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The North Atlantic claims another victim

05/11/09

Dawn on the 19th day at sea for La Solidaire du Chocolat fleet has brought the sad news that the Finnish duo of Jouni Romppanen and Sam Öhman on Tieto have made the hard but vital decision to withdraw from the race having pushed hard and maintained a position in the top third of the fleet throughout the race. Last night, Romppanen reported cracks around the keel fitting and although no water was seeping into the boat, the Finns have wisely opted to drop the sails reducing any additional load on the keel and have decided to motor the remaining 650 miles to St. Barts. While Romppanen and Öhman are fully prepared for any eventuality in case the keel's status worsens, their main concern is fuel and with 70 litres of diesel remaining on board, an additional 400 litres gives a safe margin to reach the Caribbean island. Consequently, the race organisation has contacted MRCC Norfolk in Virginia and a commercial freighter is scheduled to rendezvous with Tieto and transfer fuel at around midday today. Meanwhile, at the front of the fleet, Tanguy de Lamotte and Adrien Hardy on Initiatives-Novedia are approximately 210 miles from the gate at St. Barts and although there is little the chasing yachts can do to reduce the current distance deficit, Giovanni Soldini and Pietro d’Ali on Telecom Italia in 2nd have closed down slightly on Lamotte and Hardy in the past 24 hours and at 0800 GMT this morning, the Italian team trail Initiatives-Novedia by 109 miles. As the leading pack approaches the gate, the yachts are beginning to group together as individual tracks converge and Bruno Jourdren and Bernard Stamm in 3rd on Cheminées Poujoulat remain just seven miles behind the Italians while Damien Seguin and Armel Tripon on Cargill-MTTM have fallen back since dawn yesterday and currently trail Jourdren and Stamm by 21 miles.

Leading the second wave of boats, the Anglo-Australian duo of Tim Wright and Nicko Brennan in 5th on Sail4Cancer have been fighting light airs. “It's been an extremely frustrating night on board,” reported Wright late yesterday. “Loads of squalls and lightning followed by three hours of no wind and hence no progress.” However, Wright and Brennan have increased their lead over Peter Harding and Miranda Merron on 40 Degrees in 6th by 23 miles in 24 hours. Currently trailing Sail4Cancer by 58 miles, Merron describes the conditions. “Yesterday was a proper sunny Trade Wind day, although rather light,” she reports this morning. “For once, we were left in peace by the squall monsters, which of course meant that the night would probably be less peaceful. The entire horizon can be clear of clouds, except just to windward, where there is one cumulobeastie with your name on it.”

With the Finnish duo forced to retire from racing and motor westwards, Felipe Cubillos and Daniel Bravo Silva Desafio Cabo de Hornos have moved up to 7th and are making the best speed in the second wave at 8.2 knots. “With respect to the leader board, we continue making our maximum effort,” confirmed Bravo Silva this morning. “We are handsteering day and night and making countless sail changes, but the truth is that the work is not easy because the playing field is now even for most of the boats in the fleet. Therefore, it is difficult to gain any tactical advantage.” Currently trailing the British duo on 40 Degrees by 48 miles, the Chilean duo are doing their best to maximise every advantage. “Our immediate objective is the two boats off our bow and slowly we are taking some miles from them,” he continues. “Felipe has made some repairs to our one surviving masthead wand and it can now run the autopilot from the wind,” reports Bravo Silva. “Frankly, this makes life bearable by allowing us short breaks from steering.”

Further east, the southern group of yachts continue to harass the back markers of the northern fleet with Erik Nigon and Marc Jouany on Axa Atout Coeur Pour Aides in 11th just 38 miles behind Denis Lazat and Frédéric Nouel in 10th on PLAN. Trailing Nigon and Jouany by 200 miles, Mike West and Paul Worswick in 15th place on Keysource continue to battle technology and the elements. “After finally getting the A4 down off the forestay, we have been frustrated by light and very shifty conditions with some squalls, showers and lightning close by and all of this in sloppy seas,” reports  West this morning.  “We have been unable to fully assess the condition of the forestay, but it has definitely been affected by the wrap,” the British skipper continues. “No problem for the moment, but a concern in the short term.” There has also been an injury on board: “Paul has badly burnt and injured his hand, so another reason to rest a little overnight,” reports West, who is struggling with electronic failure on Keysource. “The instrument systems continue to deteriorate with the B&G's one remaining display refusing to display anything other than boat speed reliably -and that seems slow - maybe not the instrument though!” The inventory of gear failure is growing exponentially: “The Windex is becoming less reliable due to the broken plate on the top mast and there are ongoing charging problems as our main charger has failed using the engine starter battery charger at the moment supplemented by the fuel cells.” Despite the injury and technical setbacks, West and Worswick remain on good form. “We have sailed 3,000 miles so far, so - as of yesterday - with 3,000 to go it makes it half way!” observes West. “Paul lifted the mood with some very bad jokes and a beard that makes him look more Mexican by the day,” he adds. “In fact, I think he maybe a revolutionary returning home…”



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