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Relieved, delighted and pleasingly animated, happy to talk the media and public through his epic Vendee Globe. Marc Guillemot explains his race in all its facets.
“The last week was very stressful and crossing the line was a great relief and the stress of the race all came out at that point. There was the sporting element which interested me. The adventure wasn’t really my thing. A lot happened. Firstly a tactical mistake in the Canaries after a good start in the Bay of Biscay. I had problems with my pilots.”
His boat has been passed fit, but Telefonica Blue skipper Bouwe Bekking feared his team's chances of winning leg five were less than healthy when they finally started racing this morning.
It was 07:42 local time when they eventually returned to racing status in the leg, nearly 19 hours after their boat hit a rock in yesterday's pre-start and suspended racing.
Initially it was feared they had suffered serious damage to the keel, but after thorough overnight examinations of the bulb, shore boss Campbell Field rated the boat at "100%" free of structural damage. Bekking, though, was less confident in his team's chances of recovering to win a third straight leg.
Third place in this Vendée Globe could still go either way. While yesterday the balance looked to have tipped back in favour of the La Trinité skipper Marc Guillemot on Safran, the contrary winds have slowed him in his severely compromised boat, trying to complete the last of around 1000 miles with no keel and a reefed mainsail.
With 132 miles to in just less than 23 hours (from 0330hrs GMT positions) his average VMG now needs to be closer to 5.8 knots. Yesterday it was 5.3 knots and this morning he had averaged 4.3 but even then his boat speed was down to 3.7 knots. With no significant changes in the wind strengths and pattern predicted over today, perhaps time is slipping away on Guillemot’s chances of third.
"I feel like a proper Viking," Olsson said between chuckles after a ceremonial helmet was placed on his head and an axe in his hand. His fighting spirit, and that of his crew and shore team, had already been proved.
It's been 27 days since they set sail from Singapore for leg four and 18 since they started taking on water through a big crack in their hull. They suspended racing in Taiwan, their boat underwent major surgery, and then, with no one else on the track they resumed racing on Thursday morning (local time) and finished the leg at 1801 local time tonight to collect four points for fifth place.
Telefonica Blue’s bid for a third straight leg win hangs in the balance after a collision before the start gun left them with serious damage to their keel fin.
The team had been jostling for position at the pre-start when they seemingly ran aground, causing the boat’s speed to drop suddenly from seven knots to zero.
They attempted unsuccessfully to diagnose the problems on the water, but after suspending racing and returning to shore the boat was hoisted out and it emerged there was a crack on the port side of the keel fin.
While Les Sables d’Olonne is ready to give a huge, warm welcome to Sam Davies this bitterly cold St Valentine’s morning, the clock is ticking all the time for Marc Guillemot who now needs to finish by 02:41:01 GMT on Monday morning to clinch third place.
Davies has been enjoying time aboard her Roxy with friends and family since finishing at 00:41.01hrs GMT last night, a spectacular finish is a moderate NE’ly wind which saw her working to the last minutes to keep her historic Open 60, winner of the last two races, at best speed until she crossed the finish line. As expected, she was jubilant as she crossed the line, her pink, polka dotted Roxy lit up by a barrage of flash guns and spotlights.
Third place remains in the balance in this Vendée Globe. The only definite is that whoever takes the third step on the podium will be joined by Vincent Riou (PRB) who was awarded that equal place as redress.
It has been a painfully slow night for Sam Davies. Even late yesterday afternoon Roxy was making only one knot at times, stuck in glassy calms as she tried to make any kind of miles towards Les Sables d’Olonne. Afternoon became evening became night with no real increase in breeze until near dawn this morning then it has been a tough night to take for Davies, so close to home and not able to second guess what the weather cards will be dealt for Guillemot after she finishes.
Europe's largest marina operator, MDL Marinas has significantly improved the benefits of its Club Outlook package for annual berth holders at all of its 19 UK marinas/boatyards for the 2009/10 season.
On top of the many great benefits already available, Club Outlook members (annual berth holders) will be able to enjoy fuel at cost, 50% off boatyard services and up to 30 nights visitor berthing at any MDL marina/boatyard throughout the 2009/10 season, which runs from 1st April 2009 to 31st March 2010.
A commercial fisherman who faked his own death to thwart a Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) inquiry has been jailed for two and a half years.
Derek Atkins, 56, from Portsmouth, sent a false obituary for his alias of Roger Atkins to the Fishing News newspaper, the city's crown court heard.
He had previously admitted perverting the course of justice, deception and fraud, as well as 21 fishery offences.
Southampton based journalist Abbie James founder of Vogue PR joins The Blue Sheets Marine Directory this January to further establish her name within the marine market.
The company’s varied PR background in fashion, television, charity events and even pop video promotion took a turn in a new direction in 2007 when Vogue won the contract to run the PR for the Honda Formula 4-Stroke Powerboat race series.
Vogue’s fresh outlook on the marine industry brought a wealth of enthusiasm to the world’s largest off-shore race series which revived the company and placed it within the public eye at its highest level to date. And with plans already in place for the 2009 season Vogue is looking forward to exposing the series even further.