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10:19 PM Sat 14 Feb 2009 GMT
 | | 'Sam Davies and Roxy finish third on the water, first Briton and first female competitor home'
Jacques Vapillon |
Les Sables d'Olonne was in party mood this morning as Sam Davies, GBR (Roxy) was welcomed back down the canal by huge crowds who had been up since the very early morning to claim prime viewing positions to join the British skipper on her return to the Port Olona marina that she left on 9th November 2008.
Marc Guillemot (Safran) has 184 miles to sail and was making 5.7 knots VMG between today's position reports, tacking upwind towards the finish. If he can maintain that average he would finish during Sunday evening, early enough to wrest third place from Davies.
The battle for fifth place is still on too, with Dee Caffari, GBR, (Aviva) caught to just 58 miles behind Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar). All three, Guillemot, Thompson and Caffari are in the same breeze and will have to beat to the finish.
The morning was cold, the welcome was warm and spontaneous as befitted the arrival of Sam Davies on Roxy, the young British soloist who leant her unique light touch and a formidable performance to what might otherwise be remembered as a difficult war of attrition won by the seemingly unstoppable Michel Desjoyeaux.
In perfect sunshine and just light winds, Davies, supported by her technical team - the Roxy Boys - her parents and family, friends and sponsors - brought the famous Open 60 down the canal to huge cheers a little after 0900hrs (local time), stopped at times by the volume of traffic in the narrow waterway. After finishing at 01:41.01 local time last night, Davies spent one final night, just a couple of hours in her cosy sleeping bag on board in readiness for the joyful day today.
'I have done all I can do and got a great result no matter what.' Smiled Davies on the news that Marc Guillemot seemed to be ahead of the deadline he needs to make to take third place, 02:41.01 GMT on Monday morning. His latest ETA predicts an arrival on Sunday evening.
Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar) had caught to within 40 miles of Guillemot's Safran which has been making 5.7 knots VMG today, seemingly consistently inside the target speeds needed to be sure of third.
But all three - Guillemot, Thompson and Dee Caffari, GBR, (Aviva) - have a long leg to windward still to complete. Caffari was 58 miles behind her British rival this afternoon and admitted she was getting finish fever after seeing pictures of Sam Davies' arrival last night and this morning. Indeed after the first three Open 60's finishing at virtually weekly intervals, there is the prospect of the second three arriving within hours of each other starting tomorrow (Sunday) evening. Thompson said this afternoon he would like to be in by sunset.
The British skipper is looking forward to seeing his young family - his three and a half year old daughter and one and a half year old son - again after 97 days at sea. Thompson said: 'My daughter knows her daddy is coming home and is very excited, and the wee one will just get a lovely surprise. I can't wait.
'It is going to be a beat all the way. It would have been nice to have a reach or a run in after all this way, but that is the way it is. We should have breeze all the way to the finish which has to be good, a bit of a slog upwind as it is. It is very grey and chilly and there is a lot of shipping around on the route between Cape Finisterre and Ouessant.'
'I have less than 200 miles ago and it is very definitely 'race on' with Dee. It might get a little light, but I'd like to be in before sunset tomorrow. I am just keen to get finished now, to put the boat 'in the barn'. I'll be happy to get back after this, circumnavigation number 3, but certainly the most challenging one I have done.'
Dee Caffari, GBR, (Aviva):'It is all good on board. I am getting very excited now and chasing Brian really hard. I don't know if I will sleep very much I am so excited. We have 15-18 knots of breeze. I had a big lift for a while and was pointing straight at Les Sables d'Olonne, but sadly it did not last.
'It is difficult to say what will happen, but it looks lighter tomorrow afternoon. There are three different models and none of them agree, which always seems to be the way of if when it goes light. I think it is likely it will go more NNE'ly and so we all be coming in high of the line.
'I did not expect to carry on gaining on Brian and so I am just to keep on pushing, pushing. The mainsail will just have to last, I am not looking at it.
'I hope they don't start partying without me. I had a sneaky look at the pictures of Sam arrival this morning and it looked brilliant, now I am so excited.'
1500hrs GMT. Rankings, Saturday 14th February 2009
(FRA unless stated)
1 . Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) finished after 84 days 3 hours, 9 minutes
2 . Armel Le Cl?ac'h (Brit Air) finished after 89 days 9 hours 39 minutes
3 . Sam Davies (Roxy) finished after 95 days 04 hours 39 minues
4 . Marc Guillemot (Safran) at 185 miles to finish
5 . Brian Thompson (Bahrain Team Pindar) 223 miles to finish
6 . Dee Caffari (Aviva) at 277 miles to finish
7 . Arnaud Boissi?res (Akena V?randas) at 1454 miles to finish
8 . Steve White (Toe in the Water) 2040 miles to finish
9 . Rich Wilson (Great American III) at 3581 miles to finish
10 . Rapha?l Dinelli (Fondation Oc?an Vital) at 4745 miles to finish
11 . Norbert Sedlacek (Nauticsport - Kapsch) at 5103 miles to finish
RDG . Vincent Riou (PRB). 3rd equal. 30 boats started
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