It is hard to judge whether the Pacific is extracting a particular toll from the peloton of the Barcelona World Race fleet, a tax at the gateway to deliverance into Atlantic, whether it is simply the accumulation of hard miles since the start, or recent problems among them are all purely circumstantial.

But with the news Monday night that Kito de Pavant and Seb Audigane’s Groupe Bel have a problem with their keel which will need proper assessment, none of the fifth to seventh placed boats will climb the Atlantic for home at truly maximum capacity.

Fifth placed Groupe Bel’s De Pavant was remaining resolutely upbeat while he could on today’s Visio-Conference, admitting that he and Audigane do not really know exactly what the problem is, but that the head of their keel has been showing some movement. The duo planned to pass Cape Horn before seeking shelter to assess their problem. Groupe Bel was 30 miles from De Pavant’s first passage of the lonely rock at 1700hrs this afternoon, sailing in strict conservation mode making nine knots. They will doubtless mark the occasion, having uttered their determination to make it past the three Capes in the past, at least, but Kito seemed sure they would probably make for Ushuaia as soon as they were round the Horn.

Their fate contrasts slightly with that of Ryan Breymaier and Boris Herrmann on Neutrogena who were visibly delighted to pass Cape Horn today at 1135hrs UTC, taking 14 days, 16hrs, 50mins since Cook Strait. A live link with the office of back-to-back Route du Rhum winner Roland Jourdain’s offices of Team Kairos in Concarneau, team principal and owner of Neutrogena saw the American-German duo receive warm congratulations from Bilou and their ‘home’ support. But they also explained the detail of their own keel ram problem which has compromised them for the last five days and which will handicap them progressively until the finish.
Neutrogena passed Cape Horn almost in tandem with Thomas Coville on the maxi tri Sodeb’O which is challenging the solo round the world record. Herrmann said that the world girdling tri had passed within a couple of boat lengths of them and they had been able to hail each other.

Breymaier,whose first passage of Cape Horn it was today and worked as rigger and preparateur with Bilou for more than four years explained: “We have a problem with the rams on the keel. In the ram we have a problem with the joints inside one of them. So we can only use one and so it is hard to be at 100% all the time. We need to reduce the angle of the keel and so are about 70% of potential just to protect the boat a bit. The last four for five days we have worked hard with the keel and for the moment it is the best possible state. And so we intend to look after it very carefully to make sure we can finish the race.”

Dominique Wavre, expected to make his ninth passage of Cape Horn around 0500hrs to 0600hrs tomorrow morning, confirmed today that he remains very much in solo mode on Mirabaud. The health of his partner and co-skipper Michèle Paret  remains relatively stable but she is resting in the bunk most of the time and Wavre’s time is split between managing the progress of the boat, looking after Paret and sleeping soloist’s naps when he can. He believes they will route towards the Falklands and make an assessment of her improvement by then.

The Cape Horn passage of Renault Z.E Sailing Team on Monday evening proved an almost Mediterranean interlude for Pachi Rivero and Toño Piris, who had sunshine, light winds and were accompanied – as if to order – by a pod of dolphins. Their strategic options may be relatively complex but their Farr design is in good shape for the Atlantic and should, ironically,  be able to profit from uncertainty and compromise which affects their rivals behind.

On International Women’s Day Dee Caffari, approaching her fourth Cape Horn commented:

“ Never! I never even imagined I’d hang out in this part of the world as half as much as I have. A lot has happened in a very short space of time. It still makes me chuckle to realise that this will be my fourth lap. I feel as if I am very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to do what I have done. The nice thing with this circumnavigation is that it has allowed me to offer Anna the opportunity. It is almost a bit of payback taking someone down here the first time and letting them round Cape Horn. I am very privileged and it is nice to be able to share it with her.”

And at the front of the fleet Jean-Pierre Dick and Loïck Peyron lead MAPFRE by 170 miles, the Spanish duo having regained 100 miles since their halyards halt after Cape Horn.

Rankings at 1400hrs Tuesday 8th  March 2011

1. VIRBAC-PAPREC 3 at 5316 miles to finish
2. MAPFRE  170 miles from the leader
3. RENAULT Z.E at 1324 miles
4. NEUTROGENA at 1548miles
5. GROUPE BEL at 1620 miles
6. MIRABAUD at 1718  miles
7. ESTRELLA DAMM Sailing Team at 1731miles
8. HUGO BOSS at 2448 miles
9. GAES CENTROS AUDITIVOS at 2631 miles
10. FORUM MARITIM CATALA at 4482 miles
11. CENTRAL LECHERA ASTURIANA at 6233 miles
12. WE ARE WATER at 6233 miles

RTD FONCIA
RTD PRESIDENT

Quotes

Roland Jourdain (FRA) Team Kairos: “Honestly since the start I am proud of Neutrogena and particularly all that they have done in the South because we kind of knew the boat not necessarily the best sprinter still, but they were consistent and always had good speed. And so before they turn left on this course it is a special emotion, and especially that they are so well placed as they make that turn. So I am very happy for them and happy for the boat. I am very proud.

Ryan Breymaier (FRA) Neutrogena : “The sky is grey but it is not so bad, there is a little blue in the sky. We are passing the rock at the moment and it is excellent. The sea has flattened and the wind has dropped a lot and we have 11 knots of wind and a little swell, so it is good. We have a problem with the rams on the keel. In the ram we have a problem with the joints inside one of them. So we can only use one and so it is hard to be at 100% all the time. We need to reduce the angle of the keel and so are about 70% of possibility to protect the boat a bit. The last four for five days we have worked hard with the keel and for the moment it is the best possible state. And so we intend to look after it very carefully to make sure we can finish the race.”

Kito de Pavant (FRA) Groupe Bel: “There are two or three concerns on Groupe Bel. Last night we heard some strange noises in the boat and a few hours later I realized that the head of the keel had developed some play. We were going fast between 15 and 25kts, but it was really when the wind dropped and the keel start to move more with the waves that we realized it was worse than we thought. We don’t really know exactly what the problem is, but it can be bad because it happens below the axis of the keel and so there is really not much that you can see. We have done all we can to secure it and make the boat safe to be ready for anything that might happen. We have decided to carry on out course in the direction with the wind and the waves and as soon as we are passed Cape Horn we will turn left towards Ushuaia. We modulate our speed, not too quick and not too slow because it is important the speed is as consistent and regular as possible. We will head for Ushuaia and make a complete diagnosis.”

Dominique Wavre (SUI) Mirabaud: “Michèle has some nausea when she is upright but she is OK when she is lying down, she is recovering in the bunk, but is still sick. We are sailing conservatively, a little under-powered and we try to play a bit with the gusts and squalls. There are 195 miles to the horn with an ETA of between 1500hrs and 2000hrs this evening, but all depends on the winds. I try to sleep and to help Michèle when she is awake. It is a little peculiar the rate but we don’t take any risks to make sure we can go on. Today I imagine passing the Horn and then heading for the Falklands and to take a view on Michèle’s state of health. And if it is OK we will be very happy to get to Barcelona.”

Photo Credit: Ryan Breymaier and Boris Herrmann passing Cape Horn © Neutrogena

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