Oceanracing 2002 - Around Alone

Betreff: AROUND ALONE LEG 4: LINE HONOURS TO STAMM, LEG 4 TO DUBOIS
Absender: "Mary Ambler"
Datum: 10. Mar 2003 21:21

LEG 4: LINE HONOURS TO STAMM, LEG 4 TO DUBOIS
Salvador, Brazil – 10th March 03. In the final 24 hours of the 7,880 mile fourth leg of Around Alone, overall Class 1 leader Bernard Stamm, Swiss skipper of Bobst Group-Armor Lux, stole a march on the leg leader Thierry Dubois to take the line honours in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil at 12:39:07 GMT (09:39:07 LT). To his credit, Thierry Dubois sailed Solidaires to his first Leg victory across the line at 16:23:30 GMT (13:23:30 local time), a difference of 3 hours and 44 minutes, which is the closest Dubois has finished behind Bernard on the water and after the longest leg.
It was a bittersweet victory for Dubois, who had led the war on the water after Stamm made his enforced stop in the Falklands for 22 hours, until yesterday morning. In Stamm’s words: “Well, normally on pure boatspeed I could not overtake Thierry, but he made one error by going inshore the last two days, so he lost the wind.”

Thwarted of taking line honors, Dubois does however take victory in the leg because Stamm will be given a 48-hour penalty for his stop to repair the broken keelboard. Moreover, the steady and somewhat cautious Dubois did arrive with his boat in pristine condition, which will give him an advantage over Stamm, who has had to call in extra shore crew to fix up the boat for the final leg.
On being asked how he felt after the damage to the keel lost him his lead, Stamm remarked: “Forget the frustration of the broken keel, stopping for 22 hours and getting a penalty – the last 3 days with no wind and insufferable heat were the worst to endure, it was like being in prison!” Dubois added: “Hell is better – I assure you!” So after an intense week of soaring temperatures on the water and inside the boats, both skippers arrived with storm clouds overhead but still received a true Brazilian welcome at the CENAB (Centro Nautico de Bahia), which included fireworks, fruit and of course, caipirinhas.
Both are now waiting intently for the arrival of Simone Bianchetti on Tiscali and Emma Richards on Pindar with mixed feelings. Dubois is hoping they speed up and push Bobst Group - Armor lux into fourth place, while Stamm, of course, is hoping that they will slow down and allow him to come second for the leg: “It is still possible...” he believes. At the last poll Emma and Simone had slowed right up to around 5 knots boatspeed, respectively 442 and 562 miles from the finish. It looks very difficult for Emma to arrive inside 48 hours and for Simone to come in second place.
Update on Derek Hatfield after the dismasting of his Open 40 Spirit of Canada at Cape Horn: listen to the compelling 5-part audio interview online at www.aroundalone.com with Derek about his experiences of the boat pitch-poling and doing a 360 whilst he was on deck at the masthead in 80 knots of wind at Cape Horn…you might say he was lucky to be alive. Since this incident, Derek has made port in Ushuaia and met his shore team, together assessing the options to keep him in the race. Fortunately, help has been flooding in for Hatfield, including offers of replacement rigs and financial donations from around the world.

POSITIONS AT 1400GMT 10th MARCH 2003
You can track the race boats using RayTech 4.1 navigational software by going to the Positions page online and clicking on the link to the Raymarine website at the top of the index chart.
Class 1
Boat Lat Lon AvgBsp Avgheading DTF
1 Solidaires 13 13.430 S, 38 35.570 W, 75.00 nm, 9.37 kt, 11 °T, 15.79 nm
2 Tiscali 20 18.430 S, 39 20.280 W, 46.41 nm, 5.81 kt, 52 °T, 442.66 nm
3 Pindar 22 15.240 S, 39 50.140 W, 29.38 nm, 3.67 kt, 29 °T, 562.02 nm
4 Ocean Planet 39 43.460 S, 45 04.030 W, 53.72 nm, 6.71 kt, 345 °T, 1648.39 nm
5 Hexagon 42 45.360 S, 65 00.420 W, 0.00 nm, 0.00 kt, 0 °T, 2342.68 nm

Class 2
Boat Lat Lon AvgBsp Avgheading DTF
1 Tommy Hilfiger 24 50.240 S, 40 40.520 W, 60.68 nm, 7.58 kt, 350 °T, 734.83 nm
2 Everest Horizontal 39 59.260 S, 45 31.450 W, 25.53 nm, 3.19 kt, 8 °T, 1670.01 nm
3 Spirit of yukoh 40 48.430 S, 46 00.400 W, 26.58 nm, 3.32 kt, 71 °T, 1723.69 nm
4 BTC Velocity 51 12.380 S, 53 51.450 W, 66.18 nm, 8.26 kt, 67 °T, 2425.24 nm
5 Spirit of Canada 54 49.160 S, 68 14.210 W, 0.00 nm, 0.00 kt, 0 °T, 2907.03 nm

International Media Relations:
Mary Ambler - Email: mambler@clipper-ventures.com - Mobile: +55 71 9142 4343
Media Centre, Salvador
CENAB, Av da Franca, Salvador - Tel: 55 (71) 319 3434 319 3442

Betreff: IT'S STAMM AGAIN
Absender: "Aroundalone"
Datum: 10. Mar 2003 15:55

IT'S STAMM AGAIN
HeÂ’s done it again. Despite a stop in Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands to repair a badly damaged keel, Bernard Stamm has taken line honors in Class 1 arriving in Salvador, Brazil at 09:39:07 local time ( 12:39:07 GMT). It was another spectacular performance by a skipper who has constantly amazed everyone that has followed this race. It seems as if he unstoppable; even a serious problem with his keel caused by some particularly violent weather at Cape Horn did not take away another stunning victory. If the 48-hour penalty he faces for stopping bothered him, the broad smile on his tired looking face disguised any negative sentiment. He was just a happy man to be first into the steamy seaside town of Salvador.
The leg for Bernard Stamm started in typical fashion. A conservative start followed by a relentless push that only ended once the sails were dropped in Brazil. Two hours after leaving Tauranga Bobst Group Armor lux moved into the lead and StammÂ’s hold on the top spot was not seriously challenged until Cape Horn. "It was boat-breaking weather," Stamm said in an email. "I felt the boat crash off a big wave and heard a loud noise from the keel and I knew that there was damage." The damage was serious. The lever arm inside the boat that is used to move the keel from side to side had a huge crack in it and was threatening to snap off. A broken arm meant that the keel would be swinging loose under the boat. Fortunately Bernard was able to stabilize the keel and under reduced sail headed for the Falkland Islands. He was just being towed into port when his arch rival Thierry Dubois on Solidaires sailed past to take over the lead for the leg. Thus began a hectic scramble to fashion a repair knowing that the clock was ticking and with every tick Dubois was getting further ahead.

Eighteen hours after arriving in Port Stanley, Bobst Group Armor lux departed and the chase was on. The automatic penalty incurred for stopping was one thing; having Dubois beat him into Salvador was another and Stamm set about grinding down the French skipper with an intensity that was hard to believe. Day after day he closed the gap forcing Dubois to glance frantically over his shoulder and stare longingly at the clouds hoping for a private breeze. In the end it was Bernard who go the private wind and early yesterday morning he slid past Solidaires. This morning he called in to say he was 22 miles from the finish and his ETA, rather than being during the late afternoon as was expected, would be shortly after breakfast.
Heavy squalls passed through the area during the early morning making the last few miles difficult, and wet. Very wet. Finally four miles from the finish the rain stopped and along with it went the wind. With the finish in sight Bobst Group Armor lux sat becalmed. Finally Stamm found a light breeze and that was all that was needed to propel the boat across the line.
This incredible sailor looked as if he had just been out for a day sail, but he had accomplished what he set out to do; take line honors for the leg, and that he did. Ironically the next 48 hours could be some of the most stressful for Bernard. He will be watching the progress of Simone Bianchetti on Tiscali and Emma Richards on Pindar. If they finish outside of 48 hours, Bernard will take second for the leg and will go into the final leg of the race with a 2 point lead over Solidaires. Should Tiscali finish within the 48 hour period it will bump Stamm back into third narrowing the point spread between Bobst Group Armor lux and Solidaires. Of course, if Emma Richards finishes within the 48-hour period it will be the worst possible scenario for Stamm. He will head into the last make or break leg with even points with Dubois. The fist boat into Newport will be the winner.
For now though Bernard is looking forward to a caiparino, a traditional Brazilian drink made from a local rum, lime and sugar. As he pulled into the dock a huge fireworks display went off and the local crowd that had gathered cheered loudly to be heard above the sound of samba music blaring from nearby speakers. Stamm is a true champion, and in typical form he waved to the crowd, bowed, accepted the traditional bottle of champagne and then proceeded to soak the onlookers.
--- Brian Hancock great.circle@verizon.net