Oceanracing 2002 - Around Alone

Absender: "Aroundalone"
Empfänger: redaktion@segel.de
Datum: 12. Jan 2003 23:36

DING DONG DICE FOR THIRD
THFA, Pindar and Ocean Planet heading towards Cape Reinga - Picture from 3D viewer - download from Voyager2020.com
The ding dong dice to Tauranga is still in full force between Graham Dalton on Hexagon, and Simone Bianchetti on Tiscali as Hexagon regains the lead. Dalton had been sailing closer inshore coming up the Tasman Sea, and while Bianchetti might have enjoyed more wind out to sea, the inshore berth seems to be paying off. Early this morning (local time) Dalton would have seen the light on Cape Reinga, and by now both he and Simone will have the beautiful coastline of New Zealand is sight. It will not be a moment too soon for Bianchetti who is out of food. Four days ago he reported, with a sigh, that he was out of pasta. Yesterday he said he was flat out of grub on board. "I have just 3 liters of water, thatÂ’s it," he said in a satellite call. "I am very hungry and very keen to get to port." The early morning poll put him 18 miles astern of the New Zealand yacht with an ETA of breakfast time Tuesday.

Hexagon und Tiscali am Kap Reinga

Kap Reinga-Nordspitze Neuseelands

While Hexagon and Tiscali battle it out, the race for fifth and sixth in Class 1 is far from decided. During the day yesterday Bruce Schwab on Ocean Planet took a brief lead from Emma Richards on Pindar, but that lead evaporated as the wind strengthened from the northeast. A frustrated Bruce Schwab checked in via email. "It only figures that after 8,000 miles or so of Southern Ocean zooming, we would finish a solid 500 miles of beating to windward," he wrote. "Primarily on starboard, our "bad" tack, too." The water ballast system that add stability to the boat has given up leaving Ocean Planet unable to carry full sail and the boat is currently sailing a few notches off the pace. "We are sailing directly into a nasty northeast chop. Whap! Slap! We go okay as long as I keep the port rail nearly buried in the water! I can't wait to get on port tack a nd "tank up" where we will have the upwind speed advantage. I am hoping that once around the northern tip of New Zealand the wind will still have enough east in it to favor port tack." The ballast system on port tack is still working, so Schwab will be able to power up and sail at full speed down the coast.
Early this morning Brad van Liew on Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America was still holding onto a slim lead over the Class 1 boats. Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America is the leading Class 2 boat and is enjoying a comfortable 980 mile lead over his nearest rival Tim Kent on Everest Horizontal. He was only 3 miles ahead of Pindar with Pindar and Ocean Planet gaining by the mile. The longer waterline on the Open 60Â’s is making it hard for van Liew, but nonetheless he is sailing a great race and will finish in company with the back of Class 1, an admirable achievement.
The latest ETAÂ’s are as follows (all local time)::
Hexagon - 07:30 Tuesday
Tiscali - 09:00 Tuesday
Pindar - 03:00 Wednesday
Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America /Ocean Planet Â– 04:30 Wednesday
--- Brian Hancock great.circle@verizon.net