Hungry wolves close on Rio

Spare a thought for the Volvo boats, denied their big Rio party by a lack of wind in the past few days. Snacks have run out on some of the boats but Ken Read, skipper of PUMA, seems to have the right attitude.

I love his comment about the chocolate bars his wife smuggled aboard that "I break in half and throw on deck to the wolves from time to time." Having met the crew I know just what he means.

Whale threat

The news that Roland Jourdain has hit a whale will do nothing to boost the confidence of his fellow round-the-world sailors. I'm thinking not only of the remaining Vendee Globe skippers but also the crews of the Volvo Ocean Race Open 70s.

I was chatting with Ken Read, skipper, of Puma Ocean racing in Singapore yesterday. He said that a collision with a whale is the one thing that keeps sailors awake in their bunks on these high speed ocean-racing events.

The threat of submerged objects, including whales, is a recurring topic of conversation among the Volvo crews when they're on shore between stages.

It's not good news for the whales either. Some must be getting badly injured or even killed in these collisions.

The organising bodies of sail racing need to address this issue for the sake of competitors and also for the sake of marine conservation.

The possible use of echo sounders, ultra sound detection and other devices should all be on the table for discussion. Something needs to happen as a matter of urgency.