JV DAY 5 : MEDIA UPDATE 1500GMT - LIGHT AIRS FRUSTRATE MACARTHUR & CREW...
Absender: "Team Kingfisher"
Datum: 03. Feb 2003 16:16
SUMMARY: 1500 GMT 3.2.03
Position: 22 15' N 25 28' W ()
Av/Max boat speed in last hour: 11.19 / 18.6 / knots
Av/Max wind speed in last hour: 7.9 / 13.1 knots
Wind direction: 038
Distance to Equator: 1349 nm (theorectical shortest distance)
The breeze has continued to allude Ellen and the crew on board KINGFISHER2 today: "There is basically a light patch of air approx 300 m2 that we had no choice but to sail through it," said Ellen. "We hope to get to the other side soon and find more breeze but right now we are only making 9-10 knots of boat speed and it is very frustrating."
The wind is expected to strengthen overnight to 17 knots from the NE which will give KINGFISHER2 about 20 knots of boat speed. The only strategy is to keep sailing south and hope the breeze fills in. As they get further south the sea temperature increases - now at 24 degrees compared to 10 degrees when they started.
Once KINGFISHER2 makes it through this light zone they will be on course to cross the Equator but when is hard to predict: "Perhaps in 3 days," said MacArthur "But it is hard to say until we are on the other side of this light patch."
EQUATOR RECORD:
For KINGFISHER2 to beat the existing Ushant (start) to Equator record of 6 days, 11 hours, 26 minutes, 21 seconds set by Geronimo, KINGFISHER2 must cross the Equator 1 second before 18:15:09 GMT on Wednesday 5.2.03. However, based on the current forecast and boat speed it is not expected that KINGFISHER2 can better this record.
For KINGFISHER2 to beat the Ushant to Equator record set by Orange of 7 days, 22 hours, KINGFISHER2 must cross the Equator 1 second before 04:48:00 GMT on Friday 7.2.03.
JULES VERNE RECORD:
KINGFISHER2 started Jules Verne record attempt at 06:48:39 GMT on 30.1.03. To beat the existing 'Orange' record of 64 days 8 hours 37 minutes 24 seconds, KINGFISHER2 must finish 1 second before 15:25:13 GMT on 4th April or less if GERONIMO lowers the record.
http://www.grandsrecords.com
JV DAY 5 : KINGFISHER2 SAILS INTO AREA OF CALMS...
Absender: "Team Kingfisher"
Datum: 03. Feb 2003 09:40
SUMMARY: 0700 GMT 3.2.03
Position: 24 02' N 25 55' W (off African coast Canaries 509nm NW / Cape Verde Islands 423nm S)
Ahead/Behind the record: 9 hours 25 minutes behind Orange
DAY 4 24 hour run (point to point) : Kingfisher2 374 nm, Orange 501 nm, Geronimo 472 nm
End DAY 4 distance to go : KF 23094nm, Orange 22947nm, Geronimo 22852nm
Click on POSITIONS link at http://www.teamkingfisher.com to see graphic images comparing the tracks of these 3 challengers at 4 hourly intervals.
Av/Max boat speed in last hour: 5.4 / 13.9 knots
Av/Max wind speed in last hour: 3.74 / 17.7 knots
Wind direction: 046
Distance to Equator: 1444nm (theorectical shortest distance)
IN BRIEF:
* HIGH STRESS onboard KINGFISHER2 as she sails unavoidably in to an area of
light and unstable winds - "when you are only sailing at 10 knots, you know
you are losing 7 miles an hour, thats 70 miles in 10 hours. Its very hard to deal with. Although its a record attempt, I think losing miles like this is even harder than when there is a real boat next to you," a frustrated Ellen commented this morning.
* THE AREA OF CALM is expected to last in to Monday night, before the Trade
Winds kick back in properly and propel KINGFISHER2 towards the Equator. These
conditions are hard for the crew, sailing with full index and gennaker,
sudden squalls (wind increasing from 5 knots to 25 knots) require permanent attention.
* GERONIMO has completed the first 3rd of the Jules Verne, and is a good
way across the Indian Ocean heading towards Cape Leeuwin, Australia. She has
indextained a lead of about 1000 miles over the record of Orange.
* EMAIL NEWS from Hendo (Andrew Henderson), Youngster (Anthony Merrington) and Guillermo Altadill - see http://www.teamkingfisher.com for full news...
* CREW MEMBER FOCUS: Jason Carrington, Bowman and onboard boat builder, was involved with Club Med in the begining but didn't do The Race - this Jules Verne gives him the opportunity to sort some unfinished business...
Listen to Ellen's latest audio this morning... Visit http://www.teamkingfisher.com and click on the 'Audio' icon on the menu bar or download from http://www.ocftp.com/audio/em030203a_uk.mp3
Kingfisher operating company of the day Dubois Matériaux : Dubois Matériaux is a French Home Improvement wholesaler providing new building and renovation materials to building trade professionals, while supplying Castorama stores.
http://www.castorama.fr
EMAIL FROM ELLEN (communications by BT):
A frustrating night sitting out here looking hour after hour at the weather graphs which are certainly not always in our favour. The wind in the last few hours has averaged less than 10 knots and our boat speed average has been down to 13 knots over the last 3 hours. As I study the satellite pictures and grib files it seems almost unbelieveable that in all the miles of ocean around us - in fact the thousands of miles - that we should have to sail through this little bubble of light winds. The weather gods have left us with no choice, the light patch has descended upon us. Our progression over the last few days is now more precious to us than we were hoping it would have to be. We at least have a few hundred miles of easting to make before worrying too much about running too close into the african coast and the islands... As each little puff of wind presents itself to us its a little breath of hope. The sounds of the guys talking through the intercom in the cockpit seem instantly happier, and the noise of the water rushing past our hull is like music to our ears. As I speak to Meeno our weather router he always says that he listens first for the sound of the water running alongside the boat before he hears my questions or remarks, if the sound from the boat is akin to a heathy flowing mountain stream then things are generally OK. Now that noise is quieter....let's hope the following 24 hours are better!
Inside the cabin I am now sitting in just one layer of thermals, and with the water temp at 22 degrees life is refreshingly more civilized than life over the last few days. It was a cold start to our recod attempt, but even colder over the months leading up to our trip working long hours on KINGFISHER2 to get her ready for this testing voyage. I lost count of the mornings where her decks were covered with ice as we begun work at the old submarine base in the winter twighlight. Like with so many of these projects there has been no lack of energy, enthusiasm and heartache gone into it's sucess...
Lets hope that over the next few hours the wind turns to be in our favour... There's still a very long way to go.
EXCERPTS FROM LATEST CREW NEWS - see http://www.teamkingfisher.com for full news...
Guillermo Altadill: "In theory this kind of record should be less stressful racing against the clock rather than against other boats. But if you see how we raced in The Race and you see how this record is getting more competitive, you can see that this kind of sailing is getting harder. In The Race, when we got a guy 1000 miles behind us we started sailing conservatively. Here, in the Jules Verne, you can't do that because you never know what will happen in the future..."
Hendo: "It seems doing the jules verne on one of these boats brings about a strange irony in that when you are wet, cold and uncomfortable, you're a happy chap because these are hallmarks of speed..."
Youngster: "As always with these things the body takes a while to get used to sleeping and eating at strange times but I seam to be settling in OK and am feeling pretty good..."
CREW MEMBER FOCUS:
Email Jason direct on board KINGFISHER2 at jasonrace@kingfisherchallenges.com
PARTNER OF THE DAY - Marlow have provided the ropes and running rigger to both Kingfisher (monohull) and KINGFISHER2. There is over 1.3 km of Marlow rope on board (enough to run around an athletics track three and a quarter times!
http://www.teamkingfisher.com/marlow
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