Betreff: LE DEFI: TEAM COWES HOLDING 3RD IN GOOD COMPANY...
Absender: "Team Cowes"
Datum: 03. Dec 2003 16:22
LE DEFI: TEAM COWES HOLDING 3RD IN GOOD COMPANY...
TEAM COWES Le Défi Atlantique campaign is supported by Skandia and Cowes Waterfront
STARBOARD TACK UPWIND - WIND 15 KNOTS E - 315 MILES S EQUATOR / 140 MILES OFF BRAZILIAN COAST - TEAM COWES 3RD - DISTANCE TO LEADER [VIRBAC] 56 MILES
IN BRIEF:
* TEAM COWES HOLDING 3RD PLACE AS FRONT RUNNERS VIRBAC AND AT RACING hot foot it north: "Earlier today I had Ecover visible to leeward off my beam and PRB to windward in about same visibility..." Moloney reports that Golding has now reached off and PRB has put some more separation between them...
* DIFFICULT CHOICES Ahead TO CROSS DOLDRUMS..."It's still not clear where is the best place to cross...clearly, Virbac and AT Racing have taken a completely different option heading directly north." TEAM COWES heading for more traditional route to cross between 25 and 29 degrees west.
* TOUGH CALL FOR TEAM COWES TO MATCH PACE of the new generation Ecover and optimised PRB but passing the islands of Fernando de Noronha and getting through the Doldrums will be a hard-fought tactical game.
AUDIO CONFERENCE NICK MOLONEY:
"Lot's of sunshine and hot and wet on deck difficult choice between 'boardies' [surfing shorts] or wet weather gear. Reaching along with solent and full index and not risking genoa as the wind the strength is right on the borderline and we might be a bit over-pressed if it was up. Because of the damage to the sail I have lowered the wind range to 14 knots to cross over to the solent and will stick with that to preserve this sail. Jo-Jo [VMI] is about 3 miles off my stern and holding the same line as me. Earlier today I had Ecover visible to leeward off my beam and PRB to windward in about same visibility. Ecover has footed off a bit and reached off and PRB has burnt off some distance as well.
"Next way point is the Doldrums although I have the islands of Fernando de Noronha on my bow about 4 hours away and I plan pass them to windward to avoid any wind shadow. Looks like PRB and Ecover will pass to leeward and they may get slowed a little - we will have to wait and see. It's still not clear where is the best place to cross the Doldrums. Clearly, Virbac and AT Racing have taken completely different option heading directly north. Quite woried about the Doldrums weather models which are clarifying all the time the more information that comes through - there is certainly a big windless void in the Doldrums and big cloud mass between the west and east option. Virbac and AT Racing could try and cross in less activity to the west although they will have to sail more miles. At the moment we are looking to cross between 25-29 degrees west and just lining up for that but it we are stil two days away. I would like more info but theoretically best option is somewhere round there as history would have it.
"I have been on starboard tack for the majority of the time only on port for a short time at the start then about 3 hours on Monday. Everything is okay and no real dramas. Had a big marlin or tuna 'power-walking' in front of the boat for a while - pretty incredible sight.
"Having the others close by, I don't feel alone at all. I speak with Jo-Jo quite a bit and we have been on a bungy line only out of sight of each other for a few hours since the start [see Nick's email log below on how close they came last night]. It's good to get visuals on the other boats as the positions are a bit unreliable and I was stressing this morning thinking Ecover and PRB were burning north with Virbac but then I ended up seeing them both which is reassuring knowing they are staying on a similar line. Having a boat close by you can guage your progress and, ultimately, rest more.
TEAM COWES LOG FROM BOAT - 1100GMT - 3.12.03:
I am currently reaching towards fernando de neronia achepelago. i officially stepped off the brizilian coast at dusk last night which was a great relief. i had been sailing along the shallow contours of the continential shelf for most of the trip but yesterday i had a lot of fishing boats and clusters of fishing nets. i lost alot of ground buy litrally weaving through them...very worrying.. but timing was perfect as we stepped into deep water just befor darkness. no fishing boats or nets since. the biggest worry was that every time i set myself up to go aloft to repair the genoa, just as i was begining to climb i would see another group of fishing boats on the bow. i started and stopped about 4 times...ringing the office to inform them every time..frustrating... anyway i picked the right time to do it and the right gap. the problem was the leech of the sail tearing away was about the height of the first spreader. the tear is about 1m long but growing. after unsuccessfully trying to climb the furled sail.
I decided to unroll the sail, free climb the mast to the first spreader and attatch myself to the spreader with a chest harness and teather. i took a rope attached to the bow and another to tie to the mast. i tightened the 2:1 halyard on a pad eye on the deck, aligning it about mid way along the spreader. once on the spreader, i slid to the centre attatched my climbing gib to the 2:1 and used both roped from the bow and mast to controll my location. i managed to repair the major tear but the rest of the leech is breaking down and there is no way i can get to the rest. time will tell how long it lasts but for now i feel like i have a full sail inventory again but am being pretty cautious.
I had another good night...vmi sailed to about 3 boat lengths of me. i woke up and saw his starboard light and as i was trying to focus in the dark i realised that i could see in the windows of his cabin. we were very close...we both shone spotlights and i footed off over his bow and set up some seperation again - pretty wild! its now mid-morning and i can see ecover to leeward and ahead about 3 miles away, prb to windward and about the same distance ahead and vmi about 4 miles behind on my windward quater. 13-15kts of wind 60 twa....nice. starting to work on doldrums approach which is about 2 days away but looks like nice sailing till then.
nick team cowes
LE DEFI POSITIONS 3.12.03 1100GMT:
Pos/Skippers Name/Boat Name/DTF
1st Jean Pierre Dick / Virbac / 3531.3
2nd Alex Thomson / AT Racing / 3536.2
3rd Nick Moloney / TEAM COWES / 3587.9
4th Mike Golding / Ecover / 3589.3
5th Vincent Riou / PRB / 3589.9
6th Sébastien Josse / VMI / not known
7th Joe Seeten / Arcelor-Dunkerque / not known
8th Benoît LEQUIN / Wel.network / 3696.8
9th Benoît PARNAUDEAU / Colibri-Charente-Maritime / 3758.4
10th Anne LIARDET / Gonna Gitcha / 3790.9
PERFORMANCE PARTNER OF THE DAY : McMurdo
Official supplier of safety equipment to the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team
http://www.offshorechallenges.com/mcmurdo
For Race Information go to www.defi-atlantique.org
NOTES:
Skandia Set Sail: making sailing more accessible; growing the sport's reach; enriching people's lives. Skandia is the title sponsor to Sam Davies' 2003 Figaro Campaign Skandia Cowes Week is the oldest and largest sailing regatta in the world with up to 1000 boats racing in the Solent. Skandia Cowes Week 2004 takes place between 7th to 14th August. Skandia is a leading international long term savings company. www.skandia.com
Cowes Waterfront is a major regeneration initiative for the Medina Valley, encompassing the towns of Cowes, East Cowes and Newport Harbour on the Isle of Wight. It aims to strengthen the Island's position as a centre of excellence for the composites and specialist marine sectors by providing the resources and infrastructure that businesses need. It will bring new life and new visitors to town centres by attracting modern leisure and recreational facilities, including hotels, restaurants and cafes and promote the area as 'the home of world yachting'. www.coweswaterfront.co.uk
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