SOLO - The 2008 Vendée Globe Edition by OC Sport

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V E N D É E

G L O B E

s p e c i a l

“There is no greater adventure. This race is worth all the sacrifices and risks it holds in store.” S é b a s t i e n J o ss e - S K I P P E R B T O P E N 6 0

Singlehanded aroun non stop “We’re professionals, it’s our job, but the Vendée can never be seen like another day at the office.” S é b a s t i e n J o ss e

“The Vendée Globe teaches you to go closer to the limits and that’s something that people rarely experience in modern life!” E l l e n M ac A rt h u r

“The Vendée Globe stands alone in so many areas...many other races will claim to be the toughest but this race is undeniably the toughest, most extreme, most difficult, offshore yacht race in existence - period!” Nick Moloney

“We leave, go around our small planet, and come back to where we left - only powered by the wind. I could never get tired of that, it’s magical.” Roland Jourdain

“Sometimes it’s true, we really are playing with fire” Loïck Peyron

Throughout its history, 86 sailors have entere

nd the world without assistance Start: 13h02 9th November 2008, Les Sables d’Olonne

6th edition

Established in 1989

26,600 miles, 3 capes, 3 oceans

Race record: 87 days, 10 hours, 47 min and 55 sec (Vincent Riou, 2005) Less than 100 sailors have raced solo, non-stop around the world

The 2008 lineup

7 nationalities

32 Round The World journeys completed, among which 21 Vendée Globes

1.5 million miles raced around the world between them

20 new boats built specifically for the 2008 event

ed the Vendée Globe ... only 48 have finished

©Alexander Hafemann

Record breaking, 30-strong fleet

co n te n ts

contents 06 T h e V e n d é e G l o b e , a r a c e a pa rt Sailing correspondent for ‘The Independent’ examines what makes the French planetary race so special. 08 S é b a st i e n J o ss e u n v e i l e d The sailor and the man… by Jocelyn Blériot 10 A h i sto ry o f t h e V e n d é e G l o b e Dominic Bourgeois looks back on all the previous editions of the race. 16 W HAT I S BT T e a m E l l e n ? 18 M y V e n d é e G l o b e by Ellen MacArthur 20 H o w t h e V e n d é e c h a n g e d m e by Nick Moloney 24 A r o u n d t h e w o r l d Weather and strategy explained. 28 24 h o u r s o n b oa r d BT with Sébastien Josse 30 R a c e M a p 32 T h e s o l i d b o u n da r i e s o f a l i q u i d w o r l d A voyage in space and time around the globe, from legendary capes to desolate islands. 38 Z o o m ! The BT Open 60’ on full screen, by Thierry Martinez. 44 T h e V e n d é e G l o b e L i n e u p An exceptional list of entrants. 48 BT ’s a n ato m y Up close and personal with Sébastien’s monohull. 50 Da r k s i d e o f t h e G l o b e Sébastien answers our unpleasant questions. 51 Co m p r e h e n s i v e s a i l i n g C V 52 M e n at w o r k The shore team in its natural element, in pictures by Thierry Martinez. 56 O n a T i g h t R o p e How modern fibres made steel obsolete, with Yvan Joucla, rigger aboard BT. 58 T h e e x t r a c r e w m e m b e r Who steers the boat when Sébastien’s asleep? The answer from Miles Seddon, B&G. 60 A s e a o f d r e a m s How the oceans might help us shape a brighter future, by Jocelyn Blériot. 64 BT T e a m E l l e n Pa rt n e r s You can follow the latest news at www.btteamellen.com Please send us your feedback on this issue at solo@btteamellen.com

EDITED BY: Offshore Challenges Sailing Team Editor: Jocelyn Blériot Contributors: Stuart Alexander, Dominic Bourgeois, Ellen MacArthur, Nick Moloney, Julie Royer, Miles Seddon. Cover picture: Thierry Martinez / Sea&Co / BT Team Ellen Design and Production: Keith Lemmon - OC Vision All rights reserved. Published September 2008

On the 9th November 2008, Sébastien Josse will take on the ultimate in ocean racing on board BT; sailing single-handed, non-stop around the globe in what is widely regarded as the toughest race on earth - the Vendée Globe. Sébastien is part of BT Team Ellen and we are proud to be an integral part of the team that has made this happen. We wish him the best of luck in this unique endeavour. Working together, we aim not only to win races, but also to demonstrate how innovative approaches to communications and technology can help to create a better world. Developing a sustainable future is an important part of this partnership as businesses and consumers increasingly need to act responsibly towards the environment in which we operate. Share the journey with us. Francois Barrault, CEO, BT Global Services

STUART ALEXANDER

The Vendée Globe, © B. Stichelbaut/DPPI

A Race Apart t is not Jerusalem, Mecca or the Ganges, nor is it glitzy Cote d’Azur. But Les Sables d’Olonne is the top pilgrimage destination for anyone seeking the holy grail of singlehanded ocean racing. Nor would you choose to go there in what can be the hostile

whom have had a taste of the best events the international

weather of November or February. The modern-day Hulot

world of sport has to offer… Even those who have seen it

families take their holidays in the much warmer, traditional

all gladly admit the Vendée Globe is in a league of its own

months of July and August. For the rest this is a hard-

when it comes to emotional potential.

working, old-fashioned fishing town. But, every four years it attracts in only their rarified tens, the most adventurous in a sporting world that is always seeking something more extreme - and in their hundreds of thousands those who come to admire them.

The fascination is obvious, but where does it come from? Maybe there is some sort of Gallic delight in watching others suffer - they also came up with the Tour de France cycling torture - but the thought of 90 24-hour days in the tropical heat of the Equator followed by the freezing,

This is an intensely French world populated by the Brittany

boat and body battering of the gale-strewn Southern

mafia of Port la Foret and Lorient, yet this year it will be

Ocean on a track that is constantly in motion is something

more international than it has ever been, and the race’s

again. It is not what has become a two-week sprint across

power of attraction expands well beyond the boundaries

the Atlantic, and it lacks the companionship of the two-

racing simply does not do it justice.

of Western France. The Vendée Globe has made heroes, and

handed round the world Barcelona World Race. And its

The metaphor has been used and

Ellen MacArthur’s remarkable second place in the 2001

French base is entirely appropriate to its French origin. If

edition certainly propelled her from the sports pages to

you want to watch ice hockey you go to Canada or Russia,

television breakfast shows. Thirty adventurers will take the

there is something special about rugby in New Zealand and

complexity of the race’s power of

start on 9 November, and whether they are seasoned pros

something incomprehensible, to the rest of the world, about

attraction. Stuart Alexander, sailing

or debutants, will be going through a mixture of emotions

cricket in England. It may have been an Englishman, Sir

ranging from euphoria in public to terror in private. They will

Francis Chichester, who threw down a singlehanded sailing

also be carried along by the very special atmosphere which

gauntlet that was then picked up so enthusiastically by

takes a look at what makes the

is Les Sables d’Olonne when the Vendée Globe fleet gathers

the French, but the epicentre of world singlehanded sailing

Vendée Globe such a race apart.

for the pre-start jamboree.

remains France and especially, Les Sables d’Olonne.

“As a youngster”, says BT skipper Sébastien Josse, “I used

If the race were being started for the first time in the

to look at the Vendée Globe and think there was nothing

much more commercial 21st century, perhaps Les Sables

above it. Which is very natural for a kid whose dream is, one

d’Olonne would struggle to beat off opposition that could

day, to sail around the world I guess… But now that I’ve

provide more luxurious hotels, easier communication, even a

been in the professional circuit for quite a few years, that

dockside that was more suited to promenaders. But even that

perception hasn’t changed at all. Part of the race’s magic

workaday wardrobe adds to one of the essential ingredients

lies in the fact that somehow, even if you’ve managed to

that appeal to competitors, French and foreign alike, which

enter the world of those guys who used to be your heroes,

is its purity of spirit. And the Les Sables is perfect for the

the Vendée Globe still has the power to bring out the kid

openhanded welcome from the sheer number of people

within you. I think we all agree on that, there is no way one

who come to pay tribute to their heroes. They are all heroes

could become “blasé” - we’re professional, it’s our job, but

to the families, fans, and snaking lines of schoolchildren who

the Vendée can never be seen like another day at the office.”

queue patiently to walk down to the pontoon and look at

Echoing those words, British skipper Alex Thomson simply

each of the boats in the three weeks before the start. If a

states: “I just have to hear the words Les Sables d’Olonne

competitor walks through the race village or through the

and my heart starts pounding.” And the same applies to

town there are constant wishes of good will. Any excuse to

many partners, sponsors and campaign backers, most of

make contact is taken; autographs are willingly signed.

Calling it the “Everest” of offshore

abused, and no longer conveys the

correspondent for ‘The Independent’,

A r ace A p a r t 7

“It is so simple,” says Thomson. “One man, one boat, one complete circumnavigation of the world without stopping, and without help, against all the forces of nature. It is still pure and it needs to remain pure.” It is thought that, although thousands have now conquered Everest, and over 500 have been into space, less than 100 have sailed solo non-stop round the world. They are part of a special village, a likeminded community. There is always an individual chemistry which determines relationships within that community, but their shared purpose is much stronger than nationalism in an event that has managed to become more and more professional while still being a planetary adventure. They all share the build-up of nerves and emotion in the last few days and cannot wait for the settling in period of

Sébastien Josse enjoying the crowd’s support prior to the start of the 2004 Vendée Globe

the first 48 hours when they return to the job they know and love. “Compared with the first time in 2000, when I was wonderfully ignorant, I now know the ropes,” says Mike Golding, returning this year for the third time. “So that probably means I am even more scared. But that is the great thing about the Vendée. You are often at the limit of both what you and the boat can take. At times like that you remember the support of ordinary people and their children.” And as Sébastien puts it, “The level of support you get from the crowd is absolutely mind-blowing and, in fact, it goes beyond what your brain can take in. It’s so strong it becomes physical, your entire person receives the warmth and best wishes sent by all the spectators packed on either bank of the canal.” If you can join them on the Vendée coast, it is an experience well worth the effort.

Fireworks for Vincent Riou’s victory in 2005

S é bastie n J osse

Sébastien Josse is about to embark on his fourth circumnavigation, this time at the helm of the BT Open 60, after having successfully tackled the three biggest challenges an offshore racer can dream of. Jules Verne Trophy, Vendée Globe and Volvo Ocean Race: no other sailor on the planet has completed all of these events and even though Sébastien is not the type of man who would walk around displaying his medals, his rivals know who they’re lining up against.

all the greatest sailors are on the startline and there’s an impressive number of new boats

he man is certainly discreet and softly-spoken, a character trait some people could mistake for shyness. Yet his quiet attitude has nothing to do with a desire to avoid contact - “I take my time, it’s different”, says the skipper, “because superficial relationships are of no interest for me. I prefer to build something on the longer term, when I know who I’m dealing with, and end up with a group of friends with whom I really share something. It doesn’t matter if that group doesn’t amount to dozens of people.” That strong belief in the value of friendship is at the core of the team… PierreEmmanuel Hérissé, BT’s boat captain, is a longtime friend, and was one of the key figures in Sébastien’s 2004 Vendée Globe campaign. Undoubtedly, the skipper is known for his sense of comradeship, an image which has stuck to him during his Figaro years and aboard the Orange maxi-catamaran, for the 2002 Jules Verne effort. During that adventure he met Nick Moloney for the first time, without of course knowing they’d end up under the same BT banner a few years later! The Australian sailor comments: “He is genuine, sincere, and capable of really listening - that’s a rather rare and precious human quality in my book. Aboard Orange around the planet, we’ve lived through pretty tense and stressful moments, and his calm struck me. He’s not a guy who’s easily scared, but he doesn’t run around playing the tough guy either. I have a lot of respect for the sailor, and a real friendship for the man.” Sébastien would probably add that his fatalist state of mind explains why he can keep his cool when all hell breaks loose - no point in spending “hours ruminating about a breakage or an unfavourable weather change - that’s the way it is, you have to cope and get on with it,” he says. Of course, that could mislead you to thinking that he is an unsubtle personality, but one has to know how to read between the lines and take into account that this is a man who doesn’t like to play around with superlatives or emphatic phrases. Sure, at 33 he already has a very impressive CV and has many times been under the spotlights on the international scene, but it doesn’t seem to have affected his sense of reality. “I’m quite indifferent to the glitz of it, and if I wasn’t a professional sailor, I’d be perfectly happy running a modest shipyard”, comments Sébastien, who studied mechanics and is always keen to get involved with his technical team when the boat is in the shed. Raised under the blue skies of the Côte d’Azur in southern France, an ideal playground for outdoors activities, it did not take long for him to find his way onto adventures. “My family settled in Nice when I was very young. I’ve been a quiet child, until I discovered that there were a lot of things to see and do outside.” The sea came into the picture when Sébastien’s father, never shying away from new experiences, bought a sailboat which soon became the Josses’ secondary home. “We started to spend all our holidays and most weekends aboard, and even though I loved long cruises for the adventure they involved, I have to admit sometimes the boat itself was a bit of a chore, especially upwind. I really appreciated sailing when I hopped aboard a 420 dinghy with my elder brother… it was faster, the sensations immediately ‘spoke’ to me.” Racing only came later, and Sébastien waited until he was 18 to take part in his first regattas. Having met a local coach, he then started to train in Monaco, where an active J24 fleet was based. “Eventually, we entered some rather high-level competitions, and I became hooked. I then crewed on various boats, and after my “Bac” (A-Level), I was granted a sabbatical: my father dreamt of crossing the Atlantic with one of his sons, so we geared up for that expedition, which was our first ever real offshore adventure.”

p o r t r ait of a ski p p e r 9

Sébastien Josse

Portrait of A Skipper S é b a s t i e n J o ss e BORN : 3 1 m a r CH 1 9 7 5 LI V E S : M e l gv e n ( F i n i s t è r e )

After a memorable journey, Sébastien and the boat stayed in the French West Indies, enjoying complete freedom. “My father flew back to France due to his professional obligations, and trusted me with the boat… so basically, I cruised around on my own for 9 months.” Needless to say this interlude dramatically sharpened the young Josse’s singlehanded skills, and shortly after his return to France he took a shot at the Espoir Crédit Agricole Challenge, a Figaro OneDesign competition for young guns. “In 1997, remembers Gilles Chiorri, OC Events Director, “I was training in Nice for my second Solitaire du Figaro, and Sébastien - whom I did not know - came to ask me if he could sail on my boat. I took him aboard for a regatta in Juan Les Pins, and immediately noticed he was talented.” Gilles‘ opinion was soon proved right, as Sébastien recalls: “That year, I won the Challenge Espoir, which gave me access to two fully funded seasons on the Figaro circuit.” The stepping stone also meant relocating to Brittany, a region with which Sébastien quickly developed a strong bond. “I landed in that universe like a kid who can’t believe his eyes - all the great names I used to read about in magazines were there, very accessible. A guy like Roland Jourdain even lent me his Figaro without asking for any deposit, and he didn’t know me at all! I learnt an awful lot during that period, attending every single course the Port La Forêt offshore racing training centre offered.” He worked relentlessly, and his rivals quickly understood it wouldn’t be long before he joined the ranks of the best in the class. Most of whom became close friends - like Yann Eliès, Jérémie Beyou or Vincent Riou. This gifted generation today finds itself among the natural favourites for this year’s Vendée Globe. In 2001, fresh from a brilliant second place overall in the Solitaire du Figaro, Sébastien became part of the Orange maxi-catamaran crew - whose project manager was a certain Gilles Chiorri - and went on to become co-holder

of the Jules Verne Trophy with a record-breaking 64-day circumnavigation. The 2004 Vendée Globe soon followed and, despite a collision with an iceberg, the skipper managed to not only finish but also capture a very creditable fifth place. His love affair with RTW competitions was about to enter a new phase as he was appointed skipper of an international crew for the 2005 Volvo Ocean Race! To this date, Josse is the only sailor to have completed all three of these events, which represent the pinnacle of professional offshore racing. Yet, he remains very humble about those achievements: “I’ve worked hard, and yes I’ve come a long way in 10 years, but there is still a lot to be done and I have a massive hurdle in front of me. The 2008 Vendée Globe is exceptional in terms of lineup, all the greatest sailors are on the startline and there’s an impressive number of new boats. The competition level has never been quite as high. This race was the first one to really capture my imagination and trigger my dreams, I’ve been putting all my energy into it and I’m really fortunate to be able to count on my partner Magali’s support, and on the dedication of my team. I know it’s very demanding for them all.” Being a pragmatic man, he is fully aware of the “selfish” aspect of singlehanded racing, and intends to make up for it in the future by getting “involved in a mode of action that could be beneficial for society. It still remains to be defined precisely, and at the moment I can only try and raise awareness concerning environmental issues in a modest way. Later on, I’ll give it more time and commit to projects that hopefully will be useful on a bigger scale… and I also intend to be a good father someday, sooner rather than later”, concludes the navigator, his eyes glistening with the memories of a childhood not so far away, a childhood whose dreams have stood the test of time. Jocelyn Blériot

VENDÉE GLOBE HISTORY

Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, twenty-four and finally twenty: the candidates for the ultimate sailing adventure have been rather scarce throughout the Vendée Globe history, with a total of five editions so far. Those who have finished the voyage - a little more than half the fleet each time - all came ashore with a strange glint in their eyes, a subtle mix of fear and serenity. dominic bourgeois takes a look back on the 20 year history of the ultimate singlehander’s race.

1989… When it all started

Twenty years after Bernard Moitessier’s Long Way, thirteen sailors set off for another non-stop solo circumumnavigation. Another kind of challenge. Boats had come a long way since Joshua and Knox-Johnston’s Suhaili, and the skippers were no longer mere discoverers - they left with competition on their minds, with the aim of completing the fastest planetary lap ever achieved aboard a sailing vessel. In 1968, when a handful of visionaries (or madmen?) were slowly making their way around the planet, news barely made its way ashore, and the world learnt almost by accident that Moitessier had decided that coming back to the starting point was not enough. There was another life, new seeds to be sowed, and Joshua wasn’t ready to remain in the rat race - a statement that was to leave its mark on generation of sailors, including the adrenalin addicts who since then have written the most famous pages of the big Vendée book. Between Moitessier the vagabond and the 1989 Vendée pioneers, racing around the world had become an institution, fully crewed (Whitbread race) or singlehanded with stops (BOC Challenge), and it was clear for everyone that a) the planet was indeed round b) the Southern ocean could be as grey and hard as concrete. So when Titouan Lamazou, Philippe Jeantot, Guy Bernardin, Jean-Yves Terlain and a few others thought that a further step had to be taken - going out there alone and without stopping - the idea appealed to quite a few sailors, who formed an informal and eclectic fraternity. Some of them already knew the bleak atmosphere, biting cold, perpetual dampness and ferocious waves of the South. Others were complete novices - almost naive in their perception - but they all shared that burning desire to race between three capes. On November the 26, 1989, thirteen of them (a somewhat symbolic figure for superstition-prone seafarers) set sail from Les Sables d’Olonne, Vendée, for a three-month long initiation journey.

horizon beyond the

BEYOND THE HORIZON 11

1989 - The pioneers All thirteen competitors are on equal terms regarding at least one aspect of the challenge. Not one knows exactly what to expect, the only non-stop singlehanded race having taken place more than 20 years before. Some of the Vendée Globe Challenge - as it is then called - entrants have experienced the Southern Ocean with a crew… but alone? A strong freezing wind catches them off-guard as soon as they exit the now famous Les Sables channel, as if to warn them straight away that the voyage won’t necessarily be pleasant at all times. A month and a half later, the wild bunch enters the Indian Ocean, at the threshold of which the world suddenly takes a whole new appearance. Fear kicks in, everything turns grey, and there certainly is no mercy for the faint hearted. Or for the gear, for that matter, and the roaring forties soon take their toll on the fleet. Bertie Reed finds himself deprived of an efficient steering system, his rudder ending up misaligned, Jean-Yves Terlain loses his mast, Philippe Poupon ends up on his side, Patrice Carpentier loses his autopilots… and Mike Plant almost runs aground in New-Zealand trying to find a sheltered bay to fix his boat. Guy Bernardin, for his part, suffers a violent toothache, and those six competitors are soon out of the race, though three of them (Carpentier, Plant, Bernardin) will nevertheless finish the adventure. For the seven men still in the competition, the situation is not exactly much better, as Pierre Follenfant has nothing but a stub of rudder left, while Alain Gautier sees one of his spreaders dangle pitifully. Philippe Jeantot fights a damaged gooseneck, and at the end of the day only Jean-François Coste seems to enjoy a relatively safe ride aboard the old Pen Duick III, a boat which already knows what vicious tricks the Southern Ocean is capable of throwing at intrepid sailors. From white hell to blue paradise After the Cape of Good Hope, it looks like Titouan Lamazou is the only one to be able to claim victory he’s in the lead some 400 miles ahead of his pursuers, and furthermore, his boat is intact. His shore team answers every interrogation, and his router makes sure all the rough spots are avoided. Yet, two sailors can still change the scenario: Loïck Peyron performs a textbook manoeuvre to rescue Philippe Poupon, and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede makes amazing progress downwind aboard his red “cigar”, a very narrow ketch. After a month spent in “white hell”, once Cape Horn has been rounded, the last Atlantic stretch turns into a dash towards the finish line. The three musketeers have to cope with the St Helena high pressure system, and find themselves very close to each other on approaching the equator. But the suspense is short-lived, as Lamazou quickly gets rid of everything he doesn’t need in order to make his boat lighter and makes the most of his shore-based router’s tips. After 109 days, 8 hours and 49 minutes at sea, he’s triumphantly back in Les Sables! Loïck Peyron follows some 30 hours later, and Van Den Heede completes the podium three days later. Two months after the winner, Jean-François Coste concludes this first edition of the singlehanded non stop race around the world. The welcome in Vendée is, for the winner as for every single finisher, so generous that it will instantly become the symbol of the event, a real social phenomenon on the local scale. A second edition seems inevitable!

1992 - The global regatta Having barely had the time to recover, some like Gautier, VDH, Poupon and Peyron are already focusing on another planetary lap, and are joined by a new generation of sailors for whom racing is as important as taking part in the adventure. Compared to 1989, there

is one more boat on the startline (fourteen), but as many at the finish (seven). The curtain just fell on the first edition of the race, yet the next one is already looming… Ashore, the inauguralVendée Globe raised a massive interest and while the singlehanders were battling it out in an hostile environment, spectators were monitoring their progress from the comfort of their armchairs. The second start is scheduled for 1992, which ensures the race doesn’t collide with other major offshore events (the BOC Challenge, namely). There clearly is a growing interest among the sailing community, and a huge leap in terms of entries is expected - yet natural selection soon takes its toll, eliminating the unreasonable, unfunded or simply imaginary campaigns. And before the race even begins, the ocean’s cruelty makes the headlines: Mike Plant is lost at sea whilst trying to reach Les Sables d’Olonne for the event, and his state-of-the-art 60-footer Coyote is found upturned and desperately empty in the middle of the Atlantic. Like in the previous edition, the Bay of Biscay proves very angry and bad news make their way back ashore right after the start. Nigel Burgess is reported missing (his body will later be found at Cape Finisterre), Thierry Arnaud and Loïck Peyron throw in the towel, the latter seeing his brand new boat delaminating before his eyes… Four entrants - VDH, Poupon, Malingri and Parlier - go back to Les Sables to carry out some repairs, their problems ranging from lost rigs to unreliable keels. The first week at sea is particularly harsh on the boats, and only Alain Gautier, Bertrand de Broc and Nandor Fa make it through the Cape Finisterre gale without any damage. In the light airs off the Portuguese coast, De Broc pulls a nice trick out of his hat and takes the lead of an already decimated fleet, since Poupon, VDH and Parlier will eventually re-start from Les Sables with a few days to catch up. Up in front, Alain Gautier benefits from the sheer speed of his Finot purposed-designed ketch: the Breton sailor has learnt the lessons from his first Vendée experienced, and commissioned a ketch-rigged downwind machine. Undisputed leadership Gautier clears the African western tip with a comfortable lead, and can look in his rearview mirror in order to control his rivals whilst concentrating on sparing his gear. Some 800 miles behind, his pursuers start to think the case is closed, but meteorological twists of fate suddenly modify the deal. Unlike the first edition, shore-based routing is now forbidden so strategic decisions have to be taken by the skipper alone. Furthermore, compulsory waypoints have been put in place by the organisers in order to reduce the risk of collision with drifting ice. As he rounds Cape Horn, Gautier knows he can’t completely rule out the possibility of seeing Poupon catching up on him, but further back, all hell breaks loose: Alan Wynne Thomas hurts his ribs and pulls out of the race in Hobart, Vittorio Malingri suffers from a broken rudder, Bertrand de Broc is diverted towards New-Zealand since his keel cannot be trusted anymore, and Bernard Gallay can’t seem to solve his electrical problems. Only seven skippers remain in the race, among which a serene but rather slow Spaniard (Jose de Ugarte), a Hungarian disappointed by his boat and a Frenchman (JeanYves Hasselin) following in Jean-François Costes’s footsteps. Alain Gautier wins the second Vendée Globe in 110 days, 2 hours and 22 minutes, and the battle for second place takes on a very surprising dimension: VDH tries hard, but without success, to stop his boat from delaminating, while Poupon sees his mast come down only three days before crossing the line!

Titouan Lamazou’s Ecureuil d’Aquitaine © J. Vapillon

An exhausted Lamazou © J. Vapillon

Alain Gautier wins the second edition © H. Thibault/DPPI

VENDÉE GLOBE HISTORY

Christophe Auguin’s radical Finot-designed Geodis, winner in 1997 © H. Thibault/DPPI

Patrick de Radiguès runs aground in Portugal, 2000 © J. Vapillon

Moonlight aboard Dominique Wavre’s UBP, 2000 © D. Wavre/DPPI

1996 - Southern wrath

2000 - The great leap forward

The pioneering era is definitely over and the Vendée Globe is now about sheer competition, even if that implies sailing on the edge in iceberg territory or enduring the continuous noise and slamming of carbon hitting waves. The boats are faster than ever, the singlehanders largely come from the Solitaire du Figaro training camp. But the oceans couldn’t care less - they keep Gerry Roufs and knock three boats down, resulting in very hazardous rescue operations. This time, sixteen solo sailors gather on the startline, even if technically one of them is a “pirate” and won’t enter the official rankings - Raphaël Dinelli has not completed his qualifier and thus isn’t officially entered, but he nevertheless leaves with the organisers’ permission. And once more, the Bay of Biscay strikes hard, forcing Didier Munduteguy and Nandor Fa to retire to Les Sables d’Olonne. Right after the opening storm is over, the race immediately takes its frenetic pace, and competitors push hard on their way to Good Hope and the Southern Ocean. Autissier, Parlier and Auguin are in close-combat mode, but the battle is an exhausting one, and a strange disease seems to affect rudders… which break one after another. Parlier and Autissier have to stop and repair, are out of the race, giving Auguin some room to breathe. The solid Normand doesn’t seem to ease off though, and spends half a week clocking up more than 350 miles a day. Behind him, it’s simply chaos, and the back of the fleet is hit by a fierce storm, generating winds so strong they capsize 60-footers as if they were small dinghies. The red alert mode kicks in - Tony Bullimore has lost his keel, Thierry Dubois has gone turtle and Raphaël Dinelli is clinging to his monohull turned iceberg, as 90% of the vessel is now underwater. The Australian Rescue teams manage to bring everyone back ashore safely, and Pete Goss takes Dinelli on board after having fought upwind for three days to reach him. Desperately calling Gerry After this shocking episode, one could hope that the wind gods would have regained some sense of serenity… yet their ire seems long-lasting, and a deafening silence echoing from the South Pacific starts to have everyone ashore panicking: Gerry Roufs does not answer any calls. Competitors are diverted to the zone where he should be, search operations are set up, but to no avail. His monohull will eventually end up, capsized and empty, on the Chilean coast six months later. On the racing front, the argument is settled, Christophe Auguin is already off the Brazilian coast while his pursuers are still suffering around the Horn. After 105 days, 20 hours and 31 minutes, the Normand can bid farewel l to solo ocean racing, having bagged three consecutive victories around the planet (winning the Vendée Globe after two BOC Challenges). More than a week later, Marc Thiercelin takes second place, closely followed by Hervé Laurent, and Eric Dumont. Pete Goss, the British hero, crosses the line three weeks after the winner but his feat aboard the only 50-footer of the fleet does not remain unnoticed. Finally, having been faster than pioneer Jean-François Coste but as blissfully happy to have gone beyond herself, Catherine Chabaud becomes the first woman ever to complete a solo race around the world…

If the fourth edition of the Vendée Globe did not represent a cultural revolution, on the strategic and technological fronts, the revolution was blatant. During the first three events, the reference time around the planet had remained very stable, but that state of affairs was to change dramatically… And as Michel Desjoyeaux managed a 12% gain over the previous record, in his wake Ellen MacArthur became that year’s unmissable sailing revelation. While lessons were learnt following the dramatic events that occurred in 1997, the Vendée Globe takes on a genuine international stature and welcomes British, Swiss, Italian, Belgian, Spanish and Russian skippers. The safety regulations have become drastic, righting tests are now compulsory, the qualification process is lengthy and tough - even by the elite’s standards. Even the start of the 2000 edition is postponed by five days due to a severe storm in the Bay of Biscay! Mishaps occur in the first miles of the course, Mike Golding losing his mast, going back to Les Sables to repair and re-start. Roland Jourdain, betrayed by a halyard, does just the same. Patrick de Radiguès won’t have a second chance after running aground in Portugal… and Bernard Stamm, Richard Tolkien, Eric Dumont and Javier Sanso all throw in the towel before the Indian Ocean. An ocean where life is lived at full throttle, with Dominique Wavre setting a new 24-hours solo record with 432 miles, and Yves Parlier unfortunately dismasting off the Kerguelen archipelago. A couple and a “survivor” On January 1, 2001, singlehanders enter a new era which doesn’t bring good news to leader Michel Desjoyeaux, whose engine refuses to start - without any energy, there is simply no way he can hope to maintain his first place and win the race. But after 4 days of relentless work, the Breton sailor finally manages to get his motor running again, thanks to a clever system made of ropes and blocks. Meanwhile, Roland Jourdain who has come back from the depths of the fleet is forced to make a pit stop in a bay close to Cape Horn in order to fix his mainsheet traveler. Thousands of miles further west, Yves Parlier drops anchor off Stewart Island (New Zealand) to repair his mast, having to live on wild mussels. The “extraterrestrial”, as he is soon nicknamed, will manage to re-step his fixed mast alone, but also to finish the race overtaking two rivals in the process! In the Atlantic battle, Michel Desjoyeaux is under tremendous pressure from Ellen MacArthur, gradually gaining miles along the Argentina coast, while Roland Jourdain is quickly catching up with Marc Thiercelin. Not to mention the duel between Thomas Coville and Dominique Wavre: for the first time in four editions, nothing is set in stone when only 25% of the total distance remains to be sailed. At the Equator, Michel and Ellen are only a few miles apart, but the Breton’s east position pays off while MacArthur’s Kingfisher has to face appendages and rig problems. Desjoyeaux wins in style, becoming the first singlehander to sail around the world in less than 100 days (93 precisely), MacArthur takes second place and becomes an instant icon, while a jubilant Bilou completes the podium.

As they are about to round the cape of Good Hope,

BEYOND THE HORIZON 13

2004 - The acceleration of time

PRB and Vincent Riou clearly dominated the 2004 edition

Less than 7 hours apart after 87 days at sea? The Vendée Globe definitely deserves its “planetary regatta” appellation after the 2004 edition. The pace is set in the early stages of the event, and if managing the distance remains crucial, taking the advantage at the starting gun becomes as vital. It’s also a game of control, and Vincent Riou is unable to rest before crossing the finish line, having to cope with Jean Le Cam breathing down his neck. For a handful of entrants, the Vendée Globe remains an adventure above all, yet they know they’re not in the same league as the hardcore racers, who spent years practicing every single manouvre in order to save precious seconds. And as the battle rages on at the front of the fleet, at the back it’s a matter of living a dream. For once, the Bay of Biscay welcomes the monohulls with favourable conditions, and it’s all downwind until the Equator, reached in just 10 days! Which does not go without some collateral damage - only the first six sailors manage to escape the Doldrums swiftly, while their rivals get trapped and can only watch the leading pack sail away at speed. A pack which will eventually be divided by the St Helena high pressure system, dictating the shape of things to come. Close combat, icebergs and gear failure As they are about to round the Cape of Good Hope, Vincent Riou and Jean Le Cam sail within sight of each other, after 6000 miles at sea! The two men have already left Roland Jourdain and Sébastien Josse more than 300 miles in their wake, while Mike Golding lies some 36 hours behind - but the bulk of the fleet is four days late! Things only get worse as the leaders enter the Roaring Forties, the only choice for their pursuers is to push hard to try and catch up. Risky business: Alex Thomson is the first to retire and sails towards Cape Town with a hole in the deck, and soon Roland Jourdain sees his keel threaten to part from the boat, forcing him to divert towards New Zealand. Only Mike Golding manages to make some gain on Sébastien Josse, who unfortunately hits a growler in the Pacific Ocean: the bowsprit of his Open 60 breaks, leaving Sébastien unable to hoist his big downwind sails for the rest of the race. Up in front, Le Cam and Riou trade places on their way to Cape Horn, a landmark which theoretically symbolises liberation, but the Atlantic decides otherwise and traps Le Cam in a massive high pressure calm zone. That doesn’t mean safety for Riou, since Golding is catching up quickly. The fleet is spread over a very large area when the leading trio crosses the Equator for the second time, and Karen Leibovici hasn’t yet gone through half of the Pacific! Then catastrophic keel failure for Australian Nick Moloney as the appendage simply falls off, close to the Brazilian coast, soon followed by Mike Golding’s which decides to part company 50 miles before the finish line! The final sprint is riveting, but eventually PRB claims her second win, this time helmed by Vincent Riou, Desjoyeaux’s disciple, who smashes the existing record by six days. 87 days to sail solo around the planet, which equates to 12.73 knots of average speed over 26,714 miles (15mph/24kmh) of average speed powered by wind alone!

Vincent Riou and Jean Le Cam sail within sight of each other, after 6000 miles at sea!

V E N D É E G L O B E histo r y

Vendée Globe final standings 1989-1990 1.

Titouan Lamazou - Ecureuil d’Aquitaine -109 d 08 h 49 mn

Retired

Loïck Peyron - Lada Poch III -110 d 01 h 18 mn

Patrice Carpentier - Nouvel Observateur - Autopilot issues (Malouines)

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede - 3615 MET -112 d 01 h 14 mn

Mike Plant - Duracell - required assistance (New Zealand)

Philippe Jeantot - Crédit Agricole IV -113 d 23 h 47 mn

Guy Bernardin - Okay - Dental problems (Hobart)

Pierre Follenfant - TBS-Charente Maritime -114 d 21 h 09 mn

Jean-Yves Terlain - UAP 1992 - Dismasted (SE of Cape Town)

Alain Gautier - Generali Concorde -132 d 13 h 01 mn

Bertie Reed - Grinaker - Structural + rudder issues (Cape Town)

Jean-François Coste - Cacharel -163 d 01 h 19 mn

Philippe Poupon - Fleury Michon X - Capsized (S of Cape Town)

1992-1993 1.

Alain Gautier - Bagages Superior - 110 d 02 h 22 mn

Retired

Lost

Jean-Luc van D en Heede - Sofap-Helvim - 116 d 15 h 01 mn

Bernard Gallay - Vuarnet Watches - Autopilot issues

Nigel Burgess - Yachts Brokers

Philippe Poupon - Fleury Michon X - 117 d 03 h 34 mn

Vittorio Malingri - Everlast-Neil Pryde - Broken rudder

Drowned (Cape Finisterre)

Yves Parlier - Cacolac d’Aquitaine - 125 d 02 h 42 mn

Bertrand de Broc - Groupe LG - Keel failure (New Zealand)

Nandor Fa - K&H Bank Matav - 128 d 16 h 05 mn

Alan Wynne Thomas - Cardiff Discovery - Broken ribs (Hobart)

José de Ugarte - Euskadi-Europa 93 BBK - 134 d 05 h 04 mn

Loïck Peyron - Fujicolor - Delamination (Les Sables d’Olonne)

Jean-Yves Hasselin - PRB/Solo Nantes - 153 d 05 h 14 mn

Thierry Arnaud - Le Monde Informatique - Lack of preparation (Les Sables d’Olonne)

1996-1997 1.

Christophe Auguin - Geodis - 105 d 20 h 31 mn

Retired

Lost

Marc Thiercelin - Crédit Immobilier de France - 113 d 08 h 26 mn

Isabelle Autissier - PRB - Broken rudder (Cape Town)

Gerry Roufs - Groupe LG

Hervé Laurent - Groupe LG-Traitmat - 114 d 16 h 43 mn

Yves Parlier - Aquitaine Innovations - Broken rudder (Perth)

Pacific Ocean (66th day)

Eric Dumont - Café Legal-Le goût - 116 d 16 h 43 mn

Patrick de Radiguès - Afibel - Electrical problems (New Zealand)

Pete Goss - Aqua Quorum - 126 d 29 h 25 mn

Bertrand de Broc - Votre nom autour du monde - Capsized (Bay of Biscay)

Catherine Chabaud - Whirlpool-Europe2 - 140 d 04 h 38 mn

Tony Bullimore - Exide Challenger - Keel loss (SW Australia)

Thierry Dubois - Amnesty International - Capsized (SW Australia)

Nandor Fa - Budapest - Collision + electrical problems (Les Sables)

Didier Muntuteguy - Club 60° Sud - Dismasted + structural issues (Les Sables)

Raphaël Dinelli - Algimouss - Capsized (SW Australia)

2000-2001 1.

Michel Desjoyeaux - PRB - 93 d 03 h 57 m

Retired

Ellen MacArthur - Kingfisher - 94 d 04 h 25 m

Thierry Dubois - Solidaires - Broken alternator

Roland Jourdain - Sill-Mâtines La Potagère - 96 d 01 h 02 m

Raphaël Dinelli - Sogal Extenso - Collision with a whale

Marc Thiercelin - Active Wear - 102 d 20 h 37 m

Catherine Chabaud - Whirlpool - Dismasted

Dominique Wavre - Union Bancaire Privée - 105 d 02 h 45 m

Patrick de Radiguès - La Libre Belgique - Ran aground in Portugal

Thomas Coville - Sodebo - 105 d 07 h 24 m

Bernard Stamm - Armor Lux-Foies Gras Bizac - Broken rudder and pilot failure

Mike Golding - Team Group 4 - 110 d 16 h 22 m

Eric Dumont - Euroka-Un univers de services - Broken rudders

Bernard Gallay - Voilà.fr - 111 d 16 h 07 m

Richard Tolkien - This Time - Furler failure

Josh Hall - Gartmore - 111 d 19 h 48 m

10. Joe Seeten - Nord Pas de Calais-Chocolats du Monde - 115 d 16 h 46 m

Javier Sanso - Old Spice - Lost rudder Fedor Konyukhov - Modern University for the Humanities - Back problems

11. Patrice Carpentier - VM Matériaux - 116 d 00 h 32 m 12. Simone Bianchetti - Aquarelle.com - 121 d 01 h 28 m 13. Yves Parlier - Aquitaine Innovations - 126 d 23 h 36 m 14. Didier Munduteguy - DDP-60ème Sud - 135 d 15 h 17 m 15. Pasquale de Gregorio - Wind Telecommunicazioni - 158 d 02 h 37 m

2004-2005 1.

Vincent Riou - PRB - 87 d 10 h 47 m

Retired

Jean Le Cam - Bonduelle - 87 d 17 h 20 m

Marc Thiercelin - Pro-Form - Lack of preparation (New Zealand)

Mike Golding - Ecover 2 - 88 d 15 h 15 m

Patrice Carpentier - VM Matériaux - Broken boom (New Zealand)

Dominique Wavre - Temenos - 92 d 17 h 13 m

Roland Jourdain - Sill & Veolia - Keel failure (New Zealand)

Sébastien Josse - VMI - 93 d 0 h 2 m

Alex Thomson - Hugo Boss - Hole in deck (Cape Town)

Jean-Pierre Dick - Virbac-Paprec - 98 d 03 h 49 m

Nick Moloney - Skandia - Keel loss (Brazil)

Conrad Humphreys - Hellomoto - 104 d 14 h 32 m

Hervé Laurent - UUDS - Rudder problems (Cape Town)

Joé Seeten - Arcelor-Dunkerque - 104 d 23 h 02 m

Norbert Sedlacek - Brother - Keel problems (Cape Town)

Bruce Schwab - Ocean Planet - 109 d 19 h 58 m

10.

Benoît Parnaudeau - Max Havelaar-Best Western - 116 d 01 h 06 m

11. Anne Liardet - Roxy - 119 d 05 h 28 m 12. Raphaël Dinelli - Akena Vérandas - 125 d 04 h 07 m 13. Karen Leibovici - Benefic - 126 d 08 h 2 m

BT TEAM ELLEN

BT Team Ellen currently comprises three sailors – Ellen MacArthur, Nick Moloney and Sébastien Josse – but the team as a whole extends far beyond the three principal sailors. They are supported by a team of dedicated professionals - the shore team who ensure all the boats are in race ready mode, the media and communications team who communicate to the public and media about the team’s endeavours, the project management team who ensure the project’s aims stay on course and the back-up team in the office dealing with all the administration. In addition, to the team are the official sponsors and partners whose support allows BT Team Ellen to achieve the objectives they set themselves on and off the water: “It is never just about one person, it is a huge collective effort as a team and without our sponsors we would be nowhere.” Ell e n M a c A rt h u r Ellen MacArthur (GBR) Born: 8 July 1976 Lives: Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK

it’s all about

“With ours and BT’s combined passion for both sport and the world around us, I am convinced that the projects we will be working on together, both on and off the water, will help us to achieve our mutual objectives of not only being able to win races, but to promote the power of communications and technology to help create a better, more sustainable, world. When you sail around the world you have no choice but to be completely tuned into what is around you. How to harness the power of nature and manage the limited resources you are carrying on board. You sail around our planet and realise it’s not so big after all, and that it has it’s own fragility.”

being a

Team

PROFILE Ellen MacArthur first hit the headlines in 2001 after single-handedly racing non-stop around the world in the Vendée Globe at the young age of 24. Then, again, in February 2005 Ellen grabbed the attention of the world’s media when she set a new world record onboard her 75ft trimaran of 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds, becoming the fastest solo sailor around the planet until Francis Joyon broke her record early in 2008. But her career in sailing began at the age of 18 when she sailed single-handed round Britain in 1995. In 1997, Ellen undertook the Mini Transat solo race from Brest to Martinique then in 1998 race a 50ft boat in the solo Route du Rhum transatlantic race finishing fifth overall in the monohulls. Then began the three-year cycle of preparation for solo sailing’s ultimate challenge, the Vendée Globe. Ellen amazed the sailing world by finishing in second place to Michel Desjoyeaux, France’s leading solo sailor. BT Team Ellen combines Ellen’s passion for the sport of sailing – she will be competing in the Archipelago Raid on the BT F18 and the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race on the BT Extreme 40 in 2008 before competing in some of the BT IMOCA 60 events throughout 2009 - as well as supporting BT’s CSR programme and continuing with her commitment to pursuing and communicating on how to lead a more sustainable life on land. The sustainability subject is one very close to Ellen’s heart and is strengthened by the support and activities of many of the team’s other

©T. Martinez/Sea & Co/BT Team Ellen

A L L A B O U T B E I NG A T E A M 1 7

supporting partners including Renault eco2 and E.ON. Ever since the beginning of her career she has been passionate about tackling the issue of how we can use the planet’s natural resources in a more sustainable way. OBJECTIVE To be an ‘agent for change’ helping big businesses find practical and effective ways to help reduce humans’ footprint on the planet. BT EXTREME 40 Nick Moloney (AUS) Born: 5th May 1968 Lives: Saint-lunaire, France and South Coast of Victoria, Australia, married with a baby daughter. “Last year the BT Extreme 40 finished third overall in the iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series. This was a great result and our initial goal for the year achieved. These boats are awesome to race – short, adrenalin-pumping courses that allow no room for error, all raced within a stone’s throw of the shore. This year’s iShares Cup has been a lot more heavily contested by even more professional teams including America’s Cup defenders, Alinghi.” PROFILE As a junior sailor, Nick achieved great successes at state and national level. By the age of 21 he was swept up into the international ‘A’ league and found himself living in San Diego, USA competing for sailing’s oldest trophy ‘The

Americas Cup’ in 1992 with Challenge Australia and Paul Cayard’s Il Moro de Venezia, and then again in 1995, this time with John Bertrand’s challenger OneAustralia. By 2005, Nick who was on the road to a very successful sailing career, living mostly in the United States of America between 1992-1998 winning most of the worlds classic major International short and long course regattas, had already circumnavigated the globe three times - Volvo Ocean Race 1997-98 on Toshiba; the Jules Verne Trophy in 2002 onboard Orange skippered by Bruno Peyron and with team mate Sébastien Josse; then the solo Vendée Globe 2004/05 - completed in two stages after suffering keel failure on day 80 of the 95 day voyage that put him out of the race. But Nick returned ten months later to Brazil and completed the journey in December 2005. He has also completed 20 transatlantic crossings, winning five transatlantic races both crewed and solo. Nick has held over 10 individual world speed records including the furthest distance travelled in a 24-hour period in a monohull and the outright round the world nonstop speed record. He is also a Guinness World Record holder as the first and still the only person to windsurf non-stop and unassisted across Bass Strait from mainland Australia to the Island State Tasmania in 22 hours and 11 minutes. OBJECTIVE To keep raising awareness regarding environmental issues whilst achieving our objectives on the water under the BT banner.

r ace i n si g ht

t was a big dream for me. I had always wanted to sail around the world, and the Vendée Globe gave me the chance to do that. I now know that at the time I was quite young, being 24, though then I really did feel like every other skipper out there on the water. It only dawned on me four years later when I went to the Vendée start in 2004, and realized that if I had been competing, I would still have been the youngest entrant… I set out convinced that this challenge would be much harder than I imagined, and once you’re in that state of mind, you’re more ready than ever to accept tough situations. For me that’s the best way of preparing yourself psychologically – to help you deal with the really hard moments that the Vendée Globe inevitably throws at you. It did turn out to be harder than I expected, although that came as no surprise. It may sound trivial, but you can never disconnect from the boat, its noises and movements. If there was one tiny noise that was not normal, I had to find it and I could not contemplate getting any rest before I had identified it. Somehow, I had rediscovered how to reconnect with my instincts, which I feel as human beings we struggle to do anymore. So in that respect, the Vendée helped me to reconnect with a long lost nature… I also noticed that the only type of food I actually felt like eating were milk products, as if I was going back to the most basic instinct, that of a child. The one thing you miss on a boat is not being able to switch off. Sure, you also miss friends and family, but you know it’s only a matter of time before you see them again, the loneliness of the long distance solo racer is something which can be handled, it certainly

doesn’t take you by surprise. I’d sailed about 15,000 miles solo in Kingfisher training, not to mention the thousands of miles on other boats. The impossibility of relaxing is another issue, and that more than anything else takes its toll. Living through an experience such as the

“The Vendée Globe taught me how to dig deeper” If the 2000 Vendée Globe revealed the planet to the 24-year old Ellen MacArthur, it also undoubtedly revealed her to the world… She looks back on her first circumnavigation, one of her biggest life-changing experiences.

Vendée Globe certainly makes you more mature, more able to realise what is really important in life, how beautiful the planet is, and what we are capable of. Having been around it, you know it’s also quite small - despite the common perception – and very fragile. Seeing Marion Island (Southern Indian ocean) changed my life. Its beautiful green slopes sparked my desire to communicate just how special our planet is, I wanted to get to know and understand it better, and made a pact with myself to return to the Southern Ocean with a little more time than a fleeting glance of an island between manoeuvres and sail changes. It’s raw, un-humanised, and it’s a natural heritage which my Vendée Globe experience allowed me to discover with my own eyes, and which I took in with all its intensity. The last portion of the race brought a real feeling of sadness, as I knew that my life changing journey was coming to an end. Only in this race had I felt it so strongly, I was

E L L E N M A C A R T H UR

that type of inner resource, and somehow I feel it’s a great chance for me to have learnt how to dig deeper, to go closer to the limits. The Vendée Globe teaches you just that, and it’s something that people rarely experience in modern life.”

Ellen MacArthur © T. Martinez/Sea & Co/BT Team Ellen

young people suffering from cancer and leukaemia sailing, I’m working with various organisations to find new solutions for a sustainable way of life, notably where I live on the Isle of Wight. To a certain extent, all this was triggered by my Vendée, so it did change my life… I believe that the most important thing is who you are and your ability to remain faithful to who you are, and a voyage like the Vendée makes you know yourself like no other experience can. I once found myself up the rig having forgotten a part of my climbing equipment - I had to get up there very quickly as I had broken a batten in the mainsail and it got caught in the spreader, it was a total mess. The boat was sailing on the north part of the Kerguelen plateau which is a quite shallow area, and the waves were getting very big. On my way down I couldn’t put my incomplete climbing gear back on - I was hanging from one hand and a loop on the sail, really not a great situation. It was blowing 55 knots, the boat was all over the place and I was getting thrown against the mast. What kept me going was to think about the kids who were following me back in France - prior to the start, I had sailed with a charity called “A Chacun Son Cap”, whose aim was to take kids suffering from cancer out on boats*. Up there I thought ‘I can’t let the kids down’, and that brought me down in one piece. It came really close, but in that type of situation who can you turn to? No one, except for the people who have made a big impression on you ashore, and whose force becomes an inspiration. It’s incredible to realise how far you can push yourself just by digging into Wet ride aboard Kingfisher during the 2000 Vendée Globe

absolutely fine at sea, soaking it in and loving it, not nervous at all, like I had been every single day during my Europe 1 New Man Star. I had won that transatlantic event, and it was great, but I did not enjoy myself as much as I did in the Vendée, which I simply did not want to end. I had trouble coping with the idea of leaving the boat. I had also understood that once I set foot ashore, my life was never going to be the same again - there was a huge media interest towards the end, I was receiving more and more calls from journalists and it seemed pretty obvious that something enormous was about to fall upon me. I was about to lose my anonymity, and that’s when I realised how precious it was. It means a lot of freedom taken away from you, but also adds “weight” to your name and enables you to be heard. In that respect, I think it’s a duty for me to use that weight to do something positive, being a public person I now have the responsibility to try and make a difference. And it’s what I try to do now. Aside from our charity, the Ellen Macarthur Trust which takes

*This inspired Ellen to create her own similar charity, the Ellen MacArthur Trust, now in its 5th year. In 2009, 100 young people in recovery from cancer will sail around the UK as part of The Ellen MacArthur Trust Skandia Round Britain ‘Voyage of Discovery’. The voyage will stop at 20 ports around the UK and the children will visit hospitals and young person’s principal treatment centres, across the UK, who have helped them recover from cancer and leukaemia. w.w.w.ellenmacarthurtrust.org

r ace i n si g ht

Nick Moloney, skipper of the BT Extreme 40, took part in the last edition of the Vendée Globe. Former America’s Cup and fully-crewed round-the-world race competitor, the Australian sailor went on to capture the record for the fastest planetary lap in 2002 - a prestigious title he shared with Sébastien Josse, then a crewmate and today a teammate. Nick tells us about how the Vendée Globe changed his life. © Jon Nash/DPPI (All photographs except top left)- © V.Curutchet/DPPI

“The Vendée Globe has changed me in so many ways” guess if someone was to ask me what were the best experiences you have ever had at sea, I would answer “In the Vendée Globe”… likewise if I were to be asked the worst experiences I have ever had, then the answer would start with the same “In the Vendée Globe”. At the age of around 17 I desperately wanted to sail around the world solo. In fact, it was the BOC Challenge that originally inspired me as that event used to stop in Australia and regularly made the news. Phillippe Jeantot was the king back then, prior to Christophe Auguin. His boat, Groupe Sceta was the first of these crazy racers that I was to gaze at in amazement in real life. Around this time Titouan Lamazou won the first edition of the Vendée Globe race, and who can forget the incredible race, during which Loïck Peyron performed that crazy rescue of Philippe Poupon when his boat was trapped on her side!!! Amazing! Then it was Alain Gautier and the first race fatality (Nigel Burgess) that just highlighted the danger and

risk that accompanies this event, where the level of difficulty is on a scale that is so high it is tough for many to even comprehend. But I guess it was the 1996-97 edition that really captured my Vendée Globe imagination, the dramatic rescues of Bullimore, Dubois and Dinelli… I will never forget that period when those guys were fighting for their lives in the deep South - headline news in Australia for weeks. I think that’s when the switch really flicked and I said to myself “I am going to see if I can do that race”. From that point I was pretty well devoted to the Dream. Solo sailing was, and I guess still is, the most intriguing discipline in the sport of sailing. I was always asking myself if I really believed that I could sail across the Atlantic or around the world solo… I had to find out! And the Vendée Globe was the ultimate test. Its history is amazing, in every edition something remarkable happened. It is definitely one race here you can never predict the outcome, right to the very end. The extremity makes the race so special to me, in every aspect: the boats,

the sailing skills required, the demand on one’s body with the sleep deprivation… and the mental anguish associated with the stress of high speeds, potential collision with a ship, iceberg, whale, etc. The greatest stress it the high potential of failure… ie to not finish the course. This stress was with me 24/7 for 80 days before my worst fear was realised. Actually to say “my worst fear” here is a bit of a misuse of the phrase...in fact a competitor’s worst fear is to die at sea and in this race there is a far greater chance of such a tragedy than any other yacht race. Prior to the start I was pretty happy, I had great faith in the team and the boat, I had already sailed more than the equal distance of an around the world passage onboard that boat. In the previous three years that I had spent sailing Open 60s and solo sailing in general I had achieved 9 podium placing winning three transatlantic passages along the way so I was confident in our package and that I would be safe and comfortable at sea. I did though have a lot going on in my personal life and I was very afraid

n ick molo n ey

that I would miss the company of loved ones and that I would struggle emotionally. This was difficult to train for and a complete unknown so that was worrying. I am very much a peoples person and love the company of others so you could say that I was afraid of myself and whether or not I would be mentally tough enough to endure potentially 100 days at sea alone. This proved to be a real issue… after day 20 I started to suffer and ponder on how much longer we had to go. As my boat was an older generation I sold myself the mental attitude that this was

simply an adventure and my objective was to just finish... at sea I could not cope with this and day 20 it hit me that I was not competitive and this was going to be a very long tour. From that point I struggled with the solitude and could not find a good rhythm with the boat or myself. Thank God for our BT sponsorship because I made quite a few satellite phone calls after that. There are a lot of memories associated with my Vendée Globe, but above all I would like to thank every person who cheered for us on the day of the start, it was an unbelievable emotion. Then there was that bloody storm in the Indian Ocean… The sea state was so huge and the impact on the boat was so violent that it completely shattered my confidence. I had lost control... I really feared for my life. But I was to experience a fantastic moment when I rounded Cape Horn for the third time shortly afterwards - a pure textbook rounding, with 50 knots of wind and huge but

safe swells, just magical! The worst part of the voyage was still ahead of me, and I eventually lost my keel and was forced to pull out. Looking back, I’m still today very angry about it, but I’m glad it did not happen at the Horn, where my life would have been in real danger, so all in all I’ve been a bit lucky. Yet, the incident put an end to 10 years of efforts and commitment, and this is a very hard one to swallow. I had to finish the journey, so I came back to where I had pulled out 10 month later and sailed the boat to Les Sables d’Olonne… where I received a huge welcome despite the fact we didn’t publicise the event or anything! I was so flattered and the scene was totally unexpected, I was blown away. I reckon this emotionally wrapped up the adventure, it allowed me to avoid somehow the frustration of an unfinished business - sort of. The Vendée Globe has changed me in so many ways… I have always been a very content person but even more so now through that experience. It is strange, I should feel so disappointed but I actually feel very lucky because I had the chance to experience emotions in that race that have only been surpassed by the love I have for my wife and baby girl. When I arrived in Les Sables in December 2005 I received a welcome that I feel was probably better than that if I had of actually arrived as a race finisher. I was so happy and the journey was pure, personal and honest. The Vendée Globe was a 10 year dream that lived with me every minute of these 10 years. Today, not many people get the chance or have the motivation to live out their wildest dreams. During that journey I really felt guilty for the amount of time I had devoted to my career, the weddings I had missed, the ups and downs with friends, simply because I was racing or training towards my next objective or goal, and the Vendée has made me realise how to share my life. It’s the same as anything in life, you can ponder on the bad and spend your days with a frown on your face or you can pick out the good bits and wear a smile straight from a warm and content heart. I am happy with my memories, I am a lucky man in life and in sport. I have seen images that very few people have been blessed to witness, the sunsets, the stars, the sea life, the icebergs, the list is endless. I know all three of us members of BT Team Ellen feel the same way, we’ve all had the good fortune of experiencing those moments, and sharing them as much as we can is a priority. We’ve had the luck to see very rare sights, it is a strong bond between us and it also makes it a duty for us to work towards the planet’s preservation, carrying that message whilst meeting our targets on the racing scene with our partner BT. Nick Moloney

T A K I NG O N T H E W O R L D

“Sail straight down, straight down and straight down. At the first albatross, all there is to do is take a left, and let the wind carry you.”

T A C T I C A L C O UR S E A N A L Y S I S 2 5

Taking on the world Three oceans, three legendary capes, a deceptively simple route… “Sail straight down, straight down and straight down. At the first albatross, all there is to do is take a left, and let the wind carry you. It works just like that”, wrote Alain Colas in 1974, describing his own circumnavigation. And if one can only acknowledge the efficiency and simple elegance of the French sailor’s words, there is no doubt it omits all the conceivable meteorological complexities such a journey implies! If Southern latitudes are what spring to mind when one evokes the “Roaring Forties”, we should not forget that “our” Northern Europe 40s also know how to make themselves heard, notably during the winter when this particular zone of the Atlantic is shaken by westerly disturbances. The Bay of Biscay, where singlehanders entered in the Vendée Globe start their adventure, is famous for its fierce autumn and winter storms, due to low pressure systems generating strong west winds and subsequent treacherous waves. It is thus important to exit that area as soon as possible, anticipating the tricky passage around Cape Finisterre (western Spain) - in terms of trajectory, it can be interesting to get close to the latter, but the area holds a few traps, and in a westerly regime, the risk is to be pushed back into the bay. The descent along Portugal can be rather fast, as was the case in 2004. The strategy then dictates the choice of the most direct route towards the North East Trade Winds, which statistically blow between 10 and 15 knots. Their influence can start to be perceived while approaching the Canary Islands (28° North), whose elevation and coastal characteristics have an effect on local winds - sailors can find themselves in the lee of the islands, up to 60 to 80 miles away from land! South of the Canaries, the options are conditioned by the upcoming crossing of the infamous “Doldrums”, formerly know as “horse latitudes” and more scientifically called Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), where dead calms and sudden squalls or thunderstorms alternate. This oceanic obstacle is a tactically decisive portion of the course, and the best “door” at this time of year lies around 30°W, bearing in mind that the zone itself spreads over approximately 250 miles. The objective is to reach the other side and its coveted South East Trade Winds, the first boat to catch them being able to increase the lead over its rivals. But the dreaded Saint Helena high pressure system and its associated light airs lie ahead, and force the navigators to go West (actually almost turning their back to the logical route) before starting to head towards the South East and the distant Cape of Good Hope. The change of trajectory is generally possible around 30°S, which is the border of the Southern lows’ zone of influence.

T A K I NG O N T H E W O R L D

nce in the roaring forties (the Southern ones this time!) and into the Indian ocean, conditions change for good. Wind picks up, temperatures drop on a daily basis, grey clouds obstruct the sun and waves get rather aggressive… Most sailors describe a hostile and chaotic environment, where caution should prevail. The balance between making the most of the wind’s power whilst keeping a foot on the brakes becomes crucial, and being able to interpret the boat’s “signals” to prevent gear failure and maintain the right pace. The choice of trajectory is obviously conditioned by the possible ice gates that the organiser might put in place - one might remember that compulsory passage points had been implemented in 2004, and the boats also were forced to leave Heard Island (53°S) to starboard. The Pacific Ocean, which officially starts when crossing the longitude of South Tasmania, generally welcomes the sailors with a “tidier” sea state. Taking advantage of the long swell, Open 60s can pile up miles and display flattering 24-hour runs. But that should not hide the fact that if these conditions indeed are much more frequent than in the Indian Ocean, the Pacific is nonetheless potentially violent, swept by lows that travel around the “Furious Fifties”. Those systems are generated by the collision of cold air making its way from Antarctica and relatively warm waters coming

One thing is certain, for the past 4 or 5 years, icebergs have made their way further North in the Pacific Je an-Yves Ber not, We ather specialist and successful rou ter

from the North. The important speed at which these complex systems move towards the East is due to the fact that no land stands in their way. It also explains the formation of considerable wave heights, and this extreme scenario exposed by Eric Mas (Meteo Consult) would frighten even the most seasoned circumnavigator: “A Force 11 storm accompanying a swell for 72 hours generates a significant wave height of 20 metres.” Cape Horn naturally represents one of the journey’s most important moments, both symbolically and tactically. The southernmost rocky tip of the American continent, contrary to the other two great capes, is actually rounded very close to the shore – no need to lengthen the route at this point! Back in the Atlantic, the first question that may arise depending on the weather

conditions could be where to leave the Falkland Islands – starboard or port? The going can get very tough there, and that choice will also be made in conjunction with the overall strategy for sailing back up the Atlantic. Generally, and in order to stay clear of the St Helena High once more, sailors choose to remain close to Brazil, since the wind pressure is statistically better in that area. This route is also favourable when it comes to positioning the boat for the second ITCZ crossing: by the time the crews reach it on their way back, this zone will have had enough time to creep slowly to the South, and will have to be tackled slightly further West. Finally sailors know that if their return to the North Atlantic means “home soon”, the conditions are likely to remain demanding, since the disturbed southwesterly breeze is still very active in early February. Weather specialist and successful router Jean-Yves Bernot has worked with Sébastien Josse prior to the Vendée Globe. He gives us his views regarding that 6th edition of the round-the-world singlehanded non-stop race. “One thing is certain, for the past 4 or 5 years, icebergs have made their way further North in the Pacific, but as far as determining if this is a durable tendency or a punctual phenomenon, the question remains open. But it will certainly have an effect on the course since one © J. Vapillon

T A C T I C A L C O UR S E A N A L Y S I S 2 7

©Benoit Stichelbaut

Sullen skies, ferocious waves and surreal sunlight, captured by Bertrand de Broc in the Southern Ocean (1997)

The entrance to Les Sables d’Olonne

can expect the race organisers to put ice gates in place rather high in latitude. This of course changes strategic choices, since it is not quite the same to be able to dive to 60°S or to be confined to 56°S or higher… but there’s no questioning the absolute priority given to safety. I work with sailors from the Pôle Finistère Course Au Large (Ed note - Brittany-based offshore training centre), many of whom are very experienced racers with one or more circumnavigations under their belt - which is the case for Sébastien Josse. I have put together a very comprehensive road book totaling roughly 1000 pages, and also given out little animations illustrating “classic” strategic moves, which they can examine and use while at sea. I think it’s good for them to be able to rely on those tools, which I constantly improve by adding new

elements gathered on the race track, either by myself or the skippers I route from ashore. It is obvious that the boats have made huge progress in terms of power, average speed but also stability of trajectory - a factor the designers have been very keen to improve. During the past 3 or 4 years, the autopilots have also taken a massive step forward, modern IMOCA 60 footers are very fast under pilot and the singlehanders can thus spend more time working at the nav station whilst relying on this assistant. I would say that today’s average speeds are equivalent to the top speeds we were seeing 4 years ago… which gives an idea of the leap forward. Compared to the 2004 edition, that had benefited from favourable conditions during the descent towards the Equator, I think that the new generation of

boats can gain two to three days around the world. Of course, these monohulls have become more demanding both physically and mentally, and it seems clear to me that the guys who have a previous multihull experience have an advantage, since they learnt how to react quickly, to handle speed at the related stress.” Undoubtedly, Sébastien’s maxi-catamaran RTW adventure in 2002 - capturing the Jules Verne in Bruno Peyron’s crew alongside BT Team Ellen teammate Nick Moloney - has already proven valuable experience. It is also worth reminding that Josse tackles, with this 2008 Vendée Globe, his fourth circumnavigation… his background is among the most impressive in the fleet. Jocelyn Blériot

SÉBASTIEN JOSSE

A D ay i n t h e lif e o f

Sébastien Josse

On deck I spend most of my time in the cockpit, which amounts to roughly 10 hours out of 24. While up on deck, I don’t helm a lot, I mostly trim the sails, perform regular checks to spot weak points and gear fatigue. On a round-the-world journey, there are not a lot of tacks or gybes, maybe only 20 during the whole race! While in the cockpit, I mostly keep the sailplan adapted to the wind strength, in order to optimise the speed at all times. The most tiring and difficult manoeuvre is to bring the huge (400 square metres, the equivalent of 1.5 tennis courts) spinnaker down. You need to recover it quickly and cleanly because if it falls into the water it can pull on the rig and potentially generate a lot of damage.

29 © T. Martinez/Sea & Co/BT Team Ellen (All photogaphs, this feature)

2 4 ho u r s o n boa r d

Navstation

Sleeping

This is where I sit to work out my strategy, get my weather information, answer calls from the race HQ and also chat with my friends and family. I roughly spend 4 hours out of 24 down there, but of course that figure rises if the weather situation is not clear and I need to spend more time assessing various scenarios. I download 4 weather files per day, as there is a new one issued every 6 hours. I also send pictures and videos back to my shore base - editing a video takes about 1.5 hours - and I usually make one private phone call a day, to my partner, family or close friends. One last detail: I have a little fan mounted on the top of the instruments panel, because coming down straight from a manoeuvre, very hot and a little sweaty to sit down in front of a screen tends to make me a bit nauseous.

My navstation ‘seat’ doubles as a mattress. Onboard, sleep is broken down into sessions ranging from 20 to 45 minutes, for a total of about 4 to 5 hours per 24 hours. If the conditions are very bad or I’m in a close-combat situation with a rival, I sleep less than usual but then I compensate my lack of sleep afterwards. Basically, whenever I have the chance, I will lie down for a quick nap - for instance when I have to wait 15 minutes for a weather file to be available. At sea, I always have the most wonderful and vivid dreams, probably generated by the fact that the level of fatigue quickly makes me fall into a very deep sleep. Nevertheless, the slightest change in wind strength or a sail trimmed not properly because the wind has shifted wakes me up in a matter of seconds. But often, when I wake ‘naturally’, it takes me some time to realise where I am.

Eating

Manoeuvring at night

When you’re racing, food is a fuel, but I’m not ready to compromise when it comes to quality, as it remains the only little luxury I can have onboard. I take100 kilos of food supplies, only 30% of which is freeze-dried, to be consumed when the conditions don’t allow me to cook a ‘proper’ meal. These are prepacked and only need to be heated. I very rarely take my time to eat, it has to be rather fast because there is always a sail to trim, a weather file to analyse or something awaiting repairs. And even if there was not a lot to do, I would feel that 15 minutes are better spent sleeping than eating. I need about 5000 to 6000 calories a day, depending on the outside temperature, which is about twice as much as a person needs in a daily urban environment (in the Southern Ocean, this figure rises to 8000 calories a day!). For my water needs, I rely on a water maker which produces 1.5 litres of fresh water per hour, using sea water.

At night, it’s more a matter of being on watch than actually manoeuvring, and the autopilot keeps a straighter line than a guy who is tired and cannot see the waves anyway. The cockpit is rather well lit, but seeing what goes on on the foredeck is another story, so the checklist before each manoeuvre is at night twice as long as it is during daytime. To check the sails are properly trimmed, I use a handheld projector for the main and I have deck-mounted lights for the foresails. In order to get accustomed, I practice manoeuvring at night prior to the races because it is slightly more stressful than in broad daylight, as you have to rely on your routine rather than on what you see.

often, when I wake ‘naturally’, it takes me some time to realise where I am.

a r o u n d the wo r ld with S é bastie n

Vendée Globe record: 87 days, 10 hours,

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North-East Trade winds “After the second Doldrums crossing, you can spend 10 days upwind… I have to admit it can get boring, unless it’s a close-fought battle, which wouldn’t be surprising considering the level of competition this year.”

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Pacific Ocean “That’s what the Southern Oceans are all about: majestic swells, powerful winds and more than 450 miles a day. Yet you can still get a rough beating down there.”

;Yh] @gjf Cape Horn “It’s a special moment, like a deliverance. Within 5 or 6 hours, the sea state becomes incredibly calmer, you know you’re on the way back home.”

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47 min and 55 sec (Vincent Riou, 2005)

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Bay of Biscay “It can get pretty rough. We’ve seen competitors lose all their hopes there only two days after the start, and others forced to retire only two days before the finish line…”

Doldrums “I think we’re seeing the end of the Doldrums as we knew them: modern boats don’t get stuck anymore unless there’s really no wind at all, and satellite imagery means we know where to cross that zone without getting stopped. It’s merely a slowdown.”

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LjaklYf \Y ;mf`Y Entering the roaring 40s “The Aghulas current against the prevailing winds makes for a choppy and messy sea state, which is tough on the boat. Temperatures start dropping, and everything turns grey… The winter gear is definitely out by then!”

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26 600 miles, 3 capes, 3 oceans

a li q u id wo r ld

Cape Finisterre

at the end of the world

Cape Finisterre

A voyage in space and time around the globe, from legendary capes to

Tristan da Cunha

Geographical coordinates: 42° 25’ N, 9° 16’ W

“Our Faith is Our Strength”

desolate islands

his rocky tip marks the exit of the Bay of Biscay for the sailors setting off around the planet from Les Sables d’Olonne, and takes its name from the Latin Finis Terrae, literally the end of the world. The same etymological origin gave birth to the name of Brittany’s westernmost county - Finistère - and England’s Land’s End is of course a direct translation of the original expression. Galicia’s Cape Finisterre has been a sacred ground for the Celts who held sun-worshipping rituals there, and the Romans themselves kept the tradition alive by building a stone altar for the sole purpose of paying tribute to the golden orb. The spectacle of the sun declining each day and being eventually “swallowed” by the sea was at the same time fascinating and frightening, which explains why the ceremonies were carried out throughout the centuries. Today, the place retains a strong spiritual connotation, and is still a destination for pilgrims having made their way to Santiago de Compostela. The Cape is arguably the most symbolic place of what used to be known as the “Coast of Death”, a denomination derived from local natural hazards but also kept alive by the high number of shipwreckers in activity. Fitting lamps to their cows’ horn in order to lure the ships passing by, provoking their running aground and stealing the goods as they washed up ashore, they have “helped” in maintaining the place’s gloomy reputation. But Cape Finisterre has also seen one of the worst 19th century maritime tragedies in Europe, when the ironclad HMS Captain sunk, claiming almost 500 lives. The ship, whose conception was rather innovative, was fitted with tripod masts to reduce standing rigging, but suffered from a low freeboard. The 300-ft long HMS Captain heeled over and eventually capsized and sunk on September the 7th, 1870, when caught in a severe gale off Cape Finisterre. Only 18 men were able to be rescued.

H.M.S. Captain

The solid he Tristan da Cunha archipelago was named after the Portuguese sailor Tristão da Cunha, who first sighted it in 1506. A first extensive survey was carried out in 1767 by a French vessel, but the islands were formally annexed by the United Kingdom in 1815. During World War II, Tristan da Cunha became a Royal Navy station, and a first Administrator was named by the British government during that period. Astonishingly enough, there are still 272 residents according to the latest census, and

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boundaries of a liquid world Cape Horn

is also part of the territory. The islands are the visible summits of underwater ‘mountains’ of considerable ‘height’: the seabed lies more than 3000 metres down below, and the highest point above sea level is a volcano named Queen Mary’s Peak, culminating at 2062 metres, covered in snow during the winter months. Tristan da Cunha is located 1750 miles from South Africa, and is the nesting place of the Tristan Albatrosses, only recognised as a full species in 1998. Around 1500 couples have been accounted for, most of them living on Gough Island.

the islands were given a UK post code in 2005 (TDCU 1ZZ)! The population shares just eight surnames, and is made up of roughly eighty families - the lobster factory is the main source of income for the islanders. Lobsters are depicted on the archipelago’s flag, which also bears the motto “Our faith is our strength”... One can only imagine that a healthy dose of faith is indeed mandatory in order to withstand the harsh living conditions and isolation! The archipelago consists of the main island and several inhabited ‘rocks’ among which one bears the self-explanatory name of ‘Inaccessible Island’. It is worth mentioning that Gough Island, lying some 245 nautical miles to the south east,

Geographical coordinates : 37° 3’ S, 12° 18’ W Tristan da Cunha

a li q u id wo r ld

Cape of Good Hope Mighty and mysterious

iscovered by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Diaz in 1488, the Cape of Good Hope initially bore the self-explanatory name of “Cape of Storms”, before being given its current denomination by João II, King of Portugal.

Europe recommended that the efforts made to develop a durable settlement should be carried forward, since land proved fertile and the climate very pleasant. The city of Cape Town was subsequently founded on an initiative of the East India Dutch Company, in April 1652, when Captain Jan van Riebeeck entered the bay with the flotilla he commanded. Geographically, and despite the common misconception, the cape of Good Hope is not the southernmost tip of the African continent, since the Cape Agulhas, some 90 miles to the south-east, lies further down in terms of latitude – it is also the official dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. But the historical importance of Good Hope, which had for many years been simply referred to as “The Cape” by sailors, make it the most significant of these two African landmarks. Geographical coordinates: 34° 21’ S, 18° 28’ E

Kerguelen ‘the desolate islands’

Cape of Good Hope

The monarch decided that this landmark, symbol of new commercial routes towards the East, should be seen as the threshold of new and promising horizons… hence its optimistic connotation. Nevertheless, the area quickly became quite well known among sailors for its dangers, and the legend of Adamastor, the spirit the Cape of Storms, was consigned in Luis de Camoes’s epic poem “The Lusiads” which was published in 1572. Warning intrepid sailors against the wrath they would unleash if they attempted to enter the Indian Ocean, this mythical figure embodies the power of nature reacting against the mortals who try to challenge and master it: “I am that mighty hidden cape, called by you Portuguese the cape of storms (…) Listen now to me and learn what perils have been laid up against such excess of presumption (…) Know that as many ships as are bold to make this voyage that you are making now will be assailed when they reach this spot by hostile winds and raging tempests (…) I shall wreak such sudden chastisement as to make the danger pale before the reality.” The grim prediction came true soon enough, at the expense of the Dutch vessel Nieuwe Haarlem, in 1648. Sent for a recognition mission prior to the establishment of a settlement on the cape (then only used as a pit stop for merchant ships), the Nieuwe Haarlem ran aground in ferocious winds just below Table Mountain, yet a part of the crew managed to swim ashore. The survivors spent a year living in the bay, and upon returning to

he French expedition headed by YvesJoseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec never went far enough south to catch sight of Heard Island… In fact, rather disappointed by the barren and desolate land they discovered while searching for a hypothetical “Southern continent” (Terra Australis Incognita), the ship quickly headed back towards Europe without even taking proper possession of the land. More importantly, they left without even attempting to search for the second vessel that was part of the expedition, from which Admiral Kerguelen and his crew had been separated due to bad weather during the voyage. But back in France in July 1772, while telling King Louis XV about his discovery, Kerguelen strangely twisted the truth, embellishing his discovery so much that La Pérouse wrote “He was welcomed like a new Colombus”. Quickly, a second expedition was set up in order to establish a colony and French presence in this new “paradise” and although Kerguelen and his crew had seen nothing but rocks, sparse vegetation and terrible weather conditions, strangely enough members of the original expedition were saying exactly what the authorities wanted to hear, becoming increasingly entangled by their lies. The second expedition ended up, after many incidents, with the arrest of Admiral Kerguelen himself: the boat he had been separated from during the first voyage had finally made it back to France in the meantime, and its officers, who had taken possession of the land in the name of the King, told the truth about its desolate nature… Furthermore, Kerguelen had taken the risk of hiding his mistress aboard the vessel, which led

It has never clearly been established, despite a long and extensive trial, if Kerguelen had deliberately lied, or if he had simply succumbed to his delusional beliefs, remaining obsessively convinced that somewhere a Southern promised land really existed

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The Kerguelen Islands are home to approximately 80 scientists… and many king penguins, seals, or even sheep.

to many disputes and jealousy-driven clashes when she was discovered by the other officers. The explorer fell from grace and was imprisoned, before being rehabilitated during the French revolution. It has never clearly been established, despite a long and extensive trial, if Kerguelen had deliberately lied, or if he had simply succumbed to his delusional beliefs, remaining obsessively convinced that somewhere a Southern promised land really existed. The episode seems to have been so embarrassing for the French authorities that it took them a whole century to actually officially acknowledge the possession of this territory. Geographical coordinates: 49° 20’ S, 70° 12’ E (Port aux Français)

a li q u id wo r ld

Heard Island, Laurens Peninsula

Heard Island

he uninhabited Heard Island, located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, is a 368 square kilometers piece of land on the Kerguelen plateau, only 810 nautical miles north of Antarctica. It was named after the American sealer Captain John Heard, who first sighted it on December the 24th, 1853. Briefly populated by a small number of sealers living in dreadful conditions, Heard Island has been visited by several scientific expeditions in the late 1800s – early 1900s, and the remains of a hut intended as a refuge for stranded sailors, built in 1930 by Sir Douglas Mawson’s team, is reportedly still standing today. Over 80% of the island is permanently covered by ice, but the glaciers that reached the seashores in the late 1940s now end hundreds of metres further inland. Geographical coordinates: 53° 06’ S, 73° 30’ E

Cape Leeuwin

Cape Leeuwin The wild world of Cape Leeuwin

he Dutch navigators who had first sighted it - without stopping or claiming possession had named “Land of Leeuwin” (which in Flemish means “lioness”, the name of their ship) this vast and wild piece of territory located at the southwestern tip of Australia. And if Mathew Flinders eventually gave the name Leeuwin to the cape itself in 1801, the French influence on this

region could have been much more important ! In 1772, while Yves de Kerguelen is sailing back towards France in order to inform Louis XV of his “discovery” (a barren, frozen and desolate archipelago, somehow hastily described to the monarch as a “Southern paradise”), the second vessel of his expedition wanders, lost in the icy fogs of a very hostile Southern Ocean. Louis de Saint-Allouarn, commanding officer on that ship named “Gros Ventre” (“Big Belly”), tries to make way towards a meeting point that had been arranged previously between himself and Kerguelen, sailing the “Fortune”, should the two boats end up separated. The two officers had agreed to get together south west of Australia, a rather still unknown land then named “New Holland”. Of course, despite his efforts, SaintAllouarn doesn’t encounter the other half of his expedition, and sails along the desert coastline, contemplating territories which haven’t yet been claimed by anyone. He eventually decides to head North and on March the 30th 1772, moors the “Gros Ventre” in the “Bay of the Sea Dogs”, today known as “Shark Bay”, before sending Lieutenant Mingault de la Hage ashore, with the mission of claiming the territory in the name of Louis XV. But Saint-Allouarn dies on the way back, and will never see France again - his fellow navigators for their part will not be able to convince the authorities of the importance of the land they just claimed… In reality, no one pays any attention, and England will only officially take possession of Western Australia in 1829. But in the meantime (in 1801 precisely), another Frenchman, Nicolas Baudin, led one of the

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most important scientific campaign of the era, contributing to a tremendous increase of the amount of knowledge in terms of flora and fauna of the territory. Louis de Saint-Allouarn and his 1772 claim in the name of Louis XV has almost been forgotten… yet his lieutenant had, as the protocol required, buried a bottle containing official documents bearing the King’s seal, even though it did not seem to interest anyone. Until one day in 1998, when a French tourist from New Caledonia finds traces of Saint-Allouarn’s passage, discovering a coin representing Louis XV at the tip of the Dirk Hartog Island! Below 15 cm of sand, on a beach, this coin was discovered a few metres away from a bottle, found by Myra Stanbury (head of the archeology Dpt. of the Fremantle Maritime Museum) a few weeks later: “After having examined it closely, we have concluded that there was more than 50% chance it actually was THE bottle”, she said at the time (source French Press Agency - AFP). Further thorough analysis and comparisons allowed it to be confirmed beyond doubt that the bottle indeed came from the “Gros Ventre”. Historically, this implies that this portion of Australia could have remained French, provided the authorities had paid attention to it: but taking possession without subsequently occupying the land could not be considered a legitimate claim… and it is blatantly obvious that France never even tried to encourage settlements or to open commercial establishments on the “Land of the lioness”. Geographical coordinates: 34°22’ S, 115° 08’ E

Cape Horn

Chilean army barracks at Cape Horn.

The Fury of the Cape

ale warnings 200 days a year, fog and dark skies… Welcome to Cape Horn! The southernmost tip of the American continent faces the Antarctic Peninsula and forms a narrow passage between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Fierce waves and winds are forced through this channel where the seabed also suddenly rises from 4000 to 400 metres; a perpetual state of wrath at the foot of the cape. “We only saw high snow-capped mountains ending with a very pointy cape, that we named cape of Hoorn”. This laconic mention of the Cape is taken from the logbook of the Dutch ship Eendracht, and marks the official birth of the sailors’ Everest. After leaving the port of Hoorn in 1615, Isaac Le Maire and Willem Schouten discovered a passage to the Pacific Ocean that meant they could avoid the Strait of Magellan; then controlled exclusively by the East India Company. Unfortunately, on stepping ashore in Java, the two discoverers were thrown into jail

and no one would believe them. To add insult to injury, they were accused of having sailed through the Strait of Magellan despite the interdiction! They were finally able to make themselves heard on arrival back home still as prisoners, in Holland and the news started to spread around European harbours. The cape itself however, remained a mystery for many years, and the fact that it is actually an island was only revealed in 1624. At the time it had not yet been considered a dangerous area, since Le Maire and Schouten had apparently rounded on a very calm day - their logbook makes no mention of rough conditions. The fierce reputation of the “Hoorn” took a while to establish. Yet as more and more ships opted for this route, it quickly became known as the “hard cape”, and by the beginning of the 18th century, there was no longer any doubt to its nature. In 1741 during an expedition destined to attack Spanish trade establishments on the Pacific coast, Admiral Anson lost 5 of the 8 ships in his charge whilst rounding the Cape. The voyage, especially westbound (against the prevailing winds and tides), is a very perilous one, and before the trans-American railway was in service the Clippers sailing to San Francisco from New York established the cape as a mythical landmark. The sailors who survived gained the right to wear a ring in their left ear, but human losses continued to mount at the foot of the Horn Isles. For certain ships, it took several months to round the Cape successfully from the Atlantic to the Pacific – such was the case for the four-masted Edward Seawall, whose attempt started on March 10th (1904) and finally ended on May 8th! Today the Horn is obviously not a compulsory passage for commercial routes, but as the French pioneer Alain Colas wrote during his 1973 solo round the world multi-hull journey, “Generations of men have fought, suffered and died here, and if compared to them we’re only amateurs, we’re happy to keep the tradition alive. The Horn must remain a legend, and if no one rounds it the hard way anymore, it will shrink and end up a simple dot on geography books.” Coordinates: 55° 59’S – 67° 15’ W

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The BT Open 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122; on full screen by Thierry Martinez/Sea & Co

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V E N D É E G L O B E L I N E UP

2008 The Competition The list of Sébastien Josse’s rival skippers in the 2008 edition reads like a who’s who, containing some of the most celebrated and respected names in sailing today. And without doubt, each is as focused and equally determined to claim the most sought after prize in singlehanded ocean racing.

Pakea Bizkaia 2009 Open 60 Design: Murray-Burns-Dovell Build: Jarkan Yacht Builds Launch date: 2005

Cervin EnR Open 60 Design: Finot-Conq Build: Thierry Eluère (Aquitaine) Launch Date: May 1996

Delta Dore Open 60 Design: Farr Yacht Design (USA) Build: JMV (Cherbourg) Launch Date: September 2006

Unai Bazurko Pakea Bizkaia 2009 / ESP Revealed by his 3rd place in the Velux 5 Oceans, just ahead of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Unai is from an active sailing family and wants to keep the Spanish shorthanded ocean racing tradition alive. Inspired and trained by Jose Luis de Ugarte, he won the double-handed Trans Tasman race with Kanga Birtles. CV Highlights 2007: 15th of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2007: 3rd in the Velux 5 Oceans 2004: Around Spain record

Yannick Bestaven Cervin EnR / FRA Determined and motivated, Yannick is the only skipper to have won both legs of the Mini Transat. A crewmember and friend of Yves Parlier, he decided to buy his Aquitaine Innovation 1996 60 footer, and to refit her for the 2008 Vendée Globe. CV Highlights 2008: 6th in The Artemis Transat 2007: 8th in the Transat BtoB 2007: 13th in the Transat Jacques Vabre

Jérémie Beyou Delta Dore / FRA One of the best and most consistent Figaro skippers, Jérémie is the only person ever to have achieved the “Grand Slam” in the class (all the solo events, including the Solitaire, in 2005). He then moved up to the IMOCA class and built a new Farr-designed 60. Unfortunately, he had to retire from the Barcelona World Race, after having dismasted. CV Highlights 2007: 2nd in the Calais Round Britain Race 2005: Winner of the Solitaire du Figaro 2005: Winner of the Generali Solo

Akena Vérandas Open 60 (Ex Sodebo, VMI and Brit Air) Design: Finot/ Conq Build: Kirié (Vendée) Launch Date: June 1998

Aviva Open 60 Design: Owen-Clarke Build: Hakes Marine (NZ) Launch Date: December 2007

VM Matériaux Open 60 Design: Marc Lombard Build: JMV (Cherbourg) Launch Date: April 2004

Arnaud Boissières Akena Vérandas / FRA Determined and passionate, Arnaud, aka “Cali” carried out deliveries and shore crew jobs for well-known French skippers such as Yves Parlier, Catherine Chabaud… These experiences sharpened his ocean racing skills and in 2000, he tackled the Mini Transat with his friend Yannick Bestaven, today a rival in the Vendée Globe. CV Highlights 2008: 7th in The Artemis Transat 2007: 9th in the Transat BtoB 2007: 12th in the Transat Jacques Vabre

Dee Caffari Aviva / GBR Dee is one of the two British female sailors to participate in the 2008 Vendée Globe. She was the first woman to ever complete a westabout non stop solo circumnavigation. For her new challenge, the Vendée Globe, she will race a new Open 60, sistership of Mike Golding’s Ecover III. CV Highlights 2008: 8th in The Artemis Transat 2007: 11th in the Calais Round Britain Race 2007: 14th in the Transat Jacques Vabre

Jean Le Cam VM Matériaux / FRA Le Cam is one of the most accomplished Figaro sailors and one of the only three sailors - with Desjoyeaux and Poupon – to have won the Solitaire three times. After a short stint in the ORMA circuit, he decided to move to the IMOCA class and built a Lombard design onboard which he finished 2nd in the 2004/2005 Vendée Globe. He’s back in 2008 with the same but optimised racer. CV Highlights 2007: 4th in The Transat Jacques Vabre 2006: 2nd in the Route Du Rhum 2005: 2nd in the Vendée Globe

THE COMPETITION 45

Brit Air Open 60: Design: Finot/ Conq Build: Multiplast Launch Date: July 2007

Roxy Open 60 (Ex PRB) Design: Finot-Conq Build: MAG France (Fontenay Le Comte) Launch Date: 2000

Maisonneuve Open 60 Design: Angelo Lavranos Build: Walter Antunes / Artech (Brazil) Launch date: 2004

Foncia Open 60 Design: Farr Yacht Design Build: C DK Technologies (Port la Forêt) Launch Date: September 2006

Armel Le Cléac’h Brit Air / FRA Like many sailors of his generation, Armel has made his move into the IMOCA class having earned his stripes in the Figaro class. In 2000, for his first participation the Solitaire, he took second place before winning the event in 2003. The following year, he won the Transat AG2R with Nicolas Troussel. CV Highlights 2008: 2nd in The Artemis Transat 2007: 7th in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2006: 4th in the Route du Rhum

Samantha Davies Roxy / GBR Sam, the most French of the British navigators, lives in Brittany and trains at the Offshore Training Centre of Port la Foret, alongside all the top guns in the class. She’s campaigning one of the most famous IMOCA 60s, the former PRB which won the two last editions of the Vendée Globe. CV Highlights 2008: 5th in The Artemis Transat 2007: 7th in the transat BtoB 2007: 10th in the Transat Jacques Vabre

Paprec-Virbac 2 Open 60 Design: Farr Yacht Design Build: S outhern Ocean Marine (New-Zealand) Launch date: February 2007

Launch: 1996

Generali Open 60 Design: Finot-Conq Build: Multiplast (Vannes) Launch Date: April 2007

Michel Desjoyeaux Foncia / FRA Having achieved the unique feat of winning the three most famous solo offshore races (Vendée Globe in IMOCA class, Route du Rhum and The Transat onboard his ORMA 60 trimaran Géant), Michel is the most accomplished and titled solo sailor ever. He returns to the IMOCA class with the sole ambition of becoming the first man to win the Vendée Globe twice. CV Highlights 2007: Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2002: Winner of the Route du Rhum 2000-2001: Winner of the Vendée Globe

CV Highlights 2008: Winner of the Barcelona World Race 2005: 6th place in the Vendée Globe 2005: Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre (coskipper Loïck Peyron)

Raphaël Dinelli Fondation Océan Vital / FRA Raphael will participate this year in his 4th Vendée Globe. Everybody remembers his incredible rescue by Pete Goss in 1996, when he spent 3 days in waters not exceeding 3°C. Raphael showed his determination when he Fondation Ocean Vital Open 60 returned to the RTW event in 2000, and in 2004. That year he completed the course, taking Design: Nandor Fa 12th place. Build: Nandor Fa

Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty Maisonneuve / FRA Like most of his IMOCA class peers, Jean Baptiste has worked his way slowly upwards from the Mini class and to the Figaro. With a yacht designer background, he can also count on his strong technical knowledge. Despite an older generation boat, he achieved encouraging results during the two past seasons. CV Highlights 2007: 10th in the Transat BtoB 2007: 11th in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2006: 9th in the Route du Rhum

Jean-Pierre Dick Paprec-Virbac 2 / FRA It only took Jean-Pierre a few years to move on from enlightened amateur to competitive professional racer. Finishing 6th in the 2004 Vendée Globe despite an amazing number of breakages and mishaps, he won the 2-handed Barcelona World Race with Damian Foxall in 2008.

Ecover Open 60 Design: Owen-Clarke Build: Hakes Marine (NZ) Launch Date: August 2007 Design: Finot

CV Highlights 2004 – 2005: 12th in the Vendée Globe 1998: 3rd in the Route du Rhum 1997: Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre in 50 foot class

Yann Eliès Generali / FRA In the Eliès family, winning races is a tradition passed down from father to son. Yann’s grandfather won the 1971 Fastnet, his father the 1979 Solitaire du Figaro… a circuit on which himself shone for 10 seasons. Double co-holder of the Jules Verne Trophy, the young Breton has previous experience of the Southern Ocean. CV Highlights 2008: 3rd in The Artemis Transat 2007: 4th in the Transat BtoB 2007: 9th in the Transat Jacques Vabre

Mike Golding Ecover / GBR Mike is unquestionably the most experienced British solo sailor. IMOCA World champion twice (2004-2005 and 2005-2006), he will take the start of his third Vendée Globe in November, aboard his third and brand new IMOCA 60. The 2008 Vendée Globe will be Mike’s 8th circumnavigation and the 6th raced singlehanded. CV Highlights 2007: 5th in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2005: 3rd in the Vendée Globe 2004: Winner of The Transat IMOCA 60 class

V E N D É E G L O B E L I N E UP

Safran Open 60 Design: VPLP & Verdier Build: C hantier Naval de Larros (Gironde) Launch date: May 2007

Spirit of Canada Open 60 Design: Owen-Clarke Build: S pirit of Canada Ocean Challenges Team Launch date: 2006

Marc Guillemot Safran / FRA Marc started racing shorthanded on Figaros and 6.50 Minis… and acquired in the same time precious multihull experience crewing for Peyron, Vatine or Birch. Famous for his impressive multihull CV, Marc Guillemot has come back to racing monohulls, a domain where he has acquired a lot of experience in the past, on the Figaro circuit or in various One-Design classes. CV Highlights 2008: 4th in The Artemis Transat 2007: 2nd in the Transat BtoB 2007: 7th in the Transat Jacques Vabre

Derek Hatfield Spirit of Canada / CAN Derek is Canada’s most prominent singlehander. He came to the public’s attention in 2002 after his dismasting in Around Alone, he managed to complete the race with a spectacular juryrig. Since then, Derek has run an IMOCA 60 campaign with a new boat built in Canada, designed by Owen-Clarke. CV Highlights 2002: 3rd in Around Alone 1999: 2nd in the Bermuda One-Two 1996: 7th in the Europe 1 Star

Roland Jourdain Veolia Environnement / FRA Roland, also known as Bilou’, is one of the toughest competitors in the fleet. Highly esteemed by his peers, he is also famous for his sense of camaraderie. He will race on his Lombard design built for the 2004 Vendée Veolia Environnement Open 60 Globe, a boat aboard which he won the 2006 Design: Marc Lombard Route du Rhum, and which has been thoroughly Build: JMV (Cherbourg) optimised since her launch. Launch date: April 2004 CV Highlights 2006: Winner of the Route du Rhum 2005: 2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2004: Winner of the Calais Round Britain Race

Artemis II Open 60 Design: Rogers Yacht Design Build: N eville Hutton Boat Builds (Lymington) Launch Date: April 2008

Jonny Malbon Artemis / GBR Boat Captain for Ellen MacArthur and Brian Thompson, Jonny joined the shore team of the new Artemis project in 2006 and became the official skipper in January 2007. New skipper, new campaign… new boat. Jonny will race this season on a brand new boat, as most of his fellow Brit sailors. CV Highlights 2007: Winner of the Round the Island Race (IMOCA) 2006: Winner of Round Britain and Ireland Race 2005: Winner of the Oryx Quest onboard Doha

Groupe Bel Open 60 Design: VPLP & Verdier Build: Indiana Yachting (Italy) Launch Date: September 2007

Gitana Eighty Open 60 Design: Farr Yacht Design Build: Southern Ocean Marine (NZ) Launch Date: July 2007

PRB Open 60 Design: Farr Yacht Design Build: CDK (Port la Forêt) Launch Date: September 2006 Design: Farr Yacht Design

Kito de Pavant Groupe Bel / FRA Kito started sailing and racing aboard dinghies, then became a charter skipper. 10 years later, the urge of competition kicked back in and the year 2000 saw him enter the very demanding Figaro Class. 2 years later went on to win the famous Solitaire du Figaro and convinced his sponsors to step up for a Vendée Globe campaign. CV Highlights 2007: 2nd in the Transat BtoB 2007: 2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2006: Winner of the Transat AG2R

Loïck Peyron Gitana Eighty / FRA Having dominated the ORMA multihull circuit for years, Loïck has accumulated victories in a wide variety of classes as well. An intuitive sailor, he is respected and feared by his rivals due to his exceptional tactical skills. Having won two singlehanded transats back to back and captured a historical third victory in The ArtemisTransat, he’s clearly one of the biggest race favourites. CV Highlights 2008: Winner of The Artemis Transat 1999 and 2OO5: Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre 1992 and 1996: Winner of the Europe 1 Star (The Transat)

Vincent Riou PRB / FRA Winner of the last Vendée Globe, Vincent is one of the favourites. He unfortunately had to retire from The Artemis Transat due to a collision with a shark. PRB was retrieved a couple of weeks later, fixed and reinforced in order to become once again, a dreadful weapon for the next Vendée Globe. CV Highlights 2007: Winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2007: Winner of the Calais Round Britain Race 2005: Winner of the Vendée Globe and French sailor of the year. Norbert Sedlacek Nauticsport-Kapsch / AUT Norbert sailed around the world singlehanded two times before competing in his first Vendée Globe in 2004-2005. Because of a keel mechanism problem, he was forced to retire in Cape Town. After 3 years of intense work to find partners and refit his boat, Norbert is back, more determined than ever.

Nauticsport-Kapsch Open 60 Design: Bernard Nivelt Build: Garcia (Condé sur Noireau) Launch Date: 1995

CV Highlights 2004: 10th in The Transat 2000: Participation in Ice Limit (Cape Town Cape Town) 1996: Building of 8 meter boat and circumnavigation

THE COMPETITION 47

Poujoulat Open 60 (Ex Virbac-Paprec) Design: Farr Yacht Design (USA) CV Highlights Build: Cookson Boats (NZ) 2007: 3rd in the Transat Jacques Vabre Launch Date: April 2003 2007: Winner of the Velux 5 Oceans 2007: 2nd in the Rolex Fastnet

DCNS Open 60 Design: Finot-Conq Build: Multiplast (Vannes) Launch Date: 2008

Pindar Open 60 Design: Juan Kouyoumdjian Build: C ookson (NZ) Launch date: 2007

Hugo Boss Open 60 Design: Finot/Conq Build: Neville Hutton (Lymington, GBR) Launch Date: 2007

Marc Thiercelin DCNS / FRA Marc is a very experienced IMOCA 60 sailor and he returns to the championship this year with a brand new boat, the last born of the new IMOCA 60 generation. Second in 1997, fourth in 2001, retired in 2005, Marc has a long Vendée Globe history and he really wants to take his revenge with his brand new boat. CV Highlights 2004: 6th in The Transat 2003: 7th in the Solitaire du Figaro 2001: 4th in the Vendée Globe

Brian ThomPson Pindar/ GBR Brian is a very experienced multihull sailor (winner of the Oryx Quest, records onboard Cheyenne and Maiden II) who has clocked up a lot of IMOCA miles in the past 7 years (Kingfisher, Ecover…). Brian today races onboard his own boat, a Juan Koujoumdjian design, quite different from the rest of the IMOCA fleet, being wider, more powerful and heavier. CV Highlights 2005: 5th in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2005: Winner of the Oryx Quest onboard Doha 2006 (ex Club Med) 2004: Around the world record onboard Cheyenne (ex PlayStation)

Alex Thomson Hugo Boss / GBR Known for his “pedal to the floor” approach, Alex Thomson finished second in the Barcelona World Race aboard his brand new Finot/ Conq designed powerful Open 60. During the last Vendée Globe, the British skipper had been forced to retire after having broken his gooseneck and suffered a hole in the deck. CV Highlights 2007: 2nd in the Barcelona World Race 2003: 2nd in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2003: 3rd in the Défi Atlantique and new IMOCA 60 24h record

Temenos II Open 60 Design: Owen – Clarke Build: Southern Ocean Marine (NZ) Launch date: June 2006

Dominique Wavre Temenos II / SUI Dominique is one of the most experienced round the world sailors of the IMOCA class (7 circumnavigations under his belt!). Racing dinghies as well as Figaros, involved in different America’s Cup or Whitbread campaigns, Dominique naturally moved to the IMOCA class and he will take the start of his third Vendée Globe in November! CV Highlights 2008: 3rd in the Barcelona World Race 2004-2005: 4th in the Vendée Globe 2000-2001: 5th in the Vendée Globe Steve White Spirit of Weymouth / GBR Steve White is the living proof that anyone can fulfill his dream, relying on willpower alone. He and his wife saved every penny and mortgaged their house in order to buy Josh Hall’s boat. Steve is encouraged by a handful of small sponsors and an army of friends.

Spirit of Weymouth Open 60 Design: Finot-Conq Build: JMV (Cherbourg) Launch Date: 1998

CV Highlights 2008: 9th in The Artemis Transat 2007: 8th in the Fastnet 2005: Winner of the OSTAR in 50’ Class

Rich Wilson Great American III / USA Rich Wilson will probably be the oldest skipper of the race and the only American. He isn’t chasing victory but wants to complete this Vendée Globe in order fulfil his childhood dream. This Maths teacher and Harvard graduate has set a few multihull records, like Hong Kong - New York or San Francisco Great American III Open 60 (Ex Solidaires et VM Matériaux) - Boston. In 2004, he finished second of his class in the The Transat. Design: Bernard Nivelt Build: Thierry Dubois CV Highlights Launch date: 1999 2007 : 16th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2004 : 2nd place in The Transat (50’ class) 1988 : 1st place in the C-Star, class V multihulls © T. Martinez/Sea & Co/BT Team Ellen

Bernard Stamm Cheminées Poujoulat / SUI With a drive and determination that has become a trademark, Bernard built a Pierre Rolland-designed Open 60 for the 2000-2001 Vendée Globe. Last year, he bought JeanPierre Dick’s first Virbac-Paprec and has since completely refitted her. He notably won two consecutive Around Alone races, and is coholder of the Jules Verne Trophy.

BT OPEN 60

The BT Open 60’ in detail 4

IMOCA Open 60’ monohulls are the most sophisticated ocean racing monohulls on the international scene today. We take a closer look at BT, one of the latest generation Open 60s, designed by the Farr office and built by the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team in Cowes for the 2008 Vendée Globe. Officially created in 1991, the IMOCA (International 60 feet Monohull Open Class Association) in fact encompasses 20 years of technical evolution and is today the world’s most successful offshore racing class. Its rule, originally only limiting the overall length to 60 feet, evolved to restrain a certain number of parameters, yet still remains open, and encouraging innovation is one of the key aspects of the class’s philosophy. No less than 20 new boats have been especially built with the 2008 Vendée Globe in mind, including Sébastien Josse’s BT which is - as her performance during The Artemis Transat clearly demonstrated - one of the best monohulls of the fleet. To understand how Open 60s evolved with the shape and degree of sophistication they have attained today, one has to consider that stuck at 18.28 metres overall length, designers got rid of overhangs in order to obtain the longest waterline possible within the rule. They then looked for extra power by increasing the draft, fitting sea water ballasts, widening the hulls, fitting canting keels (moving counterweights) in order to be able to withstand more sail area. In 20 years, Open 60 monohulls have gained almost a metre of beam (+20%), 100 square metres of upwind sail area (+50%), lost more than 3 tonnes of displacement (-25%). 1. Rudders Open 60s were the first ocean racers to adopt twin rudders, which was a logical move considering the width of their aft sections. BT was recently fitted with a state-of-the-art kick-up rudder system, allowing each blade to lift in the event of a collision with a floating object, thus preventing rudder breakage. In light to medium conditions, the windward blade can also be lifted on purpose in order to limit drag. 2. Keel Canting keels act as movable counterweights, and are operated by hydraulic rams. The class rules limit the draft to 4.5 metres, and in BT’s case the keel weight (bulb + fin) amounts to 30% of the boat’s total displacement. This system is crucial to withstand considerable sail areas - the boat’s “horsepower” - whilst maintaining an acceptable degree of heeling angle. 3. Coachroof Modern Open 60s’ level of performance has a direct impact on life on board, as spray and blue water permanently find their way on deck at high speed. BT’s generously dimensioned coachroof offers Sébastien Josse a good level of protection, allowing him to spend more time on deck. It is also important to note that class rules dictate a minimum coachroof area, in order to help the boat return to its upright position in the event of a capsize.

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Technical specifications Length: 18.28m (60 feet) Width: 5.85m Weight: 8,300kg (8.3 tonnes) Keel: 2,800kg Mast height: 27.1m Draft: 4.5m Sail area upwind: 310sqm Sail area downwind: 590sqm Build material: Carbon fibre nomex foam sandwich Designer: Farr Yacht Design, Annapolis, USA Builder: Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, Cowes, UK Launch date: June 2007

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9. Liferaft 10. Line Tunnel & halyards 11. Winch table

12. Galley 13. Bunk 14. Tackable Equipment Stack 15. Hydraulic Keel Ram 16. Water Desalinator 17. Wind Generator 18. Watertight bulkheads

4. Mast The IMOCA rule allows for various rig configurations, and for BT Sébastien Josse chose a conventional fixed mast as opposed to a rotating wingmast, for reliability reasons. BT’s carbon fibre spar is 27.1 metres high, held in place by an all-fibre standing rigging (shrouds, forestays and backstays), some 70% lighter than steel. 5. Bow strakes These side “fins” are a 2008 innovation. Their function is to lift the bow at high speed when reaching and running, thus limiting the nose-diving tendency. Also called “spray rails”, they help reduce the amount of water on deck.

route plotting devices, wind instrument displays and communications systems allowing the skipper to retrieve weather information and to send images or footage are placed on a vertical panel which pivots around its axis. This enables the skipper to be sat to windward at all times, whatever tack the boat is on. Aboard BT, there is no built-in seat at the navstation, and Sébastien uses a beanbag mattress that doubles as a bed. 8. Water ballasts To alter the displacement of the boat and allow for some stability adjustments, sea water ballasts

have been added. BT is fitted with 3 tanks (fore, middle and aft) with a total combined capacity of 5.3 tonnes, which the skipper can individually fill or empty according to the conditions. For example, sailing downwind, it is crucial to lift the bow in order to prevent nose-diving, by adding weight to the back of the boat. BT was built in Cowes by the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team for the 2008 Vendée Globe. The construction required 22,000 hours of work over 8 months, and involved a team of 14 people, peaking to 26 people in the final phase.

7. Navstation - life cell Modern navigation stations are much more similar to aircraft instrument panels than to traditional chart tables. Satellite positioning, electronic charts,

6. Cockpit area BT’s cockpit is a very wide open space, allowing the skipper to move freely and thus to perform manoeuvres swiftly. Winches are connected to a grinding pedestal, and all the control lines come back to the centre of the cockpit, under the coach roof (fore sails sheets are trimmed using the lateral winches).

T H E i n te r v iew

With its planetary SPAN and DECEPTIVELY simple format, the Vendée Globe ACHIEVED LEGENDARY STATUS right after its creation. But every LEGEND COMES WITH a price, and many obstacles lie ahead for solo sailors trying to race their way from start to finish. Sébastien Josse gives us his views on some of the biggest issues.

Dark side of the Globe

Sébastien training in a storm for his 2004 Vendée Globe

During a race such as the Vendée Globe, without stopovers or outside assistance, the smallest breakage can have disastrous consequences and mean the end of the adventure. Psychologically, how heavy is that burden? I have to admit it’s always at the back of my head, and I’m all the more aware of it as during my last Vendée I experienced a series of problems I really wasn’t expecting. Whether it was the alternator refusing to work or the engine breaking down for no apparent reason, each time it’s been a real surprise because that gear was brand new at the start - for a simple metal spring or a small part weighing only a few grams, the race can be over! So obviously it’s a permanent worry, the pressure is always on, and even if the preparation process has been meticulously planned for and carried out, eradicating the risk of breakage is impossible. One needs to get to grips with the fact that the adventure can be over within a week, and that’s a very tough reality to accept given all the time and efforts put into such a campaign. But the human error factor is also important, and by messing up a gybe in 40 knots of wind one can decimate a whole set of battens in a matter of seconds… I can think of many examples of gear failures that look benign on paper but can in fact wipe out months of hard work. You simply cannot set off with spares for every component, not for such a competitive event where weight issues are critical, and preparation is about making choices. The experience accumulated by the BT team members means that we can avoid a lot of mistakes, but the threat of gear failure remains a Damocles sword hanging over our heads. You sometimes describe yourself as a fatalist… Yes, I’ve always been and spending time at sea did not exactly steer me away from that natural inclination! The advantage of that state of mind is that you don’t spend hours ruminating about a breakage or an unfavourable weather change - that’s the way it is, you have to cope and get on with it. That being said, the comfort of excessive fatalism must also be avoided, because simply considering that “things happen” as if by magic is not an option. There is such a thing as bad luck, but it can certainly not be blamed for everything, you have to acknowledge your mistakes. Let’s talk about unpleasant stuff - fear and seasickness. Any comments? I realised that when I had been seasick, notably during the first days of certain offshore races, it was due to stress. It just doesn’t happen to me anymore… At the start of the 2002 Route du Rhum, my first solo race on board an Open 60, I felt sick even before passing through the lock! I knew I’d have to face 50 knots of wind, I was wondering what my reaction would be and how I would handle that situation: I quickly realised it was all in my head, and apart from a few exceptions, seasickness is mostly stress-generated. As far as fear is concerned, show me a guy who doesn’t feel a hint of anguish when it’s blowing 60 knots and the waves are 8 metres high, and I’ll show you a man whose mental sanity should be questioned! Sailing on your own in the Southern Ocean logically implies you will experience situations in which your status of mere mortal will be reminded to you by the fury of the elements. And when that happens, you just forget the bravado… so yes, fear is a part of the game. I know too, for having experienced it, what type of menace icebergs represent - when my boat hit a growler in 2005, I was on watch, in full alert mode, but still I wasn’t able to avoid it. People sometimes refer to that situation by comparing it to Russian roulette, and to a certain extent I think the expression is well chosen. And yet… And yet, or maybe precisely because of all the obstacles that have to be dealt with, there is no greater adventure. This race is worth all the sacrifices and risks it holds in store.

the c v 5 1

Sébastien Josse - SAILING CV 2008 The Artemis Transat - Retired due to technical problems whilst leading 2007 Barcelona World Race with Vincent Riou – Retired (broken mast) Winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race with Vincent Riou Winner of the Calais Round Britain Race with Vincent Riou

2005 Winner of the Route de l’Equateur 5th place in the Vendée Globe 2004-2005 2004 8th place in The Transat 2003 Winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race 5th place in the Transat Jacques Vabre with Isabelle Autissier 6th place in the Calais Round Britain Race 4th place in the Défi Atlantique 2002 Co-holder of the Trophée Jules Verne Trophy - Orange maxi catamaran 2001 Winner of the Tour de Corse with Erwan Tabarly 2nd place in the Solitaire du Figaro 3rd place in the Tour de Bretagne 3rd place in the Generali Méditerranée 4th place in the Trophée Banque Privée Européenne 2nd place in the offshore singlehanded France championship 2000 Winner of the Route du Ponant 3rd place in the Grand Prix Route du Ponant 5th place in the Offshore Singlehanded France Championship 5th place in the Grand Prix Solo Porquerolles 10th place in the Transat AG2R with Eric Drouglazet (won the prologue race) 14th place in the Solitaire du Figaro 1999 20th place in the Solitaire du Figaro 12th place in the Tour de Bretagne 1998 Winner of the France Espoir Solitaire championship Winner of the Télégramme Tresco (Figaro) Winner of the Porquerolles Figaro Solo (rookies category) Winner of the Grand Prix Figaro in Dunkerque (rookies category) Winner of the Tour de France à la voile (amateur division) 2nd place in the Solitaire du Figaro first-timers 2nd place in the Transmanche double-handed 3rd place in the Concarneau 110 Solo Miles 1997 Winner of the Challenge Espoir Crédit Agricole 2nd place in the Primo Cup 2nd place in the Obélix Trophy 3rd place in the SNIM 7th place in the Surprise Nationals 14th place in the Tour de Bretagne (2 handed) 1996 1st place in the Transat des Alizés (production boats division) 2nd place in the Tour de France à la Voile (amateur division) 3rd place in the Challenge Espoir Crédit Agricole 6th place in the First Class 8 Nationals 9th place in the Inshore France Championship 1995 1st place Antigua Week (Swann 46) 2nd place in the Tour de France à la Voile (amateur division)

2006 4th place in the Volvo Ocean Race

M E N AT WO R K

Rhys Mellor - Composites

Pierre-Emmanuel Hérissé - Boat Captain

THE SHORE TEAM 53

menatwork Scenes from the shed - a midsummer refit in Lorient by Thierry Martinez

Yvan Joucla - Rigger

BT interior - Shows Chart Table

Pierre-Emmanuel Hérissé - Boat Captain

M E N AT WO R K

Cyril Ducrot - Mechanics & Deck Fittings

Rhys Mellor- Composites

Charlie Carter- Designer

THE SHORE TEAM 55

Splicing retains the ropes’ initial strength, unlike knotting

odern fibres, 15 times stronger than metal, have massively replaced stainless steel on racing yachts. Their coming of age has brought back the traditional know-how of riggers, who rediscovered techniques which were in use when sailing boats were almost exclusively made of wood, cotton and hemp. Today, laboratory-developed materials allow incredible weight gains, whilst reintroducing the inimitable “hand made” touch of the craftsman. Yvan Joucla, master rigger of the BT Team, tells us about his trade. “The most striking example of modern use of fibre is the way the masts are held up in place… all the standing rigging is made of ropes, there’s almost no more metal parts and that’s of course the case for our boat. Even the main forestay, the only fixed forestay, is held by fibre loops. I guess the first Open 60 to really take this radical approach was Aquitaine Innovations, Yves Parlier’s boat, in 1996: at the time, Georges Comarmond already had adapted traditional rigging techniques to modern fibres, and his influence was crucial. We’ve gained in confidence, we know the different ropes better and we’ve been able to test them a lot… I think in this Vendée Globe, fibres will have a place they have never had before. At first it was a bit empirical, and a few masts have fallen down, but we’ve now reached an high level of knowledge. And it’s not so much knowing what the ropes can handle in terms of tension, since that is easily quantified on a load testing bench, the problem lied in the way different fibres would react to chafe, moisture, sunlight and sometimes awkward work angles. We have that feedback now since boats have been around the planet using those methods, and we know where to stop - I’d never try to gain a few extra grams on a structural

On a

part! A loop holding the mast in place will never be included in my “potential weight saving areas” list! I can increase the loop’s resistance from 6 to 12 tonnes just by adding an extra strand, and that will cost me… 100 grammes, so why even take the risk of going for the lighter option? That’s the beauty of it really, because playing it safe with metal parts has a real cost in terms of weight, we were sometimes talking about extra kilos, not grams like now. When modern fibres came of age, riggers started to rediscover traditional techniques which had been rendered obsolete when steel cables and connectors like shackles became commonplace. Splicing needles and other old fashioned tools started to reappear “en masse”, and everyone developed their own little tricks, based upon ancestral methods. Splicing is the logical choice when you consider that a knot makes you lose 50 to 60 percent of the rope’s initial strength: a knot is made of bends and angles which generally contradict the fibre’s natural orientation and create weak points. A 4 mm diameter braided rope can withstand a load of one ton, if you tie a knot in it that figure goes down to 600 kilos whereas if you splice it properly, it will still hold 980 kilos… it’s as simple and plain as that. Yet, I insist on the fact that it has to be properly done, so a good rigger is someone who pays a lot of attention to the details. A splice, schematically speaking, consists of re-weaving the strands that form the rope in the first place, which means that at some point, the rope will actually “eat” itself. And that calls for a clean and gradual diameter reduction of the part that will disappear inside, otherwise it creates a weak point. The material is quintessentially strong, but if you wish to shape it for a particular usage, you have to respect its nature, the way it has been braided, because its

tight rope

A 4mm diameter braided rope can withstand a load of one ton: if you tie a knot in it, the figure drops to just 600 kilos. splice it properly - 980 kilos. ON board BT, There is almost a mile of rope.

o n a ti g ht r o p e

Soft shackles like this one are used to secure sheets to the headsails aboard BT

strength mostly comes from the fact that under tension, strands tend to “lock” each other, and that gives the final resistance - you need to retain that characteristic if you do not want to weaken the rope. I use Dyneema almost exclusively, whatever the application, because I have found that it’s an extremely versatile and tolerant fibre. That said, when I want a rope to be stiffer and less prone to stretching, I can ask our partner Marlow for a custom made product, with the addition of another type of material (like Vectran, or PBO). It generally adds weight, but it’s a good compromise and we can end up with very efficient “fibre cocktails” perfectly matching a specific need. For some applications, like halyards for example, only a very limited amount of stretch is acceptable: when the skipper hoists a sail, he stops grinding when he has reached the mark that has been made on the rope, hence the rope’s length has to be stable. In the case of sheets, especially for upwind “flat” sails, trimming accuracy would be compromised if the rope was subject to too much stretch. Fibre manufacturers are constantly testing new formulas and their products keep on getting better. As far as the techniques are concerned, there is no real manual, just the basics of the trade that you gradually learn to refine, adapt and optimise depending on the area on the boat or the usage. This is why it all comes down to each rigger’s experience - you tend to overdo it as a beginner, then gain confidence, develop your own gestures and sometimes even your tools, while paying attention to the appearance of your finished product - soft shackle, loop, structural lashing etc because after all it’s a craftsman’s job, it’s all hand-made and small details can become your “signature”. Some riggers take that to a decorative level and it can As a cutting edge design, the BT Open 60 has been supplied with new running rigging products fresh from Marlow’s development process. In many ways these differ from the ropes supplied to previous Open 60’s as new materials have been used and ropes designs have become more closely focused on the requirements of the specific application on the boat. Marlow achieved the key objective of reducing the total weight of the running rigging by utilising the latest high performance fibres like Dyneema SK78 which was used extensively in the light weight, low creep Halyards. All the ropes were treated with Marlow’s new ‘Drycoat’ system that encapsulates each fibre with a water repellent polymer. This dramatically reduces the amount of water absorbed into the ropes and can eliminate a potential 30% increase in weight. Paul Honess, Marlow Ropes.

Yvan Joucla, BT’s “Rope Doctor”

indeed be an art, it’s obviously not the case on racing boats such as ours, but I have to admit that the aesthetic preoccupation is not something I dismiss as irrelevant. More to the point, by paying attention to the way your part is finished, you make sure all the resources have been correctly employed: you can always compensate a mediocre job by adding extra material, but that’s not the point, even if as I’ve said earlier in some cases an extra strand won’t hurt. Mind you, that would be a nice and smooth extra strand, not a clumsy fat knot to secure a lashing you’re not sure of! Now in terms of weight, considering the whole standing rigging, using fibre instead of metal amounts to a 70% gain, a figure that speaks for itself. BT’s standing rigging only weighs around 60 kilos, and we all know how crucial it is to save weight up in the mast for stability reasons… I remember the case of a maxiyacht on which they managed to save 800 kilos just by replacing the metal rigging with a fibre one! As far as the sheets, halyards and other reef lines are concerned, my job consists of adding extra covers where chafe is an issue, of reducing the diameter of a rope to save weight or make its handling easier… a single control line can have three different diameters depending on the area: for example, if the loads are limited, the line can remain very small, yet it’s not a good option for the part which is actually handled by the skipper. It can slip, hurt the skin… so I keep that zone nice and fat, with a good grip. It’s my job to know what part of the rope goes through a cleat and to enhance its resistance to abrasion at that specific point - no need to cover up the whole length if only 30 centimetres are at risk, is there? Basically, there are no off-the-shelf ropes on a racing boat like BT, I’m here to optimise every single one of them.”

Dyneema… facts about the “miracle fibre” • Created by Dutch firm DSM in 1979. • In commercial use since 1990. • Dyneema is a high-modulus polyethylene, with a high degree of molecular orientation, and therefore exceptional tensile strength. • Pound for pound, Dyneema is 15 times stronger than steel, and floats. • It is extensively used by the military (notably for ballistic protection) and in the medical field (surgical cables and orthopaedic sutures).

a u to p ilot

THE EXTRA CREWMEMBER ver since Sir Francis Chichester completed his solo circumnavigation of the world in 1966 on board the ketch Gipsy Moth IV, modern sailors have strived to make their mark on history and achieve faster solo circumnavigations. But who’s driving when they’re asleep? Miles Seddon, race specialist for B&G, explains how modern autopilots work. In human terms, very little has changed since 1966. The solo sailor has always had to push their boat as hard as they can, to do this they must make sail changes, navigate, perform general maintenance, cook all their own meals and find time to sleep. In the early days of singlehanded ocean racing the boats where steered by mechanical steering gear, called windvanes. These followed the apparent wind angle and the skipper would set the sails for maximum speed given the wind strength. The windvane would follow the apparent wind as it oscillated around and changed direction, keeping the boat sailing at the optimum speed for that wind strength. In addition to this, Gypsy Moth IV was designed with self-steering gear that allowed for steering from the skipper’s bunk. Over time, developments in boat building technologies have generated bigger, faster and lighter singlehanded ocean racing yachts. Current generation IMOCA Open 60s can carry over 6 times as much sail area as Gipsy Moth IV, making these boats able to sail at much higher speeds, and accelerate more quickly. In terms of steering this means that changes in the apparent wind angle become too rapid for a windvane to handle. Open 60s regularly maintain boatspeeds of 20 to 30 knots, in the most extreme conditions the planet’s oceans can throw at them. They require modern, below deck mounted, electric / hydraulic autopilot systems connected directly to the rudder stock to keep the boat sailing at the maximum speed in all weather conditions, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the duration of a race. In November 2007 the Barcelona World Race saw nine Open 60s set out on a non-stop, two-handed circumnavigation. The fierce conditions resulted in four boats being forced to retire. Damian Foxall, Barcelona World Race winning co-skipper explains the importance of a reliable autopilot: “An autopilot is worth at least two or three crew, as any manoeuvre requires at least two people. While on the foredeck pulling down the small spinnaker in 35 knots it’s pretty nice to be able to rely on your pilot to keep the boat pointed downwind.” The modern pilot system Anyone who sails will know that steering a boat, even in flat calm seas, is not as simple as driving a car. Constant adjustments are needed by the helmsman to keep the boat going in a straight line, because the boat is at the interface of two very unpredictable fluids (wind and water). In calm seas these adjustments may be very small, but as the wind speed picks up and sea state changes, the adjustments to the steering become larger, to the point where the rudder may be going from hard to port to hard to starboard in a matter of seconds. Modern autopilot systems have come a long way from lashing the headsails to the tiller. Today’s autopilot is based around a

computer which is connected to many of the sensors installed on the boat, this allows the autopilot to take into account information about the boatspeed, heading, wind speed and direction. At the other end of the autopilot system is a hydraulic or electric ram, which is connected directly to the rudder stock, allowing the autopilot computer fast and powerful control of the rudders. At the most basic level, an autopilot can steer the boat on a fixed heading, which is fine if you are sailing upwind or reaching for short periods of time. As mentioned earlier, the wind constantly oscillates around, typically by 5 – 10 degrees, and changes direction over longer periods of time. The top level ocean racing autopilots have wind modes that enable the skipper to set the pilot to steer to a known wind angle. This theory is very similar to that of the windvane, but the autopilot computer is able to make changes to the rudder much faster, and the electric / hydraulic rams are able to apply much more power to the rudder stock, to keep the boat on course. For enhanced safety whilst steering downwind the autopilots used on the IMOCA Open 60s have a recovery mode, which allows a zone to be set downwind. This means that when sailing dead downwind, if the boat enters a pre-set safety zone, the pilot will give an exaggerated rudder movement to bring the boat back into the wind to prevent accidental gybing, which can be very dangerous to the solo racer. Going solo Reliability, responsiveness, and predictability are the deciding factors when choosing an autopilot for offshore racing. The pilot system is an extremely important piece of equipment for single-handed sailing especially at high

speeds and over long periods at sea; an irreparable pilot failure will almost certainly take a boat out of the race so there is no margin for error. There is redundancy throughout the autopilot systems installed on ocean racing yachts. From the two wind transducers at the top of the mast down to the two paddlewheel speed sensors through the bottom of the hull, there is always a back-up system in place. All racing boats fit multiple pilot displays, partly to ensure that there is always one at arm’s reach and partly to ensure that if one becomes damaged there are others onboard. The same is true of the autopilot computers and rams; most of the Open 60s sail with two pilot computers. These

the ext r a c r ewmembe r 5 9

computers are linked to separate rudder position sensors and separate rams, so that with the flick of a switch the autopilot can be changed from one system to other. This can save precious time if one of the systems suffers damage and repairs need to be made – after all, the race must go on. It’s difficult enough to imagine sailing a boat in the freezing cold Southern Ocean, surfing down huge waves the size of houses at 30 knots. But try to imagine doing exactly that, only you’re not steering, you’re trying to sleep. You need to put your life in the hands of an extra crewmember, the autopilot. Miles Sedd on race specialist and custom projects, B&G

Who’s driving while Sébastien’s busy on the foredeck?

ECO MARINE

A blue future? Still relatively unknown compared to the rest of the planet, the world of seas and oceans is a crucial element for our future. Many aspects remain to be discovered, notably in terms of biodiversity, but it is already acknowledged that some of the answers to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most acute problems probably lie beneath the oceans.

a bl u e f u t u r e

Running on algae?

everal projects and initiatives have recently been set up in order to try and take advantage of the energy potential of micro-algae, an alternative to terrestrial biofuels, which have a negative impact on food production since they require a very substantial cultivated surface. Micro-algae have a very interesting characteristic: they can store fatty acids up to 50% of their dry weight, and are 30 times more productive than terrestrial crops (soy, colza…). They do not require any chemical additives, and can be used in the water clean-up process, acting as filters to rid contaminated water of its toxic elements. In New-Zealand, the Aquaflow company has used the 60-hectare Marlborough sewage pond to carry out its tests, proving that many industries generating waste water could produce valuable microalgae whilst purifying their discharge, since the organisms notably directly consume CO2… In France, a project led by the National Program of Research on Bioenergies and the National Agency for Research was launched in 2006 under the name of Shamash, with the objective of producing biofuel. The major hurdle will be to enable the process to reach an industrial scale, and to find a way to extract the oil from the algae without using harmful solvents. Numerous university laboratories across Europe, on the American continent and in Asia are currently working in that direction.

Microscope images of micro-algaeChlamydomonas (top) Antarctica diatoms (below)

eco ma r i n e

Ocean power

The Pelamis sea snake is activated by the waves; its oscillating movement is converted into energy thanks to built-in generators

The SeaGen turbine, in Northern Ireland, feeds electricity directly to the grid.

sing maritime currents and the continuous energy provided by tidal activity is not exactly a new idea, and the Rance powerplant near St Malo in Brittany (a tidal dam) has been working since the late 1960s. Yet recently new developments based on the same principle have emerged, the most mainstream of which consists of using immersed turbines instead of a barrage - turbines which are comparable to their wind-activated terrestrial counterparts. But unlike the wind, tidal currents are predictable and continuous, which is a major advantage. At the end of July 2008, the SeaGen turbine installed in Strandford Lough in Northern Ireland by Marine Current Turbine with the support of local authorities, has started to produce electricity which is fed directly to the grid. The company who developed the system had already installed one of the first ever commercial tidal turbines in Devon in 2003, and is now working on a large scale turbine farm project for western Wales. In France, an experimental immersed turbine is currently being tested at the entrance of the Odet river (Brittany), and the leaders of the project estimate that in the long term this technology could provide enough electricity to meet 40% of the Brittany region’s needs. Another major axis of development is the use of wave power rather than tidal currents: a floating device is put in motion by the movement of waves, and the energy created by that motion is then converted into electricity. The most famous example of this technology is probably the Pelamis “sea snake”, conceived and produced by a Scottish company, and which Portugal is currently acquiring “en masse”, having increased its objectives in terms of renewable energy. Each Pelamis unit is made of a 3.5m diameter cylinder, 150 m long, with three points of articulation where hydraulic rams activate a generator. Waves cause the system to rise and fall in a snake-like motion. Looking at non-mechanical sources, one can note that Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), a principle known since the 19th century, is being utilised by some countries: the idea is to use the temperature differential between deep and shallow waters to activate a heat engine - a turbo generator produces the electricity. In order to be efficient, this system requires at least 20° celsius of temperature difference, is particularly suited for inter-tropical regions, and some OTEC plants are in use in Japan and Hawaii. A first prototype was presented in the early 1930s by French engineer Georges Claude, founder of the Air Liquide company.

a bl u e f u t u r e

(Re)Hoisting the sails

Pierre-Yves Glorennec has fitted a conventional trawler with his high-tech automated auxiliary sails system.

etting out for record-breaking voyages on the traditional routes once used by Clippers, could adventurous sailors of the late 20th century have been announcing without even knowing it the imminent return of sailing for commercial shipping? The idea would probably have been met with a certain degree of scepticism only two decades ago, yet… In a context where soaring petrol prices are threatening to have a dramatic impact on international trade, some major shipping companies recently rediscovered the origins of their business. Beluga Shipping, operating from Germany, has announced during the spring of 2008 that one of its cargo ships had been fitted with a SkySails 160 square metres kite during a passage from Bremen to Venezuela: this initiative had, according to the company’s spokesmen, allowed to save 20% of fuel, by relieving the engine. With force 5 winds, the traction power of the kite was estimated around 5 tonnes, and the sail has been used for periods of time ranging from 5 minutes to 8 hours. Projected on a full day, the system could help save up to 2,5 tonnes of fuel, and Beluga’s objective is now to double the surface of the kite before moving on to 600 square metres sails. “We can actually now ‘sail’ with cargo ships, thus opening a new chapter in the history of commercial shipping”, said Beluga Skysails captain Lutz Heldt. Other tests carried out in July on the 90metres “Michaël A.” cargo ship proved satisfactory, and the Wessels company decided to fit three of its ships with kites. If the price of petrol is a crucial issue for international

maritime transport groups, it’s an even more radical problem for small to medium fishing fleets, which are threatened by extinction, being family-run or individual operations. Acknowledging this situation, Pierre-Yves Glorennec - professor and artificial intelligence specialist - has developed a project called “Grand Largue” (“broad reaching”) , aiming at re-introducing sails as an auxiliary source of power on trawlers. His approach involves high-technology elements, since the handling of the sail plan is left to an automated system, whilst a routing software is in charge of optimising trajectories and helping the decision making process - all this of course to replace the crew that used to work on deck during the “sails only” era. And if the fitting of such devices has a cost in terms of energy needs, the Grand Largue project also tackles that issue by massively adopting lowconsumption LEDs and integrating a fuel cell. The three experimental trawlers used to test and refine the technology are representative of the European fleet, and potentially Pierre-Yves Glorennec’s idea concerns 15 000 to 18 000 boats in Europe alone. His company, Avel Vor Technologie (Avel Vor meaning “sea wind” in Breton) works in partnership with naval construction and electronics specialists but of course also with fishing companies. The current state of the oil market should favour thecommercial success of this idea… Sources: Ifremer, French National Agency for Research, European Federation for Transport and Environment, ecosources.info, Nautilus Magazine issue N°10.

partners

BT Title Partner to BT Team Ellen BT have been a partner to Ellen and Offshore Challenges Sailing Team for over 10 years and are proud to be the Title Partner of BT Team Ellen. BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries. Their principal activities include networked IT services, local, national and international telecommunications services, and higher-value broadband and internet products and services.

BT/Cisco BT and Cisco are working together as part of their strategic partnership to support BT Team Ellen. In June 2003, BT and Cisco signed a joint initiative to combine Cisco’s market-leading data networking, IP communications, storage and security products with BT’s in-depth expertise in deploying, managing and maintaining high-quality telephony and data networks – providing customers with an unmatched converged communications offering.

Renault Eco² Principal Partner to BT Team Ellen In 2007, Renault introduced its new eco² symbol, clearly proclaiming its commitment to a product offering that is both economical and ecological. Renault eco² models are affordable, have limited CO2 emissions and are engineered to reduce the environmental impact of motoring. Ultimately, Renault’s vision is to produce vehicles that leave as small a trace on the environment as a sailboat’s wake.

E.ON Official Energy Partner As one of the UK’s leading energy companies, we understand how managing energy usage is one of the issues businesses face. Ellen MacArthur is working in partnership with E.ON to learn more about energy efficiency, and help to communicate practical solutions that will move us to a more sustainable future.

G.H Mumm Champagne Official Champagne G.H. Mumm has sponsored sailing since the renowned explorer Commander Charcot used Cordon Rouge in 1904 to mark 14th July on the Antarctic ice floes. We are committed as a brand to celebrate remarkable feats of endurance and human achievement, such as the Vendée Globe and we wish Sébastien Josse a fast, yet safe passage and will be following his journey closely and look forward to helping him celebrate his return.

OMEGA OMEGA ambassadress Ellen MacArthur is no stranger to sailing challenges that push her to personal mental and physical limits: at only 31, she has amassed an outstanding range of sailing achievements. Her ambition, professionalism and determination to succeed, as well as her innovative thinking and the challenges she tries to reach, are the personal attributes that inspired OMEGA to choose her to join its family of ambassadors in 2002.

Musto The exclusive supplier of Technical Sailing Clothing Ellen, Nick, Seb and the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team rely exclusively on Musto foulweather clothing systems to keep them warm, dry and comfortable. Musto clothing is the brand of choice when performance is needed in extreme conditions. Musto has sponsored Ellen from her very first solo ‘adventure’ in 1995, around Britain, resulting in a strong partnership that has continued ever since. Musto are also proud sponsors of The Artemis Transat and iShares Cup Extreme 40 Sailing Series

Working together

partners 65

B&G The Exclusive supplier of Electronic and Autopilot Systems B&G have long been proud partners of Offshore Challenges Sailing Team, providing comprehensive global support to BT Team Ellen. For 52 years B&G has welcomed the constant challenge to develop the most accurate and reliable Instrument and Autopilot systems. Harnessing technical developments and providing proven solutions has kept B&G on the leading edge of marine electronics. Innovators of record-breaking display, sensor and pilot technology, B&G are renowned for tried and trusted solutions used by the best single-handed racers. Bollé The exclusive supplier of performance eyewear (sunglasses and goggles) Bushnell Performance Optics, a leading supplier of high quality sport optics, including binoculars, is the parent company of the performance sunglasses and ski goggle brand Bollé and has been supporting the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team since 2005. Dean & Reddyhoff The official berthing facility Dean & Reddyhoff Marinas is one of the UK’s leading marina operators and official berthing facility for the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team. With locations at Haslar (Gosport), East Cowes, Weymouth and Portland (opening 2008-9), the company prides itself on its excellent shoreside facilities and high standards of customer service. Gurnard Pines The Official Fitness Centre Facility Set within 50 acres of private woodland, a short stroll from the beach and moments from the lively yachting capital of Cowes, Gurnard Pines is the perfect destination to spend your valuable leisure time. The Offshore Challenges Sailing Team have all benefited from the excellent fitness centre facilities in preparation of their racing and record attempts. Marlow The exclusive supplier of Rope Marlow are world leaders in the field of rope technology, continually striving to develop and utilise the latest fibres and techniques in the design and manufacture of high quality performance ropes. Collaboration with Offshore Challenges over the years has resulted in significant technical developments and ultimately product ranges such as the new Grand Prix Series. Nautix Marine Paints The exclusive supplier of underwater paint systems Nautix Marine Paints are selected over the fastest and the most prestigious cruising and racing yachts all over the world. Focus on products performance, new technology and ecological developments, Nautix have been a partner of the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team since 1999. Red Funnel The exclusive supplier of ferry travel, freight and transport solutions Although based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, Offshore Challenges Sailing Team have projects all over the world and rely heavily on the travel services provided by Red Funnel. From Southampton, the gateway to Cowes, Red Funnel, the Isle of Wight Specialist, operate vehicle ferries and Red Jet Hi-Speed passenger services to the home of yachting. Royal Navy Associate Partner Challenge, commitment, dedicated teamwork and the latest technologies are just some of the vital elements behind any role in today’s Royal Navy. We have the fighting spirit to win and coming second is never an option, an ethos we share with Lt Cdr Dame Ellen MacArthur Royal Naval Reserve and the team at OC Group. UKSA The Official water sports training establishment UKSA is a unique training establishment for the marine environment, it aims to inspire people of all ages to enjoy the benefits of yachting and watersports and in doing so provide education and training that promotes safety and open access to maritime activities. Virtual Internet The exclusive supplier of website hosting and SMTP email services Virtual Internet is a leading pan-European Managed Hosting provider. Since Virtual Internet was founded 1995, our philosophy has been to work with world-class technology partners to deliver the best hosting services available. Virtual Internet provides reliable Managed Hosting & Dedicated Servers, focusing on High Availability and Total Resilience in both network and hardware environments.