SPEED NOT LOVE - 567 MILES IN 24 HOURS!

SUMMARY: 0700 GMT 14.2.03
Position: 38 30' S 26 48' W

Ahead/Behind the record: 14 hours 0 minutes behind Orange (using WP5) Ahead/Behind Geronimo: 78 hours 33 minutes behind Geronimo (using WP5) DAY 15 24 hour run (point to point) : Kingfisher2 567 nm, Orange 226 nm, Geronimo 525 nm End DAY 15 distance to go (on theoretical course) : KF2 19592 nm, Orange 19367 nm, Geronimo 18335 nm Click on POSITIONS link at http://www.teamkingfisher.com to see graphic images comparing the tracks of these 3 challengers at 4 hourly intervals.

Av/Max boat speed in last hour: 19.12 / 28.5 knots
Av/Max wind speed in last hour: 25.49 / 32.8 knots Wind direction: 349
Distance to WP5 42 00'S / 18 28'W 490nm south Cape Town: 2061 (theorectical shortest distance)

IN BRIEF:

* NO CHOCOLATES OR FLOWERS ON VALENTINES DAY BUT PLENTY of boat speed, as KINGFISHER2 SCORES BEST 24 HOUR RUN - a blistering 567 miles in the past 24 hours. "At last, we're off...thermals, 30 knots of wind and we're hooning!" Check out the wind speed graphs and boat speed graphs in POSITIONS at http://www.teamkingfisher.com

* MACARTHUR AND CREW MAKE UP 17 HOURS ON RECORD DEFICIT thanks to the high mileage clocked up in the last 24 hours and their position south. Orange on day 14 last year ran 226 miles positioned at 32 south - a gradual gaining back of some miles but still a long way to go... Although, the record deficit on GERONIMO shows no improvement as Geronimo also sailed 500+ miles on day 14...

* KINGFISHER2 IS BLASTING DOWNWIND UNDER full main and storm spinnaker in 30 knots of wind from the north west, now under a 100 miles from the 40 degree south line, and the official entry in to the Southern Ocean.

* FIRST ALBATROSS SIGHTING - SURE SIGN THAT THE ATLANTIC is left behind them - after a very difficult descent of the Atlantic, the beautiful gliding bird signifies the start of the next phase - around Antartica leaving the Cape of Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn to port...

* GERONIMO NOT HAVING IT ALL THEIR WAY as they try to keep a southerly (and therefore more direct route) position, but are forced north again by violent Southern Ocean storm and crew see first iceberg at 52 south... http://www.grandsrecords.com

Listen to Ellen's latest audio this morning... Visit http://www.teamkingfisher.com and click on the 'Audio' icon on the menu bar or download from http://www.ocftp.com/audio/em140203a_uk.mp3

Kingfisher operating company of the day VANDEN BORRE: New Vanden Borre is an electrical retailer based in Belgium.

ELLEN PHONECALL 0500GMT: (communications by BT [broadband users check out video and other high speed content at http://kingfisher.sportal.com]

"Sailing along at 23 knots - averaging 26-27 knots though. Incredible how things have changed in the last few hours, never mind days, really. Gone from hot, hot sunshine to sailing downwind in 30 knots of breeze and quite heavy seas. Now we are down to almost south of the 40th parallel so we're heading pretty quickly down into the Southern Ocean and quickly east as well - we had a good day yesterday averaging over 25 knots.

"Yesterday I was sitting down below in the nav station in shorts and t-shirt and now sitting here in thermals, mid layer and blanket over my legs! The water temperature is getting lower and lower - pretty chilly. Amazing how things can change in 24 hours...and today we saw first albatross - in fact, there were two of them - absolutely stunning, massive...

"Should be able to keep this pace for a while longer - sailing along with spinnaker and full main in 28-30 knots breeze. We've got a depression passing underneath us and we need to gybe over the top of that and ride with it as long as we can. Most important thing is to set ourselves up for next depression which is much bigger and more powerful, and we have to pick the right point on the front side of that depression. Seaway not too bad - relatively flat as we're sailing into the back of an old high pressure system but last night it was horrendous, really violent sea, bouncing around everywhere and impossible to write or do anything down below..."

JULES VERNE USHANT (START) TO CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TIMES:
1993 Commodore Explorer (Peyron) 21 days 12 hours 48 minutes 1994 ENZA (Blake/Knox-Johnston) 19 days 17 hours 53 minutes 1997 Sport Elec (de Kersauson) 21 days 18 hours 17 minutes 2002 Orange (Peyron) 18 days 18 hours 40 minutes 2003 Geronimo (de Kersauson) 16 days 14 hours 35 minutes 21 seconds

OMEGA official timekeeper of KINGFISHER2'S Jules Verne record attempt

PERFORMANCE PARTNER OF THE DAY - VIEW FROM: View From is the outdoor and sportswear range of clothing launched by Marks & Spencer. View From are a Lifestyle Partner to Ellen MacArthur and provide clothing to Ellen and Team Kingfisher worn onshore and for training. http://www.ellenmacarthur.com/viewfrom

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Kingfisher plc is one of Europe's leading retailers operating in the international home improvement and electrical and furniture markets. Kingfisher employs around 90,000 people in over 1,397 stores across 16 countries and includes some of the best known retail brands in Europe: B&Q and Comet in the UK and Castorama, Darty and BUT in France. http://www.diy.com http://www.comet.co.uk http://www.kingfisher.com