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Downwind sleigh ride continues as yachts approach Canary Islands Gale-force squalls from the northwest have driven leading yachts past the Madeiras and towards the Canaries, but next could comes the tricky part ... November 15, 2000 Overnight on November 11, leading yachts in the Vendee Globe collided with a fast-moving front, and they beat to windward in short choppy seas sailing flat out towards Cape Finisterre and the exit to the wild Bay of Biscay. European prediction models expected the front to slide south of the cape, along the western Spanish coastline, but they didn't expect it to drive so far south, past Cape St Vincent and into the Gulf of Cadiz below Portugal. There was little smooth sailing. Josh Hall described his experience beating to windward as the front passed over head as one of the roughest nights at sea. Most of the other skippers agreed with him: November 13: "The front rolled through, giving 18 hours of bashing into 30-40 knot headwinds. I was very aware that this was too early in the race to damage some sails or gear and sailed through conservatively with three reefs in the main and the staysail set, though at times even this was a bit too much canvas. Race organiser Philippe Jeantot had this to say: Image courtesy of the UK Met Offfice. This is the front that gave the Vendee Globe fleet curry as it sailed towards Cape Finisterre and the exit to the Bay of Biscay. In the first frame, dated November 13, the front has crossed the cape and offshore lie heavy squalls. Winds in the vicinity of Cape Finisterre are west and south west, following along the band of cloud to the south. The brightest white dots indicate very large squall clouds reaching high into the heavens. Plenty of wind and rain there - probably 50 knots in the gusts. After skippers rounded the infamous cape, known for its steep, short seas, the front continued well south before slowing. You can see the signs of decay in this second frame, dated November 14, as white cloud in the frontal band of the day before turns to gray - a sign that the cloud tops are not as high in the sky. At the point, wind are from the north west with squalls remaining heavy off Cape Finisterre (is this place jinxed?). South of the front exists high pressure - indicated by dark space. Will winds rotate around this relatively small high (1024hPa) fast enough to drive them quickly to the equator? or will light and variable winds create tensions on board? As an aside, note the next low forming in the first frame and developing in the second to the north and west of Ireland ... This is going to be the pattern up there through Christmas. No wonder the skippers are glad to see some sun down south! One wind extreme to another As the fleet sailed sailed south along the Portuguese coast, the frontal band reached south past Cape St Vincent, stalled and began to fade. With the fading cloud band, the squalls and rainshowers that had pushed the fleet so quickly south also eased and as of last night skippers were reporting alternating winds of up to 30 knots followed by winds of less than 10 knots. Yves Parlier, who turned 40 yesterday, recalled being becalmed for three hours during the night. Old age must be creeping up on this go-hard kind of guy, because he noted in his communication with race headquarters, that it was 'most important ... to progress at my pace without breaking the boat'. Parlier is expected off the Canaries sometime today and faces changeable winds until he reaches the trades further south. As Jeantot stated in an earlier press release: "The weather may still spring some surprises, not
because of its strength, but because of the shifts and calm patches, which force
the skippers to remain longer on the helm. Now is the time for the weather gurus
to come into the fore. Expect Yves Parlier and Michel Desjoyeaux, both veritable
experts, to indulge in a merciless duel." © weather-wise.com 2000 Comment from the official Vendee Globe website: November 14: The weather forecasts announced a rapid
descent to the Canaries in 15 20 knot winds from the Northwest for the 23
international skippers still in their first week of racing around the world in
the Vendée Globe 2000. However, as reality never mirrors the theory, all the
skippers have had a troublesome night. The wind eased off considerably and
disappeared in some areas. This meant for all, working on deck the whole night
playing the breeze : « The wind is so unstable both in force and direction. It
varies between 5 and 30 knots heading from 280 to 40. The sea is flat, but you
have to stay at the helm because of the squalls if you want to keep more sail
up, » Catherine Chabaud (Whirlpool) explained. What the skippers say: Dominique Wavre (Union Bancaire Privée) : "I am in
a 15 knot NNW wind, under full main sail and gennaker. I took the Westerly route
and last night had my spinnaker up for 8/9 hours, gybing often, because the wind
was so variable. I need to repair my jib, but have to wash it beforehand.
Yesterday I beat the boat's speed record... surfing at 28 knots in 35 knot
gusts. I think I'll leave Madeira to port and pass the islands offshore." |