09.05.2006
On the Dockside
With PAUL CAYARD, skipper – Pirates of the Caribbean
It was a very tough forty hours we had some very strong winds yesterday
off New Jersey. The boat was slamming around, even the first night getting
out of the Chesapeake Bay it was windy and a lot of the boats had problems
with their head sails. We had our fair share and the guys did a great job,
right up to the end. Last night the boats were very close out here the
wind completely died and we were in second place. Anything can happen
when the wind dies but luck was on our side and we were able to hold onto
second.
We had just enough cushion when we came up the Bay, so I told Jules
(Salter), let’s take the boys over to the Statue of Liberty. Then we took
another tack over to Wall Street and cruised into North Cove. It’s
beautiful to be in New York City and as an American, skippering an
American boat. I’m really proud to be here in New York.
With MARCEL VAN TRIEST – navigator Brasil 1
We are on a rising curve here so it’s good. We had good start in
Annapolis, led the fleet around the first loop, led the fleet during the
first day and the evening basically. At the end of the Chesapeake it got
windy we made a little mistake. We had a few crab pots around the keel
which the lines are still around the keel. They have been there for over
twenty hours now. So that slowed us down big time.
Then ABN found their extra gear and passed everyone like usual but that
was ok. Yesterday all day we where in contact with the fleet still slow
slow slow! We sailed very well but when we headed upwind and slowed we saw
the buoys and we stopped the boat completely and we had Andre Fonseca
diving once again in nice conditions. He got it done in no time and got it
all onboard. If you want to go fishing we have got the equipment for you.
Once we had our crab pots cleared we were behind them (Ericsson &
movistar) and they let us in by at the Ambrose Lighthouse and then at the
corner at the beginning of the narrows we got the corner and it got just a
few boat lengths which were necessary to get overlapped and then get on
the inside and be a nuisance to them and we managed to sail them backwards
from then.
People normally ask me if I get sick which I don’t, but this time I was.
And there were smells inside the boat which were not meant to be there to
add to the joy.
With NEAL MCDONALD – skipper ERICSSON
We had a great race actually, a lot of fun and a race of many parts but I
guess the only part that really counts is the end. We didn’t do too badly
there, at one point we thought we were that close to being on our goal of
being on the podium for an offshore leg but it wasn’t to be this time.
When you look at the results they are a little misleading as they give
distance to the mark and the way the wind and everything works out I
wouldn’t have put ourselves second in a lot of those situations but I
think we were probably first out of the Bay. We had sparks of brilliance
and just not far away from here we were in third, ten miles away.
It’s pleasing we are learning the boat a bit better and we are learning
how to be in the more optimal places. Overall I’m very happy and it’s nice
to enjoy a race most of the time inside other boats.
Was it unpleasant going up wind? You just have to look at my face people
say have I got sun burn but this is wind burn. I spent all night on deck
obviously like every one else out here and I seem to have skin which
suffers from it.
So it was pretty wild but nothing extraordinary for people in this race
but quite wild all the same. We are in great shape the biggest thing is
putting the body back together, I’m bruised and battered.
With BOUWE BEKKING – skipper movistar
The other boats did just that little better than us. We were third around
the Ambrose and looked like we were going to overtake Ericsson but we got
into a little situation with them, which we will protest them about. Then
Brasil got the laugh and got into third and slipped through and sailed
nicely up the river over here and got the third place
It was a nice race I haven’t seen a lot of it as I had the ‘flu and still
have. So my index job was just stacking the boat downstairs in the tacks
but the guys did a fantastic job and it was a really enjoyable race in
that sense.
You look each other in the eyes and know you where the problems are and
that just the way it is.
With GRANT WHARINGTON – skipper Brunel
It was a pretty tough 400 miles. We’re feeling a bit ragged actually. It
was obviously nice to beat someone on the water. We had a few issues, but
our speed seemed OK. The first day was light running and we were fine.
Our start was pretty good actually but unfortunately we went to the
Eastern shore which didn’t pay. We got passed by everybody who went over
to the right. By the time we got half way down the Chesapeake, we were
about five miles ahead of ABN AMRO ONE and about three miles ahead of the
kids and we were actually able to hang in there with the Farr boats. Hull
shape wise, we are obviously somewhere in between the hard bilge wider
boats, and our transom is little bit out of the water and not dragging
around, so in the lighter stuff downwind we were OK.
Upwind we’re pretty similar. Yesterday we sailed along with Brasil 1. We
lost them last night when we put a spreader through the jib, which was
really expensive and so we ended up on the wrong tack for a while and one
thing led to another. We ended up split with a big right hand shift with
the guys off offshore. We had to go in because of the jib change and the
guys who went to the right got really big right air and we just couldn’t
get out to it. What was a two or three mile deficit to Brasil became 10
miles quite quickly, but it is very encouraging that the pace is a lot
better.
Everything worked fine crew wise, it was all good, so no issues there. We
broke about five jib sheets, so obviously a bit of load on the boat which
we didn’t have before now that it isn’t going sideways through the water.
We have done a few minor things like we ripped the radar racket and the
camera off the mast and we had trouble with our instruments and we think
we might have trouble with the wands, but we have a spare stuck on the
back of the boat, so we’re just going to test that out. We’re pretty sure
we are going to be able to fix everything ourselves and not take the two
hour penalty.
The 280 mile beat was just relentless. We had a gust of 52 knots on the
first night. We had the right sort of gear up, so we weren’t caught out,
but the boat was really on fire at that point of time. A really very
tough 24 hours.
With SIMON FISHER – navigator ABN AMRO TWO
Although it was only just over 24 hours, I’d say it was one of the
toughest legs of the Volvo so far. 24 hours of bashing upwind in 50 knots
is hard work for anyone.
Things were going reasonably well until we tacked onto starboard on a nice
lift and everything was going well, and the boat was going well, and we
were in the process of taking in the second reef, when the tack line on
the Code 4 snapped and the Code 4 was left flogging out the side of the
boat, so we were forced to bear right away and get that down, get the
third reef in because we were having problems with the second reef.
Unfortunately we spent about half a day with three reefs in and a storm
jib, which is not really ideal, even if there was 30 knots.
It seems hard. Everyone is working together really well and we are still
hitting our numbers but lady luck doesn’t seem to be with us at this
stage. We were catching the other guys and closed right up to them on the
exit of the Chesapeake, so we thought we were up with a fighting chance
but it wasn’t to be. We’ve got to the bottom of the fleet now, so the
only way is up.
The onboard sail making team has had a practice now and they’re pretty
high caliber, so I think we will get everything fixed before we leave the
dock, so no penalty to take.
Sacha Oswald Volvo Ocean Race Press Officer in New York:
Mob: +44 7816 275 498 Email: Sacha.Oswald@volvooceanrace.org
|
