The latest daily news from Ellen to Dr Krumnacker
Segel.de
* A hyper-competitive Ellen, has a tough time as she deals with a tactical
error that loses her a few miles...at the same time, all outgoing comms were
down in the past 36 hours, so it was getting pretty bottled up! We have fax
comms back now, but nothing else. AND it wasn't as bad as she thought... positioned 6th this morning just 5 miles from Active Wear in 5th,
and Coville not positioned but interpolated as 4th.
* Wild surfing across the fleet on approach to Kerguelen Islands, as the
pace continues without let up, this race has turned out exactly how many
people imagined, and how the skippers feared, raced with an infernal rhythm
One mistake and the fleet doesn't wait for you...
* Mich Desj (PRB) continues to hold his lead of over a 100 miles on SILL
(but just remember at 20 knots this is only a matter of hours...in the time
you go to sleep, the top 5 positions could all change...). Parlier pushing
110% to get back with the leading two, meanwhile the group behind are not
taking it easy. If you saw Thalassa (France 3 TV) last night you would have
seen the most amazing surfing pictures sent back by Mich...how can you sleep
with this happening on deck?!
AFTER NO COMMUNICATION FOR 32 HOURS DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS ONBOARD
ELLEN BY FAX THIS MORNING
Position 47° 01S 068° 45E
heading/speed 123 14 with wild surfs to 30 knots...
Wind betwenn 30 and 45 knots
Sea temperature 5 C
Latest comms first :
Fax1 : @%&@^@*& windy. we're doing 30 knots. will try to call if B works...
Fax2 : B*****. Islands again. The Kerguelens have a shallow area to the
north. On present gybe we'll cross the top bit. Generally its 180 metres
everywhere, but there is a bit at just 13m and another at 11m, though 60
miles from land. I dare n't risk it. I don't want to sail deep for fear of
breaking something so I"ll stick in 3rd reef and gybe for an hour.
Frustrating, but I couldn't have sailed deeper, not today anyway! Hoping you
get this, I still can't email, but fax seems ok.
Fax 3 : You're dead right, it was the Australian LES. Awesome, the SatcomC
is working again. I even changed the antenna, thinking it was that. Its not
funny not being able to send things back, but all ok now thank god. I really
screwed up yesterday, I misread my notes and was waiting too long for the
pressure to drop before gybing. Stupid fool - I was so *&**&* off I cried
myself to sleep in my bunk, for the first time. Can't sail as deep as the
other, tried everything yesterday knowing they were deeper - even put the
staysail out to windward in 40 knots...nearly killed myself! Not easy, and
rather exposed.
So angry during night that I put up the genoa in 35 knots, seemed OK. Fast
if nothing else...now blowing 40...TIME TO ROLL IT UP! more soon. IT FEELS
WONDERFUL TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE AT THE END OF THIS MESSAGE!!
love
e xx
Fax 4 : [a part of yesterday's words that never got through...]
The last 24 hours have been some of the highest and lowest of the race so
far. The weather yesterday was looking so against our favour as the
depression sped along faster than predicted to, as I though tat the time,
eat us and give strong headwinds. I was determined to fight to the last, and
Kingfisher performed brilliantly, fighting through the headwinds to gain
ground to the north. By the skin of our teeth we MADE IT. ..the front passed
over and we were blessed with winds from the WNW, as we've had all night.
Any further south, and I'm sure we would have been caught in
headwinds...lets see if the choice paid off...
The sea now is awful, again as it was yesterday evening...the wind changed
through 90 degrees, aso we crashed and banged our way along - trying to find
a compromise between speed and safety. Twe spent several hours with the
gennaker up, then as the sun set, and the wind increased to 27 knots, once
again it came down. - and we've had an increase to 35 this am. The night
gave me a few hours of stable weather so I could relax and recuperate
inside. Yesterday I was cold and exhausted. Not managing anything other than
a few cereal bars and peanuts all day...but there is nothing better than the
thought of gaining a few miles to make you sing out load, and heat up! This
morning there have been many squalls go over - some with up to 40 knots...I
hand steered a few of these, it was impressive to see the sheer volumes of
foaming blue frothy water piling over her decks...the cockpit is proving to
be a perfect bath tub! Great for a polar bear, but at 4 degrees a bit cold
for me! Very much hoping that this morning we've gained, and that
yesterday's effort was worthwhile...oh well whatever the outcome, its faster
downwind than up....
e xx
[Ed Note : as it turns out, although the first action worked well, Ellen
then reindexed too long on north going gybe and lost a number of miles...her
resultant disappointment at her mistake is evident. But the reality is not
as bad as it looked to her at the time PS. there is no competition running
to guess the words in ****!]
|
