Mary Ambler
Datum: 31. Oct 2002 18:31
LEG 2: A TROPICAL HALLOWEEN
· PINDAR CROSSES EQUATOR AT 13:18 HRS GMT
· CLASS 2 IN TRADE WINDS PAST CANARIES
· VAN LIEW FAMILY’S FLYING FISH FOR HALLOWEEN
Southampton, England – 31st October. In Class 1 of Around Alone, both Pindar & Solidaires are now through the Doldrums and on the ‘inside track’ compared to leader Bobst Group-Armor Lux further to the West, as they settle into a few days of upwind sailing in 15 knots of South Easterly headwinds towards Cape Town via the South Atlantic High. Richards & Dubois hold an advantage to the East but Stamm is benefitting from getting the wind shifts earlier.
Emma Richards, holding second place in the Around Alone, sent in this email from her Open 60ft yacht Pindar to say that she has crossed over into the Southern Hemisphere! “1:18pm - Just crossed the Equator at 23 degrees 37 West! I was down below ready to log where I crossed into the Southern Hemisphere when a squall came in, by the time I had eased the sheets, adjusted course etc we had crossed but when I was on deck I didn't see the big yellow line painted so it must have washed away at that part. Let me know if Thierry reports the line or not! Anyway, had a sip of fine rum and gave Neptune the rest, hope he liked it, it burned my throat! Emma x”
Class 2 fleet are finally rid of the fickle conditions, and are past the Canary Islands. Leader Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America is still 230 miles ahead of the pack, but the other skippers are just relieved to be back up to speed in the North Easterly Trade winds down the African coast, as third placed Derek Hatfield on Spirit of Canada expressed: “Finally the trade winds have arrived and the sailing is great. I sailed throught the Canary Islands overnight with Everest Horizontal in sight the whole time. Today is hot and clear as we sail along under a bright blue sky. The inside of the boat is a little uncomfortable at 84 degrees but I'm not complaining.”
The North American skippers are all in Halloween mode, despite being in tropical weather. None more so than leader Brad Van Liew, who is feeling guilty after receiving a picture of his baby daughter Tate in fancy dress as a flying fish for a Halloween party. “So the neat thing is that Tate was the first flying fish on the boat and every one I see now will remind me of my baby girl whom I miss terribly. The hard part is that firstly, I would feel terrible eating any of them now and secondly, I will have to stay alert and run around on deck tossing them back to the sea before they die in the blazing sun. As for my costume… If it is anything other than shorts and a t-shirt I will die of heat. So, if the little Halloween package Meaghan and Tate left for me on the boat isn’t a funny mask, then Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America is going to be a boring place to come trick or treating.”
Class 1
Boat Lat Lon AvgBsp Avgheading Dist To Finish (nm) Distance From Leader (nm)
1 Bobst Group-Armor Lux 3 29.840 S 24 43.280 W 3782.4nm N/A
2 Pindar 0 11.280 S 23 35.820 W 3986.8nm 204.4nm
3 Solidaires 0 16.903 N 22 40.118 W 4021.9nm 239.5nm
4 Hexagon 2 24.640 N 28 09.000 W 4132.5 350.1nm 161.3nm
5 Ocean Planet 24 36.514 N 17 14.172 W 5591 1808.6nm 218.4nm
6 Tiscali 43 27.320 N 8 21.000 W 6799.8 3017.4 0nm
Class 2
Boat Lat Lon AvgBsp Avgheading DTF (nm) DFL (nm)
1 Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America 22 35.080 N 17 52.480 W 5466nm
2 Spirit of yukoh 26 50.600 N 17 59.480 W 5698.6nm 232.6nm
3 Spirit of Canada 26 27.760 N 16 24.240 W 5710.9nm 244.9nm
4 Everest Horizontal 26 33.160 N 16 02.920 W 5723.9nm 257.8nm
5 BTC Velocity 26 45.786 N 16 07.249 W 5733.7nm 267.6nm
6 Bayer Ascensia 28 12.000 N 15 57.560 W 5815.6nm 349.6nm
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