Sabato 17 luglio 2010

Alessandro è a 300 miglia da Les Sables d'Olonne.
Ultime  48 ore di buon vento e di navigazione con grande spi a 6,5 nodi.
Velocità ridotta a 1 nodo toccando l'anticyclone.
Oggi si può sperare un arrivo verso il 21 luglio se le previsioni meteorologiche non cambiano. Il morale a bordo è sempre ottimo come al primo giorno di navigazione!
Parenti ed amici italiani cominciano ad arrivare a Les Sables, si parlerà italiano sul pontile del Vendée Globe!

A reference for the meteorologists, the inescapable stop for those who cross the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores have been a real headache for Alessandro for about ten days.
His road from the Cape Horn until the passage of the Equator took place as well as could be expected, with the caprices of the weather conditions.
From this latitude, he  has sailed from an anticyclone to another anticyclone. Such a  bad adventure!. Sometimes backwards, when the current is stronger than the wind. The anger to be imposed a furthermore torture after 254 days at sea.
 Fortunately, there are his friends  the dolphins, who regularly come to pay him a  visit and warn him about a possible danger. Blocked by the wind, he writes, maybe his next book on this fabulous adventure, or the preparation of his next journey, certainly another exploit, another record. Where will the extreme stop for Alessandro? A simple love story between him and the sea, that he takes up as time goes by.
By now he is about 100 miles North of the Islands of Flores. He has just had a west wind. He hopes he will have these two successive depressions long enough that will lead him at the entrance of the Bay of Biscay. As for the food it is not a problem, there is the sea to provide him with some food after a quick dive: fillet of sea bream prepared in the olive oil, it’s delicious , he told me.
When will he arrive at Les Sables d'Olonne? Many people ask me the question, 1300 miles to pull  edges, with a rigging decreased in half, on a mini 6m50? The main thing is that we will all be there to welcome him and celebrate with him this tremendous human exploit, after almost 9 months at sea without stopping and without assistance.

CLERC Jean Jacques

ISAF/World Sailing Speed Record Council ( WSSRC)
Membre des Sports Nautiques Sablais

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

The attempt to sail around the world, single-handed, non stop , not assisted, on a 6,5-meter sailing boat, is on the right track of realization
For a few days Findomestic and Alessandro have been slowly sailing round  Flores, the farthest island in the West of the Azores Archipelago.
 Tomorrow, they should touch the edge of the depression, which moves   north / north west and  eventually have  a little more wind to continue the journey.
Once he has arrived on the land, Alessandro will tell you another wonderful meeting, with his friends the dolphins, off Flores

Friday June 18 th 2010

Low and turning winds of N / NE  to N / NW, downpours, gusts' of wind , calmer periods,  a chaotic sea.
But Alessandro knows how to take advantage of each of these moments.
Revolving winds, gymnastics on the deck for the changes of the speed. There is nothing better than a good shower under a downpour .Calmer periods for the culinary preparations, as for example doughnuts with sugar.. The gusts to launch Findomestic under jury mast at 7 knots toward the Azore.

"Abby and Jessica special girls, congratulations for what you already did"

Our friend Alessandro slowly gets nearer to the record around the world, non stop and without assistance, on the run of the "Vendée Globe", on board  his mini 6m50 boat.
In fact, today Monday 31st May at 00:00, after 216 days at sea, he has just overcome the equator but this time from the South toward the North. To notice that he has overcome this mythical latitude of 0, exactly at the point where he had cut it when he was going down . A coincidence or just a small mathematical pleasure ?
A true achievement, that is being realized with vivacity by this outstanding sailor, who knows how to handle both the harpoon on the sea beams- to improve his ordinary meals, as well as the vocalizations of the Italian ways, when the wind sulks him. He has taken advantage to make a bath in a water at 27°, just the time to check  if  the boat has not suffered too much from these 7 months of navigation.  Just a happy man.
 When is he going to arrive?  Many persons wonder. It took him one month to go down where he is currently sailing up, it was already a beautiful performance. He will arrive with the summer, the anticyclones and their whims. Whatever, we will all be there to welcome him, and to fittingly celebrate him as he deserves. We rely on you.

His official chronometer-officer for ISAF / World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC)
CLERC Jean-Jacques 
Sailing National Referee

Sunday, May 23rd
After these last days of almost complete peace, Findomestic Banca and her skipper were navigating quietly in the Trade Winds finally found again.
But this night: "Collision with a UFO .Probably a tree trunk. I heard  a big "bang" on the port beam but no "crack".
Fortunately  the hull had been strengthened, it avoided the damage.
Everything is well on board. Light wind of the North / North East 10/13 kts which enables Alessandro to make quite a comfortable  average  speed of 4,2 knots for these last 24 hours. If he maintains this average he should reach Equator by the end of the month.

Tuesday May 11 th 2010
Alessandro is going   back up  to the warmth, in a quieter Atlantic Ocean, sometimes too quiet when Aeolus does not blow or just a  little. It gives him the opportunity  to reload his energies under a warm sun and to fry his famous doughnuts on the deck safely!
 Findomestic Banca is quite visible thanks to its radar reflector. Recently he crossed the road of a cargo boat which had left Brazil for China, he had just  time for a short nice conversation with the Greek captain, very amazed to meet such a small boat on his road!

Alessandro and his boat are invited :

  At the International Boat Show The Grand Pavois de La Rochelle from Settember 15th to 20th in 2010

   At  Nautic, International Boat Show of Paris from December 4th to 12th  in 2010

Monday, April 26th, 2010 at 10h am
Position 44°45 ' 47 " / 47°42 ' 07 W

Alessandro  cast of the landing stage "Vendee Globe" of Port Olona, exactly 6 months ago .   It was  October 26 th 2009 at dawn  A first passage of the equator in the North / South  sense on November 25th , then  Cape Agulhas on January  1st  2010,   Cape Leeuwin on February 2nd  and Cape Horn on April 18th . There is just left the passage of the equator  in the sense South / North and...the trip round the world will be completed !  Let’s say it will be really completed when Alexander and his "Findomestic Banca" have overcome the finishing line offshore Les Sables  d'Olonne, between the north buoy and the jury boat.