15th Dec. 2016

Vendée Globe Live at 13:00 with SOH – Nandor Fa

The audio of today’s VG LIVE:

photo©NandorFa/spiritofhungary_15/12/2016 South Indian ocean

10th Dec. 2016

NÁNDOR FA and the Spirit of Hungary Imoca60′ in the VENDÉE GLOBE TOP 10 today early morning! VERY WET NEW SOH77 onboard photos

“The wind increased to 36 – 38 knots, which is too much for the J2. I wanted to furl out the J3 but it stopped halfway. I didn’t understand why. I ran to the front to take a look at it” – Vendée Globe South Indian Ocean – 36% over of the VG route.

The very fresh onboard photo from Nándor we received just in a few minutes. ©NandorFa_SOH77_VendeeGlobe_around_Antarctic

10th Dec. SOH77 sailing 11th,  30-35 kt wind, 18-25 kt speed, 4-5 m waves, 431 seamiles/24hrs

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Nandor’s latest log arrived 10th Dec in the evening:  Another strong fight with the ropes and a funny dog-and-goose story… here below

 

 

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SOH77 log 9th Dec. 19:20 UTC, The wind decreased and I slowed down a little, which I can not afford right now. Went out under the shower to change back the J3 for the J2. The boat suddenly speeded up on a wave and I had no time to fix the sheet, water was running through one metre high. 30 seconds later I continued by baring away so that I could finish hoisting, it’s very important. In such wind angle the tightest point of the sail is too much inside: if I pull the sail there, it just makes the boat heel and doesn’t contribute to the speed as much. For such situations I have an outer fix point, where I usually put an occasional sheet that holds the J2. It pulls much better that way. So I went to the front for just a moment. There I was, with the rope in my hand, when the boat comes to surfing again, causing the next wave to run opposite me with 20 knots. It washed my legs out and the same instant I was waving horizontally, grabbing on the daggerboard’s rope with all my strength – which is slim but very strong and it could hold me. After that I finished adjusting the sail and we were ready to go.

The night was somewhat eventless, apart from the fact that the boat has been sailing between 16 and 26 knots, depending on the waves. Now I can see a fair chance to remain on this wind lane that I was trying to get away with. There is at least 70 miles of wind behind me, and we’re moving with the same pace as it is. I needed an average 16 knots of speed to keep up with it, and I’ve been doing more than 17 for a while.

I’m almost like the favourite easter bunny of one of my oldest friends. They took it out to the garden to eat some grass, but somehow the Rottweiler got out from it’s cage and started after the rabbit. There was a deadly race around the house until the rabbit reached a speed where all of a sudden it was chasing the dog.

Conrad and Arnaud behind us slowed down a bit, they already have different winds. Me and Stéphane, we could stay in it so far. A week earlier the exact same thing happened when Louis, Bureau Vallée managed to stay in the wind and took off. We missed it and within three days there was a 300 SM difference between us. Now he’s sailing with the same wind 350 miles to SE from us, slowly reaching Kerguelen.

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UTC from 7:00 to 7:00 I’ve done 407 SM.

Miraculously, the Sun found a little hole to look down on me. It has to break through multilayered shades, as the closed ceiling of clouds is covered by even more clouds from the bottom, and is armed with a massive layer of fog above. Even light haven’t gotten through, not that the Sun would shine!

I enjoy it very much as it shines directly through the window on me as I’m sitting on the beanbag, reading. The boat is running with 16 – 25 knots. There are times when you need to fight for every single mile, and now is a time when I’m getting back a little portion of this credit for all the struggle before.

You never get too much of what you like, this time I only got 10 minutes of the sunshine, although it meant a lot for my soul. In the meantime it’s gotten dark. I’m thinking of having some dinner, and then I’ll get prepared for the night because somehow these days, all the action comes at night. Perhaps this isn’t a law, maybe it will change.

Position on 10th dec. 15:10 UTC, 42° 56,2′ S, 064° 50′ E. We’re all right.

Vendée Globe morning official tracking info in pictures.
Nándor is fighting strong with the young French Stéphane Le Diraison-t, behind is running Nandor’s BWR-es skipper mate, the hot-chili Conrad Colman. Have a nice view with the map, directions of sailing around the Antarctic with the vendée globe 60 foot boats in the Imoca Ocean Masters skippers’ footsteps.
More info about Nandor Fa in two language: spiritofhungary.hu Enjoy your saling on an Imoca60 around the Antarctic!

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9th Dec. Nándor Fa – SOH77 ship’s log from the South Indian Ocean

The wind had increased and turned, but not continuously. At night there was a big drop in wind speed, then it came back soon. I saw on the AIS that Stéphane’s speed went down to 7 knots. I started worrying about him, then I met the reason too: there was a massive fog – just as if we were sailing by Ireland. I could see only 50 metres, which means one and a half waves. It was a pretty unique atmosphere. I’m very thankful for my great clothing, which protects me in such ice cold weather. I remember vividly when we were sailing down here onboard St. Jupát without any special sailing garments [in 1987]. Everything was wet all the time, and we were freezing to our bones in those simple cotton and rubber clothes. Now only my feet are cold.

I just passed the corner of the ice border. From now on, I could sail downwards again as far as the Kerguelen, it would be a shortcut. However I’m doing the exact opposite of that, sailing on a curve to the North, because this is how I can keep following the good wind connections. The lower curve is going to be dead calm in the following few days. A thousand miles long high-pressure lane is developing in a NW – SE direction in front of us. Those who can keep the pace with these last gusts won’t be stuck. My routing says I can get through.

The wind increased to 36 – 38 knots, which is too much for the J2. I decided to change it for the J3, I thought that’s just an easy routine operation. I took on all my clothes, went out and bore away 20° so that the sails wouldn’t clap as hard while loosening them. I wanted to furl out the J3 but it stopped halfway. I didn’t understand why. I ran to the front to take a look at it: two halyards were somehow stuck at the top lock. As the half of the sail was clapping, its ropes were thrashing everything around them like whips. It was dangerous to go near them.

It took 20 minutes of running back and forth to adjust the level of tightness of the halyard to break free. I was trying to pull the other halyards away so that I could check what I was doing but my glasses were wet and I couldn’t see a thing. Actually, it’s a miracle that I still have them. Once it was slapped off my face by the sheet, then the sheet took my hat, thrashed my mouth, and hit me everywhere it reached. The sail was still stuck. Should I climb up there in such weather?! The boat started surfing, splashing a lot of ice-cold water in my face and my neck. But I didn’t care anymore, all I thought about was to solve the problem.

Finally I decided to take down the whole sail like that, half-furled, clapping. I managed to keep it on the deck. There was a fair chance it might end up in the water. This sail was hoisted before the start and had been kept up there ever since. I fixed the problem in the lock, rearranged the ropes and started to pull it back up. I barely dared to start winching again, the ropes were doing such an aggressive dance. Finally it was up again. Then I went behind the protection and just stared in front of myself for a while. There isn’t a part of my arms and hands that doesn’t hurt. Now I just need to change into dry clothes and then we’re done with the “routine” action. According to the Adrena this little adventure took one hour and 3 minutes.

I’m in an emotionally difficult position now, only 30 nautical miles away from the abandoned and death-sentenced Bastide-Otio. It’s probably still above the surface because we can see it on the map. It’s still sending the signals. It’s a very sad story with Kito. Both of them are really unlucky. Kito was forced to abandon the last VG too, due to a collision with a fishing boat. The boat was originally the Paprec-Virbac, with Jean-Pierre Dick they lost their keel only 2000 miles before the finish line. With a genius way of sailing Jean-Pierre managed to take the boat home. Then it became the HUGO BOSS for the BWR in 2015, where it dismasted. And now she’d come to the end of her carrier.

It’s a very tough ride but I need to keep the rhythm and the direction. It would be much more comfortable if I bore away a bit, but then I wouldn’t reach the connection to get out of here. Water is constantly running through the deck. My leeward door is always closed, otherwise the ocean spray comes in. I have to get dressed completely for just 10 seconds while I go out to set the hydro-generator.

Position on 9th December, 16:20 UTC: 43° 33,4′ S, 055° 33′ E, We’re doing good!

translated from Hungarian/ LiliFa