Sailor Pete Goss MBE is making a foray into the world of offshore powerboating this summer as he takes part in a major RIB expedition.

The sailing hero will undertake his first major offshore RIB challenge as he takes part in the first ever GORE-TEX® Arctic Challenge.
 
He will travel from Scotland to the Arctic Circle in a tiny, six metre, Suzuki powered Humber RIB over the course of six days alongside a team of seven others.

It is the first time the route has been battled in such small RIBS and the team has taken on the challenge in a bid to prove the capability of the modern day RIB.
 
The gargantuan adventure was announced today (May 13) at RIBEX, the only boat show dedicated solely to rigid inflatable boats.
 
Speaking of his involvement in the challenge, Pete Goss said: “My first experience of RIBs was during my time with the Royal Marines and from that moment I was hooked. Having owned a couple of big RIBs for the Team Philips project,  I’ve learned how capable these boats can be in testing ship to shore operations and also how much fun they can be of course!
 
“What I haven’t had the opportunity of experiencing until now, is their full offshore potential. The thrill of taking two small RIBs over 100 miles offshore is what drew me to the GORE-TEX® Arctic Challenge. It will be testing for sure, but immense fun too, plus the Humber 6m RIBs will make the perfect ‘vehicles’ for exploring the rugged Scottish coastlines, the fjords of Norway and the dramatic cliffs at truly close quarters.”
 
Organiser, Hugo Montgomery-Swan, added: “We seek to be modern-day footstep followers of the Vikings, amongst the greatest small-boat navigators to ever traverse the northern seas, as we endeavor in some small way, aboard our little craft, to aspire to their open-boat prowess and spirit of adventure.
 
“It is our hope that by using small RIBS, we can show that experiencing fresh horizons and undertaking offshore adventures should not just be a prerogative of owners of much larger craft. By travelling in small boats we will be much more connected with the environment, experiencing the wind in our faces just as those who traversed these seas once did over 1,000 years before.”
 
Over six days the group will have to battle against all that the North Sea can throw at them. The open vessels will offer little protection from the icy winds as they travel an average 120 miles per day at around 20 knots all the way to the Arctic. Their longest day will see them travel 230 nautical miles in a grueling 11.5 hour stint.
 
The team will be kept safe with top-of-the-range equipment while they traverse the icy conditions. Hugo says: “We are incredibly lucky to have THE GORE-TEX® brand as title sponsor. The GORE-TEX® clothing could literally prove a lifesaver if we are unfortunate enough to encounter a man-over-board situation. The Musto HPX dry-suits with GORE-TEX® Pro Shell Ocean Technology® are the most highly developed protective marine offshore clothing technology yet developed and we will be grateful for it when the cold arctic winds are blowing!”
 
The trip will follow the following route:
 
Day one: 120 miles from Wick in the Scottish Highlands to Lerwick on the Shetland Islands
Day two: 230 miles from Lerwick to Maloy in Norway
Day three: 100 miles from Maloy to Kristiansund in Norway
Day four: 145 miles from Kristiansund to Rorvic in Norway
Day five: 86 miles from Rorvic to Sandnessjoen in Norway
Day six: 86 miles from Sandnessjoen to Rognan in Norway (in the Arctic Circle)
 
Navigating the way will be offshore RIB adventurer and record holder, Paul Lemmer. He will be joined by; offshore challenge expert, Hugo Montgomery-Swan, quarter master Julian Hutson Saxsby, mechanic and logistics expert Mark Beeley, photographer and blogger Ed Gould, sailor Pete Goss, Gore representative, Andy Warrender and intrepid Telegraph journalist, Bryony Gordon.
 
For the first time for a challenge of this nature, people at home will be able to keep right up-to-date via onboard tracking technology that will feed to social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook, and the challenge website – www.ribstothelimit.com. The crew will feed video, photography and blog updates back from the thick of the action and will be able to answer any questions enthusiasts may have.
 
The crew will also document its findings of flora, fauna and sea life along the way, reporting information to the Net Gain Marine Conservation Zone Project. The study is actively seeking the alliance of mariners and boat owners operating in the area to assist in the gathering of information in relation to the ecology of the seas.
 
In a bid to keep the trip as green as possible the RIBs will travel at 20 knots. At this speed it is estimated that the engines will burn no more than about 30lph, an average of 180 litres of petrol (approx 40 gallons) a day. Similarly, the Suzuki engines have been specifically chosen for their energy efficiency.
 
The challenge has strong backing from several high-profile sponsors, including:
GORE-TEX® products
Humber RIBs
Suzuki engines
Musto clothing
Towergate Mardon
Ullman seats
Icom UK
Lowrance
Garmin
SeaSafe life jackets
Stratumfive
 
To find out more about the GORE-TEX® Arctic Challenge and follow the adventure, which will take place between June 27 and July 9, visit www.ribstothelimit.com or www.petegoss.com.

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It was a significant moment for Loïck Peyron and Jean-Pierre Dick when they passed through the Amsterdam gate and set a fast course yesterday for the Australian barrier, signifying the end of a bone-shaking ride in confused seas and the chance to open the gap again on the pack which are pursuing the long time Barcelona World Race leaders.
Indeed the weekend programme for the race leaders, could be a diet of ‘champagne sailing’ other than first edition winner Dick revealing today that three bottles of Coke comprise the celebratory tipple of choice aboard the Virbac-Paprec 3. But life is certainly sugar sweet for Dick and Peyron today as they see their speeds elevated back towards 16-18 knots averages, consistently re-gaining today some of what they lost to the 2004 Olympic 49er champions who are 515 miles behind this afternoon.
If Dick and Peyron have champagne conditions, MAPFRE in second have been trying to deal with a very potent but confusing cocktail, a party punch which is packing very variable breezes and mixed seas which sees Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez forced to maintain a high, but nor necessarily profitable work rate. But the Spanish duo should find it simplified when they too get through the final ice gate of the Indian Ocean this evening, though their wind pressure is set to ease as the frontal trough they have been shadow boxing dissipates. Their motivation remains high but will spike higher when they feel like they are on the same ‘leg’ of the course as the leaders.
Again Jean-Pierre Dick reminded listeners to today’s VisioConference that anything can happen in this mechanical sport, that they are essentially little more than a fast day’s sailing ahead of the second boat, and he reaffirmed how a seemingly small problem can escalate to become a big one.
Ryan Breymaier and Boris Herrmann dealt with their own problem efficiently but did, in the end have ‘outside assistance’ to recover their Code Zero headsail which had slid off the boat when it broached due to a ballast tube malfunction. The Neutrogena duo had to gather their wits quickly when the key sail slipped over the guard rails and into
the sea when they momentarily lost control. But a text book return to the locus where the sail had disappeared was rewarded when the floating sail was pinpointed by a few albatross who were standing on the waterlogged sail, enjoying respite from their own Southern Ocean endeavors aboard their own Neutrogena ‘island’. That the pair were able to get the sail back on board was something of a ‘miracle’ Hermmann reported today.
Having yesterday morning been sailing alongside and in sight of sixth placed Mirabaud, Neutrogena’s problems coast them miles. But the German-American pair passed the Crozet ice gate this morning at between 1130 and midday, some four hours after Dominique Wavre and Michèle Paret on the Owen Clarke designed Mirabaud. Neutrogena were just 26 miles behind Mirabaud this evening.
Looking at the long game is always an essential virtue racing around the world, one which Dee Caffari learned especially on her 2008-9 Vendée Globe solo race. Having been forced to route north and upwind, surviving a very stressful 36-48 hours in big, confused seas, the record breaking British skipper and Anna Corbella were back to their radiant best today, looking forward to easy miles directly down the track, knowing that they have a good chance to reducing some of the deficit they lost out to Mirabaud and Neutrogena.
Standings at 14hrs Saturday 5th February
1 VIRBAC-PAPREC 3 at 15 143,3 miles from the finish
2 MAPFRE at515,3 miles to leader
3 ESTRELLA DAMM Sailing Team at 604,4 miles
4 GROUPE BEL at658,3 miles
5 RENAULT Z.E at938,1 miles
6 MIRABAUD at1454,1 miles
7 NEUTROGENA at1482,1 miles
8 GAES CENTROS AUDITIVOS at2177,3 miles
9 HUGO BOSS at2359,6 miles
10 FORUM MARITIM CATALA at2851,4 miles
11 WE ARE WATER at2976,8 miles
12 CENTRAL LECHERA ASTURIANA at3158,4 miles
RTD FONCIA
RTD PRESIDENT
Dee Caffari (GBR) GAES Centros Auditivos: “ The sun is shining and we are going fast in the right direction, and we are very happy bunnies. It was horrible, we did not like it, the boat did not like it and it was a really horrible, intense 36 hours. And it is probably the worst conditions we have had in the race so far. It was only about trying to keep the boat and the crew in one piece, and we got out of there and the weather has just got better and better.
She did not feel 100% and was not firing on all cylinders, but she is back in full.
It is looking like this northerly component will stay with us and we can crack on straight to the ice gate and clear that by Monday. It is looking like easy miles for us which is quite a change because we have had to work quite hard recently.
Neutrogena and Mirabaud are always our targets because we obviously lost a lot by having to take that northern upwind route, and it did cost us dearly while they were able to take that more direct route, so to close that gap would be lovely and we have not given up.
I was really happy with the boat, I had a good look around yesterday when it became a bit drier, and we sponged out a good deal of water. Everything is good with the boat and she is doing a good job and looking after us.”
Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA), Virbac-Paprec 3: “We had very strong winds at an angle which was just not good and big waves and so to get to the gate we did not go so fast. Behind us I think they were averaging 19 knots and I think we were 16 knots. But we are downwind again and thing will open out again. We will have a little less wind over the next bit. The last two days were really full on, the boat was shaking with lots of carbon noises.
Everything can crumble because we are on a mechanical boat and we saw what happened with Foncia. You can lose the rig in a second. But 500 miles of a lead is nice, but it is not enormous compared with how far there is to go. We try to read a little and listen to some music. Bur of course sometimes we don?t have time to because we just crash to sleep, tired out. Since the start we have not dropped the rhythm between sailing, eating and sleeping.
Loïck is quite accustomed to our life on board and we had discussions before the race. We take the freeze dried but try to have the best, and we have treats like chocolate. We have energy powders to rehydrate us and we have three bottles of Coke for each great moment. And some semi sparkling water after a big effort which I really like.

Boris Herrmann (GER) Neutrogena: “ The basic problem is pretty steep waves and how to make the boat go fast. It is easier to sail the boat in very steep waves with a lot of ballast in the stern. Our problem started yesterday when we lost the stern tube and the boat wiped out and in this whole episode we lost one sail over the side. We were sailing with the small kite and one reef in the main and so it takes quite a while to take sock the kite.
Once we had done that we looked at each other and said do we really do this because we had at least one and a half miles to go back and it was big waves, and gusts and everything. We did not expect to find it, so we said „lets try? and we turned and on the trace on the navigation programme we could find the point where we wiped out, we went to the position with a couple of tacks, going upwind with very small sails.
From there we went downwind very slowly. And all of a sudden I could see a few albatross and they were sitting on our sails.
I think we have something going on with the albatross. Today we had a problem, we were Chinese-ing the boat (Chinese gybing) heeling over from one side to the wrong side. When that happened once again an albatross was flying close, as if he was keeping an eye in us. Each time we make a stupid mistake it seems like there is one near the boat.
First of all it was quite stressful but in fact finding the sail and then managing to get it back on deck in these big waves was a miracle, but even since then it has been steep waves. And so since then we have probably had to reef and unreef the main probably five times since then, sometimes down to two reefs, some time one and sometimes full main. Yesterday between two positions we were very close or ahead of Mirabuad and we did not want to lose too many miles, to gain back the lead over them and it was the perfect time to go fast this morning.
Ryan worked on the tube today while I took care of the boat and cut a piece of it off to seal it again. We cannot use any ballast then and had to heel the boat over to keep the ballast tube empty. It was a challenge in many ways. But the thing has been glued in place for half an hour and now we are just waiting for it to dry, and the glue can set within a hour because we will pass the gate and then need to gybe south again.
Yesterday we saw them all morning, we sailed alongside them and could see them pretty clearly, we were close and then gained on them, from quite a way behind, just gaining on them before we gybed.”
Alex Pella (ESP) Estrella Damm: “ The waves are long and about eight metres high. There are twenty knots of wind from the south (170), and we are doing 15 knots heading east (94 degrees) Last night the wind dropped a little but has risen again. We have the front just ahead of us and in the next 20 hours will start to get northerly wind. The day is very cloudy and thus it is very difficult to read the swell and wind, which is very unstable in direction and intensity. The last 24 hours we have not gone so fast but the important thing is that we have been closing towards the gate in the right direction.
The idea is to pass the gate and see what to do with the front, probably go south. The boat is going well and as long as it is, so also we’re all right.
Mind you, the watches are exhausting. You finish completely punctured.
So we try to eat and sleep as much as we can. But we remain very motivated and morale as high as ever. I am very happy to be here in the south, although it is a strange and unusual south as we are not much in the south. It will be different after the gate. And currently we?ve got good weather, between 11 and 14 degrees. When we go further south it will be a lot colder.”

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by Colin Merry

This evening, after twenty days, four hours, fifty six minutes and ten seconds at sea the Class 40′ ‘DMS’ skippered by Pete Goss crossed the finish line in  ’Pointe-a-Pitre in Guadalupe. It was a tremendous effort by Pete as he hadn’t raced single handed for fourteen years and to do it in the very competitive Class 40′ fleet is further testament to his determination and tenacity! By strange coincidence his position matched the amount of years he had been absent from the single handed race scene. For my part I was proud to one of the team that helped to get him to the start line.  I will now break open my bottle of Dominican Republic rum and have a few.

Cheers,  Colin

 

 

More Information from Pete’s Team
Pete Goss completed the 2010 Route du Rhum single-handed Trans-Atlantic race at 16:58 UTC yesterday (20/11/10) after nearly three weeks at sea.

Arriving in Pointe-a-Pitre in an elapsed time of 20 days 4 hours 56 minutes and 10 seconds gave Goss 14^th place out of the 44 Class 40 boats that took part.

After being out of single-handed competitive sailing for 14 years Pete said that he was delighted with the result and the boat: “It was always our aim to finish in the top third and as the first Brit home, which we have achieved. I didn’t get as many miles under the keel as I would like before we started, but the boat has been fantastic; we suffered no damage and I really feel at home on her.”

Pete paid testament to Tony Lawson’s Team Concise and especially boat Captain Tom Gall, saying: “Every time I went to do a job he had already been there with a little modification or tweak that makes all the difference. I can honestly say that DMS is the best prepared boat I have ever been on – a brilliant job by someone who in my view will go far.”

Title sponsor Dave Summers of Disc Manufacturing Services said he was delighted to work with Pete who saw at first hand the floating detritus that he and DMS are campaigning to eradicate with their message to ‘Pack it In!’ They hope that the striking message painted on the side of the boat and the unique and colourful urban artwork will have made people think and encourage them to consider reducing plastic packaging, much of which is sadly ending up in the sea. DMS itself is aiming to eliminate all plastic packaging by 2012.

Pete’s other sponsors GAC Pindar, Girlings, CSR and Talisker have joined the huge numbers who have been following Pete’s progress via the tracker on his website and posting messages of support on the site. Pete said the he would like to thank them all for their support, which has not only allowed him to compete, but also spread the serious message of reducing plastic packaging.

Speaking of the winner, Pete said: “I would like to congratulate Thomas Ruyant on Destination Dunkerque for winning the Class 40 division; an outstanding job by a young up and coming sailor who will be one to watch. I look forward to shaking his hand and buying him a beer.”

So what next for the 48-year-old Westcountry sailor and adventurer; does this race signal a return to solo ocean racing? Pete said: “I have had an absolute ball in this race and loved every second of it; I had forgotten how much I enjoy solo ocean sailing. It has been a whirlwind; this whole adventure came out of the blue. Six months ago the good ship DMS was a dusty new hull in a shed, but the whole team have pulled together like one big family and mounted a successful campaign. You don’t do these things on your own and I want to give one final big thank you to everyone who has supported this campaign. So what is next? I honestly don’t know, but for now I am going to have a cup of tea and spend some time with the family before deciding.”

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Pete Goss on DMS (Photo by Colin Merry)

A long, and busy night in Pointe-à-Pitre saw more and more finishers completing the Route du Rhum La Banque Postale, and it is only set to get more hectic when the Class 40 fleet start arriving late Wednesday or Thursday depending on how cruel or kind the winds on the approach to Guadeloupe turn out to be. Notable finishes last night included Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) and Arnaud Boissières (Akena Vérandas), the two IMOCA Open 60 skippers who chose the southerly routing option. Desjoyueax arrived in sixth position, just under one day behind fellow Vendée Globe winner Vincent Riou (PRB). He joked about going south for the sun early but admitted that there was very little to choose between the two options before making his choice “ I did what I wanted. From time to time you try things when you don’t know if they will be good or not so good. I expected to have 50 miles of deficit in the south of the Azores amticyclone and it was 150. There the mass was said.” Desjoyeaux said. “I have had time to digest this. Now we move on. Life goes on.”

The only IMOCA skipper left at sea, Christoper Pratt on DCNS 1000 – who has been battling with no electrics since last Thursday morning, was due to finish this evening (CET/Paris). Having sailed a very competitive and creditable first half of the race, the young skipper from Marseille, was enjoying a boat-for-boat sprint to the line against Servan Escoffier (Saint Malo 2015), due to finish seventh of seven in the Ultime multihull fleet.

 

But it is the Class 40 race which has race watchers twitching with anticipation as Thomas Ruyant closes to within 380 miles of the finish on Destination Dunkerque, with a lead now of only 59.8 miles ahead of Nico Troussel (Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne) who has closed back around 20 miles on the leader over the last two days, but the leading trio – Germany’s Jorg Riecher on Mare.de, are now filing in a line towards the NW corner of the island, all knowing what the possibility of an overnight shut down of the breeze might do.

Britain’s Pete Goss holds 13th position, approaching Guadeloupe from his more southerly routing reported light winds today, and looks set to suffer slightly less wind on his course in to the island, but the Cornish skipper admitted he is delighted with his race so far:

“ In my particular circumstances I was parachuted into the race out of the blue, and jumped on the boat and went. At the start of the race in Saint Malo I had done four days of single-handed sailing in 14 years. I had not really sailed the boat much. The boat is immaculate, I am not criticising the boat, and Tom Gall the boat captain, Tony Lawson and Team Concise have been great, but it is about building a relationship, and as I said then, (at the start) I now feel ready to start the Route du Rhum. If you look beyond this race, then this is effectively a training race. I was a bit rusty at the beginning, but I have a bit of experience and so I did not break anything. I am loving it.”

And Marco Nannini, the London based banker racing UniCredit, who has built a following of thousands for his unmissable blog (marconannini.com), said on today’s radio vacation:

“This for me is about me being an office worker who one week before the race I was sitting behind a desk in the office. I am not a French pro and I did not come here expecting to perform as a French pro. I held my own, especially in the first part of the race and I was very proud of what  I was achieving, then of course experience comes in and I made a bad mistake, but here I am, still racing absolutely enjoying every minute of it, in this adventure. I have seen things I have never seen before. I was caught in an electric storm last night, which scared the hell out of me. It is for me a great adventure, and so the blogs, sharing it with others, makes it so much more enjoyable. I receive many, many messages on the boat, reading my blogs – and I am talking thousands and thousands –every time, it is fantastic.”

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When he brought the giant 31m trimaran Groupama 3 across the finish line off Pointe-a-Piitre, Guadeloupe today (Tuesday)under perfect sunshine and light breezes Franck Cammas (FRA) won the 9th edition of the Route du Rhum – La Banque Postale, the 3542 miles transatlantic race from Saint Malo for solo skippers which takes place every four years. Cammas crossed the finish line at 16..h 16..min 47. Secs (CET paris// 15h 16 mins 47 secs GMT,// 11 hrs 16 mins 47 seconds local time) The elapsed time for the course, after starting Saint Malo at 1302hr (CET/paris) Is. 9 days 3 hours 14 mins 47 seconds The average speed over the course on the water was. 20..39 knots for the actual course sailed of 4471 miles. . The course record of 7 days17 hrs 19 mins 6 seconds was set in 2006 Cammas adds his name to the legend of the ‘Rhum’ as successor to Mike Birch, Marc Pajot, Philippe Poupon, Florence Arthaud, Laurent Bourgnon, Michel Desjoyeaux and Lionel Lemonchois

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by Colin Merry

“Alarm call at 0500hrs. this morning. but as Pete’s minder last night I was up and about at 0400hrs. in order not to miss the wake up call.  Quick slurp of coffee then down to the boat.  The rain was easing as we slid into the lock prior to being released to the sea. Even at this hour the lock sides were lined with waving cheering people!  ”

  ”A lot of them looked as though they had been partying all night! Slipping out through the entrance we headed seaward greeted by a magnificant sunrise, a good omen we hoped.  ”

“Several hours followed where Pete and Tom got the boat set up whilst I helmed. Normally not a problem for me, but this time it was different. ”

“I have never experienced so much responsibility, and it was getting more crowded by the minute. After nearly four hours and with twelve minutes to go we wished him well and jumped into the waiting rib.”
 

“Sorry that most of the pics. are of Class40′s but we were intent on following DMS for several miles and naturally we were surrounded by other 40′s. “

After a studied start keeping clear of the mayhem that is a start line Pete broke out the fractional kite and settled into the race.

With the wind easing it was not long before he went up a gear and raised the masthead kite.

Before we broke off the chase he was overhauling a few boats and looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself! So 3500miles to go and a possible encounter with a hurricane. (there is a cyclone winding itself up out the West atlantic which has been upgraded to Hurricane ”Tomas).

 
We at C&A wish him and skippers well in their endeavour to be in Gaudalupe first.

by Colin Merry

 

 

 

 

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Crowds flocked to the skippers reception last night.   Even a vociferous demo by the French unions (complaining about France’s rise in pensionable age) couldn’t dampen the way in which each skipper was applauded as they mounted the stage.   People crowded the whole area stretching back as for as the eye could see! 

 Some climbing trees and still others clinging to the lamp posts! Everyone was determined to get a glimpse of these brave men and women before they set off on the ”Route de Rhumb”.   I was particularly warmed by the reception Pete Goss got as his name was announced and he mounted the stage to what was the loudest applause and cheers all night.   The French still hold him in very high esteem to this day.

 
After the reception Team DMS, the sponsors and guests retired to a pub for some very welcome R&R.  I say pub but once inside it became clear that this was a strange hostelry indeed!   Dolls and weird bric a brac everywhere.  

 The bar seats were swings hanging from the ceiling.   Oh and did I mention the three piece ensemble that entertained us?   They were completely off the wall but good in a ‘different’ sort of way.

 
Anyway, back to the race.   I walked past one tri for the best part of a week before recognising her. None other than Ellen MacArthur’s B&Q!

  Gone is the familiar livery and now she is plain white. Turned into a Pizza delivery judging by the logos being applied as I watched one evening.

 
On DMS we have a constant stream of visitors, Media crew who want interviews.   Other skippers. Sponsors and guests. Plus old friends of Pete and Tom’s that reads like a who’s who of sailing.   One such visitor was Frederick Meunier, the boat builder responsible for DMS. 

  Fred’s Tunisia based yard ”MC Tech” has order books full until next May for the ”Akiliria” brand known as the RC2.   As we sat and chatted he was looking around at the mods that Tom had made since she left his yard.   A testament to Tom’s attention to detail when said he reckoned that she was the best turned out boat in the Class 40′ fleet.
 

As crowded as our boat was, at times it paled into insignificance compared to the crowds who by now had swelled to massive proportions!   It was gridlock on the roads in and around St. Malo and it threatened to become gridlock on the pavements too.   Looking out from a high vantage point it seemed that the predicted 1.2 million visitors had all arrived together today!   I can’t even begin to envisage what 18,000 people on the water tomorrow are going to look like.   Also add to that 100 ribs that will be inside the exclusion zone prior to the start and you begin to get some idea of the huge logistical enterprise that is the ”Route de Rhumb”.

 

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Crowds are filling the wharf as thing start hotting up (Photo by Coin Merry)

Rookies to legends, the IMOCA class skippers are as one when it comes to being ready to go, they say.

 

Challenge and Adventure’s Colin Merry in his daily check-in wrote today how things were hotting up in St. Malo and he spoke of the atmosphere there. “We are now well sorted on DMS.   She has now passed all her safety checks and is virtually ready to go.   Not so with all the boats though.   I see anxious faces on some of the Skippers as they seek to come within the scrutineers beady eye!   For others it is a mad dash yet again to the Chandlers for some forgotten item. Or to replace a broken piece of equipment.

Tom (boat captain on DMS) was splicing more spare sheets and making chocks for the spare anchor to sit in yesterday. All done in almost a leisurely way. This air of calm is one that now pervades DMS. The reason being, that Pete and Tom have been working hard with a set plan of objectives for each and every day that we have been here. The hard work has paid off and we are sitting pretty. I myself was spared the job yesterday of donning wetsuit and cleaning the hull as Tom reckons we can do it nearer the start date. Instead I mounted the ‘Argos’ unit on the guard rail and attended to the sponsors flags that we are flying. Then I went food shopping! (someone has to be house mother you know!) Shopping in St. Malo can be fun, as for a short cut you can walk around the city wall when the streets get too crowded. Of course, when on the wall loads of opportunities arise for photography. So I include a few of my shopping shots!
 
Even on a cold day such as Wednesday the crowds are out in force. Whilst on the wall I grabbed a pic. of the 50′ tri’s lined up like dragonflys. The sheer volume of people is amazing!

 

Christopher Pratt (DCNS) is the rookie in the IMOCA Open 60 class is keeping up to speed with his sponsor and media commitments. After the talent search programme of his sponsors DCNS – which is one of France’s largest naval defence construction and shipbuilding companies – which he won, there are very many young students from the major colleges visiting the boat to meet the skipper here.

PRB’s visitor programme is very comprehensive. The sponsors of 2004-5 Vendée Globe winner Vincent Riou have 300 guests most days to see the boat, and they have been running such a programme since the new boat was launched and sailed her maiden race around Spain in June. On board PRB everything is ready for the start.

Latest launched IMOCA Open 60 is of course that of Michel Desjoyeaux and his team are busy each day with the fine details, while the skipper catches up with his sleep and de-stresses after the remarkably quick six months build of his new boat.

Each afternoon the double Vendée Globe winner catches up with a two hour nap.

And Marc Guillemot, the IMOCA world champion and winner of the last Transat Jacques Vabre is also in great shape, ready for the off. He will be signing copies of the book he co-wrote with his wife after his 2008-9 Vendée Globe.

Jean-Pierre Dick will show Belgian comic actor François Damians over his new VPLP-Verdier design and then Loick Peyron, who JP will pair up with for the imminent Barcelona World Race, will be here this evening.

On Friday Arnaud Boissières will host world match racing tour leader Mathieu Richard aboard Akena Verandas, as well as Christine Janin, the first French woman to climb Everest.

Armel Le Cléac’H of Brit Air has been home with his family and will arrive this evening, whilst Roland Jourdain, the defending champion, is totally chilled out and ready with his new Veolia Environnment. Routing is of course forbidden in this class, and so preparations with external advisors is paramount leading in to Sunday.

Groupama made for a lonely looking boat as she lay all on her own in the outer harbour. This not because she has been excluded.  No, they just couldn’t get her into the lock!  She is sporting a much smaller rig for this race because the normal rig would be too much for one man to handle.

An indication of the attention to detail that the Groupama team approach their projects is shown in the extent of changes made to the giant trimaran in order that one man (Frank Cammas) can handle this beast.  As well as the obvious switch to a lower-aspect rig the boats ergonomics have been re-evaluated and modified with the installation of a hand and leg driven system for the winches and the hydraulic system.  This with many other mods. should enable one (very fit) man to manage this 103′ behemoth!

The skippers will all be at the top of their game as they head out

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