Winners and losers

As Michel Desjoyeaux begins to savour his Vendee triumph it might be an idea to assess the fortunes of other competitors as a race like this has many winners and losers when you look at its impact on their careers. For some it will not be evident yet since some changes will only occur in time. But here is my assessment of twenty of them. The rest either retired early or simply didn't register enough as racers:

Michel Desjoyeaux: an obvious winner, his reputation is enhanced and his future can only be defined by his remaining ambition.

Sam Davies: Another big winner, came to public attention in the UK, and popular with race followers, should help her get a a state of the art boat if she chooses to do the race next time.

Jonny Malbon: Failed to enhance his reputation and will leave a question mark for sponsors. Will Artemis stay with him in the long term? On the other hand he has built a good relationship with his sponsor who knows that his boat probably needed longer to establish itself.

Brian Thompson: Looked after his boat and enhanced his reputation as a reliable sailor. But does he have the potential to challenge the fastest French skippers in the long run?

Alex Thompson: Can he shake off the reputation of a "crash and burn" sailor? He needs to finish more often. While he came second in the Barcelona round the world race he was sailing with the immensely experienced Andrew Cape.

Mike Golding: Has nothing left to prove as a round the world sailor, but does he believe that? He knows what it is to be beaten by a Frenchman. Has it happened once too often? Sponsorship assured so he can go on as long as he feels.

Roland Jourdain: his already excellent reputation has not suffered, could easily have won and would have liked to have pushed Desjoyeaux harder in the later stages had he not suffered keel damage. Should be back next time.

Jean Le Cam: Will want to return one more time because he knows he can win it.

Yann Elies: Still young, will have learned a lot, will almost certainly want to come back. His retirement was cruel bad luck.

Marc Guillemot: A fine seaman, again with nothing to prove. A top five spot looks to be his. Again he may question whether he wants to come back in four years' time.

Loick Peyron: Knows he can win this race, still young enough, so I'm sure he'll be up for another go. Sponsors know they will get value for money.

Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty: Has youth on his side but needs to improve to keep his sponsors happy (and possibly to keep his sponsors).

Vincent Riou: A past winner, would have chased Desjoyeaux all the way to the line had he not damaged his boat going to the aid of Jean Le Cam. His reputation is secure and he will be back.

Steve White: Steve who? Some may have asked this before the race but not any more. He gambled everything on this race, scrambling together his entry at the last minute. If White set out on a wing and prayer that prayer must surely be answered with some solid sponsorship in future. He deserves it.

Dee Caffari: In spite of her previous circumnavigation she was one the least experienced skippers in the race at this level of competition but has done herself a lot of good, preserving her boat so far (if not her mainsail). Her sponsors should be happy.

Dominique Wavre: He was 53 when he set out. A fine sailor who acquitted himself well before his retirement, but will he want to return in four years time?

Sebastien Josse: Probably pushed too hard but will have learned much and should be back with confident sponsors. Could win this race next time.

Armel Le Cléac´h: This is a great result for Le Cleac'h who may yet secure second place in his first Vendee. In showing he can race fast and preserve his boat, he has to be a hot tip for the future.

Raphael Dinelli: Simply doesn't have the pace to win. Is it enough any more just to take part?

Bernard Stamm: Did enough to confirm his reputation as a solid performer. Will probably want and should get the sponsorship for another crack at the race.

Another dismasting

Vincent Riou's yacht, PRB, has lost its mast not far from cape Horn. Riou and Jean Le Cam, the fellow competitor he rescued are safe. This means the fleet has shrunk once more and Sam Davies moves in to 4th place (although still technically 5th when Marc Guillemot's redress is taken in to account). Michel Desjoyeaux, meanwhile has extended his lead. It looks a two boat race now between Desjoyeaux and Roland Jourdain. But can they go all the way? Expect more twists and turns in this extraordinary race.

Capsize

There cannot be a skipper in what remains of the Vendee Glove fleet today, who has not been contemplating the nightmare of a southern ocean capsize, after the rescue of Jean Le Cam yesterday from his upturned boat, VM Materieaux.

I'm only just catching up on the drama as I was in the air all yesterday, heading for Singapore. While the good news is that Le Cam is safe after hours of uncertainty, it is far from clear just now whether Vincent Riou, whose, boat Brit Air, was damaged in the rescue, will be able to continue the race.

It looks like Le Cam escaped from a hatch in the bottom of his upturned boat before he was winched out of the water by Riou on PRB. There were shades of the Tony Bullimore rescue in the 1997 race.

A tanker was soon on the scene and stood by Le Cam's upturned yacht but the crew could not reach it. Riou, however,was able to get to the scene in time and make contact with his fellow Frenchaman.

There will need to be an investigation of the incident but it is clear that the capsize happened after the loss of the bulb on the canting keel. When the race is over the organisers will need to take a long hard look at their rules on keel designs because too many keel failures are endangering skippers in top flight ocean racing.

Mike Golding lost his keel near the end of the last Vendee Globe race and keel damage put paid to Dominique Wavre's race in December.

Two areas need to be examined: the hinge design that allows the keel to cant and the bulb design. Unlike traditional flared keels that can ride over a collision, the torpedo shaped bulbs can sustain juddering impacts if they hit a submerged obstacle such as a chunk of ice, a container or a whale. If these designs are increasing risk it might be time to revert to something with proven seaworthiness. There has to be a balance between speed and safety and skippers should not be sailing on tenterhooks in fear of a capsize that could happen without warning. Keel design is raising increasing concerns and needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.