21.05.2002
News update from TEAM KINGFISHER to Dr Krumnacker
Segel.de
* RUBICON LEG 2 STARTED today later than scheduled
after 40 knot winds prevent the fleet from leaving harbour...5 day forecast suggests however it could be a fast passage through the Med with possibility of a 'Mistral' wind (very strong winds that descend from the mountains along the south coast of France).
* KINGFISHER CO-SKIPPER NICK MOLONEY AND ROUND THE WORLD SAILOR HERVE JEAN join the team for leg 2
* KINGFISHER LEADS FLEET AWAY at final turning mark before heading north east towards Gibraltar...
Under warm sunshine, but a solid 20 to 25 knot wind and a lumpy sea, the Open 60 fleet set out this morning from Yaiza, Lanzarote on the second and final leg of the Regatta de Rubicon.
Nick MOLONEY, fresh from his record breaking Jules Verne run on 'Orange', takes over the reins of KINGFISHER from Ellen MacArthur. He is joined also by fellow Jules Verne sailor Hervé JEAN for this second decisive 1200 mile leg that will take the highly competitive fleet of Open 60s first to the Gibraltar Straits and then on through the Mediterranean to St.Margerhita, near Genoa, Italy. Nick and Hervé have already sailed with 3rd crewman Andrew Henderson ('Hendo') as part of the EDS Atlantic Challenge winning crew last summer. Kiny PARADE and Bruno DUBOIS reindex onboard to complete the international crew of 5.
The leg splits in to two tactical legs - first from Lanzarote 750 miles to the Straits of Gibraltar - a real wind funnel. And secondly from there across the Mediterranean Sea, passing Balearic Islands, then to the north of Corsica and in to the Italian coast. The fleet are likely to see everything from 30 knots upwind, and downwind, as well as total calm. Tough on the nerves, and tiring for the crew.
POINTS AFTER LEG ONE
Regatta Rubicon map page : http://193.104.87.4/default_mono60.htm
1. Sill Plein Fruit : Jourdain - Points 10
2. KINGFISHER : MacArthur/Moloney - Points 8
3. BOBST GROUP-ARMOR LUX : Bernard STAMM - Points 7
4. TISCALI GLOBAL CHALLENGE : Simone BIANCHETTI - points 6
5. VIRBAC : Jean Pierre DICK - Points 5
6. TEMENOS : Dominique WAVRE - Points 4
7. L'Heautontimoroumenos : Antoine KOCH, Retired
Official site of the race http://www.regataderubicon.com
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