Betreff: TJV: TEAM COWES & PRB BATTLING FOR 4TH BOTH GYBE SOUTH...
Absender: "Team Cowes"
Datum: 10. Nov 2003 18:00
TEAM COWES Transat Jacques Vabre campaign is supported by Skandia and Cowes
Waterfront
DOWNWIND PORT GYBE - 10-12 KNOTS OF NE WIND - 8.7 KNOTS BOATSPEED - 540
MILES N CAPE VERDE ISLANDS - TEAM COWES 5TH 250 MILES BEHIND LEADER VIRBAC
(1500GMT)
IN BRIEF:
* ONLY 4 MILES BETWEEN TEAM COWES AND PRB as they race south...next tactical
hurdle is the entrance to the Doldrums: "From here on in we are thinking
about that approach. Approaching further west can give you a better crossing
so its looking all right for us and Sill..." But as Nick says PRB is a
"rocketship downwind" so everything to play for over the next 1200 miles to
Doldrums where the two prevalent winds from the Northern Hemisphere and the
Southern Hemisphere converge created a notorious windless zone...
* TEAM COWES GYBES SOUTH shortly after audio call with the Nick Moloney: "We
just want to gybe and get in the same direction as everyone else. We are
cruising along doing 10 knots of boat speed in about 10-13 knots of wind. We
can see on the weather files that there is 20 knots in the SE so we just need
to get there and not miss out on the fun stuff..."
* FORECAST...wind forecast from the NE around 10-13 knots for today veering
slightly further right ENE from midnight tonight increasing to 13-17 knots
throughout tomorow.
AUDIO CALL, TEAM COWES 1400GMT - NICK MOLONEY:
Just standing on the edge to the Trades... Breeze is in the north and need
angle of 040 to gybe, still heading SW and 10 miles from Sill's track when
she passed through. Meeno said to hang on for another hour so so.
We are sailing with everything up...index, spinnaker, stay sail and our new
'water sail'... Little invention of ours that we kind of dreamed up on the
Whitbread but never did, so thought we'd give it go this time. It only cost
about 60 euros but it's a weapon! It basically attaches to the bottom of the
boom and goes down to the aft quarter on deck in line with the rest of
indexsail. You need 11-12+ knots of true wind speed and a good broad angle so
its the first opportunity we've had to use it.
We just want to gybe and get in the same direction as everyone else. We are
cruising along doing 10 knots of boat speed in about 10-13 knots of wind. We
can see on the weather files that there is 20 knots in the SE so we just need
to get there and not miss out on the fun stuff. Expecting wind to shift in
next hour and maybe by 1900 tonight we will feel the full emphasis of the
Trade Winds kicking in.
Today we have been through whole boat, cleaning, emptying water out of the
bow, spilt diesel out the back so going at it all day. Hopefully, once we
have gybed we will have some good food and then get back into the napping
routine.
Once everyone is in the Trades, I think, they will fall into a line. The
difference will be in the approach to the Doldrums...from here on in we are
thinking about that approach. Approaching further west can give you a better
crossing so its looking all right for us and Sill.
PRB is a rocketship downwind and she has a massive 380sqm spinnaker. Virbac
is going fast in these conditions...I would say that in the upwind stuff we
were matching her definitely but when she bore away by a few degress she was
off and sailed through us and Pindar. I guess they twigged early that they
just had to sail fast which has dictated the route they have taken.
We have 040 now so we will be looking to gybe in next half hour so we don't
get any further away from the fleet."
Audio transmissions are supported by BT YAHOO, http://www.btyahoo.com
TOP 10 OPEN 60 POSITIONS AT 1500GMT 10.11.03:
Pstn/Boat Name/Long/Lat/Speed/Course/DTF/DTL
1 VIRBAC / 21 12.88' N / 24 13.80' W / 15.7 / 190 / 2244.0 / 0.0
2 SILL / 24 20.96' N / 26 54.36' W / 10.1 / 190 / 2379.7 / 135.7
3 ECOVER / 23 58.52' N / 23 28.44' W / 14.0 / 188 / 2413.9 / 169.9
4 PRB / 25 29.16' N / 23 58.40' W / 8.9 / 176 / 2490.5 / 246.5
5 TEAM COWES / 26 06.64' N / 26 01.96' W / 8.7 / 231 / 2494.0 / 250.1
6 CARREFOUR PREVENTION / 26 31.92' N / 23 48.72' W / 3.8 / 172 / 2552.9 /
309.0
7 VMI / 26 24.16' N / 22 52.36' W / 6.7 / 232 / 2562.3 / 318.4
8 ARCELOR-DUNKERQUE / 27 49.92' N / 19 47.76' W / 6.0 / 220 / 2697.6 / 453.6
9 GARNIER / 28 52.00' N / 19 04.32' W / 5.8 / 254 / 2775.6 / 531.6
10 LOIRE ATLANTIQUE / 29 56.80' N / 16 09.12' W / 3.4 / 195 / 2899.5 / 655.5
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
Cowe
s 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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