15.11.2005
DAY 11: ALL TO PLAY FOR AS FRONTRUNNERS COMPRESS AT EQUATOR
IN BRIEF:
FLUCTUATING CONDITIONS ALLOW VIRBAC-PAPREC TO EXTEND LEAD over Jourdain and MacArthur to 19 miles… “We got pretty stuck and thankfully we’re moving again”
Skippers exhausted from constant vigilance and pushing the boat 100% as the heat becomes almost unbearable close to the Equator.. “We’re both exhausted after being on deck pretty much all night, and it’s now really hot”
A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD AS THE TOP SIX OPEN 60’S COMPRESS to within 89 miles from first to sixth…
A DRAG RACE TO THE FINISH IN BRAZIL - speed and consistency become top priority
IN DETAIL:
From Ellen this morning:
“We are both knackered; Bilou (aka Roland Jourdain) fell asleep and dropped his tea whilst we were talking this morning. We are frustrated that we've had the nasty clouds. Today must surely be our day.”
From Roland Jourdain (aka Bilou) onoboard Sill et Veolia:
“It’s better now we’re more or less out of this mess. We got pretty stuck and thankfully we’re moving again, our spirits are a bit dented, Virbac-Paprec is sailing a bit faster in lighter airs, they took out 7 – 8 miles from us in 2 hours! So it wasn’t our lucky day. And Bonduelle has had a boost over in the East. It’s tough in here, when you think everyone must be going through the same thing, but then they’re not when you see the polls. The wind is stabilizing from the East – South East, we should get into the new wind in a few hours but Virbac-Paprec will have got this before us. We’ll have to wait another 24hrs to be completely out of here. We’re both exhausted after being on deck pretty much all night, and it’s now really hot, we haven’t adapted to the heat yet. Ellen was talking to me earlier and I just fell asleep listening to her! But she really is impressive on the water, the energy she has and the way she manages things, she’s truly exceptional!”
The Open 60 frontrunners have been experiencing variable conditions overnight and today, as the Doldrums appear to be more active than the weather models previously forecasted. The wind is fluctuating both in speed (5-30 knots) and direction as the boats pass through the random squalls followed swiftly by light airs. Last night saw Sill et Veolia slow as the unstable conditions favoured rivals Virbac-Paprec to the east, allowing Dick and Peyron to build a 19.6 mile lead overnight. By this morning’s position at 0900 GMT it appeared that Jourdain and MacArthur had found the consistent breeze once more, as their boat speed rose to double figures again.
Jean Le Cam and Kito De Pavant onboard Bonduelle (Sill et Veolia’s Lombard designed sistership) are back in the hunt and posing a real threat to the leaders, after finding even more beneficial conditions further to the east overnight, to close to within 36 miles of Sill et Veolia. Whilst the fight continues for the podium, the battle for forth place is also being closely fought between Ecover who is just holding onto fourth 2.3 miles ahead of Skandia (5th).
Virbac-Paprec, Sill et Veolia and Bonduelle are approximately 4 degrees north, 240 miles from the Equator, which they are expected to cross tomorrow morning – when exactly will depend upon the Doldrums finally releasing Sill et Veolia into the South Atlantic Trade Winds.
By Wednesday afternoon, the top six boats should be sailing in the south-east Trade Winds, forecast to be blowing between 18-20 knots. All six will be looking to put their foot to the floor for the drag race to the finish line in Brazil. With 1113 miles reindexing in the race, it has almost become a level playing field again.
OPEN 60 RANKINGS 1500 GMT:
1. VIRBAC-PAPREC / DISTANCE TO FINISH 1133.9 MILES
2. SILL ET VEOLIA / +19 MILES
3. BONDUELLE / +55.6 MILES
4 ECOVER / +87.3MILES
5. SKANDIA / +89.6 MILES
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