Jonny Malbon

Artemis 2 - The way ahead

Jonny has now arrived back in UK for a rest while the AOR 2 is sorted out in Auckland.  Craig sent the following update from Kiwiland last week:

An update from Artemis Ocean Racing Sail Co-ordinator Craig ‘Scottie’ Bowie

23 January 2009

Assessing the extent of the delamination of the mainsail in Auckland

It has been a while now since I wrote a blog, so here we are: An update from Auckland.

This edition of the Vendee Globe has been very, very hard with numerous big depressions that haven’t really given anyone a break - from the leaders right through to the back of the pack. But in a race like this the skippers have to take everything that is thrown at them and from that point of view what a race it has been so far.

At the start I thought there were 10 teams that could win the race. Barring disasters, it looks like ‘The Professor’ Mich Des is going to prevail in what will be a truly incredible achievement. But what we have seen is the newcomers to the Vendee making the headlines. Sam Davies, Marc Guillemot, Armel Le Cleac’h, Dee Caffari and Steve White… the performance of these sailors on diverse but demanding boats has been the real story for me.

The retirement rate across the fleet this time round has been huge and each one is a massive blow to everyone involved - from the shore team to the sponsors, friends and family and of course the skippers themselves. We had to deal with a few major problems which collectively meant that ‘Artemis Ocean Racing II’ had to retire. It was by no means an easy decision but on reflection was undoubtedly the right one to make.

For ‘Artemis Ocean Racing II’ the major issue was the delaminating mainsail. At the same time there was a significant problem with the engine and charging capacity of the boat, which meant charging the batteries up to five times a day (we usually charge twice for two hours a day) and consequently using much more fuel than predicted. Finally there was substantial damage to the daggerboard after hitting a whale in the Atlantic which would have made sailing upwind in the South Atlantic on a port tack very difficult. It took three of us on the dock to get the damaged section of the daggerboard out!!

The issue with the delaminating mainsail was a big shock. Studying the first pictures coming off the boat I thought the problem could be fixed, at a push, but the rate the sail fell apart was staggering. The day after the boat arrived in Auckland we got the main off only to find no laminate at all on the port side.

The sail is constructed like a sandwich, with laminate on one side then Kevlar strands in the middle. There is a spectra taffeta on the inside which gives the sail more stability, less stretch and more importantly it absorbs less water as the material is glued in the middle.

So what’s next? Ten days since the boat got into Auckland and we have almost finished putting her back together. We have taken the engines out and they are set to go back in tomorrow, the first generation main has arrived from England along with a spare daggerboard. We are setting up for two to three weeks of sailing in Auckland, testing the sails, keel systems, board angles, and mast work. It’s a great place to do this kind of work and we are bringing in some extra personnel to help with the sail testing. A couple of hours of sailing from here is the open ocean so we are using this time wisely before we either ship the boat back, or sail it back to the UK to continue testing.

The team has once again upped a gear and brought everything together - both ‘down under’ and back at home, with the help of Allan West (West Composites)in Auckland - huge thanks for making everything happen and making it look easy - Northsails NZ and UK, Southern Spars, Future Fibers, Viaduct Harbour (especially for interrupting the Pacific Cup!!) and our mechanics, they have all been a great help.

Finally, a big thank you as ever to Artemis for all their support.

Speak soon

Scottie

The year ahead for AOR2 involves the Two Handed Transat Jacques Varbre to Costa Rica, the Fastnet and the Calais Round Britain Race in the summer.  Plenty to get the teeth stuck into and teat the boat more comprehensively.