FLEET ROUNDUP Absender: "Aroundalone" Empfänger: redaktion@segel.de Datum: 14. Feb 2003 04:11 The fleet has split as the frontrunners choose different routes to the deep south. Bernard Stamm on Bobst Group Armor lux has chosen to sail a more southerly route, while his arch rival Thierry Dubois on Solidaires is heading more east. ItÂ’s not a huge difference, but for now StammÂ’s option seems to be paying off. At the last poll Bobst Group Armor lux was just under 30 miles ahead of Solidaires. Both Tiscali (Simone Bianchetti) Hexagon (Graham Dalton) have chosen to split the difference. Birthday boy Brad Van Liew photo Billy Black They are sailing 20 miles astern of Solidaires and are between Bobst Group Armor lux to the south and Solidaires to the east. The impressive showing by Ocean Planet in the first few days has waned a little but Schwab is still happy with his performance. "Ocean Planet seems a bit better with her modified bow," he wrote, "but mostly we have had go od conditions for the boat and I have been putting her in the right place at the right time. The tactical challenge really comes when the conditions start to favor the other boats." The conditions over the last 24 hours have most definitely favored the more conventional Open 60s and the results are starting to show. Close reaching in strong winds is not a good point of sail for Ocean Planet. It looks like the things will change over the weekend. The wind is forecast to blow 50 knots from the north. With the boats heading southeast they will be into heavy running conditions for the first time this leg. At the back of Class 1 Emma Richards on Pindar is struggling to find the groove that she had on Leg 2, but she is by no means out of the picture. Just over a hundred miles separate her from Stamm at the front of the pack. In Class 2 there is also a pattern developing. ItÂ’s that very familiar pattern of Brad van Liew doing a horizon job on his class mates. Van Liew has had the pedal to the floor since the start and Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America has been eating up the miles. At the last poll he was close to 150 miles ahead of second place Tim Kent on Everest Horizontal. In TimÂ’s daily update he commented on BradÂ’s performance and called the fleet positions from his perspective. "The entire fleet is working its way down to the Southern Ocean Highway," he wrote. "Bernard is the deepest, down at 49.34s. Brad has been chasing the 60s and is at pretty much the same latitude as I am, but farther east. He and that boat are blisteringly fast! Koji is at the same longitude as I, but a bit further north. His boat, a Finot 40 with a rotating mast, should be a perfect Southern Ocean machine." While Brad was tearing up the ocean he was also contemplating a more serious matter. When to celebrate his birthday. "I am confused about when to celebrate my birthday," he wrote. "I kind of have four options: New Zealand where I just departed, Brazil where I am going, the ocean I am sailing in now or Greenwich mean time. I think IÂ’ll go with where I am now, which is my latest date/time option. I will have to be patient. The date I am waiting for is February 13 if anyone wants to deliver a gift." ItÂ’s February 13 where I am Brad so Happy Birthday my friend. And many more. Brian Hancock great.circle@verizon.net Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE