1267409610 http://lamp8.ocvision.co.uk/ en lou.newlands@ocgroup.com Copyright 2010 2010-02-28T17:10:29+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/training_in_sleep_deprivation_-_figaro_style/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/training_in_sleep_deprivation_-_figaro_style/#When:16:10:29Z All winter Jonny Malbon has been Figaro training at La Grande Motte, working with some of the Figaro best coaches alongside many up and coming sailors who are looking to excel in this highly competitive class. Jonny has had his work cut out both on the water and off - read the full story to find out how sleep deprivation is just one of the many areas a solo sailor must master… Since my last little blog I have been very busy down here in the South of France.  We have been out almost ever day, and have been carrying out various different exercises including coastal races, inshore and speed tests - a great way to improve and look for the consistency that I need.  The previous training I had found quite difficult and never really seemed to get into my stride, but I am happy to say that I have been a lot more switched on this time.I have some elements that I really need to focus on now, the good thing is that I know what they are, and to improve those areas I need to practise - and then practice a lot more! This week has also involved some sleep training and analysis. We were subjected to several exercises that test the memory and reaction time.  After these tests had been completed and logged, we then left for a 36 hour race around the cans in the bay just outside La Grande Motte.  It was a very difficult (85 mile per lap) course with lots of mark roundings and manoeuvres.  The plan was not to sleep at all and then carry out the same tests again and see just how much the fatigue had affected our decision making processes, as well as reaction times.We left on Monday morning and by the time of the start it was blowing 25-30 knots!  Perfect conditions for a 36-hour sail! Anyway, off we went and after the upwind mark it was a tight reach to the next mark.  This meant spinnaker…  As I was preparing to hoist the chute, I kept one eye on the instruments as the true wind speed hit 38 knots.  This was a little daunting so I waited for a lull of about 32 and then popped the little spi.  Bang, I was off and hit just under 20 knots at one point - the boat and me were totally submerged for most of the leg as we hooned along!.  After a few hours of this, the wind had stayed at 30-35 and as the temperature dropped, so the decision was taken to call it off.  I have to say I was quite relieved as we headed back to the port just before dark.  The next day the weather had improved and we set out to do the same course once again.  The racing was very close and after 30-odd hours we were all close enough that one tiny mistake would cost a position. I finished the race without a single wink of sleep, just as the rest of the boys did.  I probably didn’t eat enough on the race but I was very happy with my hydration levels and how much water I had consumed.  We docked the boats and then got straight into the memory and reaction tests - clearly not as sharp as before! Then it was time for a good sleep! I managed to watch approximately 2 minutes of a DVD before I nodded off.Over the next week the results will be processed and we will find out the extent of how no sleep actually affects us individually.  I was certainly surprised at how tired I was.  Normally on a race like that I may have had two periods of 10 minute sleeps, when the conditions allowed, and even that tiny amount actually makes such a huge difference. Overall the last three weeks have been brilliant and, again, I have learned a huge amount.  I am thoroughly enjoying sailing down here and sailing the Figaros. Will be back next week after a good break. That’s all for now,

JonnyYou can read all of Jonny’s other blogs in the Team Blog section. 2010-02-28T16:10:29+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/artemis_ocean_racing_cross_tjv_finish_line_with_no_regrets/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/artemis_ocean_racing_cross_tjv_finish_line_with_no_regrets/#When:08:26:31Z Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet sailed Artemis Ocean Racing across the finish line of the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre, off Puerto Limon, Costa Rica at 05:50:10 GMT (23:50:10 local time) today (Saturday, 28th November).. Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet sailed Artemis Ocean Racing across the finish line of the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre, off Puerto Limon, Costa Rica at 05:50:10 GMT (23:50:10 local time) today (Saturday, 28th November). The race took 19 days, 16 hours, 20 minutes and 10 seconds with the final 25 miles proving slow and tricky in the approach to Puerto Limon. The Artemis duo raced a total distance of 5317 miles at an average speed of 13.17 knots. It was a difficult and testing race for the duo who overcame adversity many times to finish the major race of the IMOCA calendar this year. Out of 14 IMOCA 60s that started the race on the 7th November, only 10 finished, with four of the boats falling victim to the strong Atlantic conditions that battered the fleet in the early stages of the race. The winners of the race, Safran, may have finished over three days ago but since midday yesterday the remaining seven boats completed the course, with Artemis Ocean Racing finishing just 18 hours after 5th placed W Hotels. It is quite incredible that after thousands of miles of full-on racing, it came down to just a few hours, in some cases, just minutes, separating these duos. Sam and Sidney have done themselves and Artemis proud demonstrating their sheer tenacity and determination to finish the race against the odds: “It has been a great race, rich in experiences, challenges, learning (sometimes the hard way!). And most of all a pleasure to share it with an amazing co-skipper Sidney Gavignet…”From Sam and Sidney: Sidney Gavignet: “I am very happy we made it. That was the first goal. The second goal was performance and this time it was not so good. But that is sport, you can’t win all the time but we learned a lot about the boat and hopefully we can make some improvements.” Sam Davies: “The finish was pretty straightforward really because we knew there were no more places to gain so it was just a matter of getting there. Weather-wise it was not too bad but in the final few hours we were going through a few rain squalls and shifts into the finish which was a bit tricky and we had quite a lot of tide against us. “We managed to have enough diesel because we knew that in the last day we would have quite light winds, and when it’s light and shifty then you need to use the keel a lot and that is the thing which uses the most electricity on the boat. We had saved enough diesel to be able to charge enough to use the keel in the last 12 hours. We had really sailed ‘blind’ for a few days before in order to have diesel at the end! We literally turned everything off, even the instruments… We had a little swinging compass and just steering by feeling during the day to save energy. “I would not have gone north [risking the 60-knot Atlantic storm] with this boat. No regrets there at all, especially when you see that one boat pretty much sank. We had never sailed with three reefs and when we did we discovered we needed four. We could not take the risk of going somewhere where there was no escape if things had gone bad. I definitely have no regrets there at all.“It was really great to see the shore team again! It was a bit weird as the prizegiving was going on so not many people from the organisation were there but lots of local people which was really nice, especially given it was midnight local time. “We are tired but pleased to be here at last.  I’m really happy, I loved it! Whether it is hard or not, it has been fantastic and I am really sad that it is over - that is always a good sign that it has been a fantastic race!“For me, personally, this race has allowed me to learn so much for my next Vendée Globe so it has been an incredibly rich experience. And sometimes you have to learn by making mistakes and we made mistakes… It wasn’t just the fault of boat or the mechanics, we made a few errors as well and that actually makes you stronger for the future. “In one way it’s frustrating not to have a better result but in another way it’s almost a victory for future races for both of us, especially to have learnt so much together and for the boat as well.  We had the time to think about how you could improve the boat and make her more manageable and we’re looking forward to providing all of that technical feedback between now and the end of the season. “The most memorable part was when we were in the strongest winds, blowing 50 knots, and it was fantastic!  That was a highlight for me. Another one was a few days ago when we were sailing downwind in strong winds and I was helming - Sidney was asleep - and the boat was out of control! I couldn’t deal with it so I called Sidney as I needed help. But just before he came on deck, the boat did a huge nose dive and a wave came over the coach roof and into the cockpit, and totally over my head… I was really scared because the boat was out of control but Sidney was just laughing, saying “You look like a drowned cat!” It was just one of those moments when it is really nice to be double-handed because if you were on your own, you would never even get to that stage. So it’s good to be able to push yourself to the limits, and even push a bit further, when you are racing with someone who is really good.“It was great a partnership with Sidney especially when things were not going how you wanted them to, quite often that can strain relationships, especially ones that are quite newly formed.  We haven’t known each other long so it was a real pleasure to discover we had a good sense of humour and patience. We managed to get through the difficult moments by keeping positive and laughing a little bit.”Key moments in the 2009 Transat Jacques Vabre race Day 1, 7.11.09: At 14.30 CET today [7.11.09] Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet, started the dash across the Atlantic from Le Harve, France to Costa Rica in the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre (TJV). Artemis got away cleanly, crossing the line in 7th or 8th place, and were soon in good company sailing alongside race favourite Foncia and Veolia Environnment. BT, Foncia, Mike Golding Yacht Racing and Veolia hoisted their spinnakers whilst the remainder of the fleet, including Artemis, stuck to gennakers. Day 2, 8.11.09: Nearly twenty-four hours into the Transat Jacques Vabre race from Le Havre to Costa Rica, Artemis Ocean Racing is heading west out into a dangerous Atlantic: “Looking at the weather ahead there is quite a serious depression coming through,” reported Sam Davies to her shore team this morning. “The files show there could be 50 knots and although our ideal route takes us through that depression, it is not something we really want to do because it could be real boat breaking conditions. So although it’s the optimum route we’re looking at the weather to see what our other options are.” Day 4, 10.11.09: Ski goggles and full oilskins for Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet as Artemis Ocean Racing powers south on Day 4 of the Transat Jacques Vabre. 30-knot winds and big seas are making it a wet ride onboard Artemis Ocean Racing. Sam Davies described the third night at sea as, “someone has left the washing machine on the cold rinse cycle!” Day 5, Friday 13.11.09: The storm-force conditions (55 knots of wind and boat breaking seas overnight) have inflicted further damage to Artemis Ocean Racing. Sam called the shore team at 1030 GMT this morning to report: “We have lost a mainsail batten (third down from the top) which flew out of the sail, the third reef pin on the boom has gone and our main Iridium satellite phone handset is broken – either water-logged or from the shock of the boat pounding through the waves.” None of the damage is terminal but the loss of the mainsail batten will compromise their race performance, and with 75% of the race remaining, Sam and Sidney considered making a pit stop at either the Azores (300nm upwind) or Madeira, 400nm to the south-east. However, Sam called the shore team at 1700 GMT this afternoon and confirmed Artemis Ocean Racing would not stop. BT suffer severe damage to coach roof, boat awash, skippers air-lifted to safety. Three days later Hugo Boss retire after a collision bringing the total number of retirements to four including Brit Air and DCNS. Day 9, 17.11.09: Day 9 of the Transat Jacques Vabre and Artemis Ocean Racing is currently in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, around 2800 miles from the finishing line in Costa Rica. The formidable pairing of Sam and Sidney, sees the duo pursuing their objective of staying in the race to the finish! The sun has finally come out for Sam and Sidney but there’s no let up for the duo. Currently in tenth position overall, this morning Artemis Ocean Racing is sailing at 12-13 knots. The leading trio of Safran, Groupe Bel and Mike Golding Yacht Racing, hotly pursued by Foncia, have managed to make gains by sailing into stronger winds. However, Artemis Ocean Racing has remained a constant distance from nearest rival Akena Verandas, and with a high pressure set to bring lighter winds for the front-runners there could yet be some compression across the fleet. Day 15, 23.11.09: Into the third week of the two-handed Transat Jacques Vabre, Artemis Ocean Racing and 1876 remain the only two boats to pass through the West Indies and into the Caribbean Sea, but they should do so later tonight somewhere close to St Vincent and the Grenadines: “We’re hoping for a little duel with 1876 but they are still miles ahead of us at the moment, but it is looking like they are quite slow and we are quite fast…” Diesel provisions run low. Day 19, 27.11.09: “We’ve only got 120 miles to go now, and still have some good wind in our sails”, said Sidney Gavignet. Expecting to be in Puerto Limon tonight, Sidney was glad to point out, “We won’t be very far behind the 5th crew in terms of elapsed time, which is positive and puts things into perspective even though the end result is obviously not what we had hoped for.” Day 20, 28.11.09: Sam and Sidney sailed Artemis Ocean Racing across the finish line of the Transat Jacques Vabre, off Puerto Limon, Costa Rica at 05:50:10 GMT (23:50:10 local time). The race took 19 days, 16 hours, 20 minutes and 10 seconds in total with the final 25 miles proving slow and tricky in the approach to Puerto Limon - arriving just 18 hours after 5th placed W Hotels. The duo raced a distance of 5317 miles at an average speed of 13.17 knots. 2009-11-28T08:26:31+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_19_artemis_in_puerto_limon_tonight/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_19_artemis_in_puerto_limon_tonight/#When:13:31:23Z “We’ve only got 120 miles to go now, and still have some good wind in our sails”, said Sidney Gavignet, “Sam is sound asleep, I’ll let her rest as long as possible because I feel good, and she’s prolonged her last watch to make my life easier!” Artemis are due to finish tonight in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica… “We’ve only got 120 miles to go now, and still have some good wind in our sails”, said Sidney Gavignet when we finally managed to reach Artemis at 11:30 GMT today. “Sam is sound asleep, I’ll let her rest as long as possible because I feel good, and she’s prolonged her last watch to make my life easier!” Expecting to be in Puerto Limon tonight, Sidney was glad to point out, “we won’t be very far behind the 5th crew in terms of elapsed time, which is positive and puts things into perspective even though the end result is obviously not what we had hoped for.” Still forging ahead under autopilot and spinnaker despite the expected “park-up”, Artemis is making good progress towards the finish line as the crews that went into hiding yesterday have emerged after some excruciating hours of windless navigation. When we spoke to Sidney this morning, only 40% of the fleet was moored in the Puerto Limon harbour, and knowing that Artemis would only be a few hours behind the 5th-placed boat (which turned out to be W Hotels, only 5 minutes in front of Veolia!) understandably lifted the spirits up on board. “The last three days have been very hectic”, commented the French sailor, “we’ve had a pretty good wind and sailed under spinnaker, which means a lot of steering… and painful bottoms as well (...) we’ve both been very tired, at some point we had more than 30 knots so there were long hours at the helm.” The helming position could use some improvement according to Sidney, and the crew’s back and neck have suffered during that last part of the course. “But we’re still very happy with the boat”, added Gavignet, “even if we can improve it.  Finally, we are in less wind now and the pilot is working for us, still under spinnaker. As I speak, Sam is making a good recovery - she gave me three hours on the last watch, which was fantastic, and I’m going to give her as much as she needs. It’s a good moment aboard Artemis now, only 120 miles from the finish. We’re looking forward to Costa Rica!” Looking back on a tough but rewarding crossing - Sidney’s morning email 4.00am - one more, the 20th since we left Le Havre I think.  Under autopilot, Artemis sails towards the moon. Bodies and minds are tired - bruises, muscular ache… it’s been a hard one! But the mission is almost accomplished, and Puerto Limon is now only a few hours away.  In terms of performance, it’s not exactly what we had set off for, but our sport is a complex one, the machines require a lot of preparation and set up, and at the end of the day a race remains a race. That’s the law of the sport. Our bags are now heavier with the added experience, we’ve accumulated nice stories along the way, a few mishaps too, but above all three months of beautiful complicity. We started with a blank page, and this adventure will remain one of the best episodes of my career as a sailor. Thank you Sam for all your smiles, your many “always ready”, “let’s go”, “it’s OK”... and that one single “If I was allowed, I think I’d cry” you uttered last night. Get a good rest to set sails again on the oceans, where your life is. SidneyVisit www.ArtemisOceanRacing.com for all the latest news on their arrival at the finish tonight in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. 2009-11-27T13:31:23+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_18_light_winds_at_the_end_of_the_tunnel/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_18_light_winds_at_the_end_of_the_tunnel/#When:13:30:49Z As the wind is gradually getting weaker in front of Artemis’ bow, the three top crews have gone into “stealth play” for their final approach - as foreseen by many observers including Sidney Gavignet, the light and fluky conditions close to the finish line certainly spice things up a bit… As the wind is gradually getting weaker in front of Artemis’ bow, the three top crews have gone into “stealth play” for their final approach - as foreseen by many observers including Sidney Gavignet, the light and fluky conditions close to the finish line certainly spice things up a bit.With Foncia taking 4th place last night, six boats remain in the race yet today only two were visible this afternoon - 1876 and Artemis - as Akena, Aviva, W Hotels and Veolia have gone into hiding, each of them hoping to pull a clean tactical trick in the privacy of the “stealth mode”.Sam and Sidney, who displayed the best speed of the fleet this morning, will inevitably be slowing down as they get closer to the finish, since the unstable and weak winds are expected to prevail on the zone for the next 48 hours, before the return of a healthy north-east breeze. The demise of “William the spinnaker”, as chronicled in Sam’s latest email will not help either, and the crew are still struggling to keep their energy consumption to the lowest level - hence their relative silence!The latest routing software predictions indicate that Artemis should cross the finish line tomorrow (Friday) evening, between 21:00 and midnight GMT. Email update from Sam :Hello everyone!A bit of a late blog today as yet again, the mighty Artemis has been keeping us rather busy.Last night, just as it was getting dark, there was a crack, and our huge spinnaker, William (after William Wallace - Braveheart,) went tumbling into the Caribbean. The connection between the top of the spinnaker and the halyard had chaffed through and let go, and William was now acting as a handbrake for the ten tons of Artemis that were still trying to go forwards pushed by the 25 knots of wind in the mainsail.Before we could do anything, there was a ripping noise as William started to shred. We acted carefully - the last thing we wanted wasWilliam wrapped around the keel and rudders - so we gybed (a bit of a kamikaze manoeuvre in this situation) and William was now to windward and drifting out the side of the boat.Then the hard work of hauling in the 470 square metres of wet and soggy tissue began. The trouble is that as soon as it is out of the water, the wind catches it and it takes off. At one point I had a scary moment as the cloth whipped around my arm and then filled, tightening the hitch on my arm - I had images of a damaged arm and an involuntary flight for a few seconds before I managed to tear my arm free (leaving a nice bruise as a war wound.)After a few minutes of wrestling, the remains of William were safely in the forepeak along with half of the Caribbean.We quickly put up the other (smaller) spinnaker and got going!A tough night at the office. We now have one less spinnaker. Artemis is a heavy boat and we keep learning that this puts more wear and tear on the gear. We could have avoided breaking William if we had put a stronger lashing at the top, and so we are cross with ourselves for this mistake.Sometimes you have to learn by your mistakes. It makes you stronger.Luckily, I think William will live to see another few surfs as he should be repairable (in a sail loft, not on board.)So, that is the news of the day from Artemis. Otherwise all is well and we are enjoying the surfing through the Caribbean. No sign of the Black Pearl yet.My other loss was my toothbrush - lost overboard (boing, boing, clonk, splosh as it bounced off the two guardwires and the deck before making break for freedom and dental hygiene for some lucky reef shark.) It was a disappointing moment to think of several days without brushing teeth, but luckily I had tucked away a spare - phew!Sam x 2009-11-26T13:30:49+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_17_straight_towards_costa_rica/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_17_straight_towards_costa_rica/#When:16:28:25Z Having gybed this morning to get back on the direct route, Sam and Sidney are now (14h00 GMT) just 800 miles from Puerto Limon, doing more than 15 knots of speed and expecting to remain in roughly 15 knots of breeze for the next 24 hours…. “I’m totally incapable of coming up with an ETA”, said a disillusioned Michel Desjoyeaux today during the radio chat session with the Transat Jacques Vabre organisers. Whilst Mike Golding and Javier Sanso were crawling across the line to complete the podium, a complete lack of wind plaguing their final progression, the race HQ officials now operating in Costa Rica had a hard time establishing proper connections with the fleet. Unfortunately, Artemis was not reachable today (saving electricity no doubt), but Sidney did not forget to send us some of his trademark prose.No wind… no wind whatsoever. If Safran and Groupe Bel managed to cross the finish line and respectively claim victory and second place, Mike Golding and Javier Sanso had, by 12:30 GMT, let the race committee know they were trying to reach Puerto Limon but were completely stuck in a windless zone! At the back of the fleet, naturally, this was interpreted as a sign of hope - what if everyone parked up, could there be a new start? Sidney Gavignet certainly allowed the thought to cross his mind (see his email below), but probably also dreads the perspective of a massive slow down by the time Artemis reaches the final miles - bearing in mind that diesel reserves are running low… Having gybed this morning to get back on the direct route, Sam and Sidney are now (19h00 GMT) just 700 miles from Puerto Limon, doing more than 15 knots of speed and expecting to remain in roughly 15 knots of breeze for the next 24 hours.Emails from Sidney:Congratulations to Marc, Charles and Safran! It was a beautiful race, perfectly mastered with the knife between the teeth, some risks taken, great speed displayed and a clean trajectory. Given the relentless pressure put on by Kito and François aboard the “Laughing Cow”, Safran’s victory is even greater. So hats off to the seconds too, they made the race a thrilling pursuit… Mike and Javier will certainly be awarded the “merits” medal for having been able to hang in there without a pilot, that tandem seems full of promises for the Barcelona World Race! As far as we’re concerned, the miles don’t exactly flow without any little mishaps. Shortly before nightfall yesterday, everything was fine until our big spinnaker decided to come down from the mast, and ended up like a pitiful fishing net in the boat’s wake… Chafing certainly took its toll on the lashing and eventually broke it.This gear failure which adds up to the list and underlines once more our lack of preparation and of miles covered aboard Artemis before the start. The boat did not have that many miles on the clock, only having completed a portion of the Vendée Globe course in her young life. Our frustration is genuine because we hoped to do better, but the reality of that result is undeniable and we have to face it. This feeling makes me want to come back with the same boat but with more training time. And yet, we still cling to every single glimmer of hope to try and gain one place maybe… The lack of wind near the finish line allows us to keep hoping.Once again, hats off to the leading trio and to all of those who make it to Costa Rica after what will remain as one of the toughest editions of the Transat Jacques Vabre.SidneyYesterday’s menu: flying fish (sashimi version)4 AM… Slap! Take that in your face! A huge burst of laughter coming from the navstation tells me that Sam immediately understood what has just happened. I’ve been used as a landing base by a flying fish whose speed should’ve been controlled. When you’re doing 20 knots, on top of surprising you, that kind of encounter leaves you with a slightly painful jaw. And the scales stuck in your beard make the experience last, with a trail of not-so-subtle fragrance. That was last night’s little anecdote.Today, in order to celebrate our entry in the Caribbean Sea, and also to break the Trade Winds routine, we popped the cork. Champagne for everyone! Even lukewarm, the bubbles have their little effect.And music also soothes the soul, it’s true. Lately I’ve been in a somewhat darkish mood. To see all the guys ahead of us (which means everyone) catch more wind, once again, kind of made my blood boil.Sam kindly lent me her “music machine” and suddenly everything became cooler on my planet, my mind was occupied and my body shook to the beat - much better than sitting there ruminating. Right now it’s all good aboard Artemis. Miss Sunshine is less sun-sensitive than I am, which does leave me a bit puzzled, it shouldn’t be that way, unless she definitely turned French and put her British genes to sleep? Another night looms, I’d better watch out for flying fish.Talk soon,SidneyPhotos:1. Mike Golding & Javier Sanso, Mike Gold Yacht Racing,3rd IMOCA 60. Copyright AFP/Marcel Mochet.2. Safran IMOCA 60, class winner. Copyright Jean-Marie Liot / DPPI.3. Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA 60. Copyright Lloyd Images.4. Kito De Pavant & François Gabart, Groupe Bel, 2nd IMOCA 60. Copyright A.Courcoux.5. Sidney Gavignet onboard on day 16. Copyright Artemis Ocean Racing.6. Sam Davies onboard on day 11. Copyright Artemis Ocean Racing. 2009-11-25T16:28:25+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_16_safran_wins_imoca_60_class/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_16_safran_wins_imoca_60_class/#When:15:51:33Z Safran wins the IMOCA 60 class in the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre in 15 days, 19 hours and 22 minutes. France’s duo of Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier-Bénac crossed the finish line off Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, at 08:52 GMT (02:52 local time) today in a time of 15 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 10 seconds… Safran wins the IMOCA 60 class in the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre in 15 days, 19 hours and 22 minutes. France’s duo of Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier-Bénac crossed the finish line off Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, at 08:52 GMT (02:52 local time) today in a time of 15 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 10 seconds. But they were not the first boat to cross the line, that honour went to the 50-ft multihull Crepes Whaou who finished at 22:31 local time last night, taking 15 days, 15 hours, 31 mins and 50 secs - a great result for Franck-Yves Escoffier and Erwan Le Roux. It was a stressful finish for the Safran duo who were hampered by unpredictable and shifting wind conditions right down to the wire: “It was hyper hard for the morale, very stressful. Even up to an hour before the line we were still very anxious,” said Guillemot. Their sparring partner, Groupe Bel, has yet to finish and still in stealth mode as is Michel Desjoyeaux and Jérémie Beyou on Foncia, who were ranked 4th before going ‘furtive’!“They [Safran] have had a great race and I’m really pleased for them, especially Charles who is a really good friend of mine,” congratulated Sam. “I think they sailed, tactically, the right race although they took more risks by going north and into the centre of that big depression which I still don’t regret not doing, as I prefer to get Artemis to the finish in one piece. And it’s great for Guillaume Verdier [yacht designer] as well to have his two boats finish in first and second. Especially in these strong conditions, as the Verdier boats are at the light end of the weight scale and sometimes found they have had problems in stronger conditions. So it’s good to see they have got these boats tough enough to tough it out in IMOCA racing.” Artemis Ocean Racing made their passage through the Grenadine Islands, passing south of Mustique, and is now sailing in the Caribbean Sea with 1097 miles to go. Their impending duel with Yves Parlier and Pachi Rivero has begun, with Sam and Sidney gaining over 130 miles on 1876, in terms of distance to finish, over the last 48 hours as they enjoyed faster sailing conditions. For now, the latest routing shows 1876 finishing four ahead of Artemis Ocean Racing in the early hours of this coming Saturday… But as the first-placed battle showed, conditions can be changeable right to the end! Email from Sam today:HelloArtemis is galloping along through the Caribbean Sea now. The search for the Black Pearl begins…I told Sidney that if I get kidnapped by Captain Jack Sparrow, not to try to fight but to let me go Out here we live a spartan life: no lights, no hairdriers (!) - electricity is down to a minimum. Likewise with water - we get by with about 4 litres each per day. We shower in seawater! The thing is, although it is little, it is also essential to live, and to keep Artemis going at full-speed.Unfortunately, Artemis is not equipped with ways of harnessing natural energy - I didn’t have time to change that - which is a shame, as I am sure we would get all we need through solar panels and a hydro-generator. Instead, we use diesel to generate electricity. Unfortunately, as the race is taking longer than planned, we are getting low. So, to make it to the finish, all electricity is switched off nearly all the time. Yesterday we were sailing without even our instruments during the day!For water, we also have a problem that we are going too fast for the watermaker to be able to prime itself!! So yesterday Sidney and I spent a fair amount of time doing some DIY and we made a hose with the ballast scoop attached to a bilge pump tube, that we used to fill the water-lock continuously for the watermaker. Then we watched over the watermaker to make sure it behaved itself… It all seems like milking a cow in a strange kind of way! Luckily, we managed to fill a good supply of bottles so we are no longer thirsty!Well, given all these jobs and tasks, and the fact that steering Artemis under spinnaker in 25 knots of wind is pretty physical, I am off to recover for an hour in the bunk!Sam x 2009-11-24T15:51:33+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_15_final_week_of_the_transat_jacques_vabre_-_time_to_ration_the_diesel/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_15_final_week_of_the_transat_jacques_vabre_-_time_to_ration_the_diesel/#When:13:21:59Z Into the third week of the two-handed Transat Jacques Vabre,  Artemis Ocean Racing and 1876 remain the only two boats to pass through the West Indies and into the Caribbean Sea, but they should do so later tonight somewhere close to St Vincent and the Grenadines: “We’re hoping for a little duel with 1876 but they are still miles ahead of us at the moment, but it is looking like they are quite slow and we are quite fast…” Into the third week of the two-handed Transat Jacques Vabre, Artemis Ocean Racing and 1876 remain the only two boats to pass through the West Indies and into the Caribbean Sea, but they should do so later tonight somewhere close to St Vincent and the Grenadines: “We’re hoping for a little duel with 1876 but they are still miles ahead of us at the moment, but it is looking like they are quite slow and we are quite fast. Hopefully, we will close in on the miles and I think the way we are approaching the Caribbean we genuinely have more wind than their approach; so, hopefully, it will be to our advantage to catch up a little bit,” relayed Sam. “We’re working really hard because we see this as an opportunity to catch up or even overtake them if luck goes our way for once! It will be fun to have another boat to play with because for the whole race we haven’t really had the chance to line Artemis up against the other boats in fair conditions.” Yves Parlier and Pachi Rivero on 1876 followed a radical northerly option all the way across the Atlantic before dropping south and approaching the Caribbean from the NNE; at the start of the weekend that strategy still looked good as they were ranked in 5th place but light airs this weekend have seem their boat speeds tumble and their position on the leaderboard, now in 8th place. “We are in good Trade Winds now so we’re doing some good miles,” confirmed Sam. Artemis Ocean Racing has 1500nm to go to the finish in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, expecting to arrive late Friday or early Saturday morning. Sam and Sidney make be looking forward to a some closer-quarter sparring but there is another potential hitch on the horizon: “We’re a bit tight on diesel so we are limiting everything we do,” said Sam. “Well, we’re more than ‘tight’ we are probably going to finish with no batteries and no engine. We reckon we’ve got three days of diesel left!” The Artemis duo will be rationing the diesel usage to ensure they have enough to get the weather and positions reports, otherwise they really will be sailing ‘blind’.The two top IMOCA boats in the Transat Jacques Vabre have gone into ‘stealth mode’, electing to use their 24-hour blackout period in the final stages of the 4,730-mile race. At 0700 GMT this morning, the leader Safran had just under 200 miles to go, with Groupe Bel, 70 miles behind, taking a flier to the north in hope of more breeze. They are expected to finish later tonight or the early hours of this morning. In the middle of the leaderboard, 40-odd miles separates 5th-placed W Hotels and Veolia Environnment, whilst Aviva play catch-up after a brief diversion to St Lucia to collect a spare part but there really is very little between these three boats in the final phase of the race.Read Sam’s full blog, as upbeat as ever, in the Team Blog section: “The Trade Winds are rocketing Artemis towards the Caribbean and the fast, and sometimes, furious downwind sailing is exhilarating. I love the nights at sea, and last night was just magic… It was an “ipod” moment and so out came all the great ‘sing-along to’ songs!”And read Jonny Malbon’s latest blog on his winter training programme in La Grande Motte: “...great to back on the water with five other Figaros. There are some great guys sailing and the coaches, Franck Citeau and Guilliame Rottee, have a huge amount of experience so I am looking forward to getting stuck in…” See the latest video clips from onboard Artemis Ocean Racing in the Multimedia section… 2009-11-23T13:21:59+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_14_planning_their_trajectory_through_the_west_indies/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_14_planning_their_trajectory_through_the_west_indies/#When:15:54:48Z Artemis Ocean Racing gybed three times in the last 24 hours in the shifting wind conditions, on the constant lookout for the potentially dangerous rainsqualls. Co-skippers Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet are planning their final trajectory through the islands and into the Caribbean Sea: “Another warm night, dodging huge squalls in the trade winds. In fact, we got away squall-less until just before dawn when we came under attack by a hot-and-bothered angry 30-knot-er!” Artemis Ocean Racing gybed three times in the last 24 hours in the shifting wind conditions, on the constant lookout for the potentially dangerous rainsqualls. Co-skippers Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet are planning their final trajectory through the islands and into the Caribbean Sea: “Another warm night, dodging huge squalls in the trade winds. In fact, we got away squall-less until just before dawn when we came under attack by a hot-and-bothered angry 30-knot-er!” reported Sam. “All is well and under control again… Now we need to negotiate the shifts and finalise the plan for our entry to the Caribbean.” The weather forecast for the next few days is predicting 25 knots from behind which will give Artemis Ocean Racing fast sailing conditions. But in these IMOCA boats it is not possible to sail ‘dead downwind’ and, like upwind sailing, it will be necessary to repeatedly gybe, sailing at an angle to the wind, and the duo will cover considerably more than the 1788 miles to the finish in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, which is based on the direct route. Sam and Sidney will be racing for at least another 5-6 days, hopefully, in more stable breeze but they are keeping their spirits high as usual: “Hungry and tired as usual! But very, very happy to be out here having fun! Even if the ‘catch-up’ plan is being foiled by a ‘rich getting richer’ scenario,” wrote Sam.Foncia is the fourth boat to enter the Caribbean Sea, 260 miles behind Mike Golding Yacht Racing.  Whilst the two front runners, Safran and Groupe Bel skirt the shores of Venezuela and Columbia with little more than 500 miles to go to the finish - averaging around 350 miles a day they should finish Monday or Tuesday. And what of Yves Parlier and Pachi Rivero on 1876, who took an extreme northerly route before dropping south and approaching the West Indies from the NNE… They are now ranked 5th with 1352 miles to go to the finish, and it seems their radical option has paid off benefiting from good wind and boat speed over the last few days. It is no surprise that Parlier is nicknamed “ET” - the extra-terrestrial - known for pulling off amazing, and sometimes surreal, exploits! In the 2000/01 Vendée Globe he took shelter in New Zealand after breaking his mast; he spent weeks building a jury rig before setting off again and completing his solo journey, feeding off what he could recover from the ocean in the final weeks of the race, including seaweed! 2009-11-22T15:54:48+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_13_the_ying_and_yang_of_sailboat_racing/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_13_the_ying_and_yang_of_sailboat_racing/#When:14:54:01Z Whilst the top 3 boats in the two-handed Transat Jacques Vabre race enjoy near perfect Trade Wind conditions, racing along at speeds between 15-18 knots, Artemis Ocean Racing were trapped in another windless zone for 7 hours yesterday…such is the ‘ying and yang’ of sailboat racing!  And in contrast to windless zones, Sam Davies writes of the massive adrenalin buzz of surviving a windy rain squall: “I use all my feelings and sensations to keep her under control, it is like driving an out-of-control lorry on a motorway, at night with no headlights, no windscreen wipers and no brakes!”  Whilst the top three boats in the two-handed Transat Jacques Vabre race enjoy near perfect Trade Wind conditions, racing along at speeds between 15-18 knots, Artemis Ocean Racing were trapped in another windless zone for 7 hours yesterday as co-skipper Sidney relayed: “Yesterday late afternoon we spend 7 hours with the sails flapping and being tossed around by waves.” Such is the ‘ying and yang’ of sailboat racing!  In contrast, Sam Davies writes of the massive adrenalin buzz of surviving a rain squall: “I use all my feelings and sensations to keep her under control, it is like driving an out-of-control lorry on a motorway, at night with no headlights, no windscreen wipers and no brakes!”  Read Sam’s full email below…The leading trio of Safran, Groupe Bel and Mike Golding Yacht Racing passed through the West Indies islands and are on the ‘home sprint’ – albeit still 1300 miles - to Puerto Limon in Costa Rica. The frustrations of being at the tail-end of the 10 IMOCA boats remaining in this 4,730 mile race are evident but always Sam and Sidney find something to be positive about: “Sometimes, I think I would rather play golf!” wrote Sidney, “But luckily I sail with little Miss Sunshine who has her colourful Roxy outfits. I laugh to see her dress like a girl in the middle of the Atlantic but it’s more fun that seeing a dirty, white t-shirt!”In the middle of the fleet a close battle is being fought between Veolia Environnment and W Hotels, who are neck and neck in terms of distance to the finish, and Dee Cafarri and Brian Thompson on Aviva who are only 22 miles in arrears. However, Aviva have notified the race organisers they need to stop in St Lucia tomorrow to pick up a spare part to repair their generator, costing them both time and miles. The Artemis Ocean Racing duo are putting their giant spinnaker to good use: “Tonight we should be using the spinnaker again to help sail our heavier Artemis at the same speed as the others, but it is stressful to manage this giant 485 m2 sail, especially when the wind can change so quickly. Voila, all is well with us and we strongly want to quit this area without wind!” Sam and Sidney have just over 2,000 miles to go to the finish and look set to pass through the West Indies much further south than the leaders.From Sam Davies this morning:Good morning everyone!Another difficult night wrestling with some BIG rainsqualls after an afternoon becalmed in Doldrums conditions, the last 24 hours haven’t given us much rest!!Last night’s rainsqualls were not really the normal kind we find here in the Trade Winds. I think that they were escapees from the Doldrums that were coming up to pester us!It is always a pretty impressive sight at night when the black, black squall cloud comes chasing up behind you, a menacing silhouette, in front of the starry sky. The huge “cumulo-beastie” makes my heart beat faster - wondering what it’s got in store for me - 25 knots, 30… 35? It is that same feeling of trepidation as Harry Potter must feel as he is about to confront Voldemort!So I wait for the last minute and then wake Sidney up, just before the squall strikes. Artemis is not really set up for a solo sailor and nothing is reachable from the helm, so we attack each squall with both of us on deck so a not to take risks. The first gust hits - a cold contrast of temperature, as this air is coming from several thousands of meters above! It is a solid puff too, 25 knots (there were only 10 knots before) and sends Artemis surging forward as Sidney eases the sheets and I bear away. Then we start hooning through the black night, the squall has hidden the stars, and the first drops of torrential rain start to fall. Cold rain! It is suddenly impossible to see anything and difficult to keep a sense of direction but essential to keep Artemis from wiping out! The wind is all over the place and gusting sharply. I fix my eyes on the instruments - TWA no higher than 150, no lower than 160, it is full-on concentration… Apart from this guide, I use all my feelings and sensations to keep her under control, it is like driving an out-of-control lorry on a motorway, at night with no headlights, no windscreen wipers and no brakes! Adrenalin BUZZ!!Then, after about 15 minutes, as quickly as it arrived, the squall passes over us, as if it is bored with us and wants to find someone else to annoy. The wind drops, Sidney jumps back into the bunk to carry on his disrupted sleep, and I start trimming everything back to light wind sailing again. Until the next one, of course!Sam xx 2009-11-21T14:54:01+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_12_beware_the_cloud-eaters/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/en/site/day_12_beware_the_cloud-eaters/#When:15:45:54Z Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet on board Artemis Ocean Racing worked hard through the night and day in continuing difficult, variable wind conditions that have dictated the speed and course of the boat over the last few days.  Large clouds and rain squalls disrupting the airflow as they suck up the breeze… Sidney calls them them ‘cloud-eaters’ and overnight he added: “I try to remember the last time we had a stable night of sailing - I think it was 5 days ago!” Sam Davies and Sidney Gavignet on board Artemis Ocean Racing worked hard through the night and day in continuing difficult, variable wind conditions that have dictated the speed and course of the boat over the last few days. The Trade Winds, normally settled at this time of year, are not playing ball, making progress challenging with large clouds and rain squalls disrupting the airflow as they suck up the breeze. Sidney calls them them ‘cloud-eaters’ and overnight he added: “I try to remember the last time we had a stable night of sailing - I think it was 5 days ago!” However, the Artemis Ocean Racing duo have made some gains on their nearest rival, 9th placed Akena Verandas, who are now 120 miles ahead as opposed to 160 miles a day ago: “We have found a little bit of Trade Winds so we’ve got our spinnaker up which is good news, hopefully, we won’t have to take it down until the finish! We’ve managed to claw back a few miles which is good for morale and we’re still working really hard. We know that if we manage to claw back miles, it’s not going to be very many and we have to be patient,” said a philosophical Sam this afternoon. “Even though we are behind, the longer it is to the finish the more chance we have got of catching up the miles! Although, having said that, it is not that long to the finish for the leaders… But, for the boats in front of us, the more time there is to the finish, the more chance we have of clawing back some miles.”At the 1300 GMT rankings, Artemis Ocean Racing have 2,242 miles to go to the finish in Costa Rica, whilst the leaders negotiate their passage through the Caribbean Islands, passing south of Guadeloupe. “We are approximately 900 miles from the Caribbean… The weather files we’ve received in the Trade Winds are not particularly accurate. The Trade Winds have a mind of their own and the routing software we use doesn’t really give us an exact idea of the best route through the Caribbean islands. There will be lots of tactical choices in between the islands – wind shadows and local effects – we’ve started thinking about that, but at the moment it is too early to call. I haven’t sailed much in the Caribbean so it’s exciting to sail in a new piece of ocean and maybe bump into Captain Jack Sparrow if I’m lucky!”Yves Parlier and Arnaud Boissieres on 1876 have made the biggest gains in the last 24 hours approaching the Caribbean from the NNE, but their progress will stall as they encounter lighter winds the further south they race. At the front it is a simple two-horse race, 2nd-placed Groupe Bel have closed the gap on the leader Safran to just 47 miles, halving the distance in 24 hours; while Mike Golding is now 184 miles behind in third. Michel Desjoyeaux and Jérémie Beyou on Foncia, are now only 240 miles astern of Mike Golding and Javier Sanso, who have been experiencing charging problems, and they will be nervously looking over his shoulder in these final days of the race. The leaders are expected to reach the finish in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica on Monday or Tuesday.Life on board Artemis Ocean Racing is very different from the end of last week when the Atlantic storms were at their height: “Instead of being out in a fire hose and your skin being pitted by high-pressure salt water coming at you, now it’s a different kind of hostility from the heat and sunshine! But it’s nice and the boat is drying out, and we’re finding that things are repairing themselves without us even having to do anything – like the wind instruments are giving us wind data now, the nav lights turn on now!” However, the 4,730-mile Transat Jacques Vabre is taking longer than expected and diesel is becoming a valuable commodity: “We’ve still got diesel at the moment but we are having to be really, really careful how we use our electricity, and we’re trying to optimize our charging to be as efficient as possible. Hopefully, we’ll make it – we might not be able to motor into the marina at the end – but we should be okay to the finish! We’re fine with food because of all the bad weather in the first week, we haven’t had enough time to eat and sleep properly so there is plenty left.”Listen to Sam’s audio from this afternoon in the Multimedia Gallery and check the website this weekend for all the latest news. 2009-11-20T15:45:54+00:00