Betreff: JV DAY 10: OUT OF DOLDRUMS, BUT TOUGH DECISIONS Ahead IN SOUTH ATLANTIC...
Absender: "Team Kingfisher"
Datum: 08. Feb 2003 09:07
SUMMARY: 0700 GMT 8.2.03
Position: 5 46' S 28 46' W (428 nm south of Equator / Recife on Brazilian coast 381 nm SW)
Ahead/Behind the record: 3 hours 21 minutes behind Orange
Ahead/Behind Geronimo: 28 hours 2 minutes behind Geronimo
DAY 9 24 hour run (point to point) : Kingfisher2 357 nm, Orange 397 nm, Geronimo 407 nm
End DAY 9 distance to go (on theoretical course) : KF2 21324 nm, Orange 21270 nm, Geronimo 20875 nm
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: 12.44 / 18.8 knots
Av/Max wind speed in last hour: 11.69 / 15.7 knots
Wind direction: 160
Distance to WP4 35 00'S / 24 00'W St Helena high : 1775 nm (theorectical shortest distance)
IN BRIEF:
* "PEOPLE OFTEN THINK ITS THE STORMS WHICH ARE HARD, but I don't think that is the case. When the winds are light you have to fight for every metre, changing for the optimum sail continuously - in 30 degree temperatures, this is tough. There is no refreshing shower to take afterwards!" commented MacArthur this morning on the last two difficult days trapped by the Doldrums. Check out just how frustrarting it looks on the WEBCAM at http://www.teamkingfisher.com
* WIND HAS COME IN FROM THE SOUTH EAST, BUT NOT AS STRONG AS IS NORMAL FOR THE TRADE WINDS with 12 or 13 knots enough to propel KINGFISHER2 at 15 or 16 knots (the record pace above 16 knots), but this is still slow compared with the numbers required to catch.
* VERY TOUGH DECISIONS Ahead FOR ELLEN AND MEENO: "The weater situation before us is nothing short of shocking," see Ellen log below. There is no stable high pressure system in the South Atlantic - this unusual situation means the options are not at all evident. Go direct as possible towards the south, or try to find a way past further to the west, that is the question taking up every moment of the day (and night) onboard KINGFISHER2.
* THE BATTLE BETWEEN KINGFISHER2 AND THE EXISTING RECORD OF PEYRON could not be closer. Just a few minutes in it yesterday morning, and at 0700 today KINGFISHER2 has fallen a bit further to 3 hours 21 minutes but this just equates to 54 miles in distance. GERONIMO'S RUN (she continues to be three days ahead of the record, sailing south of Australia) is still fast - averaging around 20 knots - but de Kersauson and his crew are being forced the longer way round sailing at 45 degrees south compared to Orange who were 50 degrees south at this longitude.
* "NEPTUNE AT LEAST LET US LEAVE THE DOLDRUMS - it was funny that the wind came back very soon after we had offered some sacrifices to King Neptune, by way of very severe punishments to Andrew and Kevin as they crossed the Equator for the first time. They were strapped to the bowsprit and sprayed with a mixture of flying fish juice and engine oil...then forced to eat a terrible mix of left over food! But it seemed to work...the wind slowly filled in...even if Andrew vomiting as a result was not so pleasant, we'd do anything for wind!"
* CREW MEMBER FOCUS: Nigel King raced on Team News Corp in the Volvo Ocean Race and raced against Kingfisher on board Mike Golding's Open 60 'Ecover' in 2001 but big cat racing is an all new experience...
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/em080203a_uk.mp3
Kingfisher operating company of the day SCREWFIX: Screwfix Direct is the UK's largest mail order company and e-commerce supplier of building, carpentry, plumbing, electrical and indextenance products.
http://www.screwfix.com
ELLEN LATEST LOG from 2300GMT 7.2.03: (communications by BT [broadband users check out video and other high speed content at http://kingfisher.sportal.com]
Moving!!
This morning after our little ceermony with Andrew and Kevin the wind miraculously came back... now we are sailing on a course slightly to the west of south. I cannot say how woinderful it feels to have the sound of water rushing past me in the nav station. The night is wonderful, bright stars and a clear sky. Everyone seems quite upbeat - and I managed to spend some time on deck with each of the watches tonight which was great.
The weater situation before us is nothing short of shocking with little to no identification of 'normal systems', which is keeping myself as well as Meeno Schrader our shore-based weather router on our toes. Right now, the door is not open [to cut the corner to Cape Town] - in fact the door is not even there to be shut! Now about to sleep, after once again a night with just under 2 hours so far! At least the temperature is slowly dropping - still in shorts though!
JULES VERNE USHANT (START) TO CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TIMES:
1993 Commodore Explorer (Peyron) 21 days 12 hours 48 minutes
1994 ENZA (Blake/Knox-Johnston) 19 days 17 hours 53 minutes
1997 Sport Elec (de Kersauson) 21 days 18 hours 17 minutes
2002 Orange (Peyron) 18 days 18 hours 40 minutes
2003 Geronimo (de Kersauson) 16 days 14 hours 35 minutes 21 seconds
OMEGA official timekeeper of KINGFISHER2'S Jules Verne record attempt
CREW MEMBER FOCUS: Nigel King (UK) - Trimmer
Nigel King (33) recruited as a boat builder for the Assa Abloy syndicate for the last Volvo Ocean Race then got the opportunity he wanted - to race. Nigel competed on board Team News Corp from Leg 4 (Auckland-Rio) onwards including the Southern Ocean and trans-Atlantic leg. He had already raced trans-Atlantic before on board Mike Golding's Open 60 'Ecover' against Kingfisher in the EDS Atlantic Challenge. Nigel is also an experienced dinghy boat sailor and did two Soling Olympic campaigns. The opportunity to race on board KINGFISHER2 was an invitation he didn't need twice: "Getting the chance to race on a big multi non-stop round the world and perhaps (all going well) the opportunity to sit back to say you've done it - will be just great," said Nigel. For me, being the new boy, its about doing my job 100%. If I am doing that then I may focus on other things - like beating the record!"
Email Nigel direct on board KINGFISHER2 at nigelrace@kingfisherchallenges.com
PARTNER OF THE DAY - RED FUNNEL: Red Funnel are official travel partner to Team Kingfisher. Red Funnel provide a Hi-Speed and car ferry service from Cowes, Isle of Wight to Southampton facilitating the travel requirements of the Offshore Challenges sailing team based in Cowes.
http://www.teamkingfisher.com/redfunnel
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