: FAST SAILING ALONG COAST OF BRAZIL CHASING VMI...
Absender: "Team Cowes"
Datum: 17. Nov 2003 11:17
TJV: FAST SAILING ALONG COAST OF BRAZIL CHASING VMI...
TEAM COWES Transat Jacques Vabre campaign is supported by Skandia and Cowes Waterfront
UPWIND - 17 KNOTS OF WIND SE - 14 KNOTS BOAT SPEED - 533 MILES TO FINISH - TEAM COWES 6TH 326 MILES BEHIND LEADER VIRBAC (0900GMT)
IN BRIEF:
* 27 MILES SEPARATING TEAM COWES FROM VMI IN 5TH... "we are struggling a bit though to keep up with vmi, she took 23 miles out of us and we can't sail team cowes any faster. i think that they got this wind first and the rich are getting richer, so to speak..." Skippers Nick Moloney and Sam Davies hoping that local conditions in the final stretch may offer some chance of a final attack as the boats are still separated east to west by over 30 miles: "hopefully we will not lose too much more...then we will still be in with a chance of catching her."
* LIFE ON BOARD IS WARMER BUT STILL WET IN FAST SAILING CONDITIONS..."we have been always going fast enough to have spray over the deck - therefore, continuously wet, and saltier than a packet of walkers ready salted crisps!"
* ECOVER AND SILL FIGHT OVER SECOND AS VIRBAC HOLDS COMMANDING LEAD...in the night Ecover skipper Mike Golding reported that one of the runners had come detached from the mast forcing them to slow the boat. Sill pounced and passed her as Golding went up the mast to make the repair and by the 0900 positions had got back passed Roland Jourdain and Alex Thomson on Sill by 4 miles. Leader Virbac with over 100 mile cushion ahead of Ecover is under no real threat and her ETA is early tomorrow morning.
* FORECAST...fast sailing conditions along the coast of Brazil with 17-19 knots of wind from the south-east.
* ELLEN MACARTHUR & ALAIN GAUTIER crossed the finish line at 0538GMT this morning to finish 9th overall in the ORMA 60 Multihull class. The duo managed to pass the multihull of Philippe Monnet and Laurent Bourgnon in the final stages of this race to take the 9th spot after a tough race from the back after the forced pitstop in Madeira early on in the race to repair the indexsail halyard and replace a shredded sail. http://www.teamellen.com
EMAIL LOG FROM TEAM COWES 0100GMT 17.11.03 - SAM DAVIES:
good morning everyone.
i am so salty.
i can't wait to get in a big bath and get rid of this salt. it has been an incredible trip in that we have been always going fast enough to have spray over the deck - therefore, continuously wet, and saltier than a packet of walkers ready salted crisps. and not a bath (or shower in sight - every girl's worst nightmare. i still have my second (and last) sachet of shampoo and conditioner and i think i will have to use it tomorrow and i think that we have enough water left for the luury of a small rinse with half a bottle of vittel.
anyway, i have just come down below (and dried off/.) and we are doing 18 knots - hammering along in 20 knots of wind, 100twa with full index and genoa, water pouring over the deck and the whole boat humming - great. i love it. when i started this watch, things were a little more peaceful - only 17 knots and 14 knots boatspeed, with the pilot steering and me trimming to keep up with the windshifts. i was actually in the middle of brushing my teeth when the gust hit - all of a sudden we took off and the leeward side of the boat was awash. i had to hurriedly put the toothbrush away and then pluck up the courage to submerse myself (on the leeward side) to find the genoa winch and ease the sheet a bit (so that i could then crack off on the indexsheet without it floggong.) the whole exercise would have been a lot easier if i had been wearing a snorkel and mask. it's great fun. i will be sad when this race is over.
we are struggling a bit though to keep up with vmi, she took 23 miles out of us today and we can't sail team cowes any faster. i think that they got this wind first and the rich are getting richer, so to speak. hopefully we will not lose too much more now we are up to speed. then we will still be in with a chance of catching her.
later
sam x
TOP 10 OPEN 60 POSITIONS AT 0900GMT 17.11.03:
Pstn/Boat Name/Long/Lat/Speed/Course/DTF/DTL
1 VIRBAC / 10 56.88' S / 35 46.20' W / 11.9 / 225 / 207.9 / 0.0
2 ECOVER / 9 00.52' S / 34 33.08' W / 14.7 / 218 / 340.3 / 132.3
3 SILL / 9 16.40' S / 34 14.44' W / 11.9 / 207 / 342.5 / 134.6
4 PRB / 7 44.12' S / 33 18.12' W / 14.9 / 211 / 446.7 / 238.8
5 VMI / 6 46.92' S / 32 52.52' W / 14.8 / 214 / 506.8 / 298.9
6 TEAM COWES / 5 48.92' S / 33 15.20' W / 13.9 / 200 / 533.9 / 326.0
7 CARREFOUR PREVENTION / 3 31.28' S / 32 29.36' W / 13.8 / 209 / 684.4 / 476.5
8 ARCELOR-DUNKERQUE / 2 02.82' N / 25 43.38' W / 7.3 / 232 / 1171.8 / 963.9
9 GARNIER / 4 08.56' N / 29 17.76' W / 2.4 / 201 / 1182.1 / 974.2
10 LOIRE ATLANTIQUE / 4 54.72' N / 24 56.68' W / 4.9 / 170 / 1352.4 / 1144.5
PERFORMANCE PARTNER OF THE DAY: RENAULT
Official vehicle supplier to the Offshore Challenges Sailing team
http://www.offshorechallenges.com/renault
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