28.05.2002
The latest daily news from TEAM KINGFISHER to Dr Krumnacker
Segel.de
Kingfisher plc, a leading European retailer, is the title Sponsor of Ellen MacArthur.
Read all the news about Ellen & Team Kingfisher at http://www.teamkingfisher.com
SILL once again pulls awayy
as the strong Mistral winds fill in from the north...the red boat steamed away to a 40 mile lead during the night as she was the first to touch the new breeze. ETA this evening. "From complete calm to Force 8 in just a few minutes...but this time it was exactly as per the forecasts" commented Dom Wavre (TEMENOS), still holding 3rd position behind Bernard Stamm (BOBST) who will be frustrated to have let the boys in red on SILL retake the lead. Onboard SILL conditions have gone from serene to violent..."there is too much water coming over the deck to steer, we're on pilot with someone checking the trim from the cockpit entrance"
* TISCALI dismasted at 0444 this morning...everyone safe, no damage to the boat other than the broken topmast section...reason yet to be understood...still making 8 knots in the Mistral wind towards the finish line.
* KINGFISHER fighting on...the new breeze should also touch them soon, they'll be hoping to cope with the sudden change as well, and try to take 4th place which would secure them 3rd overall in the two leg race. Moloney, moral surprisingly still intact..."Since Gibralter we've either had the wind on the nose, or dead behind us...and its not changing yet for us either! The wind right now is coming from 043...and the finish line is at 043degrees as well!"
LOGBOOK FROM NICK
we have had wind for most of the night so far for the first time in 2 days with only one park up for and hour. cleared menorca at midnight gmt so we all feel happy that finish is next waypoint. Its blackout [the period during the night when no positions are given out] but i am assuming that the others are smoking along in fresh nw flow. we have 13kts ddw (dead down wind).. but its better than nothing.
I am very positive about the trip. I know the mistakes made and actually feel pretty guilt free on it. I have learnt alot about this role. we sailed really well outside the Med and got out of 2 tough situations whilst others got good breaks. sill and tiscali were faster but we sailed better than them, sill got very lucky and stamm worked hard at his options.
this has been frustrating to say the least.. this place is a tough place to work out on the weather front and this time we got dorked!
the spirits are good onboard but i think i pushed everyone a bit too hard as i was completely focused and a bit of a steam train. I have relaxed a bit now after copping so many knocks on the chin in the past few days.
looking forward to sailing in the Atlantic again!
nick
POSITIONS
Positions at 1100 GMT 28/05/2002
Regatta Rubicon map page : http://193.104.87.4/default_mono60.htm
1. Sill Plein Fruit : Jourdain, 70.2 miles to finish
2. BOBST GROUP-ARMOR LUX : Bernard STAMM, 32.5 miles behind leader
3. TEMENOS : Dominique WAVRE, 76.1 miles behind leader
4. TISCALI GLOBAL CHALLENGE : Simone BIANCHETTI, 158.7 miles behind leader
5. KINGFISHER : MacArthur/Moloney, 207.3 miles behind leader
VIRBAC : Jean Pierre DICK, Retired
L'Heautontimoroumenos : Antoine KOCH, Retired
Adecco : Escoffier, Retired
Read all the news about Ellen & Team Kingfisher at http://www.teamkingfisher.com
Official site of the race http://www.regataderubicon.com
|