· One month to the finish for leading British skipper Sam Davies
· Dramatic month of sea rescues after tragic injury to Yann Elies and severe damage to Jean Le Cam’s boat
· Fifth placed Roxy expecting to round the notorious Cape Horn on Sunday 11th January
· Sam excited to be leaving Southern Ocean and heading into home waters of the Atlantic
· Just 13 boats remain in the race from an original Vendée Globe fleet of 30
Sam Davies and her bright pink boat Roxy have now passed through the third and final compulsory race Ice Gate, signalling their impending transition from the depths of the Southern Ocean to the home waters of the Atlantic. Roxy’s bow is now firmly pointed towards the major race milestone of Cape Horn and Sam is gearing up for her first experience of rounding the notorious Cape as a solo sailor.
A severe two months’ sailing has taken its toll on the Vendée Globe fleet, with only 45% of the boats that left Les Sables d’Olonne in October still in the race. The remainder of the fleet have been forced to abandon their Vendée challenge due to irreparable damages suffered in tempestuous seas. After the early retirement of Alex Thomson, the original British contingent of seven skippers was further diminished following the tragic dismasting of Mike Golding’s Ecover – who was leading the race at the time – and the terminal mainsail woes of Jonny Malbon aboard Artemis.
In December, Sam was involved in what became labelled a ‘Mercy Mission’ to help fellow Vendée skipper and friend, Yann Eliès, after he horrifically suffered a broken leg. The Roxy skipper was on hand to offer psychological and moral aid to the stricken French sailor during his two day wait for an Australian Naval vessel that was despatched to rescue him. All this was done while Sam was carrying a badly bruised elbow following a fall on deck, the intense pain of which caused her to pass out.
Less than a month later, Sam’s mettle was tested again as another French skipper, Jean Le Cam aboard VM Materiaux, became trapped in a pocket of air under his boat after losing the bulb of his keel and capsizing: “We had to wait hours and hours for the good news that Jean was safe. The worst part was knowing that King Jean was in trouble, but not having any further information. During those painful hours all kinds of things were going through my head; I imagined Jean upside down in VM Materiaux, alone in the freezing cold water in the black of night. I then imagined what it would be like if Roxy were to be capsized: not only the danger to myself and her structure, but also the mess it would cause. As you can imagine, I didn't sleep at all until I heard Jean was ok.” A heroic rescue by Vincent Riou (PRB) plucked Jean Le Cam from the freezing waters of the Southern Ocean, however it came at a cost as damage sustained to one of PRB’s deck spreaders precipitated another Vendée dismasting.
Despite a severe two months of hard graft, Sam is still relishing the everyday challenges, plus peaks and troughs of the Vendée Globe, nicknamed the ‘Sailor’s Everest’. Sam’s shrewd tactical decision making means she continues to post fastest race times over varied time periods, and as a consequence she is still in the running for a podium-placed finish. Personal milestones also continue to fall, including a first Christmas and New Year spent alone at sea: “I had a small bottle of champagne to help me see in the New Year, and a mini Christmas pudding with brandy butter! Then it will be back to normal, as the race doesn't stop for festivities and Roxy must keep up the blistering pace!”
What’s more, the quirky realities of life as a solo, off-shore sailor have provided much amusement. Sam’s race highlights include her experiences with the wondrous array of wildlife present in the Southern Ocean – including beautiful polar dolphins and majestic albatrosses – and tuning in to the eclectic mix of noises made by her Open 60 racing yacht, Roxy: “all of Roxy’s singing, vibrations, clicks and clacks create a really special kind of music that I am now totally in tune with. For me, it is a lullaby and a sign from Roxy that everything is normal and she's happy. I can sense any change immediately; it is better than any alarm clock, as I know I will wake up if I'm needed, and if all is OK then my boat lets me sleep!”
Sam is currently on course to become only the second ever British female – the other being Dame Ellen MacArthur – to finish the Vendée Globe, consolidating her status as leading British sailor today. Despite having become a media sensation during the race, Sam’s humility continues to shine through. It runs in complete harmony with a dogmatic determination to never take her foot off the pedal, even after two months of racing and still with 7,000 miles to go until the finish. Although currently in fifth place, Sam will be pushing hard in the home waters of the Atlantic to reduce the deficit between Roxy and race leader Foncia, skippered by Michel Desjoyeaux. The gap of 1000 miles between Roxy and nearest British rival, Brian Thompson aboard Bahrain Team Pindar, will also not be relinquished without a fight as Sam heads for home.
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