Vendée Globe: update 14Nov20
Here are our daily snippets of the Vendée action. You’ll find brief updates on how Pip Hare, Miranda Merron, Sam Davies and Alex Thomson are faring, alongside any headline news, like the affects of storm Theta.
“This is the first hors d’oeuvre of this Vendée”, was Kito de Pavant’s description of storm Theta during the Vendée Live programme.
Strategies for Theta varied all the way through the fleet. First timer Clarisse Cremer on Banque Populaire X admitted to being freaked out by it. Louis Burton today said he would play it safe, setting his cursor where he feels comfortable between speed and safety. And then are those who keep smiling, like Kevin Escoffier, busy manoeuvring further west in 30 knots of wind at midday.
The PRB skipper Escoffier highlighted the need to keep the hammer down as much as possible to avoid being left behind in a vacuum of anti cyclonic very light winds.
Meanwhile some 300 miles to the north east, back up the track Miranda Merron and Didac Costa were among those stuck in the light winds and oily seas.
And true to the Vendée Globe’s requirement to fix at least one thing a day, Sébastien Simon (Arkea Paprec) took advantage of being close to the Azores to climb to the top of the mast without succeeding in completely solving the problem (damaged wind vanes). Maxime Sorel has been dealing with autopilot problems. And Louis Burton transformed the Bureau Vallée 2 saloon into a “composite workshop” to repair a crack in a bulkhead. “I’m apprehensive the next time we go upwind in heavy seas,” he says.
Alex Thomson is in second place
After sailing through a steady 50 knots of wind and gusting 60 knots near the eye of Storm Theta, Thomson is looking forward to eventually settling into some good downwind conditions which will take Hugo Boss (pictured above) fast south and into the trade winds.
It’s been a punishing start for all the skippers who will all welcome a trade wind passage to the equator. (21.22 13Nov20)
Listen to his morning check-in with race organisers (14Nov20)
Pip Hare found a secret stash
“While I was stacking, I found a bag of letters and presents my friends had snuck on board. It made cry!
“I’ve said many times there is a difference between being lonely and being alone. I know I am in so many people’s thoughts, it’s incredibly empowering to have such strong friendships.” (09.54 13Nov20)
Miranda Merron faced her nightmare at sea
Merron faced her worst nightmare yesterday, an electronic outage in the open sea, her NKE pilot.
“With external technical aids allowed, David de Chez NKE did a great job helping me make a diagnosis, which proved to be a failing switch, and helped me solve it by eliminating it. Had to use a voltameter, and restore some circuits, something I only have to do once every ten years. Whattsapp via satellite is extraordinarily helpful. Solving this problem was a victory for me. I finished just before sunset.” (08.26 14Nov20)
Listen to Merron check in with race organisers (14Nov20).
Sam Davies doesn’t want to take risks yet
“I don’t want to take any risks right now as the Vendee Globe is very long. It will be about trying to avoid the strongest part without having to sail too many extra miles. Luckily, we will be going the right way around it, downwind.” (15.27 13Nov20)
