans un shaker. Nous passons actuellement du 2e au 3e ris et du solent à la trinquette. Nous portons donc moins de toile et essayons d’être raisonnable avec le bateau et de ne pas partir dans des surfs déraisonnés dans cette mer très confuse. Il fait vraiment très froid. Vous le ressentez sur vos doigts. Lorsqu’il pleut, cela vous fait mal, car il fait très froid. C’est comme de la grêle. L’eau est froide elle aussi. 5,5 °C. Tout est froid ici. »
Jean-Pierre Dick, Virbac-Paprec 3 :« Nous allons passer à l’Est de l’anticyclone, et le vent va diminuer, les bateaux vont se rapprocher et nous ne savons pas trop l’écart qu’il aura à la sortie de ces phénomènes, il va y avoir un effet d’élastique. De notre côté, c’est important de ne pas perdre le moral.
Dans la mesure où on nous suit, on est plutôt content. Ce n’est pas facile, car il y a toujours du pour et du contre. MAPFRE peut faire une variante dans l’option que nous avons prise et gagner du temps… Mais s’ils avaient pris une trajectoire opposée, nous aurions plus serré les fesses ! L’Atlantique Sud est, traditionnellement dans les remontées, un endroit où l’on peut revenir sur les autres. »
Barcelona World Race
