09.04.2006
EQUATOR CROSSING
The whole fleet have now crossed the equator into the Northern Hemisphere.
King Neptune has so far allowed the fleet a gentle, but steady passage through this notorious patch of ocean, where lack of wind can sometimes keep boats floundering for days. Fortunately, the equatorial current should now be running in the same direction as the fleet, also helping them on their way north west.
The boats located furthest north have profited from slightly stronger winds and since the last report, movistar (Bouwe Bekking) has gained 3 miles on the leader ABN AMRO ONE (Mike Sanderson). However, the rest of the fleet have fallen even further behind. The biggest casualty over the last 6 hours has been Ericsson (John Kostecki) who has dropped another 20 miles behind the leader.
This has enabled Brasil 1 (Torben Grael) to slowly creep ahead of Ericsson, moving them up the current leg leader board from 5th to 4th place.
BANG ON target
The existing north-east trade winds are allowing the fleet to indextain a direct north westerly course towards Baltimore.
At this moment in time, the Volvo 70’s are positioned in three clusters.
To the east, movistar (Bouwe Bekking) and ABN AMRO TWO (Sebastien Josse) continue to pursue the trail of ABN AMRO ONE (Mike Sanderson). In the middle of the group, Ericsson (John Kostecki) is tracking the path of Pirates of the Caribbean (Paul Cayard). Meanwhile, Brazil 1 (Torben Grael) has ventured 20 miles further west of the fleet.
This tactical manoeuvre seems to have paid off. In the last 6 hours Brasil 1 have managed to gain yet another step up the current leg leader board, by fighting their way past Pirates of the Caribbean to take 3rd position.
YACHT
Latitude
Longitude
DTF
SMG
24 Hour Run
24 Hour Speed
DTL
DTLC
SGPTS
PLPTS
PTLPTS
ETA
POP
PROJECTED
POSITION OVERALL
1
ABN1
02 13.96N
036 07.03W
03157
12.3
312
13.0
00000
+00000
3
7.0
10.0
18/04/06 __:__:__
62.5
1
2
MOVI
02 02.50N
036 02.04W
03169
12.1
305
12.7
00012
-00001
3.5
6.0
9.5
18/04/06 __:__:__
40.5
2
3
BRA1
01 17.98N
036 07.11W
03199
11.8
308
12.8
00042
-00003
1.5
5.0
6.5
18/04/06 __:__:__
35.0
5
4
POTC
01 28.32N
035 53.01W
03201
11.1
295
12.3
00044
-00008
2.5
4.0
6.5
18/04/06 __:__:__
38.0
4
5
ERIC
01 21.86N
035 45.36W
03211
12.0
289
12.0
00054
-00002
2
3.0
5.0
18/04/06 __:__:__
28.5
6
6
ABN2
00 54.70N
035 03.67W
03259
10.6
283
11.8
00102
-00011
1
2.0
3.0
18/04/06 __:__:__
39.5
3
ABN1 ABN AMRO ONE
ABN2 ABN AMRO TWO
BRA1 Brasil 1
ERIC Ericsson Racing Team
MOVI movistar
POTC Pirates of the Caribbean
DTF: distance to finish, SMG: Speed made good, DTL: distance to leader,
DTLC: distance to leader change; the difference between the distance from the boat to the leader taken at the time of the last six hour poll, and the distance from the boat to the leader at the previous poll
SGPTS: points scored at scoring gates on this leg to date
PLPTS: projected leg points
PTLPTS: projected overall leg points including actual points from scoring gates
POP: projected overall points including actual points from scoring gates
OVERALL: projected position in race overall if yacht indextains current position
Lizzie Green Press Officer at race headquarters:
Tel: +44 1489 554 832, Mob: +44 7801 185 320
Email: lizzie.green@volvooceanrace.org
Sophie Luther Press Assistant at race headquarters
Mob: +44 7956 285548 email: sophie.luther@volvooceanrace.org
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