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1:23 AM Mon 10 Nov 2008 GMT
 | | '2008 VENDEE GLOBE. Start. Seb Josse (FRA) on 'BT'.leading the fleet after the start, ahead of 'PRB' Vincent Riou (FRA) and 'Paprec-Virbac' Jean -Pierre Dick (FRA) - Vendee Globe 2008-09'
Th.Martinez © |
At the first official rankings for the Vend?e Globe 2008 published at 1500 GMT, Seb Josse onboard BT shares the lead with Marc Guillemot on Safran. In third is Jean-Pierre Dick on Paprec Virbac just a tiny distance behind (+0.2nm) and then sailing legend Loick Peyron onboard Gitana Eighty - Peyron competed in the first ever Vend?e Globe.
Seb had a flying start crossing the line with the leading pack and 40 minutes into the sixth edition of this 26,000 mile race was leading.
www.btsebjosse.com
Alex Thomson has made the start of the Vend?e Globe 2008, crossing the startline on port tack at 13.02 local time today.
'When I drove HUGO BOSS into Les Sables D?Olonne three weeks ago, she had a big hole in the side and the mast was 2 miles out to sea at the bottom of the seabed. It?s so incredible to be coming out of the canal today and seeing so much support for us. Although it is much easier to deal with than last time, I am still choking a bit, but managing to hold it back,' said skipper of HUGO BOSS Alex Thomson. 'Since the incident the objective was always to get to the start line and we have done it, my whole team have done such a great job to get us here.'
The conditions for the start were 15-18 knots of wind with large swell of 6ft ? 9ft. This is forecast to increase through the night, which will test the single handed sailor and his repaired boat, HUGO BOSS: 'After the last couple of weeks I'm hoping the next week will feel like a bit of a holiday! But I think we?re in for a hard couple of days. We're expecting 30 knots tonight building to 40 knots tomorrow. It?s definitely going to sort out the men from the boys. This is either going to be good or bad for us, it could be bad if we break something, but if we do I would rather do it close to the start.'
Alex Thomson?s race to the start has been deemed one of the most miraculous repair story in the Vend?e Globe history ? as Alex and his team triumphantly overcame the disaster of being stuck by a fishing vessel only three weeks ago.
www.hugoboss-sailing.com
With precision timing for both their departure from the pontoons this morning and the race start, the thirty participants in the Vend?e Globe 2008 - 2009 set off in unison. As planned, at 1302 hours, boosted by a moderate but strengthening SW'ly, the fleet of Imoca monohulls took to the seas.
Aboard Gitana Eighty, Lo?ck Peyron opted to benefit from the right hand side of the race zone in the wake of S?bastien Josse's 60 footer, the leader in the first ranking.However, in addition to the technical precision, such as the tack chosen by the sailors as well as their sail plan during the start procedure, the unique setting offered at the start of the afternoon off the Vend?e coast certainly deserves a mention as the magic of the Vend?e Globe was in play once again! Despite the rain taking hold for a while with grey skies and a motley sea, it was a fantastic spectacle. Escorted by their shore crews, the 60 footers carved out a path through the numerous spectator craft. After an hour long procession to get offshore it was time to bid a final farewell before being left alone to sail their race.
Given the weather forecasts, the first night's racing looks set to involve some work, with increased vigilance on deck being a must. Indeed, setting out on the trailing edge of a rainy front, which swept across the Vend?e coast this morning, the solo sailors are now heading towards another front, still located a good way off to the west. The wind is set to fill rapidly, peaking tomorrow morning with an average of 30 to 35 knots and gusts in excess of 40 knots. In other words, there will be little time for Lo?ck Peyron and Gitana Eighty to ease gently into the rhythm of the race. On casting off this morning, the skipper of the monohull in the colours of the LCF Rothschild Group alluded to the fact that his main goal initially would be to get into the right wagon from the outset. This is a done deal tonight with Gitana Eighty occupying fourth place at the 1600 hour ranking.
www.gitana-team.com
Temenos should be setting sail again tonight.
Dominique Wavre and his team have identified the electrical problem, which led the skipper to return to Les Sables d'Olonne. It was the computer unit in the system, which had stopped working. A new part is on the way from Lorient. The sailor is expected to set sail again on the next tide at around eleven tonight (French time).
www.vendeeglobe.org/en/
by Various Vendee Globe media
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