The Global Challenge 2004/05 Portsmouth-Kap Hoorn-Kapstadt-Portsmouth 03.10.2004 - 17.07.2005 www.globalchallenge2004.com - zur Übersicht 04.06.2005 A look back at BG SPIRIT's race to Boston The easterly flyer that earned them a 243nm lead over the finish line will be talked about for years to come... BG SPIRIT headed for the eastern flank of the fleet from the very beginning. “We have a game plan and we’re sticking to it,” said skipper Andy Forbes at the time. They had done their strategic planning in South Africa and seemed to know where they were heading. Initially their course to the east put them firmly in last place. VAIO had joined them, but by day three, Amedeo Sorrentino and his team had headed back to the index pack, and Imagine It. Done. had broken east to join BG SPIRIT. The teams occupied 11th and 12th on the leaderboard and it was SAIC La Jolla and Samsung out on the western flank who had taken the early lead, if only marginally. By the fifth day of the leg, BG SPIRIT were still in 11th place and heading even further north, taking them further east of the pack… By Day 11 the team had headed back towards the rhumb line and were joined by VAIO and Me to You leaving a pack of four taking the central line flanked by SAIC La Jolla out to the west. Still on the eastern side of the fleet they had fought back to 20nm behind the lead yacht and moved up into sixth place. By Day 13 they had become the most westerly yacht and shot into second, having crossed tracks with the majority of the fleet and also moving into second place. The leading yachts were now intensely close, the leaderboard changing with every new position report. The next day they took the lead. heading east of the pack… The leading pack then converged and headed north in unison, the leading four yachts only separated by 6nm and positions became almost academic, such was the regularity of leaderboard movements at this stage. The drag race continued and on the 21st day of the leg, the top seven yachts were still only 19nm apart. BG SPIRIT was now in first place with SAIC La Jolla only 1nm behind them, but crucially, they had made their move back to the eastern side of the leading group. SAIC La Jolla then chose to head back towards the index pack, leaving BG SPIRIT following a solitary course to the east, but apparently determined to see it through. Acknowledging that they would lose ground in the short term, skipper Andy Forbes told Race HQ that he believed the position would pay off eventually. There was always an element of risk though, and although confident, Andy conceded in an interview that, “We could come out heroes, we could come out zeroes, we will have to see.” Catapult… Early evening on the Day 24 and BG SPIRIT found themselves in 4th and 23nm behind the lead yacht. They had lost ground as predicted but it was not long before their fortunes were rapidly reversed. In less than 48 hours they shot ahead by 39nm, their easterly position catapulting them into the lead while the rest of the fleet languished helplessly in light airs. They were caught in a wind hole, while BG SPIRIT's position allowed them to sail around and over the system, avoiding the light airs near the centre. It was Day 28 that must have been the most painful for the fleet, and one of the most enjoyable for BG SPIRIT. All the other yachts parked up, struggling to indextain just a few knots of boat speed, while consistent breeze allowed BG SPIRIT to report a huge advantage of 193nm by the afternoon of Day 29. One that would never be reclaimed by the fleet - BG SPIRIT entered different weather and "it was pretty much done and dusted" according to Andy Forbes! Their massive lead hovered around the 200nm mark for the reindexder of the leg, never threatened by the chasing pack after their lonely, yet profitable, move to the east. And as if it could not get any better for BG SPIRIT, yesterday they saw their lead extended by another 50nm to finish 243nm ahead of Barclays Adventurer, lying in second place as they crossed the line. Skipper and team will be watching the outcome of the fight between the eleven yachts still racing with avid interest to see how their fortunes affect the overall leaderboard. “We’ll have to see how the guys finish up behind us,” said Andy when asked about the overall standings, “we’ll see what happens … When we left Sydney we were four points clear and when we left Cape Town we were four points behind. We said that things could change it and look like they might.” Dan Wedgwood Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE