03.01.2005
VG DAY 58: ‘EXIT’ FROM THE SOUTH FOR THE LEADERS
"MAN WITH A MISSION: Nick Moloney attempts to be the first to race around the globe in 3 disciplines, crewed with stops, fastest non-stop, solo non-stop "
RACE POSITIONS 0930 GMT:
SKANDIA 7th, just over 800 behind VIRBAC and over 600 ahead of his nearest rival, Skandia sailing in his own bit of the ocean right now. BONDUELLE leads as he is the first to round Cape Horn, 127 miles ahead of PRB... nothing as the leading trio head in to the Atlantic Ocean and a whole new yacht race begins.
RACE UPDATE DAY GOING IN TO 58th DAY
SKANDIA SLOWS AGAIN AS TRANSITION SWALLOWS NICK:
A new depression dropping down from the north right in front of Nick has temporarily slowed him up, but it should move to the south and merge with the large low pressure system to the south and the westerly winds fill back in for Nick later today... meanwhile its frustration onboard as Nick questions his decisions, and tries to limit damage from a head sea [waves coming towards him, wind from behind and not much of it – a lot of slamming around, not good for skipper or boat!].
BONDUELLE ROUNDS CAPE HORN:
Jean Le Cam has led the fleet around Cape Horn, passing this final Cape of the Vendee Globe at 0515gmt this morning in a staggering time of 56 days, 17 hours and 13 minutes, 5 days quicker than Michel Desjoyeux in 2000. Mich Desj had a slow North Atlantic, and the leading trio are also probably quicker upwind than PRB in 2000, so the 93 day race record could be majorly reduced (and remember that 93 days was 11 days quicker than the previous record).
LEADING TRIO SHOULD ALL AROUND CAPE HORN TODAY:
A rock of mythical proportions, at the southern tip of South America...a rock which has seen many sailors die in the Clipper ship years as they attempted to sail westwards upwind to the west coast of the USA and Asia. A rock which for the Vendee Globe skippers marks the end of 12,000 tough miles through the wastelands of the Southern Ocean. Whilst the sailors cannot be assured of perfect weather for the final 7,000 miles up the Atlantic, the transition is however usually pretty quick. Warmer temperatures, less dense air, and no longer so remote – ships, aircraft trails, and the negative signs of human life as well...rubbish...
5400 MILES SPREAD:
Between Le Cam who has now re-entered the Atlantic, to his relief, and Karen Leibovici who is just exiting the Indian Ocean, there is a 5400 miles and two different Oceans.
EXCERPTS FROM AUDIO CONFERENCE courtesy of Geolink/Iridium:
To listen to the full audio : http://www.ocftp2.com/audio/vendee2004/nm030105a_uk_e.mp3
Quite mild, no wind...or a lack of wind. Just chipping away here, got 8 knots of wind from north west...angles are pretty ordinary. Really frustrated the low pressure system blocked my path, a warm low coming out of the north joining with the one I was traveling with, and completely blocked my path. The two merge, and I’m not far enough south...I hope by this afternoon to pick up some westerly flow.
I did have a good run for a while. Always got to go as fast you can with what you have got. Not complaining about the light air. Looking over my last few days, don’t think I had any options. Look back over my course, and I feel it was good course, am sure if I didn’t take those options then I would have suffered worse. So its suffer today, through a tough transition over the top. Lots of manoeuvres when the breeze comes.
Hopefully get this mess out the way now, and have a better second half of the Pacific.
The boat is fine, at the moment I’ve taken a reef because I was just about to break the boom in this head sea...in only 8 knots of wind, but its faster as the sail is a lot more stable. Ridiculous scenario to have a reef in at 8 knots of wind. Just trying to avoid a breakage.
Me I’m ok. Trying to have a bit of nap now. Got the alarm set for 20 minutes at a time, to check the wind strength and direction.
Not bored of my food yet, its great. Coped well. Got a block cheese I’ve been saving for Cape Horn, and a packet of dry biscuits. Its great, really good to see 9000 something now to go...first leg of the Whitbread was 7000 something, so at Cape Horn it will be about that distance to the finish.
My head is well in to the journey. Just really looking at the finish now. Really had to tear myself away from Australia. Every time you get near a land mass, you think if I broke something now would I stop. Now I don’t even think that anymore, so far progressed, no consideration to anything other than focusing on the finish. Having come this far, got to keep chipping away. Feel I am on a bit of slide towards the finish, looking forward to the finish, don’t feel like its that far now.
OC SAILING TEAM UPDATE:
Nick’s team mate ELLEN 2.5 days ahead of record, fast sailing in squally SW conditions http://www.teamellen.com
SKANDIA DATA LOG 0930 GMT: data brought to you by BT Business Broadband, transmitted via Thrane&Thrane
LAT/LONG: 47 39 S / 149 32 W
WIND: 8 knots from the NW
POSITIONS 1000 GMT 3rd JANUARY 2005
BOAT / LAT / LONG / distance to finish
1. BONDUELLE, 56 01.68' S / 66 33.16' W, 6999.5 distance to finish
2. PRB, 55 53.64' S / 71 43.98' W, 7126.5 distance to finish
3. ECOVER, 56 04.88' S / 72 07.24' W, 7181.0 distance to finish
7. SKANDIA, 47 39.36' S / 149 32.24' W, 9946.5 distance to finish
For full positions report go to http://www.nickmoloney.com and follow the positions link
PARTNER OF THE DAY : SEEDA/COWES WATERFRONT
Offshore Challenges Sailing Team UK Base
http://www.nickmoloney.com/Seeda
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Sail 4 Cancer is the official charity of the Skandia Set Sail programme. Through Nick’s own personal challenge on the Vendée Globe, he is hoping to raise through your efforts £1 for every 1km sailed – 42,000 in total! If you would like to help visit : http://www.sail4cancer.org/vendee
NOTES :
* Twenty years ago, Skandia pioneered MultiManager investment within long-term savings products - and we are now bringing the same pioneering spirit to our sponsorship of Nick Moloney.
* Supporting the Skandia MultiManager campaign are three of Skandia's leading international fund management partners Invesco Perpetual, Gartmore Investment Managers and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers.
* Nick Moloney is one of an impressive group of Skandia Set Sail athletes.
* Skandia Set Sail is a global sponsorship programme that aims to offer people more opportunities to participate in the sport on a broader level. The objectives of the Skandia Set Sail Campaign are to make sailing more accessible, grow the sport's reach and enrich peoples' lives through the sport. The Skandia Set Sail portfolio is divided into three groups; events, teams and athletes.
* The portfolio includes the title sponsorships of Skandia Cowes Week, the world's oldest and largest regatta on the Isle of Wight, UK (title sponsors for 10 years in 2004) and Skandia Geelong Week in Victoria, Australia - now twinned with Skandia Cowes Week; UK sailors Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell in their Athens Star campaign; Sam Davies, the up and coming single-handed yachtswoman and her Figaro campaign; Austrian 470 sailors, Sylvia Vogl and Carolina Flatscher; the Skandia Brown Cup, the Scottish Schools Sailing Championship; Skandia Cowes Youth Week, a leading international match racing championship, the Skandia Yachting Academy (in association with Kit Hobday's Bear of Britain) and the Skandia Maxi, Australia's biggest ocean racing yacht and line-honours winner of the 2003 Sydney-Hobart Race, and the British Paralympic Association Sailing team.
* For further information contact http://www.skandiasetsail.com
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