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10:31 AM Fri 12 Dec 2008 GMT
Passing Heard Island in the Vendee Globe, it is Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac II) who remains clear leader of the Vend?e Globe, chosing a more southerly course through the channel between the Kerguelen Islands archipelago and Heard Island. Gaining 8.5 miles on those in pursuit of him, Dick has been marginally quicker overnight than Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) who is still locked in battle royal with Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) and Mike Golding, GBR, (Ecover 3).
After a high speed, difficult overnight passage in confused, big seas and gusty winds of 35 knots there is still just 3.6 miles of difference between Desjoyeaux, third placed Jourdain, Mike Golding in fourth. In turn a gap from fourth to fifth placed Seb Josse (BT) of 36.8 miles is opened.
While Desjoyeaux, with Josse in his wake, has chosen to pass closer to the Kerguelen Islands, Dick with Golding and Jourdain in pursuit have a line closer to Heard Island.
Making 411 miles over 24 hours up until 0330hrs GMT this morning, Dick is not far out from the race record of Roland Jourdain set in 2004 at 438 miles. With winds to 40 knots and more set for the next couple of days, and a white hot battle raging at the front of the fleet then at least Dick's 411 miles seems likely to be bettered.
Vigilance for ice is a constant factor, sapping mentally and physically, adding to the constant nervous tension. Jonny Malbon, GBR, battling through 40-45 knot winds, huge seas and raining ice on Artemis II reported seeing an iceberg at 0330hrs last night some four miles away from him. The iceberg was some 400 metres long and 60-80m high. Malbon has twisted his ankle during a difficult night.
Within the race, in the middle of the fleet, the race is no less demanding and no less intense. The three way fight between Yann Eli?s (Generali), Marc Guillemot (Safran) and Dominique Wavre, SUI, (Temenos II) continues with Wavre - who held the race 24h speed record in 2000 - faster by two knots than ninth placed Eli?s.
And Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) has just eight miles in hand over Swiss skipper Bernard Stamm (Chemin?es Poujoulat). Routing 120 miles north of him, Thompson looks like he might pass north of the Kerguelens.
News from the Boats
Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Groupe Maisonneuve):'I have just had my worst night since the start of the race... I struggled for hours in the night during the black and icy squalls trying to get the gennaker furled. I was afraid I wouldn't manage it. Once rolled up, it came unrolled and became a real mess. It even got tangled up with the genoa for a while. Help!! At one point I saw a shooting star and I made wish that the boat was tidied up before the end of the night. Just as I was slipping into my duvet, the pilot failed. The boat broached and went over on her side, with the keel and ballast on the wrong side, heeled over at 90?. Everything inside went flying, clothes, duvet, books, tool box... Everything is soaked. In the end the boat was tidied up by daybreak, so now I believe in shooting stars.'
Norbert Sedlacek (Nauticsport-Kapsch) in an e-mail this morning:This morning at around 06h UTC in a very strong gust, my forestay broke. I was able to recover the genoa. The rigging is intact. The weather is very bad. There's a force 6 NNW'ly wind, but gusts reaching force 9. Now I'm surfing at 22 knots just with the mainsail with two reefs.'
Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) by e-mail this morning:This is the third time I've been down here in y oilskins and it's the first time I have seen ice. It's not that surprising. In 2001, someone came up to me at the Boat Show a few months after the Vend?e Globe and said: 'I'd love to do like you and sail quickly around Antarctica seeing the ice!' 'You can do one or the other' I answered. 'If you do both at the same time, it will have a sad ending. ' 'But you did it, ' he insisted. 'No. Sailing quickly yes, but ice does not figure on the programme.' But that is what happened yesterday. The first was about twice the length of Foncia, about forty metres, at least from what I saw. This blue is simply sublime and remids me of the colours in glaciers. It was very beautiful, but that was enough for one day. The photos aren't much good, but do prove it. I was steering with one hand, just in case I had to change course, while taking the picture. I managed to get the sky or the water, but rarely both. I could have got closer, but I'm in a hurry. I've a boar waiting for me at home.'
0400 HRS GMT. Rankings, (FRA, unless stated)
1. Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) at 15362.2 miles
2. Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) at 39.3 miles
3. Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) at 43.8 miles
4. Mike Golding GBR (Ecover) at + 46.4 miles
5. Seb Josse (BT) at + 83.2 miles
Selected International
12. Dominique Wavre, SUI, (Temenos 2) at + 277.2 miles
13. Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) at + 615.2 miles
14. Bernard Stamm, SUI, (Chemin?es Poujoulat) at + 623.1 miles
15. Sam Davies, GBR,(ROXY) at + 701.4 miles
16. Dee Caffari, GBR, (AVIVA) at + 916.8 miles
18. Steve White, GBR, (Toe in the Water) at + 1236.9 miles
19. Johnny Malbon, GBR, (Artemis) at + 1383.2 miles
20. Rich Wilson, USA, (Great America III) at + 1546.8 miles
22. Derek Hatfield, CAN, (Algimouss Spirit of Canada) at + 2064.8
24. Norbert Sedlacek, AUT, (Nauticsport.Kapsch) + 2542.3 miles
by Event Media
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Cape Leeuwin, WA
Foiling - Components (Wings,Masts,etc)
