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Vendée Globe

Sam Davies finishes third in the Sables d’Olonne

"It does not feel like 97 days, it went really, really quickly"

Saturday 14 February 2009Information Vendée Globe

All the versions of this article: [English] [français]

Samantha Davies, GBR, (Roxy) crossed the finishing line at 00hrs 41mins 01 secs GMT as the third competitor to complete this epic sixth edition of the Vendée Globe solo non stop around the world race and return to Les Sables d’Olonne.

Ironically Davies will have to wait two days and two hours (50 hours) to see whether she hang on to third place in this sixth Vendée Globe as the final result will depend on Marc Guillemot’s finishing time. Guillemot was given a time compensation for standing by the badly injured skipper Yann Elies who was rescued from his Open 60 Generali on 20th December.

95 days 4 hours 39 mins 01 sec WITH redress: Roxy crossed the finish in the midst of a dark February night, in the small hours of St Valentine’s day, having sailed 27 470 miles on the water at an average speed Speed #speedsailing of 12.02 knots.

“I have just sailed around the world. It is amazing.”

“ It was an incredible finish, pretty full on. I managed to make the most of a nice sunset with 20 knots of wind and on the helm with my I-pod on singing out loud, then some fast reaching and then I was taken by surprise because the boats came out to meet me so early and stayed with me for about an hour. And so it was a bit full on because there was a lot more wind than I anticipated and so I had to do a bit of sail changing and so lots of action right up to the end of the race.”

On what it felt like to cross the line: “It was kind of almost disbelief when I crossed, it really does just seem like yesterday when I was leaving, and I can’t believe I have sailed all the way around the world, so it is really a weird feeling and I think it is going to take a couple of days to sink in what I have done.”

“It does not feel like 97 days, it went really, really quickly. It is only when I think things like when I left here it was 2008 and now it is 2009 and things like that, that has been a bit of time.”

On her finishing third, way beyond her expectations: “I never ever thought I might finish in third place, not at all, not at all, I could not even imagine being able to finish in fifth in the top five, I was kind of hoping to make the top 10, this really is a dream finish.”

On here abundant energy and good humour, even in the face of adversity: “It really was all such fun. Maybe as well that is just my way of getting through the hard moments, trying to find the positive side of everything and use that energy to battle through the tough times, but, no I enjoyed every single day of this race, and I surprised myself even, I knew I would enjoy it, but I did not realise I would enjoy it this much and it is an amazing way to do the race.”

“ It was brilliant to see everyone at the finish. They have done such a good job, supporting me, and sending me messages every day, and answering the phone whenever I called, and so it is really nice to see them, but because we have been so close and they have been supporting me, then it does not feel like we have been apart throughout the whole race. And it is nice, nice to see their faces. My mum and dad look really proud.”

And anticipating the welcome when she goes down the canal at around 0900hrs local time: “ I am quite glad I finished at low tide, giving me a little bit of peace to think about the welcome, and to think about the race I have done, instead of just going straight on land and having tons of people around me, so it is nice.”

Davies is the first British competitor to complete this edition of the race, which began off Les Sables d’Olonne back on 9th November 2008, and leads home Brian Thompson, GBR (Bahrain Team Pindar) and Dee Caffari, GBR, (Aviva) who are on course to finish in fifth and sixth places respectively. They are likely to finish late Sunday or Monday.

If she is not displaced from third place (if Marc Guillemot does not finish before Monday morning), she will become only the second woman on the podium in the history of the race and the third British sailor after Ellen MacArthur in 2000-2001 and Mike Golding in 2004-2005.

Davies’ sparky enthusiasm has been one of the constants of this remarkable race. Her effervescent moods, no matter the weather or her situation, belie a steely determination and a very accomplished attack around the race course. While se modulated her pace showing prudence when required, she equally proved capable of ’sending it’ - keeping up high average speeds for long periods and she was also one of the few sailors in the race to cover more than 400 miles in one day (making 414 miles in 24 hours 24 hours 24 hours best distance covered records ).

From the starting gun, Sam managed to keep the pace, staying with many of the newer designs simply by sailing smart and making astute routing decisions. Up to the Equator she occupied between tenth and fifteenth place. Ater the Doldrums, as she crossed into the Southern Hemisphere, Samantha Davies was in fourteenth place 235 miles from the leader, Loïck Peyron. The voyage down with the SE’ly trade winds proved more difficult for the polka dot pink Roxy, which does not have the same power as the newer boats.

The British soloist proved she has stamina in all weather, in spite of an unfavourable stretch around the St. Helena high: she lost more than 300 miles in four days stuck in light airs, while the frontrunners made their getaway into the Roaring Forties and those chasing after were able to take a short cut across.

Davies on Roxy surfed along on the Southern Ocean swell and crossed the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope still in fourteenth place, 560 miles behind Jean-Pierre Dick, who led the at that point.

Apart from her race performance, it is has been her ebullient, outgoing nature and her ability to convey her feelings that have gained her a huge following from all ages and both sexes, and immense respect and admiration from her fellow racers: nothing seemed to change her mood at sea in spite of finding herself up against such exceptional sailors.

The preparation of the pink Open 60 was a key factor, as she did not suffer any major damage. She chose to change as little possible from the proven features which had worked so well for Michel Desjoyeaux in 2000-1 and Vincent Riou in 2004-5 on this boat.

She sailed close to her first iceberg before reaching the Kerguelens. This stretch of the race was to see the downfall of many of her rivals, so that by Cape Leeuwin, Samantha Davies was tenth, 1035 miles behind Michel Desjoyeaux.

When Yann Eliès was in difficulty 800 miles south of Perth, Australia with a fractured femur she suspended her race to sail at full speed Speed #speedsailing to offer assistance alongside Marc Guillemot.

She got to within a few hours of the area just as the Australian Navy vessel had taken off Yann Eliès, and restarted the race with Marc Guillemot in conditions that were far from favourable: light winds and a heavy swell.

Already very much alone between the Kerguelens and Australia, Davies found herself totally alone, while Marc Guillemot carried out a pit stop off Auckland Island. Heading back up to the Pacific Ice gate was particularly tough with a series of very active low-pressure areas, which put an end to the race for a few more of her fellow competitors. By the Antipodes, the British sailor was up to eighth place.

But there was a whole ocean to still to climb. After a little under 63 days at sea, she rounded Cape Horn in fourth place in the rankings. Marc Guillemot was right behind her, in reality on corrected time ahead of her with his extra 50 hours redress. And there were still 7000 miles to go to les Sables d’Olonne.

Once again, Sam found herself alone, as Marc Guillemot stopped again in the Falklands to carry out more repairs to his mast track.

She was really to suffer during the climb back up the South Atlantic: once she had reached the latitude of Uruguay, she was taken prisoner by a thundery system and found herself stuck in the calms, which allowed Guillemot to get around her via the west by sailing close to the Brazilian coast, less than 30 miles at times.

The duel between the two competitors reached its high point in this stretch with positions changing several times. Davies had the advantage in this duel at the Equator and was in fourth place in the rankings.

She chose a rather risky route to get by the Azores high to the east and once again fell victim to the calms, while Marc Guillemot managed to find his way around the west: the battle continued until Safran lost her keel. Third place was now within her grasp!


View online : Photo ThMartinez/Sea&Co / www.thmartinez.com


Samantha Davies’s times

- Crossing the Equator: 13d 01h 51’
- Passing the Cape of Good Hope: 28d 05h 28’
- Passing Cape Leeuwin : 40d 00h 48’
- Crossing the International Date Line: 48d 11h 43’
- Rounding Cape Horn: 62d 21h 18’
- Crossing the Equator: 81d 2hrs 28m
- Finish in Les Sables d’Olonne :
- 95 days 4 hours 39 mins 01 sec WITH redress

Samantha Davies – Career Highlights

2008 The Artemis Transat – (solo from Plymouth to Boston), 5th
2007 Transat Ecover B to B race (solo from Bahia, Brazil to Port La Forêt, France): 7th
Transat Jacques Vabre (double-handed from Le Havre, France to Bahia, Brazil): 10th
Women’s record for sailing round the British islands in 11 days, 6 hours, 58 minutes and 17 sec
2006 Transat Ag2r
Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro
2005 Trophée BPE : 5th
Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro : 22nd
Générali Solo:16th
2004 Championnat de France de Course au Large : 10th
Transat Ag2r: 5th
Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro
Générali Solo: 12th
2003 Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro: 19th and 2nd rookie.
Transat Jaques Vabre : 6th (with Nick Moloney)
Route du Ponant : 14th
Tour de Bretagne : 18th (with E. Westmacott)
2002 Crew member on the Maxi-Catamaran Maiden II (ex-Club Med)
Records : 24 Hours, Cross-Channel, Round Britain & Ireland and Antigua - Newport
2001 Mini Transat : 11th et 2nd women
Mini-Pavois : 6th
Select 6.50 : 9th
Olympic sailing: crew to Shirley Robertson
1998 Round the world Record attempt in the Trophée Jules Verne on Royal Sun Alliance, all girl crew

Also in this section

Vendée Globe • D 92 : Marc Guillemot : "I really want to finish"

Vendée Globe : Armel Le Cléac’h 2nd to Les Sables d’Olonne

Vendée Globe : Desjoyeaux’s day in Les Sables

Vendée Globe • D80 : Roland Jourdain to stop in the Azores


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