Regata Velux 5 oceans.

2006

Without truce

In the last days the boats damaged in the terrible storm of 2º have been gotten up again to regata day. But Unai Basurko has returned to break, this time the autopilot, reason why tonight it arrives at Vigo to repair.

Meanwhile, Bernard Stamm strengthens mile after mile its leadership in the Velux 5 Oceans, increasing the distance with the other navigators of the fleet. Located to 400 miles of Green Cabo, Swiss has tonight moved away to other 79 miles more of the Spirit of Yukoh de Kojiro, that at this moment is to 300 miles of Stamm. Both sail now with certain slowness. The message that sent Bernard Stamm this dawn made “the wind clear is falling. N NE of 8 to 12 knots. Sea in calm. It begins to be warm. Luckyly there is something of water to maintain to us fresh…”

The North of Madeira, the British Mike Golding and Alex Thomson have been following themselves close by, maintaining a similar speed in their navigation, about 8 knots for one hour. With the put view in which he leads regata, they know that each mile that wins now it approaches more to them and more the Cheminées Poujolat, that will see braking by the calm in the neighborhoods of Green Cabo. Alex Thomson enjoyed verifying solidity the mast yesterday, according to explained in a message to its ground equipment. “I yesterday flew on the waves, reaching sometimes the 16 knots, with spinnaker. It had not done it a long time ago in this boat and I have verified the strength of the mast and the correct control of the pilot in these conditions…”

After galerna

They were only two boats in regata. The others had to return to port to realize diverse repairs before being able to return to do to the sea. In head Stamm stays that commented overwhelmed after finding out all the happened facts: “I was enough I displease with my beginning of regata. He was having so much taken care of with my boat, that my impression was more to sail in cruise that to participate in one regata of competition. For that reason to discover that I am in head it is a really pleasant surprise. Moan to know that others have had to stop.”

Its boat the Cheminées Poujoulat has stayed to the shelter in of the continental platform, while Stamm battled around the extreme northwest of the peninsula in the direction of Finisterre. This decision has been crucial, and Stamm truly is surprised of which others skippers have chosen to move away of the coast. “It has had to be truly terrible. The truth is that I do not understand why they hardly moved away of the coast, where I was, to 18 miles, already was an authentic nightmare: the white sea completely and waves of 10 meters striking the boat”.

Paradoxicalally, the moved away sailboat more of the coast during the storm is the unique one that stays to the hunting with Stamm. Kojiro Shiraishi took to the Spirit of Yukoh to 80 miles of the Stake end of Bars before turning to the southwest towards Finisterre. Obstinate to his navigation charts, the Japanese solitary navigator spent one night exhausting, with winds that reached the 72 knots, that threw to the ground of the diverse material stateroom and the computer of spare part of the boat. Also, during the storm the crystal cover of the filter of the fuel was displaced by the material that flew from a side to another one of the stateroom, although luckyly did not get to break itself.

Sir Robin Knox Johnston tonight doubled Cabo Finisterre after to have repaired its boat and maintains to SAGA INSURANCE to 150 miles of Graham Dalton, that will happen to occupy 6º place in the VELUX 5 OCEANS, after the new technical shutdown of the Pakea.

With time of official exit of regata already closed, the North American Tim Troy, still in La Rochelle, has appealed before the committee so that they allow him to leave to compete as soon as he finishes with the modifications that IMOCA has requested him.

Without truce

RKJ has commented that only has thought about repairing the boat and returning as rapidly as possible to the test, making their intentions clear after their Calvary in the sea, to go to by all. “I never participate in a competition with the aim of simply finishing; I am going to win”, assured the legendary British landlord, that assured not to have thought about no moment in the possible retirement. “I am an oceanic regatista of return to the world, and these things happen”.

Very behind the leader, Alex Thomson and his just repaired Hugo Boss fight to trim differences with the head. Thomson was satisfied with the carried out works of repair during its shutdown in Gij'on: “I feel very trusting of the repairs that we have realized. We have worked well and I believe that we will be able to arrive without problems until Fremantle”.

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