Sodebo maxi trimaran, Thomas Coville waits out another storm at the dock in Brest with no weather window for departure on solo round the world attempt in sight

From the following press release (in French) on the 30/12/2013

http://www.sodebo.fr/voile/actualites/article/train-train-depressions

and the rough bing translate is below:

The grind of the depressions

Mechanics appears well-oiled. At the rate of a passage from front every 24 to 36 hours, the West and the Bay of Biscay only décolèrent in this holiday season. Too windy, too much sea and the lulls too short to unberth the vessel, current weather conditions put to the test the sailors, nailed dockside.

More ready that never set off on his round the world record, Thomas Coville spent last night in Brest. He wrote: "I'm aboard Sodebo to watch over this new depression going on pointe Bretagne. Strange feeling than that of being landed but also glad to spend a few hours only. Beautiful holidays to all. " The strongest wind is passed at the time of low tide, the trimaran was therefore well sheltered behind the dike.

The next storm is announced on the first day of the year 2014 with, again, more than 40 knots of wind in Brest Harbour. "We have no window of departure in sight these days," says the router Jean-Luc Nélias after its daily analysis of the weather files. "We are in a very active low-pressure system with disturbances that occur rapidly in the West of Europe. It is a normal situation for the season: Southwest wind alternates with each passage of front Northwest. We could go with Northwest but, on the one hand, it is still much too strong - between 35 and 40 knots - and, on the other hand, the sequence is too short to have time to leave the Bay of Biscay before it passes back Southwest. Thomas should therefore draw the edges along the Portugal slowing down much. There's also hellish conditions on the departure area which is in the midst of the stones at Ouessant and where the sea average is 5 metres for several days. And finally, more to the South, the Azores high extends cyclically to Gibraltar and regularly bar the road to the trade winds. We continue to seek a mouse hole to pass but, for now, it is a 'weather Yarrow' from the North to the South which is not conducive to a speed record. ‘’

Windows and even flaps will be therefore closed double turn for Eve until the elements take wise resolutions for the new year!

JH