The latest daily news from Ellen to Dr Krumnacker
Segel.de
* Mich Desj (PRB) touched first the beginnings of the Trade Winds yesterday
morning, tacking to the north west in a north easterly wind and closing the
longitude of KINGFISHER (only 90 miles now separates them west/east). After
several hours of total calms, Ellen has also now touched the new breeze, and
whilst losing a few miles of latitude (north/south distance) is firmly in
touch with PRB this morning, 60 miles to his south. It reindexs to be seen if
the wind is in for good - if it is then its finally the start of the next
phase, 1200 miles to the Equator and the Doldrums...
http://www.kingfisher-challenges.com/position/2.shtml
* Marc Thiercelin (ACTIVE WEAR) and Bilou (SILL) reindex very much in
contention just 120 miles to the south, but its now their turn to try to
cross the area of light winds associated with the high pressure system.
Meanwhile SODEBO and UBP are steaming up behind them - the first 6 boats in
this race are now within 560 miles of each other. Anyone in that six could
take the prize...with more than 4000 miles still to go.
* Despite a difficult night in the calms, following by an hour of gruelling
weight shifting in the boat, its a smiling Ellen that reports this morning
of the beautiful day she woke up to - blue sky, flat water, breeze starting
to come from the 'right' direction...a few 'thoughtful' images sent back
from Ellen on the site today http://www.kingfisherchallenges.com
* Marc Thiercelin took advantage of the calmer weather to climb his mast,
which required re-tensioning - going up was easy, coming down was 'a
horror'. His arms are now hurting... Ellen knows all about that! Marc also
has some problems with his watermaker, and only 25 litres of fresh water
reindexing...and thirsty weather. Bilou also climbed has mast, presumably to
now have his genoa back in working order, the job he failed to do at Cape
Horn as a storm forced him to leave early. Bernard Gallay has also now
passed Cape Horn...
I've just woken up to find its a beautiful morning, calm sea, blue sky, just
fantastic. The sea is so flat, its amazing. Last night was hard going
though, and I spent 3 hours or so becalmed, wind coming from all directions,
including south, which wasn't on the menu! But now we have breeze once more
from the north east, not much of it, but we're going ok.
I'm aching a bit, worked hard yesterday on various repairs and then when the
wind came in early this morning I spent an hour shifting every box and piece
of weight on the boat to get the trim right. There are more than 20 boxes
and pieces to shift from compartment to compartment, the idea being to get
the weight distributed in the most efficient places for the position of the
boat in the water. For one thing, we should be on starboard tack for at
least a thousand miles now, the aim is to keep the boat as powered up as
possible, so I've been stacking everything possible on to the starboard side
of the boat [right hand side, with the wind coming from the east], as well
as keeping the weight out of the ends of the boat [to reduce the pitching
motion which also slows the boat].
I didn't eat anything all day yesterday as I worked non-stop. Managed to get
myself a bit sunburnt despite factor 50 sun cream (thanks Superdrug!). Last
night, do you know what I found hiding in the food box - a yoghurt [long
life variety] and a pot of Ambrosia cream - just fantastic! That made my
day, I almost felt like a human being on land again...
ellen
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