21.01.2005
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DAY 55 MEDIA RELEASE: "I JUST WANT THE PAIN TO GO AWAY..."
KEY DATA DAY 54 1610 GMT:
Distance ahead: 608 miles
Time ahead: 1 day 15 hours [representing 8.72% of time reindexing] calculated using the time it took for Joyon to get to Ellen's current position
OMEGA: Official timekeeper for Ellen MacArthur
Lat/Long: 24 29 S / 033 11 W (840 miles E Santos, Brazil / 1470 miles S Equator)
Average Boat speed: 10.73 knots (heading NE)
True Wind speed: 20.1 knots (direction N by W)
Sea temperature: 26.2 degrees C
Distance sailed so far: 22,060 miles at an average speed of 16.9 knots
(data communicated by Thrane MiniC via BT Business Broadband)
Update based on data recorded 1610 GMT...check http://www.teamellen.com for the latest data updated hourly
PLEASE FIND BELOW TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO CALL WITH ELLEN MACARTHUR TODAY speaking about the mast climbs of yesterday to repair the mast track and the impact this and the weather is, and will have, on her advantage as she sails into light winds this weekend.
To listen to Ellen's audio, courtesy of Geolink/Iridium, click here http://www.ocftp2.com/audio/ellen/em210105a_uk_e.mp3
How are you feeling after the rigours of the mast climb?
Right now, I feel like I've been beaten up actually, I'm sitting here aching all over. I've got massive bruises on my left leg from where it was jammed between the sail and the mast. I'm pretty happy to have managed to repair the mast track and to be able to carry on with the record without too much set back. Yesterday was a terrible day and, to be quite honest, the two weeks before that were pretty tough as well. It's just been one, one big mission and I will be certainly pleased to get across the Equator and let's just hope that the North Atlantic has got a little bit better news then the South Atlantic has for us.
Recovering from the injuries will take time?
I just want the pain to go away, I'm just so buggered. Everything hurts so much - if I move it hurts, if I move my legs, my arms, anything. Every muscle in my body feels like it's been torn - it's horrible. I'm glad I went up again yesterday - if I had had to go up again today, I wouldn't have done it, I couldn't have done it. It was the right thing to just go up yesterday evening and just get it over and done with whilst I was 'adrenalised', as it were.
Lighter winds are forecast, how much impact will that have on your lead?
We're going to lose out, without a doubt, in the next 24 hours, in fact the next 36 hours. We're beating upwind which is the slowest point of sail, it's not ideal, no one wants to do this, its not fast. But, unfortunately, it's all we are left with. We're now going to sail into a high pressure ridge, very slow, very painful, very hot and very frustrating. Only when we come out of the otherside of that ridge will we get into the Trade Winds and once we're into the Trade Winds, in theory, we should have the most stable winds that we've had in about 16 days.
Do you think that you can still actually set this record?
If I didn't think I still had a chance, I would go to Brazil right now! No, of course, we've got a chance, there is still a chance until the second-hand ticks down and there is no time left. We're going to be in pretty bad shape at the Equator because we have to go through tomorrow with very little wind, but at the end of the day, we're sure we still have a chance. It's getting harder and harder rather than easier and easier at the moment.
Do you think you will have any more problem with the damaged track?
The mast track is now satisfactory, the car can now go up and down. It's not 100% there is a risk that when I have the 2nd reef in, like I have now. But I'll just have to learn to live with it - there is not a lot I can do about it. We've just got to hang in there and do our best and hope that is doesn't give again.
Describe the mast climbs?
I climbed the mast twice yesterday, first time to the 2nd reef, second time to the 1st reef which is about 2m up so not far from the top, so it was a long way up. The sea conditions aren't nice, it's not flat water at all, we've got 20 knots of breeze and all movement at the top of the mast is magnified hugely. So, I found myself just being hurled against the mast again and again and trying to protect myself from the mast - from hitting my head or my elbow, or my legs on the rig, you can't stop it happening. It's impossible because you're up 30 metres in the air - it was not much fun at all! But the job's done now and now at least I feel relieved to be in a position where we're still going.
The conditions are still not that easy today?
The hardest thing is the wind, it's so variable. Going from averaging 20 knots, then it averages 22 knots, and then blows as far as 26 knots, it's really unstable and it is making it really hard to select which sail to use. It's pretty full on and it's hard to sleep with the sun shining into the cuddy and I know that tomorrow is going to be **** fight and we're going to lose the breeze tonight and have no wind tomorrow. There is going to be a high-pressure ridge again, it's going to be Code 0 and it's going to be upwind - an absolute nightmare.
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Official Business Partner to Ellen 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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