Global Challenge - Frustrations Set To Rise In Light And Fickle Winds

As the Global Challenge fleet settles into its leg 5 stride, having been out at sea for nearly a week the potential for frustration will get ever stronger, as the light airs play fickle games with the crews and set skippers’ nerves on edge.

The two groups making gains today are the leading trio of Team Stelmar, Barclays Adventurer and VAIO, who have pulled out a 10-17nm lead over fourth place BP Explorer, and the very northerly pair of BG SPIRIT and Imagine It. Done.

VAIO has surged forward, with a current speed of 8.4knots, pulling themselves from fifth to third. Amedeo Sorrentino and his team have achieved this by a better wind angle, although they may be in danger of making too much distance east and losing angle on the strengthening trades. Time will tell, but for the moment they are flying!

With more than 6,000 nm left of the race it is far too early to predict who may clench the pole position but this is the leg of the lighter airs and remaining tactically vigilant is at an all time high for the crews.

The potential for the tedium to set in and cause friction onboard will be manifest itself more and more should the weather stay light. Cal Tomlinson, sailing manager of Challenge Business explained how the skippers may be feeling: ”This is the toughest leg on the skippers by a long shot unlike the 1st leg where everyone started on a level platform – i.e. zero points.

“There are a lot of boats out there with a lot to loose and equally a lot to gain. In the lighter conditions skippers will always suffer from the paranoia that someone has more wind than they do. They’ll need to keep crews’ concentration levels up and attention focused on the race. They’ll know that someone, either by fortune or luck, will find some wind and the results of this in light winds can be spectacular. It’ll be unlikely that they’ll get through the next few days without someone finding those winds.”

Finding those winds is obviously of paramount concern for all 12 racing teams, with a shift between those searching east and those searching in the west. It would appear to be the middle runners, however that are profiting the most, at present.

Eero Lehtinen, aboard SAIC La Jolla, the other most southwesterly yacht concurs, saying "Now it's time to cash the risk of being the most western boat in the fleet, we might have to deal with a 30-50 miles gap to the leaders before we are in the trades. Hopefully from there on we would benefit from a better wind angle in the trades for days".

The next waypoint, or mark of the course, is the Penedos de Sao Pedro a Sao Paulo (St Peter and St Paul Rocks), which are north of Ascension Island, relatively close to the coast of Brazil, they are submarine mountains which extend 4000 metres up from the ocean floor, but only 19.5m above sea level. However, the islands do not have to be passed close by. The yachts have to report to the race office when they pass that point to port (as they did for Waypoint Bravo on the last leg), but the reporting point is determined to be when the boat crosses the latitude of the islands (0° 23’ N).

Skipper quotes:
Dee Caffari, skipper of Imagine It. Done: “Wind East of the great circle route is slightly stronger and we are hoping to gain some miles on the leading pack on our way to St Helena.”

Paul Kelly, Team Save the Children: “We’re trying to stay east of the high pressure system. Waiting for breeze to increase from SE. Starting to make some straight line distance to the Equator without going too far west into edge of the high pressure.

Andy Forbes, BG SPIRIT: “The breeze has come into line with current grib files. The last 12 hours has seen our northerly position begin to pay off - the next 36 hours will be critical.”

Clive Cosby, Team Stelmar: “We’re trying to stay mid-fleet. East is not towards Boston, and West = light airs, so taking middle route to get as much VMG in without succumbing to the lighter airs. Gybing on wind shifts.”

David Melville, BP Explorer: “With the fleet spread out over 100 miles east-to-west, and with light winds, it's fingers crossed on BP Explorer as we 'trim ... trim ... trim' to get every knot out of the boat. Now in the tropics, we are expecting the trade winds to strengthen and build over the next few days. Already positioned well east of the great circle line, we want to avoid sliding any further right as this would put us with the south easterly trades directly behind us - a slow point of sail for these yachts.

Stuart Jackson, Barclays Adventurer: “Hopefully North of the South Atlantic high. Making our way up to St Helena and gradually working our way to the left hand side of the fleet.”

Amdeo Sorentino, VAIO: “Maintaining boat performance by gybing to take advantage of local wind conditions. Favoring the eastern side of the rhumb line course to route around the prevailing St Helena high-pressure area.”

Eero Lehtinen, SAIC La Jolla: “Pulling out our hair for frustration as wind drops after such a nice and speedy morning ride with our screaming orange promo kite. Now it's time to cash the risk of being the most western boat in the fleet, we might have to deal with a 30-50 miles gap to the leaders before we are in the trades. Hopefully from there on we would benefit from a better wind angle in the trades for days... If not then we hope that Doldrums is really nasty to the leaders as it was to us on the first leg... Great sailing and lots of laughing on board, boat in good shape as well. We will stay west, at least for now...”

Race positions:

Team Stelmar 5,771 (distance to finish)
Barclays Adventurer 6(miles to leader)
VAIO 7
BP Explorer 17
Spirit of Sark 18
SAIC La Jolla 18
Me To You 21
Samsung 47
BG SPIRIT 49
Imagine It. Done. 54
Pindar 56
Team Save the Children 81

For further information on the race, please visit: www.globalchallenge2004.com