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Seb Josse : " I go east and keep in the race..."

...or "I go back to New Zealand and the race is finished"

samedi 27 décembre 2008 – Redaction SSS [Source RP]

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Sébastien Josse reports first-hand what happened when BT was knocked-down by a wave in the Southern Ocean..."Two nights ago I was in the centre of a big low pressure with around 46 knots and big gusts of 50-55 knots plus snow. During the night a big wave catch the boat and put the mast on the water at around 120 degrees ­ close to a capsize. For a few minutes I didn’t really know what had happened..."


"Two nights ago I was in the centre of a big low pressure with around 46 knots and big gusts of 50-55 knots plus snow. During the night a big wave catch the boat and put the mast on the water at around 120 degrees - close to a capsize. For a few minutes I didn’t’ really know what had happened - if the keel had gone or wave - but finally I could check the keel and realise it was okay and that a wave had knocked the boat over. The mast was fine but inside food, clothes, electronics were everywhere.

After the near capsize I tried to put the boat back on the right course and I understood that the rudder system was not right. First thing I did was to furl the staysail which was okay and drop the mainsail but to drop the mainsail in 40 knots is not easy as the wind push the sail against the spreaders and it gets stuck so it took around 45 mins to get the sail down. When I finished I came back inside to look at the structure and I see the roof is broken (cracked both laterally and longitudinally) because some water was coming inside the boat and also realised the central bulkhead had cracked.

The plan now is to go north and catch the high pressure where there is less waves and wind to check the rudder system in a safe environment - although the waves will still be around 4 meters ! The auto pilot has now reference point now so it is not functioning properly (the rudders are misaligned so the auto pilot cannot configure a reference point).

During the time of the incident it was very trick - big squalls of 55 knots and 10 meter waves and you are on the limit in this size of boat and the limit for you too in trying to do any manouevers. The problem is at the bottom of the wave there is no wind but you need speed to escape and at the top of the wave you have to much speed going down into the wave so in 50 knots you are at the limit.

My options now ? Now I have 2 options : first is to check the rudder system and if I think its okay, I go east and keep in the race but in a safe condition but ahead is the rest of the Pacific and Cape Horn which is famous for storms... Second option is to go back to New Zealand and the race is finished but I make sure the boat is safe.

Press info BT Team Ellen / www.btsebjosse.com

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