Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Vendée Globe

Plenty of damage to boats now, and the leaders are going into some nasty weather. Interesting to see how they are when they come out the other side.
Thomson is in a good second place, and given the circumstances seems in an amazingly relaxed mood.
http://dai.ly/x54pk9t
Ps apologies if there's an Argos ad at the start of the clip. Couldn't see how to remove it!

I think I would be sailing conservatively with 40 knot squalls on the nose in the Southern Ocean!
I'd love to sail one of those around the bay for a couple of hours, but around the world? aaaaa NO

Are any of you still following this? Looks like it's going to be a close fight to the end.
Thomson was over 800 miles behind Le Cleach at the Horn, but closed up enormously when Le Cleach hit some quiet patches, and they are now slugging it out only 144 miles apart, with Thomson starting to close up again.
If Thomson can get some good wind on starboard tack over the next few days so he can use his one remaining foil, it will be very tight!

Yes indeed.

Really amazing that Alex Thomson has managed to keep so close in touch for so long with the handicap of a broken foil.

Gripping stuff.

People quickly forget that Ellen MacArthur was in a similar position a few years ago when she suffered some damage coming up the Atlantic having been making good progress on the eventual winner.
Good Luck to Alex.

And now Jerome Beyou is closing fast in third place, having made up 600 miles over the last few days while the two leaders are struggling to find some favourable wind.
Difficult to call.

amrum - how do you get daily motion to work? all I get is a set of small piccies off to the right and a big blank black screen to the left?

Hi Howard,
Sorry, didn't see your question above till just now. I'll have a look and come back.
The last 4 days are going to be very difficult sailing for the leaders. The wind conditions in the Bay of Biscay are going to make it incredibly difficult to plot a course to Les Sables.
Only 110 or so miles in it between Le Cleach and Thomson, with Beyou 400 or so miles back in third.
For those saddos who like this sort of thing, it has been a brilliant race.
(By the way, looks like I'll be taking Northabout back to Greenland in May. Hope to move her from Bristol to Portishead in a week, then about 6 weeks of work before we set off for Ireland, another month's work there at her builder's workshop, then Faeroes, Iceland, Greenland. . The next adventure is about to start....)

Howard, Does this link work?
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x58if4e_d69-images-from-alex-thomson-vendee-globe_sport
Works ok for me.
Amazing how relaxed Alex T looks after ten weeks at sea. He'll need to be for this last bit!

No it doesnt. Clicking on the V to play doesnt start anything up. Ever since I got W10 I have had intermittent problems with videos so its probably me rather than the site.

If I come over to Bristol I will have a look in Portishead to see the boat.

Is Alex relaxed or knackered?

P.S. I got the video on his facebook page to work OK. Looks like real good fun to me - for a couple of hours or so! Did you notice the deck and topsides covered in solar panels?