08.02.2001
The latest daily news from Ellen to Dr Krumnacker
Segel.de
* PRB and KINGFISHER now have less than 1000 miles to go, in this marathon
round the world race. For Kingfisher, nine hundred to go out of 24,000
gruelling miles around the planet. PRB has hung on to the first depression
for longer as Ellen has slipped in to the lighter winds that proceed the
next system. This morning she was sailing in 15 to 18 knots of wind,
downwind, with a sloppy sea slowing her progress, but with the cold front
approaching..."Its raining now which is a good sign as the new wind I hope
will fill in soon. It also marks the end of the blue sky - I think we are
back in European waters!"
* SILL becalmed at 817 miles from PRB and 635 miles from KINGFISHER, having
been swallowed up again by the Azores High Pressure System. The ultimate
psychological test for a skipper after so many miles.
* Latest guess at ETA is sometime on Sunday, later rather than earlier, for
Kingfisher and Saturday for PRB - problems aside. And these last few miles
are the ones that are hardest for boat and skipper.
FOLLOWING LOTS OF REQUESTS WE'VE CREATED A LARGE FORMAT IMAGEBANK OF THE
VERY BEST PHOTOS SENT BACK BY ELLEN DURING THE RACE.
THEY ARE NOT COPYRIGHT FREE (refer to info@offshorechallenges.com for
authorisation) but they are free for personal pleasure on your PC...
Click here to enter the photo story of the Vendee Globe...
http://www.kingfisher-challenges.com/cgi-bin/xtra/imagebank
Well certainly not as much sleep as the night before, so a bit tired,
lighter winds have meant its been quite hard to keep Kingfisher going -
especially as the sea is really sloppy which means the boat slaps around and
is stopped by each wave.
It must be nearly time to get home - I've run out of chocolate, no more
cheese or crackers, no more sweets other than the ones that after 90 days I
can't cope with any more - but plenty of freeze dried food for anyone that
wants it! A nice pizza is what I could do with right now...
I saw my first plane since the start during the night, the flashing light a
real reminder that civilisation was not so far away - for good or for bad. I
would be happy for the race to finish today, but I'm also not sure what will
have changed since I left. The most important thing to me is to see my
friends and family, its been a long time out here.
THIS DAY IN THE LAST RACE : Situated at the latitude of the Cape Verde
islands, Christophe Auguin continues his climb north. "The boat and the
skipper are suffering". Catherine Chabaud is at 334 miles from Cape Horn.
CASTO KID OF THE DAY : A Donf to MARIANE at Hopital Gustave Roussy,
Villejuif
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