Barcelona and the media bids 'Bienvenidos' to the skippers

[Source: Barcelona World Race] The Barcelona World Race skippers lined up today for the first obligatory press conference with the sailors taking part in an official photo call before informal media interviews. With less than two weeks to go before the start on 31st December the co-skippers answered questions on their preparations for the race to almost 100 invited key media from nine different countries.

For some, such as 2007-8 race winner Jean Pierre Dick (FRA), Alex Thomson (GBR) and Pachi Rivero (ESP) – the sole Spanish skipper to be looking forward to competing in his second Barcelona World Race, and even Loïck Peyron who was here 10 years ago for the start of The Race – it was a chance to meet up with old friends and colleagues, enjoying the pre-start buzz and hubbub on their respective returns to Barcelona, while others have been familiarising themselves with the impressive Race Fleet Dock, and the massive 4500 sq metre Moll Barcelona World Race Expo for the first time.

Everyone loves their local heroes and almost inevitably the longest queues of media lined up to speak with the strong contingent of skippers who have grown up, or live permanently in Barcelona such diminutive Anna Corbella, who will set sail with Dee Caffari on GAES Centros Auditivos in the prospect of becoming the first Spanish woman to sail non stop around the world, Alex Pella and Pepe Ribes on Estrella Damm, Jaume Mumbru who sails with long time Barcelona friend Cali Sanmarti on We Are Water, and eminent cardiologist Bruno Garcia who partners French skipper Jean Le Cam on President and Gerard Marin on FMC.

The Barcelona World Race skippers

Dominique Wavre (SUI) and Michèle Paret (FRA), another duo who are making their return to the Barcelona World Race, will tomorrow celebrate their new partnership with Mirabaud with the boat’s official christening.

Immediately adjacent to the IMOCA Race Fleet Dock, is the huge Moll Barcelona World Race Expo which will be opened at 1300hrs tomorrow, Saturday 18th December, by the Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu. The mayor will meet the skippers and present them with their symbolic mooring lines, signifying the strong bond between them and the Catalan capital city, their Barcelona World Race flags. It will be the first time for the public to meet the skippers.

Quotes:

Pepe Ribes (ESP), Estrella Damm: “We look at this round the world race with a lot of humility, because there are four almost new boats, and the best skippers in the history of IMOCA class, but we also have great ambitions to do our best, and we want to be competitive.”

Dee Caffari (GBR), Gaes Centros Auditivos: “I’m feeling good, feeling like we have done what I wanted to achieve, that is have all the stuff to do with the boat, has been dealt with. We are ready to go. And for Anna, all of this is quite new to her, so when the race village opens and we have all the other requirements of being a skipper, she can just be concentrating on that and not worried about the boat. The shore team seem calm and happy, which always gives me confidence.”

Alex Thomson (GBR), Hugo Boss: “The race is a much bigger deal than before, with more competitors and a higher standard, and it’s good to be back. We’ve had more time to prepare - last time we sailed 2,500 miles before the start, this time it’s been 15,000. We’ve had the boat in the water for a much longer time, done two Transatlantics, been to the Mediterranean twice, and been all the way through our process of breaking and fixing and breaking and fixing!”

Michele Paret (FRA), Mirabuad: “Dominique and I are always talking about the race, but it’s our passion so that’s easy. We need it and we’ve always done it that way. It’s a great advantage for us I think because we know each other very well, we are both confident in the other one and we have no frustrations, because we can talk about everything, so I think it’s much easier for us. I think some of these skippers wouldn’t want to go with their wives!”

Pachi Rivero (ESP), Renault Z.E. Sailing Team: “I’m coming back because I loved the first time and I have great memories – if this one is as good as the first I’ll do a third! The best thing about the race is actually doing it, sailing through all the oceans, going round Antarctica, and being able to sail in extreme conditions.”

Co-skipper ‘Talpi’, Antonio Piris (ESP), added: “I’ll miss a good bed, and a cold beer from time to time!”

Loick Peyron (FRA), Virbac-Paprec 3: “This will be my fifth time setting off around the world, and in fact it is 10 years to the day of the anniversary of The Race, the exact same course setting off from Barcelona. This time my position is quite different because I don’t have the pressure of being skipper. I’m very comfortable in this new position, and it makes it very easy to accept things. The only master on board, after God or Allah, is Jean-Pierre! That’s how it should be, as it is his ship, his team, and his future. We are going to have a democratic way of doing things on board, but it’s a natural process, we don’t have to plan.”

Jaume Mumbrü (ESP), We Are Water: “We have a sponsor which is a foundation started by the leading ceramics and bathroom company ROCA. They are very passionate about the awareness of water, the recycling of water, and the lack of water, so we’re not only sailing, we’re going to be carrying their message and values, which is just great. It gives us more energy – it’s not only like carrying a commercial name, although we would be happy to do that, it’s something of value. The foundation provides funds for all different programmes, so we’re going to be explaining that, raising funds and promoting it.”

What is this?

While the nearly 35-strong fleet of D-ONE's are ready to rock and roll in Valencia for their first Magic Marine BetPro Gold Cup, we had a surprise visit at the yacht club.

Can you recognize the sailors and their boat? We hear the official announcement of their participation in the Barcelona World Race is imminent.

France’s Groupe Bel will participate in the Barcelona World Race with Kito de Pavant and Sébastien Audigane

[Source: Barcelona World Race] French duo Kito de Pavant and Sébastien Audigane have confirmed that they will take the start line of the Barcelona World Race on board Groupe Bel, the IMOCA Open 60 which Kito de Pavant has already sailed the equivalent of twice around the world, and which carries the well known ‘Laughing Cow’ brand logo.

“Seb has so much experience and is very strong and accomplished on the water. And he is a real authentic sailor who looks and feels most at home on the water, really at one with the elements. Partners like Seb are very hard to find” says Kito.

Sébastien is enthusiastic about joining Kito on board Groupe Bel: “The Barcelona World Race is a great race which brings together top level international sailors to race two-handed non-stop around the world. With this project Kito has created a really solid, competitive campaign and to be able to go and share in this chapter will be a great pleasure. We find we don’t need to speak much, everything works with a glance and a gesture. And we like to share in the same pleasures and challenges of adventures at sea. It is really great to be able to share them, the good times, and also when it becomes more challenging, with a friend like Kito is.”


Bel is an international group which sells its products in 120 different countries, and generates 80% of its income outside of France. For the whole group, to take part in a truly global event like the Barcelona World Race enhances both the internal and external benefits of their sailing partnership.

Guillaume Jouët, Communication director of the Groupe Bel, comments: “We want to offer our clients and partners an extreme international adventure and that is exactly what the Barcelona World Race is about. This developemnt corresponds to that of our own group, its saling sponsorship programme and its skipper. Especially Sébastien and Kito have a lot in common and bringing their skills together is excellent.”

Kito is looking forward to race Groupe Bel around the world for the first time. “I am very happy to take part in this great race that the Barcelona World Race is and I feel incredibly lucky to have such an enthusiastic partner in Groupe Bel. Our IMOCA Open 60 is designed to race round the world and so it will be great to do it. We made good preparations for the 2008 Vendée Globe but had to retire soon after the start when the rig broke. Since then we have optimized the boat. Our team is well proven and very consistent.. We feel well set up and ready for this challenge.”

Kito de Pavant is one of the most prominent French solo sailors. He has fought many battles in the demanding Figaro Class, winning three brilliant victories in the Class’ most prominent races: the 2002Solitaire du Figaro, the 2006Transat AG2R and the 2006 Solo Med. In the IMOCA Open 60 Class he finished second in last autumn’s Transat Jacques Vabre with Groupe Bel, (he finished third in 2005) and second in the 2009 Race Istanbul Europa Race, with Seb Audigane on board.

Among other achievements in his outstanding sailing career, which includes extensive multihull sailing, he has completed two Indian Ocean, one Pacific and China Sea and 40 transatlantic crossings.

Sébastien Audigane is a speed specialist in ocean multihulls. He achieved the 24-hour speed record in 2009, covering a distance of 907 miles, the North Atlantic record in 2009, the 2007 Discovery Route and the 2005 Jules Verne Trophy which he has done five editions.

He has a wide experience in the IMOCA Open 60 Class, having participated in campaigns with Roland Jourdain, Yann Eliès, Marc Guillemot and Johnny Malbon before teaming up with Kito on board Groupe Bel.

Born in 1968 in Brest, Sébastien, like Kito, is an expert in the Figaro Class, having entered the Solitaire du Figaro seven times and the Transat AG2R three times.

Andor Serra, Director General of the Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing (FNOB), organizer of the Barcelona World Race, welcomed the participation of a team of such standing in the race: "We are delighted to see another French team with such outstanding skippers as Kito and Seb joining the Barcelona World Race. The event has been considered a good international platform to project themselves globally by Groupe Bel which gives us considerable satisfaction and encouragement to continue on our course. "

Loïck Peyron to join Jean-Pierre Dick as partner for the Barcelona World Race

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Jean-Pierre Dick has just unveiled his co-skipper for the Barcelona World Race. This will be no less than Loïck Peyron, one of the most successful and experienced ocean yachtsmen in the world.

Loïck Peyron will be taking part in the Barcelona World Race 2010/11, forming a duo with Jean-Pierre Dick, the brilliant winner of the last edition of the competition. This is not the first time the French skippers join forces: they won the Transat Jacques Vabre together in 2005 with Virbac-Paprec 1 and they designed and built a pair of twin yachts (Paprec Virbac 2 and Gitana Eighty). Now it's time for them to launch their longest and most demanding adventure yet: the double-handed, non-stop race around the world.

Both skippers will be on the starting line on 31st December, onboard Paprec-Virbac 3, the brand-new IMOCA Open 60 that Jean-Pierre Dick recently unveiled to the public in Auckland, NZ. With this yacht the sailors will be defending the Frenchman's title from the first edition of the Barcelona World Race, shared with Damian Foxall. Both yachtsmen are part of the elite of world sailing, and they know one and other very well, and so will form one of the most powerful and difficult to beat teams in the competition.

Jean-Pierre Dick and Loïck Peyron on Virbac 3. Auckland, 26 May 2010. Photo copyright Virbac

Jean-Pierre Dick said: “It's a pleasure to welcome Loïck on board. This is exactly what I had hoped for: to sail with a well-rounded and independent skipper, someone incredibly competent with whom I can have a constant interaction. A double-handed team works well when there's mutual confidence, in that you have to perform 100% delegation when it comes to handing the reins over to the other skipper when your watch finishes. Loïck and I share a similar view of sailing. We realised that with our victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2005 and with the building of twin highly competitive racing yachts in 2007 (the old Paprec-Virbac 2 and Gitana Eighty): the first won the Barcelona World Race 2007 and the latter won the Transat 2008.

What do I like about Loïck? His energy in doing things, his ideas on how to make the boat go even faster. He never stops. He's always doing something. He's extraordinary at getting a prototype ready and each time he brings an enormous value to the table. I also like his friendly and jovial personality. In a circumnavigation it is of vital importance to have somebody you get on with beside you, someone who you can talk to, share ideas with ,about the boat, the sea or life in general”.

Loïck Peyron said: “A voyage of discovery...I love it! I've never done a double-handed circumnavigation of the globe before. That's one of the reasons I didn't stop to think when Jean-Pierre proposed we go out for a sail in tandem. This time the course is somewhat longer! I know that the skipper, the team and the boat are up to the challenge. I was able to see that yet again in Auckland, just a few days ago, with the launch of Paprec-Virbac 3. It's funny that when we won the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2005, Jean-Pierre had already won it two years previously. Now we are heading out on a circumnavigation that he won two years ago... that's something!

What do I like about Jean-Pierre? Jean-Pierre opens up new horizons in the world of ocean sailing. He is the first French sailor to have contacted the Farr studio and the first to have had a boat built in New Zealand. His way of doing things caught my attention. Jean-Pierre has a very structured professional approach to things, but at the same time he can appear to be miles away. That's just an appearance, because his mind is always active and his brain never switches off. He also knows how to surround himself with good people in every field. In a race he won't give an inch, We are different in many ways, but we complement one and other well. We also get on really well, and I think that's our strong point”.

Virbac 3 rollover test. Auckland, 19 May 2010. Video copyright Virbac

Denis Horeau, Race Director of the Barcelona World Race

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Denis Horeau is to be the new race director of the the Barcelona World Race. Horeau is one of the greatest experts in the management of offshore and round the world racing. He will be responsible for the intensive planning and preparation involved for the double-handed round the world race, which starts on December 31, 2010.

Horeau was born in Nantes, France, in 1951, and his appointment by the Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona (FNOB), organisers of the Barcelona World Race, follows the publication of the pre-Notice of Race on June 14, this year.

Horeau takes on the role of race management for the Barcelona World Race with an outstanding track record. He has three times been race director of the Vendée Globe (1989, 2004 and 2008) and nine times for the Solitaire du Figaro (1996-2004) as well as for other outstanding races such as the New York - San Francisco round Cape Horn and The Race It was during The Race, a non-stop ‘no limits’ competition to mark the new millennium in 2001, and which also started in Barcelona, that Horeau, working closely with the Catalan Sailing Federation (FCV), began his association with the city. It proved to be the foundation for his involvement now on this second edition of what has become a global oceanic event based in Barcelona.

As race director, Horeau will have full responsibility for the sports management of the Barcelona World Race. Onshore he will be in charge of the structure of the race management team, with two assistant managers, and a race monitoring office. He will ensure the application of regulations and the Notice of Race both in the lead-up and throughout the competition, and for the duration of the race, will oversee the round-the-clock monitoring of the boats’ progress at sea, as well as the application of the sailing communication protocol.

The professional profile required to take overall responsibility, plus a wide technical and logistical experience, and an in-depth knowledge of offshore racing and its participants, is ideally suited to Horeau.

He takes over from Sylvie Viant, a compatriot also known worldwide in race management. She was race director of the Barcelona World Race 2007/08 (the first edition of the regatta) and her work is recognised as being of fundamental importance and reference for the new team.

The new race director has already joined the Barcelona World Race team and is involved in an intense schedule of planning.

Horeau is enthusiastic about his new role. “The Barcelona World Race is heading for its second start and we have great potential to develop and grow. Its format as a double-handed race is a unique asset, which has great scope for international development,” he said

Estrella Damm presents its boat for the Barcelona World Race 2010

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Guillermo Altadill and Pachi Rivero will be the skippers of the Spanish boat Estrella Damm for the second edition of the Barcelona World Race. The project was presented today.

The Estrella Damm Sailing Team was introduced to the media today by its sponsor, the beer company Estrella Damm, in the Marina Port Vell, Barcelona. Estrella Damm, one of the Barcelona World Race's main sponsors, will once again take part with a boat of its own in the round-the-world double-handed race. The Estrella Damm is to be co-skippered by Barcelona born Guillermo Altadill and Santander born Pachi Rivero. Guillermo crewed with the first Estrella Damm in the 2007/2008 edition of the Barcelona Word Race, together with Jonathan McKee, and Pachi was a crew member with Bubi Sansó of the Mutua Madrileña.

The "new" Estrella Damm in her first sailing tests. Barcelona, 12 July 2009. Video copyright Estrella Damm

The new Estrella Damm, a Bruce Farr's team's design, participated in the last edition of the Vendée Globe and is one of the most powerful IMOCA Open 60s of today’s international fleet. The team just announced a comprehensive programme of technical and sporting tune-ups including participation in the two IMOCA scheduled races: the Istanbul Europa Race, in August/September 2009, and the Transat Jacques Vabre, in November.

During the presentation, Guillermo Altadill expressed his wish to take part in the Barcelona World Race and his determination to sail a good race. “We’ve built all our hopes on the race and we have a good training programme. We are dealing with a great challenge, that can be faced thanks to our sponsor’s support and initiative. I’m certain that Pachi and I will do a great job in the Barcelona World Race.”

On the other hand, Pachi Rivero stressed the toughness of the race, “the route is indeed hard but the thrill of being there makes it less difficult. The fundamental thing is the human factor, my partnership with Guillemo.”

The announcement of the Estrella Damm’s participation follows the confirmation of the the first Barcelona World Race edition winner Jean-Perre Dick's involvement in the race. Prospects are good for the event, which is organized by the Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona and departs on December 31, 2010.

The "new" Estrella Damm in her first sailing tests. Barcelona, 12 July 2009. Photo copyright Jorge Andreu / Estrella Damm

The "new" Estrella Damm in her first sailing tests. Barcelona, 12 July 2009. Photo copyright Jorge Andreu / Estrella Damm

Jean-Pierre Dick confirms participation in the Barcelona World Race 2010

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Winner of the first edition will be on the start line aboard the next Paprec Virbac at Barcelona on 31 December, 2010.

French sailor Jean-Pierre Dick, winner of the inaugural around-the-world Barcelona World Race, has confirmed his participation in the second edition. Jean-Pierre Dick is among the elite of skippers with wins in several of the world's great oceanic races. The start of the next Barcelona World Race will be on 31 December, 2010.

Jean-Pierre Dick will be at the helm of the next Paprec-Virbac , which is presently under construction in New Zealand. It was aboard Paprec Virbac 2 that he secured his sensational victory at Barcelona, establishing the record the skippers will be aiming to beat in eighteen months time: 92 days, 8 hours, 49 minutes and 49 seconds.

Last winter Jean-Pierre Dick took part in the Vendée Globe, once again sailing aboard Paprec Virbac 2. On this occasion he was forced to retire from the race after hitting an unidentified floating object in the Southern Ocean, at which time he was leading the fleet.

Since registration for entries opened on 18th June last, the Barcelona World Race organizers have been working closely with those skippers who have expressed an interest in racing in the next edition. Nine boats took part in the first race, and it is expected that there will be between 10 and 12 on the start line on the last day of 2010, of which at least three should be Spanish entries.

Team registration for the 2010 edition of Barcelona World Race opens on 18 June

[Source: Barcelona World Race] The 2010 edition of the Barcelona World Race re-launches with more support than ever

The unique and prestigious two-handed round the world race, the Barcelona World Race, has launched a campaign that will culminate in the start of its second edition, on 31 December, 2010. The most significant event in the ocean racing calendar for the next 2 years will publish its Notice of Race and open the team registration process on 18 June, 2009.

Alternating with the Vendée Globe as one of just two official IMOCA 60 Ocean Racing World Championship round the world races, this' two-up' challenge links the two worlds of the solo Vendée and the fully crewed Volvo Ocean Race and will maintain its tough but rewarding duo format, racing around the globe from Barcelona to Barcelona.

Since the end of the first edition (March 2008), the organization has worked steadily to consolidate sponsorship and to develop a strategy which will lead to an excellent event in the winter of 2010. Now with two main sponsors, 24 supporting partners, official suppliers and four institutional patrons, the Barcelona World Race faces its future with confidence as the third edition has already been set for 31 December, 2014. The race is proud to maintain its main sponsor, the Barcelona brewery and soft drinks company Estrella Damm, and to see Renault Spain, supporting partner in the first edition, claiming the title of joint sponsor for this second tour.

Much more than just a sailing event

The first edition of the Barcelona World Race was an unprecedented sports and media success. The race was the first ever two-handed circumnavigation and the first to have the name of a city in its title - Barcelona - in order to reinforce its identity, which will guarantee it a reliable future format and continuity. In spite of its short existence, the race has already been deemed a classic - defining its own model which is in the process of becoming a benchmark in the world of ocean racing.

The 2007 edition brought together nine boats and 18 skippers from six different nationalities, most at the top of their professional sailing careers. The figures speak for themselves as the impact generated on all mediums of communication produced a return of 45 million Euros, with a 277 million strong TV audience, 400 hours of TV (25 of which were news) broadcasted internationally. More than 5,000 articles were published in the written press and 200 activities and cultural events directly related with the race were organized. Over the 10 days before the start of the race more than 500,000 people visited the race village and watched the start from the waterfront. On 11 November 2007, 650 spectator boats in Barcelona and more than 200 in Sitges, the first mark of the race, gathered to watch the IMOCA 60s start their 27,000 mile long course. The competition was followed by sailing fans around the world with 2.9 million visitors to the races's website.

A key position in the international calendar

The Barcelona World Race, along with the Vendée Globe, are the only two round the world races in the official IMOCA calendar for the next four years. In addition, because of its format as a double-handed race, it complements the other two top-class professional circumnavigations of the international sailing calendar: the single-handed Vendée Globe and the fully crewed Volvo Ocean Race. This factor has been highly valued by the race's sailors, technicians and sponsors with regards to planning a profitable and technically integrated campaign.

A down to earth strategy for 2010: strong support for skippers and sponsors

The Barcelona World Race was created by OC Events and FNOB (Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona - Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing.) For this and future editions, FNOB is now the exclusive organizer of the race and OC Events will operate in a consultancy capacity, in particular by marketing the event on an international scale. The team is readying to face the challenge of organizing and promoting the second edition of a sporting event that is expected to exceed even the expectations of the first.

Continuing the trend set during the first edition, whilst at the same time adapting to the new reality brought about by economic recession, the Barcelona World Race 2010 has defined two clear objectives in its general strategy:

- To set up the necessary resources and strategies to facilitate the funding of the skippers' campaigns
- To optimize the return on investment for all team sponsors.

A central element in this strategy will be the financial, logistic and communication support package set up to enable teams to cut the cost of their campaigns by up to 20%. The details of this support package will be announced in the pre-Notice of Race, to be published on Thursday 18 June.

On that same day the official entry list will be opened and the countdown to the start of the biggest ocean-racing event of the next two years will start.

The rendez vous: 31 December 2010, Barcelona

Estrella Damm renews sponsorship of Barcelona World Race

Estrella Damm, the Spanish beer group announced yesterday it would once again be the main sponsor of the Barcelona World Race, the round-the-world race scheduled to start two years from now, on December 31st 2010. According to its CEO, the first edition of this new event was proven to be a commercial success for the group and as a result the renewal was an obvious choice.

In addition to being the event's main sponsor, Estrella Damm will also take part in the race with a team that will bear its name, just like it did in 2007 with Guillermo Altadill and Jonathan McKee. The Estrella Damm boat, even though its details are not yet fully known, will be presented next spring and its first regatta will be a transatlantic one between Barcelona and New York.

In the 2007-2008 edition, Estrella Damm was forced to retire one month into the race, following its diversion to Cape Town to repair a problem with its rudders.

The Estrella Damm boat during her official presentation and sail. Barcelona, 27 September 2007. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Temenos II claims third place in the Barcelona World Race

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Swiss skipper Dominique Wavre and French yachtswoman Michele Paret crossed the finish line in their IMOCA Open 60 “Temenos II” to become the third boat in the Barcelona World Race.

They crossed the finish line at 18.09 GMT on Sunday just off the Olympic Port of Barcelona among family, friends and supporters who accompanied the ecstatic skippers back to shore.

After 98 days 7 hours, 9 minutes and 10 seconds exactly at sea, it has been a truly “unique round the world experience” for both, as reflected by Dominique’s words just hours from the finish.

"We have been really happy with the boat and it is sad to leave it," said the Swiss Skipper, "It is all a bit confusing in my head for the moment - the race is ending, it is a nice life and we always want this kind of sailing to continue. I will need one or two days to take it all in."

Partners in real life as well as a winning combination on the water; Wavre and Paret have 8 circumnavigations between them, the Swiss-French tandem have overcome adversity and faced the extremes of this first edition of the Barcelona World Race up to the very end; battling harsh conditions in the Straits of Gibraltar before enjoying the last few days in some welcome calmer Mediterranean sailing conditions.

"We didn’t really talk much." said Michele when asked about their last moments at sea, "We looked at each other and said to ourselves 'well, that’s that, we’ve done it'. We left a little room for emotion and it was as if we were closing the door on the race. But we are here at restaurant time this evening and we’re keen to indulge in the pleasures of land!" added the experienced French yachtswoman laughing.

Temenos II crosses the finish line in 3rd place. Barcelona, 17 February 2008. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez / Barcelona World Race

Parpec Virbac wins the Barcelona World Race

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Jean Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall have crossed the finish line at 20h 49.49 GMT in the port of Barcelona and officially are the winners of the first edition of the Barcelona World Race. The ecstatic duo are clearly over the moon, jumping up and down in celebration of an incredible feat - 92 days 8hours 49minutes and 49seconds having covered 28,329 miles non-stop around the world.

Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall onboard Paprec-Virbac 2 on approach to the finish line. Barcelona, 11 February 2008. Photo copyright Thierry Martinez / Sea and Co / Barcelona World Race

Barcelona World Race: Paprec Virbac less than 400 miles from Barcelona

[Source: Barcelona World Race] After an already epic journey in some of the world’s harshest waters Barcelona World Race leaders Paprec Virbac 2 are finally back into the Mediterranean and their last 400 miles to Barcelona. Yet by no means is the battle over for Jean Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall, who passed Scoring Gate 8 in the Strait of Gibraltar at 18.39 GMT last night (with elapsed time of 14 Days 22 Hours and 14 seconds from Fernando de Noronha.) The Franco-Irish tandem is currently sailing in the Alboran Sea, close to Malaga, with easterly winds still gusting at 35 knots.

“We have had to change down to a storm jib for the first time in the race,” Jean Pierre told us this morning, “the sea is completely white. It is actually quite beautiful but stressful on both us and the boat! We are well aware that the mast and the keel are "tired" now, so we're a little concerned.”

Very tough sailing conditions have meant a long and very physical approach to the Strait as the race leaders were forced to tack along the coast and shelter from busy traffic lanes and big seas.

“At Gibraltar we passed alongside an enormous CGM cargo ship; we cant let our guard down at any moment,” said the French skipper, “the big question we have to face now is which side we are going to pass Ibiza because there is not going to be a lot of wind…”

Currently the Estimated Time of Arrival for Paprec Virbac 2 is still Monday afternoon 11th February. However as Skipper Jean Pierre Dick explained,

“It could quite probably be the 12th if we come across an area of calm.”

Hugo Boss remains 373 miles behind, and after making some amazing gains on the leader in the last couple of days they will now have to face similarly challenging upwind conditions.

Currently making their way south east down the Portuguese coast, Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape are 250 miles from Gibraltar at the 1200 GMT position report. Their ETA for the Strait scoring gate is late afternoon Sunday 10th February, and for Barcelona Wednesday 13th February at midday.

Behind the leaders, the battle for the podium continues between Mutua Madrileña and Temenos II; the Spanish team is now 193 miles behind, and making slower progress than their Swiss-French rivals.

But skipper Javier “Bubi” Sansó is optimistic:

“We still have firing power! In this race we have seen that 200 miles can be made up in just one or two days – there is a lot of race left and we still have our chances.”

At the back of the fleet, Educación sin Fronteras passed Scoring Gate 7 at Fernando de Noronha last night at 18.54 GMT (elapsed time of 17 days 3 hours and 59 minutes from Cape Horn.)
Albert Bargues admits that the thought of home is increasingly enticing:

“We are under 3000 miles away! Cape Horn and the Atlantic were psychologically really important, but once we get past Gibraltar we will be on a home stretch and the hardest part will be over.”

Day 91 – February 9 12:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 - Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL – 389 to finish
2. HUGO BOSS - Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE – 373
3. TEMENOS 2 - Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 1352
4. MUTUA MADRILENA - Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO – 1545
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS - Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES – 2745

Abandoned - VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT - Roland JOURDAIN / Jean Luc NELIAS
Abandoned - ESTRELLA DAMM - Guillermo ALTADILL / JONATHAN MCKEE
Abandoned - DELTA DORE - Jérémie BEYOU / Sidney GAVIGNET
Abandoned - PRB - Vincent Riou / Sebastien JOSSE

Barcelona World Race: The wind increases and so does the tension on board Paprec-Virbac

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Winning a global, non-stop, short-handed ocean race is never easy, but the two sailors on Paprec-Virbac 2 are facing a very stern test in the closing days of their circumnavigation. With the finishing line just 700 miles away, the wind and waves have picked up dramatically, and the second placed boat is closing fast. To add to the difficult circumstances on board, food is now in short supply with the finish still four days away.

“It’s very windy now and quite rough on board,” said an audibly tense Jean-Pierre when he was reached this afternoon. “We are sailing upwind of course, expecting even stronger winds. Now we have 25 knots, big waves, and we’re keeping our finger crossed. We have not been fast these last hours, mostly because of the waves which are up to three metres. The swell is very short and strong, and the boat is pounding into the waves a lot. It’s not great for our speed and not good for our tired boat. We’re going to have similar conditions after Gibraltar, but that’s the way the race goes. The wind is like this…”

Piling the pressure on the leader is Hugo Boss. The black boat has completed a phenomenal 24 hours in gaining just a shade under 200 miles. The margin between first and second is now less than 400 miles and the forecast continues to favour skippers Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape who are cutting the corner to Gibraltar. Although it won’t be long before Hugo Boss is tacking up the strong headwinds as well.

The cat and mouse game between Temenos II and Mutua Madrileña continues with a new twist. After days of shadowing each other, Mutua Madrileña made a move towards the west overnight, as conditions became slightly less stable. The move didn’t pay off initially as it takes them further from their goal at Gibraltar. But the team is hoping that stronger winds will compensate for the extra distance.

“This option to the west has a lot of possibilities for us,” said Javier Sanso today. “Even if every six hours or so the weather scenario changes.”

Ahead, Dominique Wavre was enjoying the clear skies overhead on Temenos II: “It is so nice and sunny, the sea is quiet and calm, and that's fantastic! We are playing with some high pressure bubbles by heading more to the east and we are quite satisfied with our new position... We are making good progress...I don’t know yet if this will be a key moment in our battle with Mutua Madrileña.”

Life is also good on board Educación sin Fronteras where Albert Bargués described ‘great sailing conditions’. With another 250 miles under their belts, the ESF crew is looking to reach the next scoring gate at Fernando de Noronha tomorrow afternoon.

Day 89 – February 7 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 - Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL – 698 to finish
2. HUGO BOSS - Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE – 398
3. TEMENOS 2 - Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 1527
4. MUTUA MADRILENA - Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO – 1630
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS - Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES – 2878

Abandoned - VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT - Roland JOURDAIN / Jean Luc NELIAS
Abandoned - ESTRELLA DAMM - Guillermo ALTADILL / JONATHAN MCKEE
Abandoned - DELTA DORE - Jérémie BEYOU / Sidney GAVIGNET
Abandoned - PRB - Vincent Riou / Sebastien JOSSE

Barcelona World Race: Too many tacks, not enough food for leader Paprec-Virbac

[Source: Barcelona World Race] The situation is getting more difficult now for the race leading crew on board Paprec-Virbac 2 as weather conditions have forced them further and further north of Gibraltar. Skippers Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall are waiting for the wind to shift to allow them to tack towards the gate to the Mediterranean.

But the forecast shows they’ll have upwind conditions the rest of the way, meaning the next few days will see them tacking up the coast, each tack requiring up to half an hour of hard manual labour as they shift the contents of the boat (sails, water ballast, navigation station) from side to side in an effort to balance the boat and keep it flat and fast.

And they’ll have to do it on reduced rations as their food supplies become more and more meagre by the day.

"Oh man...we're going to be tacking now after we finish this chat I reckon. This high pressure ridge is messing us around a bit. And it's going to be one of very many tacks between here and Barcelona because, guess what? It's on the wind all of the way!" said Damian, considering his fate.

“I was looking at my menu for the next few days. I'm still in the freeze-dried for now and I’m hoping it's going to get me through Gibraltar and maybe the Alboran Sea before I'm stuck with soup packets. I think it'll be alright. But it's going to be a very busy six days or so. We just have to keep the boat together, but our mates on Hugo Boss are going to come into us big time; they have a perfect situation, reaching up on the Southeasterly flow. But we're pretty close to the finish now, and they have to do all the upwind work as well, but they will get closer.”

Behind them, Hugo Boss is roaring along, closing the gap with each hour. When reached today, Andrew Cape said the black boat was making 22 knots, also heading north of the ideal route, but nevertheless cutting the corner on Paprec-Virbac 2 and gaining miles. The margin between the boats is again under 600 miles, and that will close dramatically over the next 48 hours or so.

“We’re looking for a windshift, but at the moment we’re sailing north of where we want to go so that we stay in the wind,” ‘Capey’ explained. “It looks a bit ridiculous on a map, but that’s what we have to do. They (Paprec-Virbac2) are going to have a pretty slow day today and tomorrow…the timing for us is a bit better so we’re hoping to close it down quite a bit.”

The next 24 hours could also prove significant in the battle for third place as the trade winds give way to small pressure systems. The resulting instability could be an opportunity for either Temenos II or Mutua Madrileña to gain an advantage.

“Over the next 24 hours we're going to have a big windshift to the North. Temenos II will have it maybe seven hours before us,” Javier Sansó explained. “When we get it we will tack and after that we have to deal with a weak low pressure system...it's very strange...it's very unstable conditions that give some wide open options. It will be the start of the big game.”

“If I was them, I would try to use this situation,” said Dominique Wavre, from 90 miles in front, on board Temenos II. “We have some ideas and are going to do our best here.”

Behind the others, Educación sin Fronteras is enjoying stronger trade wind conditions, racing along at 14 knots.

Watch ‘The Barcelona World Race’: Episode Two of the six-part series, ‘The Barcelona World Race’ is now available to watch online at: http://www.barcelonaworldrace.com/player/. A new episode will be posted every Friday.

Day 88 – February 6, 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 - Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL – 860 miles to finish
2. HUGO BOSS - Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE – 591
3. TEMENOS 2 - Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 1517
4. MUTUA MADRILENA - Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO – 1604
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS - Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES – 2965

Barcelona World Race: Paprec-Virbac is sprinting to Gibraltar, but trouble looms ahead

[Source: Barcelona World Race] It’s been a fantastic 24 hours for the leading boat in the Barcelona World Race as Paprec-Virbac 2 gybed overnight and began heading more towards Gibraltar at good speed. As a result, skippers Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall have piled on the miles, adding over 150 miles to their lead over the last 24 hours.

But trouble looms ahead as the weather forecast is for lighter headwinds for much of the rest of the way to Gibraltar and even beyond into the Mediterranean. This means the impressive mileage is going to slow and second placed Hugo Boss is likely to make a deep cut into the lead over the coming three or four days. Latest projections have Paprec-Virbac reaching Gibraltar on the 8th of February. That would make their finish in Barcelona likely to be on the 11th.

“We are doing our best, by sailing as fast as we can and yes we turned right last night finally. We are getting closer but we are still about 550 miles away from Gibraltar,” Jean-Pierre explained. “We are full of hope but it is going to be difficult to get there. We are going to have to sail upwind from tomorrow morning the rest of the way there.”

“They should go faster than us today and then we should go faster and close up a bit,” confirmed Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss. “We can’t turn properly yet, we won’t head for Gibraltar for another three days and then have wind on starboard tack before tacking. We won’t be heading there just yet.”

And a tense battle is being fought between Temenos II and Mutua Madrileña just north of the doldrums. “There are still a lot of miles to race and the weather situation is not very clear, which is maybe good for us,” said Javier Sansó today, cautioning that for the moment, due to relatively stable trade wind conditions, he doesn’t expect much movement for the next 48 hours or so. The gap between the boats is just 95 miles.

Dominique Wavre, on Temenos II, agreed: “It’s certainly not finished yet. We still have the Azores high pressure and the Mediterranean to deal with. It’s definitely not boring!! It’s like an ocean match race!”

And at the back on board Educación sin Fronteras, Servanne and Albert are enjoying ‘champagne’ sailing conditions, with moderate winds easing their boat up towards the equator.

Day 87 – February 5, 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 - Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL – 1407 to finish
2. HUGO BOSS - Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE – 523
3. TEMENOS 2 - Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 1391
4. MUTUA MADRILENA - Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO – 1480
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS - Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES – 2811

Abandoned - VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT - Roland JOURDAIN / Jean Luc NELIAS
Abandoned - ESTRELLA DAMM - Guillermo ALTADILL / JONATHAN MCKEE
Abandoned - DELTA DORE - Jérémie BEYOU / Sidney GAVIGNET
Abandoned - PRB - Vincent Riou / Sebastien JOSSE

Barcelona World Race: 2,000 miles left until finish line

[Source: Barcelona World Race] The leading boat in the Barcelona World Race, Paprec-Virbac 2 is now less than 2 000 miles from the finishing line, which translates to about 10 more days of racing. With a 462 mile lead on Hugo Boss, the situation is comfortable for the race leader, but by no means assured as Damian Foxall explained today as stronger winds – up to 30 knots! - have seen their boat speed rise, as well as their stress level.

“I'm beating my brains out...or at least the boat is,” Damian said today on the video conference. “We're sailing pretty fast, cracked off the wind, heading due north. Running the miles down, putting some north in now so that we can tack over towards Gibraltar tonight or tomorrow morning…It's nice to see the speedo up but it brings some stress as well. The boat is always on our minds, we're doing a lot of banging and crashing. It's a bit worrying every time you jump off a wave and land on the other side of it. (But) it's a great boat and there's no reason why we can't keep going like this.”

Current weather routing software puts Paprec-Virbac 2 sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar on the 8th of February, making a finish on the 11th likely. That will be exactly three months since the start of the race on November 11th – and not a moment too soon for Damian.

“It’s funny you should mention this is day 83,” he said laughing this afternoon. “I think I’m beginning to know what it feels like to be 83 years old! But if we can hold on to the finish we’ll have really achieved something great for ourselves and the team.”

The battle for third place is still very close with Temenos II and Mutua Madrileña racing north together as if attached by a string. The delta is just shy of 100 miles with both boats sailing near identical headings and speeds. And the fight here is more immediate than for the finish – as they race towards the scoring gate at Fernando, both are vying for the best time on this seventh stage of the race.

“It’s still a hard fight with Temenos II, that’s for sure,” said Pachi Rivero from Mutua Madrileña. “It’s been an intense night, with the wind shifting a lot. Tonight we’ll be at the gate.”

The fifth place boat, Educación sin Fronteras, has been slower over the past 24 hours, stuck in the middle of a low pressure system off the Brazilian coast. While their speed is getting better now, it hasn’t been a pleasant 24 hours, with the boat “violently hitting the waves” as a fatigued Servane described today.

Day 83 – February 1, 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 - Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL – 1974 to finish
2. HUGO BOSS - Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE – 462
3. TEMENOS 2 - Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 1396
4. MUTUA MADRILENA - Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO – 1493
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS - Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES – 2760

Abandoned - VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT - Roland JOURDAIN / Jean Luc NELIAS
Abandoned - ESTRELLA DAMM - Guillermo ALTADILL / JONATHAN MCKEE
Abandoned - DELTA DORE - Jérémie BEYOU / Sidney GAVIGNET
Abandoned - PRB - Vincent Riou / Sebastien JOSSE

Barcelona World Race: Close battle for third place

[Source: Barcelona World Race] The fight to get on the podium in Barcelona is intensifying as Mutua Madrileña has taken more miles out of Temenos II over the past 24 hours. At one stage overnight, the delta was down to just 20 miles, before Temenos II stretched away again.

This afternoon, just 44 miles separate the two boats after 79 days of racing. That’s close enough that just one small mistake in the variable South Atlantic weather could be the difference maker. Although they’ve left the Southern Ocean, the pressure hasn’t eased at all for these two competitors.

“We haven’t been able to relax at all,” said Michèle Paret this afternoon. “It’s been very stormy weather, very difficult for the past 24 hours. We’re manoeuvring all the time and really getting quite tired of this pace. I can’t wait to get out of here.”

Pressure is coming from behind where Mutua Madrileña is ensuring there is no time to relax: “Last night we caught up a lot to Temenos II and we woke up with them ahead by just 36 miles,” explained Javier Sansó. “They went a bit more westerly and it was a very good strategic move and now they are sailing to windward of us. He gained a bit this morning because we are going through a lot of squalls. The forecasts aren't very accurate in here but overnight we should have the wind going east and increasing to 8 to 12 knots and that should take us up to the doldrums. By this time tomorrow we should be on starboard tacking making nice progress north at 10 knots - I hope!”

The battle at the head of the fleet is much closer as well, with Hugo Boss having gained over 300 miles since Friday afternoon. The black boat is now less than 550 miles behind race leading Paprec-Virbac 2. But with the doldrums looming ahead, Hugo Boss isn’t expecting to keep up this recent pace of impressive gains.

“We'll slow up tomorrow or the next day when we hit the doldrums but I think it will still compress a bit,” Andrew Cape said today. “We've both been pretty slow and it's complex for both of us so we'll see. I think it'll get better but probably not enough.”

Complex weather is exactly what Paprec-Virbac 2 is facing. Skipper Jean-Pierre Dick said he and co-skipper Damian Foxall are still uncertain about their next move: “The situation is not easy and there are still a lot of miles to gain or lose.”

Educación sin Fronteras continues its steady pace at the back of the fleet. The fifth place boat is averaging about 10 knots, while steadily posting 240 mile days in the South Atlantic.

Day 79 – January 28, 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 - Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL – 2660 to finish
2. HUGO BOSS - Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE – 546
3. TEMENOS 2 - Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 1638
4. MUTUA MADRILENA - Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO – 1682
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS - Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES – 2931

Abandoned - VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT - Roland JOURDAIN / Jean Luc NELIAS
Abandoned - ESTRELLA DAMM - Guillermo ALTADILL / JONATHAN MCKEE
Abandoned - DELTA DORE - Jérémie BEYOU / Sidney GAVIGNET
Abandoned - PRB - Vincent Riou / Sebastien JOSSE

Barcelona World Race: Paprec-Virbac keeps leaping ahead

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Paprec-Virbac 2's great "Trade Winds escape" continues, and the Franco-Irish duet has gained a whopping 169 miles over the past 24 hours. The situation is still tactically uncomplicated for Hugo Boss, but despite the "lovely conditions" described by Alex today, things could be a bit better as speeds stay in the lower range, while things remain unsettling on the rudder front. During the night, Temenos II made a move to the west and has reduced the lateral gap with Mutua Madrileña, but as predicted Dominique and Michèle dramatically slowed down today. The two boats fighting for third place now have to face a very unclear weather situation.

"It's always very tiring to be struggling to make progress in light airs", said Michèle Paret today, "we have to constantly trim the sails, and the fact that it's now very hot doesn't exactly help either." Obviously, the situation has radically changed for Temenos II, who yesterday was still storming along under spinnaker - but things nevertheless don't look too bad. "We followed the wind last night, and we ended up this morning north of Mutua Madrileña, which is good but not intentional, since we don't have any position reports at night, we were not trying to control them. Logically, we should be the first to come out of that high pressure zone, but the weather files are notably unreliable these days, the situation is very complicated", said Michele, echoing what Javier Bubi Sanso had previously explained.

"I'm pulling my hair out trying to figure out how it all will evolve", said the Spanish skipper, who commented on yesterday's tactical move: "We gybed to get away from the hole, it went really well and we gained more miles on Temenos II". The battle is as exciting as ever between the two crews, but today Michèle sounded very confident and positive about the outcome - it's a matter of finding a little passage to get out in first position, and Mutua Madrileña is bound to slow down in the next hours anyway... Steel nerves and tactical lucidity will be the key factors during the next 24 to 48 hours for the crews, as gaining just half a knot of boat speed proves at the same time crucial and extremely demanding when the wind does not exceed 6 to 7 knots.

Surely Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape can relate to that, as Hugo Boss is still slogging along at 7,5 knots while Paprec-Virbac 2 is roughly twice as fast. The "Men in Black", as Jean-Pierre Dick calls them, lose around 15 miles every two hours, and there simply isn't anything they can do about it. "It's a straight line job, we're at the top of the high and it's very simple", said Alex who could have added "and very frustrating". As mentioned yesterday, Hugo Boss still experiences rudder problems which do not seem to be easily fixed on board. "We repaired it again", explained the skipper, before admitting that things did not really improve - the crew faces a big challenge, considering a substantial part of the port rudder blade is missing.

In quotes, Michèle Paret, Temenos II
"I miss the south already because the life is more flat here, it is less emotional in the south all your emotions are close to the surface and everything is so exciting, more stressful it is very different. Now it is a lot less exciting, the further north I go the more I miss the south. Simply an intensity of life that you have down there and not comparable to anything else, and the more I will go to the north the 'flatter' life will get. And the south is another planet, you are far from everything – your emotions, life in general is totally different in a totally different world- and it is a lifestyle I like."

Albert Bargués, Educacion Sin Fronteras
"The only way to get to do things is based on hard work, putting in effort is what produces results in everything and not just sailing. You can be good at what you do but you have to be constant and stubborn to carry something through. It is the work of every day that pays off."

Barcelona World Race: Paprec-Virbac 2 escapes towards the North

[Source: Barcelona World Race] Conditions are getting better on the comfort front for the majority of the fleet, yet from a strategic perspective more difficulties lie ahead. It seems today that only race leader Paprec-Virbac 2 can actually look forward to tomorrow: having picked up some steady wind, Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall are leaving Hugo Boss behind, the Anglo-Australian duet fighting upwind in light airs. Further back, Temenos II and Mutua Madrileña are still neck and neck, coping with decreasing winds and having to work their way around the high pressure system on their path...

After having these past two days been caught up in storms and squalls, Jean-Pierre Dick seemed relieved to have found a more stable breeze when we spoke to him today during the video conference. "The Trades are steadier and stronger now, we're reaching in 15 to 20 knots of breeze. The sea is very blue, it's getting warmer and the conditions are great… it's like tropical sailing!", said Paprec-Virbac 2's skipper, enjoying the sight of his boat's speedometer while knowing that further back, his rivals aboard Hugo Boss were significantly slower. "They're going through what we experienced ourselves, and going upwind on the kind of boats we sail is really painful. We're going to extend our lead, but the Doldrums lie ahead, so we'd better gain as many miles a we can while we can, because Hugo Boss will come back strong at some point."

Meanwhile, if Jean-Pierre and Damian are already working hard on their weather tactics for the feared Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape try to fight their way out of a tricky area… While at the same time having to cope with yet more rudder problems, which might explain Alex's lack of enthusiasm during today's call. "We discovered our rudder is broken again today we have had to try and sort it out again, it has cost us some miles whilst we were trying to fix it. We thought the last repairs would last but they havent, we hope it will last now but are not overly hopeful at this stage", said Alex.

Hugo Boss suffer from rudder problems once again. Southern Atlantic Ocean, 23 January 2008. Photo copyright Hugo Boss

A tired Dominique Wavre answered the phone today aboard Temenos II, and explained that both him and Michèle were sensing the effects of sleep deprivation, having had to hand steer under spinnaker for the past three to four days. "We take turns on deck, two hours on, two hours off, and manage to grab an hour of sleep here and there… The fact that the wind is dropping ahead of us isn't particularly comforting, because sailing upwind in light airs is also very tiring and requires a lot of concentration." Still only 60 miles ahead of Mutua Madrileña, Temenos II must feel the pressure even though Javier Sanso explained today that they wouldn't really be able to gain more miles: "We're in the same system, Dominique and Michèle are very good and the boat is quicker (...) yet it's very interesting and a lot quicker when you have someone to race with", explained the ever-cheerful Bubi, letting on that himself and Pachi were getting a lot of sleep, the boat being stable under autopilot. This contrasts with Temenos II's situation, and could be - to a certain extent - explained by the fact that psychologically it is much more comfortable to be the one putting the pressure on that to be the one having to deal with it... But different wave directions probably enter the equation.

Finally, young Servane Escoffier aboard Educacion Sin Fronteras gave us an account of her first Cape Horn passage, which sounded absolutely delightful: "It was a great, great moment, very emotional. The black silhouette of the cape appeared beneath the heavy sky, the wind was blowing at 25 to 30 knots, the sun came out and started to make the top of the waves shine... It was simply magical (...) I wanted to thank everyone supporting and sharing our adventure, you're helping me get through this journey."

Barcelona World Race: Battling in the Atlantic

[Source: Barcelona World Race] There is a pair of battles taking place in the Barcelona World Race as the fleet moves into the South Atlantic. Currently, just Educación sin Fronteras remains in the Southern Ocean. On Sunday afternoon skippers Albert Bargués and Servane Escoffier were roaring towards the Cape at 15 knots, knocking off another 350-mile day. With the Cape less than 700 miles away, Educación sin Fronteras should join the others in the Atlantic Ocean by early Tuesday (GMT) at the latest.

The battle at the front is being fought in a give and take manner, with one and then other of the first two boats racking up a daily advantage. On Saturday, it was Paprec-Virbac 2 who was regaining some of their lead. But over the past 24 hours, despite less than ideal conditions, Hugo Boss has made up 68 miles.

“It’s a bit bumpy for us right now. We had up to about 37 knots of wind last night and now we're sailing on the other gybe in a leftover sea,” said Alex Thomson. “We're trying to keep the boat fairly slow as leaping over waves isn't very pleasant.

“We just want to get to the other side of this front and start sailing upwind in more favourable conditions,” he said. “A day or two ago we sat down and said we should do whatever we can to get through this front, no matter what the routing says, but we can't do it, so we just carry on doing what we can.”

Temenos II is doing its best to hold off Mutua Madrileña and for most of the day, Dominique Wavre’s Temenos has been the faster boat, but nonetheless, Mutua Madrileña can claim another gain of nine miles for the day. Now, the gap is just 91 miles.

“Today (Sunday) is sunny, but still cold as we’re still below 50-degrees south latitude,” said Dominique Wavre this afternoon. “The albatross are still with us but we can feel that things are getting better and better.”

Day 71 – January 20, 16:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader

1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 - Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL – 4354 to finish
2. HUGO BOSS - Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE – 546
3. TEMENOS 2 - Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 2061
4. MUTUA MADRILENA - Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO – 2152
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS - Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES – 3178

Abandoned - VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT - Roland JOURDAIN / Jean Luc NELIAS
Abandoned - ESTRELLA DAMM - Guillermo ALTADILL / JONATHAN MCKEE
Abandoned - DELTA DORE - Jérémie BEYOU / Sidney GAVIGNET
Abandoned - PRB - Vincent Riou / Sebastien JOSSE