Oceanracing 2001 - Volvo Ocean Race 2001/2002

Volvo Ocean Race 2001/2002

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Southampton, England, November 17th, 2001 04.00hrs GMT
djuice squeeze 403 miles in 24 hours
Volvo Ocean Race leader’s djuice have established a new 24 hour record run for this leg (so far) this morning, sailing 403 miles upto 04.00hrs GMT, while extending their lead over ASSA ABLOY to 11 miles.
Team SEB reindex in third, while fourth placed Team News Corp’s southerly position is now paying dividends. Jez Fanstone’s men are powering southeast and have cut their deficit on djuice to only 20 miles.
“We're smoking.... sitting on 18 knots and surfing to 28 knots. We now have a fractional spinnaker on, one reef in the index in 34 knots from the west. Everything, including the toothbrushes, is stacked down the back of the boat to keep the bow out of the water,” wrote navigator Ross Field in an email this morning. News Corp also sailed an impressive 24-hour period, covering 400 nautical miles.

Southampton, England, November 17th, 2001 Day 7
Southern Pay Day?
After spending several days in the northern group, mixing it with ASSA ABLOY and Team SEB, Knut Frostad, skipper of leading yacht djuice, seems to agree with Team News Corp’s analysis of the weather patterns over the coming days.
Until now, Fanstone’s crew have been on a lone crusade in the deep south, setting themselves up for a future charge on the pack that looks like it has now begun. A succession of quick days has pulled them to within 23 miles of djuice and now the Norwegian flagged yacht is starting to dive southeast to join Fanstone’s team, who are at 51 degree’s south.
Since the fleet left the coast of South Africa, Team News Corp has been the most westerly and then most southerly yacht, as the fleet veered east and picked up the roaring forties of the Southern Ocean.
After a day of slight hesitation, when navigator Ross Field wasn’t sure if their position was ultimately the right move – “I have kept questioning myself, is there more pressure down here? Is there a better angle here? Shall we dive north at pace and take the gain and fall in behind?” - the crew on the blue and white Farr design have been like the cat that has the cream.
“We're smoking.... sitting on 18 knots and surfing to 28 knots. Now we have a fractional spinnaker on, one reef in the index [sail] in 34 knots from the west. Everything, including the toothbrushes, is stacked down the back of the boat to keep the bow out of the water,” reported Field this morning.
And still they are confident their situation will get better. “We are still well to the south and in better wind so should take more miles in the next sched,” added Field earlier.
Significantly, djuice and Team News Corp were the fastest two yachts in the fleet over the last twenty-four hour period, achieving 404 and 399 miles respectively up to 10.00hrs GMT this morning.
With ASSA ABLOY and Team SEB in the north, a difference of tactical opinion is forming with an interesting and perhaps decisive few days ahead.