KINGFISHER2 PLANNING NEW START FOR TOMORROW...
Absender: "Team Kingfisher"
Datum: 29. Jan 2003 19:23
For Ellen MacArthur's dedicated team, who have worked non-stop now for 24 hours in freezing conditions in Plymouth Sound, the end of the pitsop is nearly in sight. The final fastenings are being secured on the mast track, and it is planned that KINGFISHER2 will slip her mooring and head out to a very rough English Channel during the night.
The giant catamaran has been sitting at anchor in her orange B&Q livery just off of Plymouth Hoe since late last night. Conditions have not assisted the team, but the incredible effort of the team, coupled with fantastic local support, has delivered an extraordinary fast turnaround.
The final repair has involved a small amount of work on the headboard car, and the replacement of two parts of the mast track (at 2nd and 3rd reef positions).
A tired MacArthur, only on land for an hour since her arrival in Plymouth, is nonetheless very keen to get back out to sea - "We're all here to do one job, and that is race around the world. The guys have been amazing during this pitstop, the crew and the support team. We've turned around the repair work in record time, despite the cold, wind and the clock ticking away. The local support in Plymouth has been incredible. But I have to say we will of course be very happy to get back to sea and get on with the job we started earlier this week."
The pressure to leave has been principally to catch a weather window, ie favourable following winds. But this is not just northerly winds at the start, in fact more importantly it is the forecast for 3 days down the track to the west of Spain and Portugal that is most critical. This 'link' between the Bay of Biscay and the Trade Winds is one of the most important in the Jules Verne course in terms of the record time.
Assuming she does leave as planned, KINGFISHER2 would cross the start line off of Ushant, 120 miles south south west of Plymouth in the early hours of the morning. Conditions are expected to be quite wild in the English Channel with a large seaway and up to 50 knots of wind – while sailing to Plymouth yesterday, the crew already saw 60 knots gusts.
EXTRA NEWS...
William Hill are offering odds of 7-1 for KINGFISHER2 to break the non-stop round the world Jules Verne record. Perhaps that 7 out of 11 Jules Verne record attempts have failed since it began in 1993 have influenced the odds!
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