Vendee Globe Race Victim Limps Off to Brazil
Armel Le Cléac’h still leads the race while Vincent Riou aboard 'PRB' becomes the 7th boat to retire in 15 days of racing. Vincent Riou, onboard his boat PRB, has retired from the race. Two days ago he collided with a large floating metal buoy and damaged his hull. After 48hrs of assessing whether a repair was possible, he reluctantly decided to retire from the race. He is the 7th to retire in the race in 15 days and there are now 13 boats remaining. It’s a shocking blow for Riou, who won the Vendée Globe in 2004.
Vendée Globe Challenge Leader Through the Doldrums?
Is leading yacht 'Armel Le Cléac’h' (Banque Populaire) through the Doldrums already? You might think so looking at the speeds. Earlier Le Cléac’h was making just 1.8 knots but now he’s flying along at 9.1 knots and has headed south-west. In the only change since the last ranking at 1600hrs (French time), Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac-Paprec 3) moved past Francois Gabart (Macif) into second – albeit with only 0.9 miles between them - and was averaging 5 knots compared to Gabart’s 3.3. If Cléac’h is through, the race to catch the first low-pressure weather system south into the Roaring 40s is on.
Vendée Globe, Everest of Yachtsmanship, Underway
The Vendée Globe 2012-2013, is a round-the-world single-handed yacht race, sailed non-stop and without assistance, a serious test of endurance. The race started last Saturday and finishes in Les Sables-d'Olonne , in the Vendée département of France ; both Les Sables d’Olonne and the Vendée Conseil Général are official race sponsors. The course is essentially a circumnavigation along the clipper route : from Les Sables d’Olonne, down the Atlantic Ocean to the Cape of Good Hope ; then clockwise around Antarctica , keeping Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn to port; then back to Les Sables d’Olonne.
Iridium Pilot Selected by International Europa and Vendee Globe Sailboat Race
Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:IRDM) is providing vital satellite broadband communications connectivity for sailors competing in the prestigious international Sailboat Races of the IMOCA Championship. The Europa Warm'Up Race kicked off May 19 and runs through June 9, 2012. Twenty sailboats will be equipped with Iridium Pilot(TM) terminals, the new Iridium maritime broadband platform, as part of the telecommunications package provided by Geolink, a long-time Iridium partner and innovative race communications supplier. Relying on the world's only truly global satellite network, skippers and crews can access real-time weather reports…
