Rolex Fastnet - Race Update: Wednesday 13th

There are a few sore heads this morning after crews of the first five boats celebrated their arrival in Plymouth and the completion of the 608mile race.

Following Alfa Romeo who took line honours after finishing on the 12th at 19.12, pipping Zephyrus V to the post by 10 minutes, Nokia, owned by Carphone Warehouse boss, Charles Dunstone came across the line off the Plymouth breakwater at 21.29. Only two other boats have arrived in the early hours this morning, Mike Slade’s Leopard coming in at 00.30 and the first of the Open 60 class, VMI raced by Frenchman Sebastien Josse who crossed the line at –1.25 and took off back to France hoping to arrive in time for breakfast. Rolex photographer, Guido Cantini and press officer Marcus Hutchinson went out to greet the boat and to take some pictures for the international media before they headed back to home waters.

The atmosphere is fairly quiet around the marina this lunchtime as the waiting game continues for the arrival of the next group of boats. The Open 60 PRB is expected later this afternoon after reporting 19 miles to the finish at midday with very light winds and going 4 knots.

A hungry Mike Broughton aboard Jazz called in to report that someone on board must have a secret stash of food as a chocolate wrapper had been found and the crew were still on food rations of half a Pot Noodle each. They had just rounded Bishops Rock and were “Having a great time and enjoying every moment of the race but looking forward to getting to Plymouth this evening”. As they rounded Bishops Rock they were in sight of Nicorette the Whitbread maxi with Hugo Boss about 2 miles behind them. They reported light NE winds with a strong tide of around 8 knots. Jazz needs to arrive by 1700 today in order to take the Fastnet Challenge Cup from Nokia who currently have this prestigious trophy in its grasp.

Other updates from the fleet include:-

Zwerver at 12/08/2003 15:19
50 44.1 N 007 50.2 W

Ship’s Log reads:-
It resembles a summer cruise: a flat sea, sun, a light breeze and a relaxed and well rested crew. The eye of the high arrived earlier today, with the barometer rising to 1024 hpa and the wind dying to 0.00.

Cees naps, Bruce makes a whipping at the ending of one of the guys, and Mike and Pat could be found teaching Eveline Chesapeke Bay Sailing Slang, which makes for a most entertaining, and telling, conversation. We see some boats without headsails, some without mainsails, some with all of their crew on the bow, and a few mildly amused dolphins, slowly cruising in the midst of it all.

After lunch (cold pasta), a light breeze from the North West sets the
whole circus in motion, and when the modern, lighter, and mostly smaller boats have caught up with us again, we are, as usual, the last boat to leave the parking lot.

frans.van.schaik@zwerver.org

S/Y ZWERVER
NED 1038 Follow us on www.zwerver.org - ship's log!

Youngest Crew Person? 16 year old Robert Bashford’s father Nick contacted us to see if his son, racing on the Sigma 38 Inspiration is the youngest Fastnet competitor this year. Robert may well be the youngest person sailing although this cannot be easily confirmed. However, several boats have registered for the special trophy – the Duncan Munro-Kerr Memorial Trophy – awarded to the best yacht on corrected time with a skipper aged between 18 and not more than 30 on the 12th of August.

Race Update from Hugo Boss - 08:40hrs, 13th August
Position: 50 08 N 06 48 W
Boatspeed: Nil!
Wind speed/direction: Nil!
Sea state: Millpond!
30m to Scilly Islands

HUGO BOSS IN NO WIND SITUATION
Alex Thomson, skipper of Formula 1 Sailing's Farr 65 HUGO BOSS, sounded weary on the satellite phone this morning: "We've been holed up in a big NCP Car Park for the last hour, and I feel like every fraction of a mile we've gained on our competition ahead and behind since rounding the Fastnet Rock yesterday is slipping away again. I'm less confident of a podium finish now, but saying that it's not over until we cross the line and anything could still happen.
"Up until 1 hour ago we'd been averaging 8 knots boatspeed in a nice 10 - 12 ENE breeze with the spinnaker up, but the headsail's been hoisted now. Jazz and Snow Lion are parked with us on our starboard beam and I think the boats behind will catch a new breeze and could make up ground on us if we don't get moving soon! We've sent a man up the mast to look for wind, and I've just been furiously checking every weather information available to us either online or on the radio, it's frustrating all round. I'm going up on deck to break the bad news to the crew now..."
For latest news, images and audio from the HUGO BOSS Farr 65 in the Rolex Fastnet Race : www.hugoboss.com

... official site Rolex Fastnet Race