TJV:DRAMATIC FIRST NIGHT FOR FLEET IN CHANNEL GUSTS UP TO 60 KNOTS...
Datum: 02. Nov 2003 11:52
IN BRIEF:
* TOUGH FIRST NIGHT FOR OPEN 60 & 50-FOOT MULTIHULL FLEET...since leaving
the start port of Le Havre yesterday afternoon at 1400GMT the 17 Open 60s
have been battered by winds of 35 knots from the SW in the English channel
gusting up to 60 knots in the early hours of this morning...
* TEAM COWES IN 5TH POSITION BEHIND OPEN 60 RACE LEADER, ECOVER...no log
received from TEAM COWES skippers Nick Moloney and Sam Davies - an
indication that they are racing in survival mode.
* LEADERS TIGHTLY BUNCHED, WITH TEAM COWES 14 miles behind race leader
Ecover (Golding/Thompson) as the top 6 boats head towards the mouth of the
English Channel. At 0900GMT the leaders were less than 50 miles from the
Atlantic Ocean, mid-channel between north Brittany and Falmouth.
* OPEN 60 LOIRE ATLANTIQUE (Koch) HEADING BACK TO CHERBOURG to repair ripped
mainsail...
* AIR SEA RESCUE FOR CANADIAN SKIPPERS...Georges Leblanc and Marc Nadeau
racing the Canadian Open 60 entry Ciment St-Lauren Océan lost there keel in the
early hours of this morning... The two skippers have been air lifted from
the stricken craft at 0630GMT this morning.
* 50-FOOT MULTIHULL ATLANTIC NATURE BREAKS MAST at second spreader... French skipper Anne Caseneuve reported gusts of 50+ knots from the SW when the mast broke at 0500GMT this morning.
* WEATHER FORECAST SHOWS UPWIND SLOG TO CONTINUE...for the next 12 hours
from 0600GMT the wind from the south-west is set to blow at around a
constant 30 knots with gusts up to 50 knots later today. The main concern
is the sea state - predicted wave height of 8 meters - boat breaking
conditions...
* 60-FOOT MULTIHULLS ON STANDBY FOR DEPARTURE...expected either Tuesday
night or Wednesday morning subject to the weather conditions. TJV race
organisers confirmed that if the 60-foot multihull fleet depart Tuesday they
will still maintain a course of 5,190 rounding the Ascension Islands to
starboard but if the start is delayed till Wednesday or later, the fleet
will head on a direct course to the finish at Salvador de Bahia.
TOP 10 OPEN 60 POSITIONS AT 0900GMT 2.11.03:
Pstn/Boat Name/Long/Lat/Speed/Course/DTF/DTL
1 ECOVER / 49 38.52'N / 4 17.64'W / 9.1 / 285 / 4194.4 / 0.0
2 SILL / 49 44.92'N / 4 12.36'W / 9.8 / 284 / 4201.7 / 7.3
3 PRB / 49 43.64'N / 4 00.48'W / 5.4 / 254 / 4204.4 / 10.0
4 VIRBAC / 49 45.64'N / 4 02.40'W / 9.2 / 287 / 4205.5 / 11.1
5 TEAM COWES / 49 41.68'N / 3 43.52'W / 8.8 / 278 / 4208.5 / 14.1
6 CARREFOUR PREVENTION / 49 47.04'N / 3 50.76'W / 6.5 / 293 / 4210.5 / 16.1
7 ARCELOR-DUNKERQUE / 49 45.20'N / 3 41.00'W / 7.2 / 286 / 4212.3 / 17.9
8 VMI / 49 49.04'N / 3 50.56'W / 9.3 / 279 / 4212.4 / 18.0
9 PINDAR / 49 48.16'N / 3 39.80'W / 9.0 / 282 / 4215.2 / 20.8
10 CHEMINEES POUJOULAT-ARMOR LUX / 49 49.84'N / 3 42.80'W / 9.5 / 283 / 4215.6 / 21.2
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