Covering Ground Fast As Ellen Digs Deep For Record Attempt

KEY DATA AT 1510GMT AFTER 31 HOURS: 21 minutes behind Joyon
(data communicated by Thrane MiniC via BT YAHOO Broadband)
Lat/Long: 42 18 N / 13 45 W (230nm west of Vigo, Portugal)
Average Boat speed: 19.39 knots heading WSW
True Wind speed: 21.3 knots
Distance sailed so far: 548.4 miles

FROM ELLEN PHONECALL TO SHORE AT 0800gmt:
"Basically, decided not to push too hard and to be conservative...sailing with one reef and the genoa at the moment. Got a lot of sleep [ie 2.5 hours!!], don't feel great right now, but on the whole it was necessary so that's been quite cool. Had a bit of a drama yesterday evening just before midnight the main rudder cassette kicked up and broke two of the fuses. I heard a noise, I couldn't work out what it was, went all over the boat couldn't see anything and this was about 2 hours previous and then there was another noise and that's when I saw the box had kicked up. But what I think may have actually happened was that maybe in the rough stuff at the begining, the rudder had been hit hard enough to loosen it and actually stretched the fuses a little bit and then just as we were sailing along the stretched fuses, one bust then the other one bust. I couldn't see any marks on the rudder and I replaced them - pain in the arse job!

Went through ridge of the high last night. Made a conscious decision not to put the gennaker up probably would have had it up for about six hours so decided not to go without it. You know in retrospect I could have managed but with 20 knots, gusting 23 knots and averaging 17 knots speed over ground its okay. I am in a different mindset..."

EXTRACT OF ELLEN AUDIO 1200 GMT: courtesy of Geolink/Iridium
To listen to full audio, click here
There is a lot of wind - last night sailing around 16-17 knots - now up to 23-24 knots and building constantly, a big sea state and sailing in around 30 knots of wind. I am thinking of the weather patterns that are coming in and I know it will take me a few days to settle into the routine of being out here, but it is good to be out here. The clock has started ticking, it's not going to stop ticking and i am very aware of that.

It has warmed up a little, the breeze is now coming from the east, it was northerly before making it a lot colder. There is bright sunshine at the moment and the sailing is good, we are piling into the waves and maintaining a good speed.

TO LISTEN TO ELLEN MEDIA CONFERENCE EACH DAY CALL 0906 716 4600 AT 1200GMT

ELLEN LOG 1315 GMT:
Well, here we are out on the open ocean once more... It's going to be a tough one this...I can feel it, and really know that I am going to have to dig very very deep.. The most important thing though - and I keep hammering into the front of my mind is that I really want to enjoy this. B&Q is the most unbelievable boat, and she has such an incredible feeling about her - I just really really want to do the voyage justice for her too. I am sitting here, obviously alone - and in fact feeling very very nervous. We are off - and the Omega clock I can see just next to me is very definitely ticking... How hard do we push, how gingerly do we sail, how much will B&Q take, how much will I take? These are all things which right now are in the front of my mind. I just hope that I am able to relax into this, and apprecieate it for what it is. .. better go - I can feel a genoa to solent change coming on...
x
back again - changed sails in a rather full cockpit since I dragged the sails back there...I noticed a few fantastic things as we left... There was an umbelievable stillness as we left the dock...funny - as if no-one really wanted to make too much noise - all very odd... But it was fantastic to feel the atmosphere there. Falmouth gave us all an outstanding send off - I am overwhelmed...really overwhelmed. It all seemed a bit like a dream really...as we were towed out of the harbour there was a cormorant dinving on our bows and just a few hours later as we sailed out of the harbour entrance we had dolphIns swimming around us...magnificent...time for a quick nap now... x

WEATHER ANALYSIS BY COMMANDERS' WEATHER:
0600UTC Monday, November 29, 2004

So far, things on schedule. One high passing north and as we head further south, wind should pick up some more and be more ENE. With good wind speeds and a good wind angle, expect to have plenty of boat speed. Winds will be ENE today at 20-25 kts and may get up to 20-30 kts later today and tonight.

Our goal is to get a boost from low pressure down to the south of us. The low is around 35n/17-18w and is coming slowly ESE. We will pass on the back side of the system and that will provide lots of wind with the flow backing Monday night and Tuesday. We do want to be careful that we stay on the back side of the low as there will be lighter wind nearer the low.

There will be a period of fairly strong N winds behind that low later Tues and Tues night when 30-40 kts of wind likely. Winds then come down gradually as we progress further south, but should still be pretty good.

Wind forecasts
Wind directions are TRUE, wind speed in kts, time is UTC

Monday, Nov 29
09: 060-080/20-25 - wind stronger to the S, lighter N
12: 060-080/20-25, gusting 28 - near 42 40N/13W - wind stronger S, lighter to the N
18: 055-080/20-30 - wind starts to back - stronger wind to the W
Partly cloudy to cloudy with a chance of showers near and south of 40N.
Seas 6-8 feet, long period NW-N swell, but some easterly chop.

Tuesday, Nov 30
00: 070-050/20-30
06: 050-030/20-25 - wind lighter to the east, stronger west
12: 030-360/20-30, near 35 30N/15W - gybing
18: 340-360/30-40
Mostly cloudy with a few showers. Seas building to 10-15 feet, mainly NW-N swell with seas of 12-16 ft overnight

http://www.commandersweather.com