KINGFISHER2
GOES TO `AMBER`...
Thursday, 23 January 2003
IN BRIEF
*
KINGFISHER2 STANDBY MODE GOES TO 'AMBER' - CREW
TO RETURN TO LORIENT FOR SUNDAY
*
POTENTIAL DEPARTURE MONDAY OR TUESDAY NEXT WEEK
AS WEATHER STABILISES FOR KINGFISHER2 JULES VERNE
RECORD ATTEMPT...
*
MACARTHUR EXPLAINS HOW THE "WATCH" SYSTEM
WILL WORK ON KINGFISHER2...
*
MEDIA NOTE: MEDIA INTENDING TO TRAVEL TO LORIENT
FOR THE DEPARTURE WILL BE PROVIDED WITH CONFIRMATION
TOMORROW IN TIME TO MAKE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS.
Kingfisher
plc is one of Europe's leading retailers and title
sponsor of Ellen MacArthur since 1998. The 110
ft catamaran KINGFISHER2 is sailing under the
colours of B&Q and Castorama, the principle
home improvement businesses
of the company.
IN
DETAIL
Skipper
Ellen MacArthur has made the call for the crew
of KINGFISHER2 to return to Lorient as standby
mode goes to AMBER in anticipation of a good weather
window developing for next Monday or Tuesday.
"Right now, both weather models are showing
a really good weather opportunity early next week,"
said MacArthur. "There is a 60-70% chance
of departure so we have asked all the crew to
return to Lorient by Sunday."
Ellen
has been in Hamburg studying the weather options
with KINGFISHER2 weather router Dr Meeno Schrader
- the decision to change standby mode was taken
to give the 14 crew spread across Europe (from
Sweden to Spain) sufficient time to return to
the base in France. But there is the possibility
that the standby mode may go back to RED if the
High Pressure area needed to develop northerly
winds disappears.
There
is a sense of urgency for KINGFISHER2 to depart
on the non-stop round the world Jules Verne record
attempt but in this game patience is a true virtue.
Whilst KINGFISHER2 waits, Olivier de Kersauson
on GERONIMO is now in day 11 of their record attempt
having set a new record to the Equator and escaping
the Doldrums quickly to continue their passage
south off the coast of Brazil.
http://www.grandsrecords.com
Once
KINGFISHER2 is underway the 14 crew will fall
into a 4-hour watch system of three watches -
4 hours "on watch", 4 hours "on
standby" and 4 hours "off watch"
with 4 crew in each system. On watch effectively
means the four crew in that system will be driving
the boat; on standby and the crew must be ready
to go on deck at a moment's notice to help with
manoeuvres although they can be resting down below;
off watch means you're off - time to get some
rest and relaxation.
The
only crew exclusions from the watch system are
Ellen MacArthur, to give her the freedom to navigate
round the clock, and Andrew Preece who is in charge
of all the media communications. Each watch system
is run by a "watch leader" - on board
KINGFISHER2 these are:
Watch
leader - Guillermo Altadill plus crew Benoit Briand,
Kevin McMeel, Damian Foxall
Watch leader - Neal McDonald plus crew Bruno Dubois,
Anthony Merrington (aka Youngster), Jason Carrington
Watch leader - Hervé Jan plus crew Ronan
Le Goff, Andrew Henderson (aka Hendo), Nigel King
The
14 crew are divided into separate hulls that become
their living area - Guillermo, Benoit, Bruno,
Jason, Ronan and Hendo in the port hull and Kevin,
Damian, Neal, Youngster, Hervé and Nigel
in starboard. Ellen will sleep in a bunk directly
above the navigation station in the starboard
hull. KINGFISHER2 may be a "giant catamaran"
but living space is cramped.
