25. Mai 2002
Southampton, England, May 25th, 2002 2200 GMT
Still a Lot to Go For !
Amer Sports One still has a slight edge on the rest of the fleet and is
leading the pack back into the Bay of Biscay. They have been reasonably
consistent throughout the Volvo Ocean Race but line honours have alluded
them on the legs so far. Lets hope that they can keep up the momentum that
they have shown since the start of Leg Eight this afternoon.
With Amer Sports One leading the fleet it puts them, at the moment, in
overall second place just like the race four years ago. These last two
legs may be short in distance but they still hold twenty-two per cent of
the overall race points and there is still an awful lot to go for !
There are only five miles currently separating the whole fleet, with
Djuice Dragons, ASSA ABLOY and Amer Sports Two bringing up the rear. ASSA
ABLOY had a slow start and Djuice Dragons has sailed with one crew member
less.
Volvo Ocean Race Position Report, Day 1, 2202 GMT
PS Yacht Latitude Longitude DTF CMG SMG TFHR DTL DTL-C ETA PO
1 AONE 46 39.36N 002 56.24W 1066 298 13 999999 0 0 30/05/02 08:37 44
2 ILBK 46 38.64N 002 55.32W 1067 299 12.7 999999 1 +1 30/05/02 08:41 56
3 NEWS 46 38.60N 002 55.20W 1067 299 12.7 999999 1 +1 30/05/02 08:44 40
4 TYCO 46 39.08N 002 54.48W 1067 300 12.5 999999 1 +1 30/05/02 08:44 38
5 TSEB 46 38.24N 002 54.16W 1068 299 12.6 999999 2 +1 30/05/02 08:48 30
6 AART 46 37.84N 002 53.48W 1068 298 12.5 999999 2 +1 30/05/02 08:52 44
7 DJCE 46 37.52N 002 52.96W 1069 298 12.2 999999 3 +1 30/05/02 08:55 25
8 ATOO 46 36.76N 002 51.08W 1070 299 12.2 999999 4 +1 30/05/02 09:04 11
Bilderbuch-Start für „illbruck“
„Assa Abloy“ blieb am Tau der Starttonne hängen / Sturmwarnung für Sonntag
Morgen
La Rochelle – Mit einem perfekten Start, unbedrängt und frei von Abwinden
der Gegner, ging die Leverkusener Hochseeyacht „illbruck“ am späten
Sonnabend Nachmittag in La Rochelle/Frankreich auf die achte Etappe des
Volvo Ocean Race Round the World. Skipper John Kostecki hatte das 19,50
Meter lange Rennboot in der Mitte der Startlinie um Punkt 17 Uhr auf Speed
gebracht und das Achter-Feld angeführt. Der härteste Verfolger in der
Gesamtwertung, „Assa Abloy“ (Schweden), dagegen erlebte ein Desaster: Das
Boot blieb mit dem Kiel in der Ankerleine der Starttonne hängen und musste
von zwei Seglern über Bord im Wasser mühsam befreit werden. Bis zum Ziel
im schwedischen Göteborg, wo die Schiffe am 30./31. Mai herum erwartet
werden, sind es jedoch noch mehr als 1.000 Seemeilen mit jeder Menge
Hürden.
Frischer bis starker West- bis Südwestwind sorgte gleich zu Beginn der
vorletzten und vielleicht schon entscheidenden Etappe für spannende
Manöver. An der Spitze entwickelte sich ein Dreikampf zwischen der
„illbruck“, der „News Corp“ (Australien) und der „Amer Sports One“
(Finnland/Italien), die zumindest noch theoretische Chancen auf den
Gesamtsieg hat. Indes musste die „Assa Abloy“ rund sieben Minuten hinter
dem Feld die Verfolgung aufnehmen. Mit schmalen Vorsegeln und Überdruck im
Groß kreuzten die Yachten nach einer kurzen Halbwindstrecke zunächst hoch
am Wind an der französischen Atlantikküste entlang.
Bereits in der Nacht zu Sonntag soll der Wind weiter zulegen. Für den
frühen Sonntag Morgen sind stürmische Böen bis Stärke acht vorhergesagt.
Das verspricht einen harten Test für Mensch und Material. Während etliche
Segler in den ersten zwei Tagen oft mit Seekrankheit zu kämpfen haben, ist
die Spannung auf Rigg, Schoten und allen Beschlägen zum Zerreißen groß.
„Wir hoffen, das alles hält und die Jungs heil ankommen“, meinte illbruck
Challenge Chairman Michael Illbruck, der bei Start für eine halbe Stunde
mit an Bord war.
Vom vorzeitigen Gesamtsieg redet allerdings noch niemand. Illbruck: „Daran
denken wir nicht. Das ist ein Tabu-Thema.“ Doch ist dem Team natürlich
bewusst, das ein Sieg gegen die „Assa Abloy“ den vorzeitigen Triumph
bedeuten würde. Acht Punkte Vorsprung nimmt das deutsche Boot auf die
fünftägige Etappe, genug für eine vorzeitige Entscheidung. Doch 30
Wendemarken, starke Gezeitenströmung und eine der verkehrsreichsten
Schiffszonen durch den Englischen Kanal liegen noch vor den Hochseesegler.
Die härteste Hochseeregatta der Welt geht dann mit der letzten Etappe am
9. Juni in Kiel an der Ostsee zuende.
Die Crew der „illbruck“ auf der achten Etappe: Ed Adams (Taktiker), Stuart
Bannatyne (Wachführer), Stu „Waffler” Bettany (Vorschiff), Mark “Crusty”
Christensen (Wachführer), Richard Clarke und Ray “Hooray” Davies
(Segeltrimmer/Steuermann), Dirk “Cheese” de Ridder (Segeltrimmer), Jamie
Gale/Mast, Ross “Rosco” Halcrow (Segeltrimmer und Segelprogramm-Manager),
Tony Kolb (Vorschiff) sowie Skipper John Kostecki und Navigator Juan Vila.
Gesamtstand nach sieben von neun Etappen:
1. illbruck (Leverkusen) 49 Punkte
2. Assa Abloy (Schweden) 41
3. Amer Sports One (Finnland/Italien) 36
4. News Corp (Australien) 34
5. Tyco (Bermudas) 33
6. SEB (Schweden) 26
7. djuice (Norwegen) 23
8. Amer Sports Too (Finnland/Italien) 10
25 May 2002
Amer Sports One led the fleet away from La Rochelle today – taking a
narrow
lead over illbruck on the beat away from the start.
Grant Dalton and his crew showed good pace and sound tactics in the choppy
start in a south-westerly of about 18 – 20 knots.
The weather forecast for the first night did not bring joy to Amer Sports
One skipper Grant Dalton. Winds of up to 40 knots are expected –
almost
right on the bow as the head for island of Ushant to the west.
Dalton said he was expecting a wet and wild first night at sea. “I
can’t say
that there is a sense of anticipation on board. There’smore like a
sense of
dread. It’s a bad way to start a leg.”
Big seas are expected tomorrow morning when the fleet rounds Ushant and
the
wind is against the spring tide flow. Then it could be a broad reach or
run
down the English Channel and then to moderate downwind conditions in the
North Sea.
Against all the odds Amer Sports Too made the start line in really good
shape after losing their mast in the North Atlantic on May 1. Sailing
and
shore crews have worked miracles to get the yacht to the start line in
such
good shape.
Lisa McDonald says dozens of people rallied to help. We were overwhelmed
with help in Halifax and England. Everyone was keen to see the
“girls” back
in the race. Sponsors dug deep and provided welcomed moral support.
“When we were really up against it and uncertain if we were going to
make
the start in La Rochelle it was great to know we had the support of
everyone
in the Nautor Challenge and our sponsors.”
Other syndicates helped out too. Several gave time and loaned equipment.
Djuice Dragons, which whom the girls have had several nerve-tingling match
races since Southampton, came up with a new Code 4 spinnaker. The Code 4
was to replace the one shredded when the mast came down. Hearing that the
girls were running out of time to make another and that Amer Sports Too
might have to start without an important part of its sail inventory,
Djuice
Dragons donated a spare.
Lisa said: “We have many people and companies to thank today.
Djuices’s
magnificent gesture typifies the spirit that surrounds this race. We may
be
rivals, but we’re also friends.”
VOLVO OCEAN RACE
La Rochelle, France, May 25th, 2002
Gale force winds for leg eight of the Volvo Ocean Race
There are warnings of gales in the Plymouth and Biscay area, which
indicate that the eight strong fleet racing in the penultimate leg of the
Volvo Ocean Race, which started at 5pm local time today from La Rochelle,
France, could encounter heavy sailing conditions as they approach Ushant
on the northwest tip of the Brittany coast tomorrow morning.
The shipping forecast issued by the met office at 0505GMT today predicts
south-westerly winds force five to seven, increasing to gale force eight
for a time.
However, the ominous forecast did not deter large crowds from gathering in
the crisp sunshine in La Rochelle today, to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere
and bid farewell to the fleet as the boats departed the medieval dock of
Bassin des Chalutiers. Pere Samoride of La Rochelle Cathedral, carried
out the traditional blessing of the fleet, visiting each boat and
anointing her with holy water.
As the lock gates opened, fireworks accompanied each team’s theme music as
the boats left the dock in what was probably the slickest departure of the
Volvo Ocean Race fleet to date. The crew of Assa Abloy, departed with two
crew aloft waving huge French Tricolore flags and a sign reading ‘Merci La
Rochelle’ was emblazoned across the boat’s transom.
La Rochelle has been an extremely popular stopover and a huge armada of
boats, including windsurfers, braved the choppy sea and to watch the drama
unfold. With an 18 to 22 knot southwesterly breeze, the fleet had a
spectacular reaching start to the first mark.
The start line was laid approximately one mile offshore, and at the sound
of the starting cannon, illbruck led off the line as the fleet charged up
the track on a starboard two sail reach towards the first turning mark set
two miles northwest up the track.
Disaster struck Assa Abloy at the back of the fleet when they appeared to
become entangled with the cable on the starting mark, which left them
trailing in the wake of the fleet as it powered up and took off. Within
three minutes of the start, staysails were hoisted as overall race leader
illbruck and News Corp raced neck and neck at the head of the fleet.
At the turning mark, it was News Corp two boats lengths ahead of Illbruck,
as the fleet sheeted in their sails and beat hard upwind towards the gate.
Amer Sports Too was forced to re-round the mark whilst Assa Abloy brought
up the rear, rounding the mark approximately five minutes behind News
Corp.
RIBS, jet skis and other small craft surrounded the boats enthusiastically
as they tacked towards the gate, News Corp opting for the left hand side,
whilst the rest of the fleet went to the right.
Grant Dalton’s Amer Sports One pushed into the lead, three boat lengths
ahead of illbruck as they approached the gate, followed closely by Tyco,
News Corp and SEB. djuice was in sixth position and Assa Abloy finally
managed to overtake Amer Sports Too leaving her in eighth position as the
fleet headed out into open sea.
This 1150 nautical mile penultimate leg of the Volvo Ocean, has 30 marks
of the course and will provide many challenges for the now tired crews as
they race hard through one of the busiest shipping areas in the world,
beset by fierce tides, shoals and islands. The fleet is set to arrive in
Gothenburg at the end of May.
For more information:
Mark Howell, Media Director, tel: +44 7818 408 568
Lizzie Green, Race Press Officer tel: +44 7801 185 320
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