Sea, Sail & Surf newsRoute du Rhum
Extreme Conditions Strike Hard on the Fleet
Brits lead the monohull division
mercredi 13 novembre 2002 –
Conditions : A wind shift to the north-west has bettered the situation for the competitors in the west, but tonight the conditions will still be fierce, with south-westerly gales hitting the boats further south-east.
At midnight Philippe Monnet reported wind shifts from 20 to 70 knots. Monnet’s Sopra Group had only the storm jib up and was sailing in survival mode. The extremely strong wind hit the trimaran too hard, the staysail got caught up in the furler forming a huge pocket. This catapulted the trimaran right over sideways some time after midnight. At 08.46 GMT Philippe Monnet set off the alarm of the distress beacon. He was not reached until 15.00 GMT, but earlier in the day a British boat in La Coruña changed route bound for the trimaran Sopra Group and made contact via VHF with the skipper. Monnet has been safely airlifted. He had to abandon the boat in the dangerous conditions. "I was not far from the shipping lane. In the rough sea with 10 metre waves I did not want to risk being rammed into and cut in two," said Monnet who is unhurt on land in Spain.
The next victim of capsize occurred at 06.10 GMT this morning, when Yvan Bourgnon on Rexona Men was hit by brutal wind forces, which lifted the boat and knocked it over. Close by, Loïck Peyron on Fujifilm was severely beaten by the same sort of conditions. With no sails up, on starboard tack, in massive waves and 45 knots of wind, Loïck Peyron realised at 09.00 GMT that his starboard float was broken in two, neatly cut between the two beams. Two hours later, at 11.00 GMT, the French skipper called in again - Fujifilm had dismasted. The front of the starboard float exploded, and the mast immediately gave out. The mast fall damaged the port float, which is now filled with water. Peyron is calm and claims there is no emergency situation. He is now sailing a "proa", heading downwind towards Portugal.
The majority of the powerful but vulnerable trimarans are sailing with solely a storm jib and the main sail down. It took Karine Fauconnier on Sergio Tacchini more than three heavy hours to get the main down in the rough squalls last night.
Bayer CropSciences’ Frederic Le Peutrec repaired his autopilot problems and left port in Belle Ile at 08.40 GMT this morning, but has gone back into La Trinité sur Mer to shelter from the depressions. Jean Le Cam on Bonduelle left port in Camaret around the same time as Le Peutrec, but has now followed suit. Jean Luc Nélias, Belgacom, was also ready to go, but decided to wait in port until Thursday or Friday, for better conditions.
Marc Guillemot on Biscuits La Trinitaine Team Ethypharm will make a pit stop when he reaches the Azores for sail repairs.
The five smaller 50-foot trimarans in the fleet are braving the storms and are holding out remarkably well. Crepes Whaou ! is still in the lead. The southern and eastern most boat Archipel Guadeloupe had to bear away from the fierce conditions, but has turned back to the right track.
Monohulls - Brits in the Lead
The monohull fleet is doing better than the cruel harvest of the 60-foot trimaran fleet, and the race is full on. Mike Golding’s Ecover has been in the lead since yesterday. Ellen MacArthur on Kingfisher is catching up in a steady pace, only 4 miles behind at the 15.00 GMT position report, and moving three knots faster. With three reefs in the main and a storm jib, Golding was calm, with high morale despite the conditions, "The conditions are very bad, and the wind will be increasing, making it even more difficult. It is a very, very rough sea, and sailing in 14-15 knots of speed, each wave is quite an impact. We have just got to get through this and catch some nicer conditions".
Virbac with Jean Pierre Dick (Open 60’ IMOCA Imoca #IMOCA ) dismasted last night. At 07.00 GMT he was around 200 miles off Coruña (North West Spain). The mast is shattered and only the boom is left. Dick was down below when the mast broke, it was blowing around 30 knots, and Dick cannot quite understand what happened. He is safe and sound heading towards the coast.
Australian Nick Moloney on Ashfield Healthcare is still leading the class 2 monohulls. UK skipper Conrad Humphreys on Hellomoto (4th class 3 monohull) is catching up after last Sunday’s pit stop for repairs on the hull. Humphreys reported at 15.15 GMT that he had north-westerly conditions, doing 12 knots, and on the hunt !
Positions 13/11/02 15:00:00 GMT
Monohull 60’ORMA
1-Thomas Coville-Sodebo-2851 miles to finish
2-Alain Gautier-Foncia-2935
3-Marc Guillemot-Biscuits La Trinitaine - Ethypharm-2941
4-Michel Desjoyeaux-Géant-2967
5-Lalou Roucayrol-Banque Populaire-2973
6-Karine Fauconnier-Sergio Tacchini-2973
7-Steve Ravussin-TechnoMarine-2994
8-Jean Le Cam-Bonduelle-3425
9-Jean-Luc Nélias-Belgacom-3443
10-Frederic Le Peutrec-Bayer CropSciences-3450
Monohull 60’ IMOCA
1-Mike Golding-Ecover-2810 miles to finish
2-Ellen McArthur-Kingfisher-2814
3-Roland Jourdain-Sill-2865
4-Joé Seten-Arcelor-Dunkerque-2948
5-Didier Munduteguy-60e Sud-2964
6-Miranda Merron-Un Univers de Services-2998
7-Antoine Koch-L’Heautontimoroumenos-3004
8-Patrick Favre-Millimages-Gédéon-3012
9-Patrick De Radiguès-Garnier Belgium-3063
10-Frédéric Lescot-Dinan Pays d’Entreprises-3091
11-Mike Birch-Tir Groupé-Montres Yéma-3102
12-Georges Leblanc-Ciments St Laurent-Ocean-3186
Non Localisé : Elie Canivenc-Leasecom-
Monohull class 1
1-Bruno Reibel-Ville de Dinard-3197 miles to finish
Monohull Class 2
1-Nick Moloney-Ashfield Healthcare-3023 miles to finish
2-Luc Coquelin-Florys-3060
3-Hervé Vachée-Mille Visages-3082
4-Roger Langevin-Branec III-3108
5-Bob Escoffier-Adecco Etoile Horizon-3139
6-Clément Surtel-Laiterie St Malo-3173
7-Yannick Bestaven-République Dominicaine-3465
8-J. F. Durand-Défi Vendéen-3512
Monohull Class 3
1-Regis Guillemot-Storagetek-3036 miles to finish
2-Etienne Svilarich-Grain de Soleil-3157
3-Jérôme Thiriez-Passion Entreprendre-3159
4-Conrad Humphreys-Hellomoto-3274
5-Alain Grinda-Fantasy-Forest-3456
Multihull class 2
1-F. Y. Escofier-Crepes Whaou !-2865 miles to finish
2-Anne Cazeneuve-Yachting-casino.com-2967
3-Hervé Cleris-Vaincre la mucoviscidose-3023
4-Claude Thelier-Archipel Guadeloupe-3105
5-P.Y. Guennec-Lehning-Lapeyre-Blanchet-Gourbeyre-3223
6-Patrick Morvan-Groupe France Epargne-3454
16 retirements of 58 starting :
8 ORMA 60’ multihulls : Franck Cammas Groupama, Bertrand De Broc Banque Covefi, Lionel Lemonchois Gitana X, Francis Joyon Eure et Loire-Lorenove, Giovanni Soldini, TIM, Yvan Bourgnon Rexona Men, Loick Peyron Fujifilm, Philippe Monnet Sopra Group
3 IMOCA 60’ monohulls : Loick Pochet La Rage de Vivre, Sebastien Josse VMI, Jean Pierre Dick Virbac, Dominique Wavre Temenos
1 Class 2 50’ monohulls : Christophe Huchet APIC A3S
0 Class 3 40’ monohulls : Yannick Bestaven République Dominicaine
2 Class 2 50’ multihulls : Didier Le Villain Chaleur Fioul Elan, Pascal Quentin E-Sat Tri Séléctif, Patrick Morvan Groupe France Epargne
6 competitors are in port for repair work or waiting for better conditions
36 are on the race course
Dans la même rubrique
Route du Rhum : The Brits are chasing down Bilou the Frenchman in monohull division
Route du Rhum : Jourdain, Golding and MacArthur first three Open 60s to cape Frehel
Route du Rhum : MacArthur, Golding, Moloney and Jourdain about Open monohulls fleet
Around Alone : Simone Bianchetti rejoins race with help from rival teams
