Le
Défi Atlantique - Team Cowes Loses Miles
To VMI As Thomson Grabs Lead
STB
GYBE - 10 KNOTS S - APPROX 420 MILES NW CANARY
ISLANDS - TEAM COWES 5TH - DISTANCE TO LEADER
AT RACING 272 MILES
IN
BRIEF:
*
TEAM COWES SAILS INTO WINDLESS HOLE LOSING SOME
SERIOUS MILES..."Yesterday afternoon tried
to cut corner on the high pressure and didn't
sail as west as other guys...the wind just shut
off and haven't been able to dig way out."
Moloney now trails 4th placed VMI by 85 miles
compared to around 20 miles yesterday morning:
"Right now, I am losing 8 miles an hour which
is killing me..." The wind is forecast to
come back this afternoon and overnight to as much
as 25 knots but the distance to the front runners
may be too great for Moloney to get back in contention
unless the leaders are slowed by a potential high
pressure off Cape Finisterre in a couple of days
time.
*
ALEX THOMSON CONTINUES HIS CHARGE TO TAKE THE
LEAD FROM PRB AND SETS POTENTIAL NEW 24 HOUR SPEED
RECORD...AT Racing has stormed into the lead albeit
a marginal one of a couple of miles ahead of PRB
and at the same time has laid claim to setting
a new 24 hour solo speed record of 466 miles beating
the existing record by around 35 miles [the record
has yet to be ratified by the WSSRC].
AUDIO
CALL NICK MOLONEY - 1000GMT 12.12.03:
Yesterday afternoon tried to cut corner on the
high pressure and didn't sail as west as other
guys. Basically, I wasn't sure of Golding's line
and was using him as an indication of not enough
wind. So I decided to make course of 010 - direct
course to Finisterre is 030. Everything was okay
but then within 15 minutes the wind just shut
off. I got caught by the high pressure and haven't
been able to dig way out. In desperation, I even
gybed back north west which is just brutal because
you are not making anything on the mark...d esperately
looking for wind and didn't find anything - no
increase or shifts. Gybed back last night at around
2200 GMT and have been on this gybe all night
to try and minimize loss by heading for the mark
in about 10 knots of wind. Jo-Jo is in around
20 knots and he only had a small light period
of 15 knots last night.
The
effect of a low pressue is supposed to be pushing
over me today but just not coming right now...at
0500 I had 14 knots and at 1000 I have 10 knots.
Just gotta hope I get some wind. All gribs show
the wind filling around lunchtime and building
to 20 knots this evening and about 25 knots by
morning. My only hope, looking at the weather
off Cape Finisterre in a few days time when the
guys in the front arrive there, is a big high
pressure and I could catch up with the southerly
wind. I guess the leaders are about two days away
now and there is also light air forecast across
Biscay when they get there.
But
it's not looking great for me either as on the
15th there are still some big areas of quite light
wind across Biscay that should free when the front
runners are about halfway across that looks set
to free a bit and I'll just be going into the
bay.
Right
now, I am losing 8 miles an hour which is killing
me. But I can't do anything more...I have spinnaker
on and full main doing around 9 knots dead running
and numbers are what they should be. I just have
to cop it in on the chin and find out what happens
up the track. I totally missed the train north
but, hopefully, something will happen and soon!
LE DEFI POSITIONS 12.12.03 0500GMT:
Pos/Skippers Name/Boat Name/Lat/Long/DTL/DTF
1st Alex Thomson / AT Racing / N345704 / W0241084
/ 0 / 1257.0 2nd Vincent Riou / PRB / N340700
/ W0231912 / 2.2 / 1259.2 3rd Mike Golding / Ecover
/ N322110 / W0243791 / 123.9 / 1380.9 4th Sébastien
Josse / VMI/ N310956 / W0245316 / 185.6 / 1442.6
5th Nick Moloney / TEAM COWES / N295180 / W0254328
/ 272.8 / 1529.8 6th Joe Seeten / Arcelor-Dunkerque
/ N252676 / W0273620 / 543.9 / 1800.9 7th Benoît
LEQUIN / Wel.network / N212704 / W0284456 / 393.3
/ 2035.2 8th Benoît PARNAUDEAU / Colibri
/ N233952 / W0294752 / 700.6 / 1957.6 9th Anne
LIARDE / Gonna Gitcha / N212504 / W0295776 / 816.8
/ 2073.8 10th Jean Pierre Dick / Virbac / NN212956
/ W0304628 / 838.2 / 2095.2
For Race Information go to www.defi-atlantique.org
