Thursday, March 17, 2011

CONQUEST 20

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Vendee Globe 2000 - The Saint Helen high pressure system


Author: Philippe JeantotLooking at the boat№s directions on the map, one can be surprised. Indeed, they are heading at 90 degrees from their objective. The fleet is going down at an average 190 degrees when they should sail towards Cape of Good Hope in the south of Africa and before rounding the southern pole.

But as far as sailing is concerned, it is not the same as on a Formula One circuit where the drivers tend to cut every corner. For a yacht the shortest course is not always the fastest one. They must go and look for the wind, even if it means alternating or to lengthen their course to avoid dead wind zones and find better winds in order to accelerate and finally reach the destination quicker.

That is why single handed sailing is so interesting. Not only you need to be a good helmsman, a good crew or a good engineer, but you also have to be a good weather forecaster and a good tactician.

The Vendйe Globe is won at sea but can be lost on a chart table. Many boats now have the same speed potentials, the sailors have for most of them an equivalent level of practise so the difference is often made on a route№s choice. In this race, there are so many weather systems that there are also plenty of combinations available to the skippers.

One of the best example is the strategy in the southern part of the Atlantic ocean where the Saint Helen high pressure system is governing the winds. Unlike in the Northern hemisphere, south of the equator the wind is turning anti-clock wise around the centre of the high pressure.

From where the competitors are, near the Equator, the shortest route to pass the cape of Good Hope would mean to cross in the middle of the high pressure where they would find no wind and would spend days at just three or fours knots of average speed. Another solution, shorter, would be to go round the high pressure in the East. Doing that the boats would be sailing upwind and doing twice the route which is much harder.

The alternative solution, which is the longest one, is to go round the high pressure in the West. At the beginning it is South Easterly winds, which mean a fast reaching on the 180 degrees course. Then the trade winds will progressively turn East, allowing the sails to open and give more power to the boats who will accelerate. When the skippers arrive in the South West corner of the high pressure it will then be time to go South East. The objective is to change of weather system and to catch the influence of the westerly winds generated by the low pressures going round the Earth, around the southern pole. It is the world of the high latitudes and of the roaring forties.
The top of the fleet has steady conditions and the skippers are trying to rest in order to prepare this difficult part of the race they will have to deal with in ten days.

Thomas Coville (Sodebo Savourons la vie) was analysing the course: "What we have been sailing until now just look the same as a very long transat, it№s tactical, it№s a regatta. You need to preserve your chances to stay in the top of the fleet. Soon enough we will be entering in the Southern Ocean, it will be a second race, very different, we will have to last without breaking. The smallest damage can lead to the worst situation, as we can№t repair in the same manner as in the trade winds. The third part will start, for the remaining boats, at the Cape Horn. It will be a very tough regatta up until the finish line, it will also be time to take risks. At the moment all we need to do is to stay in the race."

Radio Chat Extracts

Joй Seeten (Nord Pas de Calais - Chocolats du Monde): "I have no more standard B, no more standard C. I am left with the Mini M which will become limited geographically very soon. It's going to be Cape Horn before anyone can hear me again. I've tried working it out but the problem comes from the antenna, which is under the boards up in front."

Michel Desjoyeaux (PRB): "This morning I have been fishing. I am going to cook a few flying fish as an aperitif with lemon juice! Last night was quite active on deck again as the wind was quite varied in direction and force."

Thomas Coville (Sodebo): "After finally coming out of the Doldrums I was a little unhappy with my exit because I had gone West but the system descended upon us. So the guys in the East got away. I am easing myself into the descent to the Southern Ocean. I'm not taking tactical risks now with 3 or so months to go, I shall leave that for when we come back up the Atlantic."

Roland Jourdain (Sill Matines La Potagиre): "Strategically, it's hard to gain ground on the others ahead, so I'm working out how to pass the Saint Helen high pressure system and in the long term I am looking to recuperate as much as possible! The boat is fast upwind, between 9.5 and 11 knots."

Bernard Gallay (Voila.fr): "I passed the Equator at 0500hrs this morning, and I woke up just 300 metres after the passage! So I broke open one of the half bottles of champagne which Philippe Jeantot gave me, and a dram of whisky from Sir Robin Knox Johnston. I don't use my generator anymore because my solar panels are keeping the boat going by themselves."

Thierry Dubois (Solidaires): "I passed the Equator at about 0400hrs on the 24th, nothing particularly significant. I turned off the autopilot 48 hours ago, the boat is going along by itself, thanks to the perfect balance of the sails. It is hard to do repairs upwind, and so I'm waiting until we get nearer to the Saint Helen high pressure system."

Patrice Carpentier (VM Matйriaux): "I crossed the Equator at 0219hrs last night. I am re-reading my 'Course au Large' letters from four years ago and was amazed that I passed the Equator at the same moment as Parlier did on Aquitaine Innovations then, I was delighted!"

Pasquale de Gregorio (Wind): "The boat is fine, the race is less than fine as I have wind on the nose right now. But I have seen the rankings yesterday and I am taking things easy. It will be better after I have got out of the Doldrums. Anyway, I can't see a deficit of cigars in view..."

Richard Tolkien (This Time Argos Soditic): "I'm 5 miles from the Equator. I had my initiation in the Doldrums when I was sailing along in 15 knots in the dark on Thursday night with the gennaker and staysail up. The wind went to 35 knots suddenly and there was a torrential downpour and I bore off at high speed, and got the gennaker down without any damage. I think I was in the system for 1 and a half days. My position right now I hope will be good for going down South but I must resolve these sail problems before the Southern Ocean or my fallback is to go into Cape Town."

Josh Hall (EBP - Gartmore): "The wind is ESE, we№re going along at 180 degrees heading. I am right on target and the same distance from the others still, so I№m quite happy. The other boats will have to go East soon, so I№m in a good position, although the ranking doesn№t look good now, it will do in a week№s time! My plan is to go South at 25/6 degrees West. It№s the 5th time I№ve crossed the Equator. I passed at around 1900 hours UT."

Latest Ranking* polled at 0800hrs (UT):



More Information:

  • www.vendeeglobe.com
  • YachtsandYachting.com Vendee Globe Page

See also: CONDOR 40 TRI for sale