Today is one of those days where only the pure speed of the monohulls can be expressed: there’s a stable tradewind of around twenty knots, a constant heading close to due North, a sea which has built up under the effect of the breeze from the Canaries, a ‘compromised’ angle to integrate the boat’s best potential and its good passage through the waves… The Canaries are still 900 miles away and on the grib files, there are no significant modifications for the coming sailing conditions. Therefore, the big news of the day is Marc Guillemot’s comeback on Safran, who is now hot on the heels of Loïck Peyron (Gitana Eighty): on the same latitude and a slight lateral separation, the two solo sailors are really neck and neck, despite Safran conceding a thirty mile deficit yesterday...

Fifteen miles have been gained in fifteen hours: the analysis is plain to see! The VPLP-Verdier design is a formidable player with the sheets eased. Behind the top duo, the hierarchy is much of a muchness compared with yesterday: Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) is still 80 miles behind the leader, Mike Golding (Ecover) 120 miles from the top spot, and only Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Maisonneuve) has risen in the ranking, now ahead of Samantha Davies (Roxy) in the ‘band of four’, which today has a deficit of 200 miles on the head of the fleet on this seventh day of racing.

Derek Hatfield (Spirit of Canada): “Hello from Spirit of Canada. Very windy here tonight. We are bumping along upwind in about 24 kts of wind, so very wet and uncomfortable. My thoughts go to Brit Air truly I am sorry for this disaster. Position 08 51 N, 031 15W, Speed 12 kts, Heading 007 degrees. Take Care.” (Please note that we're hoping to get in contact with Derek during today's Radio Session from 1400 to 1500 UTC)

Derek Hatfield (Spirit of Canada): “Hello from Spirit of Canada. Very windy here tonight. We are bumping along upwind in about 24 kts of wind, so very wet and uncomfortable. My thoughts go to Brit Air truly I am sorry for this disaster. Position 08 51 N, 031 15W, Speed 12 kts, Heading 007 degrees. Take Care.” (Please note that we're hoping to get in contact with Derek during today's Radio Session from 1400 to 1500 UTC)

 

 

Sam Davies (Roxy): “Finally yesterday morning, I escaped the clutches of the doldrums!! Since then, the wind has been building, right now there are 25 knots. Roxy is close reaching and we are on the express train to the Azores! There is a bit of a chop, and as we are sailing at speeds between 13 and 16 knots, the motion is pretty bumpy to say the least. It is like living permanently on a fairground ride, and even the smallest job is pretty much impossible! I won't bother with a clean T-shirt today because I am sure that I will be wearing some of my lunch! And I think I will need full oilskins to open my bottle of coca-cola! As well as being funny; this motion is also dangerous and I have to be really careful moving about as it is easy to get bumped and bruised. The cockpit is like a washing machine, so the clothing call for outside is full drysuit and ski-mask! Unless going for a shower, when all I will have to do is step outside naked and wait! Roxy has two reefs and staysail. The smallest sail combination since we left Brazil. We will be like this for three more days, as we charge up towards the Azores. The objective is to get to the westerly winds that are rolling across the Atlantic on the bottom of the winter depressions, as quickly as possible. Then we will be able to turn right and head for home! I have been studying the weather forecast and predicted route, and it looks like will sail through the islands of the Azores.”

Translation KJ