27.09.08
A month and a half from the start, the pace picks up
The impressive 90° test |
For the 30 skippers registered in the Vendée Globe and their teams, we can well imagine that the time wasn’t particularly ripe for a lazy summer, as is the case every four years at the start of this infamous and legendary race. For Dominique Wavre, who like two other skippers, Jean-Pierre Dick and Alex Thomson, has decided to link together two consecutive round the world races within a year of each other, the task ahead promised to be even trickier. With the Barcelona World Race just completed, the skipper and his team launched into a heavy schedule without a moment’s downtime. It was necessary in the space of a few months, to successfully combine a thorough refurbishment of the monohull after a 25,000 mile uncompromising race and continue the optimisation, without sacrificing the vital technical trials and training periods.
After a considerable amount of work in the initial winter yard during which the boat was entirely dismantled and revised, and the interior ergonomics rethought in view of the coming solo sailing, the boat was once again lifted out onto the hard for the summer in order to have its new carbon keel attached. The result of this change of appendage was that the monohull had to be subject to some further measurement tests to comply with the Imoca Class. These included the impressive 90° test which sees the boat pushed right over on its side. These tests confirmed the general weight reduction aboard Temenos II and between the optimization of the interior fittings and the new keel, several hundred kilos were saved.
Temenos II was lifted out again for a new lick of paint on her hull and appendages |
It was during the course to validate the monohull’s new configuration, requested by the race organisation, that Dominique was able to feel the effect of these modifications to his boat: “It wasn’t a qualifier as such but rather a process to validate the new keel and new mast. We set off into the Bay of Biscay with quite a bit of wind. We dropped down as far as Portugal as we were seeking to sail on all the different points of sail. We checked that everything was in place, and that we’d regained the high performance polars and the great gliding sensations we had in the Barcelona World Race. The boat had just undergone a lot of work so it was good to be able to make all these checks. The boat is lighter and you can feel it. She is more sensitive, more refined and pulls away more cleanly.”
This 1,500 mile course also gave the skipper the chance to find his marks sailing single-handed again after his last double-handed round the world race.
With this course completed without mishap, Temenos II was lifted out onto terra firma again on the nautical platform of La Rochelle’s old port, where she will be given a new lick of paint on her hull and appendages. The whole of the monohull’s standing and running rigging was also completely replaced with a view to the next circumnavigation.
New sails and new decoration |
Though the countdown for Dominique had already begun less than a fortnight after the Barcelona World Race finish, for some weeks things seem to have speeded up somewhat. Despite all this the skipper is displaying his legendary calm and serenity: “All’s going well. The shore crew and professionals are working together, without rushing, even though we’re aware that timing is becoming tighter and tighter with every day that passes. As with all projects there is a ‘funnelling’ sensation and we’re a little caught up by this big drive towards what we aspire to achieve. We’d all like to get to Les Sables d’Olonne with the boat all set to go and we’re going to do everything we can to do just that. It’s now a matter of weeks and days and within the team we’re all highly concentrated on the timing and the quality of the work which must be done.”
Between now and the point where the boat leaves for Les Sables d’Olonne on 17th October, you can guarantee that the pace of work in the Temenos II team won’t be dropping off. “We’re continuing with some little tests and everyday maintenance aboard. We’re going round all the professionals and suppliers so as to establish the repair procedures. The crew is compiling all these documents in order to be able to respond to my requests at sea in the event of any problems. We’re also working on the list of spares aboard. Concerned about limiting the weight, this is always a very tricky exercise. We spend a lot of time jointly devising within the team, each time beginning with a long and much too ‘heavy’ list and we refine that by taking into account the experience we’ve gained among other things, until we manage to knock a few things off…”
The very last phase of work is currently being rounded off in the port of La Rochelle. In view of this Temenos II has been partially shrouded over by a protective cover to keep her away from prying eyes and sheltered from any storms. With a month and a half to go till the start, on 9th November 2008, it is clear that the team won’t be easing off the pace…
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Find more detailed information on the internet site: www.temenos.com
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Bleue Salée
Service Presse Dominique Wavre
72 route de Grenoble
F-06200 Nice
Tél : +33 (0)680 33 58 76
Fax : + 33 (0)493 18 95 19
email : bleuesalee@aol.com
