Damage to 2009 solo Transat boats PART 2

More on the subject of damage to 2009 solo Transat boats that caused reduced performance. Today we look at Jan Kees Lampe on La Promesse, overall winner, Katie Miller on bluQube and Marco Nannini on British Beagle. Collected by Jerry Freeman.

Jan Kees lampe , La Promesse, Open 40 broke the class record in  17 days 17hrs.

Clearly had no significant problems on the race. Jan Kees reports:

Little damage during the race.

During the one and only nasty low, off the Grand Banks, my port pipe berth broke due to the beating. And my GPS fell out of the cockpit bulk head, banging around on its wires!

My small gennaker (80m2) was worn out at the finish

Katie Miller sailing her Figaro 2  bluQube( 21 days 19hrs) reports

The radar pole detached and fell into cockpit taking up a lot of space, a hazard. The pole was fitted after  QC in 2008 , radar never used. Cost about 36 hours? Loss of radar caused me to change  planned route to avoid  the Newfoundland banks and fog. added extra distance and contrary current

Water ingress to cabin caused by poor seal from companionway sliding hatch. Cost  about 5 hrs,  immersed EPIRB  in cabin false alarmed causing distress at home.
 
Sail damage caused by loss of top batten. Cost 2 hours.

Charging was excellent, I used a Sterling smart charger and ended up taking about 30 litres excess fuel, so there was the excess weight approx 30 kg,

Rudder damage( 20 cm of tip broken off) caused by collision with unidentified object. Most probably a container judging by shear on rudder. This lead to further more serious water ingress, the source of which could no be found during the race. Later found to be a tear in the rubber gaitor around the rudder stock. Cost ? hours.

Marco Nannini sailing British Beagle, Sigma 36 in 21 days, 23 hours and 45 minutes, a Sigma world record time. (subject to WSSRC ratification) and Class winner.

I had no significant damage during the whole race but in the last week I blew both my(old) spinnakers in the space of few days trying to push the boat as fast as possible, mostly through user error, the light spi was held too long in building winds and blew, the heavy was used too high, reaching in building winds, and popped... I regretted this on approaching Georges banks where I could not go downwind effectively. Cost 2-4 hours max.

Stove gas burners did not work in last third of the race so I ate cold junk. Cost none.

The Boat had a new mast fitted following a dismasting during training in 2008 approaching 10 west when trying to simulate the first week of the race, luckily it happened in training. I also had all new running and standing rigging, new autopilot, new rudder, new sails. All perfect and a bonus to performance.

I slept through 180 degree windshift in light airs after getting out of the ice area on the Grand Banks, I was very tired after standing watch for about 24-36 hours, sailed backwards for about 30-45 mins before waking up going east. Cost 1 hour max.

No issues with the boat, I dedicated a lot of time to making her dry in preparations so I never bailed throughout race, a small leak the first night, was quickly found and immediately stopped with a bit of epoxy putty, where the gas pipe enters the boat in the gas locker, water would leak in when the boat was healed and the gas locker half full of water. Cost none.