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Telecom Italia (Soldini / d’Ali) has led in the Class 40 fleet since the start, closely followed by Clarke Offshore Racing ( Clarke / Lindsay), Vecteur Plus – Groupe Moniteur (Joudren / Pichelin) and Atao Audio System (Vittet / Chabagny). The 2 youngest skippers in the fleet on Concise (Gohl / Gall) showed a strong start, ranking in 7th position , Novedia – Set Environnement (de Lamotte / Bubb) in 9th less that 1 mile behind the leader.
The skippers will spend the night on deck making their way through the busy Channel in low -- or even no -- visibility.
Q & A - with Daniel Gohl and Tom Gall (Concise)
A few days before the start the skippers give us their point view about their preparation
Q: Are you ready to go ?
Daniel: We are pretty happy, we only have bits and pieces to deal with to finish to prepare the boat. We’ve had ups and downs before getting here like we only got our boat in Hamble at the beginning of August. And we did our qualifier just a few weeks ago.
Q: How did you make the decision to participate in this race ?
Daniel: I was the one who convinced him. I was on the boat first when I met the guy who owns the boat. He offered us the opportunity to sail the boat and obviously we jumped on it. It was such an amazing opportunity. So I asked Tom to come and sail the boat with me. I am making him live his dream.
Tom: I always wanted to go short handed sailing but it is a lot harder to build up such a project. So we have always been doing big boats sailing, fully crewed. And then we got this opportunity . I am kind of living a dream sailing in this race.
Q: What is your aim in this race ?
Daniel: We’re competitive, we’re going to give it all we’ve got. From the Prologue we are pretty happy with the boat speed. There’s nothing to stop us really, appart from ourselves !
Tom: We know we can’t push the boat 24 hours a day and keep it a 100 % whereas we need to be in the right place at the right time that means need to work hard on the weather. The boat is ready, we have good sails, so we just need to go out and prove it now.
Ray & Liz Gall have just returned from Le Havre to see Tom and Dan off on the TJV race. Ray sent me some pictures so I have taken the liberty to load these on this website (see 2007/Transat Jacques Vabre 2007 ).
I hope that you do not mind. I know it is not a Sprint 15 but Tom is a Sprint 15 Sailor. Ray says that Tom has taken the latest Sprint 15 magazine with him to read in the quiet moments!!!!!
Just had a look on the TJV website and the crew of "Concise" are listed as Ned Collier Wakefield and Dan Gohl. I assmue that Tom has taken the place of Mr. Wakefield for some reason. Is this correct?
Ned Wakefield was involved along with Dan Gohl in project Concise 49 and the Transat Jaccques Vabre 2007 from the outset around a year ago. For various reasons Ned pulled out of the project about 5 weeks ago and this gave the sponser an opportunity to meet Tom and agree to continue with the venture. Behind the scenes the web site etc were made up of templates of Ned & Dan which is why you see Dan Wakefield name, there hasn't been time to address all of the last minute changes which are basically cosmetic. The main focus during late October was for Tom & Dan to complete the 1000 mile qualifier in Concise 49 and addres the bigger issues.
As the first few boats pass Cape Finisterre, and news comes through of Artemis having lost their mast, Dan Gohl and Tom Gall on Concise are playing catch up. Having spent the past few days searching for wind, the conditions have changed dramatically with wind speeds of around 25-30 knots and rough sea conditions being reported across the Bay of Biscay.
Having been at the back of the fleet, Gohl and Gall of Concise are using this change of conditions to their full advantage, and are pulling the Class 40 fleet back together, moving back up the position rankings as they do so. This report from the boat came through earlier today.
Concise Report
'The past few days have been pretty hard. Sailing into no breeze in the channel and watching the fleet go past was tough. Clarke offshore racing and AST group were just next to us at the time but they managed to get some light pressure that took them around Ouessant before the tidal gate closed. They went straight to the front of the fleet and we ended up at the back.
We are know half way through the bay of Biscay running with full main and mast head spinnaker sitting at around 15kts boat speed. As we are playing catch up we are pushing really hard. Finding the balance between foot to the floor and wiping out!! We have past two boats in the past 8 hours and are catching others at pace.
The sailing is amazing. down wind, big breeze, in Biscay on a Class 40! Fantastic.'
So with spirits high, the young sailors currently seem determined to change their fortunes. They are currently placed 23rd but following the patterns of the past few hours look set to gain more places throughout the night.
Yesterday was epic! We were down wind all day in 30kts breeze. So tired! The day ended badly though when we fell off a massive wave and broached out which caused our fractional kite (heavy weather kite) to rap itself around the forestay several times. After an hour of trying to free it we had to take the last resort and cut it away. It was chafing into our jib which is furled onto the forestay and the flogging of the chute was putting our rig in danger.
We had caught up to around 20th when it happened. The loss of that sail means we can only sail at 50% in that wind strength and angle using our Code Zero instead.
Me and Dan we pretty upset. It’s like loosing a pet!!!! We are still pushing hard, but are now in almost no breeze off the coast of Spain.
Dan Gohl of Concise turns 23 today, making the combined age on the boat now 45! As Tom Gall quoted before the race ‘Many of the other competitors have been doing these ocean races since before we were alive!’
Shortly after the start it was noted that ‘they stood a good chance because they’re young and stupid, and will push the boat hard, however their biggest problem could be depression’ Jason Fields
However, despite picking up a lobster pot before the start, being unfortunate with the wind shifts in the English Channel and loosing their kite after a massive broach on Tuesday night just off Cape Finisterre the pair remain positive. Could this pair have the potential to work their way back up the fleet?
In the past 36 hours Pindar 40 has dropped back in the line up due to having to repair their mainsail, and the boats which went in to the east earlier are now struggling with the reasonably light air conditions. Coming from behind in any race is always hard, but as other boats start to experience problems, Gohl and Gall, the Concise crew, appear to be taking full advantage. It’s clearly still all to play for.
The last 24 hours have been particularly interesting within the Class
40 fleet, with Fujifilm announcing that they have had to retire due to
alternator problems, joining Ocean Warrior in the list of boats who
will not be able to complete the race and the wind proving to make
tactics ever important.
As a result of the weather conditions the main fleet is being
condensed back together, which is proving to be beneficial for the
Concise sailors, Tom Gall and Dan Gohl.
Realising that both Tom and Dan are rising to the challenge of chasing
the fleet, their sponsor Tony Lawson is hoping that they will 'have a
chance to pick up a few places, whilst there are still a group of
boats to the west going nowhere'
Among the boats stuck to the west are fellow English sailors, Simon
Clarke and David Lindsay on board Clarke Offshore Racing, along with
EDF Energies and Nous Entreprenons.
So clearly, it's still all to play for within the Class 40 fleet.
Report form Concise 49
Monday was a good day for us on Concise. We had a nice 'warm' north
easterly all day helping us to hit 16kts boat speed at times! It was a
good feeling when you know that the boats to the south west of you are
doing 4kts! Hopefully we can now get some pay back after our
disappointing first week.
We have now gybed on to starboard and are heading 230 with good boat
speed and it's a really nice angle for the Code 0.
The repair to the spinnaker is under way but it will take all day at
least, maybe longer. Fingers crossed we have enough tape for the
repair. Next waypoint for us will be the Cape Verde islands some 850
miles south off us.
It was a shame to hear that two boats have retired from the race due
to gear failure. It brings it home to us that finishing this race is
no easy feat. Resisting the temptation to push these boats to there
limit is a challenge! You have to find that balance of pushing hard,
but not break anything.
Someone once told me 90% can sometimes be a 100%!!!'
It's hot! I'm sailing in my shorts and t-shirt with a nice warm 10- 12kt breeze. Wish you were here!!
Yesterday morning we were going down wind in 10- 15 kts and a squall of around 30kts hit the boat. We had our big spinnaker up at the time and the boat was spun around into a broach and the kite blew up. Our only spinnaker after we lost the other one in Biscay! I spent all day putting it back together with the limited repair kit that I have with me and by sunset it was back flying again. It's now very delicate and looks like it has been made by Frankenstein school of sail making, but it is doing the job. The rip was around 25 meters long! We were right next to Pindar at the time and if it hadn't have happened we would have been in a better place than we are now. At least we are being consistent!
It was an amazing day yesterday though. There was a yellow haze all around us caused by the sand blowing off the Sahara. When the sun was setting you could see the clouds of sand drifting in front of the sun. Very weird, one of those things I’ll remember for a long time.
Today has been good. We caught a Tuna for lunch! Wasn't massive, about a foot long, we marinated it with some pesto and fried it. Mmmmmm fresh tuna steaks, amazing! I’m starting to act and sound like Ray Mears! Got the line out at the moment trying to catch some supper!
Class 40 sailors, Tom Gall and Dan Gohl reached half way today, on the 4340 mile course of the TVJ race. Over the past few days they have had many experiences including catching a tuna and a very dramatic wipe out, of which Dan made us an exclusive account of:
‘It's going ok. Still near the back of the fleet but slowly picking up places. Spent all day yesterday helping Tom stick the A2 (our only kite left) back together after the most amazing gust/ wipe out. We were poled back, running really deep, about 160 true in about 12-14 knots on flat water in between Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura when there was a really rapid increase of pressure so I bore away dead down wind and the boat just kept going faster. We were sitting at 16 knots when the breeze increased even more. It was really weird how quickly and much it built. With this second increase the boat went even faster for a few seconds, because we were going so fast I had loads of steerage and the boat was still dead down wind, the rudders didn't stall but we still got span into the biggest wipe out the world has ever known! And then by the time we got the boat on its feet, running again and the kite down it had flogged it self from clew to half way up the luff and back down to the tack. By the time we'd cleaned up there was only ten knots of breeze but we no longer had an A2. It was pretty disappointing but almost worth it just to experience such a wipe out.’
Having given the kite some tender loving care the Concise duo managed to successfully repair the kite, and are hoping to use it in wind strengths of up to 15knots.
More recently they have been experiencing some problems with their auto pilot, which they now hope they have solved, but are extremely cautious of it due to separate issues during their qualifier.
Despite feeling some frustration, the pair are now looking at their position towards the back of the fleet as having the potential to make huge gains as they can watch the fore runners and others ahead to see which directions seem to be best, as well as their weather data. Currently they are strongly considering a more western route, as the winds are set to weaken in the east.
Whilst Dan & Tom appear to be making light of the auto helm problems and let us hope that they have managed to correct the fault. During the 1000 mile qualifier the auto helm had a rather nasty habit of gybing the boat inadvertently (not want you want in the Atlantic) after the qualifier the auto helm software was upgraded. If Dan & Tom lose confidence in the auto helm then the only option remaining is to spend more time at the helm resulting in increased workloads.
With more and more boats completing the race everyday now, we caught up with Dan Gohl and Tom Gall, skippers of Concise to find out how they were doing and what they’re up to.
Position: 10.06.6N 24.59.3W
Speed: 7.5
Estimated finish date: 29th Nov
What sail combinations are you finding you are using the most at the moment and why?
Tom - Full main and a very heavily repaired A2. This race has so far been down wind almost all the way. Not that I'm complaining!
Most useful piece of equipment on the boat?
Dan - PBO kite sheets supplied by Marlow ropes, they will last for ever!
What are your tactical plans for the remainder of the race?
Tom - There are over 1700 miles to go, so there are a lot of factors ahead of us that we will have to wait and see before we can make more of a game plan. Over the next few days we are sailing in the trade wind's which is like a motorway taking you to the Doldrums. Every one is on it and pretty much on the same course so boat speed is what we are working hard on.
Being towards the back of the fleet is now being described as having its
advantages in the Class 40 fleet, as you have the ability to watch the progress of the boats ahead. What are your opinions of this point of view?
Tom - I'd rather be at the front looking back!
Being the youngest sailors in the fleet, many thought that depression would be a major issue for you both. What are your reactions to this statement?
Tom - who said that? Rubbish, age has nothing to do with anything. It's all about experience. Why would we be depressed about sailing a Class 40 in the TJV?
What does this experience mean to you?
Tom - I have followed the TJV since I was young. To me the TJV is one of the top ten events in sailing so to be competing is awesome. Having the chance to race against great sailors like Giovanni Soldini is inspiring. I'm trying to learn all I can from them.
What position are you now aiming to finish in?
Dan - Well we were hoping and thinking a top ten wasn't out of the question but now I think we'd be happy to get out the 20's.
What has been the best part of the race for you so far?
Tom - The start was amazing with all the Helicopters and spectator boats. Sending it through Biscay was good, and sailing off the coast of Africa at sun set and watching the clouds of sand blow off the Sahara.
Dan - The wipe out that killed the A2, amazing!
And the worst?
Dan - The wipe out that killed the A2, rubbish. It was out of action for 24 hours while Tom fixed it up. Frustratingly, the next boat ahead of us before we lost it gained about 5 places.
Tom - Loosing the A3 in Biscay after sending it too hard! Then blowing up the A2 after sending it too hard again!!
Most common phrase used on board the boat?
Tom - Shake n' bake!
What nasty habits of the other have you discovered since the start of the race?
Tom – We eat the same food, at roughly the same time and Dan still manages to make more nasty smells than me!
Dan - Tom is actually ginger, well his facial hair and he has a thing for cotton buds.
If Alex Thompson on Hugo Boss (currently on the Barcelona World race) were to sail past you what you say to him?
Dan - Good Luck!
If you got stuck on a desert island, what 5 items would you take with you?
Tom - a boat, lots of water, food, an Ipod, and a few mates. Then sail home!
What's your favourite variety of meal on board the boat?
Tom - Freeze dried chicken noodles. Yum!
Dan - Anything as long as there is loads of it.
What are you missing the most?
Tom - Other people (no offence Dan!) Proper food, my bed, a razor!
Dan - WIND! And well I guess I have to say the girlfriend to that.
What are you most looking forward to when you reach dry land?
Tom - Launching it at the Salvador yacht club bar! And then sleeping it off!
Overnight we managed to pick up some places into 21st and are now chasing the Pindar girls, who are just 60 miles in front.
At the moment we are around 200 miles from the equator and the weather is hot! We are sailing night and day in just our shorts. We had our first heavy rain storm today. As we have a small concern about the amount of water we have remaining, Dan rigged up our drogue to collect water and funnel it into our main water tank. During the five minutes of heavy rain we collected around four litres of fresh rain water. Just made a cup of tea with it and it tastes pretty good!
As the rain passed we were becalmed, drifting at half a knot. It was the ideal opportunity to get in and check the bottom of the boat. I just poked my head under the surface and saw that we had around one metre of rope caught around our prop. It must have been the remains of the lobster pot we picked up when we were heading out to the start. Dan had jumped into the icy English Channel at the time and cut the pots free but with poor visibility it was hard to check the line had completely gone.
We don't think the debris has caused too much drag as it was so small. We now know the bottom is all good and I feel better for my mid Atlantic swim!
The wind gods have been good to us today. As soon as I got out of the drink the breeze picked up, we are now reaching at 9 knots towards Salvador Brazil. Let's hope it stays.
, Novedia – Set Environnement (de Lamotte / Bubb) in 9th less that 1 mile behind the leader.
