21.12.2004
Trimaran title sponsor B&Q is the biggest DIY retailer in Europe and third biggest in the world. http://www.diy.com
DAY 24 MEDIA RELEASE: THROUGH THE WORST BUT WORSE TO COME...
KEY DATA DAY 23 1510 GMT:
21 hours 37 minutes ahead of Joyon
Lat/Long: 45 23 S / 052 14 E (710 miles W Kerguelen Is)
Average Boat speed: 18.76 knots (heading SE)
True Wind speed: 23.4 knots (direction NW)
Sea temperature: 6 degrees C
Distance sailed so far: 9344 miles (16.7 knot average)
(data communicated by Thrane MiniC via BT Business Broadband)
OMEGA: Official timekeeper for Ellen MacArthur
Update based on data recorded 1510 GMT...check http://www.teamellen.com for the latest data updated hourly
IN BRIEF:
* B&Q SURVIVES THE STORM-FORCE CONDITIONS OF YESTERDAY to continue to build on her lead over Joyon - an advantage Ellen has now held since Day 7 of her attempt...
* PASSED THE CROZET ISLANDS, NEXT THE KERGUELEN ISLANDS 710 miles down the track, to the east of which the next big depression is due to form
* AFTERMATH OF ROUGH CONDITIONS REVEALS SLIGHT RUDDER MOVEMENT AGAIN but not serious as Ellen continues to use 'wedge technology' to stabilise the situation...
* CHRISTMAS PRESENT - STORM ON 25TH...it's out there, it's looking slightly less powerful [but still 50 knots] as Ellen considers her options to avoid the full-on power of the storm...
To listen to Ellen's audio, courtesy of Geolink/Iridium, click here http://www.ocftp2.com/audio/ellen/em211204a_uk_e.mp3
IN DETAIL:
B&Q passed the Crozet Islands today on her easterly-course just below 45 degrees south: "We're just to the north of the Crozet Islands, although I couldn't see them, I was only 44 miles away. With all of the birds from the islands around, you can feel you're closer to land, and you can see kelp in the water - it's been a good morning!"
Ellen has survived the 24-hour ordeal of constant Force 8 winds [34-40 knots] gusting up to 55 knots and huge seas after managing to gybe back on to port, towards the north east, late yesterday afternoon in 40 knots of breeze - in itself is no easy feat which involves dropping the indexsail entirely but leaving the headsail up to help manoeuvre the boat through the gybe: "In many ways we were forced south because of certain sea mounts [the North African Rise] which meant that we couldn't really gybe because the sea conditions were far too dangerous in those areas of rapid shelving. I was pushed to the south, 50-55 knots of breeze was the most we saw and a sustained 40 knots for a long period of time. It was pretty hairy but I have to say that the boat was absolutely incredible. To be surfing at 25-28 knots in that amount of breeze in those waves, to be handling as well as she did - I was just absolutely over the moon with her performance, it was fantastic."
In the aftermath, Ellen spent the morning checking the 75-foot trimaran: "I discovered a problem with the steering system yesterday night which is not major but the bottom bearing of the laystock for the index rudder was moving a little bit and some of the screws had undone themselves. So I've made some small carbon wedges up this morning and I've wedged them all the way round and taped them up there, but it looks like it should be okay. The second issue is that I've been back down with the index rudder today and see that we've had some more movement there. I've been tightening up the fuses for the kick up system and also just taping some more wedges in the back. So it's been all-hands on this morning, lots of practical work trying to just tick the boxes to make sure the boat is okay for the next stage." The advice from shore team's Technical Director, Neil Graham, is to keep to using the 'wedge technology'!
Despite the storm-force conditions, B&Q is staying ahead of the pace and continues to build on her advantage over Joyon to over 21 hours 37 minutes this afternoon. Ellen has been ahead of Joyon's record for over 2 weeks now, since day 7 of her solo attempt when she got back ahead of Joyon just before crossing the Equator. This is due to the fact that <> is sailing faster than Joyon's 90-foot IDEC, although at times Ellen has sailed more miles, especially in the first two weeks of the attempt - to date <> has actually sailed 9,344 miles (through the water, rather than the effective distance down the theoretical best track) at an average speed of 16.7 knots. Since crossing inside Joyon's track for the first time in the latter stages of the South Atlantic, <> then made a final dive to the south to get to the Southern Ocean, and has managed to stay in a more southerly 'lane' than Joyon. Ellen is effectively sailing a shorter course to the finish, although this could change by next week as Joyon started to push south after passing the Kerguelen Islands, going down to 46 degrees south.
Today Ellen took out the second reef in <> indexsail as wind and sea conditions moderated - an exhausting operation taking 30 or so minutes of full on physical exertion. Conditions are looking far more favourable as a series of cold fronts, spinning off from the low pressure weather system that <> has been hanging on to for the last few days now, keep pushing <> eastwards towards the Kerguelen Islands, 710 miles down the race track. The 20-30 knot winds turn more right into the north-west ahead of each cold front, and then turn left into the west behind the fronts. This will mean a few gybes as Ellen tries to stay near the latitude of 45 degrees south in the best lane for the breeze (not too much, not too little). But the blot on the weather radar, is a big depression which will form just to the east of the Kerguelen Islands that Ellen could encounter by Christmas: "There is a storm coming which will hit us on Christmas Day - the weather models today make it seem a little bit smaller than it was yesterday, so a little bit less breeze. But we are talking about consistent 50 knots in there which would be pretty hard to escape. It is going to be quite hard going so I don't think it's going to be a particularly relaxing Christmas whatever happens! If we do need to get to the north to get round this depression, which looks like it might be possible, then we maybe doing that over the next couple of days. But we are watching it very closely and seeing how it evolves."
WEATHER ANALYSIS FROM COMMANDERS' WEATHER 0600 GMT:
Conditions have improved some for Ellen over the past 12 hrs or so. Winds are now indexly in the 20-28 knot range with seas not as rough as it was 24 hrs ago.
Ellen will be a favorable following breeze over the next few days with high pressure to the north (near 40s), and broad deep low pressure way down between 55-60s. This low will send a series of weak fronts her way during the course of the next few days. Winds turn more right into the NW ahead of each front or trough, and then turns left into the W behind the fronts. Winds speeds not too tough, indexly in the 20-30 knot range, but could be higher and lower at times.
Between the high and the low, the best breeze for her should be close to 45s, but may need to go further north if too strong, and more south if the breeze becomes lighter.
A more important storm system could affect her over the weekend, and she will need to keep a steady pace to reindex ahead of this system. This still is still 5-6 days away and it could change.
Wind forecasts
Wind directions are TRUE, wind speed in kts, time is UTC
Tues, Dec 21
09: 300-320/19-26- winds slightly lighter ahead of you to the N and E
12: 300-320/18-25, near 45s/51e
18: 290-320/22-30
WeVariably to mostly cloudy, risk of a passing shower. Seas subsiding to 10-20 feet, indexly WSW swell
Wed, Dec 22 - winds tending stronger to the south, lighter north!!
00: 290-320/20-30
06: 290-320/24-32
12: 280-310/24-32, near 46s/61e
18: 270-290/24-32, squall to 35-40 kts weak frontal passage
Partly to variably cloudy with a few passing showers, possible quick hitting squall or two later in the day. Seas 10-15 feet from the W and WSW
http://www.commandersweather.com
PARTNER OF THE DAY : RENAULT UK
Official vehicle supplier 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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