0400 HRS GMT. Rankings, Wednesday 31st December 2008
(FRA unless stated)
1. Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) at + 8992.4 miles
2. Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) at + 109.7 miles
3. Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) at + 373.9 miles
4. Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) at + 559.6 miles
5. Vincent Riou (PRB) at + 579.6 miles
December 31, 2008
(1700 AEDT) The traditional dockside presentation of the Tattersall’s Cup to the overall handicap winner and battle flags to the divisional winners of the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart was a moving occasion, preceded by a wreath-laying ceremony and a minute’s silence to mark the tenth anniversary of the tragic 1998 race in which six sailors lost their lives.
1500 HRS GMT. Rankings, Tuesday 30th December 2008
(FRA unless stated)
1. Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) at + 9233 miles
2. Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) at + 58 miles
3. Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) at + 342.9 miles
4. Vincent Riou (PRB) at + 551.9 miles
5. Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) at + 559.5 miles
December 30, 2008
An eerie calm in Bass Strait and light and variable winds along the Tasmanian coast split the smaller and slower boats in the Rolex Sydney-Hobart race fleet from the fast-finishing 50 to 55 footers, which have dominated the overall corrected time placings.
0400 HRS GMT. Rankings, (FRA, unless stated)
1. Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) at + 9397.4 miles
2. Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) at + 73.6 miles
3. Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) at + 337.7 miles
4. Vincent Riou (PRB) at + 641.1 miles
5. Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) at 687.7 miles
1500 HRS GMT. Rankings, Monday 29th December 2008
(FRA unless stated)
1. Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) at + 9626.6 miles
2. Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) at + 93.6 miles
3. Jean Le Cam (VM Matériaux) at + 280 miles
4. Vincent Riou (PRB) at + 524.5 miles
5. Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air) at 527.7 miles
La décision n’a pas été facile à prendre, mais Sébastien Josse a dû se rendre à l’évidence. Il ne peut continuer le Vendée Globe avec un safran bâbord cassé. Trois jours après son chavirage, le skipper de BT a donc pris la décision d’arrêter la course et de rejoindre la terre la plus proche, à 1250 milles dans son est.
From Sébastien Josse today (Monday, 29.12.08): “Today at around 0500 GMT the wind dropped enough for me to lift the rudder system, and check what the problem was. I quickly discovered that the issue was on the port rudder and understood why the two rudders were not in line anymore.”? The starboard rudder is undamaged, but the port rudder which would have been f! ully exposed to the crashing waves when the boat was upside down is badly damaged.
Date: 29/12/2008
Author: Paul Nicholson, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer
Reference: Sunderland 052 2008
Volunteers from Sunderland’s Royal National Lifeboat Station are celebrating a cash boost of almost six thousand four hundred pound thanks to the generosity of football supporters attending the Boxing Day Premier League football match between Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers.
A team of thirty five volunteers from Sunderland RNLI lifeboat station, including the charities ‘larger than life’ lifeboat crewmember “Stormy Stan” took part in a street collection outside of the Stadium of Light for one and a half hours prior to kick off. In total the collection raised a fantastic total of £6,362.
Date: 27/12/2008
Author: Tracy Cayton-Smith, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer
Reference: Newquay 031 2008
Newquay’s RNLI lifeboats launched on Saturday 27th December 2008 to assist a kayaker in difficulties off the south end of Fistral beach.
The kayaker was in a group of three making the most of the good weather after the festive break when he got into difficulties. When it looked like his fellow kayakers were unable to rescue him a member of the public dialled 999.