Alex Thomson's boat is still drifting along at only 6 knots, while he is apparently feverishly busy implementing the repair plan that his team and the engineers from VPLP sent him yesterday. Yesterday evening he reported back from on board:
"After sleeping for six hours so that I was ready for the gruelling repair job, I discussed the repair plan with the team so that I understood it and asked the right questions. The first part was to stabilise the hull, which involved some sawing, laminating and bolting. That's now done and laminated. The next step is to prepare the rest of the repair. I have to get all the materials together and cut the parts while it's still light. I still have a few hours of light to do this. After that it doesn't matter, the front of the fuselage is pitch black anyway.
It's really humid and hot - quite hard to work in the bow. But we have a lot of material on board: underwater resins, adhesives that have no problem with the humid environment. I don't think many other teams have as much material on board as we do. I'm in the rhythm now and will keep going as long as I can. It's a demanding job, I can't speed anything up, I have to be sure it's going to be right.
I'm disappointed, of course, but this is the Vendée Globe. You have to be able to deal with something like this. Normally I would be angry and sad and very emotional, but not this time. I have to deal with it. I'm sure the emotions will come at some point, but the only thing that matters now is that I get the job done. I will do whatever I can to stay in the race!"
At the 9 o'clock update, "Hugo Boss" had now been overtaken by Jean Le Cam's "Yes we Cam" and Kevin Escoffier's "PRB". In a few hours, "Bureau Vallée" (Louis Burton) and Boris Herrmann should pass the Brit.
The German had a tough night yesterday, a lull slowed him down badly for many hours. He lost 40 miles to the "PRB" sailing in front of him, which he slowly but surely began to catch up with. However, he remained calm and sent a video from the doldrums yesterday evening.
Update from Seaexplorer
"It's been very light wind since midday yesterday. I was going good speed, even with my jib top for a while, and then with the Code Zero, and from midday it went from 20 knots to 3 knots boat speed. By sunset I was smiling again, but before that I was biting my nails and hoping I wouldn't come to a complete stop, which luckily didn't happen. I had just enough speed for the nose to point in the right direction. I don't know why, but I lost 40 miles on 'PRB'. She got the wind ahead of me and when I was still doing 5 knots she was already doing 11, but it's nice to sail in this group, my race is in this group and it's a good race. I've lost a few places, but I'll try to get them back on each one over the next few days! It's a bit like the Doldrums, with wind shifts of 30 degrees and big differences in wind speed. There's just the challenge of getting through this week, then we'll be in the Big South soon!"
Meanwhile, Charlie Dalin has taken the lead for the first time with his "Apivia", 18 nautical miles ahead of Thomas Ruyant's "Linked Out". Both jibed several times during the night, sailing along the narrow corridor between a high and a low. Frenchman Jean Le Cam is still in third place, sailing the most easterly course of all the starters. He is defending himself tooth and nail against the foilers and has sailed an incredibly strong race so far.
It's also interesting at the back of the field: Japan's Kojiro Shiraishi is back in the race with his repaired mainsail, which he can now only sail with the first reef. However, he is likely to soon feel the breath of his sister ship from behind: Jérémie Beyou's "Charal", which returned to the race in Les Sables ten days after the start following repairs, is only just under 700 miles behind him and has so far been able to sail a very direct route close to the African coast. It will be interesting to see when the Frenchman has fought his way back into the field of slower boats. It is quite likely that he will succeed.
Andreas Fritsch
Editor Travel
