At 0825 GMT today (Saturday 14th November), Tanguy de Lamotte and Adrien Hardy on Initiatives-Novedia crossed the finish line off Progreso taking first place in La Solidaire du Chocolat. “It’s fantastic,” said Lamotte after crossing the finish line. “I had no idea there would be so many people here waiting for us. Thanks to the race organisation for putting on such a great race. We are truly very happy!”

Miranda Merron (co-skipper 40 Degrees): “Yesterday morning, we spent many hours being tormented by the disturbance/front which was lazily moving eastwards, and provided torrential rain and constantly shifting breeze, from no wind to lots of it. The wind eventually went round to the north, as expected, allowing us to get back on track in the general direction of Mexico. We are going to do a bit of tourism this morning - we have decided to pass close to the Cayman Islands, though the plan may be flawed if it is before daylight. The wind is dropping though...”

Miranda Merron (co-skipper 40 Degrees): “We are not being allowed to race the last few days in peace. This race would not be complete without another session of upwind, which we have just embarked upon. The night sky is black and ominous, it is pouring with rain, and there is some lightning around. The wind has just risen to 20 + knots, but dropped again as soon as the main has been reefed. We have the Chileans in sight (well, maybe not now as they have disappeared into the depths of this monster rain cloud).”

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Weather forecast
over race area of Solidaire Chocolat 2009



General synopsis by November 13, 2009 at 00h

Low 994 hPa ex IDA 34N75W, moving slowly southeast, expected 997 hPa 33N74W by 14/00UTC, then 1004 hPa 32N71W by 15/00UTC. Associated cold front near CUBA and far southeast of YUCATAN, moving slowly east. 
Persistence weak gradient of pressure about 1007 hPa south of Cuba and Republic Dominican. 
High expected 1015 hPa 24N87W by 14/12UTC, then 1015 hPa 27N87W by 15/00UTC.

Weather forecast from November 13, 2009 at 9UTC to November 15, 2009 at 00UTC

East of HISPANIOLA : 
Southeasterly 13/18kt. Sea slight or moderate. squalls. 
 
West of HISPANIOLA :
East or Southeast 10/15kt. Sea slight or moderate. squalls. 
 
North of East of CUBA : 
Mainly Westerly 05/10kt, becoming variable 05/10ns by 14/12UTC. Sea slight. Frequent showers or thundersqualls with gusts 30/35kt.  
 
South of East of CUBA :
Mainly Easterly 08/12kt, backing North or Northeast 05/10kt by 13/18UTC, veering East or Northeast 08/12kt by 14/12UTC. Sea slight. Frequent showers or thundersqualls with gusts 30/35kt. 
 
West of CUBA :
North or Northwest 15/20kt, veering Northerly 13/17kt by 14/12UTC, veering North or Northeast 13/17kt, locally 08/12kt in north at the end. Sea slight or moderate. Showers ou squalls. 
 
North of YUCATAN (east 87W) :
North or Northwest 18/22kt, locally 25/30kt in Yucatan strait, decreasing North or Northwest 12/17kt locally 20/25kt in Yucatan strait by  13/18UTC, veering Northeasterly 07/12kt by 14/12UTC. Sea moderate, becoming slight or moderate le 14/06UTC. Showers. 
 


North of YUCATAN (west 87W) :
North or Northwest 12/17kt, decreasing 08/12kt by 13/18UTC, veering Easterly 05/10kt by 14/12UTC. Sea moderate, becoming slight by 14/06UTC. Showers. 


Further outlook for next 24 hours

Strong wind warning (> 33 kt) : None


Tropical activity
None.


on Friday, November 13, 2009 at 08? UTC

Hervé Fortuny

Météo-France

Yves Eclaret and Lionel Regnier have decided to retire from La Solidaire du Chocolat and head for St. Martin without passing through the gate at St. Barts

Miranda Merron (co-skipper 40 Degrees): “We think we can see the Chileans ahead of us. It’s a boat with a white spinnaker and red sail. We’ve got about eight knots of breeze coming from ESE, but it’s going light. The race is beginning to feel a bit long now. There’s not going to be any wind today and it is forecast to get even lighter.”

Nicko Brennan (co-skipper Sail4Cancer): “We’re both up at the moment and it has been a fairly relaxed watch. The weather models have been giving us about four knots, but we’ve probably had a little bit more than that through the night. We’ve still got the kite up and the breeze is from 155, but it is forecast to go forward, but in the light stuff you never really trust the weather models. We’ve made a little bit on Cargill in the last couple of scheds and we must be in fairly similar conditions. He’s taken a fairly interesting track and it looks as though he has been lifted and had to come up on it to keep the boat going. He’ll get the new breeze earlier and he might well take off unfortunately. Looking at the race track ahead the wind is going to go forward and then get lifted right up to the corner of the Yucatan. There aren’t many options we can take and we just have to make sure the door is firmly shut on the boats behind us and hopefully we can push through this light stuff before they get it. We’ll have a couple of guys coming out to the finish. Our boat captain, Jack, is coming out to do the delivery back and a mate of mine who I was with in the Mini Transat boats. For Wrighty and myself it is going to be a quick turnaround. I’m going to try and grab a little bit of sleep before it gets too warm. Trying to sleep during the day is just ridiculous.”

Shaun Murphy (co-skipper ORBIS): “It’s amazing after 25 days at sea how the sight of land can lift your spirits. After a good reach to the approach to St. Barts and a big kite to cross the gate. The kite had to be dropped soon after the gate due to another hole appearing. The only option for us was the Code 0. The fractional kite would have been nice, but that was left in the middle of the Atlantic a couple of thousand miles ago. The RIB came to meet us at the pin end of the gate, but we were a little busy at the time, changing from kite to Code 0. A little restart with PLAN after their pit stop at St Barts, however this was short lived. The Code 0 was no match for the fractional kite on PLAN and off into the distance they sailed. Disappointing, but you can only play with the cards left in your hand. Late afternoon whilst repairing the kite, a plane flew very low over the boat, it circled several times then a low level pass a couple of hundred meters ahead, it was the coast guard. The coast guard called us up and asked a few questions and wished us well, all a bit quick, so no time to get the camera off. Wow! Another bit of excitement! How much more can we take on day 25? All change later in the evening with a 30 minute squall at 2030 with winds exceeding 30 knots. when it passed, we were left with a double rainbow. Passed the island of St. Croix in the early hours of the morning with another wonderful light show at 0830 until the clouds blackened and shut out all light as a large squall came through. When all had settle down after the squall, we currently have wind from the north-east heading 270 at eight knots. Ummm… the GRIB files and meteo sort of say different, again. Currently having a cup of tea and drying out. Not much has changed since leaving the Atlantic!”

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Weather forecast
over race area of Solidaire Chocolat 2009



General synopsis by November 12, 2009 at 00h

Low 1004 hPa 27N67W, moving north, expected 1004 hPa 32N64W by 13/00UTC, then 1003 hPa 34N59W by 14/00UTC. 
Low 1002 hPa ex IDA 33N77W, deepening with little move, expected 993 hPa 34N76W by 13/00UTC, then moving slowly east expected 997 hPa 34N73W by 14/00UTC. Associated cold front near YUCATAN and far Northwest of CUBA, moving slowly east.

Weather forecast from November 12, 2009 at 9UTC to November 14, 2009 at 00UTC

NORD ANTILLES :
East or Southeast 15/20kt, locally Southeasterly 13/17kt in far north. Sea moderate, cross with Northeast swell, becoming slight in southwest at the end. Frequent thundersqualls with gusts 30/35kt.
 
East of HISPANIOLA : 
Southeasterly 15/20kt. Sea moderate. Showers and squalls. 
 
West of HISPANIOLA :
East or Northeast 10/15kt, veering East or Southeast 12/17kt by 12/18UTC. Sea slight or moderate. Scattered squalls. 
 
East of CUBA : 
Variable 05/10kt, but Easterly 10/15kt in south, becoming mainly Westerly 08/12kt in north by 13/00UTC. Sea slight or moderate. Frequent showers ou thundersqualls with gusts 30/35kt.  
 
West  of CUBA :
Northwesterly 13/17kt, veering Northerly 13/17kt at the end. Sea slight or moderate. Frequent showers and thundersqualls with gusts 30/35kt. 
 
North of YUCATAN :
Northwesterly 18/22kt, locally 25/30kt in Yucatan strait, veering North or Northwest 12/17kt locally 20kt in strait by 13/12UTC, decreasing Northerly 08/12kt in north at the end. Sea moderate, locally rough in far north soon. Frequent showers or thundersqualls with gusts 30/35kt.








Further outlook for next 24 hours

Strong wind warning (> 33 kt) : None


Tropical activity

None.


on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 08UTC


Hervé Fortuny


Météo-France

Miranda Merron (co-skipper 40 Degrees): “Although pretty light wind, we have been treated to superb Caribbean conditions for the past 24 hours - glorious sunshine yesterday, and a clear night with millions of stars. We are south of Haiti, and it is a couple of hours before dawn. I can smell woodsmoke. It's strange and wonderful to smell land after weeks in the Atlantic. We made a small repair to the big spinnaker just before dark, and it is doing good service, so the three days spent mending it were worthwhile. The weather ahead looks rather less appealing, with no wind and a disturbance associated with ex-hurricane Ida. We have broken the 1000 miles to the finish barrier, which seems incredible - never thought it would arrive!”