Absender: "Team Kingfisher"
Datum: 23. Jan 2003 12:12
* KINGFISHER2 STANDBY MODE GOES TO 'AMBER' - CREW TO RETURN TO LORIENT FOR SUNDAY
* POTENTIAL DEPARTURE MONDAY OR TUESDAY NEXT WEEK AS WEATHER STABILISES FOR KINGFISHER2 JULES VERNE RECORD ATTEMPT...
* MACARTHUR EXPLAINS HOW THE "WATCH" SYSTEM WILL WORK ON KINGFISHER2...
IN DETAIL
Skipper Ellen MacArthur has made the call for the crew of KINGFISHER2 to return to Lorient as standby mode goes to AMBER in anticipation of a good weather window developing for next Monday or Tuesday. "Right now, both weather models are showing a really good weather opportunity early next week," said MacArthur. "There is a 60-70% chance of departure so we have asked all the crew to return to Lorient by Sunday."
Ellen has been in Hamburg studying the weather options with KINGFISHER2 weather router Dr Meeno Schrader - the decision to change standby mode was taken to give the 14 crew spread across Europe (from Sweden to Spain) sufficient time to return to the base in France. But there is the possibility that the standby mode may go back to RED if the High Pressure area needed to develop northerly winds disappears.
There is a sense of urgency for KINGFISHER2 to depart on the non-stop round the world Jules Verne record attempt but in this game patience is a true virtue. Whilst KINGFISHER2 waits, Olivier de Kersauson on GERONIMO is now in day 11 of their record attempt having set a new record to the Equator and escaping the Doldrums quickly to continue their passage south off the coast of Brazil.
http://www.grandsrecords.com
Once KINGFISHER2 is underway the 14 crew will fall into a 4-hour watch system of three watches - 4 hours "on watch", 4 hours "on standby" and 4 hours "off watch" with 4 crew in each system. On watch effectively means the four crew in that system will be driving the boat; on standby and the crew must be ready to go on deck at a moment's notice to help with manoeuvres although they can be resting down below; off watch means you're off - time to get some rest and relaxation.
The only crew exclusions from the watch system are Ellen MacArthur, to give her the freedom to navigate round the clock, and Andrew Preece who is in charge of all the media communications. Each watch system is run by a "watch leader" - on board KINGFISHER2 these are:
Watch leader - Guillermo Altadill plus crew Benoit Briand, Kevin McMeel, Damian Foxall
Watch leader - Neal McDonald plus crew Bruno Dubois, Anthony Merrington (aka Youngster), Jason Carrington
Watch leader - Hervé Jan plus crew Ronan Le Goff, Andrew Henderson (aka Hendo), Nigel King
The 14 crew are divided into separate hulls that become their living area - Guillermo, Benoit, Bruno, Jason, Ronan and Hendo in the port hull and Kevin, Damian, Neal, Youngster, Hervé and Nigel in starboard. Ellen will sleep in a bunk directly above the navigation station in the starboard hull. KINGFISHER2 may be a "giant catamaran" but living space is cramped.
For more information and images of KINGFISHER2 visit
http://www.teamkingfisher.com
For media enquiries please contact Lou Newlands lou@offshorechallenges.com
For images and stills, please contact Josie Robinson
josie@offshorechallenges.com
For TV feeds contact rsimmonds@appbroadcast.com
Kingfisher plc is one of Europe's leading retailers operating in the
international home improvement and electrical and furniture markets.
Kingfisher employs around 90,000 people in over 1,397 stores across 16
countries and includes some of the best known retail brands in Europe: B&Q
and Comet in the UK and Castorama, Darty and BUT in France.
http://www.diy.com
http://www.comet.co.uk
http://www.kingfisher.com
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