Le Défi Atlantique - Team Cowes Back Into 4th 425 Miles SW Cape Verde Islands

IN BRIEF:

* TEAM COWES MOVES UP TO 4TH PLACE AS BOATS IN THE EAST take control of the lead again from Virbac and AT Racing positioned approx 200 miles to the west... 75 miles separates top four boats and under 20 miles between Moloney and Sébestian Josse (VMI): "We have about 5-10 knots wind speed - not flash and been like this for whole day but as long as we all have the same conditions, I'm not stressed..."

* FRONT RUNNDERS 450 MILES FROM CAPE VERDE ISLANDS as low depression forecast to come in from the east: "We should have some reaching conditions coming...we will see the effect of this low with more of an easterly breeze...possibility of 25-30 knots but nothing major."

* WITH UNDER 2500 MILES LEFT TO THE FINISH AT LA ROCHELLE the next direct waypoint is Cape Finisterre: "If the depression moves north we will continue to have an easterly gradient which, potentially, could carry us the whole way to Finisterre but would need to be fast to hang on to it...and in solo format that's a tough call."

AUDIO CONF CALL 1400GMT 8/12/03:
This morning I was just laying here resting and got up to have a look around and saw a tanker about 2 miles away coming straight at me. I watched him for a bit to see if he altered his course course but he didn't so called him up and then he altered course. I asked if he had seen me and he said he had but I'm not convinced!

I'm now in 4th about 17 miles behind Jo-Jo (VMI) and maybe I will get to see him later. Still on the wind at the moment and making a course to Cape Finisterre which is our next waypoint really. We should have some reaching conditions coming and looking at being a bit quicker this afternoon, hopefully. We will see the effect of this low with more of an easterly breeze from the rotation of the low which still leaves us on starboard tack and reaching. Possibility of 25-30 knots but nothing major.

We have about 5-10 knots wind speed - not flash and been like this for whole day. Long as we all have the same conditions, I'm not stressed but if someone has more that's when it gets hard mentally. Really impressed that Ecover and PRB have sailed 30 miles west-east and held distance at the same time - that's really impressive. I think reaching PRB is one of the fastest boats and I wouldn't be surprised if Vincent can take something out of Ecover.

If the depression moves north we will continue to have an easterly gradient which, potentially, could carry us the whole way to Finisterre but would need to be fast to hang on to it and whether we can do that in solo format, we will have to wait and see. On our own you can't put everything up to be as fast as you might be with two of you on board. Can't really use the big spinnaker in anything over 15 knots - it's a real handful and you could quickly find yourself in big trouble. I will be more cautious and come one down to the smaller spinnaker if I have too. Also, the masthead halyard is a bit marginal as it is and, again, with two on board you know you could deal with the problem but solo is another issue. It is all good experience to learn the process of what the right tools are, what right the sails are that you can handle on your own to stay out of trouble.

We're all learning so much in this race - even right from the very begining me and Jo-Jo were guaging each other's progress the whole time, you learn what's fast and it's pretty rare to have us all out here together.

EMAIL LOG FROM ON BOARD TEAM COWES - 2310GMT 7.12.03:
most amazing night tonight...full moon calm sea. we are just moving along at 6kts...the wind is very light. sometimes i think we are going to stop but we just keep moving. its terrible but i am hoping that the guys ahead are doing it tougher but i assume that they are not. jo-jo usually rings me when he has light winds to see how much wind i have ...he rang this afternoon but has not rung tonight.

my direction is not great..slightly west of north and slightly away from the new breeze. its black out period now which is always the most worrying...when you are slow...are they fast???

oh, well...there are not too many places i'd rather be right now...its really amazingly peaceful and beautiful. i reckon even if elle mcpherson rang me and said that her and anna were going to the dirt bike races, do i want to come? id probably say .......... well i'd go with the chicks to the dirt bikes of course, but its still pretty cool out here and the phone's not ringing...must be no satellite range.

i'm having a bit of a dilemma....i try to sleep and every few minutes a flying fish jumps onto the deck and flaps around...its so quiet i cannot help thinking 'he's dying out there' and i get up and throw him back in the sea......just lay down again and there's another one......gotta lose the conscience or im going to be pretty tired!

near perfect sailing conditions....if i was 80 miles further north...it would then be perfect. nick team cowes

LE DEFI POSITIONS 6.12.03 1100GMT:
Pos/Skippers Name/Lat/Long/Boat Name/DTL/DTF
1st Mike Golding / Ecover / N145951 / W0292293 / 0 / 2390.3
2nd Vincent Riou / PRB / N143685 / W0292218 / 19.8 / 2410.1
3rd Sébastien Josse / VMI / N141052 / W0295661 / 58.5 / 2448.8 4th Nick Moloney / TEAM COWES / N135115 / W0295559 / 75.3 / 2465.6 5th Alex Thomson / AT Racing / N152845 / W0331356 / 84 / 2474.3 6th Jean Pierre Dick / Virbac / N144521 / W0321451 / 92.1 / 2482.4 7th Benoît LEQUIN / Wel.network / N113129 / W0295517 / 200.4 / 2590.7 8th Joe Seeten / Arcelor-Dunkerque / N120564 / W0320846 / 228.8 / 2619.1 9th Benoît PARNAUDEAU / Colibri / N105459 / W0330223 / 316.3 / 2706.6 10th Anne LIARDET / Gonna Gitcha / N094918 / W0330253 / 374.2 / 2764.5

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