Pressemitteilung der illbruck Challenge am 16. Tag der 5. Etappe des Volvo
Ocean Race
24. März 2002
„illbruck“ noch 700 sm vor dem 4. Sieg
27 sm Vorsprung vor „Tyco“, die „Assa Abloy“ überholt hat / Harte
Positionskämpfe
Miami – Die Verfolger sind in einen harten Positionskampf um „Silber“
verstrickt. So steht dem vierten Etappensieg der Leverkusener „illbruck“
auf dem fünften Teilstück des Volvo Ocean Race höchstens noch der
Wettergott entgegen. 27 Seemeilen Vorsprung vor der „Tyco“ (Bermudas)
sprachen am Sonntag Morgen eindeutig für die internationale Crew um
Skipper John Kostecki mit dem Münchner Vorschiffsmann Tony Kolb an Bord.
Die „Tyco“ hatte wiederum in der Nacht unter einer dicken Regenwolke die
schwedische „Assa Abloy“ überholt, die mehrere Tage Platz zwei innehatte.
Noch waren rund 700 Seemeilen bis ins Ziel nach Miami in Florida/USA
zurückzulegen, wo die ersten Yachten am Dienstag (26. März) erwartet
werden.
„Zum ersten Mal sind wir am Sonnabend von den beiden anderen weggefahren“,
berichtete Steuermann und Segeltrimmer Noel Drennan. Bis dahin hatte die
„illbruck“-Crew immer versucht, die Verfolger zu decken, um ihnen keinen
unkontrollierbaren Ausbruch zu einer Seite des Kurses zu ermöglichen.
Gleich im nächsten Positionsbericht hatte das deutsche Boot dann auch
schon mehr als zehn Seemeilen gewonnen. Doch an der Spitze des Felds wird
der Wind immer unsteter, und der Vorsprung schmolz nochmals. Darauf lauern
die Gegner bis zum Schluss, um jedwede Gelegenheit, die überragende
„illbruck“ doch noch zu passieren, nicht zu verpassen.
Allerdings wird ein Angriff immer unwahrscheinlicher, je dichter die
nachfolgenden Boote ihre eigene aktuelle Position verteidigen müssen.
Weitere Duelle gibt es weiter hinten im Feld. Hinter der viertplazierten
„SEB“ (Schweden/80 sm zurück) kämpfen die „Amer Sports One“
(Finnland/Italien, 104) und die „News Corp“ (Australien/107) um Rang fünf.
Und auch am Ende des Felds bleibt es spannend, denn die reine Frauencrew
der „Amer Sports Too“ (168) wehrt sich nach wie vor erfolgreich gegen das
aufrückende Schlusslicht „djuice“ (Norwegen/173). Diese Boote dürften
jedoch mit der Vergabe der Medaillen, sprich Kristalltrophäen, nichts mehr
zu tun haben.
Southampton, England, March 24, 2002 Day 16
Pressure Builds On illbruck
Race leader illbruck has been fending off constant challenges from ASSA
ABLOY and Tyco successfully all week but in the last 12 hours has seen a
respectable cushion of 37 miles dramatically cut back to just 25 miles.
This has coincided with the complete loss of their lightweight running
gennaker when the crew of John Kostecki's pacesetters were caught out by a
squall which hit them mid-gybe.
"We had a big squall come through and the wind speed went up 15 to 20
knots very quickly," Kostecki said this morning. "The gennaker broke in
the middle of the gybe and it went into the water - we lost 100 per cent
of the sail," he added.
Predictably, Kostecki downplayed the effect the loss would have on the
armoury of their sail wardrobe - and their downwind speed in lighter airs.
"It'd be nice to have it," he admitted. “At this time we don't think it's
going to be too detrimental."
Nevertheless, having barely put a foot wrong all race Kostecki will be
looking back over his shoulder at the chasing pack as they close down on
him. "It's looking like it's going to be light from here on out," he said.
"The fleet has been catching up, but that's the name of the game. Time
will tell."
Talking to Tyco’s shore manager Ian Stewart, the situation looks entirely
different as he is convinced that “…the light downwind gennaker is the
toughest gap to fill with other sails. In two boat testing, when one boat
is using this sail at its optimum and the other one uses a wrong one, the
difference can be a couple of hundred metres in ten minutes. With a 30
mile lead and 600 miles to go it is a very critical situation, I’d be
nervous.”
North UK’s sail-maker Richard Hinde-Smith had similar thoughts about the
situation, saying: “Kostecki might have taken a second sail with him, he
is that smart. Otherwise they could have a problem. He should be looking
over his shoulder and hope that the weather stays in his favour. It is
hard to calculate how big the difference is, but 30 miles is not a lot. If
you have to use a flatter asymmetric instead, you miss the angle and if
you are five degrees out of the optimum, the other guys get away.” North
Sails has made the sails for all boats.
ASSA ABLOY and Tyco, meanwhile, are locked together in their long-running
scrap for second place separated by only a mile. Some 50 miles astern SEB
has indextained a breathing space back to Amer Sports One who are in turn
locked into a nip and tuck tussle with News Corp.
All the navigators will now be looking ahead down the course at the
succession of waypoints, which they have to follow through the Bahamas.
The fleet is currently passing East Caicos, which is left to port, as are
San Salvador and Eleuthera Island the next two waypoints. On the final run
in to the finish the boats have to pass between Great Abaco Island, to the
right, and the Great Isaac Light, which is left to port.
Meanwhile, at the back of the fleet djuice dragons are on the brink of
passing Lisa McDonalds all-women crew on Amer Sports Too, just two miles
behind. And, in a reflection of developments at the front of the fleet,
sail choices - or the lack of them - could be at the root of the issue.
Amer Sports Too crew Emma Westmacott reported: 'I am going to quote
Miranda [Merron] now, our navigator, who yesterday, in a fit of rage,
(which as anyone who knows Miranda will know is very unlike her), and say
that out of two and a half tonnes of sails on board, we do not have one
that is right for our crew, the wind angle and wind speed that we need to
go right now.
'The sails have been great for the other part of the leg, but now when
djuice is breathing down our necks and we need to stay between them and
the mark, we are struggling.
"No doubt everyone is in the same cross-over between Code 3 and 5, but at
slightly different points, it is just unfortunate that djuice is obviously
not in their cross-over right now... and we are. Anyway we have got
these sail changes down to a fine art and continue to roll through them.
'If we don't keep up the speed and do allow djuice two miles per sked,
they will overtake us by the end of the leg. So there is no slacking,
dozing, lack of concentration. We have got this far; it would be gutting
to lose it now. So drag out the extra coffee and keep going."
2002-03-24, 22:00
Busy little bees.
Most of the Volvo Ocean Fleet are moving in excess of eleven knots
Northeast in a fifteen knot South easterly breeze, with an air temperature
of 32 degrees centigrade to work in. The three leading yachts have passed
East Caicos Islands already.
Sail trimming is intense and as always with these boats the crews are
continually moving the water ballast around to maximise the boat trim.
They also have to contend with radar monitoring of the rain clouds, which
have the biggest local effect on the breeze in this location. So all in
all it will be an extremely busy time for every one for the next 700 or so
nautical miles to Miami, they can not let their guard down for a minute.
Most of the fleet have made precious miles up on the leader Illbruck, Tyco
6 miles and the biggest gain was for ASSA ABLOY of 7 nautical miles.
Djuice at the back of the fleet was the only boat not to gain on the lead
boat, however they have not lost any miles either, reindexing at a distance
of 154 miles to the lead.
It looks to be a very exciting next few days.
Volvo Ocean Race Position Report, Day 16, 2152 GMT
PS Yacht Latitude Longitude DTF CMG SMG TFHR DTL DTL-C ETA PO
1 ILBK 22 15.68N 070 52.72W 564 302 9.5 213 0 0 27/03/02 01:06 37
2 TYCO 21 54.12N 070 38.32W 587 309 10.5 230 23 -6 27/03/02 03:14 25
3 AART 21 51.52N 070 39.12W 588 309 10.5 231 24 -7 27/03/02 03:26 26
4 TSEB 21 37.92N 069 52.28W 631 301 9.7 234 67 -1 27/03/02 07:15 17
5 AONE 21 08.56N 069 48.08W 651 286 10.4 249 87 -3 27/03/02 09:04 26
6 NEWS 21 04.80N 069 50.84W 651 296 10.5 253 87 -6 27/03/02 09:05 22
7 ATOO 21 42.04N 068 07.84W 713 282 10.1 235 149 -3 27/03/02 14:44 9
8 DJCE 21 37.52N 068 04.68W 718 285 9.8 234 154 0 27/03/02 15:05 18
Southampton, England, March 24, 2002 1600 GMT
illbruck Un-effected?
Race leader illbruck seems to be immune to the adversaries caused by the
loss of their light-air down-wind gennaker, which should “rip a gap in the
sail inventory that is hard to fill”, according to Team Tyco’s shore
manager Ian Stewart. Instead of losing miles they have sailed away four
miles from Tyco in second placed and five miles from ASSA ABLOY in third
place. North Sails Richard Hinde-Smith suspects that Kostecki might have
measured in a second sail for this leg.
The back-markers Amer Sports Too and djuice have been the fastest yachts,
gaining some miles on News Corp and Amer Sports one due to a slightly
better wind direction that allows them to sail a straighter course towards
the finish.
With 80 miles from Caicos Islands, the seabed rises from an abyssal 5000
metres to just 1000 around the Bermudas. The edge leads the Antilles
Current towards the northwest and the fleet will take advantage of this
extra half know in short time.
Volvo Ocean Race Position Report, Day 16, 1600 GMT
PS Yacht Latitude Longitude DTF CMG SMG TFHR DTL DTL-C ETA PO
1 ILBK 21 46.20N 070 02.48W 619 274 10.4 216 0 0 26/03/02 21:52 37
2 TYCO 21 15.68N 069 47.64W 648 275 9.8 236 29 +4 27/03/02 00:22 25
3 AART 21 12.52N 069 47.04W 650 272 9.9 238 31 +5 27/03/02 00:34 26
4 TSEB 21 08.84N 069 00.84W 687 279 10.6 237 68 -4 27/03/02 03:49 17
5 AONE 20 51.92N 068 46.04W 709 274 11 247 90 -3 27/03/02 05:41 26
6 NEWS 20 38.48N 068 51.84W 712 277 10.9 252 93 -3 27/03/02 05:56 22
7 ATOO 21 29.96N 067 04.52W 771 290 10.8 231 152 -9 27/03/02 10:59 9
8 DJCE 21 23.04N 067 05.52W 773 291 10.6 232 154 -9 27/03/02 11:17 18
Southampton, England, March 24, 2002 1000 GMT
Blow For illbruck
Last night illbruck lost her light air running gennaker when a squall came
through during a gybe. This sail is essential for downwind work in light
air condition and could proof decisive during the last days to the finish.
Tyco and ASSA ABLOY gained some miles on the leading German yacht and will
see their chance increasing to challenge illbruck, as illbruck is
materially disadvantaged from now on.
Amer Sports One and News Corp made the biggest gains and are less than 100
miles behind the leading yacht. With the wind running light and patchy
around the finish in Miami in two days time they could well get back into
the game for the podium places. Djuice managed to reduce the distance to
Amer Sports Too, who has just two miles left of a cushion of over 50 miles
less than a week ago.
As most of the Bahamas have to be left on port, the yachts will take
advantage of the northwest going Antilles Current, giving them another 10
miles per day towards the finish.
Volvo Ocean Race Position Report, Day 16, 1000 GMT
PS Yacht Latitude Longitude DTF CMG SMG TFHR DTL DTL-C ETA PO
1 ILBK 21 41.76N 068 53.96W 675 302 8 217 0 0 26/03/02 20:40 37
2 TYCO 21 10.56N 068 43.36W 700 268 10 226 25 -2 26/03/02 22:48 25
3 AART 21 10.08N 068 41.92W 701 269 10 226 26 -3 26/03/02 22:53 26
4 TSEB 20 58.72N 067 52.16W 747 280 9.9 235 72 -8 27/03/02 02:54 17
5 AONE 20 46.88N 067 33.84W 768 275 11 245 93 -11 27/03/02 04:41 26
6 NEWS 20 29.88N 067 41.32W 771 275 11.2 248 96 -11 27/03/02 04:57 22
7 ATOO 21 07.68N 065 57.96W 836 297 9.3 229 161 -7 27/03/02 10:34 9
8 DJCE 21 00.04N 066 00.28W 838 283 10.1 232 163 -10 27/03/02 10:46 18
Southampton, England, March 24, 2002 0400 GMT
Crossing Paths in the night.
The guys on djuice are still pushing hard to try to overtake at least one
of the yachts ahead of them in the Volvo Ocean Race, although in the last
six hours the girls on Amer Sports Too have managed to hold off their
advances and even extend the lead they have over djuice by another couple
of miles. The gap between the two yachts currently stands at five
nautical miles, but this means that there is no rest and still all to play
for in the next couple of days as the yachts close on Miami.
The story on Tyco is fairly similar as she is locked in a battle with ASSA
ABLOY, as it has been for the whole of this leg, only two miles still
separates these two yachts. Guy Salter onboard Tyco wrote last night
about the cloud that brought them from third place, and into second; “all
the radar could pick up was rain and we knew to expect anything from any
direction. We could see a white light on the bow when the rain actually
eased off and we were catching it fast. At first we thought it was ASSA
ABLOY, but we were coming in so fast that we were convinced it was a
cruising boat on delivery. We were almost upon them when a bright light
shone at us - checking what we were - a common happening as boats pass at
night - we were still gaining on the boat so fast, they must have been
almost stood still. We decided to return the torch fire as if on the
front line in combat - to check out what the cruising boat was, only to
see the yellow masthead shute and large indexsail roach of the Volvo
Ocean60 ASSA ABLOY. What a surprise - we had caught right up with them,
we headed up and reached over the top of them to get to the weather side
of them and also try and get out of the cloud. The fickle breeze filled
in and eased off, both boats getting the wind at different times. An hour
later we had put a mile or so on them."
With between and 900 miles left to go, tensions will start to increase
even more as the fight for points continues and the finish line comes into
sight.
Volvo Ocean Race Position Report, Day 16, 0419 GMT
PS Yacht Latitude Longitude DTF CMG SMG TFHR DTL DTL-C ETA PO
1 ILBK 21 16.48N 068 10.32W 723 268 9 232 0 0 26/03/02 18:51 37
2 TYCO 21 12.12N 067 39.56W 750 273 9.7 226 27 -6 26/03/02 21:12 25
3 AART 21 11.28N 067 37.52W 752 272 9.9 224 29 -7 26/03/02 21:17 26
4 TSEB 20 48.16N 066 49.80W 803 297 9.4 231 80 -9 27/03/02 01:47 17
5 AONE 20 40.72N 066 23.68W 827 319 11.1 242 104 -17 27/03/02 03:55 26
6 NEWS 20 23.88N 066 30.44W 830 315 11.2 244 107 -19 27/03/02 04:12 22
7 ATOO 20 42.56N 065 05.27W 891 322 10.3 239 168 -9 27/03/02 09:24 9
8 DJCE 20 46.84N 064 57.52W 896 317 9.4 247 173 -7 27/03/02 09:54 18
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