TORTUROUS
TIMES AHEAD
24th April 2003
Apologies
for the lack of Position Page over the last 12
hours - internal server problems, but thanks to
the IT team at Tiscali it has now been fixed.
The
tropical depression barring the route for the
9 Around Alone boats racing to Newport, RI is
going to shake up the fleet, starting with leader
Bernard Stamm on Bobst Group - Armor Lux. Currently
in 10 - 12 knots of northwesterly breeze, the
Swiss skipper has to manoeuvre his blue monohull
upwind straight into the storm: "Like any
system, they come with confused seas and crazy
winds, but it's calmer right now. I'm not out
of the woods though, as the next 48 hours will
be just as torturous, and only after that will
things be much clearer."
After
climbing 26m to the top of Tiscali's rig no less
than 11 times in the last 48 hours, Italian skipper
Simone Bianchetti is not giving himself a moment
of rest as he now tries to make up the lost miles
and keep hold of his second place. In a satellite
call, Bianchetti explained all: "The screw
had come right out and under pressure from the
battens the carbon fibre on the track broke above
the 3rd spreader. My body is shattered - I spent
over 4 hours up the mast at one time - but I haven't
slept for 24hrs, as I need to push the boat even
harder and the weather here is so confusing. I
can't sail into very strong winds with this damage
so I will avoid the low pressure."
Bianchetti
is being given a breathing space as light winds
plague Solidaires and Pindar coming up behind
him. However, some light needs to be shone on
Bruce Schwab, who has cunningly kept in the pressure
over to the West. At 8 knots, Ocean Planet is
going twice as fast as his rivals to the East,
and is now under 100 miles from Tiscali in terms
of DTF. British skipper Emma Richards is trying
to keep her cool as Pindar sychronises a westerly
gybe with Solidaires to move away from another
wind hole in the high pressure: "I stopped
moving completely for about 3 hours this afternoon,
quite frustrating but at least Solidaires did
the same thing. I am happy doing 5 knots now compared
with not moving, but its still only half the speed
of the others! I am prepared for another 3 or
more days of light wind now as we have not made
it through this funny pattern as quick as I had
hoped. C'est la vie!"
In
Class 2 life is looking up for the "tenacious
Tim Kent" as Brad Van Liew calls his fellow
American skipper. Despite reoccuring autopilot
problems, Everest Horizontal's skipper has gained
over 30 miles on Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America
in the falling breeze, with the 'not so secret'
Code 5 sail clearly having some effect. Under
150 miles separates these two Open 50's as they
race on a course directly behind that of Schwab
over to the West. Fastest boat in the whole fleet
today at over 9 knots is Open 40 Spirit of yukoh,
skippered by Japanese Kojiro Shiraishi, who is
still enjoying the stronger winds of the trades.
And
finally…Bermudian Alan Paris is finding
at last the small benefits of being at the back
of the pack. In steady winds for another 3 days,
whilst the boats ahead negotiate tricky conditions,
BTC Velocity is in perfect reaching conditions,
which keep the boat level and make it easier for
the injured skipper to move around the cabin and
deck. "The searing temperatures have backed
down some so that cabin is now reaching a high
of 88 degrees, not the brutal 96 degrees that
has been common since leaving Salvador. As the
mileage to Newport decreases I am increasingly
feeling the comfort of being in home waters. With
Bermuda on the horizon I am savoring all the sensations
of being at sea, alone."
Mary
Ambler -- mambler@clipper-ventures.com
Source:
Around
Alone Official Site
