09.01.2005
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DAY 43 MEDIA RELEASE: BLISTERING PACE CONTINUES ON B&Q...
KEY DATA DAY 42 1510 GMT: 4 days 21 hours 38 minutes [15.90% of time reindexing] ahead of Joyon
OMEGA: Official timekeeper for Ellen MacArthur
Lat/Long: 52 18 S / 096 24 W (1035 miles W Cape Horn)
Average Boat speed: 18.98 knots (heading E by S)
True Wind speed: 26.2 knots (direction NW)
Sea temperature: 7.9 degrees C
Distance sailed so far: 17,950 miles at an average speed of 17.7 knots
(data communicated by Thrane MiniC via BT Business Broadband)
Update based on data recorded 1510 GMT... http://www.teamellen.com for the latest data updated hourly
IN BRIEF:
* B&Q CLOSE TO A 5 DAY LEAD APPROACHING CAPE HORN just over 1000 miles to the east - latest ETA is between 2100 GMT Tuesday (11.1.05) and 0600 GMT Wednesday.
* MACARTHUR SETS NEW PERSONAL BEST 24-HOUR DISTANCE RECORD of 501.6 miles for this record attempt (she set a personal best 24hr record of just under 526 miles during her transatlantic record attempt in June 2004).
* CENTRE OF THE LOW HAS PASSED UNDER MACARTHUR as the blistering pace of <> allows her to avoid the worst of the chasing storm, although the new cold SW winds on backside will bring highly unstable squally conditions once again tomorrow.
* RELEASE FROM SOUTHERN OCEAN ON THE HORIZON BUT UNABLE TO LET GUARD DOWN... "You can't even let yourself think it is just a few days away, you can't let your guard drop down..."
To listen to Ellen's audio, courtesy of Geolink/Iridium, click here http://www.ocftp2.com/audio/ellen/em090105a_uk_e.mp3
IN DETAIL:
Ellen MacArthur, sailing the 75-multihull B&Q, is only 3.5 hours shy of a 5 day lead, currently standing at 4 days, 21 hours and 38 minutes [representing 15.90% of the time reindexing for Ellen to break the record] at 1510 GMT this afternoon and is only 50 miles short of having covered 18,000 miles at an average speed of 17.7 knots. With just over 1000 miles to go to the legendary Cape Horn - the final Southern Ocean cape to pass before turning left and into the South Atlantic - MacArthur has been setting a blistering pace in favourable north-westerly conditions averaging between 20 and 24 knots. Through the night her 24-hour distance runs hovered around the 490 mile mark, then at 1310 GMT the latest data showed a recorded 24 hour run of 501.6 miles at an average speed of 20.9 knots, setting a new personal best for MacArthur on this solo, round the world record attempt. MacArthur has sailed faster over a 24 hour period - on her solo west-east transatlantic record attempt in June 2004, she set a personal 24-hour distance record of 525.96 miles. The current solo 24-hour record is still held by Laurent Bourgnon at 540 miles, set on his successful transatlantic record in 1994.
The advantage that MacArthur has worked hard to get - making the most of the favourable and unfavourable conditions - only serves to provide MacArthur with a comfort zone: "I can definitely take less risk, but at the same time there is also a risk that you can lose time. So you have to make that compromise - how hard to you push and how much do you lose? It's not that straightforward. We're in a boat that's getting tired, a skipper that's mentally and emotionally absolutely zonked, and we've got all the way up the Atlantic to sail."
Much of MacArthur's focus will now be in preservation of herself and the boat: "I've had some sleep but not that rested. I'm just trying to rest as much as I can and chill out as much as I can and just look after the boat and not break anything now. We don't have to do anything rash and we've managed to stay in front of this little depression, its now moving south behind us which is fantastic news. Its so cool we've actually managed to have done that, that was the objective. So now we've just got to sail relatively fast to the east and the longer we can stay in the north-westerlies, the more stable life will be and then we'll gybe into the south-westerly flow and head down the western coast of Chile." MacArthur managed to 'cram' seven hours of sleep, taken in short cat-naps, in the last 24 hours but Ellen is only marginally topping up a 'fuel tank' that is practically running on low right now.
With the centre of the depression passing to the south of her today, her 'pedal to the metal' style of sailing paid the dividends as it meant she has kept away from the dangers at the centre of the low. Now the wind is set to clock left further into the W-WSW through the next 12-24 hours - already B&Q is sailing slightly south of east: "We have three reefs and the Solent at the moment, but I'm going to have to start sailing a little bit deeper now, as I want to try and start sailing a little bit more towards the Horn. I'm just trying to work out what kind of sail to have up because we keep getting gusts of 30 knots - trying to work out the angle and sail, is not that easy." Tomorrow will still see squally conditions as the wind shifts but not as bad as expected thanks to MacArthur's gains to the east.
B&Q's performance may seem like an express train but she continus to struggle to look after herself: "Last night, I said am I going to eat or am I going to sleep and in the end I slept and I didn't have my dinner until it was getting light this morning, about 4.00am... Spaghetti bolognaise at 4.00am is not the go! I just ate it and so didn't want it, I really didn't want it... In fact, I almost hurled! I feel like a machine sometimes, working on a rota and the majority of that rota doesn't work properly..."
MacArthur has spent over 20 days in the Southern Ocean - sailing in the remotest part of the world's oceans - and approaching Cape Horn [ETA from 2100 GMT Tuesday 11.1.05 through to 0600 GMT 12.1.05] that will release Ellen back into 'civilisation' is a strange sensation for the B&Q skipper: "I know, I can't quite believe it, I'm finding it quite hard imagining going round the corner. I'm looking forward to it but I just can't believe it's a few days away, it just feels like that can't be true. You can't even let yourself think it is just a few days away, you can't let your guard drop down." And that will continue to be the case until B&Q crosses the finish line.
WEATHER ANALYSIS FROM COMMANDERS' WEATHER :
From: Commanders' Weather Corp 0600UTC Sunday, January 9, 2005
Double structured low pressure to the S and SW of Ellen this morning. The southern low will be the dominant low by Sunday night and Monday as it tracks steadily toward the SE away from Ellen. Meanwhile the more northern low will evolve into a trough of low pressure that will approach Ellen from the west during the next 12-24 hrs.
Comfortable NW breeze ahead of this trough is running mostly in the 20-25 kt range and should provide nice sailing conditions on Sunday although this breeze may diminish somewhat. Winds are a little stronger to the north and lighter to the south and west so Ellen is indextaining an east heading as fast as possible to stay in these nice sailing conditions.
Right now expect this trough will overtake Ellen on Sunday night with a gradual shift toward W-WSW direction and more squally conditions developing. But if Ellen is fast this may be delayed. During and after the trough passage there will be fluctuations in wind speed perhaps as low as 15-20 kts but possibly as high as 40 kts in squalls first half of next week as Ellen continues toward Cape Horn. Avg wind speeds will be increasing toward 25-35 kts by Monday night and Tuesday along with seas building to 20-25 feet. So rougher times ahead for Ellen as she approaches Cape Horn. Looking to go around Cape Horn on Tuesday evening, January 11th.
Wind forecasts
Wind directions are TRUE, wind speed in kts, time is UTC
Sun, Jan 9- winds lighter to your SW and S and stronger to your north
09: 310-330/20-25
12: 310-330/20-25, near 52 20s/ 97 40w
18: 310-330/20-25 and more squally in nature
Partly cloudy to cloudy with increasing risk of showers/squalls as the trough to the west gets closer. Seas 12-18 feet
Mon, Jan 10 - wind stronger north and lighter south
00: 320-300/15-25- wind more squally
06: 280-260/20-30- unstable and squally
12: 280-260/20-30- unstable and squally, near 53 20s/85 30w
18: 270-250/20-30, unstable and squally
Changeable skies and few showers and possible squalls. Winds could show big swings in speed as low as 15 kts in lulls and 30-40 kts in potential squalls.
Seas 15- 20 feet
Tue, Jan 11 - winds continue squally in nature
00: 250-270/25-35
06: 260-280/ 25-35
12: 260-280/25-35 near 55 40s/73 20w
18: 270-290/ 25-35
Mix of clouds and sunshine, the frequency of the showers/squalls will be diminishing. Seas 15-25 feet. Potential for squalls to 35-40 kts
Wed, Jan 12
00: 260-280/25-35 - off Cape Horn
06: 260-280/25-35
12: 270-250/25-35, near 54s/63w
18: 260-240/ 25-35
Variable cloudiness with a few scattered showers, Seas 15-25 feet
http://www.commandersweather.com
PARTNER OF THE DAY : INSENSYS
Official supplier of advanced monitoring systems to ensure onboard performance & safety 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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