Betreff: LE DEFI: TEAM COWES LOSES MILES TO VMI AS THOMSON GRABS LEAD...
Absender: "Team Cowes"
Datum: 12. Dec 2003 12:04
LE DEFI: TEAM COWES LOSES MILES TO VMI AS THOMSON GRABS LEAD...
TEAM COWES Le Défi Atlantique campaign is supported by Skandia and Cowes Waterfront
STB GYBE - 10 KNOTS S - APPROX 420 MILES NW CANARY ISLANDS - TEAM COWES 5TH - DISTANCE TO LEADER AT RACING 272 MILES
IN BRIEF:
* TEAM COWES SAILS INTO WINDLESS HOLE LOSING SOME SERIOUS MILES..."Yesterday afternoon tried to cut corner on the high pressure and didn't sail as west as other guys...the wind just shut off and haven't been able to dig way out." Moloney now trails 4th placed VMI by 85 miles compared to around 20 miles yesterday morning: "Right now, I am losing 8 miles an hour which is killing me..." The wind is forecast to come back this afternoon and overnight to as much as 25 knots but the distance to the front runners may be too great for Moloney to get back in contention unless the leaders are slowed by a potential high pressure off Cape Finisterre in a couple of days time.
* ALEX THOMSON CONTINUES HIS CHARGE TO TAKE THE LEAD FROM PRB AND SETS POTENTIAL NEW 24 HOUR SPEED RECORD...AT Racing has stormed into the lead albeit a marginal one of a couple of miles ahead of PRB and at the same time has laid claim to setting a new 24 hour solo speed record of 466 miles beating the existing record by around 35 miles [the record has yet to be ratified by the WSSRC].
AUDIO CALL NICK MOLONEY - 1000GMT 12.12.03:
Yesterday afternoon tried to cut corner on the high pressure and didn't sail as west as other guys. Basically, I wasn't sure of Golding's line and was using him as an indication of not enough wind. So I decided to make course of 010 - direct course to Finisterre is 030. Everything was okay but then within 15 minutes the wind just shut off. I got caught by the high pressure and haven't been able to dig way out. In desperation, I even gybed back north west which is just brutal because you are not making anything on the mark...d esperately looking for wind and didn't find anything - no increase or shifts. Gybed back last night at around 2200 GMT and have been on this gybe all night to try and minimize loss by heading for the mark in about 10 knots of wind. Jo-Jo is in around 20 knots and he only had a small light period of 15 knots last night.
The effect of a low pressue is supposed to be pushing over me today but just not coming right now...at 0500 I had 14 knots and at 1000 I have 10 knots. Just gotta hope I get some wind. All gribs show the wind filling around lunchtime and building to 20 knots this evening and about 25 knots by morning. My only hope, looking at the weather off Cape Finisterre in a few days time when the guys in the front arrive there, is a big high pressure and I could catch up with the southerly wind. I guess the leaders are about two days away now and there is also light air forecast across Biscay when they get there.
But it's not looking great for me either as on the 15th there are still some big areas of quite light wind across Biscay that should free when the front runners are about halfway across that looks set to free a bit and I'll just be going into the bay.
Right now, I am losing 8 miles an hour which is killing me. But I can't do anything more...I have spinnaker on and full index doing around 9 knots dead running and numbers are what they should be. I just have to cop it in on the chin and find out what happens up the track. I totally missed the train north but, hopefully, something will happen and soon!
LE DEFI POSITIONS 12.12.03 0500GMT:
Pos/Skippers Name/Boat Name/Lat/Long/DTL/DTF
1st Alex Thomson / AT Racing / N345704 / W0241084 / 0 / 1257.0
2nd Vincent Riou / PRB / N340700 / W0231912 / 2.2 / 1259.2
3rd Mike Golding / Ecover / N322110 / W0243791 / 123.9 / 1380.9
4th Sébastien Josse / VMI/ N310956 / W0245316 / 185.6 / 1442.6
5th Nick Moloney / TEAM COWES / N295180 / W0254328 / 272.8 / 1529.8
6th Joe Seeten / Arcelor-Dunkerque / N252676 / W0273620 / 543.9 / 1800.9
7th Benoît LEQUIN / Wel.network / N212704 / W0284456 / 393.3 / 2035.2
8th Benoît PARNAUDEAU / Colibri / N233952 / W0294752 / 700.6 / 1957.6
9th Anne LIARDE / Gonna Gitcha / N212504 / W0295776 / 816.8 / 2073.8
10th Jean Pierre Dick / Virbac / NN212956 / W0304628 / 838.2 / 2095.2
PERFORMANCE PARTNER OF THE DAY : SONY
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For Race Information go to www.defi-atlantique.org
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