13.12.2004
Trimaran title sponsor B&Q is the biggest DIY retailer in Europe and third biggest in the world. http://www.diy.com
DAY 16 MEDIA RELEASE: NO MAJOR CHANGE IN STATUS, NOW A WAIT AND SEE OPERATION...
KEY DATA DAY 15 1310 GMT: 6 hours 13 minutes ahead of Joyon (data communicated by Thrane MiniC via BT Business Broadband)
Lat/Long: 33 40 S / 017 32 W ( 1785 E Uruguay / 1875W Cape of Good Hope)
Average Boat speed: 16.92 knots (heading S)
True Wind speed: 13.3 knots (direction E)
Distance sailed so far: 5894 miles
Update based on data recorded 1310 GMT...check http://www.teamellen.com for the latest data updated hourly
OMEGA: Official timekeeper for Ellen MacArthur
IN BRIEF:
* ONGOING ASSESSMENT OF TECHNICAL ISSUES ON BOARD B&Q... Ellen continues to monitor repairs to water-makers and new installation of ducting system to cool back-up generator...
* ABATING CONDITIONS ALLOW ELLEN TO MAKE CRUCIAL REPARIS...the 35+ knots of wind and huge seas pummeling <> yesterday abated overnight, leaving flatter seas and decreasing breeze from the NNW allowing Ellen time to make repairs and monitor the situation, as well getting some crucial sleep...
* FULL CONFIDENCE IN B&Q BUT WILL THE REPAIRED SYSTEM GO THE DISTANCE...that is the critical question now for Ellen and her shore team as she races towards the Southern Ocean...
* WORDS SAY IT ALL... "Feel pretty trashed, and unsettled by all this. Its going to take a while for this pain to go away. I screamed out loud when I started the generator and it [the new ventilation system] worked... I have a load of diy to finish it properly, but the principle works..."
IN DETAIL:
Early this morning, Ellen MacArthur contacted her shore team to confirm that she had managed to fix both failed water-makers [the index one failed during the day yesterday and the second one last night]: "Took me hours to work it out, the problem was with the water intake system, but I couldn't see why. Eventually I got it working and I at least now have a few litres of fresh water..." MacArthur has also installed a ducting cooling system to keep the temperature down in the engine area: "I've managed to improve the situation with the generator, and have set up a ducting system that means I've got cooler air coming in to it now, and the temperature is not rising so fast in there - this has enabled me, I think, to block off the air flows within the living area, and so reduced the fumes..." So instead of the generator drawing air from its own space, she ducted the intake to the sail locker which has cold air coming in to it and this has kept it much cooler than before. Temperatures in the 'engine room' still reached 35 degrees C, but cool enough that Ellen didn't need to have the hatchway between engine and cabin open. Then with a fan that she took apart yesterday from the heater, she has set up a system that dissipates the fumes as well...
Having found the reasons why the water-makers were not functioning properly takes a huge weight of Ellen's mind, and they are no longer a major concern or threat to the record attempt. However, it is crucial for Ellen that the generator situation both in terms of over-heating but, more importantly, the ommission of toxic fumes into the cabin area, is successfully managed. This situation needs to be monitored for the next 48 hours to ensure there is no risk to Ellen in pursuing this record attempt. Prior to installing the new ducting system, Ellen had been able to ventilate the cabin area by leaving all the hatches open but this is impossible going into the Southern Ocean - bit like driving through a blizzard with your sun-roof open and then someone tipping 50 gallons of freezing water inside the car...for thirty days in a row! An unthinkable scenario...
Extreme sleep deprivation is now a big concern, as Ellen has only managed around 4 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours all taken in short, fitful catnaps: "I tried to sleep for an hour or two in my bag, but its was fitful, too hot, too cold with too many worries going around in my head. But I know I need to sleep more..."
Still ahead of the record by 6 hours 13 minutes [at 1310 GMT], Ellen has unsurprisingly lost time on the record since she pushed south 48 hours ago to get through a difficult cold frontal system: "Tactically, it's the best time it could have been to be throttled back..." Currently sailing at 16 knots of boat speed on her path south with an easterly wind and by tomorrow/Wednesday, B&Q will be firmly hooked into a new low weather system that is forming off the coast of Brazil, merging with a cold front, and bringing NW to northerly winds up to gale force in strength that will propel her quickly east into the Southern Ocean. All on the assumption that the technical issues on board do not worsen...
WEATHER ANALYSIS FROM COMMANDERS' WEATHER 0600 GMT:
From: Commanders' Weather Corp 0600UTC Monday, December 13, 2004
The daylight hours of Monday will see much lighter winds and soft seas which will allow Ellen to finish any repairs and prepare for her entry into the southern ocean westerlies on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The big strong high pressure area that caused the strong easterlies 24 hours ago is moving ENE and will pass east of Ellen during Monday afternoon. This will allow Ellen to sail SSE tonight, into increasing NNE winds.
Low pressure off the southern Brazilian coast this morning will merge with a cold front later Tuesday. This combination will bring increasing N and NW winds to Ellen, which will reach gale force Tuesday night and Wednesday. This should provide some very fast boat speeds to the E and ESE.
Wind directions are TRUE, wind speed in knots, time is UTC
Mon, Dec 13
15:00 070-030/14-8, winds stronger and more NE to the west and lighter and
more E to the east
18:00 050-010/ 5-10 - western edge of the high
Becoming partly cloudy as you approach 35S and seas diminishing to 3-6 feet daytime Monday.
Tue, Dec 14
00: 020-350/ 8-14, time to sail fast and hard, staying ahead of the cold
front for as long as possible
06:00 340-360/13-18 - stronger wind W, lighter to the E
12:00 340-360/20-25, near 36 30S/12 30W - wind increasing
18:00 320-340/25-35 - wind continues to build
Partly to mostly cloudy. N-NW seas increasing to 6-9 feet overnight, longer period
Wed, Dec 15
00:00 320-350/30-40
06:00 330-350/30-40, gust 45 - becoming rough
12:00 330-300/30-40, gust 45 near 38 20S/3W, squalls approaching - rough
18:00 320-290/35-20 -squally - cold front close by
Showers and big squalls likely - will be ahead of the wind shift to the SW.
Seas 10-15 feet ahead of the cold front and increasing to 12-17 feet after
the front passes
http://www.commandersweather.com
PARTNER OF THE DAY : GURNARD PINES
Official fitness centre facility to Ellen and the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team
Click here for further information on Sailing Speed Records http://www.sailspeedrecords.com and here for information on Ellen's campaign http://www.teamellen.com
For further information, please contact Offshore Challenges:
Lou Newlands or Lucy Harwood
T: +44 (0)870 063 0210
E: lou@offshorechallenges.com or lucy@offshorechallenges.com
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B&Q has over 350 stores in the UK, China and Taiwan and employs about 40,000 people. With its sister DIY company Castorama which has stores in France, Italy and Poland, B&Q is the biggest DIY retailer in Europe and third biggest in the world.
http://www.diy.com
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