Betreff: TJV: LEADERS PUSH SOUTH - WILL THE LEFT OR RIGHT PAY?
Absender: "Team Cowes"
Datum: 04. Nov 2003 18:53
TEAM COWES Transat Jacques Vabre campaign is supported by Skandia and Cowes
Waterfront
UPWIND - 15-17 KNOTS OF WIND S - 9.5 KNOTS BOATSPEED - BAY OF BISCAY - 70
MILES TO CAPE FINISTERRE - TEAM COWES 6TH 96 MILES BEHIND LEADER ECOVER
(1700GMT)
IN BRIEF:
* TEAM COWES OFFICIALLY MOVES UP A PLACE INTO 6TH although Bernard Stamm's
boat (7th) has not been polled since 1300GMT today... Next 24 hours will
show if TEAM COWES can gain on the boats [Sill, PRB, VMI] furthest west by
holding their course on the left-hand side of the track...
* TEAM COWES APPROACHING CAPE FINISTERRE...70 miles ahead ETA midnight.
* NEW VIOLENT COLD FRONT DUE TO PASS OVER TOMORROW MORNING bringing 40-50
knots of wind from the south-west and big seas...neither Nick or Sam have got
out of their Musto drysuits yet...and they don't expect to until at least
Thursday!
CONFERENCE CALL TO TEAM COWES 1400GMT - SAM DAVIES:
"We are expecting a left-hand shift into the south and then SE later and we
wanted to stay east of the fleet so we could sail low and fast to cover the
other boats. We're a bit worried but it should favour us sailing like this.
We are following similar tracks to Ecover and Virbac rather than Sill, VMI,
PRB and so on...they are the positions we are attacking so we hope it's going
to pay off.
"There are two shifts - a later one going right, so those further to the west
could get into the new breeze first but further west the conditions will be
worse [when the new depression hits]. There are lots of pros and cons and we
are not 100% sure we are right but we think so. We are just trying to get
south play the shifts right and tack at the right time.
"Some big conditions are expected to start around 1800-2100GMT tonight
bringing increase of 15-30 knots and by 0600 tomorrow maybe even 40 knots
when the front passes through at around 0800 in the morning. The boats
furthest west may get more breeze first but they will have to deal with worse
sea conditions... There is a certain limit of wind when you don't go any
faster and just have to preserve the boat.
"We have been hand-steering the majority of the time - since the start we
have been doing 12 hours a day each taking turns to do one hour steering then
one hour sleeping. You go faster if you steer yourself but I think my arms
are about to fall off! It is not very comfortable on board everything is
stacked in the boat - sails, food - and we have been sleeping on the floor...
It's hard to get comfortable but its the best place to be as you can't fall
anywhere! We are happy with the boat, everything is fine and so far we
haven't broken anything that could effect our speed."
TOP 10 OPEN 60 POSITIONS AT 1600GMT 4.11.03:
Pstn/Boat Name/Long/Lat/Speed/Course/DTF/DTL
1 ECOVER / 43 03.76' N / 10 47.88' W / 12.3 / 235 / 3715.8 / 0.0
2 VIRBAC / 43 05.96' N / 10 39.76' W / 11.9 / 236 / 3720.6 / 4.8
3 SILL / 44 17.84' N / 12 10.44' W / 11.0 / 231 / 3753.1 / 37.3
4 PRB / 44 12.20' N / 10 41.44' W / 11.1 / 226 / 3778.0 / 62.2
5 VMI / 44 43.20' N / 10 25.44' W / 9.9 / 221 / 3811.0 / 95.2
6 TEAM COWES / 44 18.36' N / 9 19.32' W / 9.5 / 230 / 3812.4 / 96.5
7 CHEMINEES POUJOULAT-ARMOR LUX / 45 22.14' N / 10 22.92' W / 9.9 / 238 /
3813.1 / 97.3
8 CARREFOUR PREVENTION / 45 02.28' N / 9 59.48' W / 10.0 / 226 / 3836.3 /
120.5
9 ARCELOR-DUNKERQUE / 45 01.08' N / 9 38.88' W / 9.4 / 230 / 3842.4 / 126.6
10 GARNIER / 45 03.20' N / 8 10.44' W / 7.9 / 226 / 3876.0 / 160.1
For TJV race information go to http://www.jacques-vabre.com
NOTES:
Skandia Set Sail: making sailing more accessible; growing the sport's reach;
enriching people's lives.
Skandia is the title sponsor to Sam Davies' 2003 Figaro Campaign
Skandia Cowes Week is the oldest and largest sailing regatta in the world
with up to 1000 boats racing in the Solent. Skandia Cowes Week 2004 takes
place between 7th to 14th August.
Skandia is a leading international long term savings company.
http://www.skandia.com
Cowes Waterfront is a major regeneration initiative for the Medina Valley,
encompassing the towns of Cowes, East Cowes and Newport Harbour on the Isle
of Wight. It aims to strengthen the Island's position as a centre of
excellence for the composites and specialist marine sectors by providing the
resources and infrastructure that businesses need. It will bring new life
and new visitors to town centres by attracting modern leisure and
recreational facilities, including hotels, restaurants and cafes and promote
the area as 'the home of world yachting'.
http://www.coweswaterfront.co.uk
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